It all DEPENDS!

Shift 2 – ELA CCSS

March 26th, 2013

Why the shift?• Asking students to make connections to

themselves, other texts and the world is a common style of question that guides students away from the text.

• We often ask students simple questions that require very literal thinking to ensure they have read the text.

What are text-dependent questions?• Are questions that can only be answered correctly by close

reading of the text and demand careful attention to the text• Require an understanding that extends beyond recalling

facts• Often require students to infer• Do not depend on information from outside sources• Allow students to gather evidence and build knowledge• Provide access to increasing levels of complex text• Call for careful and thoughtful teacher preparation• Require time for students to process• Are worth asking

Teacher Response

“I also found myself editing and rewriting the more I thought about them. It's definitely not the easiest task I have ever tackled.”

Text-Dependent Questions are NOT…

• Low-level, literal, or recall questions

• Focused on comprehension strategies

• Just questions…

What are we looking for?• Rich and rigorous evidence-

based conversation about text by students and teachers

• Discussions that stay rooted in the text

• Students revisiting the text for evidence to support their argument

• Students slowing down to explore and learn from the evidence

How much of the standards are devoted to this shift?

80 - 90% of the reading standards

require text-dependent analysis

Grade 3 - EOG• What is the meaning of the word projects as

used in paragraph 4? • In paragraph 7, what does Marcus mean

when he says to Claudia, “Bring one of your collections. You’ve got a million of them!”?

• What is the similarity between paragraphs 3 and 4?

• Which phrase supports the happy feeling of the poem?

Grade 4 - EOG• Which statement supports the main idea of this

selection?• In paragraph 14, what does Grandpa mean

when he says, “But my Grandpa Joe had a way with people. Made ’em smile”?

• What is meant by the sentence below? “ ‘It always bugged me when the vet took our dogs to the back of the office and closed the door’ ”?

• What is the main idea of paragraph 9?

Grade 5 - EOG• Which statement summarizes the theme of the

selection?• In the sentence below, what does the word

shabbily mean? “Roberto noticed again how shabbily he

was dressed.”• In paragraph 19, what is the meaning of

“Roberto’s heart was in his stomach”? • In the selection, what can be inferred about how

the people in the crowd viewed the old man?

Smarter Balanced Assessments• What does Naomi learn about Grandma Ruth? Use

details from the text to support your answer.• Read the sentences from the passage. Click on two

phrases from the paragraph that help you understand the meaning of scarred.

• How does the author emphasize the point that the TAM program was a positive influence on the sisters’ lives? Use details from the text to support your answer.

• What does the author mean by “the sky is no longer the limit”? How does the meaning apply to the Anyadike sisters? Use details from the text to support your response.

Text-Dependent Questions & Guided Reading

Text-Dependent Questions & Shared Reading

Text-Dependent or NOT?A Monarch Butterfly’s Life

What does the phrase “breaks free” mean in the text?Why does the monarch butterfly fly south?Why do you think the author states “She will not live long enough to return to Connecticut?”What can you infer about the sentence “She will not live long enough to return to Connecticut?”

What evidence is there in the text that the flight south was a difficult journey for the butterfly?How would you describe the monarch butterfly’s journey south? What evidence is there in the text to support your answer?Do you think it was right for the little child to catch the butterfly?What would happen if the monarch butterfly didn’t fly south?Which events in the text show that the monarch butterfly had a full life?

Even More Examples

Text Dependent Questions and Vocabulary

Re-read the last two paragraphs on page 39. Rory had a “strong suspicion”. What is suspicion? What details in the story made Rory suspicious of Bolivia?

Text Dependent Questions and Structure

Look at the illustrations on page 31. Why did the illustrator include details like the power outlets in the walls?”

Text Based Anchor Charts

A Word of Caution…

“If students aren’t directed to read small chunks of text closely, they will never

learn to reach deeper levels of analysis. However, if we chop up the books and

have them analyze too many segments, they will succumb to readicide.”

~Kelly Gallager, Readicide, 2009

Let’s Practice!

Follow the Steps….

Resources• ELA Common Core State Standards Self Study

LiveBinder

• Achieve the Core Website• Christina Hank article • NY Sample Items• NCDPI Released Items