What's the question?

You read two texts about different modes of transportation. After reading, you are "asked" to: Write a multi paragraph essay identifying the similarities and differences between the two modes of transportation. Use evidence from both texts to support your answer.

WHAT ARE YOU BEING ASKED?

• Would you rather ride on a boat or a train?

• What is your favorite way to travel?

• What are the similarities and differences between the different modes of transportation?

• Which way is the best way to travel when you are going on a long trip?

What would be the best topic sentence for this prompt:

"Write a multi paragraph essay explaining how the character's feelings changed throughout the story."

• Characters are always in stories.

• Throughout this story, the character's feelings changed.

• Once in this story the character had her feelings hurt.

• The character wants you to know about feelings.

If you read a text about baking pie and then you are "asked" to:

Write a paragraph explaining how to bake pie,

WHAT IS THE QUESTION?

• How do you bake a pie?

• Why would anyone want to bake a pie?

• When should you bake pie?

• What is your favorite kind of pie?

Suppose you read a text about sloths and how odd they are. Then you are asked to write a paragraph about sloths using examples from the text. Which sentence below might be your topic sentence?

• I saw a sloth in a movie and it moved very slowly.

• One time a sloth was hanging from a tree.

• Sloths are animals that live in trees.

• Sloths are animals that have some odd characteristics.

If you read:

Write a multi paragraph essay about the Great Depression's impact on the economy,

WHAT IS THE QUESTION?

• If you had a Great Depression, how would you feel?

• How did the Great Depression impact the economy?

• Why was there a Great Depression?

• Why was the Depression called Great?

If you need to write a paragraph about the difference between soccer and baseball, which one of the following sentences might be your topic sentence?

• Soccer and baseball are different in several ways.

• Why play soccer when you can play baseball?

• Soccer is better than baseball.

• Baseball is better than soccer.