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Expository Writing → List-Form Thinking (Frontoparietal working-memory circuits)

Narrative Writing → Narrative Thinking (Default Mode Network and hippocampal memory systems)

Research Writing → Systems Thinking (Executive Control Network)

Descriptive Writing → Visual Thinking (Ventral visual stream)

Persuasive/Opinion Writing → Conceptual Thinking (Prefrontal-limbic integration networks)

Analytical Writing → Analytical Thinking (Left frontoparietal reasoning network)

Synthesis Writing → Integrative Thinking (Default Mode Network and Executive Control Network)

Universal Question Stems

List-Form

What are the important parts?
What facts can you list?
How can you organize the information?

Narrative

What happened first?
What happened next?
How did the story/event end?

Systems

How do the parts work together?
What relationships do you notice?
What happens if one part changes?

Visual

What can you draw, map, label, or diagram?
How can you show your thinking visually?

Conceptual

What is the big idea?
Why is this important?
What lesson can we learn?

Analytical

What caused this?
What evidence supports your answer?
Why do you think this happened?

Integrative

How are these ideas connected?
What patterns do you notice?
How does this relate to other learning?

Story Map Thinking / Reading & Research Framework

1. Setting Assessment

Goal

Understand how time, place, and context influence a story.

Directions

Identify where and when the story takes place and explain how the setting affects events or characters.

Student Task

Answer:

Where does the story take place?
When does the story take place?
How does the setting affect the characters or events?

Success Criteria

✓ Identifies the setting correctly.
✓ Explains at least one way the setting influences the story.

2. Character Assessment

Goal

Understand character traits, motivations, and development.

Directions

Analyze the main character and explain what motivates their actions.

Student Task

Answer:

Who is the main character?
What does the character want?
What strengths or weaknesses does the character have?
How does the character change?

Success Criteria

✓ Identifies the main character.
✓ Explains motivations using evidence.
✓ Describes character growth or change.

3. Problem / Conflict Assessment

Goal

Understand the central conflict of the story.

Directions

Identify the problem and explain why it is important.

Student Task

Answer:

What problem does the character face?
Why is it difficult to solve?
What is at stake if the problem is not solved?

Success Criteria

✓ Identifies the central conflict.
✓ Explains why the conflict matters.

4. Plot Events Assessment

Goal

Understand sequence and cause-and-effect relationships.

Directions

Identify the major events of the story and explain how they are connected.

Student Task

List:

Beginning Event
Rising Action
Climax
Falling Action
Resolution

Challenge Question:
How did one event cause the next event?

Success Criteria

✓ Places events in correct order.
✓ Explains at least one cause-and-effect relationship.

5. Resolution Assessment

Goal

Understand how the conflict is resolved and what lesson is learned.

Directions

Explain how the story ends and what the reader learns.

Student Task

Answer:

How was the problem solved?
What happened to the main character?
What lesson or theme did the story teach?

Success Criteria

✓ Identifies the resolution.
✓ Explains the theme or lesson.

Thinking Framework Connection

List-Form Thinking

Goal

Identify and organize story elements.

Directions

Create a list of story map components.

Student Task

List:

Setting
Characters
Problem
Major Events
Resolution

Success Criteria

✓ Lists all major story elements.

Narrative Thinking

Goal

Understand story sequence.

Directions

Retell the story in order.

Student Task

Retell:

Beginning
Middle
End

Success Criteria

✓ Retells events in logical order.

Systems Thinking

Goal

Understand how story elements work together.

Directions

Explain how characters, setting, and conflict interact.

Student Task

Complete:
“The setting affects the character because __________.”

“The conflict happens because __________.”

Success Criteria

✓ Explains relationships among story elements.

Visual Thinking

Goal

Represent story structure visually.

Directions

Create a story map.

Student Task

Draw and label:

Setting
Characters
Problem
Plot Events
Resolution

Success Criteria

✓ Includes all major story elements.

Conceptual Thinking

Goal

Understand the story’s big idea.

Directions

Explain the theme or lesson.

Student Task

Answer:
“What is the most important lesson in the story?”

Success Criteria

✓ Identifies a theme and supports it with evidence.

Analytical Thinking

Goal

Analyze causes, effects, and motivations.

Directions

Explain why characters acted the way they did.

Student Task

Answer:

Why did the character make this choice?
What evidence supports your answer?

Success Criteria

✓ Uses evidence to support reasoning.

Integrative Thinking

Goal

Connect story elements and larger ideas.

Directions

Explain how the story relates to other texts, history, science, or personal experiences.

Student Task

Complete:
“This story connects to __________ because __________.”

Success Criteria

✓ Makes meaningful connections beyond the text.

Teacher Template: Thinking / Reading & Research Framework

1. List-Form Thinking Assessment

Goal

Identify and categorize information.

Directions

[Unit-specific directions]

Student Task

[List, classify, identify, sort, organize]

Success Criteria

✓ Identifies key information accurately.
✓ Organizes information appropriately.

2. Narrative Thinking Assessment

Goal

Understand sequence and events.

Directions

[Unit-specific directions]

Student Task

Retell, sequence, summarize, or explain events.

Success Criteria

✓ Places events in logical order.
✓ Includes important details.

3. Systems Thinking Assessment

Goal

Understand relationships and interactions.

Directions

[Unit-specific directions]

Student Task

Explain how people, events, ideas, systems, or concepts work together.

Success Criteria

✓ Identifies relationships.
✓ Explains interactions clearly.

4. Visual Thinking Assessment

Goal

Interpret and create visual representations.

Directions

[Unit-specific directions]

Student Task

Create:

Diagram
Illustration
Timeline
Map
Story Map
Graphic Organizer

Success Criteria

✓ Represents information accurately.
✓ Includes labels and details.

5. Conceptual Thinking Assessment

Goal

Understand big ideas.

Directions

[Unit-specific directions]

Student Task

Explain:

Why is this important?
What is the big idea?
What lesson can be learned?

Success Criteria

✓ Identifies major concepts.
✓ Supports ideas with examples.

6. Analytical Thinking Assessment

Goal

Identify causes, effects, and evidence.

Directions

[Unit-specific directions]

Student Task

Analyze:

Causes
Effects
Evidence
Character decisions
Historical outcomes

Success Criteria

✓ Uses evidence.
✓ Explains reasoning clearly.

7. Integrative Thinking Assessment

Goal

Connect multiple ideas.

Directions

[Unit-specific directions]

Student Task

Connect:

Text to Self
Text to Text
Text to World
Cross-Curricular Learning

Success Criteria

✓ Makes meaningful connections.
✓ Demonstrates broader understanding.