R.A.C.E
What does R.A.C.E stand for?
Restate, Answer, Cite Evidence, and Explain
What is the central idea?
The central idea is what the text is mostly about/the most important idea(s) in a text.
What does it mean to cite textual evidence?
It means to justify your answer using quotes or examples from the text.
What is theme?
Theme is the message of a story, poem or fiction text.
What is plot?
The sequence of events in a story.
The "E" in the acronym R.A.C.E stands for explain. What are you explaining?
How the evidence relates to your answer.
What type of text uses central idea? Think broad.
Nonfiction Text
What is the difference between an explicit question and an inference question?
An explicit question can be answered using a direct quote or example from the text. An inference question requires a combination of both your thoughts and examples from the text.
What type of text uses theme? Think broad.
Fiction
What are the 5 parts of a plot?
The exposition, the rising action, the climax, the falling action, the resolution
When asked a question about a short story or article, where should you look for evidence?
You should look for evidence in the text.
What questions can you ask yourself when trying to identify the central idea?
Who? What? When? Where? Why? and How?
What are 2 ways you can format evidence?
Through direct or partial quotes, and paraphrasing
What is the difference between a thematic topic and a theme?
A theme is when something is revealed about a subject/topic. A thematic topic is simply a common topic that is used in literature to center a theme around.
What is revealed in the exposition?
Background information such as characters, setting, and the overarching conflict
What is one possible transition you could use when citing a quote or example from the text?
Teacher discretion. Potential answers: The text states, the character says, for example... etc.
What is one text feature that can usually help you identify the subject of the story?
The title
What are 2 reasons you may decide to paraphrase instead of using a direct quote?
Exact wording is not needed. The quote or too long to use. You are using multiple points or key ideas from a larger piece of text. You are summarizing ideas from an entire text.
Is courage a theme. Explain why or why not.
Courage is thematic topic - not a theme. A theme must complete the thought and make a commentary on the subject.
What is important about the climax of a story?
It is the peak of the conflict, where tension is at its height. This is where characters make changes.
Context
Identify the central idea for the following paragraph:
A vaccine is a preparation of killed or weakened germs that is injected under the skin and causes the blood to produce antibodies against the disease. Effective vaccines, for instance, have been developed for small pox, rabies, and polio.
Teacher discretion.
Vaccines are used to prepare the body for dangerous diseases.
True or False: Animals are not able to exhibit emotion. Use evidence to support your answer.
Teacher discretion.
What is difference between central idea and theme?
Both center about a subject or topic; however, theme, used in fiction texts, reveals a universal truth about the human experience whereas central idea simple states the important idea(s) presented in a nonfiction text.
Where does most of the story take place?
During the Rising Action