1. Constructed Response with Single Informational Text
Grade 7
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2. 4 Steps in Answering Constructed Responses
Read and understand the rubric
Actively read the passage – mark up text, make notations, self-check
Read questions carefully to understand the task
Find and use evidence from the text to support your answer

3. Step 1 Read and understand the rubric Points Description 2
The response achieves the following:
demonstrates a thorough understanding of the question and text(s)
uses sufficient evidence and includes specific examples/details that make clear references to the text(s)
describes or explains adequately by using clearly relevant information based on the text(s) 1
demonstrates a basic understanding of the question and text(s)
uses limited evidence and includes vague/limited examples/details that make references to the text(s)
somewhat describes or explains by using vague/limited information based on the text(s)
demonstrates no understanding of the question and text(s) OR
uses limited or no evidence and may or may not include examples/details that may or may not make references to the text(s)
includes no explanation or no relevant information from the text(s)
Discuss the rubrics and clarify any questions

4. Constructed Response Questions
Step 2
Actively read the passage – mark up text, make notations, self-check
Constructed Response Questions
What are the modern day concerns of the Panama Canal?
What were some of the problems that arose from building
the Panama Canal?
3. What were/are the benefits of the Panama Canal?

5. Step 2
Actively read the passage – mark up text, make notations, self-check
Look for any words that are unfamiliar
Underline the main idea if it is stated
Briefly summarize the main idea if it is implied
Stop every paragraph or two and recap quickly in your head
Look for signal words and phrases

6. Step 2
Actively read the passage – mark up text, make notations, self-check
Look for any words that are unfamiliar
Underline the main idea if it is stated
Briefly summarize the main idea if it is implied
Stop every paragraph or two and recap quickly in your head
Look for signal words and phrases

7. Step 2
Actively read the passage – mark up text, make notations, self-check
Look for any words that are unfamiliar
Underline the main idea if it is stated
Briefly summarize the main idea if it is implied
Stop every paragraph or two and recap quickly in your head
Look for signal words and phrases

8. Step 2
Actively read the passage – mark up text, make notations, self-check
Look for any words that are unfamiliar
Underline the main idea if it is stated
Briefly summarize the main idea if it is implied
Stop every paragraph or two and recap quickly in your head
Look for signal words and phrases

9. Step 2
Actively read the passage – mark up text, make notations, self-check
Look for any words that are unfamiliar
Underline the main idea if it is stated
Briefly summarize the main idea if it is implied
Stop every paragraph or two and recap quickly in your head
Look for signal words and phrases

10. Step 2
Actively read the passage – mark up text, make notations, self-check
Look for any words that are unfamiliar
Underline the main idea if it is stated
Briefly summarize the main idea if it is implied
Stop every paragraph or two and recap quickly in your head
Look for signal words and phrases

11. Constructed Response Questions
Step 3
Read questions carefully to understand the task
Constructed Response Questions
What are the modern day concerns of the Panama Canal?
What were some of the problems that arose from building
the Panama Canal?
3. What were/are the benefits of the Panama Canal?

12. Step 3 1. What are the modern day concerns of the Panama Canal?
Read questions carefully to understand the task
What do I need to do to answer this question?
I will need to skim back over
the entire article. I need to see
where there is information about modern day issues.
The details I find will have to support the answer I choose.
1. What are the modern day concerns of the Panama Canal?

13. Step 4 1. What are the modern day concerns of the Panama Canal?
Find and use evidence from the text to support your answer
1. What are the modern day concerns of the Panama Canal?
When I reread this I need to look for places where it mentions modern day concerns. I don’t know if I really highlighted that much for this so I might need to reread quite a bit. I will mark those places to use in my answer.

14. Step 4 What are the modern day concerns of the Panama Canal?
Find and use evidence from the text to support your answer
What are the modern day concerns of the
Panama Canal?
Sample response:
The cargo ships of today are not able to fit through the canal since they are getting larger. “The Panama government is working on a major expansion to widen the Canal and keep it in business.” The Suez Canal and the Nicaragua Canal are both trying to create wider areas to compete against the Panama Canal.

15. Do Together Read and understand the rubric
Actively read the passage, mark up text, make notations, self- check
Read questions carefully to understand the task
Find and use evidence from the text to support your answer

16. What do I need to do to answer this question?
Step 3
Read questions carefully to understand the task
What do I need to do to answer this question?
2. What were some of the problems that arose from building the Panama Canal?

17. Step 4 Find and use evidence from the text to support your answer
2. What were some of the problems that arose from building the Panama Canal?
When I skim back over the article, I need to mark or make note of places where _________.
On the first page I can see that paragraph #___ has info about ________ that relates to my question.
they mention facts that really DO help a cold.
2nd
chicken soup

18. I will also mark paragraph #___ about ________.
Step 4
Find and use evidence from the text to support your answer
2. What were some of the problems that arose from building the Panama Canal?
On the second page I will mark the line in the ___ paragraph that says _______________.
I will also mark paragraph #___ about ________.

19. I will also mark paragraph #___ about ________.
Step 4
Find and use evidence from the text to support your answer
2. What were some of the problems that arose from building the Panama Canal?
On the third page I will mark the line in the ___ paragraph that says _______________.
I will also mark paragraph #___ about ________.

20. Step 4
Find and use evidence from the text to support your answer
2. What were some of the problems that arose from building the Panama Canal?
Sample response:
The building of the canal came in several stages and took so long because so many people died while working on it. The original digging made huge swamp areas, which bred mosquitoes and caused malaria. Bandits and river pirates stole from the convoys working on the canal. It was difficult to find workers since so many people were dying due to the dangers. Once slaves were outlawed for use, the compensation for manual labors put some companies out of business.

21. On Your Own Read and understand the rubric
Actively read the passage, mark up text, make notations, self- check
Read questions carefully to understand the task
Find and use evidence from the text to support your answer

22. What do I need to do to answer this question?
Step 3
Read questions carefully to understand the task
What do I need to do to answer this question?
3. What were/are the benefits of the Panama Canal?

23. Where do I find this information?
Step 4
Find and use evidence from the text to support your answer
3. What were/are the benefits of the Panama Canal?
Page 1
Where do I find this information?

24. Where do I find this information?
Step 4
Find and use evidence from the text to support your answer
3. What were/are the benefits of the Panama Canal?
Page 2
Where do I find this information?

25. Where do I find this information?
Step 4
Find and use evidence from the text to support your answer
3. What were/are the benefits of the Panama Canal?
Page 3
Where do I find this information?

26. Step 4 3. What were/are the benefits of the Panama Canal?
Find and use evidence from the text to support your answer
3. What were/are the benefits of the Panama Canal?
Sample response:
It would reduce the need for sailors to travel around Cape Horn, which caused boats to go toward Antarctica and violent storms. It saved about 6,000 miles of sea voyage and opened up trade to America's west coast, China, and Japan. It also helped the economy of the Panamanians.