English Language Arts3-5
Narrative Text Evidence Warm-Up for Grade 4
By Ms. H.
A short narrative warm-up, "The Broken Compass," in which a lost hiker named Leo makes choices in the rain and dusk. Fourth graders practice finding and citing text evidence to support answers about character, setting, and problem-solving in a quick opening activity.
Customize for your classroom
Teacher Guide & Tips
- Use this as a 10-15 minute warm-up before a larger narrative reading lesson, so students practice locating evidence on a low-stakes passage.
- Discussion question: What details in paragraph 1 show how Leo is feeling, and which words helped you decide?
- Discussion question: Why do you think Leo chose to tie the orange ribbon to a branch instead of continuing to walk?
- Scaffold for struggling readers: Provide a sentence frame such as "I know Leo is scared because the text says ___," and highlight key words like trembling, sank, and whistled before reading.
- Extension for advanced students: Ask them to find one piece of evidence showing Leo changing his mind or plan, then explain how that evidence supports a claim about his character.
English Language Arts3-5
Narrative Text Evidence Warm-Up for Grade 4
By Ms. H.
A short narrative warm-up, "The Broken Compass," in which a lost hiker named Leo makes choices in the rain and dusk. Fourth graders practice finding and citing text evidence to support answers about character, setting, and problem-solving in a quick opening activity.
Customize for your classroom
Teacher Guide & Tips
- Use this as a 10-15 minute warm-up before a larger narrative reading lesson, so students practice locating evidence on a low-stakes passage.
- Discussion question: What details in paragraph 1 show how Leo is feeling, and which words helped you decide?
- Discussion question: Why do you think Leo chose to tie the orange ribbon to a branch instead of continuing to walk?
- Scaffold for struggling readers: Provide a sentence frame such as "I know Leo is scared because the text says ___," and highlight key words like trembling, sank, and whistled before reading.
- Extension for advanced students: Ask them to find one piece of evidence showing Leo changing his mind or plan, then explain how that evidence supports a claim about his character.