Question Answer Relationship Teaching Students Where to Seek for Answers to Questions

QAR: What is it? A tool for clarifying how students can approach the task of reading text and answering questions.A tool for clarifying how students can approach the task of reading text and answering questions. A strategy that helps students realize the need to consider both information in the text and information from their own background knowledge.A strategy that helps students realize the need to consider both information in the text and information from their own background knowledge. Without QAR, students over rely on information from the text or from their own background knowledge.Without QAR, students over rely on information from the text or from their own background knowledge.

QAR: Why use it? It shows the relationship between questions and answers.It shows the relationship between questions and answers. It categorizes different types of questionsIt categorizes different types of questions It helps students analyze, comprehend, and respond to text concepts.It helps students analyze, comprehend, and respond to text concepts. It refutes the common misconception that “all answers” can be found in the text.It refutes the common misconception that “all answers” can be found in the text.

QAR: View Worksheet IN THE BOOK –Right There Questions –Think and Search IN MY HEAD –Author and You –On My Own

Flow of Q.A.R. through the reading cycle (where are students most likely to encounter each type of question?) Author and Me On my own BEFORE READING Author and me Right there DURING READING Think and Search Author and me AFTER READING Think and Search

Activity 1: An introductory activity Give students a blank sheet of plain white paper. Have them fold it into four equal squares Label the entire poster Q.A.R. at the top. In each square, write one type of Q.A.R. (think and search, right there, etc.) In each square, have them write the definition of that type of Q.A.R. and then draw a picture to represent that type of Q.A.R.. For example, a picture of a thought bubble and a magnifying glass for think and search. Call on different students and ask them what they drew for each and why

Activity 2: Q.A.R. Flash Cards Have students create Q.A.R. flash cards. They take index cards and put one type of Q.A.R. on each card. Have various sample questions available and read them to the class or have students read them. When they know what type of Q.A.R. it is, have them hold up that card. You will know if they understand based on the card they hold up. If they have difficulty remembering what they are, have them write the definition on the card as well. THINK AND SEARCH

Activity 3: Classifying questions Give students a set of questions they are familiar with such as a set of comprehension questions they have completed after a reading passage during class. Have them classify each question into one of the four Q.A.R. categories and explain how they know it fits into this category. You could use this chart to help them keep track of their data. Right there Question: Evidence: Think and Search Question: Evidence: Author and me Question: Evidence: On my own Question: Evidence:

Activity 4: Identifying Questions Tom has lived in Marysville his entire life. However, tomorrow, Tom and his family would be moving 200 miles away to Grand Rapids. Tom hated the idea of having to move. He would be leaving behind his best friend, Ron, the baseball team he had played on for the last two years, and the big swing in his backyard where he liked to sit and think. And to make matters worse, he was moving on his birthday! Tom would be thirteen tomorrow. He was going to be a teenager! He wanted to spend the day with his friends, not watching his house being packed up and put on a truck. He thought that moving was a horrible way to spend his birthday. What about a party? What about spending the day with his friends? What about what he wanted? That was just the problem. No one ever asked Tom what he wanted. 1. What is the name of Tom’s best friend?1. What is the name of Tom’s best friend? 2. What might Tom do to make moving to a new Town easier for him?2. What might Tom do to make moving to a new Town easier for him? 3. Does Tom like playing on the baseball team?3. Does Tom like playing on the baseball team? 4. In what ways can moving to a new house be exciting?4. In what ways can moving to a new house be exciting?

Activity 4: Creating Questions At that very moment, Pinocchio awoke and opened wide his eyes. What was his surprise and his joy when, on looking himself over, he saw that he was no longer a Marionette, but that he had become a real live boy! He looked all about him and instead of the usual walls of straw, he found himself in a beautifully furnished little room, the prettiest he had ever seen. At that very moment, Pinocchio awoke and opened wide his eyes. What was his surprise and his joy when, on looking himself over, he saw that he was no longer a Marionette, but that he had become a real live boy! He looked all about him and instead of the usual walls of straw, he found himself in a beautifully furnished little room, the prettiest he had ever seen. With a partner, create 4 questions ( 1 of each type) using the QAR criteria.With a partner, create 4 questions ( 1 of each type) using the QAR criteria. QAR Scavenger Hunt (give students a bank of questions have them search through the list to identify each type)QAR Scavenger Hunt (give students a bank of questions have them search through the list to identify each type) Post-it note QAR (students use 4 post-it notes to identify types of questions)Post-it note QAR (students use 4 post-it notes to identify types of questions)