HSPA Basics

1. HSPA Basics Everything you need to know about the test before you take it! Mrs. Edge

2. General HSPA • Stands for High School Proficiency Assessment • Two days of testing for language arts • Persuasive essays, expository essays, & reading comprehension • One day of testing for mathematics • Need a score of 200 to pass (you can pass English and not Math, and vice versa)

3. PERSUASIVE ESSAY • In a persuasive essay, you are given a controversial topic and forced to take a side and defend it • You must pick only one side to defend using three logical and well-thought out reasons • Pick the side that has the most evidence to defend it, not the one you like best • Your essay must be five paragraphs long • You are given approximately 60 minutes to complete your essay

4. Sample Persuasive Essay Writing Situation: Accidents can have serious consequences for bicycle riders. Wearing a safety helmet, however, reduces the possibility of brain injury by 90%. For this reason, the state of New Jersey has just passed a law stating that bicycle riders who are 13 years old or younger must wear safety helmets. Some people object to this law because the helmets are expensive and uncomfortable. Directions for Writing: Write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper stating your position on the issue of whether bicycle riders up to age 13 should be required to wear safety helmets. State your position clearly and support it with reasons, facts, and examples. Remember to convince your readers that your point of view is reasonable.

5. Persuasive Essay Format • Paragraph 1= Introduction • Paragraph 2= Reason 1 • Paragraph 3= Reason 2 • Paragraph 4= Reason 3 • Paragraph 5= Conclusion

6. Paragraph1=Introduction • Restate the topic • State your position • Introduce your 3 reasons Dear Editor, Bicycle accidents cause many accidents in New Jersey. So, it is very important that all children who are thirteen or younger wear safety helmets while riding their bicycles. One reason is because helmets protect the child’s head and brain during an accident. Another reason is parents will feel better about letting their children ride their bicycles if they know their kids are protected. A final reason is wearing helmets teaches children good safety habits they can use throughout their lives. The directions say to write a letter so don’t forget a greeting!

7. Paragraph 2=Reason 1 • Take your 1st reason you introduced in paragraph 1 (“one reason is…”) and develop it further • Make sure to use examples/facts to back it up One reason children should be required to wear safety helmets is because they protect children’s heads and brains in case of an accident. Bicycle accidents involving children happen everyday in New Jersey. Statistics show that sixty percent of those accidents result in head injuries when a safety helmet was not worn. Many of these types of injuries can be prevented now that the state of New Jersey has implemented this law. Children will be at less risk for lethal injuries due to cycling. Every paragraph must have 5-7 sentences!

8. Paragraph 3=Reason 2 • Take your 2nd reason you introduced in paragraph 1 (“Another reason is…”) and develop it further • Make sure to use examples/facts to back it up Another reason I support this law is because parents will feel better about letting their children ride their bicycles. Parents will feel more confident knowing that their children are wearing protection while riding. Parents who are calmer and more confident are better role models to their children. Additionally, parents will allow their children to spend more time outside on their bicycles. This can also help children get more exercise. Never start two paragraphs in the same way!

9. Paragraph 4=Reason 3 • Take your 3rd reason you introduced in paragraph 1 (“A final reason is…”) and develop it further • Make sure to use examples to back it up A final reason that children should wear safety helmets while bike riding is that it teaches good safety habits. Many specialists believe that if a child demonstrates good habits in one section of his life, he will do the same in others. So, for example, if a child always wears a safety helmet while bike riding, he can also remember to always put on his seatbelt when he gets in the car. Good safety habits can help children throughout their lives and prevent accidents from happening. A safety helmet is one of many habits children should get used to. Don’t use really big words to try to sound smarter. Keep it simple!

10. Paragraph 5=Conclusion • Restate the topic again • Restate your reasons again in a NEW way • Draw some type of conclusion (this should be a NEW idea not mentioned in your essay above) In conclusion, I support this new law that states that all children who are thirteen or younger must wear safety helmets while riding their bicycles. My first reason I support this is because helmets are good protection. My second reason is it puts parents’ mind’s at ease. My third reason is that the habit of wearing a helmet can help form other good habits. Also, it is important for all children to be safe at all times, even while playing. Sincerely, John Stimson Do not just rewrite your introduction! If it’s a letter, don’t forget a closing!

11. Persuasive Essay Scoring • Persuasive essays are graded on a 0-6 scale • A score of 4, 5, or 6 is considered passing • Scorers look for 4 things when grading: • Content & organization: opening/closing, focus, effective use of details • Usage: appropriate use of the English language (ex: subject/verb agreement) • Sentence construction: no run-ons or fragments, words in correct order, etc. • Mechanics: proper usage of spelling, punctuation, capitalization, etc.

12. Persuasive Essay DO’s • DO read all directions before you start to ensure you write on the correct topic • DO follow the standard format • DO use examples to back up your reasons • DO only pick 1 side to argue (NOT “Well I agree and disagree with this topic”) • DO write neatly • DO proofread for spelling and grammar • DO try to use at least one figure of speech in your essay (allusion, metaphor, etc.)

13. Persuasive Essay DON’Ts • DON’T put a title • DON’T introduce yourself (“Hi, my name is Sam and I am a junior at UHS”) • DON’T write less than 5 paragraphs • DON’T use bad logic (“I support this because this is what I believe”) • DON’T spend all your time brainstorming and leave little time for writing

14. EXPOSITORY ESSAY • An expository essay is “a focused essay with several key ideas that are elaborated with specific and vivid details and organized in a logical progression that is unified by various cohesive devices” • It asks you to pull examples and situations from literature, history, science, film, or your own experience or observation • Your essay should be 4-5 paragraphs long (depending on the question)

15. Sample Expository Essay • Although fear is a common human emotion, our response to it varies. Using an example from literature, history, science, film, or your own experience or observation, write an essay analyzing a particular response to fear and the effect of that response.

16. How To Answer? Paragraph 1= Introduction Paragraph 2= Explain an example of fear Paragraph 3= Analyze the response to that fear Paragraph 4=Explain the effect of that response Paragraph 5= Conclusion Note that there is no standard way to answer an expository essay like there is with a persuasive essay. You have to look carefully for what it is asking you and then create an outline!

17. Paragraph 1=Introduction • Set it up similarly to a persuasive essay introduction • Restate your topic • Introduce your issues Everyone’s response to fear is different since there are different types of fear and different types of people. One example of fear comes from the film The Hangover when three friends lose the groom the day before his wedding and feared not finding him. Their response to this fear was pure panic. The effect of this response was a wild goose chase in an attempt to retrace their steps and find their lost friend. This fear and its effects push the plot of the film. Restate topic  Ending Sentence

18. Paragraph 2=Explain ExampleUse specifics to explain your example of fear Paragraph 3=Analyze ResponseBe as clear as possible to explain why the character(s) acted in such a way Paragraph 4= Explain the Effect Think about how these actions affected the character(s) Paragraph 5= Conclusion Restate briefly the main points of your essay WITHOUT repeating yourself

19. Expository Essay Scoring • Expository essays are graded on a 0-6 scale • A score of 4, 5, or 6 is considered passing • Scorers look for 4 things when grading: • Content & organization: opening/closing, focus, effective use of details • Usage: appropriate use of the English language (ex: subject/verb agreement) • Sentence construction: no run-ons or fragments, words in correct order, etc. • Mechanics: proper usage of spelling, punctuation, capitalization, etc.

20. READING COMPREHENSION • You will read a passage, answer multiple choice questions (usually 10) and respond to open-ended questions (usually 2) • You will be given approximately 50 minutes to complete one reading comprehension task • Two different types of passages • Narrative (story or fictional) • Non-Fiction (persuasive, informational, or expository)

21. Tips for Answering Multiple Choice Questions • Read the questions before you read the passage • Look for questions that specifically refer to a part of the passage (EX: “In paragraph 4, the author states…” or “In line 6…”) • Work on only 1 question at a time • Write on the test and cross out answers as you go

22. Types of Answers • Possible answers for the question: • The “Best Answer” which reflects what ALL of the paragraphs achieve • Partially correct answers (that may make up part of the “Best Answer”) • Close answer (may be on the same topic but doesn’t answer question) • An obvious wrong answer

23. OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONS • An open-ended question asks you to respond to a reading and write about both the piece itself and your own reactions • It is usually two bullet points long • You will write one paragraph for EACH bullet point • You must always support you responses with examples or quotes from the passage

24. Sample Open-ended Question Every OEQ starts with a statement Mark’s pleasure in his country life is about to be destroyed. • Use specific details to describe Mark’s lifestyle. • Are you surprised by Mark’s decision? Explain why or why not. Bullet point • The statement is followed by 2 directions or questions: • The 1st one asks you to recall and use information from • the passage you have just read • The 2nd one might ask you to form an opinion, draw a conclusion, • or make an assumption based on the passage

25. How to Answer an OEQ • Restate topic (in 1 sentence) • Answer the question using key words from the passage (1-2 sentences) • Cite/quote from the passage or use and example (1 sentence) • Explain answer/quote with NEW information (1-2 sentences) • Summarize in a concluding sentence (1 sentence)

26. Sample OEQ Answer: Bullet 1 Mark’s pleasure in his country life is about to be destroyed. • Use specific details to describe Mark’s lifestyle. • Are you surprised by Mark’s decision? Explain why or why not. RESTATE In this passage, Mark’s joy of the country and his lifestyle was almost destroyed.He was so concerned about his job that he became overwhelmed. Then, Mark lost all pleasure in the country life that he loved like the camping, fishing, and boating that he did on the weekend. For example, in the story, Mark said, “I love the outdoors more than anything in the world.” This quote shows that, through his specificlifestyle, Markplaces a big emphasis on outdoor activities and would be really upset if his country life was destroyed. Therefore, Mark’s lifestyle revolves around the outdoors. ANSWER CITE EXPLAIN SUMMARIZE The bolded words are keywords from the question!

27. Sample OEQ Answer: Bullet 2 Mark’s pleasure in his country life is about to be destroyed. • Use specific details to describe Mark’s lifestyle. • Are you surprised by Mark’s decision? Explain why or why not. RESTATE Mark makes a decision in regards to the possible destruction of his country life.I am not surprised by his decision to quit his job. By the end of the story, it becomes obvious that he loves his country life better than his career and will not let it be destroyed.In the story, the narrator explains that “Mark could not bear to see his country life destroyed.”This quote supports my lack of surprise about Mark’s decision in the story. Overall, evidence from the story hints that Mark loves the outdoors more than his job. ANSWER CITE EXPLAIN SUMMARIZE

28. 4 : A 4-point response clearly demonstrates understanding of the task, completes all requirements, and provides an insightful explanation/opinion that links to or extends aspects of the text.  3: A 3-point response demonstrates an understanding of the task, completes all requirements, and provides some explanation/opinion using situations or ideas from the text as support.  2: A 2-point response may address all of the requirements, but demonstrates a partial understanding of the task, and uses text incorrectly or with limited success resulting in an inconsistent or flawed explanation.  1: A I-point response demonstrates minimal understanding of the task, does not complete the requirements, and provides only a vague reference to or no use of the text.  0: A 0-point response is irrelevant or off-topic. Each open-ended question is scored on a scale of 4 points You need a 3 or a 4 in order to pass an open-ended response Scoring

29. GENERAL REMINDERS • Get at least 8 hours of sleep • Eat breakfast • Bring extra pencils • Read all directions carefully • PROOFREAD for spelling and grammar mistakes • Finish all parts to the best of your ability • Relax and try to stay calm; you know what you are doing