Constructed Response “Answer and Back it up!”

Mary WilsonInstructional Writing Coachmary.wilson@ccboe.net

Learning Targets

I can teach the strategy of RACE to help my students answer constructed response questions.

I can integrate constructed response questions in all content areas.

I can write constructed response questions to help my students become better writers and problem solvers.

What are ways to support STUDENTS with CRQ’s?

• Consistency in use of a common strategy in K-5 (RACE, ACE, etc…)

• Common Vocabulary

• Unpacking the Prompt/Questions

• Grading Practices/Rubrics

What is a constructed response question?Short answer to questions (not an essay)

Okay, but what does that mean??????

Well...let's take a look at each word. 

Constructed

Construction means to build something...constructed means that something has been built.

Response

A response is an answer

QuestionA question is an issue or inquiry that requires a response to it.When you put them all together you get the idea that a CRQ is a type of question that you will have to build or create an answer for.  You will find that a CRQ will have you analyze information.

Unpacking the Question (prompt)

• What is the question(s) asking?• How many steps are there?• Do they know what to do on each step?• Look for key vocabulary terms. Identify and underline

key words in the question, such as: explain, elaborate, illustrate.

*Take time to complete this critical step during instruction. Gradual Release Model*Great Close Read strategy for CRQ.

How to Introduce the strategy of RACE to your students?

• Break apart RACE• Introduce and model Restate and Answer. These two pieces tend

to go together.• Introduce and model Cite. Use sentence starters if needed.

Bookmarks are in tab 10 of the CCBOE Writing Resource Guide.• Introduce and model Explain/Extend. Use sentence starters if

needed.Gradual Release Model

teacher model

whole group together

small group

individual

Use RACE flexibly• Do all questions require all of the parts of

RACE?• Do all questions ask for citing or explaining?• Unpacking the prompt is critical to see if the

question is asking you to explain.• Show students different prompts to see what

the expectation is for each prompt

• Model for student using prompts and show which parts the question is asking.

There may be times the questions don’t require all of the parts!

Strategy for Constructed Response

Acronym RACE

R-RestateA-AnswerC-Cite EvidenceE-Explain/Extend

You can color code each step. Use a color pencil to show each part of the strategy. (blue, green, orange, and red)

R-Restate Turn the question into a statement.

Example:Based on what you read, what level of marine food chains is most affected? Support your answer with details from the passage. Then, briefly explain what might happen to other levels of these food chains.

R-The level of marine food chains that are most affected are

A-Answer

Show how you arrived at your answer with general reasons. Usually R & A in R.A.C.E. are in the same sentence.

A-The level of marine food chains that are most affected are large predatory fish.

C-Cite Evidence

Prove why your answer is correct.

•Need to have at least 2 examples from text if possible.

Sentence starters:•The text states….•On page….•According to the passage…•In paragraph__, it says….•In class we learned….•I know this because….•The author says, “…•In the photo/illustration/graph, it shows…..

**Bookmarks in CCBOE Writing Resource Binder tab 10.

C-Cite Evidence

Prove why your answer is correct.

C- According to the article, there has been a “very big drop in the number of predatory fish. Humans have reduced their numbers by more than two-thirds”. The text states, “people like to eat the larger predatory fish.”

Quotations around citing begins in 5th grade.

E-Explain

Prove why your answer is correct.This means…

This is because… Sentence starters:•This shows….•I can tell that….•This made me think of…•So,….•That is why….•My reasoning is…•…so I know…

E-Explain

Prove why your answer is correct.

E-This is because more people eat the larger fish in the ocean.

p

CRQ in Math

• ACE

• Error Analysis

Kem Carter is available to support this!

A suggested process for writing constructed response questions:

1. Begin with the standard you want to assess. Do you want to find out if your students can predict? Make inferences? Your question needs to match the standard for Reading, Math, Sciences, Social Studies, or any content area.

2. Determine the level of thinking your students need to attain. You should use Bloom's Taxonomy of Thinking and DOK levels. We encourage teachers to write questions at higher levels of thinking.

3. Draft your question. Make sure that it can be answered in the text or whatever document you have used. That sounds a bit silly, but you'd be surprised how often we ask questions that just aren't answerable.

4. Practice writing a response - or better yet, ask a colleague to read the passage and answer the question. It really helps to make sure that you've drafted a quality question.

Items to pull from…

• Diagram

• Picture (Illustration)

• Passage or selection

• Graphs

• Videos

• Books

• Magazine Article

• Newspaper

• Maps

Other examples of CRQ Questions

What is one word you would use to describe Jackie Robinson? Support your answer with a detail from the reading passage.

What lesson does Keira learn?What clues from the story help you answer this question?

Look at the clock above. What time does this clock tell? Explain how you know.

Students read two articles on Franklin Delano Roosevelt.Franklin Delano Roosevelt helped people. Cite one piece of evidence from Passage A and one piece of evidence from Passage B that tells you how he helped other people.

What is the theme of “The Piano,” and how does the author reveal this theme?Use details from the story to support your answer.

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Would Quartz scratch Calcite, or would Calcite scratch Quartz? Cite details from Mohs Hardness Scale to explain your answer.

Grade 4: Mathematics There are 60 books that need to be shipped to the bookstore. Each shipping box holds 8 books.

How many boxes are needed?

_______ boxes

Explain how you found the answer.

Source: GaDOE—GA Milestones Grade 4 EOG Study/Resource Guide

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Scoring Constructed-Response Questions

Score scale generally goes 0-2•2: relevant answer, supported specifically•1: relevant answer, with limited support

support too general

support from only one passage (when there are 2 reading passages)•0: perhaps an answer, with no support

Scoring Constructed-Response Questions (Mathematics)

Score scale generally goes 0-2•2: correct answer; valid, specific explanation•1: correct answer, with no explanation or flawed explanation; or, incorrect answer but explanation is valid.•0: no/incorrect answer and explanation

Reflections on Milestones Scoring

• Being specific is key.

• Being specific in math: using prior knowledge and

academic vocabulary to explain your reasoning.

• Although no open-ended Science questions on

Milestones, students are often specific in Science

using the same tools (prior knowledge, academic

vocabulary, and perhaps by integrating evidence from

documents).

Reflections on Milestones Scoring

• On 2-pt. constructed-response, don’t write an essay.• Being specific is key. • Students can be specific by quoting details from the

text(s) that support their answer/response.• Also by paraphrasing the text (avoid generalities,

though).• Sentence starters help (e.g., “According to Passage

A,” “Raczynski states,” etc.)

Resources

lexile.org

scholastic.com/bookwizard/

readworks.org

newsela.com

These can be handy when finding appropriate texts on a variety of subjects.

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EOG Guides 3-5 Grade (GMAS)http://www.gadoe.org/Curriculum-Instruction-and-Assessment/Assessment/Pages/Georgia-Milestones-End-of-Grade-Assessment-Guides.aspx

http://writingfix.com/RICA/constructed_response.htmWriting Fix-Constructed Response