Daily Plan

• Learn how to use evidence to support our answers (the notes you need to write down are in blue)

Homework: Create a short answer question and response on your own

• Prepare for short answer responses on the TAKS test

• Practice responding with the use of evidence

Why should we care?

• The 9th grade TAKS test is the first test that requires the use of this technique.

• The 11th grade test isn’t much different.

• The TAKS test is supposed to assure that every student has the ability to be professionally successful after high school.

• You probably already use evidence to support your answers. Let’s take a look…

Real Life Evidence

• Quoting movies: Did you see The Hangover? That movie was hilarious! “Tigers hate pepper. They love cinnamon.” I laughed so hard I almost passed out.

Real Life Evidence

• Talking about music: Have you heard the newest Lil’ Wayne album? He’s totally sold out. The album is a totally full of love songs. He used to be hardcore and now he writes songs for teenage girls. He’s gone soft.

Real Life Evidence

• Did you hear about Margaret? She’s going out with Steve now. Yeah, Kelsey totally saw them leaving Seth’s party together. Twila is going to be totally crushed.

Write this down in your notes…

• Text evidence is anything in the story that proves your answer is correct.

Example

• What does Tim O’Brian’s daughter want to know about him in Ambush?

• Tim O’Brian’s daughter wants to know…

(1. use part of the question to start your answer)

Example

• What does Tim O’Brian’s daughter want to know about him in Ambush?

• Tim O’Brian’s daughter wants to know if he has ever killed a man. When asking about his war stories she says, (2. give details that put your reader into some place in the story)

Example

• What does Tim O’Brian’s daughter want to know about him in Ambush?

• Tim O’Brian’s daughter wants to know if he has ever killed a man. When asking about his war stories she says, “I guess you must have killed somebody.” (3. put quotation marks around any part you take from the story)

Example

• What does Tim O’Brian’s daughter want to know about him in Ambush?

• Tim O’Brian’s daughter asks him if he has ever killed a man. When asking about his war stories she says, “I guess you must have killed somebody.” She is curious to know what her father was like in the war. (4. Make sure that your quote clearly connects to the answer)

When we watch the video, do this…

1. Read the question carefully.

2. Remember important story details.

3. Look for evidence from the video. This can be something a character says or something they do.

Question: What is Arthur’s opinion of his sister visiting the Exploratorium?

Question: What is Arthur’s opinion of his sister visiting the Exploratorium?

1. Answer and include words from the question.

2. Let the reader know where you are taking the quote from. This is called providing context.

3. Use evidence from the video. This can be something a character says or a description of what they do.

4. Make sure your reader sees the connection between the quote and your answer.

Example Answer

• Arthur’s opinion is that DW is too young for the Science Exploratorium. When she tells him that she wants to go, he says, “They don’t want little kids like you in there.” Arthur puts down his sister because she is younger and does not believe that she is capable of understanding science.

How does Arthur’s opinion of his sister change from the beginning to the end of the

cartoon?

How does Arthur’s opinion of his sister change from the beginning to the end of the cartoon?

1. Answer and include words from the question.

2. Let the reader know from where in the story you are taking the quote. This is called providing context.

3. Use evidence from the beginning and end of the video. This can be something a character says or a description of what they do.

4. Make sure your reader sees the connection between the quote and your answer.

Example answer

• Arthur’s opinion of his sister changes when she tricks him. At first, he believes that she is a bother because she asks questions and he excludes her from activities because she was too young. When she asks to go to the Exploratorium, he says, “They don’t want little kids like you in there.” Later, she sets up a fake science fair and tests Arthur’s ability to explain his beliefs in science. When he is unable, he takes her to the Exploratorium to prove to her that her theories wrong. When she explains that she didn’t believe her theories and that she tricked him into taking her, Arthur says, “A smart DW? I don’t know if the world is ready for that.” Arthur now knows that his sister is not just a stupid pest, but a very smart little girl.

Words from question, Words that provide context, Evidence,