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This lesson unit covers the SHSAT ELA Edit-Revise passage related exam section. There will be 2 passages each with 6-8 revising-editing questions on this portion of the SHSAT ELA exam. These questions are similar to reading, but they test function and organization rather than content and ideas.
Generally, the function and organization questions will test aspects of the Writing section of the 7th grade ELA common core curriculum. The lesson units are organized to familiarize students with the writing outline covered in most classes and to teach students how this exam section is designed in order to better identify correct and incorrect answers. Students will perform exercises organized by the various types of questions on this exam section and subscribers finish with a mini exam covering the entire exam section.
Introduction to Edit-Revise
“Remember me, your friend.”
There are 20 ELA Edit-Revise questions on the SHSAT, which replace the old Scrambled Paragraphs and Logical Reasoning sections of the SHSAT verbal exam prior to 2017. The objective of the two new ELA exam sections is to test common core skills in Writing and Language much like the Writing and Language sections of the PSAT and SAT. Similar to those exams, there are two broad question types, but, in the case of the SHSAT, they are divided into two multiple choice exam sections. The first SHSAT section includes two passages and 6-8 related questions for each that ask students to understand the function of various sentences and to better organize parts of the passage. This is essentially another reading exam, and many of the same rules for reading will apply, but the question focus is different. Whereas the Reading exam section tests what students understand about the content and story in the passage, the Edit-Revise passage related questions test how well students can identify the function of sentences and organize them within the passage. The second part of the Edit-Revise exam section includes 5-8 stand-alone questions that will test grammar, punctuation, and style.
Too many ELA guidebooks provide nothing more than practice problems without teaching readers about the exam design for the Edit-Revise questions. This course will not only provide plenty of practice problems; students will learn the structure of the exam and its questions. The course reviews various types of questions and strategies for solving ELA Edit-Revise questions correctly and provides tips for exam day. Prior knowledge of language rules is essential and key topics will be included with related exercises for practice.
One example of these rules is demonstrated by the quote above. While the Star Wars quote, “Remember me, who am your friend,” from the introduction to the Edit-Revise standalone lessons compels students to learn their language rules, it also reminds us that even the Death Star had a weakness. The quote reads like the sound of fingernails on a chalkboard. On the other hand, “Remember me, your friend,” reminds us that writing style and simplicity are equally important, and they will be tested on the exam.
