Model and guided practice
Write an Evidence-Based Paragraph
Classroom copy · 1 October 2026
Write a focused paragraph that answers a text question, supports the answer with accurate details, explains how those details connect to the claim, and ends clearly. Keep claims within the passage and distinguish evidence from explanation.
Build an evidence-based paragraph
A paragraph answers a question with a connected explanation, not a list of details. Start with a claim that directly answers the question. Choose two accurate details from the text: quote a short phrase exactly or paraphrase it precisely. After each detail, explain what it shows and how it supports the claim. End with a sentence that completes the answer. A quotation by itself is not reasoning, and a detail that is true but unrelated does not strengthen the paragraph. Keep the claim within what the text supports.
The Banner Test
Original fictional instructional example.
During art club, Lila’s group made a paper banner for the classroom. On Monday, Lila taped it beside the open door. Each time someone entered, the door brushed the paper and lifted one corner. Lila added two strips of tape, but the corner still curled.
On Tuesday, Dev suggested the wide board across the room. Lila moved the banner there. It stayed flat, and club members standing in the doorway could read the title. Lila kept one strip of tape on the corner that had lifted before.
Modeled practice
Read “The Banner Test” and answer: Which change most helped the banner work for readers? In the annotated model, bracketed labels show each sentence’s job; leave the labels out of your own writing. Follow the claim, two details, and an explanation after each detail. The model is one text-supported answer; another answer may work if it uses the passage well.
[Claim] Moving the banner to the wide board helped most. [Evidence 1] On Monday, the door lifted a corner, and the corner still curled after Lila added two strips of tape. [Reasoning 1] Tape alone did not stop the curl. [Evidence 2] On the board, the banner stayed flat and readers could see its title from the doorway. [Reasoning 2] The new spot solved the curling problem and worked for readers at the doorway. [Closing] The move helped more than extra tape.
Plan your paragraph
Use this planner with the guided passage and, if helpful, the independent story. Keep the claim, details, and explanations connected to the question. You may quote a short phrase exactly or paraphrase precisely.
Claim: answer the question
________________________________________
Evidence detail 1
________________________________________
________________________________________
How detail 1 supports the claim
________________________________________
________________________________________
Evidence detail 2
________________________________________
________________________________________
How detail 2 supports the claim
________________________________________
________________________________________
Closing sentence idea
________________________________________
The Book Table
Original fictional instructional example.
The library club planned a display called “New Trails.” They arranged books in two stacks and placed a title card behind the tallest stack. From the doorway, Inez said she could not see the title. Rafa suggested adding more books to the table.
Bea moved the card to the front and lowered the tallest stack. The club asked Inez to look again. She read the title from the doorway, and Rafa found a book by using one of the labels. They kept two stacks because the table was narrow near the entrance. After lunch, a younger student chose a book without moving the stacks.
Guided practice
With a partner or on your own, answer: How did the club use feedback to make the display easier to browse? Use the planner to write a claim, one detail about what a reader first noticed, and one detail about the revision or later check. After each detail, explain how it supports your answer; if working alone, write a brief note. Identify one true detail that is less useful for answering the question. Discuss your plan with a partner or jot brief notes; do not write the full paragraph yet.