Evaluating Soundness of Reasoning
Aligned to RI.8.8 — Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts.
What this lesson teaches
Judge whether an argument's reasoning is logical and the evidence relevant and sufficient. Recognize when claims are irrelevant or unsupported.
Worked example
An author argues for solar panels with cost-savings data (relevant) and environmental studies (sufficient), but a claim that 'critics are foolish' is irrelevant to the argument.
Practice questions
- Decide whether an author's evidence is sufficient for their claim.
- Spot one piece of irrelevant evidence.
- Rewrite an unsupported claim so it's backed by evidence.
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.
▶ Watch this lessonEn español
Evaluación de la Solidez del Razonamiento
Juzga si el razonamiento de un argumento es lógico y si la evidencia es relevante y suficiente. Reconoce cuándo las afirmaciones son irrelevantes o no están respaldadas.
Ejemplo: Un autor argumenta a favor de los paneles solares con datos sobre ahorro económico (relevante) y estudios ambientales (suficiente), pero la afirmación de que 'los críticos son tontos' es irrelevante para el argumento.
More Reading: Informational lessons
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