Character & Plot
Which part of a story explains how the characters, setting, and conflict work together?
👉 Answer: What is plot?
👉 WHY: Plot is everything that happens in the story.
Figuring out a word using context clues means using ______. (When you use context clues, what are you using to figure out a word?)
👉 Answer: What is context?
👉 WHY: Context clues come from surrounding words and sentences that help define meaning.
This describes how a text is organized.
👉 Answer: What is text structure?
👉 WHY: Text structure explains how ideas are arranged to help readers understand.
This is the lesson or message of a story. (what word means the lesson or message of a story?)
👉 Answer: What is theme?
👉 WHY: Theme is what the author wants readers to learn or understand.
What in the text proves your answer?”
👉 Answer: What is text evidence?
👉 WHY: It shows your answer is not just a guess.
If a character starts out nervous but later feels confident, what is changing about them?
👉 Answer: What are character traits/feelings?
👉 WHY: Changes in feelings show character development, which helps us understand growth
If a character is described as “tired and scared,” what does that show?
👉 Answer: What is tone/mood or character feeling?
👉 WHY: These words describe the character’s emotional state, helping readers understand the situation
Cause and effect shows ______.
👉 Answer: What is why something happens and what happens after?
👉 WHY: This structure explains relationships between events.
True or False: Theme must be supported with evidence.
👉 Answer: What is True?
👉 WHY: You must prove theme using details from the text, not just guess.
A strong paragraph includes claim, evidence, and ______.
👉 Answer: What is reasoning/explanation?
👉 WHY: Explanation connects the evidence to the claim (this is where most students struggle!).
Clue: How does setting affect a character? (How does the place in a story change or affect a character?)
👉 Answer: It influences their actions and decisions
👉 WHY: Where a character is (setting) can force them to act differently, which affects the plot.
Words with strong feelings (good or bad) show ______.
👉 Answer: What is connotation?
👉 WHY: Connotation is the feeling or emotion attached to a word, beyond its dictionary meaning.
Why do authors use different text structures?
👉 Answer: To organize ideas clearly
👉 WHY: Different structures help readers understand information more easily.
What is a central idea?
👉 Answer: The main idea of an informational text
👉 WHY: It explains what the text is mostly about.
Claim + Evidence + ______ = strong answer
👉 Answer: What is explanation?
👉 WHY: You must explain how your evidence proves your answer.
Why does a character’s reaction to events matter? (Why is it important how a character reacts to what happens?”)
👉 Answer: It shows how the plot develops and reveals traits
👉 WHY: A character’s response helps readers understand who they are and how the story moves forward.
If a passage says bacteria are “clustered,” what does that MOST likely mean?
👉 Answer: What is grouped together?
👉 WHY: The text explains bacteria are in groups, so “clustered” must mean gathered closely
Which structure explains steps in order? (Which text structure shows steps in the order they happen?)
👉 Answer: What is sequence/chronological order?
👉 WHY: Sequence shows events in time order, helping readers follow steps.Which structure explains steps in order?
If two texts both show growth and learning, they share a ______. (If two texts show the same message about growing and learning, what is that called?)
👉 Answer: What is a common theme?
👉 WHY: When texts teach the same lesson, they share a theme.
What is the difference between persuasive and argumentative writing?
Persuasive writing uses opinions and feelings, while argumentative writing uses facts and evidence..
This is the whole story (what happens from beginning to end).
👉 Answer: What is plot?
👉 WHY: Plot is everything that happens in the story.
If you don’t know a word, what should you do?
👉 Answer: Use context clues
👉 WHY: The sentence helps you figure it out without a dictionary.
If a paragraph explains a problem and how to fix it, what structure is it?
👉 Answer: What is problem and solution?
👉 WHY: It shows a problem and how it gets solved.
How do you find theme?
👉 Answer: Look at character actions + outcomes + message
👉 WHY: Theme comes from what happens and what it teaches us.
Why is explaining evidence important?
👉 Answer: It shows how the evidence proves your answer
👉 WHY: Without explanation, the reader won’t understand your thinking.