QAR (Question-answer relationships)

Answers RIGHT THERE (Literal): The answer to the question is “right there” in one sentence; the question and answer have the same wording. THINK AND SEARCH (Literal): The answer to the question requires searching across the text; the question and answer have different wording. ON MY OWN (Inferential and evaluative): The answer to the question comes entirely from the students’ prior knowledge, without even reading the text. AUTHOR AND ME (Inferential): The answer to the question comes from students’ prior knowledge and clues provided by the author.

Common Sense: An Anansi Tale Anansi the spider is a West African folk hero known for his cleverness. Anansi loves to plan and scheme, trying to outsmart everyone. Sometimes, Anansi comes up with a clever plan and finds smart solutions to puzzling problems. Other times, he winds up causing lots of mischief.

Common Sense: An Anansi Tale Teir Two Words using: Synonym Web Antonym Analogies Word Map Multiple-Meaning Words Keyword Method Semantic Mapping Symantic Feature Analysis Context Clues Definition Map PAVE Map

Question #1 Ask: What kind of fellow is Anansi Question #1 Ask: What kind of fellow is Anansi? I looked in the story to see if I could find the same wording as in the question. The second sentence has the words “tricky and fellow.” The answer is “Anansi is a tricky fellow.” IT’S RIGHT THERE. (Show card RIGHT THERE) Say: The question and the answer have the same wording. Question #2 Ask: What is Anansi’s idea? I looked in the story and didn’t see those exact words in one sentence, but I saw where it says, “an idea popped into his head,” and then it said, “All I need to do is collect all the common sense in the world.” So the answer to the question is “Anansi’s idea is to collect all the common sense in the world.” (Have students show the type of QAR: THINK AND SEARCH) Say: Yes, to answer this question I had to think and search for and then put together information found in different parts of the paragraph. The question and the answer do not have the same wording. Question #3: Ask: Why is common sense important? Model the answer. Say: I can’t find the answer to this question in the first paragraph, but I can answer the question using what I already know from my own experiences. Common sense is important because good judgement is necessary to get things done. Then have students show the card that names this type of QAR (ON MY OWN) Say: Yes, I found the answer to this question in my head. Question #4: Ask: Why would having all the common sense in the world make Anansi rich? Model finding the answer, again circling exact words that contribute to the answer. Say: I can’t find the exact answer to this question in the first paragraph, but the story says “people will need to come to me to find out what to do.” And I know common sense is really important. I think Anansi will become rich because people need and use common sense all the time. If Anansi has it all, they will have to pay him for it. Have students show the card that names this type of QAR (AUTHOR AND ME). Say: Yes, I answered the question using what I already know from my own experience and what the author tells me. The answer was partly in the story and partly in my head.

Have the students read paragraphs 3-6 Have the students read paragraphs 3-6. This time only provide students with the questions and answers. Ask students to determine and explain the QAR for each question-answer pair. Call on volunteers to mark on the transparency the clues in the text and to discuss how the clues helped them find the answers to a question.

Question Answer QAR What is a calabash? A calabash is like a great big pumpkin. What does Anansi think will make him a powerful spider? People will have to pay him for commonsense advise. Why does Anansi want to find a hiding place for the common sense? He wants to keep if safe and sound because he doesn’t want anyone to find it and take it from him. What are some sommonsense answers to the questions that Anansi thinks people will ask him? Take a nap. Use an umbrella. Eat something.

Question Answer QAR What is a calabash? A calabash is like a great big pumpkin. RIGHT THERE What does Anansi think will make him a powerful spider? People will have to pay him for commonsense advise. Why does Anansi want to find a hiding place for the common sense? He wants to keep if safe and sound because he doesn’t want anyone to find it and take it from him. What are some sommonsense answers to the questions that Anansi thinks people will ask him? Take a nap. Use an umbrella. Eat something.

Question Answer QAR What is a calabash? A calabash is like a great big pumpkin. RIGHT THERE What does Anansi think will make him a powerful spider? People will have to pay him for commonsense advise. THINK AND SEARCH Why does Anansi want to find a hiding place for the common sense? He wants to keep if safe and sound because he doesn’t want anyone to find it and take it from him. What are some sommonsense answers to the questions that Anansi thinks people will ask him? Take a nap. Use an umbrella. Eat something.

Question Answer QAR What is a calabash? A calabash is like a great big pumpkin. RIGHT THERE What does Anansi think will make him a powerful spider? People will have to pay him for commonsense advise. THINK AND SEARCH Why does Anansi want to find a hiding place for the common sense? He wants to keep if safe and sound because he doesn’t want anyone to find it and take it from him. AUTHOR AND ME What are some sommonsense answers to the questions that Anansi thinks people will ask him? Take a nap. Use an umbrella. Eat something.

Question Answer QAR What is a calabash? A calabash is like a great big pumpkin. RIGHT THERE What does Anansi think will make him a powerful spider? People will have to pay him for commonsense advise. THINK AND SEARCH Why does Anansi want to find a hiding place for the common sense? He wants to keep if safe and sound because he doesn’t want anyone to find it and take it from him. AUTHOR AND ME What are some common sense answers to the questions that Anansi thinks people will ask him? Take a nap. Use an umbrella. Eat something. ON MY OWN

Question Possible Answer QAR What does Anansi think is the perfect hiding place for the common sense? How does Anansi feel when he hears someone laughing? What did the thick rope do to Anansi’s neck? Why would tying the calabash around his neck like a necklace be a foolish way for Anansi to climb the tree?

Question Possible Answer QAR What does Anansi think is the perfect hiding place for the common sense? How does Anansi feel when he hears someone laughing? What did the thick rope do to Anansi’s neck? Why would tying the calabash around his neck like a necklace be a foolish way for Anansi to climb the tree?

Question Possible Answer QAR What does Anansi think is the perfect hiding place for the common sense? The top of the tallest tree in the jungle. RIGHT THERE How does Anansi feel when he hears someone laughing? What did the thick rope do to Anansi’s neck? Why would tying the calabash around his neck like a necklace be a foolish way for Anansi to climb the tree?

Question Possible Answer QAR What does Anansi think is the perfect hiding place for the common sense? The top of the tallest tree in the jungle. RIGHT THERE How does Anansi feel when he hears someone laughing? He probably feels surprised and maybe afraid. He might be mad. ON MY OWN What did the thick rope do to Anansi’s neck? Why would tying the calabash around his neck like a necklace be a foolish way for Anansi to climb the tree?

Question Possible Answer QAR What does Anansi think is the perfect hiding place for the common sense? The top of the tallest tree in the jungle. RIGHT THERE How does Anansi feel when he hears someone laughing? He probably feels surprised and maybe afraid. He might be mad. ON MY OWN What did the thick rope do to Anansi’s neck? It burned his neck. THINK AND SEARCH Why would tying the calabash around his neck like a necklace be a foolish way for Anansi to climb the tree?

Question Possible Answer QAR What does Anansi think is the perfect hiding place for the common sense? The top of the tallest tree in the jungle. RIGHT THERE How does Anansi feel when he hears someone laughing? He probably feels surprised and maybe afraid. He might be mad. ON MY OWN What did the thick rope do to Anansi’s neck? It burned his neck. THINK AND SEARCH Why would tying the calabash around his neck like a necklace be a foolish way for Anansi to climb the tree? It would get in the way and bang into him. It’s hard to climb a tree that way. AUTHOR AND ME

Question Answer QAR ?

On a scale of 1 to 10. Have students reflect and respond with a partner and then share out.

QAR STRATEGY Sources of Information Type of QAR (Question-Answer Relationship) IN THE TEXT Information comes primarily from the text itself RIGHT THERE (Literal): The answer to the question is “right there” in one sentence; the question and answer have the same wording. THINK AND SEARCH (Literal): The answer to the question requires searching across the text; the question and answer have different wording. IN MY HEAD Information comes from students’ own prior knowledge ON MY OWN (Inferential and evaluative): The answer to the question comes entirely from the students’ prior knowledge, without even reading the text. IN MY HEAD & IN THE TEXT AUTHOR AND ME (Inferential): The answer to the question comes from students’ prior knowledge and clues provided by the author. Review the different type of Question-Answer Relationships