The Whole Enchilada: 2024 Biology STAAR Review Guide + New Question Types

My last biology EOC data was 98/81/30 (statewide data was 82/57/23 that year) and this review helped tremendously close gaps in approaches, meets, master. To give you an idea of the demographic I was teaching, my school had 95% low income and I was teaching 135 8th graders (our school has 8th and 9th graders that take STAAR biology).

The Whole Enchilada: 2024 Biology EOC Review Guide and Activities + New Question Types includes:

Review Guide + Activities:

- Approaches to Meets (Readiness TEKS) Review Guide

- Masters (Supporting TEKS) Review Guide

- Answer Keys to Review Guides

- 10 Collaborative Studying Activities with an Easter Egg Dinosaur Genetics Activity

- 16 Multiple Choice 5-Question Exit Tickets with Answer Keys on Readiness Standards

- STAAR Scavenger Hunt with Student Examples

- Links to Boom Cards I used (updated FastPlay links if Boom Card isn't in store)

- 9 PowerPoints Exemplars to show how I used my Review Guide product with my class

New Question Types Quizzes:

-48 New Question Types Quizzes (5 Questions Each) on Readiness Standards

-Digital Files for New Questions Types AND Paper Version

-Answer Key to New Question Type Quizzes

IN TOTAL: 240 New Question Types

Note to Buyers: If you are having trouble accessing the live links for the Boom Cards that are updated at least every 5 days, please email me at RosiosScienceOdyssey@outlook.com with your name and date of purchase. Once I confirm your purchase, I will share the live links directly to your email.

I have a review I like to do a month leading up to STAAR where 65% of the class is interactive reviews and 35% is practice exam questions. In 2022, I noticed my critical students weren't growing and my meets were starting to check out mentally with a few days left until the STAAR. I needed to give students the meat and potatoes and I needed them to feel confident about testing. That weekend, I surrounded myself with tons of STAAR material and STAAR preps, poured HOURS, and created this AWESOME review guide. I must have worked 25 hours over the weekend, but it came out great.

Do you have any those exit tickets that have new question types from the STAAR redesign also?

Yes and they can be purchased for minimal charge of 1.50 or 3.00 dollars for 3 exit tickets. My exit tickets are all readiness TEKS because they get tested on 65% of the test and it is GUARANTEED students will be tested on these TEKS. Many are also aligned with 2025 TEKS. Here the links for the 3.00 dollars for 3 exit tickets/quizzes.

2024 Biology New Question Types TEKS 4B Quizzes (Cell Homeostasis - STAAR EOC)

2024 Biology New Question Types TEKS 4C THREE Quizzes (Viruses - STAAR EOC)

2024 Biology New Question Types TEKS 5A THREE Quizzes (Cell Cycle - STAAR EOC)

2024 Biology New Question Types TEKS 6A THREE Quizzes (DNA - STAAR EOC)

2024 Biology New Question Types TEKS 6F THREE Quizzes (Crosses - STAAR EOC)

2024 Biology New Question Types TEKS 7A -3 Quizzes (Common Ancestry - STAAR EOC)

2024 Biology New Question Types TEKS 7E - 3 Quiz (Natural Selection - STAAR EOC)

2024 Biology New Question Types TEKS 8B Quizzes: Classification & Keys STAAR EOC

2024 Biology New Question Types TEKS 9A THREE Quizzes: Biomolecules STAAR EOC

2024 Biology New Question Types TEKS 10 A THREE Quizzes: Body Systems STAAR EOC

2024 Biology New Question Types TEKS 10B THREE Quizzes: Plant Systems STAAR EOC

2024 Biology New Question Types TEKS 11B Quizzes Ecological Succession STAAR EOC

2024 Biology New Question Types TEKS 12A THREE Quizzes: Symbiosis STAAR EOC

2024 Biology New Question Types TEKS 12C Flow of Energy Matter STAAR EOC Quizzes

2024 Biology New Question Types TEKS 12E Environmental Change STAAR EOC Quizzes

How did I use the guide in class?

Firstly, I had 75 minute classes. So, if you have 60 minute classes, this review may take you 8 days. I approached making this review with the main goal to hit readiness objectives to ensure all students passed. Then, I moved onto supporting objectives to push for masters.

The first and second day, I had students answer their assigned section of the Readiness Study Guide ("Approaches to Meets" guide in this product) and present. It was great but, not interactive. However, students understood other students depended on their parts to be completed. We started review activities on the second day.

On the third day, we did review activities all of class. I created the activities to make them use their study guides--what use is a study guide if they aren't STUDYING it?

On the fourth day, I introduced the supporting objectives review guide ("Masters" guide in this product), which was the supporting standards. To make it go quicker, I assigned each group two pages. Instead of having students present in front of each other, they jig-sawed the review with one students rotating between groups.

On the fifth and sixth day, we reviewed their study guides like crazy. By day six (the day before STAAR), their study guides were beaten up, they have notecards on their weakest content, and they felt confident.

And you know what was nice? It was nice to see students interacting with each other. They pushed the review forwards and they quizzed each other. I wasn't sure it would work because that year felt like I had to drag them by their teeth at times to get work done.

What have other teachers thought?

In 2023, I took the challenge of teaching 5 sections of AP physics, but was a science content lead for my campus. I was mentoring the new biology teacher that took my position and he had 5 days until STAAR. His biology kids were burnt out from practice exam questions. He was stressed. So, I passed him my review and my PowerPoints. He jig-sawed both the Approaches to Meets Review Guide (instead of taking two days to present) and the Masters Guide. He also had students create posters--I have no idea how he squeezed that in--but good for him! He got wonderful data (97/61/32--not bad for a first year with and I suppose I'm not too bad of a mentor!). After the test, I celebrated with him when we got the results. It was like heaven to my ears when he tapped the review and said--"Yo, this REALLY helped." That delighted my heart to hear my guides helped!

I also mentored the 9th grade chemistry teacher teaching ONE section of 9th grade biology EOC (our campus usually has one section of 9th grade biology). She is an incredible veteran teacher. All I had to do was give her the review and she did use it the last week leading to the STAAR. I saw her freshmen studying the guides in hallway the week before. It helped that other freshmen I had as 8th graders said "Oh that helps. Study that." So, I feel like there was some unintended peer influence there. Her group did great too and there were three of them that didn't speak any English. Her data was 95/65/25. Considering her biology class didn't start until the second quarter, I thought she did great (that chemistry teacher is a phenomenal teacher as well).

How else can you use this review?

You can use them during tutorials, remedial classes, intervention/catalyst periods, you can use this with your small group of students. You could also use these guides at the BEGINNING of your biology EOC review to create a foundation/reference for your review. Additionally, this could be used for grade recovery or summer school.

Well Wishes!

From the bottom of my heart, I hope this study guide helps your students as much as it helped mine and I hope you and your students enjoy the review season as much as we did.

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