The Open Ended Response

Not as scary, intimidating or as bad as you think it is… It’s just answering a question in paragraph form.

Why do I need to learn OERs? STAAR test. You need to pass to graduate. – Only 50% of 9 th graders passed the writing last year. Focus. LIFE!!! – OERs require you to read something, understand what you read, analyze it, give your opinion about something, and BACK IT UP with evidence. All things you should be able to do if you want to be successful in life. – (Including daily life, such as making sound arguments against your mom when she’s trying to ground you unfairly, or your boyfriend or girlfriend when they’re irrationally upset about something.)

Scoring… Scores from 0 to 3 0 is Insufficient 1 is Partially Sufficient 2 is Sufficient 3 is Exemplary

Three Parts to a good short answer: In short answers, you are looking for three important parts. If it has all 3, it is a 2, which is passing! A=ANSWER P= PROOF E = EXPLANATION When we score short answers, look for these three parts in each one.

Short Answer Strategy: T = think: What it the question asking? A = answer: The first sentence should directly answer the question. Restate the question in your answer and include YOUR analysis! P = prove it: The next 2-4 sentences should be direct quotes from the reading. Provide textual evidence that proves your answer. (TEXT = ANY words from the story -- doesn’t have to be dialogue.) E= explain it: Tell me how those quotes prove your answer. You must make sure ALL 3 PARTS CONNECT to prove your point!

Tips: Have an opinion! Your answer’s got to have something to prove. Find proof that supports your opinion! Then you can pull your opinion out of that quote. Find your quotes first! That will help you make a strong connection between your quote and your answer. Make sure you include all parts of a question. Have a reason for your opinion. Say “because…” or clearly illustrate it using your quotes and connecting sentences.

Strategies to try… Read the question first! Make sure you understand what the question is asking of you. Start by finding a quote. Track one down that provides an answer to the question. Compose your answer by restating the question, offering your opinion, and a reason for your opinion. – The primary conflict in “Breakfast in Virginia” was ___________. – In “The Crystal Night,” the German soldiers could be described as _________. Now plug in the quote. Make sure your proof and opinion connect with similar words and ideas! LASTLY….connect your ideas with your explanation of what this means.

Place rubric in your Buff Binder You have seven minutes to locate and jot down four direct quotes to support your answer to the question below. How does Stephen King build suspense in Sorry, Right Number?

Time’s Up!!! Narrow it down to your two best pieces of text evidence. Now create an opening sentence that restates the question and answers it directly. Be sure your answer is a method used to build suspense, not an example. That’s what your text evidence is for. Next, plug in your two pieces of text evidence. Use a connecting sentence, if needed.

Almost done! Now you just need to wrap up your paragraph with a conclusion, explaining how your text evidence proves your answer.

Example Stephen King builds suspense in Sorry, Right Number by teeing up an intriguing mystery, then using misdirection to keep the reader on his toes. Our protagonist receives a hysterical phone call from a family member, whom she struggles to identify. “It was not a prank and it was not a wrong number! It was someone in my family!” Katie and the reader then check with every possible family member, most notably her little sister, Dawn, who is alone in a farm house with her baby. Her phone was off the hook, the lock on her front door lock tampered with-- but when we enter: “The place looks like a cyclone hit it… but it wasn’t robbery and murder that caused this mess, only a healthy 18-month-old baby.” Protagonist and reader alike first breathe a sigh of relief, then continue to wonder -- who really made that desperate phone call?