CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.6.9b

ELA6th GradeResearch to Build and Present Knowledge

The Standard

Apply grade 6 Reading standards to literary nonfiction (e.g., "Trace and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, distinguishing claims that are supported by reasons and evidence from claims that are not").

Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts

What This Standard Means

Students need to use reading skills while writing about literary nonfiction. They should identify an author’s main claim, track the reasons used to support it, and point to exact evidence from the text. Then they need to explain whether the support is strong, weak, or missing.

Mastery looks like a short written response that names a claim, cites relevant evidence, and explains how that evidence does or does not prove the point. Students often confuse topics with claims, copy evidence without explaining it, or treat every sentence from the text as equally strong support.

Ways to Teach It

Give pairs a short opinion article, highlighters, and sticky notes to label claim, reasons, strong evidence, and weak evidence.
Ask students to write: Which claim in this text is best supported, and what makes the evidence convincing?
Use a three-question exit ticket: What is the claim, what evidence supports it, and is the evidence strong or weak?
Bring in a school lunch policy letter and have students judge which claims are backed by facts and which rely on opinion.