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FOCUS QUESTIONS. Guidelines for Strong Answers. What is a focus question?. Focus questions are critical thinking questions about a reading assignment They require: thoughtful analysis Support from the book. Guidelines. 1. BE NEAT! Write legibly. Use ink or type your work.
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FOCUS QUESTIONS Guidelines for Strong Answers
What is a focus question? • Focus questions are critical thinking questions about a reading assignment They require: • thoughtful analysis • Support from the book
Guidelines 1. BE NEAT! • Write legibly. Use ink or type your work. NO PENCIL! • Use appropriate margins and indentions. • Use good spelling and grammar.
Guidelines 2. BE THOROUGH! • Address the question in your answer • Be sure to answer ALL parts of each question
Guidelines 3. BE CLEAR and SPECIFIC! • Give specific examples from the book to support your answers • Provide page numbers for your examples
Where do the page numbers go? • Page numbers go directly afteryour example from the book • Place them in parentheses before the period Example: Cole Matthews anger is likely related to the awful home life he has. Both of his parents are alcoholics and his father is physically and verbally abusive (p. 54-55).
How do I begin? • Your topic sentence should • Address the question directly what is the questions asking you? • Include the author and title name ONLY in the very first question in a set Example: In the novel Touching Spirit Bear by Ben Mikaelsen, Cole Matthews is a troubled teenager.
How do I include an example? 1. First, introduce the context for the example. • Context refers to the surrounding details of your example, such as • WHO said it • WHERE it came from • WHAT was happening Example: Garvey tells Cole, “you can’t own at’oow. You are only its caretaker for a time” (p. 19).
How do I include an example? 2. Next, provide your example. • It’s best to paraphrase • That means to put it into your own words only giving the most important details • OR include a quote when appropriate • Don’t forget to include quotation marks! • Provide the page number after your example! Example: Both of Cole’s parents are alcoholics and his father is physically and verbally abusive (p. 54-55).
How do I include an example? 3. Finally, follow your example with commentary. • Commentary refers to your explanation of the significance of the quote. Why is this important? • Be sure to explain your reasoning. It’s good to use the word "because" (just not at the beginning of the sentence). Example: Garvey tells Cole, “you can’t own at’oow. You are only its caretaker for a time” (p. 19). These words demonstrate the nature of the at’oow and its symbol of not only trust, but community and ancestry. It was a shared symbol that transcended time.
DETAIL SANDWICH o After hearing that Peter ratted on him, CONTEXT DETAIL with pg# Cole brutally attacks Peter (p.8). COMMENTARY Cole’s anger drives him to violence.