A finding question tests whether new evidence supports a claim in the passage. Read the hypothesis and put it in a few words, keeping who it is about and what it says about them. If the claim reaches beyond a group, ask what evidence would show that wider reach. Then test each finding against the whole claim, not only the topic. A detail about the same event can be true without showing anything about the claim.
Hints
- Hint 1
In the passage’s last sentence, look for the group named in the hypothesis. What does the student say about the limits of the series’ influence?
- Hint 2
Turn the hypothesis into an evidence test. What would you need to learn about people who didn't attend the performances?
Step-by-step
Test who the series reached
Step 1Find who the claim goes beyond
The council recorded a total attendance of about 3,000 people, but the hypothesis asks about influence beyond the people who attended in person. Who would have to be affected for that claim to be true? That would be people who weren't at the performances, so the claim is about a wider group than the park attendees.
- Step 2
Test the details about the events
What kind of finding would support that wider reach? We'd need a link between the plays and people who didn't attend. The findings about original music, performing without microphones, and community picnics describe making the plays or attending them. None connects the series to people outside the in-person audience, so each misses the part of the hypothesis we're testing.
- Step 3
Compare the two audiences
The finding about broadcast recordings gives tens of thousands of viewers. How does that compare with the total attendance of about 3,000 people? Even if every attendee watched a recording, the much larger viewing audience would include people who hadn't attended. That gives direct evidence that the plays reached people outside the in-person audience. Choice D.