Plymouth Public Schools

English Language Arts K-5

MCAS 2017

Preparing for Writing Tasks

The best way to prepare our students for the demands of the MA Curriculum Framework for ELA and Literacy, including the writing tasks assessed onMCAS, is to follow the Units of Study. Our Units of Study teach children to write across text types and for a variety of purposes with attention to structure, craft and conventions.

Connecting Writing and Reading Workshop to MCAS:

To help students apply what they’ve learned in Writing and Reading Workshop to MCAS, we recommend the following:

  • Provide practice in writing both narratives and essays that are “text-based” (connected to texts students have read).
  • Return to a recent text from the Literary Essays unit—one from which students developed a literary essay—and provide students with an opportunity to use the same text to write a narrative text-based essay. Returning to the same text for a different purpose will allow you to compare/contrast the different types of text-based essays with your students.
  • Provide students with exposure to the specific language used on MCAS.
  • Provide students with occasional opportunities to quickly write a basic plan and then write a complete draft (“flash draft”) digitally—in one sitting.

Types of Writing Tasks on MCAS and Accompanying Language:

MCAS uses the term “text-based essay” to describe any piece of writing students are called upon to produce—whether the written piece has narrative (story) elements or is structured around a claim/thesis with supporting details (“boxes and bullets”).

Students will write both types of texts on MCAS. In grades 3 and 4, they will also write a short answer response in the form of a well-developed paragraph.

Text-Based Essays that Ask Students to PRESENT AND DEVELOP A NARRATIVE TEXT: Language that asks students to write narrativeessays includes “narrative text” and/or “narrative story.” Students will be asked to extend, change, or revisit the story perhaps from a different perspective. Writers should step into the characters’ shoes, using a storyteller or narrator’s voice, to write a story that unfolds using the techniques of narrative writing. It is important that students can distinguish this type of writing from summary writing. See narrative techniques/craft strategies in the pages that follow.

Text-Based Essays that Ask Students to PRESENT AND DEVELOP A CENTRAL IDEA: Language that supports a “boxes and bullets” essay structure includes: “present and develop a central idea; provide evidence/details from the passage”. See essay techniques/craft strategies in the pages that follow.

See the tables at the end of this document for specific language included on the MCAS practice tests in preparation for the 2017 MCAS. You can expect to see the same or similar language on this year’s MCAS.

●The prompt will likely include language such as:

  • Present and develop a central idea; provide evidence/details from the passage(s).

●Students will need practice planningfor and structuringtheir text-based essay, one that identifies a central idea (main idea, lesson, theme) and is supported with evidence and details from the text.

○Students may be provided with the claim or thesis within the prompt itself. Help students learn to identify if the claim has already been provided.

○Students can create a plan on paper or directly onto the computer.

○Most students should be familiar with the boxes-and-bullets format. Teach students to jot a quick box-and-bullets outline onto paper and to refer back to this plan while they compose online.

○An alternative is for students to type in their central idea and a quick list of supporting evidence directly onto the computer. They can then develop their essay by elaborating on and connecting the evidence listed.

●Students will need practice elaborating in their text-based essay.

○In addition to a clearly-developed structure, strong essays are well developed with supporting evidence. Not only should students choose the best evidence to support their ideas, but they should do so with evidence from across the text. If students are writing about more than one text, it is necessary that evidence is drawn from across both/all texts.

○In addition to quoting a piece of text or referring to a specific example, strong essays unpack the evidence, explaining the significance in their own words. For example, “Tony is clever because he invents machines to do work that other people used to be by hand. This shows that he has unique ideas and that he uses his imagination to solve problems. This is one way he is clever.”

●To support your students in creating a cohesive essay with a clear expression of ideas, be sure to help students apply these other aspects of strong essays: effective word choice, application of sentence variety, use of transitional words, and inclusion of a clear introduction and conclusion.

○Keep in mind that “introductions” and “conclusions” do not need to be entire paragraphs. What is important is for the essay to have an effective and clear beginning and ending.

●The maximum length of a text-based essay of this type (central idea/supporting details) on the computer is similar to the length of 1 page of handwritten text.

●Essays are scored on a scale of 1-4 for Idea Development and 1-3 for Conventions. Be sure to see the “Text Based Essay Rubric” for your grade for details.

●The prompt will likely include language such as:

○Your essay should present and develop a narrativethat uses details from the passage.

●Students will need practice writing a narrative related to a text they’ve read. This narrative can take many forms: an alternate ending, a new experience or adventure the characters might have, a journal entry or a letter describing an experience of the characters (possibly from a particular point of view), perhaps even an experience that connects the writer to the story (see the grade 4 example). The format and task can take many forms; however, what we do know is that students will be called upon to use the craft of narrative writing to compose a piece and that this piece will need to be tied to the text in some way.

●Students will need practice planning for and structuring their narrative depending on the task itself.

○Students can use a timeline or story mountain/story arc to plot out the sequence of events, including a few key details that intersect with the story they read.

○They should consider how they will begin the story—how they will hook the reader with a lead and establishing/orienting the reader to what’s going on, connecting the reader from the text they read to this new piece of writing.

○Key events should unfold, building toward a climax, turning point or important even.t

○The story should then have an ending that provides resolution.

○Students can jot down their plan on scratch paper or even type in a quick plan directly onto the computer (which they would then develop into a formal composition). What’s key is that your students compose the text as they type and not handwrite the text to then be typed in.

●Students will need practice elaborating in their narrative essay.

  • Since your students were in kindergarten, they’ve been writing stories and learning to elaborate. It is essential that students understand that they are not writing a summary, but writing a narrative, a story that unfolds bit-by-bit.
  • Help students learn to internalize and apply the narrative craft strategies they already know. For example:
  • Adding feelings
  • Adding a combination of thoughts, dialogue, actions
  • Showing, rather than telling
  • Slowing down the action
  • Using sensory details
  • Including internal dialogue
  • Your students may be asked to write a narrative from a particularpoint of view. Return to a scene from familiar read-alouds and ask students to turn-and-talk from different perspectives. For example, “Trisha is the narrator of this story. What if Ritchie was the one describing this scene? How might it go?” This will most likely require modeling with one scene and inviting students to turn and talk through a second scene. Patricia Polacco books provide many opportunities for this work, as do the short texts used in other units. You may also want to model using a timeline or story mountain to plan out a like this, tracking the events on one side of the timeline or story mountain, and the character’s feelings/reactions (the internal story) on the other.
  • The maximum length of the text-based narrative essay on the computer is similar to the length of 2 pages of handwritten text for grade 3, and similar to the length of 4 pages of handwritten text for grades 4 and 5.
  • Narratives are scored on a scale of 0-3 for Written Expression and 1-3 for Knowledge of Language and Conventions. Written Expression scores will be weighted.
  • Be sure to see the “Narrative Essay Rubric” for your grade for details.

Grade 3 MCAS 2017 Practice Test Language

Type of Writing / Language Presented Before the Passage / Question/Prompt Following the Passage
Text-Based Essay
Development of a Narrative / Today you will read the story “A Once-in-a-Lifetime Experience.” Pay close attention to the actions of the characters and the events in the story. Answer the questions to help you to write a narrative story. / This question is a text-based essay question. Your essay should:
  • Present and develop a narrative text that uses details from the passage.
  • Include correct grammar, spelling and punctuation.
This story tells about Derrick’s first camping trip.
Write Derrick’s journal entry about this camping trip. Include information about how the characters responded to the events in the story as you write the journal entry.
Text-Based Essay
Development of a Central Idea / Read the passage Balloons over Broadway about Tony Sarg, and then answer the questions to follow. / This question is a text-based essay question. Your essay should:
  • Present and develop a central idea.
  • Provide evidence/details from the passage(s).
  • Include correct grammar, spelling and punctuation.
Based on the passage, write an essay to explain how the author shows that Tony was a clever person. Be sure to use information from the passage to develop your essay.
Sample Scored Responses*
*These sample responses relate to the same question and the same passage provided on the MCAS sample test;however, they are scored according to a different rubric than the one that will be used on MCAS in 2017. The 2016 question assessed reading comprehension alone and did not assess the idea development/conventions that we will see as part of the rubric 2017.
Short Answer / Read the article about penguins. Then answer the questions to follow. / Based on “My Father’s Feet,” write a paragraph to explain how the young penguin’s feelings change throughout the poem. Support your response with important details from the poem.

Grade 4 MCAS 2017 Practice Test Language

Type of Writing / Language Presented Before the Passage / Question/Prompt Following the Passage
Text-Based Essay
Development of a Narrative / Today you will about a girl who finds some unusual shoes. As you read the story, you will gather information to answer questions and write a narrative story. / This question is a text-based essay question. Your essay should:
  • Present and develop a narrative text that uses details from the passage.
  • Include correct grammar, spelling and punctuation.
In “Those Wacky Shoes,” a girl has to outsmart a pair of shoes. Think about the details the author uses to create the characters, settings, and events.
Imagine that you, like the girl in the story, find a pair of wacky shoes that won’t come off. Write a story about how you find the pair of wacky shoes and what happens to you when you are wearing them. Use what you learned about the wacky shoes when writing your story.
Text-Based Essay
Development of a Central Idea / Read the article and folktale about fear. Then answer the questions that follow. / This question is a text-based essay question. Your essay should:
  • Present and develop a central idea.
  • Provide evidence/details from the passage(s).
  • Include correct grammar, spelling and punctuation.
Based on the article and folktale, write an essay to explain how fear can affect people. Be sure to use information from the article and folktale to develop your essay.
Short Answer / Read the article “Musical Plumbing” about an inventor named John Kovac, and then answer the questions that follow. / A creative person is someone who uses imagination to come up with new ideas. Based on the article, write a paragraph to explain why John Kovac could be called a creative person. Support your response with important information from the article.
See sample responses to this question at this link below (just click on the blue score for the samples):
Scored Sample Responses

Grade 5 MCAS 2017 Practice Test Language

Type of Writing / Language Presented Before the Passage / Question/Prompt Following the Passage
Text-Based Essay
Development of a Narrative / Today you will read a passage from “The Growin’ of Paul Bunyan.” As you read, pay close attention to the characters’ thoughts. This will help you answer questions and prepare you to write a narrative story. / This question is a text-based essay question. Your essay should:
  • Present and develop a narrative that uses details from the passage.
  • Include correct grammar, spelling and punctuation.
You have read a passage from “The Growin’ of Paul Bunyan.” Think about how the story would be different if it were told from Johnny’s point of view. Write the story from the point of view of Johnny.
Text-Based Essay
Development of a Central Idea / Read the two poems and then answer the questions that follow. / This question is a text-based essay question. Your essay should:
  • Present and develop a central idea.
  • Provide evidence/details from the passage(s).
  • Include correct grammar, spelling and punctuation.
Compare the speaker’s attitude in “First Night” to the speaker’s attitude in “Beech Leaves.” Be sure to use details from both poems to develop your essay.

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Plymouth Public Schools, ELA Depart 2017