Common Core: Kindergarten English Language Arts : Identify Supporting Details

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for Common Core: Kindergarten English Language Arts

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All Common Core: Kindergarten English Language Arts Resources

2 Diagnostic Tests 51 Practice Tests Question of the Day Flashcards Learn by Concept

Example Questions

Example Question #1 : Identify Supporting Details

Grow Flower, Grow by Marie Smith

A flower starts out as a very small seed. 

The seed gets planted in the dirt. 

The seed needs lots of water to help it grow. 

 

Soon, a green stem and green leaves will poke out of the dirt. 

Then, a flower will start to bloom. 

Water and sunlight are a flower's food.

So, water and sunlight will help keep a flower alive. 

According to the text, why does sunlight and water keep the flower alive? 

Possible Answers:

Because water and sunlight make the plant happy

Because water and sunlight are good

Because water and sunlight help the dirt

Because water and sunlight are a plant's food

Correct answer:

Because water and sunlight are a plant's food

Explanation:

We can look at the text to help us answer this question. 

Water and sunlight are the flower's food.

So, water and sunlight will help keep the flower alive.

Food helps keep things alive, and sunlight and water are a flowers food. So, the correct answer is "Because water and sunlight are a plant's food".

Example Question #2 : Identify Supporting Details

Arctic Animals

 

The Arctic is one of the coldest places on Earth. It is covered in ice and snow and the temperature can drop below freezing. Living in the Arctic is very difficult but many animals call the Arctic home.

Arctic hares live in the Arctic. In the summer, the Arctic hare has brown fur. In the winter the hare’s fur grows thicker and warmer. Their fur also turns white in the winter.

Snowy owls live in the Arctic. They have small ears to keep in heat. Unlike most owls, the snowy owl hunts during the day.

Arctic foxes live in the Arctic. They have thick, white fur to keep them warm and stay safe from predators.

Wolves live in the Arctic. They have thick white and gray fur. Groups of arctic wolves hunt together in packs.

Harp seals live in the Arctic. Adult harp seals have a thick layer of fat, called blubber. Blubber keeps seals warm in the cold, icy arctic water. Baby seals have thick white fur.

Penguins live in the Arctic. Penguins have webbed feet to help them walk on the ice. Penguins are very good swimmers. They use their wings to help them swim. Penguins have a waterproof coat of feathers to help then stay dry and warm in the icy, Arctic water.

Polar bears live in the Arctic. Polar bears have thick, white fur to stay warm. They even have fur on the bottoms of their feet. Polar bears also have thick blubber.

Which two animals use blubber to help them stay warm in the Arctic?

Possible Answers:

Harp seal and polar bear

Polar Bear and penguin

Harp seal and Arctic wolf.

Penguin and Arctic hare

Correct answer:

Harp seal and polar bear

Explanation:

The text says “Adult harp seals have a thick layer of fat, called blubber. Blubber keeps seals warm in the cold, icy water.” The text also says “Polar bears also have thick blubber.” Penguins have waterproof feathers to stay warm. The Arctic hare has thick, white fur to stay warm. The Arctic wolf has thick gray and white fur to stay warm.

Example Question #3 : Identify Supporting Details

Arctic Animals

 

The Arctic is one of the coldest places on Earth. It is covered in ice and snow and the temperature can drop below freezing. Living in the Arctic is very difficult but many animals call the Arctic home.

Arctic hares live in the Arctic. In the summer, the Arctic hare has brown fur. In the winter the hare’s fur grows thicker and warmer. Their fur also turns white in the winter.

Snowy owls live in the Arctic. They have small ears to keep in heat. Unlike most owls, the snowy owl hunts during the day.

Arctic foxes live in the Arctic. They have thick, white fur to keep them warm and stay safe from predators.

Wolves live in the Arctic. They have thick white and gray fur. Groups of arctic wolves hunt together in packs.

Harp seals live in the Arctic. Adult harp seals have a thick layer of fat, called blubber. Blubber keeps seals warm in the cold, icy arctic water. Baby seals have thick white fur.

Penguins live in the Arctic. Penguins have webbed feet to help them walk on the ice. Penguins are very good swimmers. They use their wings to help them swim. Penguins have a waterproof coat of feathers to help then stay dry and warm in the icy, Arctic water.

Polar bears live in the Arctic. Polar bears have thick, white fur to stay warm. They even have fur on the bottoms of their feet. Polar bears also have thick blubber.

Why do webbed feet help the penguin survive in the Arctic?

Possible Answers:

Webbed feet help the penguin walk on ice

Webbed feet help the penguin catch food

Webbed feet help the penguin stay warm

Webbed feet help the penguin swim fast

Correct answer:

Webbed feet help the penguin walk on ice

Explanation:

 The text says “Penguins have webbed feet to help them walk on ice.” Ice is slippery and it is easy to slip and fall. A penguin’s wings help them swim fast. A penguin’s waterproof feathers help them stay warm. The text does not talk about how penguins catch food.

Example Question #4 : Identify Supporting Details

African Elephants

Elephants are the biggest animals living on land. An adult elephant can weigh as much as a school bus! The biggest elephants live in Africa.

Trunk

Elephants have a long trunk. An elephant uses its trunk in many ways. An elephant’s trunk is its nose. It uses its trunk to smell and breathe. Elephants also use their trunks like a hand. An elephant can pick up grass and branches with its trunk. It uses its trunk to reach high up and grab food from trees. Elephants eat fruit, leaves and plants. An elephant also uses its trunk to take a shower. Elephants use their trunks to make sounds. Elephants roar, rumble and growl. When there is danger, elephants use their trunks to make a loud horn noise to warn others and scare away predators.

Tusks

African elephants have tusks. Tusks are long teeth. Elephants use their tusks to dig holes. They also use their tusks to carry things. Elephants can rest their trunk on their tusks. Elephant’s tusks also help them stay safe. They can use their tusks to protect themselves from enemies.

Ears

Elephants have big ears. Elephants use their ears to stay cool on hot days. Elephants flap their ears to cool off and keep insects away from their face.

Wrinkled Skin

Elephants have wrinkled skin. Elephants cover their skin in mud and dirt to protect their skin from sunburn and bug bites.

Feet

Elephants have big feet. Elephants have pads on the bottom of their feet to help them walk quietly.

What has a long trunk, two big tusks, big ears and wrinkled skin? It’s an African elephant!

According to the text, why does an elephant cover itself in dirt?

Possible Answers:

to hide from predators

to play

to protect itself from getting a sunburn

to clean itself

Correct answer:

to protect itself from getting a sunburn

Explanation:

We can start to look for this answer under the subtitle "Wrinkled Skin" because this question is asking us about the elephants body, or skin. We are told in the text that "Elephants cover their skin in mud and dirt to protect their skin from sunburn and bug bites."

Example Question #1 : Identify Supporting Details

African Elephants

Elephants are the biggest animals living on land. An adult elephant can weigh as much as a school bus! The biggest elephants live in Africa.

Trunk

Elephants have a long trunk. An elephant uses its trunk in many ways. An elephant’s trunk is its nose. It uses its trunk to smell and breathe. Elephants also use their trunks like a hand. An elephant can pick up grass and branches with its trunk. It uses its trunk to reach high up and grab food from trees. Elephants eat fruit, leaves and plants. An elephant also uses its trunk to take a shower. Elephants use their trunks to make sounds. Elephants roar, rumble and growl. When there is danger, elephants use their trunks to make a loud horn noise to warn other elephants and scare away predators.

Tusks

African elephants have tusks. Tusks are long teeth. Elephants use their tusks to dig holes. They also use their tusks to carry things. Elephants can rest their trunk on their tusks. Elephant’s tusks also help them stay safe. They can use their tusks to protect themselves from enemies.

Ears

Elephants have big ears. Elephants use their ears to stay cool on hot days. Elephants flap their ears to cool off and keep insects away from their face.

Wrinkled Skin

Elephants have wrinkled skin. Elephants cover their skin in mud and dirt to protect their skin from sunburn and bug bites.

Feet

Elephants have big feet. Elephants have pads on the bottom of their feet to help them walk quietly.

What has a long trunk, two big tusks, big ears and wrinkled skin? It’s an African elephant!

According to the text, how does an elephant use its trunk?

Possible Answers:

to talk to other elephants

to hold hands with other elephants

to swat away bugs

to wave hello to other elephants

Correct answer:

to talk to other elephants

Explanation:

To find the answer to this question we can look under the subtitle "Trunk" because this question is asking about an elephant's trunk. It says in the text, " It uses its trunk to smell and breathe. Elephants also use their trunks like a hand. An elephant can pick up grass and branches with its trunk. It uses its trunk to reach high up and grab food from trees. Elephants eat fruit, leaves and plants. An elephant also uses its trunk to take a shower. Elephants use their trunks to make sounds. Elephants roar, rumble and growl. When there is danger, elephants use their trunks make a loud horn noise to warn other elephants and scare away predators." There are many ways they use their trunk. But given our answer choice options, "To talk to other elephants" is the correct answer. 

Example Question #1 : Identify Supporting Details

African Elephants

Elephants are the biggest animals living on land. An adult elephant can weigh as much as a school bus! The biggest elephants live in Africa.

Trunk

Elephants have a long trunk. An elephant uses its trunk in many ways. An elephant’s trunk is its nose. It uses its trunk to smell and breathe. Elephants also use their trunks like a hand. An elephant can pick up grass and branches with its trunk. It uses its trunk to reach high up and grab food from trees. Elephants eat fruit, leaves and plants. An elephant also uses its trunk to take a shower. Elephants use their trunks to make sounds. Elephants roar, rumble and growl. When there is danger, elephants use their trunks to make a loud horn noise to warn others and scare away predators.

Tusks

African elephants have tusks. Tusks are long teeth. Elephants use their tusks to dig holes. They also use their tusks to carry things. Elephants can rest their trunk on their tusks. Elephant’s tusks also help them stay safe. They can use their tusks to protect themselves from enemies.

Ears

Elephants have big ears. Elephants use their ears to stay cool on hot days. Elephants flap their ears to cool off and keep insects away from their face.

Wrinkled Skin

Elephants have wrinkled skin. Elephants cover their skin in mud and dirt to protect their skin from sunburn and bug bites.

Feet

Elephants have big feet. Elephants have pads on the bottom of their feet to help them walk quietly.

What has a long trunk, two big tusks, big ears and wrinkled skin? It’s an African elephant!

According to the text, how does an elephant use its tusks?

Possible Answers:

to scratch itself when it gets a bug bite

to chew its food

to move heavy trees that have fallen

to dig holes and carry things

Correct answer:

to dig holes and carry things

Explanation:

To answer this question, we can look under the subtitle "Tusks" since this question asks us how elephants use their tusks. "Elephants use their tusks to dig holes. They also use their tusks to carry things. Elephants can rest their trunk on their tusks. Elephant’s tusks also help them stay safe. They can use their tusks to protect themselves from enemies."

Given our answer choices, "dig holes and carry things" is the correct answer. 

Example Question #4 : Identify Supporting Details

African Elephants

Elephants are the biggest animals living on land. An adult elephant can weigh as much as a school bus! The biggest elephants live in Africa.

Trunk

Elephants have a long trunk. An elephant uses its trunk in many ways. An elephant’s trunk is its nose. It uses its trunk to smell and breathe. Elephants also use their trunks like a hand. An elephant can pick up grass and branches with its trunk. It uses its trunk to reach high up and grab food from trees. Elephants eat fruit, leaves and plants. An elephant also uses its trunk to take a shower. Elephants use their trunks to make sounds. Elephants roar, rumble and growl. When there is danger, elephants use their trunks to make a loud horn noise to warn others and scare away predators.

Tusks

African elephants have tusks. Tusks are long teeth. Elephants use their tusks to dig holes. They also use their tusks to carry things. Elephants can rest their trunk on their tusks. Elephant’s tusks also help them stay safe. They can use their tusks to protect themselves from enemies.

Ears

Elephants have big ears. Elephants use their ears to stay cool on hot days. Elephants flap their ears to cool off and keep insects away from their face.

Wrinkled Skin

Elephants have wrinkled skin. Elephants cover their skin in mud and dirt to protect their skin from sunburn and bug bites.

Feet

Elephants have big feet. Elephants have pads on the bottom of their feet to help them walk quietly.

What has a long trunk, two big tusks, big ears and wrinkled skin? It’s an African elephant!

According to the text, why does an elephant have pads on the bottom of its feet?

Possible Answers:

To help it fight off predators

To help it stomp on branches

To help it walk quietly

To help protect it from the hot ground

Correct answer:

To help it walk quietly

Explanation:

We can look for the answer to this question under the subtitle "Feet" because the question is asking about an elephant's feet. The text says, "Elephants have pads on the bottom of their feet to help them walk quietly."

Example Question #13 : Integration Of Knowledge And Ideas

African Elephants

Elephants are the biggest animals living on land. An adult elephant can weigh as much as a school bus! The biggest elephants live in Africa.

Trunk

Elephants have a long trunk. An elephant uses its trunk in many ways. An elephant’s trunk is its nose. It uses its trunk to smell and breathe. Elephants also use their trunks like a hand. An elephant can pick up grass and branches with its trunk. It uses its trunk to reach high up and grab food from trees. Elephants eat fruit, leaves and plants. An elephant also uses its trunk to take a shower. Elephants use their trunks to make sounds. Elephants roar, rumble and growl. When there is danger, elephants use their trunks to make a loud horn noise to warn others and scare away predators.

Tusks

African elephants have tusks. Tusks are long teeth. Elephants use their tusks to dig holes. They also use their tusks to carry things. Elephants can rest their trunk on their tusks. Elephant’s tusks also help them stay safe. They can use their tusks to protect themselves from enemies.

Ears

Elephants have big ears. Elephants use their ears to stay cool on hot days. Elephants flap their ears to cool off and keep insects away from their face.

Wrinkled Skin

Elephants have wrinkled skin. Elephants cover their skin in mud and dirt to protect their skin from sunburn and bug bites.

Feet

Elephants have big feet. Elephants have pads on the bottom of their feet to help them walk quietly.

What has a long trunk, two big tusks, big ears and wrinkled skin? It’s an African elephant!

According to the text, how does an elephant stay cool when it is hot?

Possible Answers:

It covers itself in mud and dirt

It sleeps in the shade of large trees

It flaps its ears

It sprays water on itself with its trunk

Correct answer:

It flaps its ears

Explanation:

The answer to this question can be found under the subtitle "Ears". Unfortunately, the question doesn't give us a clear of where to specifically look for this answer. The text says, "Elephants use their ears to stay cool on hot days. Elephants flap their ears to cool off and keep insects away from their face."

Example Question #2 : Identify Supporting Details

Arctic Animals



The Arctic is one of the coldest places on Earth. It is covered in ice and snow and the temperature can drop below freezing. Living in the Arctic is very difficult but many animals call the Arctic home.

Arctic hares live in the Arctic. In the summer, the Arctic hare has brown fur. In the winter, when temperatures drop, the hare’s fur grows thicker and warmer. Their fur also turns white in the winter.

Snowy owls live in the Arctic. They have small ears to keep in heat. Unlike most owls, the snowy owl hunts during the day. Snowy owls have 2 layers of warm feathers. The snowy owl’s entire body is covered in warm feathers- even its legs and toes.

Arctic foxes live in the Arctic. When winter comes the Arctic fox changes its brown summer fur for a thicker coat of white fur. The Arctic fox’s warm, snowy coat keeps it warm in cold temperatures and protects it from predators.

Wolves live in the Arctic. They have thick white and gray fur. Groups of Arctic wolves hunt together in packs.

Harp seals live in the Arctic. Adult harp seals have a thick layer of fat, called blubber. Blubber keeps seals warm in the cold, icy arctic water. Baby seals have thick white fur. The baby pup quickly builds its blubber and loses its fluffy coat.

Penguins live in the Arctic. Penguins have webbed feet to help them walk on the ice. Penguins are very good swimmers. They use their wings to help them swim. When penguins are born they have a thick, fluffy coat of gray and white down feathers. Adult penguins have a waterproof coat of feathers to help then stay dry and warm in the icy, Arctic water.

Polar bears live in the Arctic. Polar bears have thick, white fur to stay warm. They even have fur on the bottoms of their feet. Polar bears also have thick blubber.

The Arctic is a difficult place to live but many animals have found ways to stay warm and survive here.

 

How are the Arctic hare and the Arctic fox similar?

Possible Answers:

They both have a thick layer of blubber

They both hunt during the day

They both have thick, white fur

They both can swim

Correct answer:

They both have thick, white fur

Explanation:

The text says “In the winter, the hare’s fur grows thicker and warmer. Their fur also turns white in the winter.” The text also says “Arctic foxes live in the Arctic. They have thick, white fur to keep them warm and help them stay safe from predators.” Both animals use their thick, white fur to keep them warm and help them blend in.

 

Example Question #3 : Identify Supporting Details

Arctic Animals



The Arctic is one of the coldest places on Earth. It is covered in ice and snow and the temperature can drop below freezing. Living in the Arctic is very difficult but many animals call the Arctic home.

Arctic hares live in the Arctic. In the summer, the Arctic hare has brown fur. In the winter, when temperatures drop, the hare’s fur grows thicker and warmer. Their fur also turns white in the winter.

Snowy owls live in the Arctic. They have small ears to keep in heat. Unlike most owls, the snowy owl hunts during the day. Snowy owls have 2 layers of warm feathers. The snowy owl’s entire body is covered in warm feathers- even its legs and toes.

Arctic foxes live in the Arctic. When winter comes the Arctic fox changes its brown summer fur for a thicker coat of white fur. The Arctic fox’s warm, snowy coat keeps it warm in cold temperatures and protects it from predators.

Wolves live in the Arctic. They have thick white and gray fur. Groups of Arctic wolves hunt together in packs.

Harp seals live in the Arctic. Adult harp seals have a thick layer of fat, called blubber. Blubber keeps seals warm in the cold, icy arctic water. Baby seals have thick white fur. The baby pup quickly builds its blubber and loses its fluffy coat.

Penguins live in the Arctic. Penguins have webbed feet to help them walk on the ice. Penguins are very good swimmers. They use their wings to help them swim. When penguins are born they have a thick, fluffy coat of gray and white down feathers. Adult penguins have a waterproof coat of feathers to help then stay dry and warm in the icy, Arctic water.

Polar bears live in the Arctic. Polar bears have thick, white fur to stay warm. They even have fur on the bottoms of their feet. Polar bears also have thick blubber.

The Arctic is a difficult place to live but many animals have found ways to stay warm and survive here.

How do penguins stay warm in the Arctic?

Possible Answers:

They have thick fur

They are good swimmers

They have a waterproof coat

They hunt during the day

Correct answer:

They have a waterproof coat

Explanation:

A penguin’s waterproof coat of feathers help them dry and warm when they swim in the cold water. Penguins are good swimmers, but this does not show how they stay warm. The text does not explain when penguins hunt. Penguins do not have fur.

All Common Core: Kindergarten English Language Arts Resources

2 Diagnostic Tests 51 Practice Tests Question of the Day Flashcards Learn by Concept
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