R.A.C.E. Response =
Better Answers
How to Sound Smart Answering
Constructed Response Questions
Restate, Answer,
Cite evidence, Explain
4-part strategy that
TRAINS YOUR BRAIN
to think about the most important
steps in answering a question!
Restate
Answer
Cite evidence
Explain
Think Aloud
Think about the story of the Three Little Pigs.
Respond to this question using RACE:
The wolf in The Three Little Pigs says
that everyone is wrong about him. Do
you agree that everyone has the
wrong perception of him? Use
evidence to support your response.
Before Beginning:
• Read the entire question.
• Identify and underline key words in the
question, such as: explain, name, provide
examples.
• Define any key terms needed for
understanding
Restate
• Restate the question as a statement in
your own words. Use words from the
prompt; use the correct transition
words (because, by, to, when).
• Typical Answer: No I don’t believe him.
• Better Answer: The wolf in The Three
Little Pigs believes that he is a nice
wolf and everyone has the wrong
perception about him.
Beginning your RACE
response:
• Don’t start your answer off with “Yes,”
“No,” “I believe,” or “I think.”
• Don’t use the words They, He, She, It, or
We in your first sentence.
• The response should make sense even
WITHOUT the prompt.
• The smartest-sounding responses can stand
alone!
Answer
• Answer the question (main idea
but no details yet, just like a topic
sentence of a paragraph)
• Typical Answer: No, I don’t believe
him. He’s a hot mess.
• Better Answer: The wolf in The
Three Little Pigs believes that he
is a nice wolf and everyone has the
wrong perception about him. In
fact, he is best described as
aggressive and mean.
Cite Evidence
from the Text
• Provide evidence to support your answer
with details from the text.
• Typical Answer: No, I don’t believe him.
He’s a hot mess. The way he had those
pigs so scared.
• Better Answer: The wolf in The Three
Little Pigs believes that he is a nice wolf
and everyone has the wrong perception
about him. In fact, he is best described
as aggressive and mean because he kept
trying to eat the three innocent pigs. For
example, he chased them from house to
house and made them run for their lives.
He also destroyed two of the pigs’ homes
in the process.
Explain Evidence
and how it relates to text
•
Explain how your evidence from the text supports your
answer
•
Typical Answer: Students usually leave this part out! 
•
Better Answer: The wolf in The Three Little Pigs believes
that he is a nice wolf and everyone has the wrong perception
about him. In fact, he is best described as aggressive and
mean because he kept trying to eat the three innocent pigs.
For example, he chased them from house to house and made
them run for their lives. He also destroyed two of the pigs’
homes in the process. While the wolf might think his
behavior is nice, most people would agree that based
on his actions, he is not a nice wolf.
SAS Curriculum Pathways
QL # 1363
All finished?
Compare your R.A.C.E answer to
your neighbor’s. How did RACE
help you write a better response?
Congratulations!