How to Answer Constructed Response Questions

1. How to Answer Constructed Response Questions Writing Practice

2. Constructed Response Questions • Ask you to apply your knowledge and understanding in a short written answer. • On standardized tests, these short written answers are scored as 0,1,2,3, or 4 points. • A full 4 point response answers all 4 parts of the question, usually two, two-part questions.

3. Let’s look at some examples:(We will start out with simple examples.) • Question: What are two characteristics of mammals? Give two examples. • Two characteristics of mammals are they are warm-blooded (1 point) and give birth to their young(2 points). Two examples of mammals are humans (3 points) and bears (4 points).

4. Another example…. • Name two kinds of overhead serves in volleyball. Explain the benefits of using each one. • Tip: Identify the four parts of the question. • Answer: Two kinds of overhead serves are the top spin and the floater. Top spin would be used for speed projection and the floater for height. • Tip: Count the four parts of the answer.

5. Writing Tips for Your Response Prewriting: • Read the entire prompt. • Deconstruct the entire prompt. • Identify and underline key words in the question, such as: explain, elaborate, illustrate. • Restate the prompt in your own words to be sure that you understand it.

6. Prewriting (continued) • Make a list of the items you are supposed to identify in your answer. • Make a list of reasons that will support your answer. • Mind Map your response. • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3iFH717xb90 • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wD0YaRu8EsE • Graphic Organize your response.

7. Prewriting (continued) • Mind Map your response. • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3iFH717xb90 • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wD0YaRu8EsE • Graphic Organize your response. • http://www.smekenseducation.com/59f177a77f_sites/www.smekenseducation.com/files/Character_Web__NEW.pdf • http://www.smekenseducation.com/59f177a77f_sites/www.smekenseducation.com/files/Tuck_Everlasting__NEW.pdf

8. Writing • Use the question to form your topic sentence. (Use the same terms in the question for the first sentence of your paragraph answer!) • Make sure you include all FOUR parts of the question in your answer. Remember, you get a point for each part you answer correctly!

9. Writing (continued) • Make sure you EXPLAIN each item with a concrete detail—something specific!

10. The sky is low THE sky is low, the clouds are mean, A travelling flake of snow Across a barn or through a rut Debates if it will go. A narrow wind complains all day How some one treated him; Nature, like us, is sometimes caught Without her diadem. Emily Dickinson Question: How does the word "person" give you a clue as to the meaning of personification?Why do you think a writer would want to use personification in a poem? List two examples of personification found in the poem at left. Another Example

11. Answer: The word “person” lets me know that personification means that some object in the poem has qualities or actions like a person.(1 point) A poet might use personification to help us feel a relationship to the object. (2 points) “The clouds are mean” (3 points) and “narrow wind complains” (4 points) are both examples of personification.

12. As you see, these are “short answer questions” and are not meant to be answered as an essay. • Identify the four parts of the question asked, then make sure that your response answers each of the four parts. • No answer at all earns 0 points! • Answering 1 part of the question correctly counts as 1 point, 2 parts = 2 points, and so on.

13. How to respond? • Yes, Ma’am • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jts_dg0I8fg

14. How to respond? Yes, Ma’am • M – Me  Restate and answer the questions. • A – Author  Write a sentence from the text that supports your answer. • A – Author  Write another sentence from the text that supports you answer • M – Me  Write a sentence that explains the importance of the evidence

15. M – Me  Restate and answer the questions. • Rewrite the prompt / interrogative sentence as an declarative sentence.

16. A – Author  Write a sentence from the text that supports your answer. • Give ONE specific detail from the text to support your inference by using one of the following sentence starters. • In the text…. • The text states…. • According to the passage, …. • One example from the text…. • The author states….

17. A – Author  Write another sentence from the text that supports you answer • Give a SECOND specific detail from the text to support your inference by using one of the following sentence starters. • In the text…. • The text also states…. • According to the passage, …. • The second example from the text…. • The author also states….

18. M – Me  Write a sentence that explains the importance of the evidence • End with why the evidence fit. Explain how the support proves your point by using one of the following sentence starters. • This shows…. • This demonstrates…. • I believe…. • These details prove….

19. Another good technique to provide proof…. • Use conjunctions like • because • http://thesaurus.com/browse/because • Proceeded by a comma • http://www.theliteracystore.com/product_images/184hr.jpg

20. Question-Answer-Relationship (QAR Principles) • There are 3 different types of questions that can be created from a text or graphic. • Right There Questions • Think and Search Questions • Author and Me

21. Right There Questions • Literal questions that can be answered in one spot within the reading • These are easy questions that are answered right there in the reading. • They are typically fast and easy to answer.

22. Think and Search Questions • Some questions are answered by putting together several snippets of information from the text and / or text features. • Students won’t find the answer in one spot but rather have to look through several chunks of informational text. • It’s all there in the reading, but it requires students to search a little bit.

23. Author and Me • The most difficult questions are inferential / sub textual. • These questions are not answered directly word-for-word within the reading but require students to apply what they read with their own thinking. • Students need to formulate a reasonable response, one that is based on the ideas presented by the author / text.

24. Author and Me (cont’d.) • When using the information from a graph (considered to be the author’s text) and having to apply your own thinking and problem solving to deduce an answer, then it’s considered an Author and Me question.

25. Now you try one alone: • Name your two favorite teachers and give a reason why each one is your favorite.

26. Share your answer with a partner near you. • Check your partner’s answer. • Does the answer begin with restating the question? • Has your partner answered all four parts of the question? • Score the answer 0, 1, 2, 3, or 4 according to completeness.

27. Is the answer explained with specific details? • Give your partner feedback about their response. • Tell your partner how they could have scored more points or explained their answer better.

28. Another example: • Explain the difference between general and specific goals. Give examples of each in your explanation.

29. Share your answer with a partner near you. • Check your partner’s answer. • Does the answer begin with restating the question? • Has your partner answered all four parts of the question? • Score the answer 0, 1, 2, 3, or 4 according to completeness.

30. Is the answer explained with specific details? • Give your partner feedback about their response. • Tell your partner how they could have scored more points or explained their answer better.

31. Remember • Never leave the answer on the constructed response questions blank; this will get zero points! • Always attempt to answer the question. • Every part of a correct answer equals 1 point. Try to answer all four parts. • Good luck!

32. Think to exercise your powers of judgment, conception or inference / sub text.