CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.SL.3
The Standard
Evaluate a speaker's point of view, reasoning, and use of evidence and rhetoric.
Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts · College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards for Speaking and Listening
What This Standard Means
Students need to listen closely to a speaker and figure out what the speaker believes, why they believe it, and how they try to persuade the audience. They should notice claims, reasons, evidence, word choice, tone, and emotional appeals.
Mastery looks like naming the speaker’s viewpoint, judging whether the reasons and evidence are strong, and explaining how the speaker’s language affects the message. Students often struggle to separate opinion from evidence, spot weak reasoning, or explain rhetoric beyond saying “it sounds good.”
Ways to Teach It
- Play a short speech clip and have students sort sticky notes into claim, reason, evidence, and persuasive language columns.
- Ask students to write: Which part of the speaker’s argument was strongest, and what made it convincing or weak?
- Give a two-minute audio clip and ask students to identify one claim, one piece of evidence, and one persuasive technique.
- Analyze a school announcement, advertisement, or campaign speech for viewpoint, evidence, tone, and emotional appeal.
Plan a Lesson for CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.SL.3
Generate a complete lesson plan aligned to this standard, with objectives, activities, and materials. Free, no account needed.
Related Standards
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.8.3
Delineate a speaker's argument and specific claims, evaluating the soundness of the reasoning and relevance and sufficiency of the evidence and identifying when...
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.7.3
Delineate a speaker's argument and specific claims, evaluating the soundness of the reasoning and the relevance and sufficiency of the evidence.
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.11-12.3
Evaluate a speaker's point of view, reasoning, and use of evidence and rhetoric, assessing the stance, premises, links among ideas, word choice, points of empha...
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.9-10.3
Evaluate a speaker's point of view, reasoning, and use of evidence and rhetoric, identifying any fallacious reasoning or exaggerated or distorted evidence.