CITING TEXTUAL EVIDENCE RL.7.1, RI.7.1, RL.8.1, RI.8.1

WHAT DO THE STANDARDS SAY?  R.L.(7-8).1 Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text say explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.

WHAT DOES CITE MEAN? Cite:  1. to quote  2. to mention in support, proof, or confirmation

TO CITE IS TO BE ABLE TO…  Answer a question and find the words in the text to prove your answer is correct. Or  To show where you got your answer

TRY IT OUT!  Kim wants to drive her three kids and their two friends to the soccer game. The problem is that her shiny new SUV only has room for five passengers including the driver. Kim misses her old eight passenger SUV but she’s still thankful that the new one gets much better gas mileage.  How many people can Kim fit in her new SUV?

KIM CAN FIT 5 PEOPLE IN HER NEW SUV.  Kim wants to drive her three kids and their two friends to the soccer game. The problem is that her shiny new SUV only has room for five passengers including the driver. Kim misses her old eight passenger SUV but she’s still thankful that the new one gets much better gas mileage.

TWO WAYS TO CITE  Explicit or  Inference

EXPLICIT  Sometimes the text says the answer to the question directly or explicitly. That means you can find the exact words to the answer.  Like Kim’s new SUV can only fit 5 people.

LET’S DO IT AGAIN!  Scientists have known for a long time that vitamin D is essential for humans. If children have a vitamin D or calcium deficiency, they can develop rickets, a softening of the bones. New studies are showing that people of all ages need vitamin D to help them fight off diseases by keeping their immune systems strong.  Who can develop rickets if not receiving enough Vitamin D?

CHILDREN CAN DEVELOP RICKETS IF NOT RECEIVING ENOUGH VITAMIN D.  Scientists have known for a long time that vitamin D is essential for humans. If children have a vitamin D or calcium deficiency, they can develop rickets, a softening of the bones. New studies are showing that people of all ages need vitamin D to help them fight off diseases by keeping their immune systems strong.

INFERENCE  Other times you have to use what the text says to make a guess or an inference.

INFERENCE  1. A conclusion made from facts  2. A guess

LET’S TRY CITING INFORMATION FROM AN INFERENCE!  Luke is very competitive and loves to win when he plays sports. Kyle doesn’t take sports all that seriously. So when their tennis singles match was over, it was no surprise that both boys were in a good mood, especially Luke.  Why was Luke in such an especially good mood?

LUKE WAS IN A GOOD MOOD BECAUSE HE WON.  Luke is very competitive and loves to win when he plays sports. Kyle doesn’t take sports all that seriously. So when their tennis singles match was over, it was no surprise that both boys were in a good mood, especially Luke.

LET’S TRY IT AGAIN!  Leslie’s main playlist has forty rock songs, fifteen rap songs, and one country song. It also contains twelve classical instrumentals.  What is Leslie’s favorite type of music?

LESLIE’S FAVORITE MUSIC IS ROCK.  Leslie’s main playlist has forty rock songs, fifteen rap songs, and one country song. It also contains twelve classical instrumentals.

REMEMBER!  You should always be able to show what part of the text led you to that answer. That is called citing textual evidence.

CITING TEXTUAL EVIDENCE REVIEW  When you answer a question, sometimes the words will be right there in the text. That means the text is explicit.  Sometimes when you answer a question, the words in the text will lead you to make a guess. The answer will not be right there. That means you have to make an inference.

ONE LAST TIME!  The BBC is reporting that Harry Potter is responsible for the dwindling number of wild owls in India. One of the reasons that owls are being trapped and sold as pets is that parents are buying them as gifts for their kids who are fans of the fictional wizard. As you may already know, Harry has his own pet owl, Hedwig.  Why is Harry Potter responsible for a reduced number of owls?

The BBC is reporting that Harry Potter is responsible for the dwindling number of wild owls in India. One of the reasons that owls are being trapped and sold as pets is that parents are buying them as gifts for their kids who are fans of the fictional wizard. As you may already know, Harry has his own pet owl, Hedwig. Children want to have a pet owl like Harry Potter so parents are buying them as gifts.

Citing Textual Evidence Here’s what it might look like on a test. When we are young, we learn that tigers and sharks are dangerous animals. We might be scared of them because they are big and powerful. As we get older, however, we learn that sometimes the most dangerous animals are also the smallest animals. In fact, the animal that kills the most people every year is one that you have probably killed yourself many times: the mosquito.  What animal kills the most people every year?

What words in the text helped you with your answer? a.We learn that tigers and sharks are dangerous animals. b.The animal that kills the most people every year is one that you have killed yourself many times: the mosquito. c.We might be scared of them because they are big and powerful.

While it may seem that all mosquitoes are biters, this is not actually the case. Male mosquitoes eat plant nectar. On the other hand, female mosquitoes feed on animal blood. They need this blood to live and produce eggs. When a female mosquito bites a human being, it transmits a small amount of saliva into the blood. This saliva may or may not contain a deadly disease. The result of the bite can be as minor as an itchy bump or as serious as death.  Is plant nectar enough for the female mosquito to live on and produce eggs?

What words helped you to know if nectar was enough or not? a.Male mosquitoes eat plant nectar b.While it may seem that all mosquitoes are biters, this is not actually the case. c.They need this blood to live and produce eggs.