Writing Text Dependent Questions Monday, December 10, 2012

Text-Dependent Questions Can only be answered through close reading and with evidence from the text Can check for understanding (literal), but should also include analysis, synthesis and evaluation Can be used for writing prompts and class discussions

Text-Dependent Questions Focus on words, sentences, paragraphs or passages, texts Focus on small details as well as larger ideas, themes or events Focus on difficult or important portions of the text to enhance reading proficiency and comprehension

Text-Dependent Questions Ask questions about a text at all levels of meaning and for different purposes. Scaffold questions to guide students toward more difficult concepts and/or writing prompts and summative tasks.

Text-Dependent Questions Pay particular attention to word, phrase and sentence level. Student confusion often occurs at these levels

Tips for Writing TDQs Read the text closely Identify important and/or difficult sections Focus on chunks of a text that are short, dense, and critical. Look at clusters of chunks that build upon one another and reveal why a text was written Target key vocabulary, text structures and ideas Chose a level of text to focus on Chose the type of question to ask Create a sequence of questions that builds towards a summative task

Tips for revising TDQs Things to think about: Does the answer require students to have read and understood the text? How easy is it to find the answer in the text? Will the response provide more than a 1 or 2 word answer? Does the question require evidence from the text? Are you asking a variety of questions? Do your questions encourage higher level thinking skills?

More Examples Culinary Arts Article on Red Robin’s Operations Manager: Bob Merullo Needs improvement… How does garnishing and attention to detail make a difference in the restaurant business? Why should we balance creativity with operations? Improved… How does Merullo’s attention to detail and garnishing make a difference for Red Robin? (passage level) In the restaurant business, why is it important to balance creativity with operations? How does Merullo strike this balance? Cite specific textual evidence to support your answer.(text level)

Career and Tech Examples Automotive/Collision Repair Article on Power Tools… Needs improvement… Why is versatility a good quality in a drill? What is versatility? Why would you use a ½ inch drill bit? Improved… How do we know the author appreciates “versatility” in a drill? (word level) What does “versatility” mean in the context of this article? (word level) According to the article, why do tradesman generally use ½ inch drill bits. Support your answer with text evidence. (sentence level)

How to respond to a TDQ Re-read the text, line-by-line, multiple times Paraphrase a particularly dense chunk of text. Cite all (or most) of the evidence presented in a particular segment of text.

TDQs and Better Answers How do we know the author appreciates versatility in a drill? The text shows that the author appreciates versatility in a drill by describing the benefits. The author begins by listing the actions the drill can complete, such as driving and removing screws, nuts and bolts. The text also states that the drill can tap threads in metal. Finally, the author specifically states that a drill with more versatility can “do other jobs not possible with conventional drills”. These drill qualities and benefits show that the author appreciates versatility in drills.

Scaffolding a Better Answers Response How do we know the author appreciates versatility in a drill? The text shows the author appreciates versatility in a drill _______________________________________________________. Detail: __________________________________________________. These drill qualities and benefits show that the author appreciates versatility in drills.

Now it’s your turn… Follow the suggestions on the slides to write and/or revise your TDQs Use the handouts for additional ideas Discuss ideas with a colleague Use the checklist to gauge the quality of your questions