Name:________________________________ Date:_______________ 

Do Now: MCAS re-orientation 

 
1) F
​ ollow this link for the MCAS released items from 2018: 
http://www.doe.mass.edu/mcas/2018/release/gr8-ela.pdf 
 
2) Look through last year’s MCAS and answer the following questions: 
a) How many passages are there?​3 
b) What are the titles of these passages? 
i) Writing for mr. Lincoln  
ii) From life and time of frederick douglass  
iii) From deep water  
c) W
​ hat type of texts are the first two passages? 
i) ​nonfiction 
ii) fiction 
iii) poetry 
iv) play 
d) ​What type of texts is the third passage? 
i) nonfiction 
ii) f​ iction 
iii) poetry 
iv) play 
 
e) ​What type of writing is #9 prompt asking the student to write?  
Armentative  
What should the annotation focus be​: h
​ ow they are effective leaders  
f) T
​ he essay should consist of how many paragraphs?  
i) 3 
ii) 5 
iii) 4 
iv) 2 
 
g) T
​ he first paragraph is an introduction and should always include: 
i) one claim you will make 
ii) evidence 
iii) thesis statement (all three claims) 
iv) citation 
 
h) Question #18 prompt asks for what type of writing? 
a) Narrative 
b) Research task 
c) Literary analysis 
d) Opinion 
i) Name three elements you should include to write a strong narrative: 
e) Evidence and citations   
f) Imagery  
g) Theme   
j) W
​ hat type of story is it asking the student to write (for example, from another character’s 
perspective) 
From a the person’s perspective.  
k) ​Go to QUESTION 1 (page 8), read it. Then turn to that passage and read the first two paragraphs 
and then answer the question (copied below): 
What is the most likely reason that the author of “Waiting for Mr. Lincoln” included paragraphs 1 and 
2?  
A. to show the impatience of people in the White House waiting area  
B. to suggest that prejudice existed even in the White House waiting area  
C. to indicate the special treatment provided in the White House waiting area  
D. to illustrate the physical discomfort felt by visitors in the White House waiting area