Stick to the Point Getting It Right With Constructed Responses

What are constructed responses? *** Complex assessment items/tasks that can be approached or solved in more than one way and have more than one accurate response. Students are asked to include reasons for their conclusions. *******************************************************

So why constructed responses?  Constructed

responses focus on your understanding and your ability to reason about text in writing.

 They

want to know how smart you are!

When do we use constructed responses? Surveys- Which detergent do you like best?  Daily conversation – “Beyonce sings better than Ciera because …”  Persuasive speeches - “Mom, you should buy me a car at 16 because…” 

It’s about . . . Looking good

& Sounding smart

Secrets to Success  Students

must address the question  Give the answer first  Include three details from the text to support the answer  Your answers are scanned into the computer  Scorers use rubrics for each score

Just Answer the Question Turn and talk  What is important in answering constructed response questions?  Chart responses 

Let’s Begin

What do you do in the evening when you get home from school?

The Better Answer Sandwich

Develop an Introduction (Restate and Develop Gist)

1 Introduction

Build a Body of Details

2 Body of Details

Draw a Conclusion

3 Conclusion

Adding a Gist to Our Self-Based Anchor

Prompt: What do you do in the evening when you get home from school? In the evening when I get home from school, I do some work, but also save time to play.

The Better Answer Protocol 1. Develop an introduction. • Restate the question. • Develop a gist answer. 2. Build a body of evidence. 3. Draw a conclusion.

The Better Answer In the evening when I get home from school, I do some work, but also save time to play.. First of all, if it’s a nice day, I always go for a walk with my dog, Jesse. We have fun with our dog and people friends on the beach. Afterward, I get busy making something interesting for supper, for example, pesto pasta or quinoa salad. Sometimes, I invite friends to join me. Once the meal is over, the kitchen is clean, and the dishes are done, I figure I deserve some downtime. So I check my email and watch the news. I may do another chore, too, but eventually, I pick up a book I’ve started and enjoy reading before I finally roll back the covers and jump into bed.. That’s often what I do in the evening when I get home from school. I bet you do some of those same things, too.

A Gist Answer . . . …synthesizes your thinking into a big idea/inference. . . . introduces the details that follow it.

. . . holds the main idea of the response. . . . makes you want to ask: “What do you mean? Where’s your evidence?”

Let’s Practice Together!  After

reviewing or reading “Little Red Riding Hood” answer the following prompt.  Prompt: How did Little Red Riding Hood know the character in the bed was not her grandmother? 

Website for retelling of story: http://www.longlongtimeago.com/llta_fairytales_redridinghood.html

A Text-Based Example Prompt: (after reading “Little Red Riding Hood”)

How did Little Red Riding Hood know the character in the bed was not her grandmother?

Little Red Riding Hood knew the character in the bed was not her grandmother because . . .

Get Ready! Set! Go!

Attach a Gist Answer

Restatement + Gist = Main Idea of Response

WHERE ARE THE DETAILS?

Little Red Riding Hood knew the character in the bed was not her grandmother because that character did not look or sound like her grandmother.

Your Gist Prompts the Search for Details and Evidence • What do you mean? • How do you know that? • What are the facts that support this? • What makes you say that? • How will you prove this?

The Better Answer Organizer Prompt: How did Little Red Riding Hood know the character in the bed was not her grandmother? Restatement

Gist Answer

Body of Details

Little Red Riding Hood knew the character in the bed was not her grandmother because that character did not look or sound like her grandmother. She noticed that his voice was gruff, not like her grandmother’s. Also, that character in the bed had very large eyes, unlike her grandmother’s. But most important was what she noticed about his teeth. They were huge!

Almost Finished!  Add

the conclusion

The Better Answer Organizer Prompt: How did Little Red Riding Hood know the character in the bed was not her grandmother? Restatement

Gist Answer

Body of Details

Conclusion

Reread

Little Red Riding Hood knew the character in the bed was not her grandmother because that character did not look or sound like her grandmother. She noticed that his voice was gruff, not like her grandmother’s. Also, that character in the bed had very large eyes, unlike her grandmother’s. But most important was what she noticed about his teeth. They were huge!

That is how Little Red Riding Hood knew that the character in the bed was not her grandmother — and it’s a good thing she noticed!

Let’s practice again!! 

Review the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears.



The three bears take a walk in the woods while their porridge cools. While they are out, Goldilocks comes into the house. She eats up the little bear's porridge, breaks the little bear's chair, and falls asleep in his little bed. When the bears return from their walk, they discover what Goldilocks has done. In fact, she is still sleeping in the little bear's bed. Goldilocks wakes up and runs away. Read more on FamilyEducation: http://school.familyeducation.com/reading-instruction/parenting/30307.html#ixzz2vt1XuCdY

Why were the three bears upset when they got home from their walk?  Record your answer on chart paper. 

The Better Answer Organizer Prompt: Why were the three bears so upset when they got home from their walk?

Restatement

The three bears were upset when they got home because

Gist Answer

their house was not like they left it.

Body of Details

Conclusion

To begin with, the bears noticed that someone had been eating their porridge. Next they discovered that someone had broken Baby Bear’s chair. Furthermore, their beds were messed up. Most important, however, was that there was a little girl IN one of the beds!

As a result of all that confusion the three bears were very upset.

Do you always need a gist? Some questions only ask you to give three opinions/facts and do not require a gist/conclusion.  It is about knowing what the prompt asks and answering the prompt. 

Non-Negotiables to Success  Be

an eagle  A turkey sees a problem in every opportunity. They scratch in the dirt and never seek to go to higher heights.  An eagle sees an opportunity in every challenge. They are always looking to the sky.  Let’s

reach higher heights!

Let’s do some scoring Use what you know about writing good responses and the rubrics to score the student responses.  What are the determining factors for responses that received 0, 1, 2,3 or 4 points? 

Resources Cole, Ardith Davis (2009). Better answers: Written performance that looks good and sounds smart, Portland, ME: Steinhouse Publishers The State Education Department. New York State Testing Program Grade 4 Common Core English Language Arts Test, Albany, NY: The University of the State of New York