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Main Idea
Supporting Details
Chronological Order
Vocabulary
Compare and Contrast
Similarities/Differences in Text
Plot Development/Resolution
Author's Purpose
Cause and Effect
Reference and Research
Main Idea
(LA.A.2.2.1)
Design a question that requires students to find the main idea of the passage. Support your answer with details and information from the story or article.
What is the MAIN IDEA of this story or
article?
Write a summary of
________________________.
Why do you think this story or article
has the title “__________”?
Retell in your own words a portion of
the story.
What would be another good title for
this story or article?
What is the essential message in the
story or article?
What is the primary topic of the article?
Which sentence gives the best summary?
Which accomplishment/idea is the most valuable?
Which statement best describes the lesson/moral of this story?
Supporting Details
(LA.A.2.2.1)
Design a question for which students must identify relevant facts and details in order to form an answer. Encourage higher order thinking by asking questions which require students to infer. Support your answer with details and information from the text.
Who? What? When? Where? Why? How?
| How? | What happened? |
| Why? | What caused? |
How does _______________ support the idea that
_____________________?
Why does _______________ offer to ________________________________?
Chronological Order
(LA.A.2.2.1)
Design a question for which students must use sequencing in order to form an answer. Support your answer with details and information from the text.
What happened just BEFORE or AFTER
_____________?
What happened first, second, third,
last, etc…?
What happened between ___________
and ____________?
What is the first step in
________________________?
Retell the events leading up to or following ______________.
Vocabulary
(LA.A.1.2.3)
Design a question that requires students to determine the meaning of a word in context, including the use of prefixes, suffixes, root words, multiple meanings, synonyms, antonyms, homonyms, and word relationships. Support your answer with details and information from the text.
Read this sentence from the passage.
Copy sentence or phrase from passage here.
What does the word __________________________ mean?
What does the author mean when he says ____________________?
Choose the word that means the SAME as
____________________.
Choose the word that means the OPPOSITE
of ________________.
What two words best describe the word
____________________.
Which two words mean the same or opposite?
Compare and Contrast
(LA.A.2.2.7)
Design a question which requires students to recognize the use of comparison and contrast in text. Support your answer with facts and details from the story or article.
How are ______________ and
______________ ALIKE?
How is ____________ DIFFERENT from
_____________?
How is _________ both SIMILAR and
DIFFERENT from _________?
What is one DIFFERENCE between
__________ and __________?
How is _____________ dissimilar to
_____________?
What are the DIFFERENCES between
__________ and ___________?
What are the SIMILARITIES between
__________ and ___________?
Why does the author compare ___________ and
___________ in the passage?
What do ________ and ________ have in common?
What advantage does _________ have over
_________?
The author probably compares ___________ to ____________ because...(analyzing figurative language)
Similarities/Differences in Text
(LA.E.1.2.3)
Design a question which requires students to find similarities and differences in characters, settings, and events presented in various texts. Support your answer with details and information from the text.
How are _________________ and
_________________ ALIKE?
How is _____________ DIFFERENT from
______________?
How is ________ both SIMILAR to and
DIFFERENT from _______?
What is one DIFFERENCE between
_________ and _________?
How is __________________ dissimilar to
_________________?
How did the character change from the
beginning of the story until the end?
What are the DIFFERENCES between
___________ and ___________?
What are the SIMILARITIES between
___________ and ___________?
The author probably compares _______ to _______ because...(analyzing figurative language)
Plot Development/Resolution
(LA.E.2.2.2)
Design a question that requires students to identify plot development and/or problem resolution in the story? Support your answer with details and information from the text.
What word/words best describe the character?
What problem did the character face?
What happens that causes the character
to change from the beginning to the end of the story?
How is the problem solved in the story?
What in the story indicates that the problem is
solved?
What events lead to the resolution of
the problem in the story?
Which sentence first lets the reader know the
character feels __________ about __________?
What words or phrases create the tone of
______________?
What is the overall tone of the story?
The author probably compares _______ to _______ because...(analyzing figurative language)
Author's Purpose
(LA.A.2.2.2)
Design a question that requires students to identify the author’s purpose and support it by returning to the text for details and information. Support your answer with details and information from the text.
What does the author mean when he or she
writes __________?
Why did the author write the article?
What is the author’s purpose in writing
this article?
With which statement would the author
most likely agree?
Why did the author begin the article or
story with __________?
Why did the author include the
description of ______ in the article/story?
The author of _____________ would most likely
want to read which of the following article/story?
Why did the authors of ______________ and
______________ write these stories/articles?
Which books would the author of ______________________ most likely read in order to write this article/story?
Cause and Effect
(LA.E.2.2.1)
Design a question that requires students to describe the cause or effect of an action or event in fiction, nonfiction, poetry, or drama. Support your answer with details and information from the text.
What caused _________________ to
________________?
What effect did ________________ have on
______________?
What are the events that caused
_______________________?
What might happen if
__________________________________?
What is the effect of
__________________________________?
Why does a character take a particular
action ________________?
What were the results of an event or
action?
What is the main reason/cause that
________________ happens?
Which factor forces/influences _____________________________?
Reference and Research
(Multiple Representations of Information)
(LA.E.2.2.8)
This Benchmark could actually include
any of the other tested benchmarks such as Cause/Effect,
Compare/Contrast, etc. It requires the student to gather the
information from charts, graphics, photos, maps and captions as well as the
text.
Design a question using a stem from the matching benchmark task card
and direct the reader to the appropriate graphic and the text to
answer the question e.g. Look at the picture next to step 5. Why is
the box held up in the air?
Remember to read the text and also gather information from:
captions, maps/charts, footnotes, and/or illustrations.
Source: M-DCPS Division of Language Arts and Reading
For a printable PDF file of these FCAT Reading Task Cards, please click here.
