HOW TO WRITE CONSTRUCTED RESPONSE ANSWERS English II

How can you recognize a constructed response question? Carefully read the question. Look for words like EXPLAIN DESCRIBE COMPARE CONTRAST DISCUSS

Be Careful Don’t make a list. Use full sentences.

STEP 1 READ THE QUESTION SLOWLY AND CAREFULLY. READ THE QUESTIONS SLOWLY AND CAREFULLY.

STEP 2 First sentence should restate the question. Don’t answer it . . . yet.

BAD EXAMPLE Example: Why do students get excited about vacation? STUDENTS GET EXCITED ABOUT VACATION BECAUSE THEY LIKE FREE TIME AND SLEEPING LATE. Answered too much—nowhere to go—difficult to add

BETTER EXAMPLE STUDENTS GET EXCITED ABOUT VACATION FOR SEVERAL REASONS. Can add details to this—have some place to go

STEP 3 Add detail Add more details And add more details Details prove you are right

STEP 3—details added Students get excited about vacation for several reasons. One of the first reasons they get excited is because they will get to sleep late on vacation. Instead of getting up at the crack of dawn, most people don’t even set an alarm on vacation. A second reason students get excited about vacation is because they are given a lot of freedom to choose what they want to do with their free time. Rather than follow a schedule, most people choose to do only the activities that interest them while they are vacationing.

Good idea… Use transitional words and phrases to make your paragraph flow from detail to detail: First Second For instance On one hand…on the other hand In the first place…in the second place… Then Now Next However Afterward Finally

Consequently Therefore STEP 4 Write a conclusion. Avoid the phrase “in conclusion.” Some acceptable words or phrases: As a result Consequently Therefore As one can see

STEP 5—Proofread Read your answer. Correct any mistakes in spelling, capitalization, grammar, and punctuation. Make sure all words are written clearly.

STEP 6—Reading for content Read your answer one more time. Does it answer the question? Does it make sense? Does it say what you mean?

HERE’S A SUMMARY OF ALL 6 STEPS: Read the question slowly and carefully. Your first sentence should restate the question, but not answer it. Add detail, after detail, then more details. Write a conclusion. Read your answer and fix all mechanical errors. Proofread your answer to correct errors in grammar or punctuation. Read your answer for meaning.

Adding text support Some questions will require textual evidence—this can be paraphrased, summarized, or quoted Read carefully because some questions will ask specifically for quotes

For example What is the central idea of “My Mother, the Scientist”? Use TWO quotes from the passage to support your answer. You must explain the central idea You must explain and use quotes

Step 1—Decide what the central idea is Re-read the passage if necessary Look for repetition Mother faced obstacles to become scientist Mother was discriminated against Ask yourself “What is the overall message or argument of this piece?” Create one sentence that summarizes the entire article Women who wanted to work in the field of science during the 1960s faced substantial discrimination, but Hirshberg’s mother and other determined individuals overcame this obstacle.

Step 2—Select quotes that support this idea All text in the passage does not support the main idea Choose quotes that support the idea you have chosen

Which quotes support this idea? CENTRAL IDEA: Women who wanted to work in the field of science during the 1960s faced substantial discrimination, but Hirshberg’s mother and other determined individuals overcame this obstacle. Which quotes support this idea? But to become one while running a gauntlet of lies, insults, mockeries, and disapproval—this was what my mother had to do. Her mother, Lucille Feynman, was a sophisticated and compassionate woman who had marched for women's suffrage in her youth. My mother worshipped her brother, and there was never any doubt about what he would become. "Women can't do science," she said, "because their brains can't understand enough of it." That's when I made the decision: the next day, in school, I wouldn't just tell them what my father did. I'd tell them about my mother too.

Step 3—Restate the question with the central idea included The central idea in “My Mother, the Scientist” is that women who wanted to work in the field of science during the 1960s faced substantial discrimination, but Hirshberg’s mother and other determined individuals overcame this obstacle.

Step 4—Create sentences that “set up” your quote “Set up” this quote: “But to become one while running a gauntlet of lies, insults, mockeries, and disapproval—this was what my mother had to do.” In the passage Hirshberg explains that becoming a scientist was a difficult task for any person at this time. He then goes on to explain that becoming “one while running a gauntlet of lies, insults, mockeries, and disapproval—this was what my mother had to do.”

Step 5—Identify problems in sentence flow What doesn’t work here? He then goes on to explain that becoming “one while running a gauntlet of lies, insults, mockeries, and disapproval—this was what my mother had to do.”

Step 6—Format quotes to flow in your sentences Eliminating words=marks of ellipsis Original: “one while running a gauntlet of lies, insults, mockeries, and disapproval—this was what” Modified: “one while running a gauntlet of lies, insults, mockeries, and disapproval . . .was what” Adding or changing words=brackets Original: ”one while running a gauntlet of lies, insults, mockeries, and disapproval—this was what my mother had to do.” Modified: “one while running a gauntlet of lies, insults, mockeries, and disapproval . . .was what [his] mother had to do.”

Step 7—Add a conclusion that reflects your central idea The central idea in “My Mother, the Scientist” is that women who wanted to work in the field of science during the 1960s faced substantial discrimination, but Hirshberg’s mother, Joan Feynman, and other determined individuals overcame this obstacle. In the passage Hirshberg explains that becoming a scientist was a difficult task for any person at this time. He then goes on to explain that becoming “one while running a gauntlet of lies, insults, mockeries, and disapproval . . .was what [his] mother had to do.” Women at this time were simply told that working in the field of science was not possible. In fact, Joan’s mother told her that "Women can't do science . . . because their brains can't understand enough of it." Despite the fact that her own mother did not believe in her, Joan goes on to become a scientist as do others like her, and it is these ladies who pave the way for female scientists of future generations.