STAAR

As we get ready for the STAAR test, check out past blog entries, as well as my resources/tutorial links above.

Here I have collected other blogs with sample test questions from the STAAR, as well as games! Have fun with these :)

Sample Test Questions

Grammar Blast

Punctuation Game

Conjunction Game

Prefix & Suffix Game

Verbs and Nouns Game

Grammar Gorillas

Grammar Ninja

Spring Break Grammar Packet Part 3

Moving on to the next few pages...

Complete, Simple, and Compound Subjects

Directions: Underline the complete subject in each sentence. Then, write the simple subject on the line.

1. A wooden feeder for the birds hangs outside my window. ____feeder_____
2. The clear, pleasant whistles of the goldfinches often echo in the trees nearby. _____whistles_____
3. Our chubby, orange kitty watches the birds from the window. _____kitty_____
4. She can't figure out exactly what to do. _____She_____


Directions: Underline the compound subect in each sentence. Circle the verb.
*Note that I can't exactly circle a word through the internet, so I will simply draw a line through the word like this: verb. Remember-- a verb is an action!

1. Myon and I went on a camping trip last fall.
2. Myon and his dad took charge of packing and finding a campground.




Complete, Simple, and Compound Predicates

Directions: Underline the complete predicate in each sentence. Then, write the simple predicate on the line.

1. Ralph's father put the new plants on the ground.                           _____put_____
2. The two gardeners dug a separate hole for each plant.                 _____dug_____
3. Ralph's sister Liz watered the plants generously.                          ____watered___


Directions: Underline the predicate in each sentence. Circle the subject.

1. Alfio Carlucci came out of the house and sat on the porch.
2. He enjoyed life on the farm but was a little lonely.
3. Alfio's friends lived several miles away and rarely visited.




Direct Objects

Directions: Underline the verb in each sentence. Then, write the direct object or objects on the line.

1. My dad earns money catching lobsters.        _____money_____
2. He boards his boat every day at dawn.        _____ boat______
3. The seagulls overhead screech a greeting.    ____  greeting ____


Directions: Write two sentences that each verb. In the first sentence, include a direct object that tell you what. In the second sentnece, include a direct object that tells you who. You may use any verb tense.



Indirect Objects

Directions: Underline the verb in each sentence. Write the direct object on the first line and the indirect object on the second.

1. My parents promised me riding lessons at the local stable.    

     lessons                      me      

2. My awkward attempts only won me a horse laugh from the riding mistress.

     laugh                         me       

3. This dictionary of horse lore offers readers some interesting trivia about horses.

      trivia                         readers        

Spring Break Grammar Packet (Continued)

I was very happy to receive phone calls and e-mails from you. I am also very happy that the videos made the process easier. Right now I am going to go over some of the answers with you, just so that you can make certain you are on the right track. Please spread the word for those who have not checked into my blog :) I will post more answers tonight and for days to come.



Simple Sentences and Word Order

Directions: Write complete or incomplete after each group of words to indicate whether the words express a complete thought.

1.  Have you seen the Meteor Crater in Arizona? ____Complete____
2.  About 4,150 feet across and about 570 feet deep. ___Incomplete___
3. A meteroite crashed there 50,000 years ago. ___Complete___


Directions: Rewrite the sentence fragments you identified above. Be sure to express a complete thought and is punctuated correctly.

*N/A-- I want to see what you are capable of and will assess your answers when you come back.


Directions: Write natural or inverted to indicate the word order in each sentence.

12. Highheels were first worn by men in the 1500s. ____Natural____
13. Do you know how heels were first used? ____Inverted____
14. They helped keep riders' feet in their stirrups.____Natural____



Types of Sentences

Directions: Put the correct punctuation mark at the end of the sentence. Then, write declarative, interrogative, imperative, or exclamatory on the line.

1. Look carefully at the photograph_._            ____Imperative____
2. How did the photographer manage to capture such an unusual shot _?_      ____Interrogative___


Directions: Rewrite each sentence as the kind of sentence indentified in parentheses.

*You can use this as an example for the first one.
1. A llama is not a wild animal. (interrogative) __Is a llama a wild animal?__

Spring Break Grammar Packet

I have given each and every one of you a packet for Spring Break to work on. This, I believe, will help you immensely when the STAAR Writing Exam comes along (April 2nd and 3rd-- oh my!)

Today I will giving you guys some resources on identifying simple, compound, complex, and compound-complex sentences through some examples and videos.

Now, a sentence is a group of words containing a subject and predicate.

As we have learned, we can categorize sentences into four main types on the number and type of clauses they contain:

1. Simple (one independent clause):

   We drove from Connecticut to Tennessee in one day.

2. Compound (more than one independent clause):

   We were exhausted, but we arrived in time for my father's birthday party.

3. Complex (one independent clause and at least one dependent clause):

   Although he is now 79 years old, he still claims to be 65.

4. Compound-complex (more than one independent clause and at least one dependent clause):

   After it was all over, my dad claimed he knew we were planning something, but we think he was really surprised.

Below is a video on sentence types: simple, compound, complex, and compound-complex. Here is a video that will break them down for you in a fun, easy way. Plus, it has Snoopy in it!

I will post more resources in the days to come. Remember, if you have any questions you have my e-mail: claudia_ramos@live.com, as well as my phone number and facebook. I have also told you that I will meet with you anytime/anywhere as long as I received my beauty rest (and breakfast tacos). I hope you have a fun and safe spring break!

7th-- & 8th-- Helping Verbs

Before we left school for our fabulous winter vacation, I played this particular song to you over and over and over and over and over again. People were screaming, ears were bleeding BUT you ended up knowing that song by heart.

Knowing the Helping Verb Song (or Jingle) by heart is imperative because it will help you get an A on your quiz on Wednesday. Below is the lyric video to the song. I have also copied and pasted the lyrics for y'all. Have fun with it!

Helping Verbs!  Helping Verbs!  There are 23....

Am, is are!  Was and were!  Being, been, and be!

Have, has, had!  Do, does, did!  Shall, should, will, and would!

There are 5 more helping verbs:  may, might, must, can, could! 

Hello, All!

What a beautiful Saturday it is! After all that rain, it's so nice to see some sunshine. I am eager to get back into the classroom and see all of your faces. Hopefully our 2 week vacation has left us nice and refreshed so we can begin cracking down on dominating the STAAR.

When you come back, you are going to notice that we are implementing a lot of necessary changes. We will, of course, discuss this on Monday and I will post them on my blog that evening. It's a New Year and new beginnings, but remember-- every day should have new beginnings.

I hope everyone is enjoying the last of their vacation :) Happy Holidays and a very Happy New Year to each and every one of you.

7th-- & 8th-- Schoolhouse Rock: Verbs!

This week we will be brushing up on our knowledge and skills on verbs! But, first here is a video that will take you along memory lane:

Sing along!

Lyrics to Verb: That's What's Happening:

I get my thing in action (Verb!)
To be, to sing, to feel, to live (Verb!)
(That's what's happenin')

I put my heart in action (Verb!)
To run, to go, to get, to give (Verb!)
(You're what's happenin')

That's where I find satisfaction, yeah! (Yeah!)
To search, to find, to have, to hold
(Verb! To be bold)
When I use my imagination (Verb!)
I think, I plot, I plan, I dream
Turning in towards creation (Verb!)
I make, I write, I dance, I sing
When I'm feeling really active (Verb!)
I run, I ride, I swim, I fly!
Other times when life is easy
(Oh!) I rest, I sleep, I sit, I lie.

(Verb! That's what's happenin')
I can take a noun and bend it,
Give me a noun -
(Bat, boat, rake, and plow)
Make it a verb and really send it!
(Show me how)
Oh, I don't know my own power. (Verb!)

I get my thing in action (Verb!)
In being, (Verb!) In doing, (Verb!)
In saying
A verb expresses action, being, or state of being. A verb makes a statement. Yeah, a verb tells it like it is!

(Verb! That's what's happenin'.)
I can tell you when it's happenin',
(Past, present, future tense)
Ooh! Tell you more about what's happenin',
(Say it so it makes some sense)
I can tell you who is happenin'!
(Verb, you're so intense)
Every sentence has a subject.
(Noun, person, place, or thing)
Find that subject: Where's the action?
(Verb can make a subject sing)
Take the subject: What is it? (What!)
What's done to it? (What!)
What does it say?
(Verb, you're what's happenin')

I can question like: What is it?
(Verb, you're so demanding.)
I can order like: Go get it!
(Verb, you're so commanding.)
When I hit I need an object
(Verb, hit! Hit the ball!)
When I see, I see the object
(Do you see that furthest wall?)

If you can see it there, put the ball over the fence, man!
Go ahead. Yeah, alright.
What?! He hit it. It's going, it's going, it's gone!
(What!)

I get my thing in action.
(Verb, that's what's happenin')
To work, (Verb!)
To play, (Verb!)
To live, (Verb!)
To love... (Verb!...)