SCPS Language Arts Questions by Cognitive Complexity Level
Moderate Complexity (Level 2)
High Complexity (Level 3)
Note: Webb’s level 4 is an essay similar to the one students will encounter in FCAT Writes.
Non-Fiction
Context/Inferences
 In this text, what does "…" mean?*
 What does the author mean by saying "…?"*
 What does the author imply by saying, "…?"*
 Which details support the author's opinion that
…?*
Context/Inferences
 What conclusion(s) can be drawn from
“…?”*
Compare/Contrast
Compare/Contrast
 How is … like …?*
 How is … different from …?*
 What is the effect of comparing … to …?*
 Why does the author compare … and …?*
Main Idea/Details
 What is the main idea of …*?
 Why did the author entitle this text "…?”*
 What details in the text support the idea that
…?*
 How would you summarize “….?”*
 How do you interpret the information presented
in the charts, graphs, or diagrams presented in
the article?*
 What pattern of organization is used in this
passage?*
Main Idea/Details
 Based on all the information given, how
does each piece contribute to the idea that
…?*
 How do … and … suggest the central idea
that …?*
 How does the writer use … to develop this
text?*
*Support your answer with relevant details, facts, statistics, or other information from the text.
Moderate Complexity (Level 2)
High Complexity (Level 3)
Note: Webb’s level 4 is an essay similar to the one students will encounter in FCAT Writes.
Non-Fiction
Author's Purpose/Point of View
 What is the author's purpose for saying
"…"?*
 What does the author think about …?*
 What point does the author make by saying
…?*
Devices of Persuasion
 What does the author mean by writing "…?"*
 Which details support the author's opinion
about …?*
Author's Purpose/Point of View
 What tone is created by the author by
saying "…"?*
Devices of Persuasion
 How does the author persuade (convince)
the reader to (that) …?*
 What tone does the author create by
writing, "…?"*
Evaluating Information
 If you were a …, how could you use this
information to …?*
 According to the information given in …
(and…), what would be the BEST (MOST)
…?*
 How does the writer use (word, phrase) to
strengthen the argument that …?*
 According to …, what is the MOST VALID
argument for …?*
 What makes the author a reliable/unreliable
source?*
 Using the chart or graph presented in the
article, what data was used to draw your
conclusion that…?*
*Support your answer with relevant details, facts, statistics, or other information from the text.
Moderate Complexity (Level 2)
High Complexity (Level 3)
Note: Webb’s level 4 is an essay similar to the one students will encounter in FCAT Writes.
Non-Fiction
Synthesizing Information
 How does the author convey the meaning
that …?*
 How does the author show … as (a) …"?*
 What does … advise … to do?*
 What information supports the conclusion
that …?*
 What leads the reader to believe that …?*
 Why does … act (behave) in this way?*
Cause/Effect
 What caused … to …"?*
 What was the effect of …"?*
 Why did … happen to …?*
 How did the conflict between … and …
begin and how was that conflict resolve?*
Cause/Effect
 What is the cause/effect relationship
between “…” and “…?”*
Analyzing
 How does … change from …?*
 How does… affect the issue of …?"*
 How does … change from …?*
 How does… affect the issue of …?"*
 What words or phrases create the tone of
…?*
 How is the central theme of … resolved?*
 How would … be different if …?*
*Support your answer with relevant details, facts, statistics, or other information from the text.
Moderate Complexity (Level 2)
High Complexity (Level 3)
Note: Webb’s level 4 is an essay similar to the one students will encounter in FCAT Writes.
Fiction
Context/Inferences
Context/Inferences
 What conclusion(s) can be drawn from “…?”*
 In this text, what does "…" mean?*
 What does the author mean by
saying "…?"*
 What does the author imply by
saying, "…?"*
 Which details support the author's
opinion that …?*
Compare/Contrast
Compare/Contrast
 How is … like …?*
 How is … different from …?*
 What is the effect of comparing … to …?*
 Why does the author compare … and …?*
 In what way are the themes in “….” and “….”
similar/different?*
Main Idea/Details
 What is the theme of …?*
 Why did the author entitle this
selection "…"?*
 What details in the selection support
the theme that …?*
 How would you summarize “….?”*
Main Idea/Details
 How do … and … suggest the central theme that …?*
 How does the writer use … to develop this plot?*
*Support your answer with relevant details, facts, statistics, or other information from the text.
Moderate Complexity (Level 2)
High Complexity (Level 3)
Note: Webb’s level 4 is an essay similar to the one students will encounter in FCAT Writes.
Fiction
Author's Purpose/Point of View
 What is the author's purpose for
saying "…"?*
 What does the author think about
…?*
 What point does the author make by
saying …?*
Author's Purpose/Point of View
 What tone is created by the author by saying "…"?*
Devices of Persuasion
 What does the author mean by
writing "…?"*
 Which details support the author's
opinion about …?*
Devices of Persuasion
 How does the author persuade (convince) the reader to
(that) …?*
 What tone does the author create by writing, "…?"*
Synthesizing






How does the author convey the meaning that …?*
How does the author show … as (a) …"?*
What does … advise … to do?*
What details support the conclusion that …?*
What leads the reader to believe that …?*
Why does … act (behave) in this way?*
*Support your answer with relevant details, facts, statistics, or other information from the text.
Moderate Complexity (Level 2)
High Complexity (Level 3)
Note: Webb’s level 4 is an essay similar to the one students will encounter in FCAT Writes.
Fiction
Cause/Effect




What caused … to …"?*
What was the effect of …"?*
Why did … happen to …?*
How did the conflict between … and
… begin and how was that conflict
resolve?*
Cause/Effect
 What is the cause/effect relationship between “…”and
“…?”*
Analyzing Literature
Analyzing Literature
 What element of the setting creates
the problem for “…?”*
 What is the central conflict between
… and … ?”*







How does … change from …?*
How does… affect the issue of …?"*
What words or phrases create the tone of …?*
How is the central theme of … resolved?*
How would … be different if …?*
What is the relationship between “….” and “….?”*
How does …'s character change from the beginning to the
end of …?*
 When is the central conflict between… and …introduced in
the story?*
*Support your answer with relevant details, facts, statistics, or other information from the text.
Moderate Complexity (Level 2)
High Complexity (Level 3)
Note: Webb’s level 4 is an essay similar to the one students will encounter in FCAT Writes.
Poetry
Context/Inferences
 In this poem, what does "…"
mean?*
 What does the poet mean by saying
"…?"*
 What does the poet imply by saying,
"…?"*
 Which details support the poet's
opinion that …?*
Context/Inferences
 What conclusion(s) can be drawn from “…?”*
Compare/Contrast
Compare/Contrast
 How is … like …?*
 How is … different from …?*
 What is the effect of comparing … to …?*
 Why does the poet compare … and …?*
 In what way are the themes in “….” and “….”
similar/different?*
Main Idea/Details
 What is the theme of …?*
 Why did the poet entitle this poem
"…"?*
 What details in the poem support the
theme that …?*
 How would you summarize “….?”*
 What characteristics within the
poem make it a “….” (sonnet, haiku,
limerick, etc. )?*
Main Idea/Details
 How do … and … suggest the central theme that …?*
 How does the poet use … to develop this poem?*
*Support your answer with relevant details, facts, statistics, or other information from the text.
Moderate Complexity (Level 2)
High Complexity (Level 3)
Note: Webb’s level 4 is an essay similar to the one students will encounter in FCAT Writes.
Poetry
Author's Purpose/Point of View
 What is the poet 's purpose for
saying "…"?*
 What does the poet think about …?*
 What point does the poet make by
saying …?*
Author's Purpose/Point of View
 What tone is created by the poet by saying "…"?*
Devices of Persuasion
Devices of Persuasion
 What does the poet mean by writing  How does the speaker persuade (convince) the reader to
"…?"*
(that) …?*
 Which details support the
 What tone does the poet create by writing, "…?"*
poet’s/speaker’s opinion about …?*
Synthesizing
 How would you say “….” in your
own words?*
Synthesizing
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



How does the poet convey the meaning that …?*
How does the poet show … as (a) …"?*
What does … advise … to do?*
What details support the conclusion that …?*
What leads the reader to believe that …?*
*Support your answer with relevant details, facts, statistics, or other information from the text.
Moderate Complexity (Level 2)
High Complexity (Level 3)
Note: Webb’s level 4 is an essay similar to the one students will encounter in FCAT Writes.
Poetry
Analyzing Poetry
Analyzing Poetry
 What does “….” in the poem
represent?*
 What is the central theme?*




What words or phrases create the tone of …?*
How would … be different if …?*
What is the relationship between “….” and “….?”*
Why does the speaker believe “…..?”*
Analyzing Poetry
 How does the poet use (metaphor, simile, rhyme,
repetition, alliteration, personification, etc.) in this poem
to …?*
*Support your answer with relevant details, facts, statistics, or other information from the text.