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Curriculum › Grade 7 › English Language Arts

Tracing & Evaluating an Argument

  • Grade 7
  • English Language Arts
  • RI.7.8
  • Reading: Informational
  • Free lesson

Aligned to RI.7.8 — Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts.

What this lesson teaches

Map the author's reasoning step by step and decide whether the evidence is sound and sufficient. Identify any claims that aren't backed up.

Worked examples

Example 1

An op-ed argues for later school start times: cites sleep research (sound), test-score data (relevant), but one claim ('kids will be happier') lacks evidence.

Example 2

An article arguing for a new bus route cites ridership counts (sound) and commute times (relevant), then adds 'everyone knows the old route is bad' — an assertion, not evidence.

Example 3

Evidence can be strong and still not fit the claim. Data showing teens sleep badly supports 'teens are tired', not 'a later bell would fix it'.

Practice questions

  1. Outline the steps of reasoning in an argument.
  2. Which claim is best supported? Which is weakest?
  3. What evidence would make the weak claim stronger?

Watch the lesson

Every lesson comes with a video taught in English and Spanish — the same video the QR code in the printed workbook opens.

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En español

Seguir y evaluar un argumento

Traza el razonamiento del autor paso a paso y decide si la evidencia es sólida y suficiente. Identifica cualquier argumento que no esté respaldado.

Ejemplo 1: Un artículo de opinión defiende que las escuelas empiecen más tarde: cita investigaciones sobre el sueño (sólida), datos de calificaciones (relevante), pero un argumento ('los niños serán más felices') carece de evidencia.

Ejemplo 2: Un artículo que defiende una nueva ruta de autobús cita el número de pasajeros (sólido) y los tiempos de traslado (relevante), y luego agrega 'todos saben que la ruta vieja es mala' — una afirmación, no evidencia.

Ejemplo 3: La evidencia puede ser fuerte y aun así no encajar con la afirmación. Datos de que los adolescentes duermen mal sostienen 'están cansados', no 'un horario más tarde lo arreglaría'.

More Reading: Informational lessons

Evidence in NonfictionRI.7.1Two Central IdeasRI.7.2How Ideas and Events ConnectRI.7.3Word Choice in NonfictionRI.7.4How Structure Organizes a TextRI.7.5Author's Purpose and PositionRI.7.6

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