Photo: Emily Kathryn Open Book on a Pile of Books 2011 (web)
Open Response/
Short Answer
Ontario Secondary School
Literacy Test Preparation
Writing Review: Open Response / Short Writing
Paragraph: try for 3 sentences ! (6 lines)
Prepare your answer with rough notes
Use reasons from the reading (Short Writing Tasks)
Use reasons from your own knowledge &
experience (Short Writing & Open Responses
Questions)
Template:
Main answer
Reason 1
Reason 2
Tips for Responding to a Short Answer Question
1. Read the question carefully so you know how to respond. Check and see if
there are multiple parts that require specific responses.
2. Use a highlighter - highlight key words / phrases.
3. Respond directly to the question - focus your answer.
4. Write concisely but with sufficient detail - get to the point.
5. If you are not sure of how to respond, try writing something - partial points are
better than no points.
6. Respond to easier questions first and then return to more challenging
questions.
Steps to Take when Responding to
Short Answer Questions
1. Read the question so you know what you need to focus on while reading any
required text.
2. Read any provided supporting material related to the question (i.e. texts,
images, graphs, graphic organizers, etc.).
3. Re-read the question, focusing on what type of response you need to
formulate.
4. Gather the required information (i.e. supporting examples, quotations,
statistics, etc.) and to organize ideas in order to create a coherent response.
5. Write your response in the space provided.
6. Review your response, checking for organization, spelling, grammar and
punctuation.
Short Answer Examples (practice answering):
Which One is Better?
• Read Response A and Response B and discuss with an elbow
partner which one you think is better and WHY?
Response A
Response B
Discuss with your partner!
A or B?
explain Why?
Answer:
B was better!
Why?
• 1) The student wrote on ALL 6 lines.
• 2) The student included 2 specific detail from the text. For example, “the
bridge was built 2200 years ago” and “wonder whether the ancient Roman
pedestrian bridge is suited to such an overwhelming display of emotion”.
Scoring
• Each Short Answer Question (based on a reading passage) receives a score
of 0, 10, 20, or 30.
• Each Open Response question (based on your own knowledge and
experience) is marked out 30 for Topic Development (scores of 0, 10, 20, 30)
and 20 (scores of 0, 10, 20) for Writing Conventions.
What is the difference?
What is the difference between scoring a 10, 20 or a 30?
This is a 10.
What’s missing?
• This response attempts to answer the question by
stating an opinion (“I don’t think this archaeological
found the settles of the historical question”) but
supports this opinion with another statement of
opinion (“because I think that pasta was
discovered in Italy”), not with details from the
selection.
This is a 20.
What’s missing?
This response provides an opinion (“It is hard to determine the answer ”) with vague
support “the discovery of ancient noodles in China helps to support them. But if the
Italian records can be proven ture and legitament, the Italians have the victory if not
then the Chinies”.
This is a 30.
What’s missing? Nothing.
The response provides an opinion (“This archeological find
settles the historical question”) uses specific and relevant
information from the selection (references to evidence and to
Marco Polo) to support the opinion.
Short Answer Keywords
• When responding to short answer questions it is important to read the
question very carefully. The following keywords that you can find in the
question will direct how you are to respond.
• On the following slides, you can learn what these keywords mean, and have
an opportunity to see sample questions, and a standard level 3 response.
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
compare
•
define
•
describe
•
determine
•
explain
identify
justify
Teachers,
list
predict
summarize
use information from the reading
selection to support your answer
use your own ideas to support your
answer
if students are confused about any of these
keywords, please review.
Compare
• The response must state what is
the same in the two things being
compared or what is different
between them. The comparison
should include examples that show
how the things are similar or
different in one or more important
ways.
Compare - Level 3 Response
•
Compare Apples and Oranges
• Apples and oranges are both fruit, are grown on trees and have seeds in
their centres. However, an orange has a thinker and tougher skin while the
skin on an apple is much thinner.
Define
• The response must state the
meaning of the word or phrase
being defined. The response
should include the meaning and
sufficient detail to distinguish the
meaning from similar words or
phrases.
Define - Level 3 Response
• Define educate
• give intellectual, moral, and social instruction to (someone, esp. a child),
typically at a school or university: she was educated at a boarding
school.
• • provide or pay for instruction for (one's child), esp. at a school.
Describe
• Questions can ask for a
description of something, someone
or an idea or the sequence in
which a series of things happens
or a problem is solved. The
response must use words to create
a mental picture of what is being
described for the reader. The
response must give the
characteristics and key features of
what is being described in an
organized manner.
Describe - Level 3 Response
Annotation:
This response describes how the clerk’s attitude changes (She
starts with a strict attitude...she becomes more understanding).
The response uses specific and relevant details to support the
description (For example, she demands them to leave their
backpacks by the door in the beginning, but later she...let them
put their bags behind the counter).
Determine
• The response must show a
solution to a problem using logical
reasoning.
Determine - Level 3 Response
• Determine the number of school days left until Family Day.
• There is 1 school day left until Family Day
Explain
• The response must provide
specific and relevant supporting
details and show the link between
the explanation and the idea or
point being explained to make the
answer clear. The response must
use words to make clear how
something (or someone) works,
what something (or someone) is
like or why something happens or
works the way it does (emphasis is
on cause-effect relationships or
step- by-step sequences).
Explain - Level 3 Response
Annotation:
The response identifies an example of how Burd/Burd’s project
demonstrates the work of a scientist (discovered and isolated)
and clearly explains it with specific and relevant support from the
selection (micro-organism that is responsible for breaking down
Plastic bags).
Identify
• Questions can ask for the name of
a person, place or thing, or for a
reason. The response must use
information from the reading
selection.
Identify - Level 3 Response
Annotation:
This response identifies an ideal destination for a high school
field trip (Quebec City) and provides details that are specific and
relevant to the destination (practice their French language
skills...Quebec City is a provincial capital, so student’s can learn
about & understand Canadian politics) to clearly explain this
choice.
Justify
• The response must give reasons,
evidence and/or calculations to
show why an answer, argument or
conclusion is correct.
Justify - Level 3 Response
• What is an effective way advertisers persuade teenagers to buy a product.
Justify your answer with examples
Annotation:
This response identifies a way advertisers persuade teenagers
(“by showing them someone they can relate to or a popular
celebrity using the product”).
The explanation uses specific and relevant details (“if you see
Arnold Schwarzenneger using a certain protein shake”) and
explains why the method is effective (“teens will think of how
Arnold was big...This can certainly persuade teens to buy the
protein shake”).
List
• The response must include
information in point form.
List - Level 3 Response
• List your courses in Semester 2.
• Math
• Music
• English
• Phys. Ed
Predict
• The response must identify what
may happen based on the
information provided in the reading
selection or mathematical
question.
Predict - Level 3 Response
• Based on the first chapter of Hunger Games, predict what you think will
happen to Katniss Everdeen.
(Your answer will be based on the content of the first chapter. What
happens to this character? What is foreshadowed within the chapter?
Summarize
• The response must concisely
identify the main idea and give
relevant details supporting it in the
original text.
Summarize - Level 3 Response
Annotation:
This response provides a correct main idea (convert a
passenger car into a classroom) and a specific detail from the
selection that is relevant to that idea (In the 1920’s ... A North
Bay superintendent came up with an idea).