1. R.A.C.E.S. - ORGANIZATIONAL PATTERN FOR SHORT ANSWER RESPONSES

2. Read and RestateR.a.c.e.s.  Read the entire question.  Identify key action verbs- e.g. explain, describe, sequence, compare & contrast, etc.  Restate the question as a statement Question: Why is the sky blue? Statement: The color of the sky on a sunny day is usually blue.

3. Answerr.A.c.e.s.  Answer the question simply and completely.  Link the answer to the restated statement.  This is your thesis/topic sentence.  Include three reasons- where the content permits.  The sky is usually blue because of how humans see light waves and the local weather conditions.

4. Citer.a.C.e.s.  Cite text information to support your reasons.  Use facts or examples  Quote text  give article, authority or author According to scientists of NOAA, humans see blue sky based on what kinds of light waves are visualized in the eye, how sunny the day is and the direction of the sunlight.

5. Elaborate/Explain/Extend r.a.c.E.s  Elaborate/Explain/Extend  Add details to support the examples you used in your three reasons or citations.  This portion should be all your own words. According to scientists of NOAA, humans see blue sky based on what kinds of light waves are visualized in the eye, how sunny the day is and the direction of the sunlight. On a clear sunny day, the sun is directly shining on our area. Molecules in the air reflect scattered blue light waves more than other colors. So on clear sunny days we receive more blue light bounced back from the molecules in the air. In the morning or evening, the direction of its light goes away from us so the molecules reflect red and orange waves of light that we see at sunsets and sun rises.

6. Significancer.a.c.e.S.  Significance- showing the connections; how and why this is important and or useful; links ideas together within the answer, etc.  The length of this portion should be in relationship to the length of the entire response.  The sky is usually blue because of how humans see light waves and the local weather conditions. According to scientists of NOAA, humans see blue sky based on what kinds of light waves are visualized in the eye, how sunny the day is and the direction of the sunlight. On a clear sunny day, the sun is directly shining on our region. Molecules in the air reflect scattered blue light waves more than other colors. So on clear sunny days we receive more blue light bounced back from the molecules in the air. The color we see in the sky is an example of the connections among light waves, weather and human sight systems. The sky is blue as a result of science at work.

7. R.A.C.E.S. note  Structure used in R.A.C.E.S. works regardless of the length of the piece of writing.  One paragraph like our topic example “Why is the sky blue?”  or an essay  or a multi page paper  or a dissertation

8. R.A.C.E.S. Apply-group practice  Using junk food in your group discuss the best way to address the question “What are the best afterschool snacks?” Please number yourselves in your groups.  Your teacher will select a scribe- their job is to write what is told to them by the group.  Create a great R.A.C.E.S. short answer response.  One member of your group will be selected to read your composition aloud for a peer critique.  As the response is being read evens listen for word choice, sentence structure, strong verbs, etc. ; odds listen for R.A.C.E.S. structures- what is present, good, strong, etc. and what is missing, weak, repetition, etc.?