1. “How To Write A Constructed Response”
Everything You Always Wanted To Know About
“How To Write A Constructed Response”
Mr. Smith’s 5th Grade Class – Covert Elementary – February 2013

2. How To Write A Constructed Response
Constructed responses are short 3 to 5 sentence answers to a main question. The question is based on a short story, article, poem or any other literary piece.
Constructed responses ask you, the student, to answer a question based on what you have read.
There are MANY types of questions that can be asked. Some questions will ask you to:
make inferences or predictions
explain a character’s actions
explain or compare things

3. How To Write A Constructed Response
The most important thing to remember about answering a Constructed Response Question is to read the question carefully and answer what they are asking.
The second most important thing to remember is to put your responses in your own words.
We will review different responses and talk about how we can answer them to receive the greatest number of points.

4. Space Vacation
Outer Space—A Nice Place to Visit?
Where will you go on your next vacation? Disneyland? Sea World? Outer space? That’s right; tourists are now paying big bucks to travel into space with astronauts! The first space tourist was Dennis Tito, an American businessman. In 2001, he paid about $20 million to ride on a Russian rocket to the International Space Station. The Space Station circles 220 miles above Earth. Tito stayed on the station for a week, hanging out with astronauts and eating space food.
The latest space tourist was Anousheh Ansari, an Iranian-born woman from the United States who went to the Space Station in mid-September 2006.
How safe is space travel? Apart from the risk of crashing, space tourists have some special things to worry about. Earth’s atmosphere protects us from dangerous radiation from the sun. Space travelers are exposed to more of the sun’s rays. But for tourists spending only a few days or weeks in space, the radiation probably isn’t harmful.
A bigger problem might be space sickness. Without Earth’s gravity to hold them down, visitors to the Space Station float around inside the craft. It may look like fun on TV, but it can make first-time space travelers dizzy and sick. Luckily, the sickness usually wears off quickly. Then space tourists can enjoy their trip—and the amazing view of Earth.

5. Well, you read the passage. So now what? Here comes the question…..
Based on the article, what are some dangers that people traveling in space may face? Use TWO details from the article in your answer.
Now I know what you’re thinking. “I just read this article and found some ways that space travel can be dangerous. I will write them down and be done.” Or “I am smart because I underlined the information and I will copy it directly from the text.”
While both of these are true, you have to be careful how you respond.

6. Did I answer the question? Did I give 2 details?
Response #1
Based on the article, what are some dangers that people traveling in space may face? Do they affect people? Use TWO details from the article in your answer.
Based on the article some dangers that people face in space are radiation and space sickness.
Did I answer the question?
Did I give 2 details?
Is my answer complete?

7. Try again! Response #2
Based on the article, what are some dangers that people traveling in space may face? How d they affect people? Use TWO details from the article in your answer.
Based on the article there are dangers that space travelers face. One danger they face is radiation from the sun. Space travelers are exposed to more of the sun’s rays. Another danger they face is A bigger problem might be space sickness. Without Earth’s gravity to hold them down, visitors to the Space Station float around inside the craft.

8. Response #2
Did I answer the question?
Did I give 2 details?
Is my answer complete?
Round of applause please….
You answered the question! But the problem with response number 2 is that the answer was copied directly from the text.

9. Try again! Response #3
Based on the article, what are some dangers that people traveling in space may face? How d they affect people? Use TWO details from the article in your answer.
Based on the article there are dangers that space travelers face. One danger they face is radiation from the sun. Although it is not a major problem, space travelers are closer to the sun’s rays. Another danger they could face is “space sickness.” According to the article a lack of gravity can leave people feeling dizzy and queasy.

10. Response #3
Did I answer the question?
Did I give 2 details?
Is my answer complete?
Round of applause please….
You answered the question! You used details from the text and put them into your own words!
Bravo!!! Wonderful!! Fantastico!!!

11. Are you ready to give it a shot with me?
Can I get a “Hey Yeah?”
That’s what I like!!! Enthusiasm!

12. Once upon a time a very poor woodcutter lived in a tiny cottage in the forest with his two children, Hansel and Gretel. His second wife often ill-treated the children and was forever nagging the woodcutter. "There is not enough food in the house for us all. There are too many mouths to feed! We must get rid of the two brats," she declared. And she kept on trying to persuade her husband to abandon his children in the forest. "Take them miles from home, so far that they can never find their way back! Maybe someone will find them and give them a home." The downcast woodcutter didn't know what to do. Hansel who, one evening, had overheard his parents' conversation, comforted Gretel.
"Don't worry! If they do leave us in the forest, we'll find the way home," he said. And slipping out of the house he filled his pockets with little white pebbles, then went back to bed.

13. Well, you read the passage. So now what? Here comes the question…..
Based on the passage, how would you describe the relationship between the woodcutter and his wife? Use details from the passage in your answer.
I will put the passage and the question up on the next slide. You construct a 3 to 5 sentence response to the question and we will review it together.

14. Once upon a time a very poor woodcutter lived in a tiny cottage in the forest with his two children, Hansel and Gretel. His second wife often ill-treated the children and was forever nagging the woodcutter. "There is not enough food in the house for us all. There are too many mouths to feed! We must get rid of the two brats," she declared. And she kept on trying to persuade her husband to abandon his children in the forest. "Take them miles from home, so far that they can never find their way back! Maybe someone will find them and give them a home." The downcast woodcutter didn't know what to do. Hansel who, one evening, had overheard his parents' conversation, comforted Gretel.
"Don't worry! If they do leave us in the forest, we'll find the way home," he said. And slipping out of the house he filled his pockets with little white pebbles, then went back to bed.
Based on the passage, how would you describe the relationship between the woodcutter and his wife? Use details from the passage in your answer. ?