Grade 4 RST Writing, Lesson 3: Understanding the PCR Prompt and Writing an Opening Topic Statement

NJSLA’s prose constructed response (PCR) represents a significant change from previous tests’ essay prompts. On the Research Simulation Task, these prompts require students to write an argumentative or informative/explanatory essay based solely on textual evidence found in the associated texts. For students to write proficient responses, they need to start with a strong grasp of the prompt’s requirements and must be able to develop a strong opening topic statement that fully addresses the prompt.