This module is for Middle School Activity 6

Activity 6 – Examining a News Article

Now that you have finished “Eleven” by Sandra Cisneros, you will read a news article that looks back on 25 years of the book, The House on Mango Street. You will read about Sandra Cisneros’s perspective on life and reflect upon how your new understanding helps you better understand the story that she wrote.  As you read the text, think about the type of text-dependent questions that you can generate from the text.

Think back again to the steps for generating text-dependent questions. Step One requires that students focus on core understandings. Remember to also anchor your questions in the standard, and notice that the standards used are Reading for Information.

Step Four requires students to tackle tough questions head on.

  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy - RI.6.1 – Cite textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy  - RI.6.6 – Determine an author’s point of view or purpose in a text and explain how it is conveyed in the text.

Creating Text-Dependent Questions

  • Read the text(s) carefully.
  • Determine the most important theme/central message and key details of the text.
  • Consider the author's choices when creating this text.
  • Examine the grade-specific MCCRS and PARCC evidence tablesopens in new window (Note: Scroll down the page to access the grade level evidence tables).
  • Choose the best standard(s) for assessing the students' overall understanding of the text.
  • Draft a text-dependent question that requires students to show evidence of standards' mastery.
  • Write a response to the text-dependent question.
  • Assess the proficiency of your response by rereading the standards, evidence tables, and reflecting on the text.
  • Revise the question as needed.
  • Rewrite your text-dependent question as necessary.

Now read an article about author Sandra Cisneros. As you read, think about the central idea in the article as you consider the best text-dependent question for this selection.

The Fruits of Her Laboropens in new window (Source: Sun Sentinel)

Check Your Understanding

Now check again how well you understand the concepts of creating text-dependent questions.