STAAR 2023

Multiple Choice

Which of these hooks would be the strongest way to start your essay?

• Stories about heroes and their journey have been told across the world, throughout time. Odysseus is an ancient Greek epic poem about a hero from the Trojan war named Odysseus.

• Villains are selfish, destructive, and seek to defy both law and destiny. Heroes are the exact opposite.

• Robert Downey Jr., Marvel hero Iron Man, once said “I think that we all do heroic things, but a hero is not a noun, it’s a verb.”

This hook is stronger because it helps you define the word hero which is what the prompt is asking you to do.

Robert Downey Jr., Marvel hero Iron Man, once said “I think that we all do heroic things, but a hero is not a noun, it’s a verb.”

Multiple Choice

Which of these introductions is the strongest?

• Stories about heroes and their journey have appeared in stories across the world, throughout time. Heroes don’t have to be super, anyone who strives to help others and make the world a better place can be a hero.

• Robert Downey Jr., Marvel hero Iron Man, once said “I think that we all do heroic

  things, but a hero is not a noun, it’s a verb.” No one is born a hero. What makes someone heroic is a series of actions such as saving others, not giving up, and accepting your destiny such as Odysseus in The Odyssey.

This one is stronger because the quote helps define a hero and the answer names the story that this student used for textual evidence. It also list specific qualities of a hero.

Robert Downey Jr., Marvel hero Iron Man, once said “I think that we all do heroic

things, but a hero is not a noun, it’s a verb.” No one is born a hero. What makes someone heroic is a series of actions such as saving others, not giving up, and accepting your destiny such as Odysseus in The Odyssey.

Open Ended

Think about hero stories you have read or watched. Or think about real life heroes. What makes that character a hero? Try writing an introduction for this prompt. Write a hook and your answer.

Prompt:

Write an essay explaining what characteristics make someone heroic.

Multiple Choice

Which piece of textual evidence below is the strongest?

• Odysseus shows bravery when he takes his men through the Underworld in order to get home. He knows it's a huge risk but he's willing to do anything to get his men home.

• Odysseus is brave because he faced many challenges on his journey home and slayed many monsters.

This is the stronger piece of evidence because it gives specific details from the story.

Odysseus shows bravery when he takes his men through the Underworld in order to get home. He knows it's a huge risk but he's willing to do anything to get his men home.

Open Ended

Now you try writing a body paragraph about what makes someone heroic. Use the story of Perseus for your textual evidence. Remember ACE: Answer the question, cite evidence from the reading, and explain how that evidence proves your answer.

Open Ended

Now write a conclusion for your essay about what characteristics define an hero. Remember to summarize your definition and evidence.

Poll

Great job completing this lesson! Do you feel like you can write an essay that will pass the STAAR test?

• Yes

• No

• Maybe