CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.8.3
The Standard
Delineate a speaker's argument and specific claims, evaluating the soundness of the reasoning and relevance and sufficiency of the evidence and identifying when irrelevant evidence is introduced.
Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts · Speaking and Listening Standards
What This Standard Means
Students need to track what a speaker is arguing, name the main claim, and pull out the smaller claims that support it. They also need to judge whether the reasons make sense and whether the evidence actually proves the point.
Mastery looks like a student saying, “The speaker claims uniforms improve focus, but the attendance example does not prove that.” Students often get stuck retelling the talk instead of analyzing it. They may also accept statistics, anecdotes, or emotional stories without checking if they are relevant or enough.
Ways to Teach It
- Play a two-minute debate clip and have students sort claim, reason, relevant evidence, and irrelevant evidence on sticky notes.
- Ask students to write: Which piece of evidence best supports the speaker’s claim, and which piece should be removed?
- Use an exit ticket with one short speech excerpt and ask for the main claim, one reason, and one weak evidence choice.
- Bring in a school board public comment video and have students judge which claims are supported by facts, examples, or opinion.
Plan a Lesson for CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.8.3
Generate a complete lesson plan aligned to this standard, with objectives, activities, and materials. Free, no account needed.
Related Standards
- 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...
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.8.8
Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is sound and the evidence is relevant and sufficient; recogni...
- 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.6.3
Delineate a speaker's argument and specific claims, distinguishing claims that are supported by reasons and evidence from claims that are not.