CurriculumGrade 8English Language Arts

Evidence in Nonfiction

Aligned to RI.8.1 — Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts.

What this lesson teaches

In an informational text, back every claim you make with the strongest fact, statistic, or statement the author provides. Separate what the text states directly from what you reasonably infer.

Worked example

An article never says a city is growing fast, but reports its population 'doubled in six years.' That statistic is the strongest evidence for the inference of rapid growth.

Practice questions

  1. Point to the strongest fact that supports the author's main point.
  2. Name one thing stated directly and one thing you infer.
  3. Explain why one statistic proves the claim better than another.

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

Evidencia en la No Ficción

En un texto informativo, respalda cada afirmación con el dato, la estadística o la declaración más sólida que ofrezca el autor. Distingue lo que el texto dice directamente de lo que infieres con razón.

Ejemplo: Un artículo nunca dice que una ciudad crece rápido, pero informa que su población 'se duplicó en seis años.' Esa estadística es la evidencia más sólida para inferir un crecimiento acelerado.

More Reading: Informational lessons

Evaluating Soundness of ReasoningRI.8.8Central Idea & Objective SummaryRI.8.2Connections & DistinctionsRI.8.3Technical & Connotative WordsRI.8.4How a Paragraph Is BuiltRI.8.5Author's Purpose & CounterviewsRI.8.6

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