The “how to answer an open ended question made easy” slideshow!
R- RESTATE Step 1: Read question. Step 2: Turn question into a sentence by taking out the “question words”. Example: Question: As Mafatu is near acceptance of the sea’s victory over him, what snaps him out of it? What motivates him to go on, and to not give up? Answer: As Mafatu is near acceptance of the sea’s victory over him something snaps him out of it and motivates him to go on and not give up.
A- ANSWER Step 1: Think of at least two answers to the question. Step 2: Write both answers down in complete, neat and accurate sentences. Example: Just as Mafatu is about to give up, his albatross, Kivi, fly’s above him and seems to lead him onward. This causes him to notice an Island straight ahead, which gives him the will to live.
S- SUPPORT Step 1: Read over your answers. Step 2:GO BACK into the story and find evidence for EACH of your answers. Example: In chapter 2 on page 27 after Mafatu resolves to die Sperry describes, “…Looking upward, the boy’s dulled eyes made out the widespread wings of an albatross, circling above the canoe.” Kivi leads him onward as stated on page 28, “Once more it seemed as if his albatross were leading him onward …”. Mafatu is snapped right out of it when he sees the land and becomes full of emotion as evidenced on page 28, “Uri! Uri! It’s Land. Land!” Finally the author describes later in the chapter that Mafatu had “Only a will to live.” as he continued to swim towards the Island.
C-C- CONNECT/CLOSE Step 1: Think of a type of connection: Text to Self; Text to Others; Text to Text, Text to World/Media. Write the connection using transitions like similarly, just like, this reminds me…etc. Link connection back to question. Example: Similarly to the way Mafatu only had a will to live, so did Diana Nyad, a 64 year old who swam from Cuba to Florida. Nyad stated to journalists that we should never ever give up. This was her 5 th attempt at trying to make this swim and she succeeded. In both cases, Mafatu and Nyad reached a point in their lives when they wanted to give up. But they both overcame their obstacles and achieved their goals. This is one way that Mafatu reminds me of Diana Nyad.
CHECK RESPONSE! Answer: As Mafatu is near acceptance of the sea’s victory over him something snaps him out of it and motivates him to go on and not give up. Just as Mafatu is about to give up, his albatross, Kivi, fly’s above him and seems to lead him onward. This causes him to notice an Island straight ahead, which gives him the will to live. In chapter 2 on page 27 after Mafatu resolves to die Sperry describes, “…Looking upward, the boy’s dulled eyes made out the widespread wings of an albatross, circling above the canoe.” Kivi leads him onward as stated on page 28, “Once more it seemed as if his albatross were leading him onward …”. Mafatu is snapped right out of it when he sees the land and becomes full of emotion as evidenced on page 28, “Uri! Uri! It’s Land. Land!” Finally the author describes later in the chapter that Mafatu had “Only a will to live.” as he continued to swim towards the Island. Similarly to the way Mafatu only had a will to live, so did Diana Nyad, a 64 year old who swam from Cuba to Florida. Nyad stated to journalists that we should never ever give up. This was her 5 th attempt at trying to make this swim and she succeeded. In both cases, Mafatu and Nyad reached a point in their lives when they wanted to give up. But they both overcame their obstacles and achieved their goals. This is one way that Mafatu reminds me of Diana Nyad.
THING’sTO REMEMBER: Always connect when possible. DO NOT DRAW DOTS! Indent only!!!! REMEMBER THE RUBRIC!!!!!! NEATNESS COUNTS-No big letters. Use your space wisely!
QUESTIONS?????
YOUR TURN!!!! Answer the following Open Ended Question applying what we have just learned based on today’s read aloud. Reader’s/Writer’s Journal Response Why did Mafatu want to kill a Boar? Why was this so important to him? Has Mafatu proven that he is no longer the “boy who is afraid”?