To find the rate Evan earns per hour for babysitting, we divide his total earnings by the number of hours he worked. Given that Evan earned $26 for 4 hours of babysitting, we can calculate the rate as follows:

$\text{Rate per hour} = \frac{\text{Total earnings}}{\text{Number of hours}} = \frac{26}{4} = 6.5$

Thus, the equation modeling Evan's total earnings, $y$, for babysitting $x$ hours is:

$y = 6.5x$

This equation indicates that for every hour Evan babysits, he earns $6.50.

Do you have any further questions on this or need more details? Here are a few more related questions you might consider:

1. How much would Evan earn if he worked for 6 hours?
2. What is the minimum number of hours Evan needs to work to earn at least $100?
3. How would the equation change if Evan's hourly rate increased by $1.50?
4. Can this type of equation be used to model a scenario where the rate decreases over time?
5. How does this scenario illustrate the concept of direct proportionality between hours worked and money earned?

Tip: When setting up equations for real-life scenarios, first determine the constant rate of change if applicable, which in this case is the amount earned per hour. This constant helps in building linear models like the one used here.