In this activity, students will be provided a question or prompt to answer using textual evidence. The prompt here is, “Your friend wants a pet, but has a baby brother. Which pet would be the best option and why?”
The three examples provided include:
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Student Instructions
Create a storyboard that answers the prompt using at least three examples from Good Pet, Bad Pet. Click on "Add / Delete Cells" to change the number of examples.
Help students structure their thoughts visually by providing a graphic organizer, such as a spider map or T-chart. This makes it easier for students to connect their answers to specific text evidence and encourages clear, logical thinking.
Demonstrate how to locate relevant phrases or sentences from the text and show students how to quote or paraphrase them. Explicit modeling builds confidence and clarifies expectations for using text evidence.
Encourage students to restate information from the text in their own words. Paraphrasing helps deepen understanding and ensures students aren’t just copying without comprehension.
Organize students in pairs or small groups to share their chosen evidence and reasoning. Discussion strengthens critical thinking and exposes students to different perspectives.
Display student-generated examples of well-chosen and well-cited text evidence on a classroom anchor chart. This provides a visual reference and reinforces expectations for future assignments.
Text evidence means using specific details or quotes from a reading to support your answer. In the 'Good Pet, Bad Pet' activity, students find information from the text to answer the prompt, showing why a certain pet is best for a home with a baby brother.
Students should look for text examples that show which pets are safe, easy to care for, and suitable for young children. For instance, fish are described as easy to care for and good for all ages, making them a strong choice.
A storyboard spider map is a graphic organizer with a central question and supporting examples branching out. For this lesson, students put the prompt in the center and add three examples from the text, each with a description and illustration.
Examples include: Fish are easy to care for and good for all ages; rodents are cute, need little space, and can learn tricks; insects are safe for kids and easy to release the next day.
Using text evidence shows you understand the material and can back up your answers. It helps you make strong, clear arguments and improves comprehension skills.