Virginia SOL 10.W.2.A.iii
The Standard
Defending a position using sufficient reasons with evidence from credible sources as support.
Virginia Standards of Learning for English
Teacher's field guide
What This Standard Means
What Students Need to Do
- Students take a clear position for a defined audience and purpose. They support logical reasons with relevant evidence from trustworthy sources. They plan, draft, revise, and edit the argument.
What Mastery Looks Like
- A student presents a focused claim, supports each reason with relevant evidence, and explains the connection. The draft fits its audience and improves through meaningful revision and careful editing.
Common Misconceptions
- Students may treat strong opinions as evidence or add quotations without explaining how they support a reason. They may also trust the first source found or ignore the intended audience.
How to Assess It
- Give students two short sources and this prompt: “Should high schools start later?” In eight minutes, have them write a claim, two reasons, and cited evidence.
Lesson moves
Ways to Teach It
Have students arrange printed claim, reason, evidence, and explanation cards into a logical argument, then justify their order.
Ask students to write two openings for the same claim, one for classmates and one for the school board.
Run a source credibility sorting game using author, date, publication, evidence, and bias clues from six sample sources.
Students draft an email to the principal proposing one school change, supported by two credible sources and a response to one concern.
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Related Standards
- 8.W.2.A.iii
Stating and defending conclusions or positions with reasons and precise, relevant evidence and complete explanation of how evidence and details support a positi...
- 7.W.2.A.iii
Defending conclusions or positions with reasons and precise, relevant evidence (e.g., facts, definitions, details, quotations, and examples).
- 10.W.1.B.ii
Support well-defined points of view effectively with relevant evidence and clear reasoning in ways that logically advance the claim(s).
- 4.C.1.A.iv
Using evidence, examples, or details to support opinions and conclusions.
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