“By using the product, they were so excited and they learned so much...”–K-5 Librarian and Instructinal Technology Teacher
Being able to answer questions with evidence from the text is a skill that students will be using throughout their life. In this activity, students will practice this exercise. They will be provided a question or a prompt and create a storyboard that answers the prompt using at least 3 pieces of evidence from the text to support their answer. The prompt for the example is “What effect does religion have on Jacqueline’s life?” Teachers may choose to ask other questions, such as ones about Jacqueline's relationship with the North and South, her family, friends, or more!
(These instructions are completely customizable. After clicking "Copy Activity", update the instructions on the Edit Tab of the assignment.)
Due Date:
Objective: Create a storyboard that answers the prompt using three examples.
Student Instructions:
Grade Level 4-6
Difficulty Level 3 (Developing to Mastery)
Type of Assignment Individual or Partner
Type of Activity: Spider Maps
(You can also create your own on Quick Rubric.)
| Proficient | Emerging | Beginning | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Support from Text | Examples chosen fully support the answer to the question. | Some of the examples answer the question correctly, but not all. | Most of the examples do not support the answer to the question. |
| Quote / Text | Evidence provided from the text is properly quoted or paraphrased. | There are some minor mistakes in the quote / description from text. | Quote or paraphrase is incomplete or confusing. |
| Illustration of Examples | Ideas are well organized. Images clearly illustrate the examples from the text. | Ideas are organized. Most images help to show the examples from the text. | Ideas are not well organized. Images are difficult to understand. |
Being able to answer questions with evidence from the text is a skill that students will be using throughout their life. In this activity, students will practice this exercise. They will be provided a question or a prompt and create a storyboard that answers the prompt using at least 3 pieces of evidence from the text to support their answer. The prompt for the example is “What effect does religion have on Jacqueline’s life?” Teachers may choose to ask other questions, such as ones about Jacqueline's relationship with the North and South, her family, friends, or more!
(These instructions are completely customizable. After clicking "Copy Activity", update the instructions on the Edit Tab of the assignment.)
Due Date:
Objective: Create a storyboard that answers the prompt using three examples.
Student Instructions:
Grade Level 4-6
Difficulty Level 3 (Developing to Mastery)
Type of Assignment Individual or Partner
Type of Activity: Spider Maps
(You can also create your own on Quick Rubric.)
| Proficient | Emerging | Beginning | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Support from Text | Examples chosen fully support the answer to the question. | Some of the examples answer the question correctly, but not all. | Most of the examples do not support the answer to the question. |
| Quote / Text | Evidence provided from the text is properly quoted or paraphrased. | There are some minor mistakes in the quote / description from text. | Quote or paraphrase is incomplete or confusing. |
| Illustration of Examples | Ideas are well organized. Images clearly illustrate the examples from the text. | Ideas are organized. Most images help to show the examples from the text. | Ideas are not well organized. Images are difficult to understand. |
Encourage students to brainstorm open-ended questions about the text. Open-ended questions prompt deeper thinking and discussion. Guide them to focus on topics like character motivations, themes, or the author's choices for richer engagement.
Demonstrate how to select a notable moment from the book and turn it into a question. For example: Pick a scene where Jacqueline faces a challenge, and ask, “How does this moment shape her identity?” This shows students how to connect events with bigger ideas.
Ask students to cite lines or events from the text when crafting their questions. This strengthens their analytical skills and ensures their questions are grounded in actual content, not just opinions.
Organize a quick peer review where students exchange questions and give feedback. Peers can suggest clarifications or point out if a question is too broad or too narrow. This collaborative step helps students improve their questioning skills.
Prompt students to use their developed questions for group discussions or as writing prompts. This provides ownership and motivation while deepening their connection to the text.
To teach students to answer prompts with text evidence using Brown Girl Dreaming, assign them a specific question and have them create a storyboard. They should find at least three examples from the book that support their answer, paraphrase or quote these examples, and illustrate each one. This promotes critical thinking and supports evidence-based responses.
A strong prompt for Brown Girl Dreaming is: "What effect does religion have on Jacqueline’s life?" This encourages students to explore themes, use text evidence, and deepen their understanding of the main character's experiences.
Examples of text evidence might include direct quotes about Jacqueline’s feelings toward religion, her experiences in both the North and South, and descriptions of her family’s influence. Encourage students to paraphrase or use quotations from key scenes to support their responses.
A storyboard activity involves students visually mapping out their answers with images and supporting text. This helps them organize thoughts, connect ideas, and clearly present evidence from the reading, making comprehension and analysis more engaging and accessible.
To use a spider map, place the main question in the center and branch out to at least three supporting examples from the text. Each branch should include a brief description or quote and an illustration, helping students visually connect their evidence to the prompt.
“By using the product, they were so excited and they learned so much...”–K-5 Librarian and Instructinal Technology Teacher
“I'm doing a Napoleon timeline and I'm having [students] determine whether or not Napoleon was a good guy or a bad guy or somewhere in between.”–History and Special Ed Teacher
“Students get to be creative with Storyboard That and there's so many visuals for them to pick from... It makes it really accessible for all students in the class.”–Third Grade Teacher