Become a Reading Detective - Find Evidence in Stories!

You will learn how to find evidence to answer questions about stories and texts you read. Evidence means clues and details that help you prove your answers are correct. When you read, you can look for special clues in the words and pictures to help you understand what happened in the story.

Evidence is like being a detective when you read. You look for clues in the story that tell you important information. These clues help you answer questions about what you read. You can find evidence in the words the author writes and in the pictures too.

When you find good evidence, you can prove that your answer is right. This makes you a better reader and helps you understand stories more clearly.

You can find evidence in many places when you read. Look at the words in the story carefully. The author tells you important details about the characters and what happens. You can also look at pictures because they show you extra information about the story.

Sometimes the evidence is right there in the sentence. Other times you need to look at different parts of the story to find all the clues you need.

Evidence: Clues and facts in a story that help you answer questions and prove your answers are right.

Details: Small pieces of information in a story that tell you more about what happens.

Clues: Hints in the story that help you understand what is happening or what characters are like.

Text: The words you read in a book or story.

Nectar: Sweet liquid that flowers make and animals like hummingbirds drink.

Grazing: When animals like deer eat grass in a field.

Hibernate: When animals like bears sleep for a long time during winter.

Habitat: The place where animals live and find their food.

Nocturnal: Animals that are awake and active during the night, like owls.

Finding evidence connects to many other reading skills you will learn. You will practice Finding Key Details and Messages which helps you pick out the most important information in stories. You will also learn about Using Pictures To Find Key Ideas to get clues from illustrations.

This topic prepares you for more advanced skills like Find Evidence in Text and Supporting Claims with Evidence. You will also use these skills when you practice Answering Who What Where Questions about stories you read.

You can practice finding evidence by reading simple stories about animals and nature. Look for details about what animals do, where they live, and how they act. When you read about a butterfly, deer, or bear, find the sentences that tell you exactly what they look like or what they are doing.

Try asking yourself questions like "What did the character do?" or "Where did this happen?" Then look back in the story to find the exact words that give you the answer.

Before you start finding evidence, you should be comfortable reading simple sentences and looking at pictures in books. You should know that stories have characters who do different things and that pictures can give you information too. These basic reading skills will help you become better at finding evidence in what you read.