Answering Constructed Response Questions: Preparing your students for Georgia’s new assessment

Constructed Response Questions (CRQ) Constructed response questions are assessment items that ask students to apply knowledge, skills, and critical thinking abilities to real-world, standards-driven performance tasks. Constructed response questions are so named because there is often more than one way to correctly answer the question, and they require students to “construct” or develop their own answers without the benefit of any suggestions or choices. (Tests That Teach by Karen Tankersley)

Academic Vocabulary Traits (most students below grade 7 struggle with this word) Qualities Evidence Sequence Stanza Line Infer Point of View Support Simile Metaphor Figurative language

Strategies for Answering CRQ RACE ACE (math)

RACE steps for answering CRQ Reword/restate the question Provide a “Gist” Answer Cite using evidence from text To begin with,… Then,… Next,… For example,… Furthermore,… For instance… However,… Finally,… Explain how the evidence supports your answer – Concluding Statement That is how,…Therefore,… That is why…In conclusion,… As a result,… For this reason,… 1 3 2

R eword the question/ R estate Why were the three bears so upset when they got home from their walk?

How would a student answer? Answer: Their porridge was eaten, and their bed was slept in.

What does it mean to restate a question? Prompt: Why were the three bears so upset when they got home from their walk? Return to the prompt and mark the words used. Mark all restated words (underline the words) Use as many words in the question as possible Use specific nouns, proper nouns (avoid pronouns) Why were the three bears so upset when they got home from their walk? Restatement: The three bears were upset when they got home from their walk because…

Construct a Gist Answer Provide us only with a gist (general) of the whole answer. Answers why? General answers do not contain important details Makes you want to ask “What do you mean?” or “Where’s your evidence?” or Why were they upset?” The three bears were upset when they got home because someone had been in their house the house was a mess their house was not like they left it

Use Details/Cite evidence from text to support your answer Unfolds naturally out of step 1 The “Gist answer” leads you into the details The three bears were upset when they got home from their walk because their house was not like they left it. Decide the order of presentation 1. Chronological order: the way in which things happen 2. Order of importance: either from most important to least important.

The three bears were upset when they got home from their walk because their house was not like they left it. Details for evidence: To begin with, the bears noticed that someone had been eating their porridge. Next, they discovered that someone had broken baby bear’s chair. Lastly, their beds were messed up. However, all this happened because a little girl was in their house. Notice the transition words Minimum of three examples Use specific evidence from the text/ not prior knowledge

Explain how the evidence supports your answerConcluding Statement Refer to the question again for a concluding statement. Don’t construct a whole new ending/stick to the facts Restate with a touch of voice for your conclusion

Concluding statement: As a result, the three bears were furious about the little girl messing up their home! The three bears were upset when they got home from their walk because their house was not like they left it. To begin with, the bears noticed that someone had been eating their porridge. Next, they discovered that someone had broken baby bear’s chair. Lastly, their beds were messed up. However, all this happened because a little girl was in their house.

Proper Conventions Appearance of the piece is important (what the eyes see) What will the reader perceive - even before he actually reads the piece ➢ Handwriting and neatness (neat papers will receive better grades) ➢ Correct grammar, punctuation, and spelling

RACE Checklist Name__________________________ Date__________ Minimally Partially Completely Restates question _____ _____ _____ Develops a broad _____ _____ _____ Answer Cites using details _____ _____ _____ Draws conclusion _____ _____ _____ Stays on topic _____ _____ _____ Writes neatly _____ _____ _____ Uses proper Conventions_____ _____ _____

What about MATH? A nswer the question C ompute your work (show work) E xplain in writing how you got your answer

There are 29 NBL teams. Each team is allowed to have 12 active players and 3 on injured reserve. How many players are in the NBL at any one time? A…(Answer) There are _____ players in the NBL at any one time. C… (Compute) or show your work X = (12+3) 29 X = (15) 29 X = 435 E… (Explain) in writing. 435 First, each team is allowed to have 12 active and 3 reserve players which equals 15 total players on each team. I then multiplied the total number of players (15) by the number of NBL teams (29) to find that 435 players are in the NBL at any one time players 435

Encourage students to EXPLAIN their work - not DESCRIBE it Description: “I multiplied $1.25 and 13 and got $16.25” Explanation “I multiplied the price of gas per gallon ($1.25) and the number of gallons (13) to get the price for the gas used ($16.25).”