Constructed Response
How to write a constructed response
1. Read the entire question Identify and underline key words in the question, such as: explain, elaborate, illustrate. Restate the prompt in your own words to be sure you understand it. List items you should identify in your answer. List facts and examples to support your answer. 2. R.A.C.E - Reword - Restate the question and make it into a statement as a part of the answer you provide. Ex. Question is, "What color is the sky?" Correct answer written, "The color of the sky is usually blue." or words to that effect. Answer - show how you arrived at that answer with general reasons. R and A in the same sentence. Ex. ...because of how we see light waves and the weather conditions. Cite evidence - Use the facts of examples to support the R & A in RACE. At least 3 evidence or examples. Ex. The sky is usually blue because of how we see light waves and the weather conditions. According to scientists, humans see blue skies based on what kinds of light waves are visualized in the eyes, how sunny the day is and the direction of the sunlight. Explain - Elaborate on the evidence and the examples you cited in C. Ex. The sky is usually blue because of how we see light waves and the weather conditions. According to scientists, humans see blue skies based on what kinds of light waves are visualized in the eyes, how sunny the day is and the direction of the sunlight. On a clear sunny day, the sun is directly shining on us. Because the molecules in the air reflect the scattered blue light waves more than red or orange when it bounces off the direct sunlight, we see blue. As the sun sets, the direction of its light goes away from us so the molecules reflect the red or orange waves light that we see at sunsets.
Tips
For constructed response on the exam, I would first provide background information and define terms. I would then walk through each part of the question asked. Even if I didn't know the answer (2 of them I know for sure I did not know), I would go into as much detail as possible about the general content area. I found it wasn't as hard to do this because I had practiced a lot on explaining most of the broad concepts of the subject material while I was studying. I included Buzz words. I had a vocab/buzz word notebook, a constructed response notebook, and a content specs notebook for each section. I would hit each book for 10-15 minutes at a time each day. I was still filling in parts of the content specs notebooks in the parking lot before I took the exam. Most of all, before I took my test, I just had a moment of acceptance. If I failed, I was ok with that because it would just give me more time to gain more knowledge and develop study tips that might help me in the future with students. Attitude is key. Good luck to everyone! And a huge thank you to TeacherGroupie who gives out the most amazing advice.
Examples
Function of lungs and structure. The main function of the lungs is the process of gas exchange called respiration (or breathing). In respiration, oxygen from incoming air enters the blood, and carbon dioxide, a waste gas from the metabolism, leaves the blood. How does it work with circulatory system? The circulatory and respiratory systems work together to circulate blood and oxygen throughout the body. Air moves in and out of the lungs through the trachea, bronchi, and bronchioles. Blood moves in and out of the lungs through the pulmonary arteries and veins that connect to the heart. What happens if lungs are damaged? A reduced lung function means that the ability of lungs to exchange gases is reduced. What is respiratory system? The respiratory system is a biological system consisting of specific organs and structures used for gas exchange in animals and plants. The primary organs of the respiratory system are lungs, which carry out this exchange of gases as we breathe. ... During the process, the red blood cells collect the carbon dioxide and transport it back to the lungs, where it leaves the body when we exhale. The human body needs oxygen to sustain itself. There are 3 major parts of the respiratory system: the airway, the lungs, and the muscles of respiration. The airway, which includes the nose, mouth, pharynx, larynx, trachea, bronchi, and bronchioles, carries air between the lungs and the body's exterior. The lungs act as the functional units of the respiratory system by passing oxygen into the body and carbon dioxide out of the body. Finally, the muscles of respiration, including the diaphragm and intercostal muscles, work together to act as a pump, pushing air into and out of the lungs during breathing.
How to Write a Constructive Response
Here are the parts you need to include in a constructed-response answer: Restatement Don't just copy the question; restate the question in your answer. If the question is "What important things do we learn about the character of Charlie in the story?" your answer will begin with something like "The important things we learn about the character of Charlie are..." Answer Answer all parts of the question. (Note that the restatement and answer can, if you do it right, be your topic sentence.) Evidence Cite the proof for your answer. Find a quote that proves what you're trying to say. Begin with a phrase like, "As it says in..." and say where you got your information. REMEMBER: you need to put quotation marks around any quote you use! Analysis This is where you're going to explain your choice of quote. Why, of all the sentences that are written in the book or article you used, did you choose the sentence you chose? What is this quote showing the reader that helps to make your point? Begin your analysis with the phrase, "This shows that..." Then tell us what it shows. Conclusion Briefly restate your topic sentence. Begin with a standard conclusion phrase: "In conclusion..." or "As you can see..." An Example
Questions
Hydrological Cycle and natural selection
Tips
On CR, make sure to use the relevant terminology, answer exactly what the question asks, give brief examples/explanations- if you feel you don't know how to respond properly, write what you do know for some credit. The examiners are looking for content knowledge and thorough enough explanations.
Example
Student drops beach ball and metal ball at the same time and metal ball lands first. Use physics to evaluate experiment.
Example of a Constructed Response
What important information do we learn about Charlie and his family in chapters 1-5? Use quotes to prove your point. We learn many important things about Charlie in the first five chapters of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl, including the fact that his family is poor. As it says in chapter one, "There wasn't any question of them being able to buy a better house--or even one more bed to sleep in. They were far too poor for that." This shows that the family doesn't have enough money to spend on two beds for the two sets of grandparents. In conclusion, this is one of the important pieces of information we learn about Charlie and his family.
Area
area of rectangle and triangle attached ie textbook
Light
winter in northern hemisphere and what country would get most light. In the Northern Hemisphere, winter generally begins on December 21 or 22. This is the winter solstice, the day of the year with the shortest period of daylight. Summer begins on June 20 or 21, the summer solstice, which has the most daylight of any day in the year. Spring and fall, or autumn, begin on equinoxes, days that have equal amounts of daylight and darkness. The vernal, or spring, equinox falls on March 20 or 21, and the autumnal equinox is on September 22 or 23. The seasons in the Northern Hemisphere are the opposite of those in the Southern Hemisphere. This means that in Argentina and Australia, winter begins in June. The winter solstice in the Southern Hemisphere is June 20 or 21, while the summer solstice, the longest day of the year, is December 21 or 22. Seasons occur because Earth is tilted on its axis relative to the orbital plane, the invisible, flat disc where most objects in the solar system orbit the sun. Earth's axis is an invisible line that runs through its center, from pole to pole. Earth rotates around its axis. The four-season year is typical only in the mid-latitudes. The mid-latitudes are places that are neither near the poles nor near the Equator. The farther north you go, the bigger the differences in the seasons. Helsinki, Finland, sees 18.5 hours of daylight in the middle of June. In mid-December, however, it is light for less than 6 hours. Athens, Greece, in southern Europe, has a smaller variation. It has 14.5 hours of daylight in June and 9.5 hours in December. Places near the Equator experience little seasonal variation. They have about the same amount of daylight and darkness throughout the year. These places remain warm year-round. Near the Equator, regions typically have alternating rainy and dry seasons. Polar regions experience seasonal variation, although they are generally colder than other places on Earth. Near the poles, the amount of daylight changes dramatically between summer and winter. In Barrow, Alaska, the northernmost city in the U.S., it stays light all day long between mid-May and early August. The city is in total darkness between mid-November and January.
