Потом я взяла веник и совок, потому что на полу была земля с ботинок.

Then I took a broom and a dustpan because there was dirt from the boots on the floor.

Breakdown of Потом я взяла веник и совок, потому что на полу была земля с ботинок.

• я: I
• быть: to be
• и: and
• на: on

Questions & Answers about Потом я взяла веник и совок, потому что на полу была земля с ботинок.

Why is it взяла, not взял?

Because Russian past tense agrees with the subject in gender and number.

• я взяла = I took (said by a woman)
• я взял = I took (said by a man)
• мы взяли = we took

So взяла tells you the speaker is female.

Why is it взяла and not брала?

This is an aspect question.

• взять / взяла = to take in the perfective sense: a completed, one-time action
• брать / брала = to take in the imperfective sense: process, repetition, or habitual action

Here the speaker means a single completed action in a sequence: Then I took a broom and dustpan...
That is why взяла is the natural choice.

What exactly do веник and совок mean?