Handouts are available below

Big Idea

A great question will get students to connect and apply science in creative ways. I get a lot of positive feedback on my test questions, and since many teachers are having difficulty finding good extended response questions to use, in this post, I’m sharing 4 types of extended response questions I use on my tests so that you might make a few of your own.

Long story short, on my tests and quizzes, I use the following types of extended response questions: (1) the Competing theories question, (2) The Show and Tell question, (3) The Multiverse Question, and/or (4) The Analogous task question.

Type 1:  Competing Theories

In a competing theories question, students are given a theory and then asked if they agree or disagree with the theory. Or, they’re given 2 different theories explaining the same phenomenon and asked which one they agree with. Students need to tell me (a) whether they agree or disagree, (b) why they agree or disagree, and (c) to provide a counter example or an alternate explanation. Download the handout below for a sample Competing Theories question.

Type 2: Show and Tell

In a Show and tell question, students are asked to predict a trend. In their response, students need to first graph out their trend and then write a proper hypothesis statement that includes an If, then, because, and however statement.  Download the handout below for a sample Show and Tell question.

Type 3: Multiverse

In a Multiverse question, students are asked to solve a problem using what they’ve learned in class while following the rules of an alternate reality. In their response, students need to draw connections with what they learned in science class to the alternate reality. Download the handout below for a sample Multiverse question.

Type 4: Analogous Task

In an Analogous Task question, students perform a task that is similar to the idea or process behind a scientific tool or discovery we’ve addressed in class. In their response, students need to explain what they’ve created using scientific concepts covered in class. Download the handout below for a sample Analogous Task question.

That’s how I’m doing it this year and it’s still a work in progress. How do you do it? Please email me a strategy or two – I’m interested to know. 

Thanks for reading, and we’ll talk science again soon.

Resources

Handout(s): Handout – 4 Types of Extended Response

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