1. A Guide to Answering Questions the RIGHT Way
The YES MA’AM Strategy
A Guide to Answering Questions the RIGHT Way

2. Textual Evidence
When you are given a question in my class after reading a short story, poem, article, etc. You are expected to always PROVE your answers based on TEXTUAL EVIDENCE.
Textual Evidence is information directly pulled from the reading to provide support for your answer.

3. THE FIRST“M” The first M stands for “Me”
When you are asked a question, the first sentence of your response should reword the question and state a personal opinion or direct response to the question.
Example: What was the authors purpose in writing the article about environmental abuse?
M- The author’s purpose was to inform readers of the different types of abuse that they are apart of that can harm the environment.

4. The First “A” The first “A” stands for “Author”
The first A prompts you to look at what the author said in the text to support your answer to the first M and to include a detail from the text to support his answer.
Here are some suggested sentence starters:
The text states…
According to the passage…
One example from the text…
The author believes…
Example:
A: According to the passage, “The environment is mostly abused due to deforestation and lack of recycling, which harms ocean and land creatures.”

5. The Second “A” The second is “A” also stands for “author”
The second A reminds the student that a constructed response requires multiple supporting details from the author. Two is the minimum number of textual evidence required to support a short-constructed response, but it doesn’t hurt to use more than two examples on occasion.
Here are a few more suggested sentence starters:
The text also sates…
According to the passage…
A second example from the text…
The author also notes…
Example:
A- A second example the author makes is that “most people think themselves too busy to consider recycling as the solution to saving our planet from harm.”

6. THE SECOND “M” The second “M” stands for “Me” again.
The response ends with the you explaining or interpreting the significance of the evidence.
One of these sentence starters might help:
This information shows…
The evidence demonstrates…
I now believe…
Example:
M-This information shows that the author’s purpose was to warn people to take better care of the environment so they won’t destroy it.

7. A Complete Yes Ma’am Response Looks Like This:
Questions: What was the author’s purpose in writing the article about environmental abuse?
M- The author’s purpose was to inform readers of the different types of abuse that they are a part of that can harm the environment.
A- According to the passage, “The environment is mostly abused due to deforestation and lack of recycling, which harms ocean and land creatures.”
A- A second example the author makes is that “most people think themselves too busy to consider recycling as the solution to saving our planet from harm.”
M-This information shows that the author’s purpose was to warn people to take better care of the environment so they won’t destroy it.

8. Example:
Excerpt from story: “Miss Bailey walked around the room like a general getting her army ready to fight. ‘Jacob and Henry, turn down the lamps,’ she ordered. ‘Mittens, everyone. If you have a scarf, tie it over your nose.’ When they were ready, she clapped again. ‘Mr. Carter, open the door please.’”
Constructed Response Question: How would you describe this teacher? Using details from the text support your thinking.
How to Answer: 
A strong answer should-
Restate the question while providing your opinion of the teacher.
List specific details from the text to support your opinion of the teacher.
Explain how those details prove your conclusion

9. Example(s) of Responses
Response using Yes Ma’am:
(M) I think this teacher is a strong leader and takes charge.
(A) The text states that she "ordered" the students to put on their mittens and scarves.
(A)The text also compared her to a general in the army.
(M) Both of these examples show that she can command a group of people like a strong leader would.”