Text-dependent questions are comprehension questions that require students to cite specific textual evidence from a reading passage to support their answers. Unlike general discussion questions that students can answer from prior knowledge, text-dependent questions can only be answered by carefully reading and analyzing the text itself. They are a cornerstone of close reading instruction and are explicitly required by Common Core ELA standards (CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.R.1: "Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text.").

PlanSpark generates six types of text-dependent questions: Literal/Explicit (answers directly stated in text—students locate and cite specific sentences), Inferential (reading between the lines—students draw conclusions from multiple evidence points), Vocabulary in Context (determining word meaning from surrounding context clues, not dictionary definitions), Author's Purpose and Craft (analyzing why the author made specific language, structure, or technique choices), Main Idea/Theme (identifying central ideas by synthesizing evidence across the entire passage), and Text Structure (analyzing how organizational patterns like cause/effect or compare/contrast support meaning). Each question includes a DOK level label, a sample answer modeling textual evidence citation, and a hint about where to find the evidence in the passage.

Paste any reading passage into PlanSpark—articles, textbook excerpts, literature passages, primary source documents, or any text students need to analyze. Select a grade level (K-12), choose which of the six question types you want to include, optionally specify the subject area (ELA, Science, Social Studies), and set the number of questions (5-15). PlanSpark's AI analyzes the passage and generates DOK-leveled questions that require students to cite specific textual evidence. Each question includes a model sample answer showing proper evidence citation and a location hint (e.g., "See paragraph 2" or "Lines 5-8") so teachers can quickly verify responses. The entire process takes about 15-20 seconds.

Yes! Every generated question includes a detailed sample answer that demonstrates how students should cite textual evidence in their responses. Each answer also includes an evidence location hint (e.g., "See paragraph 2," "Lines 5-8," or "Opening sentence of the third paragraph") so teachers can quickly verify student responses and facilitate class discussions. When you export to PDF, you get both a student version (questions only with space for written responses) and a teacher answer key (with sample answers, evidence citations, DOK levels, and question type labels). The teacher version is perfect for grading and the student version is ready to hand out in class.

DOK (Depth of Knowledge) levels measure cognitive complexity—not difficulty, but the type of thinking required. PlanSpark generates text-dependent questions at DOK Levels 1-3: Level 1 (Recall) for finding explicit information stated directly in the text, Level 2 (Skill/Concept) for making inferences, identifying relationships, and connecting ideas within the text, and Level 3 (Strategic Thinking) for analyzing author's craft, evaluating arguments, and synthesizing across the full passage. Effective close reading instruction progresses through these levels, starting with "What does the text say?" (DOK 1), moving to "What does the text mean?" (DOK 2), and culminating in "How does the text work?" (DOK 3). PlanSpark automatically creates a balanced mix so your close reading activities scaffold toward deeper comprehension.

Absolutely! While text-dependent questions are most commonly associated with ELA and close reading, they are valuable for any subject that involves reading. Use them for science articles and lab reports (students cite data and findings from the text), social studies primary sources and historical documents (students analyze the author's perspective using evidence), math word problems with reading components, and any content area that requires students to read, analyze, and reference text. PlanSpark lets you specify the subject area so the AI tailors question language and vocabulary to your discipline. Content area literacy is a key component of college and career readiness standards across all subjects.

Yes, every set of text-dependent questions can be exported as a professionally formatted PDF. The PDF includes the reading passage, numbered questions with lined space for student responses, and a separate answer key page with sample answers showing textual evidence citations, DOK levels, and question type labels. The formatting is clean and ready to print, share digitally via Google Classroom or Canvas, or keep in your files for future use. The student version works as a standalone close reading handout that you can use immediately in class.