Text Dependent Questions(adapted from achievethecore.org)

THIS SESSION IS ALL ABOUT YOU…

Helping students

build a critical

foundation of

knowledge for

understanding

complex text.

TODAY I expect to

learn how to

One question

I have is

Understand what Text Dependent

Questions are and are not

Types of Text Dependent Questions

Creating Text dependent Questions

Text Dependent essay released item

student samples with annotation

Is the TDA you brought aligned with

what a TDA should look like to

support student thinking, reading,

writing

WHAT I EXPECT TO ACCOMPLISH

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 often lead to a deep understanding of the text. Students do not learn the thinking skills needed for proficiency.

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.

THREE TYPES OF TEXT-DEPENDENT QUESTIONS

When writing or reviewing a set of questions,

consider the following three categories:

Questions that 1. Assess themes and central ideas2. Assess knowledge of vocabulary3. Assess syntax and structure

1.Identify the core

understandings and key ideas

of the text.

2.Start small to build

confidence.

3.Target vocabulary and text

structure.

4.Tackle tough sections head-

on.

STEPS TO CREATING TEXT-DEPENDENT QUESTIONS

7. Create coherent

sequences of text-

dependent questions.

8. Identify the standards

that are being

addressed.

9. Create the

culminating assessment.

NON-EXAMPLES AND EXAMPLES

Not Text-Dependent Text-Dependent

In “Casey at the Bat,” Casey strikes out. Describe a time when you failed at something.

What makes Casey’s experiences at bat humorous?

In “Letter from a Birmingham Jail,” Dr. King discusses nonviolent protest. Discuss, in writing, a time when you wanted to fight against something that you felt was unfair.

What can you infer from King’s letter about the letter that he received?

NON-EXAMPLES AND EXAMPLES

Non Text-Dependent Text-Dependent

In “The Gettysburg Address” Lincoln says the nation is dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. Why is equality an important value to promote?

“The Gettysburg Address” mentions the year 1776. According to Lincoln’s speech, why is this year significant to the events described in the speech?

From “Hot and Cold Summer” – 5th

grade fictional text• To avoid someone means to

keep away from them so that you don’t have to see them and they don’t have to see you. How did the boys avoid meeting Bolivia at first?” (pg 23)

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

VOCABULARY AND TEXT DEPENDENT QUESTIONS

SYNTAX AND TEXT DEPENDENT QUESTIONS

Syntax can predict student performance as much as vocabulary does.

Questions and tasks addressing syntax are

powerful.• Who are the members of the wolf pack? How many

wolves are in the pack? To answer this, pay close attention to the use of commas and semi-colons in the last paragraph on pg. 377. The semi-colons separate or list each member in the pack.

STRUCTURE AND TEXT-DEPENDENT QUESTIONS

Text-Dependent questions can

be crafted to point students’

attention to features of text that

enhance understanding (such as

how section headers and

captions lead to greater clarity

or provide hints regarding what

is most important in

informational text, or how

illustrations add to a narrative).

ELBOW PARTNERS

TO THIS POINT…

Understand what Text Dependent Questions are

and are not

Types of Text Dependent Questions

Creating Text dependent Questions

NEXTDrag picture to placeholder or click icon to add

Text

Dependent

Questions

with

annotation

GRADE LEVEL GROUPS

Discuss the TDA rubric for students to receive a “4”.

Look at the student released item discuss your first impressions and

note them on the side of the document

Look at the annotation that goes along with the student writing and

discuss your first impressions

Put the annotation and the student work together and document

where the scorer found evidence to support their score

In your group discuss the implications for our students and our

instruction.

WHOLE GROUP SHARE

Implications for students:

Implications for Instruction