Costa's Questions
Author's Purpose
Close Reading
Signposts
The 3 Big Questions
100

This is the type of question you could make where the reader finds the answer by looking in one spot in the text. 

What is a Level 1 question?

100

The author gives true, factual information to teach or inform about a topic.

What is to inform?

100

During this read of close reading, you read to get the gist.

What is the first read?

100

You should do this when you are reading and come across a signpost.

What is stop and make an annotation?

100

Big question #1 asks this question.

What Suprised me?

200

This type of question may ask you to compare and contrast various pieces of information in a text.

What is a level 2 question?

200

The author tells the steps in a process or gives directions on how to do something.

What is to explain?

200

During your final read your should write a final summary and also identify this.

What is the author's purpose?

200

An author might include a percentage for this signpost.

What is numbers and stats?

200

"At first, I thought...but now I think." is a sentence starter for this big question.

Big Question #3

300

This type of question asks the reader to process information from the text.

What is a level 2 question?

300

The author states opinions and reasons to try to convince the reader of a certain point of view.

What is to persuade?

300

Annotating can also be referred to as this term.

What is talk-to-the-text?

300

With this signpost, the reader might think, "Wow! That's not what I expected given what I know about that topic."

What is contrasts and contradictions?

300

"The author I assumed that I..." is a sentence starter for this big question.

Big Question #2

400

Being able to apply information from a text is a characteristic of this type of question.

What is a level 3 question?

400

The author uses figurative language, sensory details, and adjectives to tell about a topic.

What is to describe?

400

Highlighting and annotating should be done during this read of the close reading process.

What is the second read?

400

An author would use this signpost to show bias or to get the reader to feel a certain way about a topic or idea.

What is extreme and absolute language?

400

"I could not believe..." is a sentence starter for this big question.

Big Question #1

500

The following question can be used to create which type of question: What problem in the real world can the information in the text be used to solve? Why?

What is a level 3 question?

500

The author writes something for the reader's enjoyment.

What is to entertain?

500

This is how many words the author's purpose should be.

What is one word?

500

This signpost is important becuase it asks the reader to consider the source.

What is quoted words?

500

"What changed, challenged, or confirmed my thinking?" is this big question.

Big Question #3