Mastering the R.A.C.E. Strategy

Mastering the R.A.C.E. Strategy

This worksheet will help you practice using the R.A.C.E. strategy for constructed responses. R.A.C.E. stands for Restate, Answer, Cite, and Explain. Read each question carefully and apply the strategy to formulate clear, concise, and evidence-based answers.

Read the following excerpt from 'The Great Gatsby' by F. Scott Fitzgerald and then answer the questions that follow.

“And so with the sunshine and the great bursts of leaves on the trees, and the sound of children’s voices at the door, bringing out the last two months of autumn, I had that familiar conviction that life was beginning over again with the summer. It was a time of hope, of new beginnings, of limitless possibilities. But the summer, like all seasons, had its end, and with it, the fleeting illusion of a fresh start.”

1. What feeling does the narrator associate with the beginning of summer in the passage?

2. The 'R' in R.A.C.E. stands for  , which means to rephrase the question as part of your answer.

3. When you 'C'ite evidence, you should   directly from the text to support your answer.

4. Which of the following best describes the purpose of the 'Explain' component in the R.A.C.E. strategy?

5. Using the R.A.C.E. strategy, explain what the narrator means by 'the fleeting illusion of a fresh start' in the provided excerpt.