Teacher's Guide for APPLESEEDS American Presidents

• Right there - the answer is stated directly in the text, usually in a single sentence. The answer to this thin question is usually short.
• Think and search - the answer is stated directly in the text, but may use other words, have parts located in several sentences, or have parts in different sections. The answer to this thin question will be longer than right there answers.
• Author and you - the answer is not directly stated in the text. You have to connect what is in your experience or background knowledge with what is in the text. This is a thick question. The answer is long.
• On your own - the answer is not in the text, but grows out of it and the thinking/investigating it has stimulated. The reader synthesizes information gained from the reading with other knowledge in constructing a creative response. The answer to this thick question may be very long.

Harvey, S, & Goudvis, A. (2000). Strategies that work. York, ME:
Stenhouse Publishers.

Raphael, T. E. (1986). Teaching question-answer relationships. Reading
Teacher, 36, 186-191.

• generate thoughtful questions in prereading to guide thinking at surface (literal) and deep levels (e.g. interpretation, critical thinking) while reading.
• read for understanding as reflected in their answers to questions and ability to determine which questions remain unanswered.
• discriminate and categorize questions by type - thick and thin QARs.
• work effectively in groups and with partners to complete assigned tasks.
• research, take notes, and answer unanswered questions. Written answers will fulfill the criteria for the question type (e.g. iteration of facts, personal interpretation, or synthesis of information with creation of new ideas) and criteria for quality writing.
• present written answers to peers.

Knowledge, Comprehension, Analysis, Application, and Synthesis

• April 2004 issue of APPLESEEDS
• chart paper
• index cards
• post-it notes (3 X 3)
• transparency with QAR definitions

1. REPEAT procedure (Teacher Input #3 through the end) in this session for other articles that will be read as guided reading.
2. Some articles may be assigned as independent reading. 

1. Ask students to identify who is running for the office of president of the United States at this time. What news have they seen related to the upcoming 2004 election? Ask, "Why might these people seek this position?"
2. On chart paper set up a list of those running under each party.
3. Note that the current president, George W. Bush, is the 43rd president and his father was the 41st president.
4. Explain that this issue of APPLESEEDS is about the office of president, those who have held the office, and the work done by the president.
5. Have students think of a question they expect to have answered in the reading. Have students write their question on an index card and share it with a partner (pair). Have a few partners share questions with the class. Collect question cards.
6. Tell students that, after reading the articles, we'll check to see which questions have been answered and whether we have new questions.

1. Introduce the April 2004 APPLESEEDS issue. Have students examine, read, and discuss the magazine's cover page, About the Cover, and the Editor's Note. Invite comments and predictions about content and information they expect to find and/or questions they have. Record questions on index cards - one per card.
2. Discuss the "Think About It" questions on the back cover. Assign a few students the task of writing these questions on index cards - one question per card.
3. The teacher will read the title of the first selection, "Help Wanted - Now Hiring," and the names of the author and illustrator. Have students skim the article, noting section headings (question format in 1st article), captions, and illustrations. Invite them to share predictions on information they expect to find in the article as well as additional questions they hope will be answered. Students record their questions on index cards - one per card. Cards are posted on the chalkboard.

1. Students are instructed to read the article with the posted questions in mind.
2. As they read, they should place a post-it near an area in the text that answers one of our questions ("flag" the answer with the post-it).
3. After reading, students will record the answer in note format on the post-it. The notes will guide their answers in discussion.
4. The teacher circulates to give assistance as needed.
5. Discuss the information presented by the author in the article. Have new questions generated through discussion recorded on index cards.

1. The teacher reads students' questions for the article (ones created before the reading, written on index cards, and posted on chalkboard).
2. Anyone who has uncovered an answer in the reading, can share it, using notes on their post-it to guide them. Discussion flows from these responses.
3. The responders can attach their post-it to the index card question.

Sometime during the day, students are invited to write down (on an index card) other new questions that come to mind after reading this article.

1. Show students the pile of index cards with questions that have been compiled. Tell them that their questions helped everyone think deeply and beyond the information in this issue. Tell them that learners need to ask good questions. Although many of their questions have been answered in the reading, others are open for further investigation.
2. Tell students that if we were to search for answers to these questions, we'd want to know just HOW to go about it. Also, students are always wondering, "How long does my answer have to be?" Knowing these two HOWS makes the answering job easier.
3. Tell students that today we'll learn categories for questions. A question's category will indicate how to search for and think about its answer. It will also help you anticipate how long a good answer should be.

1. Explain that some questions ask for information that's right in the text. These are thin questions. Some have short answers; some have longer answers. Either way, answers to these questions are easy to find. They are stated right in the text. Short answers to thin questions are right there, usually in a sentence or two. Sometimes, even though the answer is right in the text, it's longer and found in several parts. You have to think about where it is; you have to think and search for it. The answer to these thin questions is a bit longer. When looking for answers to thin questions, we expect to find them either right there or we expect to have to think and search before we find them in the text. Understanding this question-answer-relationship makes our answering job easier. We know the answers are in the print and one kind of answer is short and the other longer. We call this relationship the QAR for the question.
2. Record these categories on a chart paper.
   
   

   thin questions right there think and search

   
   
3. Explain that some questions ask for information that's not right in the text. These are thick questions. You must use what you've learned from the text to think deeply, make connections, and/or creatively construct answers. These answers are longer. One kind of thick question expects us to mix what we know from previous experiences or learning with the author's message. The answer is a combination of author and you. Another kind of thick question asks us to synthesize what we learned from the reading with knowledge we already had on the topic to create something new or a new way of thinking about the topic. These thick questions expect you to go beyond the reading and think on your own. Even though thick questions are harder, understanding the QAR for them helps us know what to do to answer them well. A good plan always helps when the job is more complicated and harder.
4. Add these categories to the chart paper so it now has all QAR categories.
   
   

   thin questions right there think and search

   thick questions author and you on your own

   
   

1. Direct students back to the first article, "Help Wanted - Now Hiring." Explain that this article was written using a question-answer format much like a report of an interview. The results create a series of short and longer answers for thin questions since the answers are directly stated in the text.
2. Model some thick questions that could be asked about the information in this article.
   • A thick, author and you question might be, Why would the term for a president be shorter than the six years for a senator or the lifetime appointment for a Supreme Court Judge?
   • The teacher models how the answer is constructed by mixing author and you.
   • The author tells about the responsibilities the president has, the long hours he works, and that the job can be dangerous. Maybe that's why four years is enough for anyone to be on the job. The author has helped me with reasons there. But I remember that the Revolution was fought to become free from a dominating king in England. If someone became president for a long time or for life, he might act too powerful.
   • Ask students to contribute further ideas.
   • A thick, on your own question might be, If you wrote a job ad for President of the United States, what would it look like? It should create interest in the job, list the skills someone needs, and explain the responsibilities that come with the job. Let's answer this on your own, thick question together.
   • The teacher and students will collaboratively write a job description for President of the United States.

1. Ask students why thick questions like author and you and on your own are more difficult to answer. Students discuss their thoughts with a partner.
2. Partners share their ideas with the class. Briefly discuss why it is important to ask and answer BOTH thick and thin answers.

1. Tell students, "Now that we've learned how to categorize questions, we can sort the pile of index cards with answered and unanswered questions."
2. After we categorize all the questions, partners will work together on two unanswered questions - a thick and thin one. Knowing the question's category will help partners plan a strategy for answering it.

1. Review thick and thin questions as well as the four kinds of QARs, using the QAR. definition overhead
2. Attach a pocket to the chart paper for each category name.
   
   

   thin questions right there think and search

   thick questions author and you on your own

   
   
3. Read aloud a question on an index card. Ask students to identify the category for the question. (Note: If it's an unanswered question they'd have to assume it may be a thin, right there or thin, think and search given a text on the topic.) Insert the card in the pocket for the appropriate category. Continue until a question for each category has been modeled.

1. Form groups of 4-5 students. Give each group index cards with questions.
2. Explain that the group is to determine the category for each of their questions.
3. The teacher circulates to assist groups as necessary.
4. Groups come together as a class. Members of each group read their questions and indicate the group's decision for its type. A rationale must be given for each question's placement. Classmates may question a group's decision. They should provide reasons for an alternate decision. Index cards are placed in appropriate category pockets when consensus is reached.

1. Call on students to explain the definitions of question types - thick and thin QARs in their own words.
2. Ask, "How does knowing the category of a question help you answer it?"

1. Partners will select two (or more) unanswered questions - one thick, one thin.
2. A few days will be given for research, note taking, and writing answers.
3. When prepared, partners will share their work with the class. Answers will be compiled in a notebook and placed in the classroom library for reference or they can be posted on a bulletin board outside of the classroom.

• generate questions in prereading that provoke inquiry at surface (literal) and deep levels (interpretation, drawing conclusions, evaluating, etc.).
• read with understanding as reflected in their ability to answer questions posed in prereading and determine which of their questions were left unanswered.
• discriminate and categorize questions as thick or thin QARs according to definitions discussed.
• work effectively in a variety of grouping formats - whole class, small group, and partners.
• write a complete answer that fulfills criteria of the question type (e.g. iteration of facts, personal interpretation, or synthesis of information with creation of new ideas). Written work will be characterized by clarity of expression, substantive information, personal voice, and appropriate grammar and spelling.

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Updated: 11/21/08 11:13 am
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