Constructing Text Dependent Questions for the Science Classroom

Constructing Text Dependent Questions for the Science Classroom Maryland College and Career Readiness Conference Summer 2014 1

Session Outcomes • Identify the role of close analytic reading and textdependent questions toward achieving college and career readiness. • Identify the considerations for developing textdependent questions. • Evaluate sample text-dependent questions • Design text dependent questions for a science text

Let’s warm-up our thinking about close reading in the science classroom.

What is the role of textdependent questions in achieving college and career readiness? ?

College and Career Readiness Requires 3 Shifts in Literacy • Regular practice with complex text and it’s academic language. • Reading, writing, and speaking grounded in evidence from text, both literary and informational • Building knowledge through content-rich non -fiction.

Why Use Text Dependent Questions? “An effective set of text-dependent questions delves systematically into a text to guide students toward extracting the key meanings or ideas found there. ” – achievethecore. org

Text-Dependent Questions A Scaffold to Independent Reading Showing students and giving them ideas on how to think, rather than what to think, requires a layer of scaffolding and confidencebuilding before students can accept the practice of close reading of complex text for their own.

Connection to NGSS Practice 8 Obtaining, Evaluating, and Communicating Information • Identify the Practice 8 expectations for reading in your grade band. • Discuss with a partner/table Ø the connections of this NGSS Practice with reading. Ø the implications for reading in the science classroom. Ø the implications for college and career readiness.

Why Text-Dependent Questions in the science classroom? • Analyzing , synthesizing, and applying information from a variety of texts is an expectation of NGSS and MCC-R Standards. • Text-dependent questions guide students in accessing information and provide a scaffold towards independent reading and deep understanding of core ideas.

TEXT-DEPENDENT QUESTIONS A FIRST GLANCE

Is the text aligned to the NGSS Three. Dimension learning? NGSS Disciplinary Core Idea: HS-ESS 3. 2 -A Natural Resource All forms of energy production…have associated economic, social, and geopolitical costs and risks as well as benefits. New technologies and social regulations can change the balance of these factors. NGSS Practices • Explanation (post reading task) • Obtaining, Evaluating, and Communicating NGSS Crosscutting Concepts • Cause and Effect

Thinking About the Questions! • Is the question text-dependent? • Is the question worth asking? • Does the question support the understanding of the core idea(s)?

Evaluate a Text Dependent Question What are wind farms? 1. Is the question text dependent? 2. Is the question worth asking? 3. Does the question support the understanding of the core idea(s)?

Evaluate a Text Dependent Question How long can some wind power companies be allowed to kill eagles? 1. Is the question text dependent? 2. Is the question worth asking? 3. Does the question support the understanding of the core idea(s)?

Evaluate a Text Dependent Question Re-read paragraph 2. What is the meaning of the phrase “free ride” in the second sentence? What evidence in the text supports your response? 1. Is the question text dependent? 2. Is the question worth asking? 3. Does the question support the understanding of the core idea(s)?

How to Craft Questions

Choose a Text Worth Reading • Not every text is worthy of a close reading that requires an analysis lead by text dependent questions. Choose wisely. • A worthy text üis complex. üis aligned to content standards and supports understanding of topic, solves a problem, or informs citizens. üis engaging for readers.

Practice Text

Is the text complex? Text: Bits of Mystery DNA, Far From ‘Junk, ’ Play Crucial Role Flesch-Kincaid 11. 6

Is the text aligned to the NGSS Three. Dimension learning? NGSS Disciplinary Core Idea NGSS: HS-LS 3. A Inheritance and Variation of Traits Each chromosome consists of a single very long DNA molecule. . . Not all DNA codes for a protein; some segments of DNA are involved in regulatory or structural functions, and some have no asyet know function. NGSS Practices • Explanation (post reading task) • Obtaining, Evaluating, and Communicating Crosscutting Concepts • Structure and Function

Is it engaging?

Know the Text Well!!! Use annotation to identify important and challenging areas of the text before constructing questions.

Read annotate the text. Identify the… • the central ideas and key details of the text. • key academic vocabulary and text structure. • the sections of the text that will present the most difficulty (difficult sentence structure, dense or unfamiliar information, tricky inferences). • areas critical to gaining the desired content knowledge.

Annotate the text Your turn to read annotate the text • Central idea and key details • Vocabulary • Difficult areas of text for students • Critical content

What did you note and notice about the text? Turn and Talk with a partner or group. • Central idea and key details? • Vocabulary? • Difficult areas of text for students? • Critical content ?

Considerations for Writing Text-dependent Questions for Close Analytic Reading • Identify the core understandings and key ideas. • Include opening questions to orient students to the text and provide confidence. • Craft questions based on powerful academic words and text structures connected to the key ideas.

Considerations for Writing Text-dependent Questions for Close Analytic Reading • Develop questions that support tough sections of text presenting the greatest difficulty for deep understanding. • Sequence the series of questions to build toward deeper analysis. • Identify which standards are aligned with the questions.

What is the Connection between Text Dependent Questions and Literacy Standards?

Cite Evidence Central Ideas Multi-step Procedure Vocabulary Text Structure Author’s Purpose Multiple /Diverse Formats Evaluate Evidence Argument and Support Text Complexity

What do good text dependent questions look like?

Example Question 1 The author uses the words mystery and puzzles in the title and in the first sentence. Underline the mysteries and puzzles identified in this section of the text. (RST. 9 -10. 1 , RST. 9 -10. 6)

Example Question 2 • What is the meaning of the word dismissed in paragraph 2? Identify the evidence in the test that supports your answer. (RST. 9 -10. 1, RST. 9 -10. 4) • Why did the author choose to use this word in this paragraph? (RST. 9 -10. 8)

Example Question 3 • Underline information in the text that explains the role of “junk DNA” in the human body. Describe the role of “junk” DNA to your partner. (RST. 9 -10. 1, RST. 9 -10. 2 )

Progression of Text-dependent Questions Whole Across texts Opinions, Arguments, Intertextual Connections Inferences Entire text Segments Author’s Purpose Paragraph Vocab & Text Structure Sentence Key Details Word Part General Understandings Frey, N & Fisher, D.

1. Review your annotations. 2. Identify a final task that aligns to NGSS Core Idea. 3. Where in the text would you pause and ask a textdependent questions that causes students to slow down their reading and analyze the text ? 4. Craft questions that address these difficult or important areas of the text that support the understanding of the content. 5. Organize the questions into a meaningful progression for students that supports understanding the purpose for reading.

Construct Your Text Dependent Questions • Text Wind Farms Bits of Mystery • Question • Standard (s) • How is this question important to understanding the core idea or task?

Share Your Examples

Review Process 1. Choose 3 questions for peer review. 2. Post questions for peer review. 3. Take a gallery walk and review examples. 4. Write questions and/or suggestions for revision on a sticky note for authors. .

What does it look like in a classroom? • Students read the text independently (annotation). • Teacher facilitates a close reading and analysis of the text by asking text-dependent questions. • Students re-read sections of the text and discuss answer to questions before class discussion. • Teacher ask probing and clarifying questions as students share text based answers to questions.

Where does close reading fit in lesson planning? Practices: Using Models, Analyzing and interpreting Data, and Explanation Practices: Obtaining, Evaluating, and Communicating Information; Explanation Practices: Using Models, Analyzing and interpreting Data, and Explanation

Some Thoughts on Writing Text Dependent Questions • There is no one right way to have students work with textdependent questions. • Different needs of students means providing and scaffolding supports differentially - not asking easier questions or substituting simpler text. • Listening and speaking should be built into any sequence of activities along with reading and writing. • The CCSS require ALL students to read and engage with grade appropriate complex text regularly. This requires new ways of working in our classrooms. Modified from Achieve the Core

The power of text dependent question lies in the ability to create independent readers of complex texts.

What’s the Relationship? An Clo Re aly se ad tic in al g Co mp Te lex xt t nt x Te nde s n e o i p st e D ue Q How do these work together?

Session Outcomes • Identify the role of close analytic reading and textdependent questions toward achieving college and career readiness. • Identify the considerations for developing textdependent questions. • Evaluate sample text-dependent questions • Design text dependent questions for a science text

Parting Thoughts!

Thank You! Contact Information: Joann Roberts Science Disciplinary Literacy Specialist jroberts@msde. state. md. us