Directions: Read the selection. Then, answer the questions.
Fiction prompt #1:
Nicole and Katherine were thrilled when their team won the soccer game. They both loved the sport and never missed a game or a practice. After the game, the coach invited everyone to go out for ice cream. Nicole wanted to go but instead went home to review some items for a test for which she had been studying. She enjoyed biology and wanted to do well on the test.
Katherine decided to go out, anyway. By the time she got home, she was tired. Nevertheless, she forced herself to stay up late and memorize terms for the biology test.
When they got their tests back, Nicole had done well. Katherine was not surprise at her low grade. “It’s my own fault,” she said. “I’m just no good at biology.”
Nonfiction prompt #2:
A recent survey of students’ study habits at University of Minnesota has resulted in an interesting finding. How you study is as important as how much you study.
Two researchers examined a class in which students studied the same average number of hours for a weekly test. They wanted to find out why students received different grades, ranging from A to F. They found that students who received A’s tended to pace their studying better than students with lower grades. They spread study sessions out instead of cramming at the last minute. D and F students tended to memorize terms without understanding the information or seeing how it connected to the big picture- things that A and B students did well. Motivation counts, too. “If students are uninterested or not motivated toward the subject, they may not be able to retain the information very well,” said one official familiar with the study.
Writing Assessment:
Write two paragraphs on effective study habits for students. Use details from both passages to contrast good study habits with poor ones.