CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.7.8
The Standard
Trace and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is sound and the evidence is relevant and sufficient to support the claims.
Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts · Reading Standards for Informational Text
What This Standard Means
Students need to follow an author’s argument from claim to reasons to evidence. They should name the main claim, pick out smaller claims, and explain how each piece of evidence is meant to support them. They also need to judge the quality of that support, not just find it.
Mastery looks like a student saying, “The claim is clear, but this reason is weak because the evidence is only one example,” or “This statistic fits the claim and is enough to be convincing.” Students often get stuck by treating all evidence as equal, confusing a claim with a topic, or judging based on agreement instead of reasoning.
Ways to Teach It
- Give students a short editorial and three colored highlighters for claims, reasons, and evidence, then have them draw arrows showing the argument chain.
- Ask students to write: Which claim is strongest, and what exact evidence makes it stronger than the others?
- Use an exit ticket with one claim and two evidence options, asking students to choose the better support and explain why.
- Have students evaluate a school rule proposal, checking whether each reason has enough relevant evidence to support the change.
Before This Standard
If students are struggling here, check these first.
Plan a Lesson for CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.7.8
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What This Unlocks
Mastery here sets students up for these next.
Related Standards
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.9-10.8
Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is valid and the evidence is relevant and sufficient; identif...
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.R.8
Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, including the validity of the reasoning as well as the relevance and sufficiency of the evide...