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Do you want to know what taking the English Language Arts/Literacy portion of the MCAP assessment is like? Practice tests for each grade level of the assessment are available below for you to use to familiarize yourself with the kinds of items and format used for the ELA/Literacy MCAP assessment.

1. Research Skillsmr. Mac's 6th Grade Language Arts
2. Research Skillsmr. Mac's 6th Grader
3. Research Skillsmr. Mac's 6th Grade Reference Sheet

Please select your grade level to view practice tests.

Seventh Grade Research Paper Objective: To gain a deeper understanding of a specific component of an ancient civilization through a research project. Focus: Ancient civilizations have had a huge influence on our own culture and government. In this project, you will research a specific area of ancient Greece. “Genius Hour Showcase” was based around Cameron Middle School sixth-grade students working since January on a research topic of their choosing in enrichment classes. The second phase of 6th grade I-Tech is Paper Airplane Design. Using the Engineering Process, students will research and design airplanes while learning about flight and aerodynamics. For the final project, students will use AutoCAD to design a pinewood derby car. They will then use various tools in the woodshop to build their cars.

• The practice test platforms have a default login of 'Guest,' however, users can choose to enter a name when they begin. This is for the teacher’s reference when printing reports at the end of the scorable practice tests. This information is not captured or maintained in the system. Teachers can assign numerical values to each student as a log in, if it is preferred.
• Paper practice tests can be printed. The material on these tests is non-secure.

This set contains the Narrative Writing Task and the Literary Analysis Task. The Research Task is currently not available due to pending permissions. The task will be added as permissions are granted.

Grade 3 Resources

ELA Grade 3 Practice Test Answer Key

This set contains all three tasks, the Narrative Writing Task, the Research Task, and the Literary Analysis Task.

Paper-Based Practice Tests (all units)

Paper-Based Practice Test (all units) Paper-Based Answer Document (all units) Large Print Paper-Based Practice Test (all units) Braille Ready File (.brf, all units) Brialle Special Instructions

Grade 4 Resources

ELA Grade 4 Practice Test Answer Key

This set contains all three tasks, the Narrative Writing Task, the Research Task, and the Literary Analysis Task. Custom buttons the easiest way to add custom buttons onto.

Grade 5 Resources

ELA Grade 5 Practice Test Answer Key

This set contains all three tasks, the Narrative Writing Task, the Research Task, and the Literary Analysis Task.

Grade 6 Resources

ELA Grade 6 Practice Test Answer Key

This set contains all three tasks, the Narrative Writing Task, the Research Task, and the Literary Analysis Task.

Grade 7 Resources

ELA Grade 7 Practice Test Answer Key

This set contains all three tasks, the Narrative Writing Task, the Research Task, and the Literary Analysis Task.

Grade 8 Resources

ELA Grade 8 Practice Test Answer Key

Information on Accessibility Features and Accomodations

• The full list of accessibility features and accomodations for the MCAP Assessments can be found in the Maryland Assessment Accessibility & Accomodations Policy Manual.
• Answer masking, color contrast (background/font color) and text-to-speech for mathematics , science and social studies, are available for all participating students who need these tools, but need to be identified in advance via the Personal Needs Profile (PNP).

Large Print

• To print Large Print Paper Practice Tests to the optimal enlargement of 150% to 18 point font, they must be printed on 14' x 18' paper. Do not use print scaling or fit-to-page in your printer settings.
• Large Print Paper Practice Tests can also be printed on 11' x 17' paper with a print size of less than 150% of the standard print. For this, print scaling or fit-to-page must be set in your printer settings.

Braille

• Guidance for Duxbury Users:

  Open the file in Duxbury. If you receive a Page Depth Exceeded error, follow these steps:

1. Open DBT.
2. Go to the Global menu and Embosser Setup. Change the form size to wide with 11” paper or 11.5 x 11 inch paper if using 11.2sr4.
3. Go to the Global menu and go to 'Formatted Braille Importer.'
4. Check the checkbox labeled 'Read formatted braille without interpretation' and activate the OK button. It is the only checkbox in this menu.
5. Open the file.
6. Review the screen prior to embossing.
7. Emboss the file.
• Tactile Graphics
  • Tactile graphics are images that use raised surfaces so that a person who is blind or visually impaired can feel them. They are used to convey non-textual information such as maps, paintings, graphs, and diagrams.
  • If you have a student who is blind or has a visual impairment and who requires tactile graphics to take the practice tests, please email mcap.msde@maryland.gov.

Career Activities

Thinking about careers is fun - its also important. Here are some downloadable, printable 'worksheets' that help organize ideas and apply different ways to think about careers. These are .pdf files - you will need Acrobat Reader installed on your computer to view and print. Click HERE to download.

Aerial Reconnaissance Simulation. Communications skills and following directions are important career skills. This is a fun activity that provides step-by-step directions to build a 'super' paper airplane.

Basic Business Etiquette. Sometimes it may seem there are so many little rules to follow that it just shouldn’t matter. However, today manners matter more than ever. Because the world is changing, rules of behavior are changing as well.

Big6 Project Planner. Like everything else, any research project is easier to do if we take the time to plan what we need to accomplish. Here is a planning guide that can be used for virtually any other research or creative project. Research is a process and it is probably the first thing to review when starting to research careers.

Business Etiquette. Being polite and considerate in all our relationships helps promote understanding. Etiquette is important in business too, here's some tips.

Business Etiquette & International Business. Being sensitive to other cultures is important. This handout explains how to work with global communities and suggests some helpful Websites to learn more (by stephen fraser).

Business Etiquette & Schmoozing. Schmoozing is an interpersonal communication style and a skill, a way of connecting with people and developing relationships through comfortable and pleasurable conversation.

Business Etiquette Fact Sheet. Business etiquette is another term for manners. No one was ever hired or promoted simply because he or she had good manners; however, being polite and considerate in business and work dealings may favorably tip the scales between two who are equally qualified.

Career Activities. Here is are some suggestions for different types of activities to help students more fully explore careers.

Career Activities 1-12. This comprehensive set of career exploration activities emphasize identifying interests and goals.

Career Activities 13-30. These activities continue to develop career exploration skills by focusing on career paths.

Career Activities Answer Keys. Use with some of the activities above.

Careers Are Everywhere Activities Workbook. Children start exploring careers as early as the elementary grades. Here are some suggestions to help young children begin to think about careers.

Career Bingo Lesson Plan. Here's a fun way to look at different careers with an traditional favorite B I N G O ! This complete lesson has directs, BINGO sheets, everything you need.

Careers Home / Career Clusters / Activities
Online Career Resources / 'Soft Skills'
Careers in the News / Job Hunting Tips
Owning Your Own Business
DPI Career Development Standards
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Career Bingo: Descriptions of Careers. This collection of career descriptions extends our bingo game to cover more occupations.

Career Bingo: Student Worksheet. Here's a handout to get started playing BINGO. This is not a complete a description of the game as the Career Bingo Lesson Planlink.

Career Clusters Interest Survey. Before we look at careers, its helpful to look closely at ourselves.

Career Cruising: Classroom Activities. Here is a set of 13 activities to start the process of career exploration.

Career Development Tips for Parents of Middle School Students. Talking to children about careers is important - these are also fun activities to share.

Career Education Activities By Suggested Grade Level. Ever wonder if you are doing enough to plan a career? Here are some suggestions for different activities for different age groups.

Career Exploration Activities. Use this form to document the different types of career projects you try - keeping track of what you have done and what you have learned is important. Its also the starting point for building a career portfolio.

Career Exploration Student Worksheet. This 2-column form makes it easy to research 2 different careers - it even includes some helpful Websites to start your search with.

Career Exploration Worksheet I. This simple tool helps organize research and suggest ways to learn more about careers.

Career Exploration Worksheet II. This 1-page form organizes research and encourages students to think about how classes in school or college can help prepare for a career.

Career Family Tree. Take a look at the careers chosen by your grandparents, parents, aunts, uncles, and other relatives.

Career Information Worksheet. Here's another simple, one-page form to help organize information about careers and how you feel about them.

Careers Home / Career Clusters / Activities
Online Career Resources / 'Soft Skills'
Careers in the News / Job Hunting Tips
Owning Your Own Business
DPI Career Development Standards
/ Top /

Career Navigator I. This simple exercise will let say what you know about yourself, your likes and dislikes, and creates a list of occupations that match your preferences.

Career Navigator II. Another simple activity that looks at 10 factors that most people believe to be important when looking at careers.

Career Opportunities. Take a look at the “classifieds” section for job openings from any newspaper for this exercise. Look over the job listing and circle/highlight any job that appeals to you. Then underline the the part that caught your attention. Do this for the one day’s section and complete this chart.

Career Panel Worksheet. Listening to others talk about their careers and career choices is helpful. This worksheet helps listeners organize notes when they listen to others talk about careers.

Research Skillsmr. Mac's 6th Grade Language Arts

Career Planning Worksheets. This comprehensive set of worksheets (12 pages) looks at career choices, career paths, and planning to continue your education.

Career Portfolio. A career portfolio is a visual representation of your abilities, skills, capabilities, knowledge, qualities - and it represents your potential.

Career Portfolio for Middle School Students. This is a comprehensive guide to creating portfolios.

Career Research Worksheet. This simple, 1 page guide provides an easy-to-use format to research different careers, organize what you learn, and compare different career choices. Use one for each career.

Career Scavenger Hunt: Networking. Here is a fun activity to met different people and learn important skills 'networking' with other people. Sometimes its 'who you know' that helps you get a career started.

Career Webquest. The Internet is full of wonderful career resources - let's take a look and see what we find.

CareerCHART Worksheet. This is a 5-step model for comparing your needs and preferences against career opportunities.

CareerWorm. A game for small groups of students that extends students’ knowledge of job titles.

Choosing a Career Path. Career exploration and decisions are important, but then we have to build a plan to get us where we want to go. This activity shows you how.

College & Career Vocabulary. Here are some important terms when talking about careers and college.

College/Career Resume. In many ways, preparing to apply to enroll in post-secondary schools is like applying for any other job. This activity shows you how.

College Choice Worksheet. This activity looks at factors to consider when looking at post-secondary education options.

College Planning Guide. Use this checklist to help prepare you for educational opportunities after high school.

College Planning Checklist. Its never too early to start planning for college. Here are some things to consider starting in the 4th or 6th grades and then through high school.

College Prep Checklist: From Middle School to High School. Want to go to college? Here's what you need to know and what you need to do.

Consideration and Investigation of Career Choices. A set of 2 activities to help middle school students start career explorations.

Core Subjects and Your Career. Let's look at how math, English, and science classes help us prepare for careers.

Could This Be YOUR LIFE? This activity goes beyond career exploration and asks you to look at how career decisions affect the rest of your life.

Decision-Making Worksheet. This activity creates a process to help make better decisions about careers.

Developing Your Career Portfolio. Why develop a career portfolio? How do you start? Everything you need to know is here.

Educational and Career Plans Summary Sheet. Exploring careers and making decisions are important, but so is making a plan to make your career decisions happen. In many cases, the key is education.

Finding Your Career Focus. Here is a 4-step process for looking at careers, contains 4 activities.

Goal Setting Process. This activity looks at creating goals - an important part of any career path.

Goal Setting: Smart Goals. To be effective, goals need to be S.M.A.R.T.

Goal Setting: Start Small. Sometimes, simpler is better. Here's a good way to get started setting goals.

Goals Worksheet. This activity has everything you need to plan a career path and make it happen.

Help Your Child Make Career Decisions. Here are some suggestions for parents to help their children.

High School Courses & Career Interests. This booklet (16 pages), reviews how students can use high school to prepare for careers. While written specifically for Jamestown High School, it provides a lot of good information for anyone preparing for high school.

High School Courses & Career Paths. Once you have made some decisions about career paths, it is time to look at classes that will help prepare you to achieve your goals. Let's look at some high school courses that help prepare students for careers.

Job Application Lesson Plan and Student Activity Handout. Filling out job applications accurately and neatly is important. BE SURE TO DOWNLOAD/PRINT BOTH OF THESE FILES to use this activity.

Careers Home / Career Clusters / Activities
Online Career Resources / 'Soft Skills'
Careers in the News / Job Hunting Tips
Owning Your Own Business
DPI Career Development Standards
/ Top /

Job Corp Information Packet. This document outlines information and guidelines for Job Corps - great opportunity for young adults (16-25). It provides additional contacts and lists local offices for get more information. Click HERE for a Job Corp Admissions Map for Wisconsin.

Job Search Manual. Here is a comprehensive manual, everything you need to know about the job search.

Life Skills: You, Your Job, Your Career: Competitive Advantage Worksheet. Understanding yourself is the key to making good career choices.

Life Skills: You, Your Job, Your Career: My Strengths. When looking at careers, start with those that use your strong points.

Likes and Dislikes. Life is about finding balance - career exploration means looking at the positives and potential negatives.

Multiple Intelligence Test - for Adults. What are your strengths and learning preferences?

Multiple Intelligence Test - for Young People. Looking at our strengths and learning preferences is the key to meaningful career explorations.

Making Career Decisions. Career exploration leads presents us with choices. Let's look at some suggestions to help make decisions about careers.

Networking Activity. Consider the people you know in all areas of your life. They are your potential consider the people you know in all areas of your life. They are your potential personal and professional network, and can lead to the best information and job leads for you.

Parents’ Guide to Career Development. One of the most valuable things parents can do to help a student with career planning is listen: be open to ideas, try to help your student find information, and be nonjudgmental.

Resume Planning Worksheet - Traditional Resume. Everything you need to get started.

Resume Worksheet. This activity will help you organize your thoughts and résumé content. Then, it will be easier to choose the best format for your resume.

Resumes: Collecting Your Facts. Its easier to create a resume if you plan it first.

Resume Planning. Here's another way to get organized BEFORE trying to create a resume.

Research Skillsmr. Mac's 6th Grader

Student Learning/Career Planner. Let's look at a set of exercises that focuses on how students can use their time in middle school or high school to prepare themselvse for careers.

Research Skillsmr. Mac's 6th Grade Reference Sheet

What Will I Be? Here's a good way to get started exploring careers.

Workmate: Working in Teams. This project shows the important of teamwork and teaches the difference between a personal quality and a skill.

Would I Like This Work? This is an important question and this activity helps you find a good answer.

Your Guide to Using Career Directions. For teachers, counsellors and facilitators. It’s easy to use, full of ideas and loaded with activities, worksheets and overheads!

Careers Home / Career Clusters / Activities
Online Career Resources / 'Soft Skills'
Careers in the News / Job Hunting Tips
Owning Your Own Business
DPI Career Development Standards
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