In "Save Our Oakville Library," an author gives five points for keeping the town library open. Each point has a reason and a piece of evidence, such as 200 students with better grades and a 15% drop in after-school mischief. Students match points to reasons, then reasons to evidence, and spot one extra piece that does not belong. They finish by choosing the best-supported point. The 4-page sheet targets 5th grade RI.5.8, and the answer key includes a model response.
RI.5.8
“Explain how an author uses reasons and evidence to support particular points in a text, identifying which reasons and evidence support which point(s).”
Both matching tables link each point to its reason and each reason to its evidence, and the written response judges which evidence is strongest.
A one-paragraph argument with five points, from free tutoring to the $300 a year the average library card saves a family on books.
Students write a letter to pair each of five points with its reason. Number 1 is done for them: community learning goes with free tutoring.
Five reasons and six pieces of evidence. The extra one is a new coffee machine in the main lobby.
Students choose the point with the strongest evidence and explain their choice in two sentences with details from the text.
Argument model
Use it before students write their own persuasive piece. The Oakville paragraph repeats the same point, reason, evidence order five times.
Spot the extra
Only the coffee machine line supports none of the five reasons. Ask students why it does not help the argument, even though it is about the library.
Friendly debate
No single right answer exists for the written response. Have students with different picks defend them using the numbers in the text.
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