Hialeah Gardens

Gladiators

FCAT READING 2009

 Don’t be an airhead-
Get SMART!

Shake off the jitters; just be prepared!

Make sure to preview titles, pictures & questions
Actively Read
Respond to EVERY question
Top score, write more!
 Shake off the jitters; Just be prepared!
You know the deal:
 Testing begins on March 10th
 Get a good night’s sleep
 Have a healthy breakfast
 Get to school on time
 Move quickly to your testing room
 Remember, no electronic devices
Make sure to preview titles, pictures & questions!

Be a private eye!
Look at the title, web it,
connect with it, tell
what it means!
Make sure to preview titles, pictures & questions!
Scope out the
charts & pictures!
• They are there for a reason
• Try to decide why they would be
included
•What is the author trying to tell
you by including them?
• You can jot down notes around
them
Make sure to preview titles, pictures & questions!

Identify important
words/phrases in
The questions and
answer choices.

 Taking a couple minutes to do this will give you a

good sense of what you are looking for!
 Actively Read
As you read, write a one sentence summary next to each paragraph
or the main idea of that paragraph.
Nature's Medicine Cabinet

Times have changed, but more than half of the world's population still relies entirely on plants for
medicines, and plants supply the active ingredients of most traditional medical products. Plants
have also served as the starting point for countless drugs on the market today. Researchers
World still generally agree that natural products from plants and other organisms have been the most
uses plants
for medicines consistently successful source for ideas for new drugs, since nature is a master chemist. Drug
discovery scientists often refer to these ideas as "leads," and chemicals that have desirable
properties in lab tests are called lead compounds.

Relatively speaking, very few species of living things on Earth have actually been seen and named
by scientists. Many of these unidentified organisms aren't necessarily lurking in uninhabited
undiscovered
species still exist
places. A few years ago, for instance, scientists identified a brand-new species of millipede in a
rotting leaf pile in New York City's Central Park, an area visited by thousands of people every
day.

Many species Scientists estimate that Earth is home to at least 250,000 different species of plants, and that up to
exist, but only
a few have
30 million species of insects crawl or fly somewhere around the globe. Equal numbers of species
been tested of fungi, algae, and bacteria probably also exist. Despite these vast numbers, chemists have tested
only a few of these organisms to see whether they harbor some sort of medically useful substance.
 Actively Read
• Underline words, sentences or ideas you think are most
important.

• If you see a “cause & effect” sentence or group of

sentences, write C & E in the margins.

• If you see sentences that show similarities and/or

differences between two items or ideas, write C&C
(compare & contrast) in the margins.

• This will help you when those cause/effect and

compare/contrast questions arise!
Actively Read
WHATEVER YOU DO,
DON’T FALL ASLEEP!
In a survey of students, 97% of them who
admitted to falling asleep during the test,
DID NOT PASS!

BE ALERT!!!!!!
Respond to every question
 Respond to every question
When answering the questions, try to eliminate 2 choices as incorrect.
Then decide which answer is 85% correct and which is 100%.

Read this sentence from the second paragraph of the article.

Plants supply the active ingredients of most traditional medical
products.

In this context, what does the word active mean?

a. busy active is sort of like busy

b. moving quickly active does not necessarily mean quickly, but it is not wrong, it is
85% correct

c. producing an effect this answer is 100% correct based on the proof given in the
paragraph

d. on military duty this article is not about the military

 Respond to every question
ANSWERING THE SHORT & EXTENDED
RESPONSES IS VITAL!

Here’s Help…
 Top Score, write more!
In order to win the war, you have to fight the battle!

You already know how to

write like a true warrior,
but these steps will help
even more!
Top Score, write more!
The Strategy

Read it!
Rip it!
Say it!
Prove it!
Connect it!
 Top Score, write more!
READ IT!
Read the question!
Well…Duh!!
“I know I am suppose to read the question”

This is not intended to be an insult to your intelligence, but

many students don’t really READ the question.
Some don’t even realize when there is more than one question
being asked!
 READ IT!
Compare and contrast Richardson’s and Stein’s
research. Mention one way their work is alike and one
way it is different. Use details and information from
the text to support your response.
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
________________________

Underline and identify important words in the

question. Then ask yourself, “Self! What is this
question asking me to do?”
 RIP IT!
Rip off from the question in order to
begin writing your answer.

Compare and contrast Richardson’s and Stein’s research.

Mention one way their work is alike and one way it is
different. Use details and information from the text to
support your response.

EXAMPLE: When comparing and contrasting Richardson’s

ou
Can y t
and Stein’s research, there are some similarities and tell w
h a
we
differences. One similarity is… One difference is… rippe
d
of f ?
 SAY IT!

Give me a 4!

When comparing and contrasting Richardson’s and Stein’s research,

there are some similarities and differences. One similarity is that they
both studied plants and animals in search of a natural form of
medicine. One difference is Richardson’s research was funded by the
government as where Stein had to find private funding for his research.
 PROVE IT!

In the United States of the FCAT, you are wrong until proven right!

fter your answer, start your proof with phrases such as:

ccording to the article…

n the story…

he poem states…

he author states…

hen comparing and contrasting Richardson’s and Stein’s research, there are some similarities
and differences. One similarity is that they both studied plants and animals in search of a
natural form of medicine. One difference is Richardson’s research is funded by the government
as where Stein has to find private funding for his research. According to the article, by working
CONNECT IT!
(Word up!)
 CONNECT IT!
(Word up!)

When comparing and contrasting Richardson’s and Stein’s research, there

are some similarities and differences. One similarity is that they both
studied plants and animals in search of a natural form of medicine. One
difference is Richardson’s research is funded by the government as where
Stein has to find private funding for his research. According to the article,
by working closely with a university, Richardson receives funding for his
research from the state. On the other hand, the article states that Stein has
to “depend on donations from the public” to fund his research. The article
also mentions that both medical scientists “base their research on plants
and animals.” This proves that, although both scientists were researching
the same thing, they were being funded through different sources.

Aguila 2008  Page 21

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 REMEMBER…
Don’t be an airhead-
Get SMART!
Shake off the jitters; just be prepared!
Make sure to preview titles, pictures & questions
Actively Read
Respond to EVERY question
Top score, write more!
 REWARDS…

Now, a quick word from Mrs. Jimenez

NEWS…