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Old Tracks, New Trail: Backing Up Reasons with Facts worksheet preview

Worksheet

Old Tracks, New Trail: Backing Up Reasons with Facts

Grade 4 opinion writing: find the facts and details that back up each reason in a letter about turning an old railroad line into a trail.

Grade 4ELAInteractive · Printable

Aligned toW.4.1.b

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What’s included

  • Single worksheet
  • Auto-graded online
  • 1 Common Core standard
  • Printable answer key
  • 10 questions
  • Classroom-ready

Details

Format
Interactive · Printable
Grade
Grade 4
Subject
ELA
Question types
Multiple choice, Matching, Circle the answer, Sorting, Short answer

About this worksheet

What students practice

  • Students match the facts and details in an opinion letter to the reasons they support.
  • Students tell reasons apart from the facts and details that support them.
  • Students replace an opinion with a fact or detail that supports a reason.

How to use

Read the letter aloud and ask students to point to one fact or detail for each reason. Then let them answer the questions on their own and share their writing with a partner.

Curriculum

Common Core standard covered

W.4.1.b

Give reasons for an opinion that are supported by facts and details.

Preview

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Name Date

Old Tracks, New Trail: Backing Up Reasons with Facts

Find the facts and details that support each reason in an opinion letter.

Read the letter

Read Marisol's letter. Look for her reasons and for the facts and details that back them up.

Marisol wrote a letter to her town council. In her letter, she backs up each reason with facts and details.

A Trail for Our Town

1Dear Town Council,
My name is Marisol Vega, and I am in fourth grade at Pine Hollow Elementary School. An old railroad line runs through the middle of our town. Trains stopped using it many years ago, and now the tracks are covered with weeds. I think the town should turn the old line into a trail for walking and biking. I have three reasons for my opinion.

2First, a trail on the old line would be easy for almost everyone to use. Trains cannot climb steep hills, so railroad lines are built on land that is flat or slopes gently. That means the trail would have no steep hills to climb. People in wheelchairs, parents pushing strollers, and older people who walk with canes could all use it. The old line is also wide enough for two people to walk side by side while a bike rolls past.

3Second, the trail would give students a safer way to get to school. Right now, many students walk to school along Mill Road, which has no sidewalk. Last month, my class counted the cars that drove past our school on Mill Road in the ten minutes before the morning bell, and there were forty-two. The old line passes many homes on its way to the back of our school. On the trail, students could walk to school on a quiet path made for walkers and bikers.

4Third, a trail would help people enjoy nature. For almost a mile, the old line follows Cedar Creek. When my class took a walk near the creek this fall, we saw a heron standing in the water, two turtles resting on a log, and patches of purple wildflowers. A trail would let many more people see these sights up close.

5A trail on the old railroad line would be easy to use, safe for students, and a great place to enjoy nature. Many towns across the country have already turned old railroad lines into trails. I hope our town will be next. Please vote yes on the trail plan at your next meeting.
Sincerely,
Marisol Vega

Find the support

Use Marisol's letter to answer each question.

1.
Read paragraph 2. Which fact does Marisol give to explain why the trail would have no steep hills?
  • A. The old line is wide enough for two people to walk side by side.
  • B. Trains stopped using the old line many years ago, so weeds grew.
  • C. Trains cannot climb steep hills, so rail lines are flat or slope gently.
  • D. People who walk with canes or push strollers could use the trail.
2.
Read paragraph 3 again. Marisol's second reason is that the trail would be safer than the way many students walk to school now. Underline the two sentences that give details showing that the way students walk now is not safe.

Second, the trail would give students a safer way to get to school.Right now, many students walk to school along Mill Road, which has no sidewalk.Last month, my class counted the cars that drove past our school on Mill Road in the ten minutes before the morning bell, and there were forty-two.The old line passes many homes on its way to the back of our school.On the trail, students could walk to school on a quiet path made for walkers and bikers.

3.
Sort each fact or detail from Marisol's letter under the reason it supports.
The old line follows Cedar Creek for almost a mile.Railroad lines are flat or slope gently.Two people can walk side by side as a bike rolls past.Mill Road has no sidewalk.A heron was standing in the creek.Forty-two cars drove past the school in ten minutes.
Reason 1: Easy for almost everyone to useReason 2: A safer way to get to schoolReason 3: A way to enjoy nature
4.
Read paragraph 4. Marisol wants to add one more detail to this paragraph. Which detail would best support her third reason?
  • A. Mill Road gets very busy with cars at the end of the school day.
  • B. The old line is wide enough for a bike and two walkers at once.
  • C. Ducks often swim in the creek right next to the old railroad line.
  • D. The town council will vote on the trail plan at its next meeting.
5.
Marisol's letter has reasons and the facts and details that support them. Sort each sentence. Is it a reason, or is it a fact or detail?
Trains cannot climb steep hills.A trail would help people enjoy nature.The old line passes many homes on its way to the school.Two turtles were resting on a log in the creek.The trail would give students a safer way to get to school.A trail on the old line would be easy for almost everyone to use.
ReasonFact or detail
6.
Which sentence is only an opinion and does not give a fact or detail to support a reason?
  • A. Many students walk to school along Mill Road.
  • B. Two turtles were seen resting on a log in the creek.
  • C. The old line is wide enough for walkers and bikes.
  • D. A trail would be the most wonderful place in town.
7.
Marisol's friend wrote this sentence: "A trail would be easy for everyone to use because it would be really nice." What is wrong with the support in this sentence?
  • A. It gives a fact, but it does not give any reason.
  • B. The part after "because" is an opinion, not a fact or detail.
  • C. It gives too many facts and details for one sentence.
  • D. The part after "because" is a detail about Mill Road.

Support a new opinion

Now think about a new opinion: our school playground should be open to families on weekends.

8.
A student gives three reasons for this opinion. Match each reason to the fact or detail that supports it.
  1. Families in our neighborhood need more places to play.
  2. Playing outside is healthy for kids.
  3. Opening the playground on weekends would be easy.
  1. A. Running and climbing help make muscles and bones stronger.
  2. B. A parent group has offered to unlock the gate each Saturday morning.
  3. C. The closest park is a twenty-minute drive from most of our homes.
9.
More support: Look at the reason "Playing outside is healthy for kids." Write one more fact or detail that supports it. Use a different fact or detail from the one in the match question.
10.
Fix the support: Rewrite this sentence so the part after "because" gives a fact or detail instead of an opinion: "The playground should be open on weekends because weekends are the best."

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