This year, students have been learning the steps to strategically answer open-response questions.
The first step is Analyzing the question. They start by finding the “trigger” word – and circling it. The trigger word is the one that tells us what we will need to do when it comes to answering the question. Trigger words can include describe, explain, list, compare, contrast, etc… If there is no trigger word, students create their own. Next, we underline what the trigger word is telling us to do. You’ll see that the students are getting to the heart of the question and are better able to find all the pertinent information. Lastly, students have to note how many examples the question is asking for. If there is no number specified, they know to choose “3”.
We’re on the “second step” at this point – our Note Plan, and kids have it down, cold! We hear them chanting… “Analyze the question, set up the T! Analyze the question, set up the T”. Using the information from the first step, students set up a graphic organizer for their answer. Examples from our lesson on the SMARTBoard are shown below.
Soon we will move on to the next steps…. where students find the evidence in the text to fill in their note plan, and write a great response. Thank you to the trainers from Keys to Literacy for coming and showing Falmouth teachers this valuable strategy. The kids love it!
Hi Mrs.Brooks I saw the ORQ practice I wish I could do that in stead of reading the story and under lineing and making the whole T chart and making it so neat and writing the whole thing and getting it checked and then your teacher says that you forgot something and sometimes you have to redo the whole thing AND then u can do some reading but then your eyes hurt and then u want to go to sleep ohhhhhh!!!!!!!!!! I really want to be back in your class again I wish u could move up a grade every time I move up!!!!OH YAH I got a 3 on self control!!!!!And 2 A’s!!6 B’s!A, B in Library how is that posible????1 4 and that was in GYM!!!!Gym is probably my fave special!!!!!!
love ya
Casey!!!!!
Hi Miss Casey – first off, congrats on the report card – that’s Awesomely Awesome!! You are a hard worker and your efforts will always pay off – I hope you are proud!
My guess, is all that effort you are putting into your ORQ questions is helping you to become better at responding to literature. Make sure you’re taking your time the first time through and that might help you when it comes to having it to do over again. The work you are doing isn’t easy – so it takes some practice to get it just “right”.
See you tomorrow morning, Miss Fourth Grader!!
Love,
Mrs. Brooks