How to answer a constructed response question

Step 1: Understand the prompt What are you writing about? MOST (but not all) prompts have 3 parts. 1.Background: Gives you a quick reminder about the passage. 2.Task: What you need to accomplish in your answer. This can be a question or sometimes a command (statement). Look for words like explain, analyze, compare, describe, discuss… 3.Proof: What you need to do to back up your answer.

Step 1: Understanding the prompt 1.Background: Gives you a quick reminder about the passage. 2.Task: What you need to accomplish in your answer. This can be a question or sometimes a command (statement). Look for words like explain, analyze, compare, describe, discuss… 3.Proof: What you need to do to back up your answer. Penguins can survive both on land and in water. Explain how penguins are different from most birds. Use information from the passage and your own ideas to support your answer.

1.Background: Gives you a quick reminder about the passage. 2.Task: What you need to accomplish in your answer. This can be a question or sometimes a command (statement). Look for words like explain, analyze, compare, describe, discuss… 3.Proof: What you need to do to back up your answer. According to the authors, humans are “tropical animals” since we are not used to the cold. What evidence do the authors use to support this claim? Support your answer with details from the article. Step 1: Understanding the prompt

R: Restate the question A: Answer the question P: Prove it with the text Step 2: RAP!

R: Restate the Question Scorers might not read the original prompt. – That means your answers must make sense all by themselves. How do you do that? – Restate the question by rearranging the words in the original prompt.

"What color is the sky?", you would not simply answer "blue" - instead, the correct answer would be "The color of the sky is blue," or words to that effect.

R: Restate the Question MY TURN Prompt: – Penguins can survive both on land and in water. Explain how penguins are different from most birds. Use information from the passage and your own ideas to support your answer. Response: – Penguins are different from most birds because … (sentence to be finished…)

Prompt: – What are two characteristics of mammals? Give two examples. Response: R: Restate the Question YOUR TURN

A: Answer the Question This is your CLAIM. – Your claim will directly answer the question from the prompt. It can be part of your first sentence or it can come later in your answer. – For example…

Prompt – According to the authors, humans are “tropical animals” since we are not used to the cold. What evidence do the authors use to support this claim? Support your answer with details from the article. Response – The authors of this article provide many pieces of evidence to support their claim that humans are “tropical animals.” A: Answer the Question

A: Answer the Question MY TURN Prompt: – Penguins can survive both on land and in water. Explain how penguins are different from most birds. Use information from the passage and your own ideas to support your answer. Response: – Penguins are different from most birds because they can’t fly.

Prompt: – What are two characteristics of mammals? Give two examples. Response: A: Answer the Question YOUR TURN

P: Prove it with the text You have to back up your claim with proof! Your evidence has to relate to your claim. You can use quotes or summarize it in your own words. You can’t say the same thing in two different ways. You won’t get credit. – Example: He couldn’t leave the house. He was grounded. That means the same thing! – To make sure you are referencing two different examples, look in different portions/paragraphs of the text.

P: Prove it with the text You can’t just throw quotes in there, so here are some ways to make it sound like you know what you’re talking about. – The text states... – For example... – According to the passage... – A second example from the text... – The author also states...

Step 3: Proofread and Edit Strong responses do NOT require the scorer to read the original prompt. The response should make sense all by itself. – Did I actually answer the question? – Does my answer make sense? – Did I spell everything right?

Let’s recap! Step 1: Understand the prompt. Step 2: RAP! 1.Restate the question 2.Answer the question 3.Prove it with the text Step 3: Proofread and Edit