Fourth Grade · Writing · week 31

SBAC Practice: Writing From a Source Text

Practice a performance-task-style writing prompt, reading a short passage and writing a response that uses specific evidence from the text.

California's state test (the SBAC) includes a performance task: you read one or more short passages, then answer a writing prompt that asks you to use evidence from what you read. It is different from writing about your own life -- your answer needs to point back to specific facts or details from the text.

This week you practice that exact skill: read a short passage carefully, then write a response that answers the prompt using evidence pulled directly from the passage, not just your own outside opinion.

📋 For the teacher
Teach it (10–15 min):
  • Choose a short, real nonfiction passage together (a paragraph from a book, magazine, or reliable website) to practice with, rather than working from an invented one.
  • Model rereading a passage before answering, and physically underlining or pointing to the exact sentence used as evidence.
  • Practice sentence starters that signal evidence use ("according to the text," "the passage states," "for example, the text says") since these phrases matter on the actual test.
  • Keep the practice low-stress -- this is a skill-building week, not a real testing situation yet.
Talk about it:
  • What evidence from the passage did you use in your response?
  • How is answering with evidence from a text different from just sharing your own opinion?
  • What sentence starter did you use to introduce your evidence?

Mastery looks like: They write a response to a text-based prompt that uses specific, accurately quoted or paraphrased evidence from the passage.

Common stumbles: Answering the prompt with only their own outside opinion, without pointing back to any specific evidence from the passage.

Homework for this lessonType it, write it with a stylus, or print it for pencil & paper.open →
Records attendance + 15 min of Writing for this learner.
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