Activities

1. Create and illustrate a four-square on the Question-Answer Relationships (QAR) strategy.

2. Using a given piece of literature, student skims a page or several pages of text to locate where particular events, conversations, and ideas appear.

3. Using a given piece of literature, summarize the text or a portion of the text.

4. Using a given piece of literature, generate an evaluation or judgment based on explicit and implicit textual evidence.

5. Using a piece of literature, cite evidence that demonstrates that the character behaved in an expected or unexpected manner based on prior textual evidence. 
   
   
6. Using a piece of literature, construct a concept web analysis of the text, with connections between key pieces of textual evidence and the text analysis.
   
   
7. Using a given piece of literature, connect and explain ideas using textual evidence.
   
   
8. Using a given piece of literature, evaluate varied meanings, central ideas, or the theme using textual evidence.

Answer Key/Rubric

1. Student creates and illustrates a four-square on the Question-Answer Relationships (QAR) strategy.  Student understands that they make meaning when reading in various ways.  Student understands when answering a specific text-based question, the answers can be found in a variety of ways.  Student includes the following question-answer relationships in the four square:

• Right There Questions: Literal questions whose answers can be found in the text.  The words used in the question are often the exact words found in the text (explicit question).
• Think and Search Questions: Answers are gathered from several parts of the text and put together to make meaning (explicit question).
• Author and You: These questions are based on information provided in the text but the student must combine it with his own experience to get the correct answer (implicit question or inference).
• On My Own: These questions require the student to use their background or prior knowledge to answer the question.  The answer is not in the text (analysis of text helps student think about the topic, but the answer is produced by the student, not the text).

2. Student uses the given piece of literature and skims a page or several pages of text to locate where particular events, conversations, ideas and so forth, appear.  Student understands that skimming is not haphazard, but a logical reading of limited lines of text.  Student reads a line of text, tries to recall what happened and if the information needed is nearby before continuing on.  Student understands that skimming for particular names, characters, dialogue, scenes, or events may assist in locating needed information.  Student understands that he may dismiss areas of text that are not what is being searched for.  Student successfully locates information being searched for.

3. Student uses the given piece of literature and summarizes the text or a portion of the text.  Student may use a Flow Diagram or Sequence Chart when recalling key points and condensing the most important parts of the text.  Student’s retell is accurate and complete.  Events are in sequential order when necessary. Student leaves out unimportant or extraneous information.

4. Using a given piece of literature, student generates an evaluation or judgment based on explicit and implicit textual evidence.  Student understands an evaluation is when the reader considers what he has read and makes some type of judgment about a character, event or situation.  The student’s evaluations are logically based on stated information and/or inferences.  The student examines events within the text and combines this with prior knowledge to make reasonable evaluations.  Student can give adequate and perhaps multiple examples from the text to support his/her evaluations.

5. Student uses a piece of literature and cites evidence that demonstrates that the character behaved in an expected or unexpected manner based on prior textual evidence.  Student identifies evidence that gives support to the expected behavior or identifies evidence that supports the character behaved surprisingly.  Student finds evidence in what the character says, does or thinks.  Student cites evidence that is strong, logical and relevant.  Student cites multiple pieces of evidence.  Evidence cited is in verbatim form.

6. Student uses a piece of literature and constructs a concept web with connections between key pieces of textual evidence and personal analysis of the text.  Student can make analysis of the author’s purpose, theme, figurative language found, and so on or answer any given questions posed by the teacher.  Student makes analyses that are correct and supported by the evidence.  Evidence provided is copied correctly and supports the student analysis. 

7. Using a piece of literature, student connects and explains ideas using textual evidence.  This evidence may be dispersed throughout the whole piece or within shorter passages.  Student looks for recurring or linked events and ideas.  Student may use a Flow Diagram to record linked events or ideas.  Student gives multiple pieces of logical evidence from the text.

8. Using a given piece of literature, student evaluates meanings, central ideas, or the theme.  Student evaluates the textual evidence and determines the validity of varied meanings or themes.   The student will identify the theme by determining the specific message within the text and generalizing this message for the world.   Student may use an inverted triangle graphic organizer to write the specific message at the bottom of the triangle and then make the message broader, as he uses the lines between the bottom and top, until he records the theme at the top of the inverted triangle.  The student will reject themes and meanings with insufficient evidence.  The student examines the quantity and strength of various pieces of evidence and their significance to determine which meaning or theme has the strongest support.  Student gives multiple pieces of evidence from the text.