Short Answer Responses

September 25, 2011 | Posted in: Class Updates

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This week, you can expect to see the first of several graded short answer response assignments come home.  Short Answer Responses (SAR) are, as the name suggests, brief answers to open-ended questions.  They often tie into reading activities, although the first one you’ll see tied into a social studies lesson we did about Constitution Day.  I often call these responses “HOT” activities – higher order thinking – because this sort of question calls on students to reflect deeply and respond critically to the question.  As you can read on our SAR rubric, HOT questions are typically assessed on a 2 point scale.  A score of 0 is appropriate when a student’s response does not address the prompt, reflects a misunderstanding of the question, or lacks even basic detail.  A score of 1 is typically given to responses that answer the question but lack adequate supporting evidence or elaboration.  Responses that successfully address the prompt and provide appropriate detail and support receive a 2.  (A score of 2 is the highest possible score, typically.)  Writing a successful HOT response is a skill we’ll focus on for the entire year, and you’ll see plenty of activities come home during the year that address this skill.  For more information on SAR and HOT activities, click on “Parent Resources” on the left side of this page.