Teach your students how to read literature using text evidence with this citing text evidence mini unit!  This unit includes five low-prep and 100% digital lessons. Everything you need for each lesson is included and is broken up according to response type - ACE, RACE, and RACES.

Break down these three different response methods - ACE, RACE, and RACES. Your students will go through a variety of literature to learn how to recognize each response method, how to utilize them while crafting responses, in close reading, and ways to extend practice beyond.

Here's what's included:

• Five mini-lessons broken up by response type 
• Digital and PDF teaching slides for each lesson 
• Worksheets and student pages for each lesson
• Examples of each task. 

Your students will be learning, reviewing, and applying what they learned about citing text evidence using these scaffolded writing, speaking, and listening lessons. Each lesson builds on the previous one to allow you to increase the rigor each day while also having varied activities and assessments to keep students engaged. 

Tired of asking for text evidence and getting “IDK” or vague responses? This Citing Text Evidence Literature Unit gives students the tools (and confidence) to actually back up their thinking—with sentence starters, scaffolded models, and structured writing practice that builds real independence.

✨ Here’s what they’ll learn:

• Evidence-Based Response Structures: Students explore RACE, RACES, and ACE (you choose) formats to build writing stamina and structure while learning how to clearly restate, answer, cite, and explain.
• Inference + Analysis Practice: They’ll go beyond surface-level takeaways, practicing how to support deeper thinking with proof from the text.
• Real Literature Application: Students use a literary passage to write full responses using their chosen evidence structure—so everything connects to actual reading skills.

The activities that accompany these lessons are 100% done for you. You will simply need to print what you need or assign copies of the student's notebook in Google Classroom. Some lessons can be printed, prepped, and used year after year. 

Prep is quick and easy... Print the student workbook, set up your example or slides to be displayed, and teach each scaffolded lesson. 

The five lessons are:

1. Text Evidence Lesson 1: Introduction to Citing Text Evidence in Literature
2. Text Evidence Lesson 2: Response Methods: ACE, RACE, and RACES
3. Text Evidence Lesson 3: Citing Text Evidence in Close Reading
4. Text Evidence Lesson 4: Crafting Responses
5. Text Evidence Lesson 5: Extended Application

Why this works: This unit doesn’t just tell students to “add more evidence”—it teaches them how. With three editable slide decks, structured response models, and a digital notebook that walks students through every step, it’s built for scaffolding and skill-building. Students get tons of chances to practice, revise, and reflect—making it ideal for literature response, test prep, or as a launchpad for all future writing.

Perfect for:

• Teachers who are tired of one-sentence responses and vague analysis
• Students who need writing support that actually sticks
• Any middle school ELA classroom working on text-based responses, inferences, or deeper literary analysis