Matching points to their evidence

English · Reading Comprehension · ages 10-11

Name ______________________ Date ____________

A text says: 'Every class should have a pet. Pets teach responsibility: kids in one class fed their fish from a chart every day. Pets also make Monday mornings better.' Which piece of evidence supports the point that pets teach responsibility?
- Kids in one class fed their fish from a chart every day
- Pets make Monday mornings better
- Every class should have a pet
A text says: 'Our school should start classes later. First, later starts help sleep: one school found teens slept 45 minutes more each night. Second, later starts cut bus costs.' Which point does the 45-minute fact support?
- Later starts cut bus costs
- Later starts help teens sleep more
- The school should start classes later
A fact that is true always counts as evidence, no matter which point it sits next to.
Circle one: True False
A text says: 'Recycling is a great idea. It's just really great.' Does this sentence give evidence for the point?
- Yes, it explains a fact
- No, it just repeats the opinion without a fact
- Yes, it gives a number
A text says: 'Homework should be shorter. Shorter homework leaves time for sleep: doctors say kids need 9 hours of sleep a night.' Which sentence is the evidence for the sleep point?
- Shorter homework leaves time for sleep
- Doctors say kids need 9 hours of sleep a night
- Homework should be shorter
A text makes 4 points about drinking more water. Only 3 of the points have a fact or number backing them up. How many points have no evidence?
Answer: ______________
A text says: 'Everyone should drink more water. Water is important for life.' What is missing from this argument?
- A conclusion
- Specific evidence, like a fact or study, not just a general statement
- An opinion
A text says: 'Recess should be longer. Longer recess helps kids focus: one class scored 10 points higher on focus tests after extra recess.' Why did the writer include the focus-test number?
- To show that recess should be fun
- To make the paragraph longer
- To give checkable proof for the focus point
A text says: 'Our class should grow a garden. It would give us fresh food: one school garden grew 30 pounds of tomatoes. It would teach teamwork: students there ran the garden in 4 work teams.' Which matching is correct?
- 30 pounds of tomatoes supports teamwork, and 4 work teams supports fresh food
- Both facts support the fresh-food point
- 30 pounds of tomatoes supports fresh food, and 4 work teams supports teamwork
Two writers argue that reading before bed helps kids sleep. Writer A says: 'Kids who read before bed fell asleep 15 minutes faster in one study.' Writer B says: 'Reading before bed is cozy, and cozy things help you sleep.' Which writer gives stronger evidence, and why?
- Writer A, because the 15-minute study is a checkable fact
- Writer B, because cozy is a feeling everyone knows
- Both writers give equally strong evidence

Answer key

For grown-ups. Fold this page away before handing over the rest.

Matching points to their evidence W1-mt_S3XMQOYt_D-s1

Kids in one class fed their fish from a chart every day · Feeding fish from a chart is a specific, checkable job, and it shows kids being responsible.
Later starts help teens sleep more · The 45-minute number is about sleep, so it backs up the sleep point, not the bus-cost point or the main claim.
False · A fact only counts as evidence for the point it actually supports. A true fact parked next to the wrong point still proves nothing.
No, it just repeats the opinion without a fact · Saying something is 'great' again doesn't add proof. Evidence needs a fact, number, or example.
Doctors say kids need 9 hours of sleep a night · The 9-hour fact from doctors is something you could check. The other two sentences are the point and the main claim repeated, not proof.
1 · Four points take away the 3 backed-up points leaves 1 point with no evidence.
Specific evidence, like a fact or study, not just a general statement · 'Water is important for life' is just a general claim, not a checkable fact or example.
To give checkable proof for the focus point · The 10-point test score is a checkable fact, and it sits right next to the focus point to back it up.
30 pounds of tomatoes supports fresh food, and 4 work teams supports teamwork · Pounds of tomatoes is about food, and work teams are about teamwork. Each fact belongs to its own point.
Writer A, because the 15-minute study is a checkable fact · Writer A's 15-minute study result can be checked. Writer B only gives a nice feeling, and a feeling is not evidence.