Middle School English Language Arts Instructional Guide

Standard: Reading 13

Learning Intentions and Success Criteria

Learning Intentions:

Evaluate an argument and specific claims in a text, assessing the validity of key statements by examining whether the supporting evidence is relevant and su ffi cient. (RI)

● Students will evaluate arguments and specifc claims in a text. ● Students will assess the validity of key statements by examining the relevance and suffciency of supporting evidence. Success Criteria: ● I can identify the main argument and specifc claims in a text. ● I can evaluate the validity of key statements by examining the supporting evidence. ● I can assess whether the supporting evidence is relevant and suffcient to support the claims.

Nouns (Know)

Verbs (Do)

● Argument ● Claim ● Validity ● Supporting Evidence ● Relevance

● Evaluate ● Assess ● Examine

Sample Question Stems and Prompts for Assessment

● What is the main argument presented in the text? ● What specifc claims does the author make to support their argument? ● What criteria can we use to assess the suffciency of the evidence provided? ● Are there any key statements in the text that lack suffcient supporting evidence? ● Can you fnd examples of strong and weak evidence in the text? ● How might the argument be strengthened with additional or more relevant evidence?

Sample Formative Assessments

Graphic Organizer: Argument and Evidence Mapping ● Activity: Students will use a graphic organizer to map out the main argument, specifc claims, and supporting evidence from a text. They will then evaluate the relevance and suffciency of the evidence. ● Objective: To assess students' ability to identify and evaluate arguments and evidence. Evidence Quality Ranking ● Activity: Students will rank pieces of evidence supporting specifc claims in order of quality, from most to least relevant and suffcient, and justify their rankings. ● Objective: To assess students' ability to critically evaluate and compare the quality of evidence.

Last Updated May 30th, 2024 Middle School ELA, Page 139