How to Answer Constructed Response or Short Answer

Questions

Writing Practice

Constructed Response or Short Answer Questions:

• They ask you to apply your knowledge and understanding in a short written answer.

Difference between a constructed response and short answer:

• A constructed response will always have a document to analyze with the question.

• A short answer may or may not have a document to analyze with the question so they are very similar. 

How To Write A Constructed Response

PLANNING:• Read the entire question.• 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.

• List items you should identify in your answer• List facts & examples to support your answer

R.A.C.E.

• Reword

• Answer

• Cite Evidence

• Explain

R.A.C.EWRITING:• Reword: restate the question and make it

into a statement as a part of the answer you provide. • Example:

• Ques - "What color is the sky?"• Correct written answer - “The color of

the sky is usually blue," or words to that effect.

R.A.C.E• ANSWER: show how you arrived at your answer with

general reasons. Usually R & A in R.A.C.E. are in the same sentence.

Example:

“What color is the sky?”

• REWORD: The color of the sky is usually blue, …

• ANSWER: because of how we see light waves and the weather conditions.

R.A.C.E

• Cite Evidence/Examples: Use the facts or examples to support the R & A in R.A.C.E– At least 3 Evidence or Examples

• EXAMPLE:– The Sky is usually blue because of how we see light

waves and the weather conditions. According to scientist, humans see blue sky based on what kinds of light waves are visualized in the eye, how sunny the day is and the direction of the sunlight.

R.A.C.E• EXPLAIN THE ANSWER: Elaborate on the evidence

and examples you cited in C.

• EXAMPLE:• The Sky is usually blue because of how we see light waves and the

weather conditions. According to scientist, humans see blue sky based on what kinds of light waves are visualized in the eye, how sunny the day is and the direction of the sunlight. On a clear, sunny day, the sun is directly shinning on us. Because the molecules in the air reflect the scattered blue light waves more than red or orange when it bounces off the direct sunlight, we see blue. As the sun sets, the direction of its light goes away from us so the molecules reflect the red or orange waves of light that we see at sunsets.

YOUR TURN

• Why was the Roaring 20s called “Roaring”?

• Remember:

• Reword

• Answer

• Cite

• Explain

Learning Objectives

• Identify and explain the Constructed Response/Short Answer Rubric Criteria

• Practice using the Short Answer Rubric with given Short Answer.

• Assess individual work using Short Answer Rubric.

• Peer Review individual work using the Short Answer Rubric

The Rubric:4 Point Constructed Response/Short Answer Rubric• Understanding (R.)- 1

o demonstrates an understanding of the question and/or document - Your answer shows that you understood the question and / or the main idea of the reading.

• Accuracy (A.)- 1o answers all parts of the question accurately using correct,

factual information  (number of parts will depend on the question[s])

• Evidence (C.) - 1o use specific evidence to back up answer

• Explains (E)- 1o explains the answer thoroughly and logically - In other

words, provides enough information to back up the answer in a way that makes sense.

o Total 4 points (may also be 1/2 points for a total of 2)

Practice Using the Short Answer Rubric

• Read the following Short Answer Response

• Assess the Short Answer using the Rubric Criteria

• Give feedback on how to improve using the words on the criteria

Why was the roaring 20’s called “roaring”?

The “Roaring 20’s” was probably called roaring because the events that occurred during the decade had a loud, deep and lasting impact on America. The 20s had a loud roar coming from the a new music revolution called the Jazz Age, from American’s rebellion against prohibition that led to the growth of speakeasies and bootleg alcohol, and from the attitude of many American’s to “eat, drink, and be merry…”. The 20s roar was deep because it brought about a lot of cultural conflicts that questioned American values and traditions. These cultural conflicts included issues of evolution v. fundamentalism with the Scopes Trial; the nativists views against anything not “American” that led to the growth of the KKK and violent attacks against immigrants and Blacks; and the issue of traditional “Puritan” values v. the new attitudes of consumerism. Finally, the 20’s roar was lasting because it brought about significant changes in the everyday lives of Americans including the mass production of the car, the wide use of the radio allowing American’s to have similar experiences, and development of modern conveniences like the washing machine and vacuum make more leisure time available for American’s to do other things. In all the 20’s roar left a lasting impression.