Virginia SOL 8.RI.3.B
The Standard
Compare and contrast how two or more authors present conflicting information on the same topic by assessing where the texts disagree in reasoning and evidence.
Virginia Standards of Learning for English · Integration of Concepts
Teacher's field guide
What This Standard Means
What Students Need to Do
- Students read multiple texts about one issue and track each author’s claim, evidence, and reasoning. They explain exactly where the accounts conflict and what causes the disagreement.
What Mastery Looks Like
- Students can identify each author’s claim, evidence, and line of reasoning. They cite specific passages and explain whether the authors disagree about facts, interpretations, or conclusions.
Common Misconceptions
- Students may summarize each text without naming the exact point of disagreement. They may call an author biased without citing evidence, or compare writing style instead of claims, reasons, and support.
How to Assess It
- Give students two short passages about school start times. Ask: “Name one disagreement, cite each author’s evidence, and explain how their reasoning differs.”
Lesson moves
Ways to Teach It
Give pairs printed editorials, highlighters, and string to mark claims, evidence, reasoning, and the exact points where the authors separate.
Ask students to write: “Which disagreement matters most, and how does each author’s evidence lead to a different conclusion?”
Run a card sort where teams match claim, evidence, and reasoning cards to two authors, then identify the conflict.
Compare two local news reports about the same school or community issue, checking which facts and sources each report uses.
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Compare and contrast one author’s presentation of ideas or events with another’s, identifying where the texts agree or disagree.
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