A short persuasive text, "More Trees for Our Cities," gives three reasons for planting trees on every street. On this 4th grade informational text check, students find the main point, check the three reasons the author really states, and match four pieces of evidence to their reasons. The last questions ask them to judge which reason the author supported best. It practices RI.4.8 over four pages, and the answer key includes a sample explanation.
RI.4.8
“Explain how an author uses reasons and evidence to support particular points in a text.”
Parts 1 and 2 separate the author's reasons from the evidence behind each one, and Part 3 asks how well the evidence supports each reason.
Students read that trees keep cities cool, clean the air, and make people happier, with evidence such as shade lowering sidewalk temperatures by up to ten degrees.
A multiple choice question on the main point, then five possible reasons to check. Two of them, bird nests and slowing traffic, are not in the text.
Students write A, B, or C beside four pieces of evidence, such as "The leaves trap dust from cars," then copy one fact for the cooling reason and the evidence for the happiness reason.
Students choose the reason they think was best supported and explain why, using details from the text.
Opinion writing link
Read this right before students write their own opinion pieces. The reason and evidence layout gives them a model for their own paragraphs.
Watch for distractors
"Trees give birds a place to build nests" is true, so students often check it. Remind them the question asks what this author states.
Debate warm-up
There is no single right answer to which reason is best supported. Let students stand in three corners of the room for the three reasons and defend their choice.
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