Unpacking the question: teaching

strategies.
Teach the class.
Students work in groups or pairs to unpack a
question with the class.
Having to clearly articulate and communicate
the requirements of a question to others helps
to crystallise meaning in their minds, and
solidifies the process of unpacking a question.
BONUS! Develops oral literacy skills!
Write the question

for the answer.

Give students a modelled answer. Ask them to write the question they think
matches the answer (including the command term).
By using the language of the question themselves, students are better placed to
understand how question language relates to answer language.
BONUS! Can generate productive discussion.

Pin the command term to

the answer.
Provide 3 or 4 sample answers that cover the same content and ask
students to match them with the correct command term.
This activity encourages students to discuss what constitutes 'analysis', for
example, and helps them to recognise what it looks like on the page.
BONUS! A great tool to encourage annotation!

Be the examiner.

Provide sample answers of varying qualities to students, along

with criteria for evaluating them. Ask students to grade and
write a comment for the answers they have been given.
BONUS! Asking students to justify their choices embeds the
use of evidence as a key thinking process.
EMMANUEL LITERACY 2019