Read the paragraph from a student’s narrative. Select the best transition words from the dropdowns.
Shawn and his parents were planning to fly in an airplane to see his grandparents who had recently moved to Georgia. Shawn had never flown on an airplane and was slightly nervous.
, on the morning of the flight, Shawn boarded the airplane with excitement as he learned he would have a window seat. Once seated, Shawn fastened his safety belt and talked animatedly with his dad, who was sitting beside him. Soon, the flight attendant provided a safety demonstration. , the engines roared and the plane began accelerating down the runway.
Read a student's paragraph from a narrative about a football game. Select the most precise underlined words from the dropdowns to complete the paragraph.
I had heard everyone talk about the experience of a football game on Friday night, but it is something I have never experienced myself. The Friday night football game is all the kids at school have been talking about today. Excited whispers have filled the hallway about hearing the marching band play brand new songs and seeing the football players onto the field. I hope I will enjoy attending my first football game. I think that life is about trying new things. So I am just going to focus on this new experience under the Friday night lights on a frosty autumn evening.
A student is writing a paragraph that demonstrates the traits of a character in a novel. Read
the draft of the paragraph and circle the sentence number of the sentence that should be
removed because it does not maintain focus.
1Jesse took an interest in mentoring and sharing some of his favorite experiences with his cousin Karl. 2Jesse’s favorite pastime is fishing, so one afternoon they hiked to a nearby stream to go fishing. 3Jesse patiently taught his cousin all the techniques he needed to know to catch fish. 4The brown trout is a fish common to Missouri rivers and streams. 5There were so many trout in the river, and they were proud to have caught three fish. 6Not only did Jesse teach Karl how to fish, he generously taught him how to cook the trout.
Read the paragraph from a student’s narrative. Circle the underlined words that add precise
language to the paragraph.
Amber to the bus stop in the pouring rain. It was fitting that she had forgotten her umbrella at home that morning; the rain mirrored her internal distress. Yet again, Antoine was able to outshine her with his topic for the annual school science fair. As a result, she to prove that she was just as, if not more, creative than the others who attended her middle school. While she was thinking intently about a more imaginative subject for the upcoming science fair, the approaching school bus hit a large puddle and doused her in muddy water.
A student is writing an argumentative essay about opening a coffee shop at school for his
teacher. Read the draft of the essay.
Opening a coffee shop at school would benefit students. Each morning, sleepy students and staff drag their feet as they enter the school building. They would perk up as the fragrant aroma of freshly made coffee floated through the hallways. A friendly student barista working at the school coffee shop would greet others and describe the daily specials. For a low cost, students and staff could purchase the drinks. The students working at the coffee shop would benefit from preparing the drinks, collecting the money, and working with the customers. The customers would benefit from having an early morning treat, giving them a boost to start their day. As anyone can see, a coffee shop would be a great addition to any school.
_________________________________________________ Having many customers in long lines may make students late for class. When students are late, they lose valuable opportunities to be prepared for the day’s lesson. If students are not prepared for learning, their academic performance may suffer. Furthermore, the caffeine present in many of the coffee shop’s offerings can be harmful to a young person’s energy level. Caffeine may produce a rush of energy, but it is only temporary. Some people experience a drop in attention span a couple hours after drinking a caffeinated drink. They actually can become sleepy! While it sounds like a good idea, having a coffee shop at any school could have negative effects on students’ opportunities to learn.
Write a counterclaim statement to introduce the second paragraph. Be sure your statement is appropriate for the audience and purpose of the essay.
A student is writing an argumentative essay about allowing students to listen to music in class. Select the sentence number of the sentence that should be removed to give the paragraph a clearer focus.
1Teachers should allow students to listen to music during class. 2It helps many students focus on completing independent work. 3Music comes in many forms such as pop music, jazz, and hip hop. 4Listening to music has been shown to help students ignore distractions in the classroom, such as noise or activities going on outside a nearby window. 5With the use of headphones or earbuds, no one else is bothered by a student listening to music. 6With modern technology, it has never been more convenient for a teacher to allow students to listen to music in the classroom while they complete assignments.
A student has written an argumentative essay about learning a foreign language. Read a paragraph from the draft of the essay. Select the sentence number of the sentence that should be removed to maintain a clearer focus throughout the paragraph.
1There are many benefits of learning a foreign language. 2Although some feel it is a waste of time, as students may not use the language in daily conversation, studies have shown that learning a second language is good for the brain. 3When speaking their native language, people use the left side of their brain. 4However, when learning a foreign language, people use both sides, which increases the amount of gray matter in the brain. 5Special days when students can eat the food of a certain country can be a fun part of foreign language class.
A student is writing a proposal requesting a school-based mountain bike program. Read the
draft and select the sentence number of the sentence that best states the counterclaim.
1I am writing to request that we start a mountain bike program at Riverview Middle School. 2Mountain bike programs and races are now offered throughout Missouri and the United States; I feel it is time our school offers this sport too. 3Similar mountain biking programs have proven benefits for students and communities. 4Students say they develop friendships and a sense of adventure by riding on trails in our parks. 5Additionally, riders of all ability levels are invited to join the teams. 6There are no tryouts, and everyone can participate. 7Most importantly, a mountain bike program encourages respect for teammates and the outdoors. 8The core principles of many mountain bike programs are building strong minds, strong character, and strong community. 9Some teams report having difficulty recruiting enough volunteer coaches. 10Most mountain bike coaches, however, agree that coaching is a highly rewarding experience. 11Please consider adding a safe and fun mountain bike program to Riverview Middle School to improve the lives of our students.