Standard: 7.W.9b – Apply grade 7 Reading standards to literary nonfiction (e.g. ‘Trace and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is sound and the evidence is relevant and sufficient to support the claims’).
Grade level: Grade 7
Subject: English Language Arts
Domain: Writing
Teacher Overview
This standard focuses on students’ ability to critically analyze and evaluate arguments and claims in literary nonfiction. It is crucial for developing critical thinking skills and the ability to engage with complex texts, which are essential for academic success in higher grades. Students should have a solid understanding of identifying main ideas and supporting details in nonfiction texts, as well as basic knowledge of different types of nonfiction genres.
By mastering this standard, students will be prepared to create their own well-reasoned arguments and critically evaluate the arguments presented by others, skills that are essential for advanced academic work and informed citizenship.
Common Misconception 1
A common misconception is that any piece of evidence can support a claim. This is incorrect because evidence must be directly relevant to the claim to be effective.
Intervention 1
Provide students with exercises that involve sorting evidence into relevant and irrelevant categories, followed by discussions on why certain pieces of evidence are more effective.
Common Misconception 2
Another misconception is that the confidence of the presentation determines the validity of an argument. This is incorrect because an argument’s validity depends on the soundness of its reasoning and the relevance of its evidence.
Intervention 2
Introduce logical fallacies and engage students in activities where they identify and correct faulty reasoning in sample arguments.
Prerequisite Knowledge
Students should be familiar with basic reading comprehension skills, including identifying main ideas and supporting details, as well as understanding different types of nonfiction texts.
Subsequent Knowledge
Students will develop the ability to construct well-reasoned arguments and support their claims with relevant evidence, which is essential for advanced writing and critical thinking tasks in higher grades.
Instructional Activities
- Debate exercises on current events
- Group analysis of persuasive essays
- Writing critiques of editorial pieces
- Peer review sessions focusing on argument strength
- Creating visual maps of arguments and evidence
