TAKS Tips

Open Ended Response (OER)

• 3 total questions

• 1 on the narrative

• 1 on the expository

• 1 that compares/contrasts the 2 stories

OER – What to do

• Answer, Support and Dig Deep• Do not restate the prompt, just start

answering.• MUST use textual evidence to support

your idea• Only introduce ONE solid idea• Embed your quotes and use ellipses to

eliminate unimportant information in quotes.

OER – What NOT to do

• Do not give your opinion

• Do not omit textual evidence

• Do not write long, extended quotes

• Do not introduce a new idea without using support for that idea

0 = Insufficient

• Summarizes instead of answers the question

• Too general or vague to determine reasonableness

• Incomplete or irrelevant text evidence

1 – Partially Sufficient

• Offers a reasonable idea without relevant or accurate text evidence or no text evidence

• Textual evidence is only weakly connected to a reasonable idea

• Offers relevant textual evidence without providing an idea

2 – Sufficient

• Reasonable theme with accurate and relevant textual evidence

• Ideas are clear and specific

3 – Exemplary

• Extremely thoughtful or insightful idea with exceptional textual support

• Demonstrates an in-depth understanding and connection to text

Gatsby OER

• Discuss whether or not Nick Carraway makes a reliable narrator. Support your answer with evidence from the novel.

Gatsby OER

• Non-judgmental

• Quote

• People tell him things they don’t tell others

• Quote

Gatsby OER

• Non-judgmental • Quote - “I’m inclined to reserve all

judgments, a habit that has opened up many curious natures to me …”

• People tell him things they don’t tell others • Quote - “… I was privy to the secret griefs

of wild, unknown men.”

Gatsby OER

• Nick Carraway is a reliable narrator because he is “inclined to reserve all judgments.” This allows Nick to be “privy to the secret griefs of wild, unknown men.” Therefore, he is able to hear all sides of the story.

Gatsby OER

• Nick Carraway is a reliable narrator because he is “inclined to reserve all judgments.” Therefore, he is able to hear all sides of the story because Nick is “privy to the secret griefs of wild, unknown men.”

TAKS Essay

The Do’s and Don’ts

TAKS Essay• Personal Essay

• If you don’t pass the essay, you can’t pass the test

• Do it first

–Mind is fresh

–Don’t feel rushed

TAKS Do’s• Prewrite, write, and rewrite your

paper• Focus on the idea of the prompt

through a personal experience• Use a strong lead• Develop ideas – include

interesting details

TAKS Do’s• Use smooth transitions• Have an effective conclusion• Use YOUR voice• Express yourself• Avoid mistakes

TAKS Don’ts• Do not discuss more than one

experience• Do not use general,

undeveloped ideas• Do not start with a boring lead• Do not restate what you’ve

already said in your conclusion

TAKS Don’ts• Do not write like a robot – “I

would like to discuss the importance of …”

• Do not write as a rough draft• Do not write less than a page

Prompt Examples• Example:

– Discuss why it is important to not judge people right away.

• What they really want:– Tell about a time you misjudged

someone or your first impression of them was wrong.

Prompt Examples• Example:

– Discuss how an object or place can represent a memory.

• What they really want:– Tell about an object or special

place in your life that brings back an important memory.

Prompt Examples• Example:

– Discuss why it is important to face problems rather than trying to avoid them.

• What they really want:– Write about a time when you

learned you couldn’t run from a problem.

TAKS Essay Writing

How to pull writing from the depths of your gut….

(and puke it back up onto paper!)

Tee off… Tee off… Example Prompt: Explain a time when you felt as though you were being persecuted against; a time when you felt as though your back was against the wall.

Recall events or experiences which apply to the prompt given.

Example Experiences:

Your first speech in front of a class

Standing up against peer pressure

Emotions, feelings, and effects with each experience.

Examples:

Fear, scared, rattled, anxious, nauseated, stressful, sweaty palms, shaky, relief, confident, pride in work

Intimidated, terrified, apprehensive, distressed, overwhelmed, confused, proud, losing friends, making new friends

Pick It…Pick It…

Pick one experience from the T-Pick one experience from the T-chart.chart.

Make sure the experience you choose has enough Make sure the experience you choose has enough emotions, feelings, and effects to create a lengthy emotions, feelings, and effects to create a lengthy TAKS essayTAKS essay

Remember: Remember: expressing your feelingsexpressing your feelings is the key to is the key to finding depth in your essay.finding depth in your essay.

Chunk It >>> Organize your IdeasChunk It >>> Organize your Ideas

Writing Topic Sentences in Outline Format…Writing Topic Sentences in Outline Format…IntroductionIntroduction

Then this happenedThen this happened– Additional descriptionAdditional description

Then this happenedThen this happened– Additional descriptionAdditional description

Then this happenedThen this happened– Additional descriptionAdditional description

Etc…Etc…

ConclusionConclusion

Reminder: Your additional description should include your Reminder: Your additional description should include your emotions and feelings.emotions and feelings.

Getting Started-The IntroductionGetting Started-The IntroductionSSCIDCID

Setting IntroductionSetting Introduction-begin describing -begin describing where your experience happened.where your experience happened.

– It was cold and unfamiliar. I had no clue where It was cold and unfamiliar. I had no clue where I was or how I got there. There were bright I was or how I got there. There were bright lights blinding me; smells of antiseptic filling lights blinding me; smells of antiseptic filling my nose; and I heard a voice asking me to my nose; and I heard a voice asking me to open my eyes and say my name…open my eyes and say my name…

SSCCIDID

Character Introduction-Character Introduction-

Describe the main character in your Describe the main character in your experience to open your essayexperience to open your essay

– She was small in stature, but her presence was large. She was small in stature, but her presence was large. She dressed with an air of authority but was always She dressed with an air of authority but was always approachable. She smelled like Tea Rose perfume, and approachable. She smelled like Tea Rose perfume, and her voice comforted those who sought her advice. I miss her voice comforted those who sought her advice. I miss her. She was my grandmother…her. She was my grandmother…

SCSCIIDD

The “It” Introduction…The “It” Introduction…

– This lead describes your This lead describes your themetheme with with three adjectivesthree adjectives

For example…For example…

ItIt was liberating. was liberating. ItIt was exhilarating. was exhilarating. ItIt was was emotional. emotional. It It was was freedom.freedom.

SCISCIDD

Dialogue IntroductionDialogue Introduction-starts off with -starts off with a conversation between characters in a conversation between characters in your experience.your experience.

– ““What is going on here?”What is going on here?”– ““I was just going to start the car and I was just going to start the car and

go to the store to get…”go to the store to get…”

Vomit - Your Ideas Vomit - Your Ideas Rough Draft-Rough Draft-

It is okay to express yourself using ‘head words’ It is okay to express yourself using ‘head words’ (examples: happy, sad, glad, mad, angry) in your (examples: happy, sad, glad, mad, angry) in your rough draft. Remember to ‘show’ your feelings rough draft. Remember to ‘show’ your feelings not just ‘tell’ about your feelings in your final not just ‘tell’ about your feelings in your final draft. In other words, you MUST move from ‘the draft. In other words, you MUST move from ‘the head’ to ‘the gut.’head’ to ‘the gut.’

– Write your story without worrying about spelling and Write your story without worrying about spelling and grammatically errors.grammatically errors.

– Spill your ideas out onto the paper based on your Spill your ideas out onto the paper based on your emotions, emotions, feelings and experiences.feelings and experiences.

Clean Up…Clean Up…Correct Grammar, Correct Grammar, Spelling, and Spelling, and PunctuationPunctuation

Circle your ‘head’ Circle your ‘head’ words; then expand words; then expand those ideas to ‘show’ those ideas to ‘show’ your emotions, your emotions, feelings, and feelings, and experiences as they experiences as they are felt in your ‘gut.’are felt in your ‘gut.’

Examples:•Love

•My heart ached and my stomach churned whenever he as out of my sight.

•Lonely

•I felt as though there was no one else in the world who understood what I was going through. I was all alone on a psychological island.