6.8.E.i
The Standard
identifying the claim
Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for English Language Arts and Reading · The student recognizes and analyzes genre-specific characteristics, structures, and purposes within and across increasingly complex traditional, contemporary, classical, and diverse texts.
Teacher's field guide
What This Standard Means
What Students Need to Do
- Students locate the author’s main position in an argumentative text. They separate that position from the topic, supporting reasons, and evidence.
What Mastery Looks Like
- Students can state the author’s main position in their own words. They can point to the sentence that states or strongly suggests that position and explain why it is the claim.
Common Misconceptions
- Students may mistake the topic, a supporting reason, or a fact for the claim. They may also choose the first opinion stated instead of the author’s main position.
How to Assess It
- Give students a short argument and ask, “What does the author want readers to believe?” Require them to copy or paraphrase the sentence that best states the claim.
Lesson moves
Ways to Teach It
Cut an argument into claim, reasons, and evidence strips, then have pairs sort and label each part.
Ask, “What does the author want readers to believe, and which sentence states it most clearly?” Students answer in two sentences.
Play Claim or Detail: display sentences from short arguments, and teams hold up cards to classify each sentence.
Compare two product ads, then have students name each advertiser’s main position and point to the wording that reveals it.
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