8 Social Studies Teacher Guide Texas TAKS Test Practice
Table of Contents For the Teacher... 1 Correlation to the Social Studies Grade 8 TAKS... 3 Answer Form... 5 ISBN 978-0-7609-4714-2 2008 Curriculum Associates, Inc. North Billerica, MA 01862 No part of this book may be reproduced by any means without written permission from the publisher. All Rights Reserved. Printed in USA. 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 11
For the Teacher What is TAKS Ready Social Studies Test Practice?, Grade 8, is a review program that focuses on preparing students for the Social Studies Grade 8 Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS)., Grade 8 student book is a 32-page book with five practice units. The units provide students with practice in answering items that follow the content and format of the social studies TAKS. How should I use TAKS Ready Social Studies Test Practice? can be used in two ways. To simulate most closely the test-taking procedure of the TAKS, have students complete all five practice units in one day. Correct and review student answers on the following day or days. Alternately, have students complete one TAKS Ready Social Studies Test Practice practice unit each day. Review answers with students on the same day. How does TAKS Ready Social Studies Test Practice correlate to the Social Studies Grade 8 Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills? items are similar in format to those students will encounter in the TAKS. As in the TAKS, all items are in a multiple-choice format. The content of the items is based on that found in the social studies TAKS. The items are designed to assess students understanding of TEKS student expectations and the five TAKS science objectives. Objective 1: The student will demonstrate an understanding of issues and events in U.S. history. Objective 2: The student will demonstrate an understanding of geographic influences on historical issues and events. Objective 3: The student will demonstrate an understanding of economic and social influences on historical issues and events. Objective 4: The student will demonstrate an understanding of political influences on historical issues and events. Objective 5: The student will use criticalthinking skills to analyze social studies information. For more detailed information about how each TAKS Ready Social Studies Test Practice item correlates with the Social Studies Grade 8 Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) objectives, as well as the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) student expectations, see page 3. How do I introduce my students to TAKS Ready Social Studies Test Practice? Read with students all of the information on page 1 of the student book. Discuss the Testing Tips and why the tips are important to follow. Have students look at the answer form on page 29 of their book. Discuss with them how to fill in the answer bubbles on the answer form. Remind students that if they change an answer, they must fully erase their first answer. 1
How do I simulate test-taking procedures while using TAKS Ready Social Studies Test Practice? Provide two sharpened pencils with good erasers and one TAKS Ready Social Studies Test Practice book per student. Have students remove the answer form on page 29 and complete the information at the top of the page. Tell students whether they will be completing the whole book or just one practice unit. Instruct them to read the directions carefully and to answer the items as well as they can. Remind them that you cannot help them answer any items. Tell students how long the session will last. What is the correction procedure? If students complete all five practice units of in one day, correct the answers in class on the following day or days. If students do one practice unit per day, correct the answers orally after completion. In either case, as you review the answers, encourage students to discuss the thought process they used to answer each item. Clarify misconceptions and review background knowledge about social studies content. Discussing the incorrect answer choices will help students review the overall social studies content. Where do students record their answers? Have students mark their answers on the answer form on page 29 of their book. An answer form with the correct answers marked is reproduced in this teacher guide on page 5. How should I use the results of TAKS Ready Social Studies Test Practice? TAKS Ready Social Studies Test Practice provides a quick review of a student s understanding of the TAKS objectives and TEKS student expectations in social studies. It can be a useful diagnostic tool to identify objectives and expectations that need further study and reinforcement. Use the correlation on page 3 to identify the objective and expectation that each item is designed to evaluate. For students who answer that item incorrectly, provide review and additional practice in that area. What factors should I consider in preparing my students for the Social Studies Grade 8 TAKS? A student s attitude toward test taking can affect performance on tests. Test anxiety often decreases when students experience success with a format and content similar to that which appears on the actual test. Making sure that all students complete with a feeling of accomplishment is an effective preparation for taking the Social Studies Grade 8 TAKS. 2
Correlation to the Social Studies Grade 8 TAKS This chart correlates each item in, Grade 8, to a specific objective and student expectation from the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) and the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS). Item* TAKS TEKS Item* TAKS TEKS Practice 1 Practice 4 1 Objective 4 8.16A 31 Objective 3 8.15A 2 Objective 4 8.22B 32 Objective 1 8.8C 3 Objective 2 8.11A 33 Objective 4 8.16D 4 Objective 1 8.7D 34 Objective 4 8.20B 5 Objective 2 8.11B 35 Objective 4 8.16C 6 Objective 3 8.28B 36 Objective 1 8.2B 7 Objective 1 8.4B 37 Objective 2 8.11C 8 Objective 1 8.6D 38 Objective 4 8.3B 9 Objective 1 8.4D 39 Objective 5 8.30B 10 Objective 5 8.30D 40 Objective 1 8.5G Practice 2 Practice 5 11 Objective 5 8.30B 41 Objective 1 8.5E 12 Objective 1 8.6C 42 Objective 3 8.25A 13 Objective 4 8.23B 43 Objective 5 8.30C 14 Objective 1 8.4A 44 Objective 5 8.30C 15 Objective 4 8.19A 45 Objective 3 8.13A 16 Objective 3 8.14B 46 Objective 5 8.30F 17 Objective 2 8.6E 47 Objective 1 8.1B 18 Objective 1 8.1C 48 Objective 4 8.17B 19 Objective 3 8.24D 49 Objective 3 8.24E 20 Objective 1 8.7C 50 Objective 2 8.10B Practice 3 21 Objective 3 8.5B 22 Objective 5 8.30A 23 Objective 1 8.8B 24 Objective 3 8.28A 25 Objective 5 8.30D 26 Objective 1 8.5E 27 Objective 3 8.29C 28 Objective 4 8.18A 29 Objective 2 8.12A * The blueprint for the items included in TAKS Ready Social Studies Test Practice, Grade 8, correlates to 30 Objective 4 8.16B the Social Studies Grade 8 TAKS blueprint. 3