RACE

RESTATE

100

1. The "R" stands for Restate; students should repeat the question as part of their answer in their own words.

What does the "R" in RACE stand for? Provide a one-sentence student-friendly definition.

200

"The main character decided to leave home because..." (student should reframe the question into a statement).

Restate this question as the beginning of an answer: "Why did the main character decide to leave home?"
 

300

"The theme of the story is..." or "The author’s main message is..."

1. Give a restated question starter for this prompt: "What is the theme of the story?" (Write a complete sentence starter a student could use.)
   
   

400

 Restating shows you understand the question and gives the answer context so the reader knows what you're writing about.

Explain why restating the question helps your reader. (Short answer)

500

"Alex changed by ___ because ___." (Full starter e.g., "Alex changed from ___ to ___ because ___, showing that ___.")

1. Restate and combine both parts of this two-part question into one clear sentence starter: "How did Alex change during the story, and what caused that change?"
   
   

ANSWER

100

The "A" stands for Answer; give a direct response to the question.

What does the "A" in RACE require you to do?

200

"Yes, the experiment succeeded because it produced the expected result." or "No, the experiment did not succeed because..." (choose based on context).

"Did the experiment succeed?" Provide a concise model answer sentence.

300

 A direct answer clearly addresses the question so the reader knows exactly what you are claiming

Why should the answer be direct and specific rather than vague? (Short answer)

400

 "No, the character did not make the right choice because they ignored important advice and caused the problem to grow."

Convert this unclear response into a clear answer: "I think it went okay." (Provide a clearer one-sentence answer to the question "Did the character make the right choice?")

500

 "The community supported the project because it would create jobs and improve local schools."

1. Write a one-sentence answer to this question using evidence-ready language: "What was the main reason the community supported the project?"

CITE

100

 "Cite" — include evidence (a quote or a short reference) from the text to support your answer.

What does the "C" in RACE mean?

200

 Use a phrase like: "because of the storm" or quote the exact line: "the storm destroyed our crops."

Give a short citation example (one or two words or a short phrase in quotation marks) a student could use to support: "The weather caused the problem."

300

Right after your answer sentence or after the piece of evidence you reference

Where should you place the citation in your short response? (Short answer)

400

 You could write: The car was failing when "the engine coughed and sputtered before it failed."

1. Show how to cite a specific sentence: Use this made-up passage — The narrator says, "The engine coughed and sputtered before it failed." Write a short citation to support the claim that the car was failing.
   
   

500

 Paraphrase example: She felt very nervous before the test. Quote example: The text says, "Her hands trembled as she read the first question."

Explain the difference between paraphrasing evidence and quoting evidence. Give a one-sentence example of each (paraphrase and quote) using the idea "She was nervous."

EXPLAIN

100

 Explain — show how the evidence proves your answer and add reasoning.

What does the final "E" require you to do?

200

 Example: "This proves that the plan worked because the data shows a steady increase."

1. Complete this explaining sentence starter: "This proves that ____ because ____."
   
   

300

 It connects the evidence to your answer and shows your thinking so the reader understands why the evidence matters

Why is the explanation important after you cite text evidence? (Short answer)

400

 Because he allowed Maya to lead, it shows he trusted others more than before, which supports the claim that he learned to trust.

1. Given the answer "He learned to trust others," and the citation "He let Maya take the lead for the first time," write a one-sentence explanation linking the evidence to the answer.
   
   

500

Restate: Nora returned the lost dog because.Answer: she wanted to help and felt responsible.Cite: The story explains that she "missed having a pet" and "knew the dog’s family must be worried."Explain: Missing a pet made her sympathetic, and knowing the family was worried gave her a clear reason to act; together, these details show she returned the dog out of caring and responsibility.

Write a full RACE-style short response (one short paragraph) to this prompt and include each labeled part: Prompt: "Why did Nora return the lost dog?" Use this brief imagined text: The story says Nora missed having a pet and remembered how lonely she felt before. She also knew the dog’s family must be worried.