Kentucky Reading and Writing RI.6.8
The Standard
Identify and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, distinguishing claims that are supported by reasons and evidence from unsupported claims.
Kentucky Academic Standards for Reading and Writing (2025) · Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
Teacher's field guide
What This Standard Means
What Students Need to Do
- Students find the writer’s main argument and the smaller claims used to make it. They check which claims have reasons and evidence in the text, and which do not.
What Mastery Looks Like
- A student can state the argument in their own words. They can point to a reason and a specific fact that supports a claim. They can flag a claim the writer does not back up.
Common Misconceptions
- Students may treat a strong opinion or a repeated claim as proof. They may cite a nearby fact that does not support the claim. Some mistake a reason, such as “it saves time,” for evidence that it does.
How to Assess It
- Put this on an exit ticket: “Our school needs more bike racks. Forty students rode bikes last week. New racks will make everyone happier.” Ask students to name the argument, cite the evidence, and flag the unsupported claim.
Lesson moves
Ways to Teach It
Give pairs a printed cafeteria opinion paragraph and colored sticky notes to label the argument, each claim, its support, and any gaps.
After reading the cafeteria paragraph, ask: “Which claim lacks evidence, and what fact would make it stronger?”
Give teams claim, reason, and evidence cards about school lunches; have them build supported sets and set unsupported claims aside.
Compare two mock backpack ads: one says “Our zipper survived 500 test pulls,” and the other says “Never breaks”; circle the unsupported claim.
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Printable RI.6.8 Worksheet
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Related Standards
- RI.K.8
With prompting and support, identify the claim and the reasons an author gives to support claims in a text.
- RI.1.8
Identify the claim and the reasons an author gives to support the claim in a text.
- RI.8.8
Identify and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is sound and the evidence is relevant and sufficient; recogniz...
- RI.7.8
Identify and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is sound and the evidence is relevant and sufficient to suppor...
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