Region 14 ESC ELAR Angie Kenley akenley@esc14.net Donna Scherr dscherr@esc14.net

Linda Hammond lhammond@esc14.net

English I & II Short Answer October 16th, 2015

What Short Answer Questions Require

(and why they are essential to reading development at all levels)

To become good readers, students must understand what constitutes a credible IDEA in response to a question about a text or texts.

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What Short Answer Questions Require

(and why they are essential to reading development at all levels)

An IDEA represents the quality and depth of thinking and understanding

• IDEA in a score of 3 on STAAR: perceptive, coherent, discerning, clearly analytical

• IDEA in a score of 2 on STAAR: reasonable and specific; goes beyond literal reading

(even if it’s only slightly beyond) 3

What Short Answer Questions Require

(and why they are essential to reading development at all levels)

• IDEA in a score of 1 on STAAR: lacks explanation or specificity; represents only a literal reading of the text

• IDEA in a score of 0 on STAAR: doesn’t answer the question; incorrect or invalid reading of the text; too general, vague, or unclear to judge whether it is reasonable

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STAAR Short Answer Questions What They Require

Students must use TEXT EVIDENCE to prove that their ideas are valid/credible. TEXT EVIDENCE substantiates the student’s

ideas; it reflects the degree to which the student can connect his or her own ideas with the pieces of the text that best support the analysis.

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English I Short Answer Rubric

English I Short Answer Questions 2015

STAAR Short Answer

English I Single Selection—Spring 2015 In the excerpt from Emory’s Gift, what does the author learn about himself? Explain your answer and support it with evidence from the selection.

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English I STAAR EOC 2015 Single Selection Short Answer

Score Point 0:

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STAAR Short Answer

Score Point 1:

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STAAR Short Answer

Score Point 2:

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STAAR Short Answer

Score Point 3:

12

I=Idea

T=Text Evidence 1. Text Evidence 2. Literal meaning 3. Conceptual meaning

Short Answer Strategy

I=Idea

T=Text Evidence 1. Text Evidence 2. Meaning 3. Universal Meaning

Short Answer Strategy

Practice the Strategy for Both Sides (yes/no) Short Answer = Idea + Text Evidence

After reading “Postcard: New Delhi,” do you think Gupta’s modified airplane is a good idea? Explain your answer and support it with evidence from the selection.

Text Evidence Literal (What does author

literally mean? What does author want us to

know?)

Conceptual (So What?) Why did the author

tell us this?

Brainstorm Powerful Vocabulary Words to help

answer sound “smart.”

“The plane offers the adventure of air travel without the cost.”

The plane ride is free on the weekends.

Gupta wants citizens with low socio-economic status to be afforded the privilege of experiencing a plane ride.

Poverty, underprivileged, indigent, low socioeconomic status, economic, advantage, afforded, indulge, successful,

“During the week, Gupta uses the plane to train engineering students.”

The plane is his business.

During the week, the plane serves an economic purpose as Gupta’s livelihood or his business.

“We are fulfilling life wishes.”

People want to fly. Gupta is aware of what it’s like to be indigent, so he wants others to know they can be successful and experience events that wealthier citizens indulge in.

Practice the Strategy for Both Sides (yes/no) Short Answer = Idea + Text Evidence

After reading “Hearing the Sweetest Songs,” do you think the author considers herself disabled? Explain your answer and support it with evidence from the selection.

Text Evidence Literal (What does author

literally mean? What does author want us to

know?)

Conceptual (So What?) Why did the author

tell us this?

Brainstorm Powerful Vocabulary Words

“I couldn’t hear. Suddenly, I began to discover many things I couldn’t do.”

Things other (normal) people could do, she couldn’t.

She’s different, but not “disabled” We all (given enough time) get to the point we can’t do some things.

Perseverance, Circle of Life, temporarily disabled, vulnerable, restrictions, ignorance, bliss, etc.

“I felt helpless because I couldn’t hear alarm clock, vulnerable because I couldn’t hear the front door open. . .”

She cannot hear these sounds.

She’s more vulnerable/susceptible to harm since not hearing these sounds doesn’t help protect her against intrusions/burglars.

“For the first time, I felt unequal, disadvantaged, and disabled.”

She felt different for the first time. Lets her guard down.

A person doesn’t always know the restrictions/limitations until she realizes what others have.

“My disability doesn’t announce itself.”

It’s subtle/not obvious.

“If I tell, I risk being seen as unable rather than disabled.”

Her label might be unable, not disabled.

People might reach the wrong conclusion. Ignorance is bliss. What a difference a prefix makes.

Practice the Strategy for Both Sides (yes/no) Short Answer = Idea + Text Evidence

Short Answer Response for Robert Frost’s “Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening” Do you think the speaker is responsible? Explain your answer and support it with evidence from the poem.

Text Evidence Literal (What did the author mean?)

Conceptual (Why did author tell us this?) (So What?)

Brainstorm a list of sophisticated vocabulary words

“But I have promises to keep” I have stuff or a job to do. The speaker feels compelled to fulfill his obligations.

Speaker, compelled, obligations, responsible, responsibilities, respite, duties,

“Watch his woods fill up with snow”

“chill out” a minute to watch snow falling

He appreciates nature. Appreciates, mundane, spectacular, nagging, contemplative

“He gives his harness bells a shake/to ask if there is some mistake”

The horse shakes his harness wondering if he should stay still or keep moving.

The horse wonders why the speaker has stopped so long and figures it is a mistake since he rarely or never does this.

Enthralled,

Possible Short Answer Responses “Stopping by Woods”

Short Answer: The speaker is responsible because he honors his commitments. He obviously loves simple, mundane but spectacular events that happen in nature like the “woods filling up with snow.” Although he pauses briefly to admire the winter wonderland, he feels the obligations of prior commitments, “but I have promises to keep,” nagging him much like his horse that knows he rarely takes a respite from his duties. He [horse] “gives his harness bells a shake/ to ask if there is some mistake.” The speaker is compelled to move on to fulfill his obligations and even his horse recognizes this. Another Short Answer: The speaker is enthralled with the scene before him. He is a contemplative individual who appreciates the serene beauty of nature and pauses amidst the busyness of his obligations to “watch the woods fill up with snow” but does so only briefly because he [has] “promises to keep” meaning he has to get back to work to perform his responsibilities.

Possible Short Answer Responses “Emory’s Gift”

Activity for charting short answer responses using 3+ 1 columns

Practice the Strategy for Both Sides Short Answer = Idea + Text Evidence

In the excerpt from Emory’s Gift, what does the narrator learn about himself? Explain your answer and support it with evidence from the selection.

Text Evidence Literal (What does author

literally mean? What does author want us to

know?)

Conceptual (So What?) Why did the author

tell us this?

Brainstorm Powerful Vocabulary Words to help

answer sound “smart.”

“I would put up a good fight, or I would die.”

He’s going to fight till his death.

He’s going to make it difficult to be eaten; he will put up a good fight.

Courage, brave, force to reckon with, crescendo, confidence, power,

“I [had] gone from bite-sized to intimidating.”

He’s small and could have easily been a meal but scares the cat.

His courage provides an intimidating force.

Advice, decision, faces fear, inner voice, teaching of father, not to be messed with, adversity, fear, near-death

“I stood my ground, quivering.”

He’s scared but still trying.

He doesn’t back down.

“Go away.” (whisper) “Grrr!” (more confidence) “Grrr!”

Words he speaks to the cat.

His words begin in a whisper, but increase to shouts of intimidation that perhaps scare the cat away.

Practice the Strategy for Both Sides Short Answer = Idea + Text Evidence

In the excerpt from Emory’s Gift, what does the narrator learn about himself? Explain your answer and support it with evidence from the selection.

Text Evidence Literal (What does author

literally mean? What does author want us to

know?)

Conceptual (So What?) Why did the author

tell us this?

Brainstorm Powerful Vocabulary Words to help

answer sound “smart.”

“I would put up a good fight, or I would die.” (23)

He’s not going to give up.

Some people don’t realize the depths of their strength until put to the test where survival instincts reveal their true strength.

Visceral fear, survivor, survival, fight or flight, primal, do or die, empower, discovers,

“My fear was so strong and real, I was sick with it.” (13)

His fear made him nauseous.

The narrator discovers he has the ability to face a dangerous situation with courage by [finding his voice].

Self-realization, self revelation, catalyst, depth, bravery, surpass, dangerous, courage, strength,

“I watched in terrified fascination. . . This was it. . . I braced myself for the attack.” (21)

He’s getting ready for battle and trusts his instincts against the attack.

His visceral fear did not surpass his primal instincts to survive.

“I found my voice.” “Grrr!” I roared at him. (18)

He can find words to speak and shout at the cat.

Finding his voice was the catalyst to realizing the depth of his bravery. Bravery gave him his life back.

Possible Short Answer Responses “Emory’s Gift”

Short Answer: The narrator, fraught with fear, gains confidence from the inner-voice teachings of his father and learns to stand strong and put up a good fight. Body “quivering,” hands “trembling,” “breath shuddering,” he goes from “bite-sized” morsel to “intimidating” force in a matter of seconds. “I would put up a good fight or I would die.” Hearing the advice of his father, “stand up tall and fight,” provides a sense of calm and confidence where he finds his own voice which builds from a whisper, “Go away,” to a crescendo, “Grrr! Grrr!” This roar allows him “to be safe” at last.

Possible Short Answer Responses “Emory’s Gift”

Short Answer: The narrator learns he is being watched. “There was someone there, and I felt the hair on my arm stand up as my skin goose-bumped in alarm.” “A pair of amber eyes met mine, unblinking. “It was a cougar, watching me. . .”

Possible Short Answer Responses “Emory’s Gift”

Short Answer: The narrator discovers he has the ability to face a dangerous situation with courage by [finding his voice]. He is one moment from probable death at the jaws of a cougar. “I braced myself for the attack.” In the midst of imminent danger, he says, “I found my voice. . .grrr! I roared at him [cougar],” demonstrating his courage to “put up a good fight” and live to encounter other dangers.

Possible Short Answer Responses “Emory’s Gift”

Short Answer: For the narrator, finding his voice was the catalyst to realizing the depth of his bravery. He says, “My fear was so strong and real I was sick with it.” He “watched in terrified fascination” and “braced for the attack.” Even though he’s “trembling,” “quivering,” he [stands] “his ground” and “finds his voice. Grrr! I roared at him.” He sees the cougar’s “irises turn dark with alarm” and “rocket away.”

Possible Short Answer Responses “Emory’s Gift”

Short Answer: The narrator’s visceral fear does not surpass his primal instinct to survive. He says, “My fear was so strong and real I was sick with it.” However, he “stood his ground” and “braced for the attack. . . I would put up a good fight or I would die. . . Grrr! I roared at him.” Suddenly, he notices the cougar’s alarm as the animal’s “eyes widen. . . and his irises turn dark.” The cougar “turned and “rocketed away. . . disappearing into the brush.” Charlie survived! He “was safe.”

Possible Short Answer Responses “Emory’s Gift”

Short Answer: The narrator learns just how strong he is when faced with a do or die encounter with a wild cougar. Even though his “fear was so strong and real” that it made him sick, he hears his inner voice echoing advice from his father. “Stand up big and tall” because “what you want is for that cougar to see you as a meal that’s going to cost him.” Charlie “stood his ground” and “braced for the attack. . . [he would] put up a good fight or die. . . Grrr! I roared at him,” transforming himself from a “bite-sized” morsel to an “intimidating” force in a matter of seconds. The cougar “turned and “rocketed away. . . disappearing into the brush.” Charlie survived! He “was safe.”

English II Short Answer Questions 2015

English II Short Answer Questions

2015

STAAR Short Answer

English II Connecting Selection—Spring 2015 How are Dr. V. in “Helping Others to See” and the author of “A Ball to Roll Around” similar? Support your answer with evidence from both selections.

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English II STAAR Short Answer

Score Point 0:

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English II STAAR Short Answer

Score Point 1:

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English II STAAR Short Answer

Score Point 2:

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English II STAAR Short Answer

Score Point 3:

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Reading—The Four Big Skills

Understanding Author’s Craft—being

able to identify the “tools” an author uses to craft a piece and to pinpoint/ articulate how they affect meaning.

Making Connections—being able to make connections both within and across texts at differing levels of depth and complexity (including making connections between a text and its accompanying photograph or procedural piece).

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Reading—The Four Big Skills

Having a Command of Academic Vocabulary—being able to apply the specific academic vocabulary associated with literary and informational reading.

Using Text Evidence—being able to “stay inside the text” and find and use text evidence to confirm the validity of an idea both within and across texts.

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Author’s Craft—Middle School

Grade 7 Expository—question 20 In paragraph 3, the author uses the example of the 3,000-year-old house in Tanis to — A. prove that satellites are constantly taking photographs to locate ancient cities 22% B. demonstrate that sites once thought to be fictional have been proved to exist 24%

*C. emphasize that satellite photography is powerful enough to find a single building 43%

D. suggest that previously discovered sites may be much older than originally thought 11% 37

Author’s Craft—High School

English I Fiction—question 20 The ball drops to the ground at the boy’s feet. It lies there stunned, quivering, containing flight beneath its smooth skin. Why does the author use personification in this quotation? A. The baseball game symbolizes the love of the family. 8% *B. The description mimics the boy’s disappointment. 60% C. The author is comparing a ball to a bird. 12% D. The author is showing the distance the ball has traveled.

20% 38

Making Connections—Middle School

Grade 6 Fiction—question 5 The qualities Brian is described as having in paragraph 6 are most closely related to those associated with the — *A. logical side of Sophie’s mother 52% B. dreamy side of Sophie’s father 6% C. hardheaded side of Sophie 25%

D. good side of Uncle Dock 18% 39

Making Connections—High School

English II Persuasive—question 48 What does the boxed information on constructive criticism have in common with the reading selection? A. It emphasizes the importance of defending yourself

when you have been criticized. 12% B. It reminds readers that different kinds of people

respond differently to criticism. 21% *C. It offers specific pieces of advice for the reader to

use. 61% D. It employs the viewpoint of a sympathetic first-person

narrator. 5% 40

Academic Vocabulary—Middle School

Grade 6 Drama—question 46 Why are the stage directions at the end of Scene 3 important? *A. They tell the reader that the nightingale abandons

the emperor. 56% B. They allow the reader to appreciate the beauty of

the mechanical nightingale. 9% C. They help the reader visualize the comfortable

surroundings the emperor enjoys. 22% D. They let the reader recognize the difference

between the two nightingales. 13% 41

Academic Vocabulary—Middle School

Grade 8 Persuasive—question 33 The author supports the article’s premise by providing — A. testimonials from students who have had success

with online education 10% *B. examples of how online classes are improving

education 70% C. statistics from various schools that offer online

classes 16% D. quotations from people who have been involved in

organizing online classes 4% 42

Academic Vocabulary—High School

English II Poetry—question 40 In the first 12 lines of the poem, the poet uses imagery to describe — *A. a world apart from human culture 64% B. a hostile environment of predators and prey 14%

C. an ancient pre-human landscape 7% D. a community of anthropomorphic animals 14%

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Text Evidence—Middle School

Grade 8 Persuasive—question 35 Which sentence supports the belief that online education will be more widespread in the future? A. Students involved in extracurricular activities, those who have been

hospitalized, or those who are behind in earning required credits can meet their educational needs though enrollment in online classes. 19%

*B. U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan believes so strongly in virtual education that he helped budget $500 million for the development of online precollege and college courses over the next 10 years. 59%

C. A 2009 Department of Education report suggests that students enrolled in online classes performed better than those in traditional schools. 14%

D. This “classroom” experience is far different that anything they did in school. 2% 44

Text Evidence—High School

English I Literary Nonfiction—question 48 In which line from the article does the author reveal how she would like others to respond to her lack of hearing? A. I had always hated to be seen as inferior, so I never

mentioned my lack of hearing. 20% B. If I tell, people will see only my disability. 15% C. Unlike a wheelchair or a white cane, my disability

doesn’t announce itself. 13% *D. It’s a tender part, and you should handle it with care.

51% 45

Author’s Craft Question (English I 2013)

32. By having the narrator tell the story to Marge, the

author allows the reader to function as— A a firsthand witness 29% B a second storyteller 18% *C a third-party observer 39% D an informed participant 13%

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