Find the BEST
Marcus tapped his pencil against the desk as the teacher handed out the test. He glanced around the room, biting his lip. When the paper reached him, he took a deep breath before looking at the first question.
Question: Write one piece of textual evidence that shows Marcus is nervous.
“Marcus tapped his pencil against the desk” or “He was biting his lip.”
Explanation: This shows he is nervous because these are common signs of anxiety.
Nia sat alone at lunch, quietly picking at her food. She watched other students laughing together across the room. She sighed and looked down at her tray.
Question: Claim: Nia feels lonely. Write ONE piece of textual evidence to support the claim.
“Nia sat alone at lunch” or “She watched other students laughing together.”
Sophie walked into the dark room slowly. She held her breath and listened carefully. Every small noise made her jump.
Question: Why is this weak evidence for fear: “Sophie walked into the room”?
Answer:
“Sophie walked into the room” is weak because it does not clearly show fear.
Ava’s hands trembled as she opened the letter. She read it slowly, her eyes widening. She covered her mouth in shock.
Question: What does “her hands trembled” show about Ava?
It shows Ava is nervous or scared because trembling is a sign of fear.
What does the HIT acronym stand for?
Hook
Information
Thesis
Passage:
The abandoned house stood at the end of the street, its windows cracked and dark. The wind whistled through the broken door, making it creak loudly. No one dared to walk near it after sunset.
Question: Find TWO pieces of textual evidence that show the setting is scary.
“The windows were cracked and dark” and “The wind whistled through the broken door.”
Explanation: These details create a scary and unsafe feeling.
DOUBLE POINTS
Carlos practiced basketball every day after school. Even when he missed shots, he kept trying again and again. Eventually, he made the winning shot during the game.
Claim: Hard work leads to success. Provide evidence AND explain.
"Carlos practiced basketball every day after school.”
This shows hard work, which led to his success later.
Darius looked at the roller coaster and stepped back. His hands were sweaty, and his legs felt shaky. He almost decided not to get on.
Question: What is the strongest piece of evidence to support that Darius was nervous?
“His hands were sweaty, and his legs felt shaky.”
Explanation: This clearly shows fear.
“I’m fine,” Jamal said, even though his voice shook. He avoided eye contact and crossed his arms tightly. He turned away from his friends.
Question: Explain how “avoided eye contact” shows he is not comfortable.
It proves that he does not want to engage with his friends showing he is not comfortable.
Write 2 explaining evidence sentence starters.
This shows....
This proves....
This explains.....
ETC
DOUBLE POINTS
Lena stepped onto the stage, her hands shaking slightly. She looked out at the crowd and smiled anyway. “I can do this,” she whispered before beginning her speech.
Question: Which is the BEST evidence that Lena is trying to be brave? Explain why!
“I can do this,” she whispered before beginning her speech.
Explanation: This is strongest because it shows she is encouraging herself despite being nervous.
DOUBLE POINTS
The dog barked loudly at the stranger standing near the gate. Its ears were raised, and it refused to move away. It stayed alert until the person left.
Question: Create your own claim and support it with evidence from the text.
ANSWERS MAY VARY.
Olivia heard thunder in the distance. She quickly ran inside and closed the door. Her heart raced as the storm grew louder.
Question: Which is stronger evidence of fear and why?
“Her heart raced” is stronger. It directly shows fear, while the other detail does not.
The power went out suddenly, leaving the house in complete darkness. Mia grabbed a flashlight and stayed close to her brother. Together, they waited quietly for the lights to return.
Question: Why is the detail about "staying close" important?
It shows they are scared and want comfort.
DOUBLE POINTS
Write out 2 similes and 1 metaphor.
ANSWERS MAY VARY
At first, Jordan frowned as he stared at the difficult puzzle. He sighed and almost gave up. Suddenly, his face lit up as he placed the final piece correctly.
Question: Write a quote that shows a shift in Jordan’s emotions.
“At first, Jordan frowned…” and “his face lit up…”
Explanation: This shows a change from frustration to happiness.
Maya struggled to understand the math problem at first. She reread the directions and asked for help. By the end, she solved it on her own and smiled proudly.
Question: Write a claim about Maya’s growth and support with TWO pieces of evidence.
Claim: Maya grows and becomes more confident.
Evidence: “She struggled at first” and “She solved it on her own.”
DOUBLE POINTS.
The classroom was noisy and chaotic. Papers were scattered everywhere, and students shouted across the room. All of the student's was present and accounted for. The teacher struggled to get everyone’s attention.
Question: What is the weak piece of evidence to support that the teacher has no classroom management.
All of the student's was present and accounted for.
DOUBLE POINTS
The team lost the game, and everyone looked disappointed. However, their coach smiled and said, “We’ll come back stronger.” The players nodded and began planning for the next game.
Question: Use: “This evidence suggests ___ because ___.”
This evidence suggests the team is hopeful because they are already planning to improve.
What does RACES stand for?
Reason
Analyze
Cite
Explain
Support
Tyrone fell during the race and scraped his knee. He winced but stood up quickly and kept running. By the end, he crossed the finish line with a proud smile.
Question: Write the BEST evidence that supports the theme of perseverance and explain.
“He winced but stood up quickly and kept running.”
Explanation: This shows perseverance because he continues even after getting hurt.
Ethan wanted to quit the team after losing several games. However, he continued to practice and encouraged his teammates. In the final game, they worked together and won.
Question: Create your own claim and support it with evidence from the text.
ANSWERS MAY VARY
DOUBLE POINTS
Ben stood at the edge of the diving board. He looked down at the water and hesitated. After a moment, he stepped back instead of jumping.
👉 Question: Write one weak and one strong piece of evidence showing fear and explain.
Answer:
Weak: “Ben stood on the diving board.”
Strong: “He hesitated and stepped back instead of jumping.”
Explanation: The strong evidence clearly shows fear.
DOUBEL POINTS
After failing the test, Rachel felt discouraged. Instead of giving up, she studied harder each night. When she passed the next test, she felt proud of her progress.
Question: Determine the theme of the passage and explain how the evidence supports the theme.
This shows the message that hard work leads to improvement because Rachel studied and then succeeded.
DOUBLE POINTS
Finish the phrase "Don't leave you ______ _______ ________."
Don't leave your textual evidence hanging.