Verb Mission Slides CONFIDENTIAL: AGENT EYES ONLY
Verb Mission
Briefing
Lesson 1: Decoding Command Terms & Instructional Verbs
The Crime Scene
"The most common way students lose marks isn't by giving the wrong answer, but by answering the wrong question."
The Problem:
Missing the "Action Word"
Misinterpreting the depth required
Providing 100% facts but 0% analysis
Exhibit A: The Prompt
"Analyze the impact of the Industrial Revolution on urban housing."
Wrong: "The housing was very small."
Right: "Small housing caused diseases, which..."
The Codebook
Level 1: Instructional Verbs
Analyze
Break it down.
Explain how and why parts work together. Look for relationships.
Evaluate
Be the judge.
Decide the value or quality. Use evidence to support your judgment.
Infer
Read the lines.
Reach a conclusion based on evidence + logic. Finding the unsaid meaning.
Contrast
Spot the gap.
Focus ONLY on the differences between two or more things.
Describe
Paint a picture.
Give the main features or characteristics. Stick to the facts.
Justify
Prove it.
Explain the reasoning behind a choice. Show why it's correct.
Agent Field Test
Without using words, your team must "act out" the difference between:
DESCRIBE
VS
EVALUATE
Challenge: An Apple
Matching Evidence to Task
Low Cognitive Load
Identify / List
Requires: Specific names, dates, or phrases directly from the text.
Summarize
Requires: The "Big Picture" without personal opinion.
High Cognitive Load
Synthesize
Requires: Combining info from multiple sources to create a new idea.
Critique
Requires: Identifying strengths AND weaknesses using specific standards.
Command Decoder Worksheet Mission #01
Command Term Decoder
OBJECTIVE: MASTER ACADEMIC ACTION VERBS
Agent Name:
Date:
To decode a test prompt, you must first isolate the instructional verb. This verb tells you exactly what kind of thinking is required. Complete the codebook below.
Part 1: The Codebook
ANALYZE
EVALUATE
INFER
CONTRAST
Part 2: Comparative Analysis
Explain the difference in expectations between these two tasks:
Task A:
"Describe the main character of the story."
Task B:
"Analyze how the character changes."
Part 3: Decoding Practice
Circle the Command Verb in each prompt and write what evidence you would need to find.
1
"Justify the author's use of figurative language in paragraph 3."
Evidence Needed:
2
"Summarize the relationship between economic growth and environmental impact."
Evidence Needed:
3
"Synthesize the arguments presented in both Text A and Text B regarding AI."
Evidence Needed:
Facilitator Case File 1 Facilitator Case File #1
Command Term Codebreakers
Level: 11th Grade ESL
Mission Timeline
0-10m: Act It Out Hook
10-25m: Verb Mission Slides
25-45m: Decoder Worksheet
45-55m: Case Debrief (Class Discussion)
Success Criteria
Identify command verbs in 3 prompts.
Define differences in cognitive depth.
Map evidence types to specific verbs.
The Hook: "Act It Out"
This activity helps students visualize the intensity and type of labor each verb requires.
Instructions:
Show the class an apple (or a photo).
Split the class into two teams: Team A (Describe) and Team B (Evaluate).
Team A must only gesture or draw basic facts (round, red, has a stem).
Team B must act out checking for bruises, weighing it, comparing it to other fruits, or deciding if it's worth eating.
Ask: Why was Team B's job harder? What did they have to think about that Team A didn't?
Facilitator Insights
Common Misconception
"Students often think 'Analyze' just means 'Explain in more detail'."
Correction:
Analyze is about relationships. Use the "Cogs" metaphor—how does gear A move gear B? If gear A breaks, what happens to the whole machine?
ESL Scaffolding
For lower-proficiency students, provide Sentence Frames for the high-level verbs:
Evaluate: "Based on the evidence that ______, I believe ______ is (effective/ineffective) because..."
Analyze: "Part X is connected to Part Y because when X increases, Y..."
Contrast: "While Text A focuses on ______, Text B instead emphasizes..."
Syntax Stripper Slides SENTENCE_01
[CLAUSE_REMOVED]
TACTICAL SKILL: PARSING
Syntax
Strippers
Lesson 2: Cutting Through the Academic Clutter
Translate the Bureaucracy
Test Prompt:
"In light of the aforementioned historical context, to what extent can it be argued that the prevailing social constructs influenced the trajectory of the movement?"
Plain English:
"How did society change the movement?"
X-Ray Your Question
Target 1: Clauses
Delete words like "Given that...", "While it is often noted...", or "Despite the fact..."
Target 2: Modifiers
Delete extra adjectives and adverbs that don't change the core task.
Goal:
Find the [Subject] + [Verb] + [Object]
Example stripping:
Using evidence from the text,
explain how the environment
in which the characters find themselves
impacts
their decisions.
Can you strip it?
"Considering the multifaceted nature of global migration, how does the integration of immigrant communities contribute to the cultural enrichment of urban environments?"
Your Turn: Find the 5 Core Words
Syntax Stripper Worksheet Mission #02
Syntax Stripper
Objective: Isolate the core question
Agent:
THE STRIPPING RULES
Remove introductory phrases (e.g., "In the passage...")
Remove dependent clauses (e.g., "...which the author describes.")
Identify the Subject (Who/What)
Identify the Verb (Action)
1
Original Prompt:
"Drawing on the specific details provided in the second paragraph of the speech, what is the primary purpose of the speaker’s use of rhetorical questions?"
Step 1: Cross out the "Filler" (Draw a line through the words you don't need)
Step 2: Rewrite the core question (5-7 words maximum)
2
Original Prompt:
"Although some critics argue that the ending is ambiguous, in what ways does the final scene provide a resolution to the central conflict of the play?"
Step 1: Cross out the "Filler"
Step 2: Rewrite the core question
3
Original Prompt:
"Given the historical context of the 1920s, how did the author's personal experiences with the Great Depression shape the tone of the narrative?"
Step 1: Cross out the "Filler"
Step 2: Rewrite the core question
Self-Reflection
Why is it important to remove "introductory phrases" (like "Based on paragraph 2...") before you start thinking about the answer?
Facilitator Case File 2 Facilitator Case File #2
Syntax Strippers
The Hook: "Translate the Bureaucracy"
Students often find academic language intimidating because it sounds "important." This activity strips that power away by turning academic jargon into slang or text-speak.
Example Prompt to use:
"Evaluate the efficacy of the proposed mitigation strategies in light of the socioeconomic variables."
Sland Translation: "Did the plan actually work for the poor people?"
Key Instruction: The "Clause Slash"
Teach students to look for commas and words like which, that, or although. These usually signal the start of "filler" info that isn't the core question.
ESL Tip:
Many students will be afraid to cross out words because they think every word matters. Reassure them: "We aren't ignoring the info, we are just finding the boss of the sentence first."
Inference Detective Slides CASE FILE #03
Hidden Clues
Detective
Lesson 3: Inference vs. Literal Recall
The Mystery Box
The Literal Question:
"What color is the box? What size is it?"
ANSWER: Right in front of you.
The Inference Question:
"Who sent the box? Is the item inside fragile?"
ANSWER: You must find clues + use logic.
Spot the Signal
Literal Stems
"According to the passage..."
"The author states that..."
"Which of the following is true?"
Inference Stems
"It can be inferred that..."
"The passage suggests..."
"What is the most likely..."
The Inference Formula
Evidence
What I read
Schema
What I know
=
Inference
Inference Detective Worksheet Mission #03
Inference Detective
Objective: Distinguish literal vs. hidden clues
Agent ID:
Part 1: Signal Identification
Classify each question stem as LITERAL (L) or INFERENCE (I) by writing the letter in the box.
"What year did the event described in paragraph 1 occur?"
"The author's tone in the final section suggests that he is..."
"According to the text, what are the three main causes of...?"
"It can be most reasonably concluded from the passage that..."
Part 2: The Inference Lab
Short Case Study:
"As the sun dipped below the horizon, Maria tightened her scarf and looked at the empty wooden shelves of the pantry. She sighed, her breath visible in the chilly air of the kitchen, and decided to go to bed early to forget the hunger."
1. Literal Question: What is the setting of this scene?
Evidence from Text:
2. Inference Question: What is Maria's financial situation?
Evidence (Text Clue):
Schema (What I know):
Final Conclusion (Inference):
Facilitator Case File 3 Facilitator Case File #3
Hidden Clues Detective
The Hook: "The Mystery Box"
Bring a physical box to class. Ask: "What color is it?" (Literal). Ask: "What's inside?" (Inference). Shake the box. Ask again: "What's inside?" Key Point: To answer the second question, you needed a sound (clue) + common sense (logic).
The Inference Formula
Students often struggle with inference because they think it is "guessing." Stress that an inference is calculated.
Text Clue + My Brain (Schema) = Inference
ESL Scaffolding:
Low-proficiency students may have the logic but lack the "Linguistic Markers." Spend extra time on the "Spot the Signal" slide, having them underline these markers in real test papers.
Prediction Protocol Slides TACTICAL ADVANTAGE
Prediction
Protocol
Lesson 4: Defeating the Distractors
The Optical Illusion
When you look at answer choices immediately, your brain stops searching for the truth and starts looking for something that sounds good.
The Danger:
"Persuasive Distractors"—answers that are designed to trick you because they use words from the text but give the wrong meaning.
Question:
"What color is the sky?"
A) A bright shade of emerald green.
B) Often perceived as a deep sapphire.
C) The sun reflects off the ocean. (DISTRACTOR)
D) Grayish-white during heavy rainfall.
The 3-Step Protocol
1
Cover
Use your hand or a piece of paper to physically hide the options. No peeking!
2
Predict
Read the text. Formulate your own answer in your head or jot it down in the margin.
3
Reveal
Uncover the options. Look for the one that matches your prediction, not the one that sounds fancy.
Active Recall Challenge
On the next screen, you will have 30 seconds to read a short text and predict the answer before I show the options.
Ready for Protocol?
Prediction Power Worksheet Mission #04
Prediction Power
Objective: Defeat distractors via active recall
The "Cover & Predict" Method
Read the question. DO NOT look at the choices.
Cover the choices with your hand.
Find the answer in the text and write your Prediction first.
Text A:
"The expansion of high-speed rail networks has drastically reduced domestic air travel in several European countries. By offering shorter travel times between city centers and a lower carbon footprint, trains have become the preferred choice for commuters."
Question: According to the text, why do commuters prefer high-speed rail over flying?
My Prediction (Write here BEFORE looking below):
Answer Choices (Hidden until prediction is done):
A) Air travel has become significantly more expensive.
B) Rail travel offers faster city-to-city times and is more eco-friendly.
C) High-speed trains are luxury alternatives to domestic flights.
Text B:
"While most plants thrive in direct sunlight, the Venus Flytrap has evolved to survive in nutrient-poor bogs. It compensates for the lack of soil minerals by trapping and digesting insects, which provide the nitrogen essential for its growth."
Question: What is the primary reason the Venus Flytrap consumes insects?
My Prediction:
Answer Choices:
A) To protect itself from predators in the bog.
B) Because it cannot perform photosynthesis in direct sunlight.
C) To obtain nitrogen that is missing from the soil.
Facilitator Case File 4 Facilitator Case File #4
Prediction Protocol
Strategy: "Cover and Predict"
The goal is to stop "Option-itis"—when a student falls in love with a distractor because it contains a word they recognize from the text.
Activity Tip:
Have students literally place their hand over the bottom half of their worksheet/screen. Do a countdown. They only uncover when they have written a 3-word prediction.
Discussion Question:
"How does it feel to read the question without the options? Is it more stressful or less stressful?"
Most students find it less stressful once they realize the options are often the source of confusion.
Reverse Logic Slides LOGIC CHALLENGE
Reverse
Logic Lab
Lesson 5: Handling EXCEPT and NOT Questions
Reverse Simon Says
If I say "TOUCH YOUR HEAD," you must touch your toes.
The Command:
"Raise your right hand."
The Reaction:
Do anything EXCEPT raise your right hand.
Why is this harder than normal Simon Says?
The T/F Elimination Method
In an EXCEPT question, 3 answers are TRUE based on the text.
The correct answer is the one that is FALSE.
Protocol:
1. Read Option A. Is it true? Write 'T'.
2. Read Option B. Is it true? Write 'T'.
3. Find the one 'F'. That is your target.
Simulation:
"All of these are primary colors EXCEPT:"
A) Red TRUE (Discard)
B) Blue TRUE (Discard)
C) Green FALSE (CORRECT!)
D) Yellow TRUE (Discard)
Prompt Decoder Mastery
You now have the tools to:
1. Isolate Verbs 2. Strip Syntax 3. Spot Inferences 4. Apply Reverse Logic
Protocol Complete. Good Luck on the Field.
Reverse Logic Worksheet Mission #05
Reverse Logic Lab
Objective: Handle EXCEPT / NOT constraints
The T/F Elimination Strategy
For "EXCEPT" questions, mark each option as TRUE (T) or FALSE (F) based on the text. Your target is the one False answer.
Experimental Data:
"Renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, and hydroelectric power are becoming increasingly efficient. Unlike coal and natural gas, which release significant greenhouse gases, these sources have a minimal carbon footprint. However, renewable energy infrastructure still requires significant initial investment and is dependent on specific geographic conditions."
Question: All of the following are characteristics of renewable energy EXCEPT:
T / F
A) They release high amounts of greenhouse gases.
T / F
B) They require a large initial financial investment.
T / F
C) Their effectiveness depends on geographic location.
T / F
D) They include solar and hydroelectric power.
Logic Reflection:
Why does the brain find "EXCEPT" questions more difficult than standard multiple-choice questions? (Consider the "Reverse Simon Says" hook).
Facilitator Case File 5 Facilitator Case File #5
Reverse Logic Lab
The Hook: "Reverse Simon Says"
Spend 5 minutes playing this game. It demonstrates that the brain takes longer to process "Do Not X" than it does to process "Do X." This is why negative questions on tests take more time and energy.
The T/F Column Strategy
For students, an "EXCEPT" question feels like one hard question. Teach them that it is actually four simple True/False questions.
Teacher Script:
"Don't look for the right answer. Look for the three truths. Once you find three things the text says are true, the one left over must be your answer."
