text-dependent questions

TEXT-DEPENDENT QUESTIONS

building a critical foundation of knowledge needed for comprehending complex texts

Background A priority of the Common Core State Standards

is that students must closely read texts of increasing complexity to acquire knowledge.

The standards strongly focus on students gathering evidence, knowledge, and insight from what they read and therefore require that a majority of questions and tasks that students ask and respond to (both orally and in writing) be based on the text under consideration.

Questions and tasks should require thinking about the text carefully and finding evidence in the text itself to support the response.

Rhode Island Department of Education 2/2012

80-90% of (CCSS) reading standards require text-dependent analysis yet over 30% of questions in major textbooks do not.


Why adjust the way we question? Asking students to make connections to

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

This type of questioning does not lead to a deep understanding of the text.

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

Students expend too much time and energy answering these questions rather than slowing down to consider the meaningful text-specific questions that will bring them to a deeper understanding.


Studying the StandardUsing a Learning Trajectory

We are going to explore the learning trajectory of reading standard 1in order to more deeply develop an understanding of the alignment of that standard within the K-12 context.

This activity will allow us to understand how the standard builds and increases in rigor throughout the grades.


College and Career Readiness Anchor Standard for Reading - Standard 1

This CCR anchor

standard is our goal.

All students must

demonstrate this skill in order to

be prepared for college

or a career.

R.CCR.1: Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text.


Learning TrajectoryREADING CLOSELY TO ANALYZE TEXT

R.C

CR

.1: R

ead

clos

ely

to d

eter

min

e w

hat t

he te

xt s

ays

expl

icitl

y an

d to

mak

e lo

gica

l in

fere

nces

from

it; c

ite s

peci

fic te

xtua

l evi

denc

e w

hen

writ

ing

or s

peak

ing

to s

uppo

rt co

nclu

sion

s dr

awn

from

the

text

.

RI.K.1 With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about key details in a text.RI.1.1 Ask and answer questions about key details in a text.

RI.2.1 Ask and answer such questions as who, what, where, when, why, and how to demonstrate understanding of key details in a text.

RI.3.1 Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to thetext as the basis for the answers.

RI.4.1 Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.

RI.5.1 Quote accurately from a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.

D: prompting and support

A: Who, what, where, when, why, and how are specific questions to be asked and answered CC: demonstrating an understanding of the key details

D: Specific questions such as who, what, where, when, why, and howA: Refer explicitly to the text as a basis for the answers

D: Ask and answer questionsA: Refer to details and examples when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences

D: Refer to details and examplesA: Quote accurately from the text

RI.5.1 Quote accurately from a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.D: Refer to details and examplesA: Quote accurately from the text

RI.4.1 Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the textD: Ask and answer questionsA: Refer to details and examples when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences

RI.3.1 Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as the basis for the answers. D: Specific questions such as who, what, where, when, why, and how.A: Refer explicitly to the text as a basis for the answers

RI.2.1 Ask and answer such questions as who, what, where, when, why, and how to demonstrate understanding of key details in a text.A: Who, what, where, when, why, and how are specific questions to be asked and answeredCC: demonstrating an understanding of the key details

RI.1.1 Ask and answer questions about key details in a text.D: prompting and support

RI.K.1 With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about key details in a text.

A Learning TrajectoryBig Idea: Reading Closely to Analyze Text

R.CC

R.1:

Rea

d cl

osel

y to

det

erm

ine

wha

t th

e te

xt s

ays

expl

icitl

y an

d to

m

ake

logi

cal i

nfer

ence

s fr

om it

; cite

spe

cific

tex

tual

evi

denc

e w

hen

writ

ing

or s

peak

ing

to s

uppo

rt c

oncl

usio

ns d

raw

n fr

om t

he t

ext.


Reflection Consider the following questions and then

discuss with a colleague: How does the learning from this

trajectory activity impact/expand our understanding of text-dependent questioning?

How does the learning from this trajectory activity emphasize the need for questions that are text-dependent?


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.


What are we looking for? Rich and rigorous evidence-based conversations

about text amongst students and with teachers Discussions that stay deeply connected to the

text so that students make evidentiary arguments

Students revisiting text for evidence to support their argument in a thoughtful, careful, and precise way

Students slowing down to explore and learn from the evidence


Which question requires students to read closely for text-specific information?

How did Frederick Douglass’ ability to read contribute to his emotional struggle for freedom?

After reading Frederick Douglass’ narrative, In what ways does America represent the hope for freedom that lived in the heart of Frederick Douglass?

Questions based on: Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave by Frederick Douglass

Cite examples from the text to support your answer.


A Conversation about Text-Based Answers

This 11 minute video features a discussion between New York State Commissioner of Education John B. King Jr., David Coleman (contributing author to the Common Core) and Kate Gerson (a Sr. Fellow with the Regents Research Fund) that addresses the shift to Text-Based Answers.

http://engageny.org/resource/common-core-in-ela-literacy-shift-4-text-based-answers/


http://engageny.org/resource/common-core-in-ela-literacy-shift-4-text-based-answers/

Questions to Consider After Viewing Video Independently answer the following questions

and then discuss with a colleague: What does it mean to ask text-based questions? How will this impact our instruction? What challenges will we face as we make this shift? What are the implications for teacher planning and

for teacher planning time in schools? What questions will take the students deeper into

this text and cause them to pay careful attention to it?


text-dependent questions

Documents

textdependent analysis

answer questions

students simple questions

majority of questions

reading standard

understanding of key

standard builds

ccr anchor standard