Constructing Text
Dependent Questions
for the Science Classroom
Maryland College and Career Readiness
Conference
Summer 2014
1
Session Outcomes
• Identify the role of close analytic reading and textdependent questions toward achieving college and
career readiness.
• Identify the considerations for developing textdependent questions.
• Evaluate sample text-dependent questions
• Design text dependent questions for a science text
Let’s warm-up our thinking about
close reading in the science
classroom.
What is the role of textdependent questions in
achieving college and career
readiness??
College and Career Readiness
Requires 3 Shifts in Literacy
• Regular practice with complex text and it’s
academic language.
• Reading, writing, and speaking grounded in
evidence from text, both literary and
informational
• Building knowledge through content-rich
non-fiction.
Why Use Text Dependent Questions?
“An effective set of text-dependent questions
delves systematically into a text to guide students
toward extracting the key meanings or ideas
found there.” – achievethecore.org
Text-Dependent Questions A Scaffold to Independent Reading
Showing students and giving them ideas on
how to think, rather than what to think,
requires a layer of scaffolding and confidencebuilding before students can accept the
practice of close reading of complex text for
their own.
Connection to NGSS
Practice 8
Obtaining, Evaluating, and Communicating Information
• Identify the Practice 8 expectations for reading in your
grade band.
• Discuss with a partner/table
 the connections of this NGSS Practice with reading.
 the implications for reading in the science classroom.

the implications for college and career readiness.
Why Text-Dependent Questions in the
science classroom?
• Analyzing , synthesizing, and applying
information from a variety of texts is an
expectation of NGSS and MCC-R Standards.
• Text-dependent questions guide students in
accessing information and provide a scaffold
towards independent reading and deep
understanding of core ideas.
TEXT-DEPENDENT QUESTIONS
A FIRST GLANCE
Is the text aligned to the NGSS ThreeDimension learning?
NGSS Disciplinary Core Idea: HS-ESS3.2-A Natural Resource
All forms of energy production…have associated economic, social,
and geopolitical costs and risks as well as benefits. New technologies
and social regulations can change the balance of these factors.
NGSS Practices
• Explanation (post reading task)
• Obtaining, Evaluating, and Communicating
NGSS Crosscutting Concepts
•Cause and Effect
Thinking About the Questions!
• Is the question text-dependent?
• Is the question worth asking?
• Does the question support the
understanding of the core idea(s)?
Evaluate a Text Dependent Question
What are wind farms?
1. Is the question text dependent?
2. Is the question worth asking?
3. Does the question support the
understanding of the core idea(s)?
Evaluate a Text Dependent Question
How long can some wind power companies be
allowed to kill eagles?
1. Is the question text dependent?
2. Is the question worth asking?
3. Does the question support the
understanding of the core idea(s)?
Evaluate a Text Dependent Question
Re-read paragraph 2. What is the meaning of the
phrase “free ride” in the second sentence? What
evidence in the text supports your response?
1. Is the question text dependent?
2. Is the question worth asking?
3. Does the question support the
understanding of the core idea(s)?
How to Craft
Questions
Choose a Text Worth Reading
• Not every text is worthy of a close reading that
requires an analysis lead by text dependent
questions. Choose wisely.
• A worthy text
is complex.
is aligned to content standards and supports
understanding of topic, solves a problem, or
informs citizens.
is engaging for readers.
Practice Text
Is the text complex?
Text: Bits of Mystery DNA, Far From ‘Junk,’ Play Crucial Role
Flesch-Kincaid 11.6
Is the text aligned to the NGSS ThreeDimension learning?
NGSS Disciplinary Core Idea NGSS: HS-LS3.A Inheritance and Variation of
Traits
Each chromosome consists of a single very long DNA
molecule...Not all DNA codes for a protein; some segments of DNA
are involved in regulatory or structural functions, and some have no asyet know function.
NGSS Practices
• Explanation (post reading task)
• Obtaining, Evaluating, and Communicating
Crosscutting Concepts
•Structure and Function
Is it engaging?
Know the Text Well!!!
Use annotation to identify important
and challenging areas of the text
before constructing questions.
Read and annotate the text.
Identify the…
• the central ideas and key details of the text.
• key academic vocabulary and text structure.
• the sections of the text that will present the most
difficulty (difficult sentence structure, dense or
unfamiliar information, tricky inferences).
• areas critical to gaining the desired content
knowledge.
Annotate the text
Your turn to read
and annotate the
text
• Central idea and key
details
• Vocabulary
• Difficult areas of text
for students
• Critical content
What did you note and notice about the
text?
Turn and Talk with a partner or group.
• Central idea and key details?
• Vocabulary?
• Difficult areas of text for students?
• Critical content ?
Considerations for Writing Text-dependent
Questions for Close Analytic Reading
• Identify the core understandings and key ideas.
• Include opening questions to orient students to the
text and provide confidence.
• Craft questions based on powerful academic words
and text structures connected to the key ideas.
Considerations for Writing Text-dependent
Questions for Close Analytic Reading
• Develop questions that support tough sections of text
presenting the greatest difficulty for deep
understanding.
• Sequence the series of questions to build toward
deeper analysis.
• Identify which standards are aligned with the
questions.
What is the Connection between
Text Dependent Questions and
Literacy Standards?
Cite Evidence
Central Ideas
Multi-step Procedure
Vocabulary
Text Structure
Author’s Purpose
Multiple /Diverse Formats
Evaluate Evidence
Argument and Support
Text Complexity
What do good text dependent
questions look like?
Example Question 1
The author uses the words mystery and
puzzles in the title and in the first sentence.
Underline the mysteries and puzzles identified
in this section of the text.
(RST.9-10.1 , RST.9-10.6)
Example Question 2
• What is the meaning of the word dismissed in
paragraph 2? Identify the evidence in the test
that supports your answer.
(RST.9-10.1, RST.9-10.4)
• Why did the author choose to use this word in
this paragraph?
(RST.9-10.8)
Example Question 3
• Underline information in the text that explains
the role of “junk DNA” in the human body.
Describe the role of “junk” DNA to your
partner.
(RST.9-10.1, RST.9-10.2 )
Progression of Text-dependent Questions
Whole
Opinions, Arguments,
Intertextual Connections
Across
texts
Inferences
Entire text
Segments
Author’s Purpose
Paragraph
Vocab & Text Structure
Sentence
Key Details
Word
General Understandings
Part
Frey, N & Fisher, D.
1. Review your annotations.
2. Identify a final task that aligns to NGSS Core Idea.
3. Where in the text would you pause and ask a textdependent questions that causes students to slow down
their reading and analyze the text ?
4. Craft questions that address these difficult or important
areas of the text that support the understanding of the
content.
5. Organize the questions into a meaningful progression for
students that supports understanding the purpose for
reading.
Construct Your
Text Dependent Questions
• Text
Wind Farms
Bits of Mystery
• Question
• Standard (s)
• How is this question important to
understanding the core idea or task?
Share Your Examples
Review Process
1. Choose 3 questions for peer review.
2. Post questions for peer review.
3. Take a gallery walk and review examples.
4. Write questions and/or suggestions for
revision on a sticky note for authors..
What does it look like in a
classroom?
• Students read the text independently (annotation).
• Teacher facilitates a close reading and analysis of the
text by asking text-dependent questions.
• Students re-read sections of the text and discuss
answer to questions before class discussion.
• Teacher ask probing and clarifying questions as
students share text based answers to questions.
Where does close reading fit in lesson
planning?
Practices:
Using Models, Analyzing and
interpreting Data, and Explanation
Practices:
Obtaining, Evaluating, and
Communicating Information
Practices:
Obtaining, Evaluating, and
Communicating Information
Practices:
Obtaining, Evaluating, and
Communicating Information;
Explanation
Practices:
Using Models, Analyzing
and interpreting Data,
and Explanation
Some Thoughts on Writing Text
Dependent Questions
•
There is no one right way to have students work with textdependent questions.
•
Different needs of students means providing and scaffolding
supports differentially - not asking easier questions or
substituting simpler text.
•
Listening and speaking should be built into any sequence of
activities along with reading and writing.
•
The CCSS require ALL students to read and engage with grade
appropriate complex text regularly. This requires new ways of
working in our classrooms.
Modified from Achieve the Core
The power of text dependent
question lies in the ability to
create independent readers of
complex texts.
What’s the Relationship?
How do these work together?
Session Outcomes
• Identify the role of close analytic reading and textdependent questions toward achieving college and
career readiness.
• Identify the considerations for developing textdependent questions.
• Evaluate sample text-dependent questions
• Design text dependent questions for a science text
Parting Thoughts!
Thank You!
Contact Information:
Joann Roberts
Science Disciplinary Literacy Specialist
jroberts@msde.state.md.us