Short Constructed Response

R A C E N S W E R E S T A I T E X P L A I N

Restate Take the question and make it a statement. Why did the chicken cross the road? The chicken crossed the road because . . .

Answer Answer the question in the same sentence you restate it. The chicken crossed the road because she needed to get to the other side. The chicken crossed the road because . . .

Cite State where you got your answer from in the text. In the story it states that the chicken was hungry, and she saw a food truck across the street.

Explain Explain why it’s the right answer. Therefore, the chicken had to cross the road to get to the food source which was across the street from where she was standing.

Why did the chicken cross the road? The chicken crossed the road because she needed to get to the other side. In the story it states that the chicken was hungry, and she saw a food truck across the street. Therefore, the chicken had to cross the road to get to the food source which was across the street from where she was standing.

Read the question carefully. Restate the question as a statement. Answer the question in the same sentence as you restate it (use because). Cite where in the text you got your answer. Explain why it’s the right answer.

Why did the chicken cross the road? The chicken crossed the road because she needed to get to the other side. In the story it states that the chicken was hungry, and she saw a food truck across the street. This means the chicken had to cross the road to get to the food source which was across the street from where she was standing.

Practice RACE Why are lionfish dangerous to the ecosystem? News has been spreading of lionfish, a maroon-and-white striped native of the South Pacific that first showed up off the coast of southern Florida in 1985. Most likely, someone dumped a few out of a home fish tank. Since then, the fish have swept up the Eastern seaboard and down to the Bahamas, thanks to very high reproduction rates and no natural predators.​ Lionfish can eat anything that fits into their mouth, even fish half their own size. They eat important species, such as snapper and grouper. Since they eat everything and nothing eats them, they are cleaning out all other species of fish around them. Scientists worry that if nothing is done to keep lionfish in check they will eventually be the only fish left on the Eastern seaboard.​ ​ Why are lionfish dangerous to the ecosystem?

A recent storm dumped more than 2 feet of rain on parts of southern Louisiana. It caused widespread flooding that killed at least 11 people and forced thousands to leave their homes. As usual, everyone is wondering whether climate change is to blame. Climate researchers and weather experts this week explained that no, the storm was not "caused" by climate change. However, they said it is exactly the sort of extreme weather that you would expect to see more of on a warming planet. "Climate change has already been shown to increase the amounts of rain falling in the most intense events across many parts of the world," meteorologists Bob Henson and Jeff Masters wrote. They work for Weather Underground, an Internet weather site. "Extreme rainfall events like this week's Louisiana storm are expected (to) grow increasingly common in the coming years," they said. Should we be concerned about global warming because of recent flooding in Louisiana?

Why should students learn to write in cursive? Beth Mizell, a Louisiana lawmaker, tried to bring cursive writing back in her state. She said she was sad to see people graduate from college and still write like second graders. Studies show that learning cursive makes students think more deeply. It helps improve students' ability to work with their hands. They say cursive helps children learn how words work together. Studies also show that cursive writing helps students with spelling, reading, and writing their ideas. Why should students learn to write in cursive?