Text-Dependent Questioning:
The Perilous Journey of a Sea Turtle
Use “The Perilous Journey of a Sea Turtle” (booklet written by Marjorie Conrad) and the Text-Dependent
Questioning Instructional Routine to teach the following 3rd grade Understand checklist item:
 “Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as the
basis for the answers.”
State objective:
We have an important goal as we read this text.
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We are going to understand the text we are reading today by answering questions about what
we read. To be successful, we are going to use the words and information in the text to help us
answer our questions. This means we are going to go back, reread, and search for answers in the
text.
As we read together, I will show you how to use the words in the text to help us answer our
questions.
Read the introductory paragraph of the text.
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Read aloud the introductory paragraph to your students.
Model how to use the text to answer questions about the text.
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Here is a question that can be asked at this point in the book: “What is this text going to be
about?” (the topic or what the author is going to describe)
I can look at the title, “The Perilous Journey of a Sea Turtle,” to get my first clue that the big idea
in this text is describing the perilous or dangerous journey of sea turtles. (Underline the title.) I
can also look at the end of the introductory paragraph. The author makes this statement: “Their
life is an incredible journey filled with great danger and wonder.” (Underline this sentence.) I
have found two places in the text that tell me this text will be about the sea turtle’s journey and
that this journey is probably going to be a dangerous journey.
Thinking Box 1: Let us all write the answer to “What is this text going to be about?” or “What is
the topic of this text?” in our Thinking Boxes –the dangerous journey of sea turtles.
Written by M. Conrad ©Davis School District Farmington, UT 2012-2013
Read the following section from the text: “Out from the
Sand.”
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Alternate between reading aloud and choral reading with the students.
Model how to use the text to answer questions about the text .
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Here is a question that can be asked after we have read this section: “What is this section
about?” or “What is the big idea of this section?” (General Understandings)
I look back in the text to help me answer this question. I reread the heading which says “Out from
the Sand,” and I know that this section is about how the turtle gets out of the sand. I will
underline the heading. (Students do the same.) I look back at the words in this section, and I see
that the text does give information about how the turtle gets out of the sand. I read about the sea
turtle hatching out of its egg and then scrambling out of the nest to the top of the sand.
I can answer this question by saying, “The big idea of this section is how the sea turtles hatch and
climb out of the sand.”
Guided practice
 We can now think about this next question together: “What details does the text give about how
baby turtles hatch?” (Key Details)
 I reread the words in this section, and I read that first of all there is a nest where more
than 100 eggs are buried. I will underline this part. You do the same.
 Now you help me. If we keep reading, are there more details about how baby sea turtles
hatch? (Guide students in finding and underlining the following details: baby turtle begins
to stir inside its egg, it uses the sharp point on its beak to tear through the shell, many
turtles hatch, they use their flippers to climb on top of the sand, they climb on top of each
other as they scramble to the top. Have students underline these parts.)
 Now we are ready to answer our question: “What details does the text give about how
baby turtles hatch?”
 (Think-Pair-Share) Partner A: Turn to Partner B and say, “One detail about how
baby turtles hatch is ___________.” Partner B: Now you turn to Partner A and say,
“Another detail about how baby turtles hatch is ________.”
Written by M. Conrad ©Davis School District Farmington, UT 2012-2013
Read the next section from the text: “From the Sand to the
Sea.”
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Alternate between reading aloud and choral reading with the students.
Model and provide guided practice with the following text-dependent questions.
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Here is a question that can be asked after we have read this section: “What is this section
about?” or “What is the big idea of this section?” (General Understandings)
 Last time I used the section heading to help me answer this question. This section is called,
“From the Sand to the Sea.” I will underline this section heading. (Students do the same.)
 Now I will look at the words in the section to see if it really is all about how the sea turtles
move from the sand to the sea. The first sentence says, “The next step in the sea turtle’s
journey is to the sea.” Let’s underline this sentence. The first sentence of the next
paragraph says, “Sea turtles that follow the path to the sea also face many dangers.” Let’s
underline this sentence together. Who can tell me what the last sentence of this section
says? “They spend two days non-stop making their way out to the open sea.”
 So let’s answer our question: “What is this section about?” (Think-Pair-Share) Partner A
turn to Partner B and say: “This section is about ______________ (the sea turtles’ journey
from the sand to the sea).”
Let’s try another question: “What are some of the dangers that sea turtles face as they journey
from the sand to the sea?” (Key Details)
 We know that we need to find our answers in the text, so we will need to reread some of
the words. Watch as I start to reread this section. I will stop when I find a danger that sea
turtles face. (Read and stop when you get to the part about the bright lights in towns.) I
have found a danger they face. I will underline this part. Now I will keep reading to look
for other dangers, and I will underline them when I find them. You do the same.
 Thinking Box 2: We are now ready to answer our question, “What are some of the dangers
that sea turtles face as they journey from the sand to the sea?”
 Write your answers in Thinking Box 2.
 Share out with the class.
Written by M. Conrad ©Davis School District Farmington, UT 2012-2013
Read the next section from the text: “To the Open Ocean.”
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Alternate between reading aloud and choral reading with the students.
Provide guided practice with the following text -dependent questions.
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Here is a question that can be asked after we have read this section: “What is this section
about?” or “What is the big idea of this section?” Asking this question every time we finish
reading a section helps us think about the big ideas. (General Understandings)
 Where have we looked before to help us think about this question? (the section heading)
Find the heading, and read it to yourselves. Does it give you a clue to what this section is
about? (The sea turtles journey to the open ocean.) Then underline it.
 Now let’s look through the section and see if you find any other parts that show this
section is about sea turtles in the open ocean. Read the first sentence in the section: “The
sea turtles then spend several years out in the open ocean.” Let’s underline this sentence.
 Now looking in the paragraph on the top of p. 5. Is there a sentence that tells us where
specifically the baby turtle swims to once it’s in the open ocean? (Guide students in
finding and underlining the following sentence, “The baby turtles swim to a place in the
ocean where a special kind of seaweed lives. This seaweed is called sargassum.”
 Now we are ready to answer our question: “What is this section about?” (Think-PairShare) Partner B: Turn to Partner A and say, “This section is about ____________ (the sea
turtles swimming to a place in the ocean where seaweed called sargassum lives).”
Let’s try another question: “What does the text tell us about sargassum?” (Key Details and
Vocabulary)
 We know that we need to reread parts of the text to find what the text tells us about
sargassum. We start to read about sargassum at the top of p. 5, so I will begin there to
find the answer to my question.
 Whenever I read a part that tells me about sargassum, I will underline it. As I start to
reread, I see that sargassum is a kind of seaweed, and it is where baby turtles want to go.
I will underline these parts.
 Now you reread the next paragraphs to yourself. Whenever you find a part that answers
what the text tell us about sargassum, underline it.
 Thinking Box 3: We are now ready to answer our question, “What does the text tell us
about sargassum?”
 Write your answers in Thinking Box 3.
 Share out with the class.
Here’s one more question for this section: “What dangers does a sea turtle face in the open
ocean?” (Key Details)
 Now it’s your turn to practice going back into the text and finding answers to this
question. Underline parts of the text that answer this question.
 Think-Pair-Share: Share your answers with your partner.
Written by M. Conrad ©Davis School District Farmington, UT 2012-2013
Read the next section from the text: “To the Shore.”
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Alternate between reading aloud and choral reading with the students.
Provide guided practice with the following text -dependent questions.
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Let’s ask the same question we have asked after every section: “What is this section about?” or
“What is the big idea of this section?” Asking this question every time we finish reading a section
helps us think about the big ideas. (General Understandings)
 Where have we looked before to help us think about this question? (the section heading)
Find the heading, and read it to yourselves. Does it give you a clue to what this section is
about? (Sea turtles journeying to the shore.) Then underline it.
 Now you look through the section and see if you find any other parts that show this
section is about sea turtles journeying to the shore and living there. (“The sea turtles are
ready to move closer to shore.”)
 Now we are ready to answer our question: “What is this section about?” (Think-PairShare) Partner A: Turn to Partner B and say, “This section is about ____________ (sea
turtles living along the shore).”
Let’s try another question: “Why do you think the areas along the shore might be good places
for sea turtles to grow up? What from the text makes you think so?” (Inference)
 We need to use information from the text to help us answer this question. The first thing
we should do is reread what the text tells us about the area along the shore/coast.
 Reread through the section and underline any parts that tell about the shore. Have
students share what they found.
 Now we think about this information to answer the question: ”Why do you think the areas
along the shore might be good places for sea turtles to grow up?”
 Thinking Box 4: Students write their answers to the question.
 Write your answers in Thinking Box 4.
 Share out with the class.
Written by M. Conrad ©Davis School District Farmington, UT 2012-2013
Read the last section from the text: “Back Home.”
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Alternate between reading aloud and choral reading with the students.
Provide guided practice with the following text -dependent questions.
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Let’s ask the same question we have asked after every section: “What is this section about?” or
“What is the big idea of this section?” Asking this question every time we finish reading a section
helps us think about the big ideas. (General Understandings)
 Remind students to think about the heading, and then look through the section to find
parts in the text that support the heading.
 Think-Pair-Share - Partner B: Turn to Partner A and say, “This section is about
____________ (sea turtles returning home).”
Let’s try another question: “What explanation does the author give for how sea turtles find their
way home?” (Key Details)
 Look in the text to find answers to this question. Underline any parts you find.
 Think-Pair-Share: Partner A: Turn to Partner B and say, “One explanation the author gives
is _____________________.” Partner B: Turn to Partner A and say, “Another explanation
the author gives is ___________________.”
Here’s another question: “Do you think the sea turtle’s journey home is easier or harder than
the sea turtle’s first journey away from their home? What from the text makes you think so?”
(Opinion)
 Look back in your booklets and find the information you underlined about the sea turtle’s
first journey out of the sand, to the sea, out to the open ocean, and along the shore. Then
review what you underlined about the turtle’s journey back home.
 Take time to think about what you reread and determine your opinion, using the
information from the text.
 Thinking Box 5: Students write their answers to the question.
 Use this sentence frame, “I think the sea turtle’s journey home was _________
because _____________________________.” (Use examples from the text.)
 Share out with the class.
Here’s one last question: “Do you think the title of the text, The Perilous Journey of a Sea Turtle,
is accurate?” (Opinion)
 Look back in your booklets and find information about the perils, or dangers, the sea
turtles faced.
 Take time to think about what you reread and determine your opinion, using the
information from the text.
 Think-Pair-Share: Partners share their answers using the following sentence frame, “I
think the text is or isn’t accurate because _________________________.”
Written by M. Conrad ©Davis School District Farmington, UT 2012-2013