Prairie River Academy

English Language Arts

Grade 8Unit 1Lesson 2

Interpretive questions

Distinguish Open from Unanswerable

Today: Form open questions that remain bounded by textual evidence.

A

Begin

Warm-up

  1. 1.Define open question.

  2. 2.Define unanswerable.

B

Learn

Distinguish Open from Unanswerable

An open question permits multiple defensible answers. An unanswerable question depends on facts the text never supplies.

Ask whether the passage offers relevant evidence, whether answers can be compared, and whether reasoning can make one answer stronger.

Study the model

Open: What motivates the pause? Unanswerable: What was the character's exact birthday?

C

Read

Original PRA passage

Before entering the contest, Inez erased her name from the top of the page, rewrote it, and then covered both versions with her hand.
ELA-8-01-02-01Original Prairie River Academy curriculumELA-8-01-02-01

Prairie River Academy

Distinguish Open from Unanswerable

Grade 8Practice and apply
D

Practice

Read, think, and respond

  1. 1.Ask an open question about Inez. ELA-8-01-02-Q1

  2. 2.Ask an unanswerable question. ELA-8-01-02-Q2

  3. 3.What evidence can support nervousness? ELA-8-01-02-Q3

  4. 4.Could secrecy also fit? ELA-8-01-02-Q4

E

Apply

Use the lesson

Revise one unanswerable question into a bounded interpretive question.

ELA-8-01-02-02Original Prairie River Academy curriculumELA-8-01-02-02