Support an Answer with Textual Evidence

Classroom copy · 1 October 2026

Answer a how question about an original informational passage, select accurate details from different parts of the text, and explain how those details support the answer.

Water from land to air and back

Water can move from Earth’s surface into the air in more than one way. Evaporation changes some liquid water at the surface into water vapor. Plants also move water into the air: roots take up water from soil, it travels through plant tissues, and leaves release some as vapor. This plant process is called transpiration. Water vapor rises with moving air currents. Higher in the atmosphere, cooler conditions can cause some vapor to condense into clouds. Winds may carry clouds to another place. When water falls from clouds as rain, snow, or hail, it is precipitation. Precipitation returns water to Earth’s surface.

Amira’s paper stars

Invented instructional example.

Amira set a small basket of paper stars beside the art table. A sign above it said, “Choose one for your notebook.” Before the next group came in, she moved the basket beside the classroom door. When the students entered, several stopped at the basket and took a star.

Mei clears a path

Invented instructional example.

On the class shelf, a dictionary leaned against a row of thin notebooks. Mei slid the dictionary to the lower shelf, then placed a small label on the open space. When Mei’s partner reached for a notebook, the partner pulled one out without moving the dictionary.

Modeled

Read: Amira’s paper stars

Read “Amira’s paper stars.” Why did Amira move the basket beside the door? Use two details from the scene and explain how they support your answer.

Amira moved the basket so students would notice it and take a star as they entered. The sign invited students to choose a star, and the basket was beside the door before the next group arrived. Those details show why the new location made the activity easy to notice at arrival.

Guided

Read: Mei clears a path

With a partner, answer: What change made it easier to reach a notebook? Use at least two details from “Mei clears a path.” Then explain how one detail supports your answer. First identify the change; next point to what happened afterward.

Partner draft

Independent

Read: Water from land to air and back

Using “Water from land to air and back,” answer: What route can water take from Earth’s surface into the air and later return? Write 3–5 sentences with a direct answer, two accurate details from different parts of the text, and how they show the route. Quote or paraphrase accurately. On paper, use the lines or continue on another page; on slides, write in your notebook or on paper.

Independent answer

Support (Independent response): If you need help organizing, split the passage into two parts. Mark a detail about water entering the air and a different detail about water returning to the surface. Write your own answer and explain how the details connect; this organizer does not choose details for you.

Extension (Independent response): Write a new question about the water passage that needs two separate details for a complete answer. Mark the details and explain how they work together.

Original MentorTeaching wording. Factual references: U.S. Geological Survey Water Science School, “The Atmosphere and the Water Cycle” (https://www.usgs.gov/water-science-school/science/atmosphere-and-water-cycle); “Evapotranspiration and the Water Cycle” (https://www.usgs.gov/water-science-school/science/evapotranspiration-and-water-cycle); “Precipitation and the Water Cycle” (https://www.usgs.gov/water-science-school/science/precipitation-and-water-cycle).

Original fictional instructional examples by MentorTeaching; no classroom event is represented.