Standard: 9-10.W.9b – Apply grades 9-10 Reading standards to literary nonfiction (e.g., “Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is valid and the evidence is relevant and sufficient; identify false statements and fallacious reasoning”).
Grade level: Grade 9-10
Subject: English Language Arts
Domain: Writing
Teacher Overview
This standard focuses on applying critical reading skills to evaluate arguments and claims in literary nonfiction. It is important because it helps students develop the ability to think critically about the information they encounter, which is essential for academic success and informed citizenship. Students should have a foundational understanding of argumentative writing, including the ability to identify claims, evidence, and reasoning. They should also be familiar with common logical fallacies and the importance of evidence relevance and validity.
Mastering this standard will enable students to critically evaluate more complex texts and arguments, preparing them for advanced coursework and helping them become more discerning consumers of information.
Common Misconception 1
A common misconception is that all evidence presented in a text is equally valid. This is incorrect because evidence can vary in quality, credibility, and relevance. Students need to learn how to assess the strength of evidence based on its source, context, and connection to the argument.
Intervention 1
An effective intervention is to provide students with examples of strong and weak evidence and guide them through a comparative analysis. This can be done through group activities where students evaluate different pieces of evidence and discuss their findings.
Common Misconception 2
Another misconception is that if an argument sounds convincing, it must be logically sound. This is not always true as arguments can be persuasive but still flawed due to logical fallacies or weak evidence. Students need to learn to scrutinize the logical structure of arguments.
Intervention 2
To address this, teachers can use exercises that break down arguments into their components and analyze the logical connections. Role-playing debates where students must defend or refute arguments based on logical soundness can also be effective.
Prerequisite Knowledge
Students should have a basic understanding of argumentative structures, including claims, evidence, and reasoning. They should also be familiar with common logical fallacies and the concepts of validity and relevance in arguments.
Subsequent Knowledge
After mastering this standard, students will be able to apply critical thinking skills to more complex texts, including those found in advanced literature and social studies courses. They will be better prepared to construct their own well-reasoned arguments in writing and discussions.
Instructional Activities
- Debate exercises where students must identify and critique the arguments presented
- Analyzing editorials and opinion pieces for logical fallacies
- Group discussions on the validity and relevance of evidence in various texts
- Writing assignments that require students to construct and deconstruct arguments
- Peer review sessions focused on evaluating the strength of arguments and evidence
