staar writing rehearsal grade 7

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Prepares Students for the New STAAR Writing Test

Mirrors the STAAR Writing Test STAAR Writing Rehearsal Aligned to the Readiness & Supporting TEKS Grades 4 & 7 Grade 4: Assessment split evenly over two days: Day 1-First half of Revision and Editing (multiple-choice questions) and 1 writing prompt Grade 7: Assessment split evenly over two days Day 1-Allthe multiple-choice questions and first composition Day 2-Second and third compositions Price 25-pack: $139 100-pack: $497

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STAAR Writing Rehearsal Level G1

The Texas Education Agency has neither endorsed nor authorized this practice test booklet.

ISBN 978-1-4204-6597-6R 6597-6

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STAAR Writing Rehearsal Level G1Contents

Contents

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

TEKS Student Expectations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Practice Test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Day 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Written Composition #1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Revising and Editing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Writing Selection 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16






Day 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45



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STAAR Writing Rehearsal Level G1Introduction

Introduction

STAAR Writing Test

The State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) replaced the TAKS

beginning with the 2011-2012 school year. The STAAR Writing test is similar to the

previous TAKS Writing test, but is more rigorous. The STAAR Writing test continues to be

based on the student expectations described in the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills

(TEKS).

Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS)

The STAAR Writing tests are used to measure how well students are learning the Texas

state curriculum known as the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS). This

curriculum is designed to help students develop and sharpen their learning and writing

skills. The TEKS is divided into the following three categories:

Reporting Category 1: Composition

Reporting Category 2: Revision

Reporting Category 3: Editing

Within each category, student expectations describe the specific skills that students are

expected to have learned. The student expectations are divided into readiness standards

and supporting standards. The STAAR Writing test has an emphasis on readiness

standards, with 60 to 70 percent of questions assessing readiness standards.

STAAR Writing Test Format

The STAAR Writing test is divided into two parts, with students completing the parts on

two consecutive days. On Day 1, students complete a written composition and a revising

and editing section. On Day 2, students complete two written compositions. Students are

given 4 hours to complete each part.

The compositions require students to produce writing in response to a prompt. The

compositions may be personal narrative or expository. Each composition is scored on a

4-point scale. In the revising and editing section, students read passages that resemble

student writing. Each passage is followed by multiple-choice questions asking how the

passage could be corrected or improved. Each multiple-choice question is worth 1 point.

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STAAR Writing Rehearsal Level G1TEKS

Grade 7 TEKS

Reporting Category 1: Composition

The student will demonstrate an ability to compose a variety of written texts with a

clear, controlling idea; coherent organization; sufficient development; and effective use

of language and conventions.

(14) Writing/Writing Process. Students use elements of the writing process (planning,

drafting, revising, editing, and publishing) to compose text. Students are expected to

(B) develop drafts by choosing an appropriate organizational strategy (e.g., sequence

of events, cause-effect, comparecontrast) and building on ideas to create a

focused, organized, and coherent piece of writing; Readiness Standard

(C) revise drafts to ensure precise word choice and vivid images; consistent point

of view; use of simple, compound, and complex sentences; internal and

external coherence; and the use of effective transitions after rethinking how

well questions of purpose, audience, and genre have been addressed;

Readiness Standard

(D) edit drafts for grammar, mechanics, and spelling. Readiness Standard

(16) Writing. Students write about their own experiences. Students are expected to

(A) write a personal narrative that has a clearly defined focus and communicates

the importance of or reasons for actions and/or consequences. Readiness

Standard

(17) Writing/Expository [and Procedural] Texts. Students write expository [and

procedural or work-related] texts to communicate ideas and information to specific

audiences for specific purposes. Students are expected to

(A) write a multi-paragraph essay to convey information about Readiness Standard

a topic that

(i) presents effective introductions and concluding paragraphs;

(ii) contains a clearly stated purpose or controlling idea;

(iii) is logically organized with appropriate facts and details and includes no

extraneous information or inconsistencies;

(iv) accurately synthesizes ideas from several sources; and

(v) uses a variety of sentence structures, rhetorical devices, and transitions to

link paragraphs.

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Reporting Category 2: Revision

The student will demonstrate an ability to revise a variety of written texts.



(C) revise drafts to ensure precise word choice and vivid images; consistent point

of view; use of simple, compound, and complex sentences; internal and

external coherence; and the use of effective transitions after rethinking how

well questions of purpose, audience, and genre have been addressed.

Readiness Standard

(17) Writing/Expository [and Procedural] Texts. Students write expository [and

procedural or work-related] texts to communicate ideas and information to specific

audiences for specific purposes. Students are expected to

(A) write a multi-paragraph essay to convey information about a topic that

(i) presents effective introductions and concluding paragraphs;

Supporting Standard

(ii) contains a clearly stated purpose or controlling idea; Supporting Standard

(iii) is logically organized with appropriate facts and details and includes no

extraneous information or inconsistencies; Supporting Standard

(iv) accurately synthesizes ideas from several sources; Supporting Standard

(v) uses a variety of sentence structures, rhetorical devices, and transitions to

link paragraphs. Supporting Standard

(18) Writing/Persuasive Texts. Students write persuasive texts to influence the

attitudes or actions of a specific audience on specific issues. Students are expected

to write a persuasive essay to the appropriate audience that

(A) establishes a clear thesis or position; Supporting Standard

(C) includes evidence that is logically organized to support the author's viewpoint

and that differentiates between fact and opinion. Supporting Standard

Genres Represented in the Revision and Editing Sections of the Test:

Literary Informational

• Fiction • Expository

• Literary Nonfiction • Persuasive (Editing only)

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Reporting Category 3: Editing

The student will demonstrate an ability to edit a variety of texts.



(D) edit drafts for grammar, mechanics, and spelling. Readiness Standard

(19) [Oral and] Written Conventions/Conventions. Students understand the function

of and use the conventions of academic language when speaking and writing.

Students will continue to apply earlier standards with greater complexity. Students

are expected to

(A) identify, use, and understand the function of the following parts of speech in the

context of reading, writing, and speaking: Readiness Standard

(i) verbs (perfect and progressive tenses) and participles;

Supporting Standard

(ii) appositive phrases; Supporting Standard

(iii) adverbial and adjectival phrases and clauses; Supporting Standard

(iv) conjunctive adverbs (e.g., consequently, furthermore, indeed);

Supporting Standard

(v) prepositions and prepositional phrases and their influence on subject-verb

agreement; Supporting Standard

(vi) relative pronouns (e.g., whose, that, which); Supporting Standard

(vii) subordinating conjunctions (e.g., because, since); Supporting Standard

(viii) transitions for sentence to sentence or paragraph to paragraph coherence;

Supporting Standard

(B) write complex sentences and differentiate between main versus subordinate

clauses; Supporting Standard

(C) use a variety of complete sentences (e.g., simple, compound, complex) that

include properly placed modifiers, correctly identified antecedents, parallel

structures, and consistent tenses. Readiness Standard

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(20) [Oral and] Written Conventions/Handwriting, Capitalization, and

Punctuation. Students write legibly and use appropriate capitalization and

punctuation conventions in their compositions. Students are expected to

(A) use conventions of capitalization; Readiness Standard

(B) recognize and use punctuation marks Readiness Standard

including

(i) commas after introductory words, phrases, and clauses;

Supporting Standard

(ii) semicolons, colons, and hyphens. Supporting Standard

(21) [Oral and] Written Conventions/Spelling. Students spell correctly. Students are

expected to spell correctly, including using various resources to determine and check

correct spellings. Students are expected to

(A) spell correctly, including using various resources to determine and check correct

spellings. Readiness Standard

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STAARWriting

Day 1

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WRITTENCOMPOSITION

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STAAR Writing Rehearsal Level G1Composition #1

Look at the picture below.

In many situations, it helps to plan ahead and be prepared.

Write a personal narrative about a time when you planned ahead or prepared for

something. Be sure to write in detail about the planning or preparation you did and what

happened as a result.

Use the Space Below to Plan Your Composition

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STUDENTS MAY NOT WRITE OUTSIDE THE BOX.

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REVISINGAND

EDITING

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STAAR Writing Rehearsal Level G1Writing Selection 1

Read the selection and choose the best answer to each question.

Jordan read a story in a newspaper about scientists looking for proof that there

could be life on Mars. She wrote this paper to share what she learned. Read

Jordan’s paper and think about how it should be revised. Then answer the

questions that follow.

Life on Mars

(1) Is there life on Mars? (2) It is exciting to think that there could be. (3) It

is especially exciting to imagine cute little green creatures. (4) The truth is that if

there is any life at all, it would be very simple. (5) And there might not be any life

at all. (6) There may not ever have been life on Mars.

(7) It all depends on whether there was ever water on Mars. (8) If water

exists on Mars, it means that some organisms might be able to live on the planet.

(9) Some scientists believe that water once flowed freely over the surface of the

planet. (10) Some think that organisms lived in this water. (11) They were then

frozen in it as the planet’s climate became colder.

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(12) Some organisms could have survived being frozen. (13) Scientists have

studied microorganisms living in cold conditions on Earth. (14) They have studied

microorganisms living in volcanoes as well. (15) They have found a few that

actually survive in freezing conditions. (16) One is a microbe called the snow alga.

(17) Some scientists think on Mars hearty organisms such as these may exist.

(18) These organisms could have remained suspended in the ice. (19) They

would not really be living at this point. (20) It is like they are seeds. (21) They

are not livings things, but they could become living things when the conditions

are right. (22) They could float up to the surface of the water since the ice

melted. (23) They could take in sunlight and start to live and grow.

(24) This is only a theory. (25) It has not been proven yet. (26) Some living

things on Earth live like this, so simple living things on Mars could do the same.

(27) This may not be the kind of Martian life it is exciting to imagine. (28) Many

scientists would be very excited if they could prove that any life at all lived on Mars.

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STAAR Writing Rehearsal Level G1Questions

1 Which sentence could be added after sentence 6 to strengthen the introduction to

this paper?

A Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun.

B Scientists are studying Mars for signs of life.

C Many movies and books have featured Martians.

D I do not believe that there is any life on Mars.

2 Jordan would like to add the following sentence to the second paragraph (sentences 7–11).

Where is the BEST place to insert this sentence?

A After sentence 7

B After sentence 9

C After sentence 10

D After sentence 11

All living things need water to survive.

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3 Which sentence in the third paragraph (sentences 12–17) should be deleted?

A Sentence 12

B Sentence 13

C Sentence 14

D Sentence 15

4 What is the BEST way to revise sentence 17?

A Hearty organisms such as these, some scientists think, may exist on Mars.

B On Mars, some scientists think hearty organisms such as these may exist.

C Hearty organisms such as these may exist on Mars, some scientists think.

D Some scientists think hearty organisms such as these may exist on Mars.

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5 The word since does not appropriately connect the two clauses in sentence 22. Which word

should replace the word since?

A before

B once

C although

D until

6 Which transition word could BEST be added to the beginning of sentence 28 to help conclude

this paper?

A Except

B Generally

C Meanwhile

D However

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The students in Alexa’s class were asked to write stories based on famous fables.

Alexa wrote this story about an ant and a grasshopper. Proofread Alexa’s story

and look for any mistakes she has made. When you finish reading, answer the


The Ant and the Grasshopper

(1) One summer’s day a grasshopper was hopping about. (2) He was

chirping and singing to his heart’s content. (3) The sun was warm and the grass

was green. (4) The grasshopper was happy. (5) An ant passed by. (6) He was

struggling to carry the corn to his nest. (7) He looked tired.

(8) “You should come and chat with me” said the grasshopper. (9) “It is too

nice a day to be working so hard.”

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(10) The ant explained that he was storing away food for the winter. (11)

The grasshopper just laughed. (12) He had plenty of food now, he didn’t see the

point in storing any away. (13) The ant tell the grasshopper that the food

wouldn’t last forever. (14) It would not always be so easy to find. (15) The

grasshopper just kept playing. (16) He thought it was too nice a day to worry

about such things.

(17) The ant went on his way. (18) He kept working very hard. (19) He

stored up lots of food. (20) He was pleased to see that he have enough to last

him all winter. (21) When winter came, the grasshopper had no food. (22) He was

cold and very hungry. (23) The ant asked him why he had not collected no food

during the warm summer. (24) The grasshopper sighed sadly. (25) He had no

good reason. (26) He had wasted all his time playing singing and hopping about.

(27) Now there was no food and he was hungry.

(28) The ant looked at his food supply. (29) He thought about sharing it with

the grasshopper. (30) But he had worked so hard for it. (31) He thought it was

only fair that he get to enjoy it. (32) And if he gave food away, he would not have

enough to last the rest of the winter. (33) The ant decided that it was the

grasshopper’s fault for being foollish. (34) He would just have to remain hungry

until summer came again. (35) Then he would always remember how important it

was to prepare for the future.

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7 What change, if any, should be made in sentence 2?

A Change was to were

B Insert a comma after chirping

C Change heart’s to hearts

D No change should be made.


A Change me to I

B Insert a comma after me

C Change the period to a question mark

D Make no change

9 What is the correct way to write sentence 12?

A Since he had plenty of food now, he didn’t see the point in storing any away.

B Since he had plenty of food now he didn’t see the point in storing any away.

C He had plenty of food now so he didn’t see the point in storing any away.

D He had plenty of food now. Didn’t see the point in storing any away.

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10 What change should be made in sentence 13?

A Change tell to told

B Change wouldn’t to wouldnt

C Change last to lasting

D Change forever to forrever


A Change pleased to pleasing

B Change have enough to had enough

C Change to last to too last

D Make no change


A Change collected to colected

B Change no to any

C Change warm to warmest


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A He had wasted all his time; playing, singing, and hopping about.

B He had wasted all his time: playing, singing, and hopping about.

C He had wasted all his time playing, singing, and hopping about.

D He had wasted all his time playing; singing; and hopping about.


A Change was to were

B Change grasshopper’s to grasshoppers

C Change foollish to foolish

D No change needs to be made.

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Wendell read about a special whale called J.J. He wrote this paper to tell about

the special whale. Read Wendell’s paper and think about how it should be revised.

Then answer the questions that follow.

J.J. the Whale

(1) On January 11, 1997, an infant gray whale washed up on shore near Los

Angeles. (2) Los Angeles is known for its beautiful beaches. (3) Someone saw the

baby whale and called marine rescuers. (4) The rescuers came to help the whale,

saw that she was weak. (5) She couldn’t get back into the ocean, and she was

too sick to survive if she did. (6) The rescuers carefully loaded her into a special

truck used to transport whales. (7) They drove her to Sea World in San Diego,

where she was put into a big tank. (8) The people at Sea World named her J.J.

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(9) Since J.J.’s mother wasn’t there to give her milk, the Sea World

veterinarians had to figure out how to feed her. (10) They tried to make a recipe

that would taste like whale milk. (11) They mixed together cream, clams, and

powdered milk. (12) They fed the mixture to J.J. through a large tube. (13) J.J.

seemed to like the mixture and started to become stronger. (14) J.J. became a

healthy and strong gray whale.

(15) After a year had passed, the veterinarians at Sea World thought it was

time for J.J. to go back to the ocean. (16) They were worried although J.J. didn’t

know how to find food without their help. (17) But they knew J.J. was meant to

be free. (18) They wanted J.J. to meet other whales and swim in the vast ocean.

(19) They loaded J.J. back into the special truck and drove her twelve miles to

San Diego Bay. (20) J.J. was carefully placed on a large Coast Guard ship that

took her deep out into the ocean. (21) When her handlers found a good spot,

they let J.J. slide out into the ocean.

(22) The scientists at Sea World put electronic transmitters on J.J. so that

they could keep track of her. (23) But these transmitters fell off after only three

days. (24) Now the scientists look for J.J. by flying in a plane above the ocean.

(25) They try to spot the colorful tag they placed on J.J.’s long body. (26) Using a

special instrument for listening to whales, they can sometimes hear her voice.

(27) J.J.’s friends at Sea World miss her, but they know she is happy in the ocean.

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A The rescuers came to help the whale, they saw that she was weak.

B The rescuers came to help. They saw that she was weak, the whale.

C When the rescuers came to help the whale, they saw that she was weak.

D The rescuers came to help the whale. Saw that she was weak.

16 Which sentence in the first paragraph (sentences 1–8) should be deleted?

A Sentence 2

B Sentence 3

C Sentence 5

D Sentence 7

17 Which sentence could BEST follow and support sentence 13?

A J.J. became bored with always having the same food.

B J.J. enjoyed the company of the veterinarians.

C Soon J.J. was gaining about twenty pounds per day.

D Now J.J. was ready to go back out in the wild.

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18 The word although does not appropriately connect the two clauses in sentence 16. Which

word should replace the word although?

A because

B before

C still

D unless

19 Which sentence could be added after sentence 27 to strengthen the conclusion to

this paper?

A It is not easy to track the movements of a whale.

B She is swimming with the other whales where she belongs.

C J.J. attracted many visitors to Sea World.

D She now has to seek out her own food.

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Kenji looked up information about Groundhog Day online. He wrote this paper to

share what he learned. Proofread Kenji’s paper and look for any mistakes he has

made. When you finish reading, answer the questions that follow.

The Meaning of Groundhog Day

(1) On February 2, Americans enjoy a strange holiday. (2) It is called

Groundhog Day. (3) On this day, Americans wait for the groundhog to come out of

his winter home. (4) If it is a sunny day the groundhog’s body casts a shadow.

(5) This means that winter will last for six more weeks. (6) If the sky is cloudy,

the groundhog has no shadow, that means that spring is near. (7) A groundhog

cannot really predict the weather, but its still fun to play along.

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(8) Groundhogs are also called woodchucks or whistle-pigs. (9) They are

most often found in canada and in certain parts of the United States. (10)

Groundhogs live in different places during different seasons. (11) In the summer,

they live in summer dens. (12) Summer dens are holes about two to four feet

deep into the ground. (13) Groundhogs dig summer dens in grassy places close to

food sources. (14) Between late August and early September, groundhogs leave

their summer dens and search for good places to make winter dens. (15) They go

far into the woods where they won’t be disterbed. (16) When they find a good

spot, they dig deep into the ground. (17) Then they line the bottom of the hole

with leaves. (18) Around the end of September, groundhogs leave the outside

world and go into their deep dens. (19) They curl up in a ball, and fall asleep on

their bed of leaves.

(20) It is usual difficult to tell when groundhogs will leave their dens. (21)

Punxsutawney Phil is a special groundhog that is not like most, Phil is the

groundhog used to celebrate Groundhog Day. (22) Throughout the year, Phil lives

in a zoo. (23) He has a den in a tree stump on a wooded hill called Gobbler’s

Knob. (24) Every year on February 2, Phil is placed in his heated den. (25) Early

in the morning, Phil is pulled from the den by his keepers while a crowd watches.

(26) He looks around for his shadow. (27) Phil’s keepers announce whether or not

winter will end soon.

(28) Phil sometimes travels around the country. (29) Phil is quite famous.

(30) Many people want to meet him. (31) In 1986, he traveled to Washington,

D.C. to meet Ronald Reagan. (32) He has even been a guest on the Oprah

Winfrey show!

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A Change sunny to Sunny

B Insert a comma after day

C Change casts to casting



A If the sky is cloudy, the groundhog has no shadow, means that spring is near.

B If the sky is cloudy, the groundhog has no shadow, which means that spring is near.

C If the sky is cloudy, the groundhog has no shadow, because means that spring is near.

D If the sky is cloudy, the groundhog has no shadow, so means that spring is near.


A Change predict to prediction

B Change the comma to a colon

C Change its to it’s

D No change is needed.

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A Change most to mostly

B Change canada to Canada

C Change certain to sertain

D Change United States to United states


A Change go to goes

B Change won’t to wont

C Change disterbed to disturbed



A Change curl to curled

B Delete the comma after ball

C Change their to there


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A Change usual to usually

B Change difficult to difficulty

C Change leave to leaves



A Change special to Special

B Change not to neither

C Change the comma to a semicolon

D Change celebrate to celabrate

28 What is the correct way to combine sentences 29 and 30?

A Phil is quite famous, therefore many people want to meet him.

B Phil is quite famous, many people want to meet him.

C Phil is quite famous, but many people want to meet him.

D Phil is quite famous, and many people want to meet him.

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Stephanie was asked to write about a day when she overcame a challenge.

She wrote this paper about a day when she helped fight a brush fire. Read

Stephanie’s paper and think about how it should be revised. Then answer the


Fire on Shady Mountain

(1) It was a beautiful Saturday in May. (2) I opened my sleepy eyes.

(3) Then a set of beeps and tones pierced the air. (4) The sounds signaled that

there was a fire. (5) I was a junior volunteer firefighter. (6) It was time for me to

get to work. (7) I raced downstairs to check the scanner.

(8) “Brush fire on Shady Mountain,” crackled the voice on the scanner.

(9) Shady Mountain was just a few miles down the road. (10) I sprinted to my

bedroom and threw on old jeans, a flannel shirt, and work boots. (11) I was

out the door within seconds. (12) I could already hear the blare of sirens in

the distance.

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(13) The bright red fire engine slowed as it reached the driveway.

(14) I hopped into the front seat beside Uncle Joe, which was the chief of

the fire department.

(15) “This is a big one, Stephanie. Are you ready?” Uncle Joe asked.

(16) I nodded. (17) The fire department allowed junior members to fight brush

fires so they could learn the basics of firefighting. (18) I tried to remember

everything I had learned in my brush fire training class.

(19) Other trucks pulled up next to the engine and firefighters piled onto the

ground. (20) Men and women grabbed water tanks from the back of the truck.

(21) I helped unload hundreds of feet of hose from the back of the truck.

(22) I attached nozzles to pumps and helped hold the hose. (23) We sprayed

water on the charred trees and burning leaves. (24) I brought from the relief van

sandwiches to the resting firefighters.

(25) The fire continued burning as the afternoon sun beat down, but we

were slowly gaining control. (26) We had stopped the fire from spreading.

(27) As dusk came, the fire became weaker. (28) Uncle Joe announced that our

work was finished. (29) The fire was now out and no homes were at risk.

(30) Now it was time for the cleanup. (31) We piled the water tanks into the

back of the truck. (32) We rolled the hoses and carried them back. (33) We put

everything back in its place. (34) We would still have to clean everything and

repack it. (35) But for now, our work was done.

(36) I climbed into the fire engine and we headed for home. (37) I smiled as

I crawled into bed that night. (38) My legs were aching. (39) I didn’t really mind.

(40) The fire department had put in a long day of work. (41) By working together,

we had stopped the fire.

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29 Stephanie would like to add the following sentence to the second paragraph

(sentences 8–12).

Where is the BEST place to insert this sentence?

A Before sentence 8

B After sentence 9

C After sentence 10

D After sentence 11

30 The word which does not appropriately connect the two clauses in sentence 14. Which word

should replace the word which?

A who

B where

C he

D and

If the fire got out of control, it could easily threaten my house.

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A I brought sandwiches to the resting firefighters from the relief van.

B I brought sandwiches from the relief van to the resting firefighters.

C From the relief van to the resting firefighters, I brought sandwiches.

D From the relief van, I brought sandwiches to the resting firefighters.

32 Which transition word or phrase could BEST be added to the beginning of sentence 28?

A Finally

B In addition

C Instead

D By the way

33 What is the BEST way to combine the ideas in sentences 38 and 39?

A My legs were aching, I didn’t really mind.

B My legs were aching, for I didn’t really mind.

C My legs were aching, and I didn’t really mind.

D My legs were aching, but I didn’t really mind.

iSto

ckphoto

/nelic

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David wrote this paper about an animal he finds interesting. Read David’s paper

and think about how it should be revised. Then answer the questions that follow.

Loggerhead Turtles

(1) It’s a warm summer night on a beach in the southeastern United States.

(2) As waves lap against the shore, a gigantic beast moves across the sand. (3)

She chooses a spot and begin digging a hole in the sand with her powerful

flippers and claws. (4) The enormous creature lays more than one hundred eggs

in the nest, and then covers them with sand for protection. (5) She’s finished, she

leaves the nest behind. (6) She slowly disappears into the dark ocean.

(7) This gigantic beast is a loggerhead turtle. (8) The turtle gets its name

because of its large head. (9) While most turtles have very small heads, the head

of some adult loggerheads is almost nine inches long! (10) Loggerheads are found

throughout the world, but a large porshon of them build their nests along the

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shores of the southeastern United States. (11) Florida Beaches are one of the

largest nesting sites for loggerhead turtles.

(12) Baby loggerheads usually hatch and trek toward the ocean during the

night. (13) Many babies hatch at one time. (14) It is quite a sight to see these

little turtles heading for the sea.

(15) Loggerheads migrate all over the world. (16) They journey farther than

any other sea turtle species. (17) Studies have suggested that loggerhead turtles

may have traveled from the shores of Japan all the way to California!

(18) These fascinating creatures may be in danger of becoming extinct. (19)

Shrimp fishing is a major threat to loggerheads. (20) These large turtles

swimming slowly and often get caught in shrimp nets and drown. (21) Pollution

can be harmful to loggerheads as well. (22) Sometimes loggerheads eat plastic,

rubber, or other trash floating in the ocean. (23) As the shoreline erodes and

people invade beaches, the nesting grounds of the loggerhead are worn away or

changed. (24) This leaves loggerheads with fewer places to nest.

(25) The United States fish and wildlife service listed the loggerhead turtle as

a threatened species in 1978. (26) In the United States, the number of

loggerheads nesting in Florida has not changed much. (27) However, the

loggerhead population in some another areas of the United States has declined.

(28) If the number of loggerheads continues to decrease, they may become an

endangered species. (29) An endangered species is one that may soon be extinct.

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A Change chooses to chose

B Change begin to begins

C Change powerful to powerfull



A When she’s finished, she leaves the nest behind.

B Then she’s finished, she leaves the nest behind.

C Next she’s finished, she leaves the nest behind.

D While she’s finished, she leaves the nest behind.


A Change throughout to through

B Change the comma to a colon

C Change porshon to portion


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A Change Florida to Florida’

B Change Beaches to beaches

C Change are to is

D Change sites to sights


A Change swimming to swim

B Change caught to catched

C Add a comma after nets


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A The United States Fish and wildlife Service listed the loggerhead turtle

as a threatened species in 1978.

B The United States fish and wildlife Service listed the loggerhead turtle


C The United States Fish And Wildlife Service listed the loggerhead turtle


D The United States Fish and Wildlife Service listed the loggerhead turtle



A Change another to other

B Change has to having

C Change declined to decline


STOP

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STAARWriting

Day 2

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WRITTENCOMPOSITION

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READ the following quotation.

THINK carefully about the following statement.

Mistakes are not always bad things. Mistakes can be positive. You can learn a lot from

your mistakes.

WRITE an essay explaining whether or not you agree that mistakes can be positive.

Be sure to —

• clearly state your controlling idea

• organize and develop your explanation effectively

• choose your words carefully

• use correct spelling, capitalization, punctuation, grammar, and sentences


A famous author once said, “Experience is simply

the name we give our mistakes.”

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It can sometimes be difficult to solve problems on your own. Sometimes it’s important to

ask other people for help.

Write a personal narrative about a time when you asked someone for help. Be sure to

write in detail about what you asked for help with and what happened as a result of

asking for help.


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STOP

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ISBN 978-1-4204-6597-6

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staar writing rehearsal grade 7

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