Short Answer

MASTERINGTHE

RESPONSESpring 2015

Teacher’s NameGrade or School

Short Answer

Characteristics that produce high scores when it is a question about a single passage –

1. A directly-stated ANSWER that states your position and ideas about the question.

2. Citations, or evidence, that provide valid, precise proof to your Answer. Linking more than one quote through embedded citations produce higher scores.

3. Explanation is offered that is an evaluation statement where the student gives analysis that Shows insightful connection that goes beyond what is stated in the text and provides unique perception.

Characteristics

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Directly ANSWER the question borrowing key words from the question. This is your position sentence.

What is your answer and text REALLY saying about the text or universal ideas within text?

Embed your evidence with background/ context. Where was it? Who said it? When?

EXPLAIN how your textual evidence proves your answer. Don’t assume it’s obvious. Do not be literal.

Write the SAQ question here. Highlight Key Words.

Class ExamplesThe Giving Tree

Scorpions

Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs

Where the Wild Things Are

Dusting

The Gift

The Jacket

Forget Cursive: Teach Kids how to Code

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Example

YOUR TURN – STEPS TO TAKE

Read the question, reflect on what they are asking, reread the relevant text, and respond to the question

Complete the chart provided to make sure you follow all the steps. Answer Question Cite Response Explain Idea Show Connections

Write your final response on the response box, and have it reviewed by a teacher.

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In this story, the boy can be described as greedy.

Greedy people are hard to please. In this case, he took advantage of the tree’s friendship to feed his insatiable, selfish greed.

He kept wanting things from the tree like a house and boat, and he even asked, “Can you give me some money?“

This shows that the Boy was never satisfied with what he asked for. His greedy nature compelled him to return for yet another request each time.

How would you describe the boy in

this selection?[Read, Reflect, Review,

Respond]

SCORE

In this story, the boy can be described as greedy. He kept wanting things from the tree like a house and boat, and he even asked, “Can you give me some money?“ This shows that the Boy was never satisfied with what he asked for. His greedy nature compelled him to return for yet another request each time. Greedy people are hard to please. In this case, the boy took advantage of the tree’s love to feed his insatiable and selfish greed.

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In this story, the boy can be described as greedy. This nature is shown each time he makes a request like “Can you give me some money?“ or when he asks, “Can you give me a boat.” This shows that the Boy was never satisfied and always wanted more. When his momentary need was met, he stayed away until his greedy nature compelled him to return for more things.

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In this story, the boy can be described as greedy. The boy asked, “Can you give me some money?“ This shows that the Boy is always wanting things like money

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In this story, the narrator can be described as greedy. He was so greedy that even the tree told him, “but I have nothing left to give you - My apples are gone.“ This shows that the boy is definitely a greedy person in this story.

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In this story, the boy can be described as greedy. He is always wanting something from the tree. This shows that he is manipulative.

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The scorpion represents a sense of reality because it exposed Navi to the truth.

Seeing life through rose-colored glasses may require something painful to remind us what reality is like.

Navi was “spellbound by the many exotic” tales and features of Guanajuato. When she finally visited, she was overwhelmed by the beauty of the church when “a sharp pain took hold of her left shoulder.”

Navi was lost in the glory and magic of the City, its history and buildings. She neglected to even consider the dark elements that may exist until a scorpion almost killed her.

How did the scorpion represent a sense of

reality to Navi?

[Read, Reflect, Review, Respond]

SCORE

The scorpion represents a sense of reality because it exposed Navi to the truth. Navi was “spellbound by the many exotic” tales and features of Guanajuato. When she finally visited, she was overwhelmed by the beauty of the church until“a sharp pain took hold of her left shoulder.” So, Navi was lost in the glory and magic of the City and it took a near-death experience to remind her that even in beauty, dark elements can exist. In this way, the scorpion represents reality. The story shows that seeing life through rose-colored glasses may require something painful to remind us what life is really like.

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The scorpion represents a sense of reality because it exposed Navi to the truth. When Navi finally visited the captivating town of Guanajuato, she was overwhelmed by the beauty until “a sharp pain took hold of her left shoulder.” This shows that Navi was lost in the glory and magic of the City and it took a near-death experience to remind her that even in beauty, dark elements can exist.

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The scorpion represents a sense of reality because it exposed Navi to the truth. When Navi finally visited the captivating town of Guanajuato, she was overwhelmed by the beauty until “a sharp pain took hold of her left shoulder.”

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In this story, the scorpion was real because it bit Navi and almost killed her. This shows that people should be more careful when they are visiting extremely old towns.

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The ending of the story is important because it helps establish the children’s full understanding of grandpa’s tale.

Innocence allows children to imagine the impossible, where a sun over a hill transforms into a pat of butter over mashed potatoes.

After breakfast, grandpa shares “best tall- tale bedtime story he’d ever told,” involving an imaginative town where food is ever present. The children’s belief of this tall tale is established when the narrator describes their sledding he may have seen “a giant pat of butter at the top, and [he] could almost smell mashed potatoes.”

This ending shows that the children understood and were apt to also imagine grandpa’s tall tale. They were so captivated by it that they too began to imagine the likes of Chewandswallow.

What is important about the ending of the story?

[Read, Reflect, Review, Respond]

SCORE

The ending of the story is important because it helps establish the children’s full understanding of grandpa’s tale. After breakfast, grandpa shares “best tall- tale bedtime story he’d ever told,” involving an imaginative town where food is ever present. The children’s belief of this tall tale is established when the narrator describes their sledding he may have seen “a giant pat of butter at the top, and [he] could almost smell mashed potatoes.” This ending shows that the children understood and were apt to also imagine grandpa’s tall tale. They were so captivated by it that they too began to imagine the likes of Chewandswallow. Their innocence allowed the sun over a hill to transform into a pat of butter over mashed potatoes.

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The ending of the story is important because it helps establish the children’s full understanding of grandpa’s tale. After grandpa shared his tale, the children described their sledding experience, describing the sun as “a giant pat of butter at the top, and [he] could almost smell mashed potatoes.” This ending shows that the children understood and were apt to also imagine grandpa’s tall tale. They were so captivated by it that they too began to imagine the likes of Chewandswallow themselves.

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The ending of the story is important because it helps establish the children’s full understanding of grandpa’s tale. After grandpa shared his tale, the children described their sledding experience, describing the sun as “a giant pat of butter at the top, and [he] could almost smell mashed potatoes.”

SCORE

In this story, the children show their understanding of grandpa’s tale at the end, when the narrator describes the sledding experience down the hill and the possible butter that is really the sun. Then grandpa said, “A huge pancake covered the school. No one could get it off because of its weight, so they had to close the school.”

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In this story, the children show their understanding of grandpa’s tale at the end, when the narrator describes the sledding experience down the hill and the possible butter that is really the sun.

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YOUR TURN!Click here for Instructions

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Imagination is important because it provides Max with a new perspective about his life.

Sometimes people need to escape because they’re not happy with a current situation. However, it took a coveted, imagined wild world to teach Max that his reality is already his perfect world.

When Max is sent to his room as punishment, he imagines a world that he could control and fit in. He was called “the most wild thing of all.” He thought this was the world he wanted, until he realizes he “was lonely and wanted to be where someone loved him best of all.”

This imagined world teaches Max what is really important to him: feeling loved by his mother, despite his rebellious ways.

Explain the importance of imagination in this

story.

[Read, Reflect, Review, Respond]

SCORE

Imagination is important because it provides Max with a new perspective about his life. When Max punished and sent to his room, he imagines a world where he was in control and was called “the most wild thing of all.” This became his dreamland until he realizes he “was lonely and wanted to be where someone loved him best of all.” This imagined world taught Max was really important to him and that was feeling loved by his mother, despite his rebellious ways. Sometimes people need to escape because they’re not happy with a current situation. However, it took a coveted, imagined wild world to teach Max that his reality is already his perfect world.

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Imagination is important because it provides Max with a new perspective about his life. When Max punished and sent to his room, he imagines a world where he was in control and was called “the most wild thing of all.” This became his dreamland until he realizes he “was lonely and wanted to be where someone loved him best of all.” This imagined world taught Max was really important to him and that was feeling loved by his mother, despite his rebellious ways.

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Imagination is important because it allows Max to escape from his cruel mother. He was upset that he was unfairly “sent to bed without eating anything” that he created a wild world full of forests and monsters he could control.

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Imagination is important because it allowed Max to become “the King of the Wild Things” which is what he really wanted in his life.

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Imagination is important in the story because the Mom learns to become more patient with Max. At the beginning of the story, the mom sends Max to his room without supper to teach him a lesson. At the end of the story, she still has a hot supper ready for him because she learned to be more patient with him.

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In this poem, the narrator is persistent.

Ironically, this persistence paid off because her existence is immortalized in this poem which the mother cannot dust away.

Trying to proclaim her existence, the narrator spent “Each morning” writing her name on dusty furniture pieces. She continued this endeavor even though her “Mother followed” and “She erased”

the scribbles.

She was determined to make her mark through the daily seemingly fruitless efforts of writing her name.

How would you describe the narrator

in this selection?[Read, Reflect, Review,

Respond]

SCORE

In this poem, the narrator can be described as persistent. Trying to proclaim her existence, the narrator spends “Each morning” writing her name on dusty furniture pieces. She continues this endeavor even though her “Mother followed” and “She erased” the scribbles. She is determined to make her mark through the daily seemingly fruitless efforts. She shows her persistence and didn’t give up. Ironically, this persistence paid off because her existence is immortalized in this poem which the mother cannot dust away.

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In “Dusting,” the narrator can be described as persistent. She conveys this when she says, “Each morning I wrote … then crossed the dining table in script … while Mother followed, squirting linseed from a burping can into a crumpled-up flannel.” This shows that even though her mother went behind her and undid her actions, she still continues to write her name. This persistence leads her refuse to give up.

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In “Dusting,” the narrator can be described as persistent. She conveys this when she says, “Each morning I wrote … then crossed the dining table in script … while Mother followed, squirting linseed from a burping can into a crumpled-up flannel.”

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In this poem, the narrator can be considered to be persistent. She spends he days “scribbling” and “writing” and “practicing her signature” on dusty furniture items that her mom later polishes out. Her mom is persistent also because she always follows her daughter around to clean her writing.

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In this story, the narrator can be described as caring. She helps her mother with dusting. This happens when she says that helped with “squirtinglinseed from a burping can into a crumpled-up flannel.” This quote, therefore, shows that the narrator acted in a caring way towards her mother.

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In “The Gift,” the candles represent fulfilled promises.

In that moment, the little boy learned that parents can be trusted because they come through when it counts.

When the family was forced to leave behind their Christmas items, the father wondered how he would replace the “abandoned gift” and the “lost tree and the white candles.” His quick thinking led him to give his son the gift of an astounding view of space, described as “the burning of ten billion billion white and lovely candles”

This shows that the father was able to fulfill his promise of letting his son experience the wonder of Christmas even though they were not experiencing the traditional Christmas setting.

What do the candlesrepresent in the story?

[Read, Reflect, Review, Respond]

SCORE

In “The Gift,” the candles represent fulfilled promises. When the family was forced to leave behind their Christmas items, the father wondered how he would replace the “abandoned gift” and the “lost tree and the white candles.” His quick thinking led him to give his son the gift of an astounding view of space, described as “the burning of ten billion billion white and lovely candles” This shows that the father was able to fulfill his promise of letting his son experience the wonder of Christmas despite the untraditional circumstances. In that moment, the little boy learned that parents can be trusted because they come through when it counts.

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In “The Gift,” the candles represent fulfilled promises. The story describes the boy, looking out into space that was described as “the burning of ten billion billion white and lovely candles” This shows that the father was able to fulfill his promise of letting his son experience the wonder of Christmas even though the setting was untraditional.

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In this story, the candles represent outer space. It said, “the burning of ten billion billion white and lovely candles.” This shows that the little boy was looking out into space.

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In “The Gift,” The candles represented fulfilled promises. It said the boy observed the “the burning of ten billion billion white and lovely candles.” This shows that he was looking out the porthole, seeing outer space which his father promised he would.

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The candles represented happiness for the little boy. He was happy when he saw outer space and that was his gift, which explains why he was happy.

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Class Response

Class Response

Class response

Class Response

What assumption can you make about the narrator’s mother?

[Read, Reflect, Review, Respond]

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Sample response here3

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YOUR TURN!Click here for Instructions

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Class Response

Class Response

Class response

Class Response

What is the purpose of “Forget cursive: Teach kids

how to code”?

[Read, Reflect, Review, Respond]

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Sample response here3

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YOUR TURN!Click here for Instructions