CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.6.3

ELA6th GradeComprehension and Collaboration

The Standard

Delineate a speaker's argument and specific claims, distinguishing claims that are supported by reasons and evidence from claims that are not.

Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts · Speaking and Listening Standards

What This Standard Means

Students need to listen to a speaker, pull out the main argument, and name the smaller claims used to support it. They also need to check whether each claim has a real reason, example, fact, or detail behind it.

Mastery looks like a student saying, “The speaker argues that school uniforms help students, and one supported claim is about saving time.” Students often confuse opinions with claims, miss weak evidence, or write down interesting details that do not support the argument.

Ways to Teach It

Play a short student speech, then have pairs sort sentence strips into argument, supported claims, unsupported claims, and extra details.
Ask students to write: Which claim was strongest, and what exact evidence made it stronger than the others?
Use a two-minute audio clip and an exit ticket with three boxes: argument, one supported claim, one unsupported claim.
Have students analyze a lunch menu advertisement and identify which claims about health, cost, or taste are actually supported.