Students! GRADE 8 READING - siriuseducationsolutions.com

1 9 781949656206 Printed in Texas on recycled Preparation and Practice 27 passages with over 225 authentic STAAR questions 18 skill lessons with STAAR Strategies 3-step approach for efficient remediationSTAAR is a registered trademark of the Texas Education Agency, which does not endorse this program or its TestReading Skills 1 Using Context Clues 2 Using Reference Resources 3 Using Greek and Latin Roots 4 Analyzing Figurative Language 5 Understanding Author's Purpose 6 Analyzing Print and Graphic Features 7 Synthesizing Information 8 Analyzing Theme 9 Analyzing Plot 10 Analyzing Character, Setting, and POV 11 Analyzing Mood, Tone, and Voice 12 Analyzing Poetry 13 Analyzing Drama 14 Summarizing Texts 15 Analyzing Organizational Patterns 16 Analyzing Informational Texts 17 Analyzing Argumentative Texts 18 Analyzing Multiple Texts STAAR Practice17 PassagesPost TestGRADE 8 READINGCONTENTSV isit for additional 6 8 STAAR 8 READING STAAR Preparation and PracticeNew TEKSUse with Your Students!

2 Copyright 2019 by Sirius Education Solutions LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, scanning, recording, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the publisher. STAAR is a registered trademark of the Texas Education Agency. The Texas Education Agency does not endorse this program or its content. Sirius Education Solutions LLC is not affiliated with the Texas Education Agency or the State of test questions copyright by the Texas Education Agency. All rights in : 978-1-949656-20-6 Possession of this publication in print format does not entitle users to convert this publication, or any portion of it, into electronic format.

3 Thank you for respecting the copyright and supporting the effort involved in creating this Table of ContentsTable of ContentsWelcome Letter ..vUsing This Book for STAAR Success ..viSTAAR Test-Taking Strategies ..viiiStudent Progress Monitoring Chart ..xDiagnostic TestsFiction: The Red-Breasted Mergansers ..2 Drama: Dorothy Meets the Tinman ..8 Poetry: From Blossoms ..13 Informational: Who Is Katherine Johnson? ..16 Argumentative: Malala Yousafzai s Nobel Speech ..22 Paired: Informational / Argumentative ..27 Skill LessonsIntroduction to Skill Lessons ..291 Using Context Clues ..302 Using Reference Resources ..333 Using Greek and Latin Roots ..364 Analyzing Figurative Language ..395 Understanding Author s Purpose .. 426 Analyzing Print and Graphic Features.

4 457 Synthesizing Information ..488 Analyzing Theme ..519 Analyzing Plot ..5410 Analyzing Character, Setting, and POV ..5711 Analyzing Mood, Tone, and Voice ..6212 Analyzing Poetry ..6513 Analyzing Drama .. 6814 Summarizing Texts ..7115 Analyzing Organizational Patterns ..7416 Analyzing Informational Texts ..7717 Analyzing Argumentative Texts ..8118 Analyzing Multiple Texts ..84 Included in SamplerSamplerivTable of ContentsSTAAR PracticeIntroduction to STAAR Practice ..871 from The Monkey s Paw (fiction) ..882 adapted from The Prisoner of Time (fiction) ..943 July (poetry) ..1014 Boom to Bust: Oil Cycles in Texas (informational) ..1045 Perspective on a Dandelion (informational literary nonfiction) ..1106 Teen Driving: With Freedom Comes Responsibility (argumentative).

5 1147 Cattle Drive (informational / paired) ..1208 Stormy Night (drama / paired) ..1227 8 Paired: Cattle Drive / Stormy Night ..1289 Let s Form a Green Team! (argumentative) ..13010 The Open Window (fiction) ..13511 from The Song of Hiawatha, Chapter 19 (poetry) ..14212 Elisabet Ney: Shaping a Career (informational) ..14613 BBQ: The Pride of Texas (informational) ..15114 The Right to Water (informational) ..15615 Vote to Support Urban Farms (argumentative) ..16216 Energy for Our Future (argumentative / paired) ..16717 Wind Energy: Is It Worth It? (argumentative / paired) ..16816 17 Paired: Energy for Our Future / Wind Energy: Is It Worth It? ..173 Post TestsFiction: Geometry Can Fail Us ..174 Drama: from Debit and Credit ..178 Poetry: Art Museum.

6 183 Argumentative: Becoming an Artist ..187 Paired: Poetry / Argumentative ..191 Informational: Toxic, or Is It? ..193 Student Answer Sheets ..199 Unlawful to photocopy or project without permission Sirius Education SolutionsIncluded in SamplerSamplerv Welcome LetterDear Students,The STAAR GRADE 8 READING assessment measures your knowledge of the GRADE 8 READING standards (TEKS). STAAR tests are not designed to measure many important qualities of character and intelligence as this cartoon shows. But performing well on the STAAR tests is important, so you want to do all you can to succeed on them. That s where this workbook comes in! Not Measured by STAAR TestsBig-Picture ThinkingC p i ReliabilityMotivationHumorEmpathySense of BeautyHumilitySense of WonderPersistenceCuriosityEnthusiasmCOUR AGEL eadershipCreativityCivic-MindednessResou rcefulnessPositivityResilience What are some other important qualities of character and intelligence missing in STA AR tests?

7 This workbook was designed to help you prepare for the STAAR GRADE 8 READING test by reviewing the skills and concepts you need to answer STAAR test questions, and practicing questions that are similar to those you will answer on the actual STAAR Smart Is the Secret to STAAR Success There is a secret to success on the STAAR tests practice, practice, and more practice. This is good news, because you are in control of how much effort you put into practicing. But not all practice is the you need to practice smart. First, practice with test questions that are very similar to the actual STAAR test. That s easy because this workbook is full of them! Next, focus on your weaknesses spend extra time on questions you have trouble with. Think of it like this: if your basketball shot needs improvement, you don t practice dribbling.

8 Instead, you practice on your weaknesses also means carefully analyzing each test question you get wrong. Why did you get it wrong? Why is another answer correct? You can learn more from test questions you get wrong, so don t be afraid of making mistakes. If your basketball shot is off, you identify what you are doing wrong (too far left), and correct it with your next shot (aim further right).When you practice, give each question your full attention. Do not take a break until after you answer the question. Your attention is like a muscle that you can build by using it, one practice test question at a time. Do you believe unfocused, sloppy practice of your basketball shot will help you perform during a big game? No! Your attention is your greatest power.

9 You develop it with for the STAAR test can actually be a fun challenge. And when you practice smart, you are building life skills while you prepare for the STAAR test!Your partners in STAAR success,The Sirius Education TeamUnlawful to photocopy or project without permission Sirius Education SolutionsSamplerviUsing This Book for STAAR SuccessUsing This Book for STAAR SuccessThis interactive workbook includes TEKS instruction and STAAR practice in all tested genres. It is easily adapted for different needs and includes a 3-step approach to efficiently prioritize and individualize remediation when preparation time is limited. STEP 1 Identify Your Needs Diagnostic Tests for Each GenreUse the Diagnostic Tests for each genre to identify what you know and what you need to review.

10 Record your results in the Progress Monitoring Chart. 2 GRADE 8 READING STAAR Preparation and PracticeDiagnostic: FictionRead the selection and choose the best answer to each Red-Breasted Mergansers1 Zach had nothing against cities and their bustle and energy. It s just that he was better suited to his home in a remote farming community in an out-of-the-way pocket of the Gulf Coast. Big cities like Houston and Dallas imposed themselves on you with their lofty buildings and rivers of traffic, Zach thought. But small places were more restrained, more modest. Actually, that wasn t true, he decided. The country looked simple enough, but if you examined it more thoughtfully, there was a lot to discover. He loved the challenge of learning the secret ways of the forests and wetlands near his home.