Help your students master theme and summary while strengthening their constructed response writing using the RACE strategy! This engaging resource combines a rigorous reading assessment with structured writing supports that help students explain their thinking using evidence from the text.

Students will read the narrative passage “The Small Idea That Grew” and practice identifying the theme of a story, summarizing key events, and supporting ideas with text evidence.

Perfect for ELA test prep, literacy centers, small group instruction, independent practice, or formative assessments.

📚 What’s Included

Reading Assessment

✔ 1 original narrative passage: The Small Idea That Grew

✔ 9 multiple choice questions aligned to RL.5.2: Theme & Summary

✔ Answer key

✏️ RACE Strategy Writing Supports

These materials are based on the exact RACE strategy structure that has worked best in my own classroom to help students write clear, evidence-based responses.

✔ Teacher directions explaining how to introduce and model the RACE strategy

✔ Printable RACE strategy anchor chart with sentence starters

✔ RACE graphic organizer for guided student writing

✔ RACE short answer response page with writing lines and sentence starters

✔ RACE strategy answer key / model response

✔ RACE peer editing rubric

✔ RACE teacher grading rubric

🧠 Skills Students Practice

Students will learn to:

• Identify the theme of a narrative text

• Summarize the most important events in a story

• Understand how characters respond to challenges

• Support answers with text evidence

• Write clear responses using the RACE strategy

📖 Passage Summary

In The Small Idea That Grew, Lena notices someone sitting outside in the cold and decides to donate one of her coats. After sharing her idea at school, her classmates join in and the project grows into a community coat drive. In the end, hundreds of coats are collected to help people in need.

Students analyze the story to determine the theme about kindness, generosity, and how small actions can inspire others, while also practicing summarizing the key events in the narrative.

🧾 Standard Addressed

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.5.2

Determine a theme of a story, drama, or poem from details in the text, including how characters respond to challenges; summarize the text.

👩‍🏫 Perfect For

• Reading assessments

• Test prep

• Literacy centers

• Guided reading groups

• Writing instruction

• RACE strategy practice

• Homework or independent work

• Sub plans

📄 Pages Included

11 pages

• Narrative passage

• 9-question multiple choice assessment

• Answer key

• RACE strategy teacher directions

• RACE anchor chart

• RACE graphic organizer

• Short response writing page

• Model RACE answer

• Peer editing rubric

• Teacher grading rubric

With any questions or concerns, feel free to email me at littlemisselementary@gmail.com.

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