Being able to answer questions with evidence from the text is a skill that students will be using throughout their life. In this activity, students will practice this exercise. They will be provided a question or a prompt and create a storyboard that answers the prompt using at least 3 pieces of evidence from the text to support their answer. The prompt for the example is, “What is Josh’s relationship with his parents like?” Students will be expected to use the description boxes to answer the question and illustrate the responses. Students should find three examples from the text to support their answer.
(These instructions are completely customizable. After clicking "Copy Activity", update the instructions on the Edit Tab of the assignment.)
Due Date:
Objective: Create a storyboard that answers the prompt using three examples.
Student Instructions:
Start by presenting a well-known story or hypothetical situation that the students can easily perceive. Teachers can talk about a famous storybook in general and get into a detailed discussion to ask students to back their arguments with the help of evidence from the text.
Teachers can talk about the significance of evidence in general and in daily life to build a foundation for the lecture and the concepts. For instance, discuss the importance of evidence and proof in court and law. Teachers can insert some examples and references from a cartoon or a story that students are familiar with. Also, talk about the credibility and the authenticity of the evidence.
Give the students some practice by having them underline or highlight crucial passages in a text. As a result, it becomes visible and real to them. Encourage this practice whenever students are reading a new story or any other form of text.
Once students are clear on the concept, teach them how they can apply these concepts in their own writings. Give them some sample stories that have important textual evidence and ask them to practice by writing 5-10 lines of short stories on topics of their own choice.
Hold talks in groups where participants may discuss and debate each other's arguments. They get knowledge from many viewpoints as a result. Since students are at a younger stage of learning, teachers can propose interesting topics as well as points of discussion and analysis.
Textual evidence provides a clear insight into the personalities, feelings, and connections of characters by offering direct statements and examples of their behaviour. When students are constantly highlighting these important details to use later for discussion they get more familiar with the nuances and characteristics of the characters. Students will also be able to understand the differences between different characters and come up with more points for analysis.
Analyzing textual evidence fosters students' capacity to analyze and understand information by encouraging them to think critically. Pushing students to choose the most important details and combine them into a coherent analysis, enhances their understanding of the text. It also enhances their capacity to communicate ideas convincingly and clearly, which is a talent that is essential in both academic and professional contexts.