Going Beyond Understanding
Arkansas Reading Association
“How Sweet It Is”
November 21, 2013
Grades 4-6
Sponsored by Sundance/Newbridge Publishing
Judy Smith, presenter
jasmith@sundancepub.com
Who Me? Worry?
Last School Year, various schools volunteered
to take different parts of PARCC as a
practice run. Kentucky students took the
entire ELA test.
Results: 28% drop in proficiency
So What Is Happening?
Critical
Thinking
Comprehension
Decoding
Oral Language
New Expectations

Types of Questions
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
Selected Response
Constructed Response
Performance Tasks
Level of Questions

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Comprehension
Analysis
Inference
Synthesis
Evaluation
The Confusion Between
Complexity and Difficulty
Which of the following questions would be most
difficult for you/your group to answer?
1. List the 50 U.S. states in alphabetical order.
2. List the 50 U.S. states with their state capitals in
alphabetical order.
3. List the 50 U.S. states with their state capitals in
order of entry into the union.
What level is each of these three questions?
What is Selected Response?
Assessments in which students will need to
choose the best answer to the question.
PARCC gives either four or five possible
responses and has not used “All of the
above” or “None of the above” as
possibilities. Unlike traditional MC, the
selected response questions trigger critical
thinking.
What Level of Questions Again?





Analysis: The detailed examination of the parts of the
whole.
Comprehension: The ability to understand the
meaning of a text.
Evaluation: The ability to make a judgment based on
criteria.
Inference: The process of drawing a logical conclusion
based on factual knowledge or evidence.
Synthesis: The combining of parts into a whole.
What Does That Look Like for a
Selected Response Question?
1A. What is one main idea of “How Animals Live”?
A. There are many types of animals on the planet.
B. Animals need water to live.
Synthesis
C. There are many ways to sort different animals.
D. Animals begin their life cycles in many different forms.
1B. Which sentence from the article best supports the answer to part 1A?
A. “Animals get oxygen from air and water.”
B. “Animals can be grouped by their traits.”
C. “Worms are invertebrates.”
Analysis
D. “All animals grow and change over time.”
E. “Almost all animals need water, food, oxygen, and shelter to live.”
from Advances in the PARCC ELA/Literacy Assessment, August, 2012
More SR Examples, Please
In the brochure Alignment to PARCC, look at
Second grade examples on page 4
Fifth grade examples on page 5
Note that assessments should contain various
levels of questions!
Fifth Grade SR Example from
“The Nelson Mandela Story” (pg. 20-21)
1.
Of what significance was Mandela’s wearing a
Springbok shirt?
A.
B.
C.
D.
South Africa was hosting the games, and it was
important that the president support rugby.
Black men had never worn the shirt before, and the
president needed to be the first.
Mandela was giving the opening speech so he needed
to look like the team.
Mandela was telling South Africans that apartheid was
over and everyone needed to unite as South Africans.
Inference
Your Turn To Write a Selected
Response
Using any section of the book “The Nelson
Mandela Story” write a question and
choices. Make sure you write a question
that causes the students to




Analyze
Infer
Synthesize
Evaluate
What is Constructed Response?
Constructed Response Questions are
assessments in which students must
compose answers. Constructed responses
address assessment targets and claims that
are of greater complexity and require more
analytical thinking [inference, analysis,
synthesis, evaluation] and reasoning.
What Does That Look Like for a
Constructed Response Question?
Drag the words from the word box into the correct location
on the graphic to show the life cycle of a butterfly as
described in How Animals Live.
Advances in the PARCC ELA/Literacy Assessment, August, 2012
444
Pupa
1
Adult
4
Egg
Larva
frAdvanin the PARCC
ELA/Literacy
2
Assessment, August
3
More CR Examples, Please
In the brochure Alignment to PARCC, look at
Second grade examples on page 8, 9
Fifth grade examples on page 8, 9
Note that assessments should contain various
levels of questions!
Fifth Grade CR Example from
“The Nelson Mandela Story”(pg. 14-15)
1. Explain at least two ways by which
Nelson Mandela improved prison life for
himself and other prisoners.
Synthesis
Your Turn To Write a
Constructed Response
Using any section of the book “The Nelson
Mandela Story”, ask the students to do a
task. Make sure your task causes the
students to:
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

Analyze
Infer
Synthesize
Evaluate
What Is A Performance Task?

Performance Tasks involve multiple steps which may include several
readings, working with graphic organizers, and writing using details
and proof from the materials. In testing, performance tasks are
generally allotted up to two hours to complete.

Generally, performance tasks at third grade will involve at least one
video and at least one reading. Part of the discussion will be whole or
small group. Students are allowed to use their notes and are not graded
on the quality of the notes.

Generally, performance tasks for fourth grade and up will involve at
least one video and at least two readings. Part of the discussion will be
whole or small group. Students are allowed to use their notes and are
not graded on the quality of their notes.
What Does That Look Like for a
Performance Task?
1.
View a video section about Nelson Mandela – e.g.
Invictus
2.
3.
4.
Read “The Nelson Mandela Story” and fill in
graphic organizers his life and accomplishments.
Read a newspaper or magazine article about
Nelson Mandela.
Ask the students to answer the question “Using
information from your research, do you agree or
disagree that Nelson Mandela deserved the
Nobel Peace Prize?”
Writing: Four Types of Sentences in
Informative & Persuasive Writing
1.
2.
3.
4.
Introductory sentence – using opinion words
Text-based sentences in body.
Thought-based sentences in body.
Concluding sentence.
Report to Informative & Persuasive:
Introductory Sentence
Topic sentence – gives an overview of the topic (expository);
takes a side of the issue, tells what the writer is going to
prove (persuasive)
.
1.
Abraham Lincoln was the sixteenth president of the United States.
(report)
2.
Abraham Lincoln, one of the greatest presidents, served in the 1860’s.
(simple paragraph/essay – one area of proof)to
3.
Abraham Lincoln, one of the greatest presidents, served in the 1860’s
which tore the country apart because of the Civil War. (more complex
– two areas)
Report to Informative & Persuasive:
Fact-Based Sentences
Text-Based
What It Is
Fact
A statement that can be proven by observation, checking a
valid reference, talking to an authority
Statistic
Information that involves numbers found in a valid
reference
Sensory
Detail
Use of specific detail to explain how something looks,
sounds, smells, tastes, or feels – e.g. what damage a tornado
does
Example
An instance of something that is valid and provable – e.g. a
story of what a rainstorm did to houses in the
neighborhood.
Quote
Exactly what an authority said about the topic
Illustration
An extended example – e.g. all the steps a student must take
when they’ve missed school
Report to Informative & Persuasive:
Thought-Based Sentences
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
Comes from putting the pieces together and
drawing valid conclusions, opinions, analysis,
evaluation.
Help students find their thoughts by asking these
questions about the facts:
 So
what?
 Why is that important?
 Why did you use that fact?
Your Turn!
Use a fact you are currently teaching or one of
the facts below, and answer one or more of
the thought-based questions.
“People from all over the world, including
governments, artists, and sports teams,
chose not to have links with South Africa.”
“The Nelson Mandela Story” pg. 16
Report to Informative & Persuasive:
Concluding Sentence
Important
phrase from
introductory
sentence
Going Beyond Understanding
Arkansas Reading Association
“How Sweet It Is”
November 21, 2013
Grades 4-6
Sponsored by Sundance/Newbridge Publishing
Judy Smith, presenter
jasmith@sundancepub.com