RL.4.1 Supporting Evidence
The sun had just begun to peek over the horizon when Leo stepped onto the porch. He was wearing two sweaters, a heavy coat, and thick woolen mittens. When he exhaled, a small cloud of white vapor appeared in front of his face. He rubbed his hands together and stomped his boots to keep his toes from tingling.
In the setting, what is the weather like in this story? Justify your answer with 1 piece of evidence from the text.
The setting is winter/cold weather.
He was wearing two sweaters, a heavy coat, and thick woolen mittens.
When he exhaled, a small cloud of white vapor appeared in front of his face.
Samantha noticed that the new girl, Elena, was sitting by herself at a lunch table. While the rest of the fourth grade was busy laughing and trading snacks, Samantha grabbed her apple and juice box and walked over. She introduced herself with a smile and asked Elena if she wanted to play tag at recess?
What character trait describes Samantha? Support your answer with one specific event from the paragraph.
Kind
Evidence: Samantha saw Elena sitting alone and went to sit with her/invited her to play tag.
Greg found a shiny gold coin on the playground. Instead of turning it in, he hid it in his pocket. Later that day, he realized his own favorite lucky charm was missing. He searched everywhere, crying because it meant so much to him. He realized then how the person who lost the gold coin must feel.
What is the theme? Identify 1 piece of evidence that supports your inference.
Treat others how you want to be treated.
Evidence: He realized then how the person who lost the gold coin must feel.
How are media techniques used in a text? Give 2 examples of them.
Media techniques are used to give the reader more information about the text and a better understanding.
Examples are:
Text and graphic features, pictures, audio, video, experts on the topic.
Text A: In the frozen tundra of the far North, a young boy named Avery set out to find the Great White Bear. His village had run out of food, and legend said the bear could lead a hunter to the best fishing holes. Avery packed his thickest furs and his sharpened spear, determined to save his family from the long winter.
Text B: Deep within the steaming Amazon rainforest, a girl named Itzel searched for the Golden Jaguar. Her village was suffering from a terrible drought, and her elders believed the jaguar had the power to call the clouds to bring rain. She pushed through thick vines and colorful flowers, hoping to find the creature before the crops withered away.
Identify 1 similarity and 1 difference in the texts.
(Similarity): Both characters are on a mission to find a legendary animal to save their people.
(Difference): The settings are opposites; one is a frozen, cold environment, while the other is a hot, tropical jungle.
Maya looked at the stack of math problems on her desk. She sighed loudly and slumped her shoulders. She picked up her pencil, but instead of writing numbers, she began to doodle small spirals in the margin of the paper. Every time the clock ticked, she looked up at it, then back down at her blank worksheet.
How does Maya feel about her math homework? Justify your answer using 1 piece of evidence from the text.
Maya is bored with her homework.
She sighed loudly and slumped her shoulders.
She picked up her pencil, but instead of writing numbers, she began to doodle small spirals in the margin of the paper.
The classroom was transformed for the party. Streamers of orange and black hung from the ceiling tiles, dancing in the breeze from the fan. A large table in the back was covered in a plastic pumpkin tablecloth, piled high with bowls of popcorn and cups of apple cider that smelled like cinnamon.
What is the setting of this story? Use two sensory details (sight, smell, etc.) to describe it.
A classroom decorated for a Halloween/Fall party.
Evidence: Streamers of orange and black (sight) and the smell of cinnamon apple cider (smell).
The tiny hummingbird wanted to help the forest animals move a fallen log, but the bears laughed. "You're too small!" they roared. The hummingbird didn't give up. It flew to the village and chirped until the humans followed it back to the forest with their tools to move the log.
What is the theme? Support your answer with 1 piece of evidence.
Size doesn't matter when it comes to helping.
Evidence: It flew to the village and chirped until the humans followed it back to the forest with their tools to move the log.
Why would the author include a map in a text when talking about how to get to a location?
The author would include a map to show the reader the path they would have to take to get to the location, or to help them understand where the location is in relation to other places.
Text A: Long ago, a mischievous Coyote decided the night sky was too dark. He found a bag of glowing white stones and began to place them carefully in the sky to tell stories. However, he tripped over a cactus, and the stones spilled out in a giant, messy streak that people now call the Milky Way.
Text B: In the beginning of the world, a giant Eagle flapped its massive wings for the very first time. The air had always been still and heavy, but the Eagle’s movement created a rushing breeze that cooled the earth. This flapping created the first wind, which now carries seeds across the land so trees can grow.
(Similarity): Both are "creation myths" that explain how a specific part of nature began.
(Difference): Text A explains the stars/Milky Way, while Text B explains the origin of the wind.
The old barn at the edge of the woods hadn't been touched in years. The red paint was peeling off in long strips, revealing grey wood underneath. Thick cobwebs stretched across the windows like dusty curtains, and the heavy wooden door groaned on its rusty hinges whenever the wind blew.
Has anyone been taking care of this barn? Justify your answer with 1 supporting piece of evidence.
No, it is abandoned.
Evidence:
The old barn at the edge of the woods hadn't been touched in years.
"Thick cobwebs stretched across the windows"
"The heavy wooden door groaned on its rusty hinges."
The spelling bee was down to the last two students. When the judge said the word "knowledge," Chloe felt her stomach do a somersault. She stepped up to the microphone, cleared her throat, and slowly began to say the letters. When she finished, the judge smiled and said, "That is correct!"
Why is this event important to the story? How does the character’s reaction show the importance?
It is the climax of a spelling bee.
Evidence: Her stomach "did a somersault" shows she is nervous because the outcome matters greatly to her.
Two friends, Kim and Sarah, were building a lemonade stand. Kim wanted it to be yellow, and Sarah wanted it to be blue. They spent all morning arguing and didn't sell a single cup. Finally, they decided to paint it green—a mix of both colors. By the afternoon, they had sold three pitchers of lemonade.
What is the theme? Identify 1 piece of evidence that supports your inference.
Compromise leads to success (or working together is better than arguing).
Evidence:
Finally, they decided to paint it green—a mix of both colors.
By the afternoon, they had sold three pitchers of lemonade.
Why would the author make a video of a text?
To help the reader visualize what it is the author wants you to picture in your mind.
Text A: Cinderella ran down the palace steps as the clock struck midnight, knowing her magic was about to fade. In her hurry, one of her delicate glass slippers fell off and bounced onto the cold stone stairs. The Prince picked it up and vowed to find the girl whose foot fit the tiny shoe perfectly.
Text B: A young boy named Tim was running home from the river when he tripped over a tree root. One of his heavy wooden sandals flew off and splashed into the water, floating downstream toward the King’s garden. When the Princess found the sandal, she was impressed by the carvings on it and asked her guards to find the owner.
(Similarity): Both stories involve a character losing a piece of footwear that is later found by royalty.
(Difference): One character is a girl who loses a glass slipper, while the other is a boy who loses a carved wooden sandal.
Jackson sprinted across the finish line and immediately dropped to his knees. His face was a bright shade of beet-red, and his chest was heaving up and down rapidly. He reached for his water bottle with a shaking hand and drank the entire thing in three seconds without stopping for a breath.
Was the race easy or difficult for Jackson? Provide one piece of evidence to support your thinking.
It was difficult/exhausting.
Evidence:
His face was a bright shade of beet-red, and his chest was heaving up and down rapidly.
He reached for his water bottle with a shaking hand and drank the entire thing in three seconds without stopping for a breath.
No matter how many times the wooden tower fell over, Ben didn't get mad. He simply gathered the blocks, looked at his drawing, and started building the base again. He spent three hours adjusting the pieces until the tower stood taller than he was.
What character trait does Ben show? Identify the evidence that supports your trait.
Persistent or Patient.
Evidence: Even though the tower fell many times, he didn't get mad and spent three hours rebuilding it.
Liam was the best runner in school and he knew it. He didn't bother practicing for the big race because he thought he would win easily. On race day, a girl who had been practicing every single morning zoomed past him in the final lap while Liam was out of breath.
What is the theme? Use1 piece of evidence from the text to support your inference.
Hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work hard.
Evidence: On race day, a girl who had been practicing every single morning zoomed past him in the final lap while Liam was out of breath.
Why might an author include a timeline in the text?
The author would include a timeline in the text to help the reader visualize the order of events in a text, and how amount of time between the events that happened.
Text A: A brave knight reached the cave of the three-headed dragon and drew his shiny sword. Instead of fighting, the dragon told the knight he could only pass if he solved a difficult riddle about time. The knight thought hard, gave the correct answer, and the dragon stepped aside to let him through.
Text B: A warrior reached the mountain of the Stone Giant and saw that the giant was ready to throw a boulder. The warrior did not use a weapon, but instead pulled out a magical shield made of polished silver. When the giant looked at the shield, he saw his own reflection and was so surprised that he forgot to fight, allowing the warrior to pass safely.
(Similarity): Both heroes are successful in getting past a monster to continue their journey.
(Difference): One hero uses his intelligence to solve a riddle, while the other uses a magical object (a shield).
Sarah walked into the kitchen and saw a trail of muddy paw prints leading from the back door straight to the sofa. On the floor sat a torn-up couch cushion with white stuffing scattered everywhere like snow. Her dog, Buster, was sitting in the corner with his head down, refusing to look Sarah in the eye.
What happened while Sarah was out? Use evidence to support your answer.
The dog (Buster) made a mess.
Evidence:
Sarah walked into the kitchen and saw a trail of muddy paw prints leading from the back door straight to the sofa.
Her dog, Buster, was sitting in the corner with his head down, refusing to look Sarah in the eye.
As they stepped off the bus, the air felt thick and salty. To the left, giant blue waves crashed against the shore, leaving white foam on the sand. To the right, a long wooden boardwalk was lined with shops selling ice cream and colorful kites that fluttered in the wind.
What is the setting? Use one detail about the air and one detail about the ground to support your answer.
The beach or a boardwalk.
Evidence: The air felt "thick and salty" (air) and there was "white foam on the sand" or a "wooden boardwalk" (ground).
An old man planted a tree, even though he knew he wouldn't live long enough to sit in its shade. When his grandson asked why, the man said, "I am planting this so that you and your children will have a cool place to play on hot summer days."
What is the theme? Identify a piece of evidence to support your answer.
Kindness or thoughtfulness means thinking of others' future (or Selflessness).
Evidence: When his grandson asked why, the man said, "I am planting this so that you and your children will have a cool place to play on hot summer days."
Why would the author include bolded words in the text?
The author would include bold words in the text to show the reader that it is an important word, and that they need to pay attention to it.
The author wants to get the reader's attention.
Text A: The Moon looked down at the Earth every night and felt very sad. While the humans had families and the trees had birds to talk to, the Moon was all alone in the vast, black sky. He wished he could go down to a park and find a friend to play a game of catch with.
Text B: A lonely Mountain stood tall in the middle of a dry, empty desert. He watched the distant Ocean waves crashing on the shore and wished he could move his heavy stone feet to go visit. The Mountain wanted to feel the cool water on his rocks and talk to the whales that traveled through the deep blue sea.
(Similarity): Both characters feel lonely and wish they could visit a different place to find companionship.
(Difference): One character is the Moon in the sky, while the other is a Mountain on the Earth.