Answering Constructed Response Questions Preparing your students for

Answering Constructed Response Questions: Preparing your students for Georgia’s new assessment

Some of the reasons kids do poorly on CRQ’s… • Many students don’t answer the question. • Some responses are very shallow and need more details. • Some students get off topic. • Spelling and handwriting may impact a student’s score. • Students don’t understand what the question is asking. • Instead of writing about what the passage talked about , students write about what they know about the topic. • Students don’t think about their audience.

Constructed Response Questions (CRQ) Constructed response questions are assessment items that ask students to apply knowledge, skills, and critical thinking abilities to real-world, standards-driven performance tasks. Constructed response questions are so named because there is often more than one way to correctly answer the question, and they require students to “construct” or develop their own answers without the benefit of any suggestions or choices. (Tests That Teach by Karen Tankersley)

Academic Vocabulary • • • Traits Qualities Evidence Sequence Stanza Line Infer Point of View Support Simile Metaphor Figurative language

Strategies for Answering CRQ • RACE

RACE steps for answering CRQ • Reword/restate the question • Provide an Answer • Cite using evidence from text • Explain how the evidence supports your answer CREATE A FLOW MAP OF THESE STEPS

A Text-Based Example Prompt: (after reading “Little Red Riding Hood”) knew How did Little Red Riding Hood know the character in the bed was not her grandmother? Little Red Riding Hood knew the character in the bed was not her grandmother because. . . Not “She knew…. (avoid pronouns) Use specific nouns, proper nouns

USE TRANSITIONS A Boost into the Right Answer • Little Red Riding Hood was not afraid of the wolf because. . . • The wolf ran to Grandmother’s house to. . . • Father got rid of the wolf by. . . • Little Red Riding Hood was afraid when. . . • Little Red Riding Hood would not have been bothered by the wolf if. . . • Little Red Riding Hood did not leave Grandmother’s house until. . .

Mark all restated words: Return to the prompt and mark the words used. Prompt: I What do you do in the evening I when you get home from school? Restatement: In the evening when I get home from school I. . .

Reword the question/Restate Why were three bears so upset when they got home?

Practice First! • Practice this first step by asking students questions and have them respond orally by restating the question: Example: What did you do last night? • Students should always answer in complete sentences. (written and verbally) • Give students an opportunity to create their own questions and have partners answer them by restating.

Provide an Answer • Clarify • Answers why? • Generalize- not details • Makes you want to ask “What do you mean? ” or “Where’s your evidence? ” The three bears were upset when they got home because someone had been in their house.

Cite using evidence from text The first thing they noticed was that someone had eaten their porridge. The next thing the bears noticed was someone had been sitting in their chairs. Finally, the three bears found the culprit, a little girl sleeping in their bed!

CITING (EVIDENCE) • Use specific evidence from text, not prior knowledge • Remember transition words • YOUR TURN…. .

Explain how the evidence supports your answer As a result, the three bears were furious with the little girl that came into their home without asking!

EXPLAIN (conclude) • Refer to the question again • Don’t construct a new ending to the story • Restate with a touch of your own voice • YOUR TURN…. .

RACE Checklist Name_____________ Minimally 1 Date_____ Partially 2 Completely 3 _____ _____ Restates question Develops a broad Answer Cites using details _____ Draws conclusion _____ Stays on topic _____ Writes neatly _____ Uses proper Conventions _____

How are constructed response questions scored? • Holistic rubrics • South Carolina- 3 point rubric • Montana- 4 point rubric • Indiana- 2 point rubric • New York- 2 point rubric • North Carolina- 2 point rubric • Georgia-? ? ?

How do you score? • Select one person at your table to read the fable and the prompt. • Read the student response. • Score using your rubric. Discuss the feedback you would give this student. • Be prepared to share.

Excellent Resources for CRQ… • http: //writingfix. com/RICA/constructed_resp onse. htm • Tests that Teach, by Karen Tankersley • Better Answers, by Ardith Cole