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Note: You can make edits to this mini-lesson!

To edit the Google Slides:

  1. Go to File > Make a Copy
  2. Select “Entire Presentation”
  3. Make changes to your new version of the mini-lesson

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How To Use This Mini-Lesson

Zinc is a READING-FIRST test-prep strategy. This mini-lesson helps your students learn, apply, and practice a specific skill. The emphasis should always be on UNDERSTANDING THE PASSAGE before tackling the question and answer choices.

  • Part 1 — I Do/We Do: You’ll introduce the skill BEFORE applying it to a practice question
    1. Move quickly through the slides as you use the prompts in the speech bubbles and the text on the slides to lead a class discussion.
    2. Some slides include speaker notes to help you explain concepts or right answers.
  • Part 2 — We Do: Use the slides to walk students through applying the new skill to a practice question
    • You can customize the slides if you prefer to use a different practice question or passage.
    • The slides model Zinc’s four-step approach: Read, Predict, Maybe or No, Every Word Matters.
  • Part 3 — You Do: The final slide indicates which day of STAAR Mastery contains a mini-quiz based on today’s skill.
    • You can customize the assignment as needed.

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TEST PREP METHOD

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☝️ The best thing you can do to prepare for a reading test is to improve your reading comprehension by using Zinc-ing and Tracking.

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TEST PREP METHOD

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☝️ The best thing you can do to prepare for a reading test is to improve your reading comprehension by using Zinc-ing and Tracking.

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💡 But! We’ll also learn a four-step test-taking method that can help keep you from getting confused, falling for tricks, or jumping to conclusions.

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TEST PREP METHOD

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Today we’ll learn the first two steps:

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  1. Read
  2. Predict

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Test Prep Step #1:

Read

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Step #1: READ

What Is It?

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  • Read the WHOLE PASSAGE first.
  • Then read the question.

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Step #1: READ

How does it help?

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  • Makes you more accurate:

Understanding the passage well gives you a much better shot at getting the question right.

  • Feels better:

Take charge of the situation instead of getting confused on � the answer choices.

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Step #1: READ the whole passage first

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  1. Based on the text, how would the author most likecharacterize Caesar?

On his way back from the palace, Julius Caesar* was captured by pirates. The pirates told him that they would let him go if his family gave them 20 gold coins. He laughed at them for not understanding how important he was. He told them to ask for at least 50. Some of the pirates went off to find his family, so Caesar was kept hostage on the cramped ship for thirty-eight days. But the pirates didn’t scare him. He earned their trust. He wrote poems and read them out loud, and if the pirates didn’t like them, he called them names. When the pirates got too loud at night-time, he scolded them. Finally, the other pirates returned with the money, and when Caesar was free he went right to the port of Miletus. He found men and ships and set sail to hunt the pirates.��*Julius Caesar — an ancient Roman general and politician who later became emperor of Rome

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THEN READ THE QUESTION…

Not the answer choices yet! Just the question.�

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  • Based on the text, how would the author most likecharacterize Caesar?

Hint: On an actual test, some test takers like to cover the multiple choice answers so that they don’t get confused before making their prediction.

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  • How does the author most likely feel about Caesar?

��

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Test Prep Step #2:

Predict

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Step #2: PREDICT�What Is It?

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  • Before reading the multiple choice answers, PREDICT what the right answer should be.

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Step #2: PREDICT

How Does It Help?

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  1. Where IS the right answer?

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Step #2: PREDICT

How Does It Help?

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  • Where IS the right answer? �IN THE PASSAGE

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Step #2: PREDICT

How Does It Help?

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  • Where IS the right answer? �IN THE PASSAGE
  • How many of the answer choices are correct?

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Step #2: PREDICT

How Does It Help?

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  • Where IS the right answer? �IN THE PASSAGE
  • How many of the answer choices are correct?�ONE

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Step #2: PREDICT

How Does It Help?

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  • Where IS the right answer? �IN THE PASSAGE
  • How many of the answer choices are correct?�ONE
  • How many of the answer choices SOUND correct?

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Step #2: PREDICT

How Does It Help?

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  • Where IS the right answer? �IN THE PASSAGE
  • How many of the answer choices are correct?�ONE
  • How many of the answer choices SOUND correct?�AT LEAST TWO, SOMETIMES ALL OF THEM!

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Step #2: PREDICT

How Does It Help?

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  • Gets you thinking critically about the question instead of getting overwhelmed
  • Keeps you from getting confused by multiple options that may “sound” correct
  • SAVES TIME

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Step #2: PREDICT the right answer

  • How does the author most likely feel about Caesar?

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Step #2: PREDICT the right answer

  • How does the author most likely feel about Caesar?

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Caesar has swag

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Match your prediction to the answer choices.

❗ Note: If you don’t see anything like your prediction, go back and reread the passage carefully.�

  • How does the author most likely feel about Caesar?�
  • He dislikes Caesar’s attitude.
  • He feels sorry for Caesar.
  • He respects and admires Caesar.
  • He wants to be just like Caesar.

Caesar has swag

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Match your prediction to the answer choices.

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  • How does the author most likely feel about Caesar?�
  • He dislikes Caesar’s attitude.
  • He feels sorry for Caesar.
  • He respects and admires Caesar.
  • He wants to be just like Caesar.

Caesar has swag

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Let’s try one together.

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STEP #1: READ THE WHOLE PASSAGE FIRST…

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  • Based on the text, how would the author most likecharacterize Caesar?

On his way back from the palace, Julius Caesar was captured by pirates. The pirates told him that they would let him go if his family gave them 20 gold coins. He laughed at them for not understanding how important he was. He told them to ask for at least 50. Some of the pirates went off to find his family, so Caesar was kept hostage on the cramped ship for thirty-eight days. But the pirates didn’t scare him. He earned their trust. He wrote poems and read them out loud, and if the pirates didn’t like them, he called them names. When the pirates got too loud at night-time, he scolded them. Finally, the other pirates returned with the money, and when Caesar was free he went right to the port of Miletus. He found men and ships and set sail to hunt the pirates.��

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…THEN READ THE QUESTION

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  • Based on the text, how would the author most likecharacterize Caesar?

On his way back from the palace, Julius Caesar was captured by pirates. The pirates told him that they would let him go if his family gave them 20 gold coins. He laughed at them for not understanding how important he was. He told them to ask for at least 50. Some of the pirates went off to find his family, so Caesar was kept hostage on the cramped ship for thirty-eight days. But the pirates didn’t scare him. He earned their trust. He wrote poems and read them out loud, and if the pirates didn’t like them, he called them names. When the pirates got too loud at night-time, he scolded them. Finally, the other pirates returned with the money, and when Caesar was free he went right to the port of Miletus. He found men and ships and set sail to hunt the pirates.

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2. Caesar’s request that the pirates increase his ransom to 50 gold pieces suggests that he is…��

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Step #2: PREDICT the right answer

2. Caesar’s request that the pirates increase his ransom to 50 gold pieces suggests that he is…

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Step #2: PREDICT the right answer

2. Caesar’s request that the pirates increase his ransom to 50 gold pieces suggests that he is…

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brave and

confident

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Match your prediction to the answer choices.

2. Caesar’s request that the pirates increase his ransom to 50 gold pieces suggests that he is…�

  1. arrogant and brave.
  2. vulnerable and afraid.
  3. wild and unpredictable.
  4. optimistic and lighthearted.

brave and

confident

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Match your prediction to the answer choices.

2. Caesar’s request that the pirates increase his ransom to 50 gold pieces suggests that he is…�

  • arrogant and brave.
  • vulnerable and afraid.
  • wild and unpredictable.
  • optimistic and lighthearted.

brave and

confident

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OK. Now you try one.

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STEP #1: READ THE WHOLE PASSAGE FIRST…

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  • Based on the text, how would the author most likecharacterize Caesar?

On his way back from the palace, Julius Caesar was captured by pirates. The pirates told him that they would let him go if his family gave them 20 gold coins. He laughed at them for not understanding how important he was. He told them to ask for at least 50. Some of the pirates went off to find his family, so Caesar was kept hostage on the cramped ship for thirty-eight days. But the pirates didn’t scare him. He earned their trust. He wrote poems and read them out loud, and if the pirates didn’t like them, he called them names. When the pirates got too loud at night-time, he scolded them. Finally, the other pirates returned with the money, and when Caesar was free he went right to the port of Miletus. He found men and ships and set sail to hunt the pirates.

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3. The last sentence of the passage reveals that Caesar…��

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…THEN READ THE QUESTION

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  • Based on the text, how would the author most likecharacterize Caesar?

On his way back from the palace, Julius Caesar was captured by pirates. The pirates told him that they would let him go if his family gave them 20 gold coins. He laughed at them for not understanding how important he was. He told them to ask for at least 50. Some of the pirates went off to find his family, so Caesar was kept hostage on the cramped ship for thirty-eight days. But the pirates didn’t scare him. He earned their trust. He wrote poems and read them out loud, and if the pirates didn’t like them, he called them names. When the pirates got too loud at night-time, he scolded them. Finally, the other pirates returned with the money, and when Caesar was free he went right to the port of Miletus. He found men and ships and set sail to hunt the pirates.

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3. The last sentence of the passage reveals that Caesar…��

�

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Step #2: PREDICT the right answer

3. What does the last sentence of the passage reveal about Caesar?

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Match your prediction to the answer choices.

3. What does the last sentence of the passage reveal about Caesar?�

  • He has forgiven the pirates for kidnapping him.
  • He decided to kidnap the pirates as payback.
  • He already had connections to the seafaring world.
  • He wants revenge, despite his friendly behavior.

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❗ Remember: If you don’t see anything like your �prediction, go back and reread the passage carefully.

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Match your prediction to the answer choices.

3. What does the last sentence of the passage reveal about Caesar?�

  • He has forgiven the pirates for kidnapping him.
  • He decided to kidnap the pirates as payback.
  • He already had connections to the seafaring world.
  • He wants revenge, despite his friendly behavior.

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Quick review!

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Step #1?

TEST PREP METHOD

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Step #1: READ ✓

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TEST PREP METHOD

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Step #1: READ ✓

Step #2?

TEST PREP METHOD

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Step #1: READ ✓

Step #2: PREDICT ✓

�

TEST PREP METHOD

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TEST PREP METHOD

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Using these steps will actually save you time! In steps 3 and 4, we’ll see how to go deeper into the answer choices to decide which one is right.

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  1. Read (Use Zinc-ing & Tracking) ✔
  2. Predict ✔
  3. Maybe or No
  4. Every Word Matters

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