Evaluate an author’s argument, reasoning, and specific claims for the soundness of the arguments and the relevance of the evidence.
Standard:
E08.B-C.3.1.1
Description:
Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is sound and the evidence is relevant and sufficient; recognize when irrelevant evidence is introduced.
Standard:
Literacy.RI.8.8
Description:
Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is sound and the evidence is relevant and sufficient; recognize when irrelevant evidence is introduced.
Standard:
Literacy.RI.8.9
Description:
Analyze a case in which two or more texts provide conflicting information on the same topic and identify where the texts disagree on matters of fact or interpretation.
8th Grade Reading - Persuasive Arguments and Claims Lesson
Authors write persuasive arguments to persuade readers to believe, think, feel, or do something. In a persuasive text, the claim is what the author wants to persuade, or convince, readers to believe, think, feel, or do.
Persuasive arguments and claims can be found everywhere, from TV commercials to the newspaper. When you read, ask yourself these questions:
Is the author trying to make me believe, think, feel, or do something?
What claim is the author trying to make?
How is the author trying to do this?
Conflicting Information
Passages written about the same topic can sometimes include conflicting information, or information that is presented differently, in each text. The texts may disagree about facts or interpret the facts differently.
When you read two or more texts about the same subject, ask yourself:
What information is presented differently in these passages?
Is there any information that the texts disagree about?