Answering Questions Thoroughly

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Answering Questions Thoroughly
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Why answer thoroughly?

• The thorough answer demonstrates your ability to
  provide a more complete, thoughtful response.
• The TA can be short with only a few sentences,
  longer, like the 11 sentence paragraph, or
  eventually expanded upon to create a more formal
  essay.
• This model allows your to grow in your ability to
  develop multiple supporting points.
• Note In this class we use the RSE (Reason,
  support, explain) format

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General Notes A Thorough Answer

• stands on its own.
• includes the title of the work being discussed.
• has a formal tone.
• does not include abbreviations or symbols (b/c,
  , etc.).
• includes proper grammar and spelling (including
  character names).
• is sure and strong.

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5 Parts To A Good Answer

1. The Question
2. The Basic Answer
3. The REASON R
4. The SUPPORT S
5. EXPLANATION E

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1. The Question

• In order for the answer to stand on its own, the
  question asked must be included.
• Simple Example
• Question- What is a major theme in The Lord of
  the Flies?
• Answer- A major theme in The Lord of the Flies is

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2. The Basic Answer

• The straight answer to the question
• Question- What is a major theme in The Lord of
  the Flies?
• Answer- Man is inherently evil and needs the
  structure of civilization (laws and order) to
  control him.

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3. The Reason (R)

• WHAT in the text makes you think this is the
  answer?
• WHY is this the answer?
• Question- What is a major theme in The Lord of
  the Flies?
• Answer- Without adults or laws to protect and
  direct them, the boys revert to theft and murder
  while on the island.

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4. The Support (S)

• Use specific examples from the text to prove your
  answer. Often this will be a quotation
• Question- What is a major theme in The Lord of
  the Flies?
• Examples- Even though it leaves Piggy near-blind,
  Jacks group steals his specs.
• In the heat of a celebration of the hunt, the
  boys murder Simon as they murdered the pig.
• During an argument between Ralph and Jack at the
  Castle Rock, Roger kills Piggy with a large
  boulder. The rest of Jacks group then hunts down
  Ralph in an attempt to murder him.

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5. The Explanation (E)

• A statement of analysis or interpretation that
  shows the link between the reason and the support

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The Final Product

• A major theme in The Lord of the Flies is that
  man is inherently evil and needs the structure of
  civilization (laws and order) to control him.
  Without the structure of adults or laws to
  protect and direct them, the boys show their
  inherently evil nature when they revert to theft
  and murder while on the island.
• The first evidence of this evil nature is when
  Jacks group steals Piggys specs, even though
  it leaves him near-blind. The boys motivation is
  to start a fire, but instead of asking for fire,
  Jacks group decides theft is the best answer.

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• Without supervision, the boys move from theft to
  murder when, in the heat of a celebration of the
  hunt, the boys murder Simon on the beach as they
  murdered the pig.
• Although some think this murder is accidental,
  the next death is clearly intentional. During an
  argument between Ralph and Jack at the Castle
  Rock, Roger kills Piggy with a large boulder. The
  rest of Jacks group then hunts down Ralph in an
  attempt to murder him.
• Because the boys are left on this island alone,
  without laws or order to provide repercussions
  for their actions, the boys revert to their
  inherent evil nature, which includes theft and
  murder.

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Class examples

• When Lennie kills Curleys wife.
• The climax of Of Mice and Men is when Lennie
  kills Curleys wife by shaking.
• The climax of the novel, I believe, was when
  Lennie kills Curleys wife because that was the
  height of the story with the most action.

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The best one so far

• The climax of this novel is when George kills
  Lennie. Lennie killing Curleys wife, and all the
  events preceding Lennys death are leading up to
  that moment.

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Practice in a pair, thoroughly answer your
assigned question

• QA In Of Mice and Men, who is the loneliest
  character in the story?
• QB In Of Mice and Men, why might John Steinbeck
  have chosen to NOT NAME Curleys Wife?

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Score it!

• 1 The Question
• 1 The Basic Answer
• 1 The Why
• 2 Support (look for quality, pg. s)
• __ / 5
• Provide
• 1 suggestion for general improvement of the
  answer
• 1 specific detail from the text that would
  strengthen the support element of the answer.

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Expanding into 11 sentences

• Sentence 1 Topic Sentence (Introduces the main
  idea that will be discussed in the paragraph)
• Main Point A
• Sentence 2 Reason
• Sentence 3 Support
• Sentence 4 Explanation
• Main Point B
• Sentence 5 Reason
• Sentence 6 Support
• Sentence 7 Explanation

• Main Point C
• Sentence 8 Reason
• Sentence 9 Support
• Sentence 10 Explanation
• Sentence 11 Concluding Sentence (This should
  sum up all ideas and leave your reader with
  something to consider.)