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6th grade · English Language Arts · Unit 16 of 17

Read Closely: Evidence, Theme and Change

Cite evidence, trace a theme, summarize and follow how characters and ideas develop.

What your child practices

Your child picks the evidence that supports an inference, tells explicit from implied meaning, traces how a theme or central idea develops, writes objective summaries and follows how plots unfold, characters change and ideas are introduced and connected.

New York State Learning Standards learning standard: 6R1; 6R2; 6R3 · citing evidence for inferences, how a theme or central idea develops, summarizing, and how plots and ideas unfold

How we explain it

Children can open this short lesson before they practice.

  1. Explicit means stated in the text. Implied means you infer it from clues.
  2. Trace how a theme or central idea builds across the text.
  3. Follow how characters change and how ideas connect, such as a problem and a solution.

Example: “The coach praised the team, but she didn’t look at Lia once.” What does the text imply? It doesn’t say how Lia feels, so use the clue. Being ignored can make someone feel left out. Answer: Lia may feel left out or worried about the coach’s opinion.

Read Closely: Evidence, Theme and Change in New York

In the New York State Learning Standards, this is unit 16 of 17 in 6th grade English Language Arts, after Judge and Compare Texts and before Stories, Responses and Evidence.

Gradelings describes a child's practice on this unit as Beginning, Approaching, Meeting or Exceeding (Four practice steps). That reflects practice, not a report-card mark: the teacher decides the mark.

Source: New York State Education Department (NYSED)

Sample questions

A taste of this unit. In the app, questions change every time and get easier or harder to match your child.

  1. Question 1

    Which is the best objective summary of an article about a town that switched to solar power?

    • The town installed solar panels, cut its energy costs and inspired nearby towns to follow.
    • The town is very sunny and pretty.
    • Solar panels are blue.
    • I think solar power is the best idea ever.

  2. Question 2

    What is the rising action in a story about a hiker lost in fog?

    • the title of the story
    • the description of the hiker's car
    • the hiker's safe return home
    • the hiker's attempts to find the trail as the fog thickens

  3. Question 3

    How does the climax affect the main character in most stories?

    • It happens before the problem.
    • It lists the characters.
    • It forces a decision or change at the turning point.
    • It introduces the setting.

  4. Question 4

    What does it mean to cite textual evidence?

    • to point to specific words or details from the text that support your idea
    • to give your opinion without reasons
    • to retell the whole story
    • to copy the title

  5. Question 5

    A story begins with a selfish boy who won't share his telescope and ends with him hosting a stargazing night. Which theme develops?

    • Sharing what you love can bring joy to you and others.
    • Stars are far away.
    • Never trust neighbors.
    • Telescopes are expensive.

  6. Question 6

    “The old oak had shaded the schoolyard for a hundred years. When it fell, the students planted ten saplings.” What theme is suggested?

    • Nothing ever changes.
    • Schools should not have yards.
    • Loss can lead to new beginnings.
    • Trees are dangerous.

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