Answering CRQ’s
Using R.I.C.E.
Strategy and Presentation Developed by
Phyllis Benoit
pben@vrml.k12.la.us
Constructed Response Questions
•Open-ended, short answer questions
•Require students to
analyze and respond to
a “document”
What is R.I.C.E.?
R.I.C.E. is a writing strategy
developed to equip students
with a practical tool they can
use to answer CRQ’s across
the curriculum.
Why is it important to have a
strategy to answer CRQ’s?
Students in grades 4-11 must be tested as part
of the state accountability program.
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LEAP 21 (grades 4, 8)
iLEAP (grades 5, 7, 9)
GEE 21 (grades 10,
11)
Students must read and respond to CRQ’s at
EVERY grade level in ELA, Science, and Social
Studies.
Answering Constructed Response Questions
Using R.I.C.E.
Constructed Response Questions are
open-ended, short answer items which
require you to analyze and respond to a
“document” such as a reading passage,
poem, short story, political cartoon, graph,
map, chart, timeline, photo, painting or
official document such as the Constitution.
R.I.C.E. (and gr__________)
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R = ________= _________________________
_______________________________________
I = ________ = _________________________
_______________________________________
C = ________ = _________________________
_______________________________________
E = ________ = _________________________
_______________________________________
R.I.C.E.
R= restate
I = interpret
C = connect
E = explain (extend, extra)
R.I.C.E.
R=restate=turn the question into a statement
I =interpret=figure out what the question is
asking and give an answer.
C =connect=back up your answer with a fact
from your document*; “because”
E = explain= extend your answer with extra
information from your document*;
must be relevant; “In fact,”
DOCUMENT=whatever resource you are using including things like a reading passage,
poem, a political cartoon, a chart, map, graph, timeline, photo, painting, etc.
We will learn the procedure for answering
constructed response questions and then
practice it. That way, you will become
very proficient at answering these
questions correctly.
Before we get into the specific strategy for
answering CRQ’s using R.I.C.E., here are a
few general pointers to keep in mind.
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Write as neatly as possible
Spell as accurately as possible
Never begin with because, yes or no,
true or false and NEVER use cause or
cuz in place of because.
Always go back to re-read your answer to
see if it makes sense and to check for
capital letters, end marks, a complete
sentence, correct spelling, etc.
RICE PRACTICE
(start simple, stressing the components of the strategy)
Example 1:
R (restate)
It is
What day is it?
I (interpret and answer)
Monday
C (connect--because)
because yesterday was Sunday.
E (explain, extend, extra)
In fact, it is the beginning of another week.
It is Monday because yesterday was Sunday. In
fact, it is the beginning of another week.
More RICE Practice
Example 2: What is the major religion in India?
3%
Religions in India
1%
2%
11%
83%
Hindu
Sikh
Buddhist
Christian
Muslim
A R.I.C.E. ANSWER……..
The major religion in India is
Hindu because 83% of
Indians practice that faith.
In fact, all other religions
combined only comprise
17% of the total population.
Now, let’s “R.I.C.E.” it!
R
I
C
E
The major religion in India is
Hindu because 83% of Indians
practice that faith. In fact, all
other religions combined only
comprise 17% of the total
population.
Now let’s answer a CRQ connected
to literature…
Example 3:
What would be a good
theme for “The Most
Dangerous Game?”
R
I
C
E
A good theme for “The Most
Dangerous Game” is never
judge a book by its cover
because that is the lesson
Rainsford learned in this
story. Although he initially
accepted Zaroff as kind and
civilized, he quickly learned
his evil ways. Luckily,
Rainsford defeated Zaroff at
his own “game” and
managed to survive.
Score
4
Description
______
The student’s response demonstrates in-depth understanding of the
relevant content and/or procedures. The student completes all
important components of the task accurately and communicates ideas
effectively.
Where appropriate, the student offers insightful interpretations
and/or extensions. Where appropriate, the student uses sophisticated
reasoning and/or efficient procedures.
3
The student completes most important aspects of the task accurately
and communicates clearly. The student’s response demonstrates an
understanding of major concepts and/or processes, although less
important ideas or details may be overlooked or misunderstood.
The student’s logic and reasoning may contain minor flaws.
2
The student completes some parts of the task successfully.
The student’s response demonstrates gaps in conceptual
understanding.
1
The student completes only a small portion of the task and/or shows
minimal understanding of the concepts and/or processes.
The student’s response is incorrect, irrelevant, too brief to evaluate, or
blank.
0