PHASE II:
THE READING AND RESPONDING SESSION
SHORT ANSWER & EXTENDED RESPONSE ESSAY
From Preparing for the LEAP…
workbook page 156
Ms. Walker
SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS
(CONSTRUCTED RESPONSE)
Example Questions:
 1. What is this selection mostly about?


2. What is the speaker of this poem trying to convey about
music? Summarize the speaker’s opinion of music and give
examples from the poem to support the opinion.
As you can see, you’ll have to think carefully about the selection
before answering. These types of questions don’t simply ask you to
recall details. It requires a response that demonstrated you have
really thought about the question.


SEE EXAMPLE ANSWERS 1 & 2 (PAGE 158)
626
SCORING RUBRIC FOR SHORT
ANSWER QUESTIONS:
2 points:
The response provides a complete and correct
answer.
1 point:
The response is partially correct. It show limited
understanding or contains errors.
0 points:
The response is incorrect, irrelevant, too brief to
evaluate, or blank.
TECHNIQUES TO USE WHEN ANSWERING
SA QUESTIONS: PAGES 159-160
1.
Understand the question.
2.
Use keywords from the question in your
response.
3.
Use specific details from the selection.
4.
Write your answer in complete sentences.
5.
Stick to the topic.
GUIDED PRACTICE:
SKILL BUILDER (PAGES 160-164)


We will read “Wheels to Dance” & “I Saw in Louisiana
a Live-Oak Growing” together.
We will answer SA questions 1-4 as a group.
QUESTION 1: PAGE 162

Give one example of figurative language used in
the passage. For example, mention words that
compare dancing to something totally different.
What characteristics are suggested by the
comparison?

One example of figurative language used in the
passage is a simile. The passage states, “dancing is
like being free-like a dolphin in the water.” Dancing
is being compared to a dolphin, which has the ability
to move around freely in the water.
QUESTION 1: SCORE DESCRIPTIONS
2 points:
The response gives one example of figurative language and
explains it.
1 point:
The response is partially correct. It includes an example of
figurative language but includes either no explanation or an
irrelevant/illogical explanation.
0 points:
The response is incorrect, irrelevant, too brief to evaluate, or
blank.
QUESTION 2: PAGE 162

How does it help Jenny’s concentration to face a
dance partner and imitate each other’s
movements? Use information from the passage to
support your explanation.

Facing a dance partner and imitating each other’s
movements are helpful to Jenny because they help
her learn to think ahead and to make predictions. For
example, when she leads and the partner imitates
her, she has to think ahead to what she will do next.
When she follows, she has to guess or predict what
her partner will do next in order to keep up.
QUESTION 2: SCORE DESCRIPTIONS
2 points:
The response explains how the exercise helps Jenny’s
concentration and includes at least one detail from the
passage to support the explanation.
1 point:
The response is partially correct. It identifies how the
exercise helps Jenny’s concentration, but it does not provide a
supporting detail/example.
0 points:
The response is incorrect, irrelevant, too brief to evaluate, or
blank.
QUESTION 3: PAGE 163
 Based
on the poem, what is one way that
the speaker thinks he is like a tree.
Explain your answer using information
from the poem.

The speaker thinks he and the tree are
both rough but strong and full of life. In
line 4, the speaker says, “its look, rude,
unbending lusty, made me think of
myself.
QUESTION 3: SCORING DESCRIPTIONS
2 points:
The response identifies and explains one way the
speaker thinks he is like the tree.
1 point:
The response is partially correct. It identifies how
the speaker feels he is like the tree, but it does
not provide an explanation.
0 points:
The response is incorrect, irrelevant, too brief to
evaluate, or blank.
QUESTION 4: PAGE 164

Based on the poem, what is one way that the
speaker thinks he is not like the live-oak tree.
Explain your answer using information from the
poem.

The speaker thinks he is not like the tree when it
comes to friends. The tree is happy alone, but the
speaker is not. In the last 2 lines, the speaker states,
“Uttering joyous leaves all its life without a friend a
lover near, I know very well I could not.” He means
that the tree thrives even though it’s alone, but the
speaker would rather have friends to keep him
company.
QUESTION 4: SCORING DESCRIPTIONS
2 points:
The response identifies and explains one way the
speaker thinks he is not like the tree.
1 point:
The response is partially correct. It identifies how
the speaker feels he is not like the tree, but it
does not provide an example.
0 points:
The response is incorrect, irrelevant, too brief, or
blank.
THE EXTENDED RESPONSE
QUESTION

SEE PAGES 164-165 (Sample Essay Question
information)
We will read “Who’s the King” and “Hatred”
together.
 We will then analyze the sample essay on page
168.

The extended response question is worth a total of
4 points. (See example score description for the
sample essay on page 169.)
GUIDED PRACTICE: EXTENDED RESPONSE
We will read “The Fight” & “Computers Do Not Benefit Young
People” on pages 170-172.
We will then answer the extended response question together.
Think about how computers are portrayed in
“The Fight” and “Computers…People.” Write
an essay of at least 100-150 words describing
how computers are portrayed as both helpful
and harmful. Use examples from the two
selections to support your ideas.
GUIDED PRACTICE:
EXTENDED RESPONSE SAMPLE ESSAY 4 PTS.
In “The Fight,” computers are portrayed as helpful.
When Jamila could not afford to purchase a gift for the senior
citizens at the nursing home, she decided to create story
booklets for each person. The passage states that Nurse
Quentin allowed her to use the nursing home’s paper and
printer. Jamila typed the stories they had told previously
then printed and stapled them together as a “keepsake.”
However, in “Computers…People,” computers are
portrayed as harmful. The passage states, “Teenagers who
spend hours in front of a computer monitor sacrifice other
skills that are learned in the early years of life.” Some of
those skills mentioned in the letter are imagination and
social skills. Additionally, teenagers are exposed to
inappropriate material that they may be too young to handle
or other forms of offensive material.
INDEPENDENT PRACTICE: READING &
RESPONDING SESSION (PAGES 174-184)
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
In this session of the test, you will read FOUR
passages. Then you will answer questions about
what you read. The session contains multiplechoice questions, short answer questions, and an
extended response question. Answer these
questions on your sheet of paper.
DO NOT SKIP ANY QUESTIONS.