How to answer short answer or constructed response

First you plan Read the entire question Identify key words in the question Ex. – explain, elaborate, illustrate Restate the prompt in your own words List items you should identify in your answer List facts & examples to support your answer

R.A.C.E. Reword Answer Cite Evidence Explain

RACE Reword – restate the question and make it into a statement as a part of the answer you provide Example: Question: “How has physical features and climate zones influenced the sparse population distribution and density in Antarctica?” Correct written answer – “Physical features and climate zone has greatly influence population distribution and density in Antarctica.”

Answer Show how you arrived at your answer Example: “Regions with harsh climates and difficult physical features usually discourage people from inhabiting areas like Antarctica”

Cite evidence Use specific examples to support your answer Ex: “Antarctica has a polar climate due to its longitudinal location that causes very low temperatures. Also Antarctica has a mountainous terrain and ice covered coasts.”

Explain Elaborate on the evidence and put it together EX: Due to the extreme cold climate and mountainous terrain the continent of Antarctica is very sparsely populated”

Question: “How has physical features and climate zones influenced the sparse population distribution and density in Antarctica?” Physical features and climate zone has greatly influence population distribution and density in Antarctica. Regions with harsh climates and difficult physical features usually discourage people from inhabiting areas like Antarctica. Antarctica has a polar climate due to its longitudinal location that causes very low temperatures. Also Antarctica has a mountainous terrain and ice covered coasts. Due to the extreme cold climate and mountainous terrain the continent of Antarctica is very sparsely populated.