Answer: Forming a Claim
The first step to writing your open response is making a claim, which is your answer to the Open Response Question. You can either agree or disagree with the question, but make sure that your answer has very obvious evidence in the text that you can find. It may be helpful to find your evidence before you write your claim, since your evidence will determine what your answer to the question is.
Some examples of Open Response questions are:
Depending upon the evidence in the text, you could answer each of these questions differently. Each question, though, does have a correct answer, and it can be found by searching the text. See the next page, "Evidence," to find out how to search for supporting evidence from the text.
Some examples of Open Response questions are:
- Do you think Marjorie will forget to set the timer for her cookies again?
- Do you think Dennis will write his math homework in his planner tomorrow?
- Will Kendra bring her cell phone to class again next week?
Depending upon the evidence in the text, you could answer each of these questions differently. Each question, though, does have a correct answer, and it can be found by searching the text. See the next page, "Evidence," to find out how to search for supporting evidence from the text.
A good claim restates the question that was asks while telling if you agree or disagree.
Some examples of good claims:
These claims are good because they restate the question that was asked, so your reader knows what you are talking about. They also choose to agree or disagree that the character will do something again. Notice that each example contains a claim that agrees and one that disagrees. This doesn't mean that they are both correct- it all depends on the evidence, which you will find within the text.
Some examples of good claims:
- Marjorie will not forget to set the timer for her cookies again/ Marjorie will forget to set the timer for her cookies again.
- Dennis will write his math homework in his planner tomorrow/ Dennis will not write his math homework in his planner tomorrow.
- Kendra will not bring her cell phone to class next week/ Kendra will bring her cell phone to class next week.
These claims are good because they restate the question that was asked, so your reader knows what you are talking about. They also choose to agree or disagree that the character will do something again. Notice that each example contains a claim that agrees and one that disagrees. This doesn't mean that they are both correct- it all depends on the evidence, which you will find within the text.
Some examples of incorrect or incomplete claims:
These claims are incorrect because they do not restate the question or answer it at all. They simply address what happened in the story, which leads you to write a summary of the story. In an Open Response, assume your reader has read the story just as you have. The final incorrect claim begins with "I think," which leads your reader to assume that this is your opinion; in an Open Response, state your claim as if it were fact, because you have evidence to back it up.
Click here to find exercises to practice forming claims.
- Marjorie forgot her about her cookies in the story.
- Dennis didn't do his math homework because he didn't write it in his planner.
- Kendra's cell phone went off in class and she got detention.
- I read a story about....
- I think that Marjorie/Dennis/Kendra will....
These claims are incorrect because they do not restate the question or answer it at all. They simply address what happened in the story, which leads you to write a summary of the story. In an Open Response, assume your reader has read the story just as you have. The final incorrect claim begins with "I think," which leads your reader to assume that this is your opinion; in an Open Response, state your claim as if it were fact, because you have evidence to back it up.
Click here to find exercises to practice forming claims.