Informative and Opinion Essays

FSA Writing Test Review

Explanatory/Informative and Opinion Essays

FSA Writing Test

You will have 120 minutes to complete this test, and will take a short stretch break after 60 minutes.

You will use your time to respond to either an informative/explanatory prompt or to an opinion prompt with a multiparagraph essay.

FSA Writing Test

When taking the FSA Writing Test, you are expected to:

1. Understand a Prompt

2. Read Sources

3. Plan an Essay

4. Write an Essay

5. Revise an Essay

Types of Essay Responses

• ​Informative: an essay that is written to inform the reader about a topic

• Opinion: an essay that is written to share your opinion on a topic with the reader

FSA Scoring Guide

• Purpose, Focus, and Organization [1-4 points]

• Your writing response is fully supported and always focused with the purpose, audience, and task. My writing is clearly organized, in a logical order, and is complete.

• Evidence and Elaboration [1-4 points]

• Your writing shows detailed and convincing support/evidence for my opinion and includes the expert use of sources, facts, and details.

• Conventions of Standard English [1-2 points]

• Your writing shows acceptable understanding of basic conventions.

Understanding the Prompt

You will take 5 minutes to read and understand the prompt.

As you read, find keywords, figure out the type of essay you will write, and determine the topic of your essay.

Find Keywords to Determine Essay Type

• explain or inform means you will be writing an explanatory or informative essay

• opinion, believe, or think mean you will be writing an opinion essay

Understanding What to Write About for an Informative/Explanatory Essay

• The sources talked about Juliette Gordon Low. Write an essay in which you explain who Juliette Gordon Low was and why she formed the Girl Scouts organization. Use evidence from the sources to support your answer.

• You will write an informative/explanatory essay.

• You will be writing about Juliette Gordon Low and why she formed the Girl Scouts organization.

Understanding What to Write About for an Opinion Essay

• The readings talked about clutter and being tidy. Write an essay in which you give your opinion: Is clutter sometimes okay, or should you always try to be neat? Use the information from the passages in your essay.

• You will write an opinion essay.

• You will be writing about your opinion on either clutter being okay or always trying to be neat.

Multiple Select

Select the keywords that you should be looking for when reading the prompt.

• inform

• explain

• judge

• opinion

• challenge

Multiple Choice

Learning how to save money is a skill that everyone could use in their life. You have read several passages that provide ways that kids could save money. Explain how you could save money for something you really want.

According to the prompt above, what kind of essay will you be writing?

• an informative or explanatory essay

• an opinion essay

Multiple Choice

Movies have been gaining popularity inside classrooms across America. You have read several passages about different ways that movies can be used inside the classroom. Write an essay on whether or not you believe movies should be allowed in the classroom. Use information from the text to support your response.

According to the prompt above, what kind of essay will you be writing?

• an informative or explanatory essay

• an opinion essay

Multiple Choice

Learning how to save money is a skill that everyone could use in their life. You have read several passages that provide ways that kids could save money. Explain how you could save money for something you really want.

According to the prompt above, what will the topic of your essay be?

• an explanation on when you should start saving money for something you want

• an explanation on why you should save money for something you want

• an explanation on how kids can save money for something they want

• an explanation on how you can save money for something you want

Multiple Choice

Movies have been gaining popularity inside classrooms across America. You have read several passages about different ways that movies can be used inside the classroom. Write an essay on whether or not you believe movies should be allowed in the classroom. Use information from the text to support your response.

According to the prompt above, what will the topic of your essay be?

• your opinion on whether or not you believe movies should be rated

• your opinion on whether or not you believe movies should used in the classroom

• your opinion on whether or not you believe kids spend too much time watching movies

• your opinion on whether or not you believe a classroom should have movie posters

Reading the Sources

You should take 45 minutes to read all of the sources provided.

As you read, underline important information and take notes to use on your planning sheet and in your essay.

Informative/Explanatory Essay Sources

• Prompt: Learning how to save money is a skill that everyone could use in their life. You have read several passages that provide ways that kids could save money. Explain how you could save money for something you really want.

• Source: Don’t waste money on unneeded food items. It is easy to see a bag of chips or a candy bar that you can buy at a store. There are always sweet treats to choose from near the check-out counter. Remember that snacks only last a couple of minutes. When you leave the house, take a snack with you and keep it in your backpack. That way, whenever you are craving a snack, you will have a free one with you. This equals more money in your savings.

Opinion Essay Sources

• Prompt: Movies have been gaining popularity inside classrooms across America. You have read several passages about different ways that movies can be used inside the classroom. Write an essay on whether or not you believe movies should be allowed in the classroom. Use information from the text to support your response.

• Source: Showing movies in class can actually be a distraction for many children. A funny scene or inappropriate word can cause chaos in the classroom. Children start to have unwanted conversations and lose sight of what the purpose of the movie is. Valuable classroom time is wasted. The teacher has to spend time getting the class back on task, and the point of the movie is wasted.

Multiple Choice

Source: "Powerful bodies, sharp claws, and distinctive black stripes describe the largest cat species in the world. Tigers are the largest members of the cat family weighing in at over 500 pounds as full grown adults. Tigers are ferocious, or fierce, felines that are quickly being put in danger of extinction. Out of the original six subspecies of tigers, only four remain, and all are endangered. According to most experts, these creatures will probably not survive the next 50 years if they are not protected."

What topic does this source provide evidence for?

• an explanation on why tigers are going extinct

• an explanation on how tigers hunt for food

• an opinion on whether or not a tiger is better than a lion

• an opinion on whether or not tigers are the most dangerous animal

Multiple Choice

Source: "Adult American alligators create holes in their swamp habitats. They construct these alligator holes by using their feet, tail, and snout. These holes create areas that help the alligators stay cool during hot weather. Alligator holes also provide a habitat for other animals during droughts."

What topic does this source provide evidence for?

• information on alligators and their habitats

• information on the differences between alligators and crocodiles

• an opinion on whether or not people should keep alligators as pets

• an opinion on whether or not alligators are a danger in the community

Multiple Choice

Source: "With all the different texts and technology sources available, there really is no need for movies in the classroom. Teachers can find effective ways to engage their students during lessons. Valuable lessons do not require a teacher to pop in a movie."

What topic does this source provide evidence for?

• an explanation of how educational movies are made

• an explanation of why watching movies is a favorite pastime of Americans

• an opinion that is in favor, or supports using movies in the classroom

• an opinion that opposes, or is against using movies in the classroom

Multiple Choice

Source: "Believe it or not, movies can be an amazing teaching tool. More and more teachers are using short video clips and movies to enhance their lessons. Technology is the wave of the future. To keep students engaged, it is important to incorporate technology into lessons, and movies are a great way to do it."

What topic does this source provide evidence for?

• an explanation of how viral, short videos are made

• an explanation of why watching Tik Tok will help students do better on tests

• an opinion that is in favor, or supports using short videos and movies in the classroom

• an opinion that opposes, or is against using short videos and movies in the classroom

Planning the Essay

You should take 10 minutes to plan your essay.

In your planning, you should include an introduction, three reasons (or topics), two details for each reason, and a conclusion.

Topic, Reasons, and Details

• Topic: the main idea of the entire essay

• Reason: support for the topic and the main idea of a body paragraph

• Detail: support for the reason and provides evidence from the sources

Topic, Reasons, and Details

• Topic: Dogs make better pets than cats.

• Reason: Dogs are loyal.

• Detail: When you call out their name, a dog will come running.

• Topic: Students should not watch movies in school.

• Reason: Students become disruptive.

• Detail: A funny scene or inappropriate word can cause chaos in the classroom.

Multiple Choice

Use the details listed below to chose the correct topic they describe.

Details: head, sleep, soft, bed

• blanket

• sheet

• pillow

• hat

Multiple Choice

Use the details listed below to chose the correct topic they describe.

Details: ball, black and white, round, kick, sport

• basketball

• soccer ball

• football

• volleyball

Multiple Choice

Use the details listed below to chose the correct topic they describe.

Details: animal, brown, nocturnal, mammal, flight

• owl

• spider

• bat

• sloth

Multiple Choice

What would be the topic of an essay that has the following reason and details?

Reason: Tigers' habitats are being destroyed.

Detail A: Forests are being destroyed to make space for new buildings.

Detail B: Tigers have to leave their homes as trees are being cut down to make things.

• Tigers are going extinct.

• Tigers hunt prey.

• Tigers are better than lions.

• Tigers have a strange diet.

Multiple Choice

What would be the topic of an essay that has the following reason and details?

Reason: Cats are friendlier.

Detail A: Cats love to snuggle with their owners.

Detail B: Cats do not bark.

• Cats are better than dogs.

• Dogs are better than cats.

• Cats are not great pets.

• Dogs are great pets.

Writing the Essay

You should take 65 minutes to write your essay.

​

Your essay should include five indented paragraphs that respond to the prompt.

Introduction Paragraph

• Hook: get the reader’s attention with a fact, personal story, sensory sentence, or question

• 3 Reasons: state the topic of the essay and then list R1, R2, and R3

• Closing Statement: share a simple statement about the topic

Body Paragraphs

• Topic Sentence: use a transitional phrase, state your topic and introduce your reason

• Tell Detail A: tell the reader what detail A of the reason is

• Teach Detail A: use a quote to teach about detail A of the reason

• Teach Detail A: use your own words to teach about detail A of reason

• Tell Detail B: tell the reader what detail B of the reason is

• Teach Detail B: use a quote to teach about detail B of the reason

• Teach Detail B: use your own words to teach about detail B of reason

• Wrap-Up Sentence: ​restate the topic and your reason

Quoting and Paraphrasing

• Quoting is when you use the exact words of the source

• According to Wasted Time, "A funny scene or inappropriate word can cause chaos in the classroom."

• Paraphrasing is when you use your own words to share information you found in a source

• Based on the information in Wasted Time, students may get off task when something funny or inappropriate happens in the movie.

Conclusion Paragraph

• Restate 3 Reasons: use a transitional phrase, restate the topic of the essay, and list R1, R2, and R3

• Thought Sentence: share your thoughts or feelings about the topic

• Ending Sentence: give the reader something to think about or do

Multiple Choice

What is the correct order of the three sentences in the introduction paragraph?

• 3 reasons, hook, closing statement

• hook, 3 reasons, closing statement

• hook, closing statement, 3 reasons

• 3 reasons, closing statement, hook

Multiple Select

What must be included in a topic sentence?

• transitional phrase

• reason

• detail

• quote

• topic

Multiple Choice

Which of the following is the best example of a tell sentence about tigers being poached, or hunted for their fur?

• People like tiger fur.

• Tiger fur is a rare luxury that many want to purchase.

• The first cause for tigers being hunted is because of their fur.

• I think tigers are better than lions because of their fur.

Multiple Choice

The writer should never use quotes from sources or their own words to teach a reader about the details in their essay.

• True

• False

Fill in the Blank

Please correctly write a quote from the parts provided below.

Opening Phrase: According to

Name of Source: Wasted Time

Exact Source Words: Valuable lessons do not require a teacher to pop in a movie.

Multiple Choice

I dream of visiting Japan because of the unique foods, natural scenery, and traditional Japanese architecture.

Choose the sentence that best restates the three reasons sentence above and would be used in the conclusion paragraph.

• To sum it all up, the natural scenery, traditional Japanese architecture, and the unique foods are why Japan is the place I dream of visiting.

• To begin with, the unique foods, natural scenery, and traditional Japanese architecture are why Japan is the place I dream of visiting.

• To sum it all up, Japan is better than any other country because of the unique foods, natural scenery, and traditional Japanese architecture it has to offer.

• To sum it all up, the unique foods, natural scenery, and traditional Japanese architecture are why Japan is the place I dream of visiting.

Revising the Essay

You should take 10 minutes to revise your essay.

To revise your essay, read your essay from start to finish and fix any spelling, grammar, or organizational errors.

Spelling and Grammar Errors

• Spelling and grammar errors include misspelling words, missing or incorrect punctuation, incorrect usage of words, forgetting capitalization, etc.

• My teacher Mr. keime never lets my class watch movies because the class becomes two disruptive and gets off task

• My teacher Mr. Keime never lets my class watch movies because the class becomes too disruptive and gets off task.

• Frist of all dogs are better then cats because it are loyal aminals.

• First of all, dogs are better than cats because they are loyal animals.

Organization Errors

• Organization errors happen when you forget to indent your paragraphs, include transitional phrases at the beginning of paragraphs, and list topics, reasons, and details out of order.

• I want to travel to Mount Fuji to experience its natural scenery. At Japan you can enjoy hiking the mountainside and bathing in hot springs at its base. I would first like to visit Japan.

• Second, I want to travel to Japan to experience its natural scenery. I would first like to visit Mount Fuji. At Mount Fuji you can enjoy hiking the mountainside and bathing in hot springs at its base.

Fill in the Blank

himeji castle is one of the most well preserved japanese castles and visitor can travel through its 83 rooms different

Please revise the sentence above.

Fill in the Blank

The word okonomiyaki means "cook what you like" because you can cook fried noodles meat seafood vegetables and more in the pan-fried batter.

Please revise the sentence above.

Fill in the Blank

in making use of Movies, it state, Movies can be a valuable teaching tool in the classroom."

Please revise the sentence above.

Multiple Choice

What is the correct organization of the sentences below?

1. Samba is the official music of Brazil and became popular in Rio de Janeiro in the 19th century.

2. Second, Brazilian Carnival is known for its blasting music.

3. A Brazilain Carnival without samba music would not be a celebration.

• 1, 2, 3

• 1, 3, 2

• 3, 1, 2

• 2, 3, 1

Multiple Choice

What is the correct organization of the sentences below?

1. I would love to get the chance to wear one of the costumes and dance in a parade at Brazilian Carnival.

2. Everyone should learn to celebrate and appreciate the many traditions of the world.

3. Based on all the information stated above, the interesting history, the blasting music, and the colorful costumes are what make Brazilian Carnival so special.

• 1, 2, 3

• 2, 1, 3

• 3, 1, 2

• 2, 3, 1