TeacherHero
You Do · Students practice on their own

Constructed Response

A Constructed Response is the independent answer to a question aimed squarely at the day's learning target. TeacherHero generates it for the You Do phase from that target and the phases before it, so what a student is asked to do alone is the move the lesson just modelled and practised.

Answer a target-aligned question independently.

Real generated output

Independent Check: Which Pressure Shapes Ada’s Choice?

The You Do phase of a Grade 6 ELA lesson, as TeacherHero generated it. Planned for 14 minutes.

  1. The prompt

    Which pressure most shapes Ada’s decision at the end of “The Ferry at Dusk”: her promise to her mother, her promise to her brother, or the danger from the harbour guards? Write 4–5 sentences defending one choice. Use at least two of these words accurately: resolve, obligation, falter, conceal. Include two specific story details, including one exact phrase from the passage, and explain why your chosen pressure matters more than at least one other pressure.

  2. Directions

    • Work independently; use the passage and your own thinking rather than a partner’s response.
    • Choose the pressure you believe most shapes Ada’s decision and identify at least one competing pressure.
    • Plan two relevant story details before drafting. Use quotation marks around one exact phrase from the passage.
    • Use at least two vocabulary words to explain Ada’s choice or reaction. Each word must do analytical work, not simply appear in a list.
    • Write 4–5 complete sentences, then use the checklist to review your response.

  3. While you monitor

    • Minutes 0–4: Check that each student has selected one pressure, named a competing pressure, and located two relevant details. Ask, “Which event at the end best proves your choice?”
    • Minutes 4–11: Confer briefly at the process level: “What does this vocabulary word help you explain?” or “How does this detail support your claim?” Do not supply a claim or completed sentence.
    • Minutes 11–14: Scan for an accurate exact phrase, two integrated vocabulary words, and reasoning that compares pressures. Collect responses as the independent product.

  4. Success criteria

    • I make a clear claim about which pressure most shapes Ada’s decision.
    • I use at least two of resolve, obligation, falter, and conceal accurately and connect each word to the story.
    • I include two specific story details, with at least one exact phrase from the passage.
    • I compare my chosen pressure with at least one other pressure and explain my reasoning.

  5. Student checklist

    • I named one pressure as most influential.
    • I compared it with at least one other pressure.
    • I used two vocabulary words accurately, and each word helps explain Ada’s action or reaction.
    • I included two story details and marked one exact phrase with quotation marks.
    • I explained how my evidence supports my claim instead of only retelling events.
    • I wrote 4–5 complete sentences.

  6. If a student is stuck

    Privately direct the student to reread the opening paragraph, the paragraph about the harbour guards, and the final paragraph. Ask: “Which pressure is connected most directly to what Ada does at the end?” Then ask the student to point to two details before writing. Do not choose the pressure or vocabulary words for the student.

  7. For early finishers

    Add one sentence explaining how the setting increases the difficulty of Ada’s chosen action, using a third vocabulary word accurately.

Why the coach chose it here — A constructed response best matches the learning target and final product because students must independently show what they know about the week’s ideas and use two vocabulary words in meaningful context. After the I Do model, We Do practice, and Y’all Do comparison and revision, this task deliberately fades sentence-level support and requires a fresh claim about competing pressures in the story. It uses retrieval practice as students recall word meanings and story details, and elaboration as they compare pressures, select evidence, and explain how the evidence supports their claim.

Frequently asked questions

What makes a constructed response target-aligned?

That the question asks for the move named in the learning target, on material the lesson supplied. TeacherHero writes every section prompt aimed at that target and working backwards from the final product, which is what keeps the independent task from drifting into a related but different skill.

What does the student get?

A student worksheet carrying the prompt and the success criteria. Showing the criteria at the same time as the question is deliberate: a student who can see the bar can check their own response against it, which is the difference between practice and a guess.

How long should it take?

Whatever the phase was allocated. TeacherHero computes a whole-lesson timing plan from the period length and gives each phase an exact number of minutes, so the independent task is sized for the time actually left rather than for an ideal period.

Strategies that pair with it

Analysis Chart

You Do · Organize evidence, examples, or steps in an analysis chart.

See the example

Analytical Paragraph

You Do · Write a claim-evidence-reasoning paragraph.

See the example

Claim-Evidence-Reasoning

You Do · Construct an independent claim supported by evidence and reasoning.

See the example

Vocabulary Application

You Do · Use key vocabulary accurately in a new context.

See the example
Example free · generation with Pro

One move out of six phases.

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