Open Response Questions
Assessing Core
Content at Higher
Levels of Thinking
Donna Vincent, Muhlenberg
County Schools
Rationale
Promotes higher levels of thinking
 Helps students to internalize core
content
 Allows entry to all students
 Gives a better picture of student
understanding
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Donna Vincent, Muhlenberg
County Schools
5 Types of Open Response
Questions
Scaffolded
 Single Dimension
 Two or More Relatively Independent
Components
 Student Choice: Topics/Options
 Response to Provided Information
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Donna Vincent, Muhlenberg
County Schools
Making Memories Last
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One-bun
Two-shoe
Three-tree
Four-door
Five-hive
Six-sticks
Seven-heaven
Eight-gate
Nine-line
Donna Vincent, Muhlenberg
Ten-hen
County Schools
Scaffolded
Two or more parts labeled A, B, C…
 Each correct answer depends upon
other parts
 Questions get progressively harder
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Donna Vincent, Muhlenberg
County Schools
Example of Scaffolded ORQ
The students in Mrs. Spalding’s class are planning a fall party. There
are 29 students in the class. They have decided to have lemonade,
orange soda, and colas to drink. They will give the first person
lemonade, the second orange soda, and the next two students will
receive a cola each. This pattern continues.
A. Create a table to show the party drink
pattern.
B. What will the 29th student receive to drink?
C. How many of each type of drink will they
need (number of lemonade, orange soda, and
colas?)
D. How did your table help you answer the
question?
Donna Vincent, Muhlenberg
County Schools
Single Dimension
Component
No A, B, C parts
 Straightforward question
 Requires examples, explanation,
description, or evidence as support
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Donna Vincent, Muhlenberg
County Schools
Example of Single
Dimension Component ORQ
Look at the food chain for a typical
Kentucky forest. (diagram
provided) Predict what would
happen to the rest of the food chain
if one of the links of the chain were
wiped out. Support your answer.
Donna Vincent, Muhlenberg
County Schools
Two or More Independent
Components
Parts are labeled A, B, C…
 Each answer stands alone
 Getting one part correct does not
depend upon having other parts
correctly answered
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Donna Vincent, Muhlenberg
County Schools
Example of Two or More
Independent Components
A.
B.
The map below shows several regions
where major cities developed. Use the
map to answer questions.
Explain why these cities developed in
these areas.
Identify two of the four cities by number
and then discuss a major industry in
each
Donna Vincent, Muhlenberg
County Schools
Student Choice:
Topics/Options Provided
Lists of selections to choose from
 More opportunities to demonstrate
individual learning
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Donna Vincent, Muhlenberg
County Schools
Example of Student Choice
There are many important issues facing the
people of the U.S. today. Select 2 of the issues
or problems from the list and explain several
ways that each issue could be addressed.
Include in your explanation the pros/cons.
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budget deficit
urban development
pollution of the environment
illegal immigration
Donna Vincent, Muhlenberg
County Schools
Response to Provided Info
Data, text and/or graphics are given
 Students must manipulate raw
materials and respond to specific
questions
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Donna Vincent, Muhlenberg
County Schools
Example of Response to
Provided Information ORQ
After reading the excerpt from
Robinson Crusoe, what conclusions
can you draw about the type of
person Crusoe is? Use specific
details and evidence from the
passage to support your response.
Donna Vincent, Muhlenberg
County Schools
Problems Students Have
They won’t be specific.
 They don’t use critical vocabulary.
 They don’t provide supporting
details.
 They don’t justify their claims by
telling why and how.
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Donna Vincent, Muhlenberg
County Schools
A question
A fever causes changes in a person’s
body.
a. Describe THREE ways that a fever
changes a person’s body.
b. Using examples from the article,
explain THREE ways that a fever
can be treated.
Donna Vincent, Muhlenberg
County Schools
A level two answer
Three ways a temperature changes a
persons body is…
 You feel hot.
 An instant shiver.
 Your cheeks are red.
A fever can be treated by…
 Drinking cool liquids.
 Wear light weight clothing.
 Rest.
That’s all.
Donna Vincent, Muhlenberg
County Schools
Moving from General to
Specific
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First…make a general statement by
restating the question.
Describe three ways the body changes
when it has a fever.
Three ways the body changes when it
has a fever are as follows:
Donna Vincent, Muhlenberg
County Schools
Generality Nouns
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Areas
Causes
Challenges
Changes
Contributions
Decisions
Differences
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Influences
Kinds of
Types of
Problems
Reasons
Steps
Things
Donna Vincent, Muhlenberg
County Schools
Linear Array
Donna Vincent, Muhlenberg
County Schools
Becoming more Specific
Training students to
recognize non-specific
words in their writing
and teaching them to
reduce these words
into their components
will help students
produce writing that
is richer in details and
will eliminate
unsupported
generalities.
Donna Vincent, Muhlenberg
County Schools
Health Verbs
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Act
Block
Breathe
Change
Connect
Contract
Control
Disease
Dehydrate
Die
Digest
Divide
Excrete
 Evolve
 Expand
 Exhale
 Filter
 Flow
 Function
 Inflame
 Ingest
 Inhale
 Interact
Donna Vincent, Muhlenberg
 Exchange
County Schools
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Health Verbs
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Metabolize
Mutate
Nourish
Perform
Process
Produce
Protect
Pump
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React
Replace
Reproduce
Respond
Secrete
Stimulate
Transmit
Donna Vincent, Muhlenberg
County Schools
A Level 4 answer
A. When you have a fever, changes in your body
tell you something is not right. There are many
types of changes your body goes through. First,
your body feels hot, often you face is flushed
and you may have some chills and shivers. Your
body is working hard to fight off infection, this is
one reason you will feel tired, weak and sleepy.
You feel sweaty because your body is reacting
by cooling itself off through sweating. Sweating
is a natural way of cooling down the body. You
don’t have much of an appetite, but your body
craves liquids to replace body fluids lost.
Donna Vincent, Muhlenberg
County Schools
Continued…
B. It is important that you know what steps to take
and how to treat a fever in case you are sick. If
you find yourself running a fever first tell an
adult so they can help you with the problem.
You should stay home and get plenty of rest.
Your body needs to conserve energy so you can
fight the infection, resting is a way of saving
your energy. You should also drink lots of clear
fluids like water, ginger ale, and juices. It is
important to replace fluids lost while running a
temperature to prevent dehydration. You should
wear types of light weight clothing, like cotton,
so the air can cool your body down. If your
Donna
Vincent, Muhlenberg
fever is over 104
degrees
F, you should go to
County Schools
your doctor.
Some Words that Signal
Analysis
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Because
Since
So that
By
To
As a result
One reason
Another
consequence
Donna Vincent, Muhlenberg
County Schools
Activity
Read the student answer and
highlight the analysis statements
and phrases
Donna Vincent, Muhlenberg
County Schools
ReCAP
Re—Restate the question
 CA—Correct Answer (Be specific.)
 P—Prove it (Tell why.)
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Donna Vincent, Muhlenberg
County Schools
Re—Restate
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Use language in question to write the
main idea in general terms by restating
the stem/situation or by covering the
Bloom verb and starting your sentence
with the next word.
Introduce your topic and purpose.
Don’t use pronouns until you’ve made
your introductions.
Help the scorer know what the question is
without having to read it.
Write the restatement(s)
on an envelope.
Donna Vincent, Muhlenberg
County Schools
CA-Correct Answer
Be sure to answer all parts.
 Use one index card per part.
 Label each index card with the
correct answer by using phrases and
key words.
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Donna Vincent, Muhlenberg
County Schools
P—Prove it
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This is your supporting evidence, details,
examples…
These are your answers to the question,
“WHY?” for each correct answer on each
index card.
These might also be laws or connections
to your life.
Use keywords and phrases to jot this
information on each post it.
One way to do this is by reading what’s
on the index card
andMuhlenberg
saying, “Because…”
Donna Vincent,
County Schools
On the flap…
Put all the critical vocabulary you
can think of that should be used in
this answer:
 Specific nouns
 Verbs that go with that core content
Donna Vincent, Muhlenberg
County Schools
Drafting the Answer
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Start with a restatement on the envelope.
Label and Answer all the parts in the
order they were asked.
In complete sentences, give the correct
answers (index cards) followed by the
because statements (post it notes).
Use critical vocabulary from the question,
as well as from your own understanding.
Donna Vincent, Muhlenberg
County Schools
Components of an ORQ
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Core content
Title
Situation or stem
Directions
Bloom verbs (imperative statements)
The specifics called for—label the parts,
tell how many, ask for examples, use
bullets for emphasis…
Donna Vincent, Muhlenberg
County Schools
When Designing The
Rubric…
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Think like a child at that level.
Brainstorm all the ways a student might
enter into this question and avoid
misconceptions.
Jot down your “look fors”.
Write expectations for all 4 levels of
responses: 1-4. Remember to include –
or- statements.
Generate your rubric.
Donna Vincent, Muhlenberg
County Schools
Analyze the Class to Inform
Instruction
Look at content:
 Content knowledge
 Details or evidence support
 Appropriate content vocabulary
Look at process:
 Appropriate strategy
 Focus on question
 Answers all parts
 Organization
Donna Vincent, Muhlenberg
 Effort
County Schools
Address Needs that Arise
Individual Action Plan
 Class Action Plan
 Use analysis to inform instruction
 Plan mini lessons that relate to
needs in content, process, and effort
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Donna Vincent, Muhlenberg
County Schools
Citations
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Robert Marzano, Classroom Instruction
that Works
Silver and Strong, Thoughtful Classrooms
Joyce Jackson, Thoughtful Classrooms
Penny Roberts, Greenville Elementary
Kentucky Department of Education
Donna Vincent, Muhlenberg
County Schools