Text Evidence & Inference

Student Concept Worksheet Answers

The Amazing Octopus

1. What can octopuses do to hide from predators?

B. Change their skin color - The text explicitly states "They use this ability to hide from predators."

2. Which sentence BEST supports that octopuses are intelligent?

B. "Scientists have observed octopuses solving puzzles, opening jars, and even using tools." - This provides specific examples of intelligent behavior.

3. Sentence proving quick color change

"Unlike most animals, octopuses can change their skin color in less than a second."

A Big Day

4. How is Maya feeling? Evidence?

Maya is feeling: nervous/excited/anxious
Evidence: "Her stomach felt like it was full of butterflies" OR "She had barely slept all night" OR "woke up before her alarm"

5. Inference about Maya's day

Text Clues: new dress, speech practiced 50 times
What I Know: People dress up and give speeches for important events
Inference: Maya will give a speech at school (assembly, competition, etc.)

6. "Butterflies in stomach" meaning

This tells us Maya feels nervous or anxious. "Butterflies in your stomach" is an expression meaning you feel nervous excitement - like the fluttery feeling in your stomach before something important.

7-10. Explicit (E) or Inference (I)?

7. E - "woke up before her alarm" is stated directly
8. I - We infer nervousness from clues (butterflies, couldn't sleep)
9. E - "her favorite breakfast" is stated directly
10. I - We infer school speech from clues (speech, new dress); location not stated

Practice Worksheet Answers

Passage 1: The Mysterious Package

1. When did the package arrive?

C. That morning - "It had arrived that morning"

2. How is Emma feeling? Evidence?

Emma is feeling: excited, impatient, curious
Evidence: Accept any: "rushed home," "bouncing backpack," "drumming her fingers impatiently," "kept glancing at the box," "wondering what could be inside"

3. Detail suggesting something special

B. Her name was written in fancy gold letters - Fancy gold letters suggest something special, not ordinary.

Passage 2: The Science of Sleep

4. Recommended hours of sleep

C. 9-12 hours - "Scientists recommend that children ages 6-12 get 9-12 hours of sleep each night."

5. Sentence supporting sleep helps school success

B. "During sleep, the brain sorts through everything learned during the day and stores important information in memory." - This explains WHY sleep helps with learning/tests.

6. Inference about tired student

You can infer that the student probably isn't getting enough sleep. The text says lack of sleep makes it "harder to concentrate" and students who get enough sleep "perform better on tests."

Passage 3: The New Neighbor

7. How does Marcus feel at the beginning?

B. Sad and uncertain - He mentions the Hendersons were "like family" and "now they were gone, and strangers were moving in."

8. Why did Marcus grab his ball and go outside?

B. He wanted to meet the new boy who also likes soccer - The text shows both boys like soccer (jerseys, ball, poster, cleats).

9. Two pieces of evidence they might become friends

Accept any two: 1) New boy wearing soccer jersey 2) New boy bouncing soccer ball 3) Marcus has soccer poster and cleats 4) Marcus grabbed his ball to go outside 5) Marcus thinks "Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all"

Passage 4: Coral Reefs in Danger

10. Percentage of marine life supported

B. About 25% - "Coral reefs are underwater ecosystems that support about 25% of all marine life."

11. Inference about marine life if reefs disappeared

Many marine animals would die or lose their homes. Since coral reefs "support about 25% of all marine life," if they disappeared, that quarter of ocean species would be affected - they might die, have to move, or struggle to survive.

12. Why author includes "lost half" detail

B. To show how serious the problem is - The statistic emphasizes the urgency of the situation.

FAST Practice Quiz Answers (Underground Railroad)

B. A secret network of people who helped enslaved individuals escape

The text explicitly states this definition in paragraph 2.

B. "The journey was incredibly dangerous - if caught, enslaved people faced severe punishment or even death."

This sentence directly states the danger and consequences.

B. The darkness helped hide them from being caught

The text mentions "hiding" during the day and Tubman traveled in winter for "more cover" from longer nights.

B. She was brave and willing to risk her life to help others

She returned 19 times "risking her own freedom" to help 300+ people.

B. She used signals like certain songs or patterns of knocks

Directly stated in paragraph 3.

B. "Many traveled with nothing but the clothes on their backs and hope in their hearts."

This shows they had little but kept going - determination and hope.

B. More darkness meant more time to travel safely without being seen

"Longer nights provided more cover" means more darkness = more safe travel time.

B. They helped everyone communicate safely without being discovered

The text says "Secret codes and signals helped everyone stay safe."

Sample Answer: Harriet Tubman is considered a hero because she risked her own safety to help others. First, after escaping to freedom herself, she didn't stay safe in the North but "returned to the South nineteen times, risking her own freedom." Second, she "guided more than 300 people to safety," showing she helped many people despite the danger to herself.

Sample Answer: I can infer that people felt relieved, joyful, and grateful when they reached freedom. The text says they traveled for "weeks or even months," walked 10-20 miles per night, and risked death. After such a difficult, dangerous journey, finally being free must have been an overwhelming feeling of joy and relief. The text mentions they traveled "with hope in their hearts," suggesting reaching freedom would fulfill that hope.

Scoring Guide

Assessment	Total Points	Proficient (70%+)	Focus Area if Struggling
Student Concept Worksheet	10 points	7+ correct	Review explicit vs. implicit
Practice Worksheet	12 points	9+ correct	Practice finding specific evidence
FAST Practice Quiz	10 points	7+ correct	Focus on inference questions

Common Errors: Making inferences without text support; copying too much text instead of selecting specific evidence; confusing explicit information (stated directly) with inferences (figured out from clues).

Answer Keys: Text Evidence & Inference

Scoring Guide