CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.11-12.1
The Standard
Write arguments focused on discipline-specific content.
Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts · Writing Standards for Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects 6—12
Teacher's field guide
What This Standard Means
What Students Need to Do
- Students make a precise, defensible claim about a question in history, science, or a technical field. They support it with relevant evidence, explain their reasoning, address counterclaims, and use a formal structure and tone.
What Mastery Looks Like
- A student can build a clear argument from credible sources or data and organize it so each reason supports the main claim. The student explains evidence accurately, responds fairly to competing claims, and maintains a formal tone.
Common Misconceptions
- Students may state a strong opinion but provide little reliable evidence. They may summarize sources without explaining how the evidence supports the claim, ignore counterclaims, or use evidence that does not fit the field.
How to Assess It
- Exit ticket: Write one defensible claim about today’s topic, support it with two specific pieces of evidence, explain the link, and address one counterclaim.
Lesson moves
Ways to Teach It
Give groups source cards about a local water issue, then have them sort evidence under claim, counterclaim, or irrelevant.
Ask students to write: Which evidence best supports your claim, and why would a skeptical reader find it convincing?
Run a claim-evidence-reasoning relay where teams add one valid sentence at a time, then challenge another team’s weak link.
Have students write a recommendation memo to the principal using attendance data to argue for or against a proposed schedule change.
Free download
Printable WHST.11-12.1 Worksheet
A ready-to-print activity worksheet aligned to CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.11-12.1, with an answer key for the teacher on its own page. No account needed.
PDF, US Letter, prints cleanly in black and white.
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Where This Standard Sits
See the whole path on the Writing: History, Science & Technical Subjects progression map.
Before This Standard
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