RACE Strategy: How to be successful on open-ended assessments

R- Restate the question as if your readers haven’t even seen the question A-Answer the question simply. State a position or the 3 reasons that you’ll be using. C- Cite evidence. Give specific examples that support your POSITION or REASON in your first sentence E- Explain your evidence Finally, re-read paragraph to make sure your answer makes sense and has correction punctuation/capitalization, etc.

Generally, your answer will be in paragraph form with 3 examples to support. So the 5 SENTENCE format will look something like this: First sentence will restate and answer the question. Example 1 sentence with explanation of evidence. Example 2 sentence with explanation of evidence. Example 3 sentence with explanation of evidence. Conclusion sentence that emphasizes your points. Notice the paragraph is indented and margins are observed. Complete sentences with punctuation are used. Correct spelling is observed.

Two main types of questions will be used. One will ask you to defend a position. Example: Was the Columbian Exchange beneficial or detrimental ? You would choose either “beneficial” or “detrimental” to defend. Explain the 3 reasons why you feel this position is most correct. Either side could be defended. It’s all about the support you give for your position.

Another, like the example we’ll use today, will have three examples to support. Today’s question: Explain the qualities of a successful colony. In my first sentence I want to give the qualities I think would make a successful colony. Before I write this sentence, I need to think about how I will prove these qualities with specific examples from what we’ve studied. Using RACE as a planning device helps with this.

Example 1 Why was they lookin for new land? Cuz they what to part new things. They what to do somthing new like go look for new land and hew ways to go learn things. CRITIC’S CORNER Did not understand question Did not use RACE Need examples for evidence and explanations Conventions are an issue

Example 2 Successful colonies needed, peoplel who are willing to work and make good laws, make friend with indians. If you make friend with the indains they teach you how to do stuff and you make good law to make boundars so you dont lose peopel. You will need good laws like the maflower compact and people that are CRITIC’S CORNER Used the RACE strategy well. Question restated and specific reasons are given. Good use of specifics- Mayflower Compact and settlers that didn’t work (use Jamestown in specifics here) Significant convention issues, try to re-read Avoid “stuff”… say teach to plant corn, hunt, fish, etc. willing to work not like the first peopel that came to the New world.

Example 3 Successful colonies needed, a strong/firm leader. Good products that kept them getting money, and other goods. Workers that would help grow or do something else that would help the colony. Like John Smith was a strong leader when he was in charge. A good product was tobacco, but it wasn’t good for your health. And the workers was mainly slaves in the plantations. CRITIC’S CORNER Used RACE well Had specifics like John Smith, tobacco and plantations Plantations example was wrong. Not all colonies had plantations or slaves. Minor conventions issues ( subject / verb agreement… sentence 2 was a fragment)

Example 4 Successful colonies needed to e able to make products, good leadership and good relationships with the Native Americans. For example, Virginia had success with John Smith’s good leadership and the no- work / no- eat policy. Jamestown also produced tobacco as a product to sell and bring goods back into the colony. The Plymouth colony had good relationships with the Native Americans as shown by their example of Thanksgiving. The reason you want good relationships is because you can get help with growing food, catching fish and hunting. The colony will also be peaceful. If each colony had these qualities, they would have all been successful. CRITIC’S CORNER Used RACE well Had specifics like John Smith, tobacco and Native Americans Super use of these specifics and explained reasons well