Middle School English Language Arts Instructional Guide

●​ "What is the main argument of this text? Is it supported by sufficient evidence?" ●​ "Which claims in the text are well-supported, and which are not? How can you tell?"

Sample Formative Assessments

Argument Evaluation:

●​ Activity: Students read an argumentative text and complete a graphic organizer where they identify the main argument and specific claims. They must evaluate the evidence provided for each claim and determine if it is sufficient.

●​ Objective: To assess students' ability to evaluate arguments and distinguish between supported and unsupported claims.

Claim Analysis:

●​ Activity: Students write a short answer response analyzing the claims in an argumentative text. They must evaluate the strength of the evidence for each claim and explain which claims are well-supported and which are not.

●​ Objective: To assess students' ability to analyze and evaluate the validity of claims and evidence in an argument.

Standard: Reading 14

Learning Intentions and Success Criteria

Learning Intentions: ●​ Students will learn to compare texts across different media or genres to understand their approaches to similar themes and topics. ●​ Students will understand how different authors present the same events. Success Criteria: ●​ I can compare how different media or genres approach similar themes and topics. ●​ I can compare one author's presentation of events with that of another.

a. ​ Compare texts across di ff erent media or genres in terms of their approaches to similar themes and topics. (RL) b. ​ Compare one author’s presentation of events with that of another. (RI)

Nouns (Know)

Verbs (Do)

●​ Texts ●​ Media ●​ Genres ●​ Themes ●​ Topics ●​ Author's presentation ●​ Events

●​ Compare

Sample Question Stems and Prompts for Assessment

Last Updated June 2nd, 2026 Secondary ELA, Page 118