Students learn that not all evidence actually supports a claim — and practice telling relevant, sufficient evidence from irrelevant details that only look convincing, a key skill for thinking critically.
Students will be able to…
An argument can be packed with “facts” and still be weak. How do you tell evidence that truly supports a claim from filler that just sounds impressive?
The claim: “Our school should add more recess time.” Sort each piece of evidence by whether it actually SUPPORTS that claim.
Tap any phase to open the teacher moves and student actions.
An argument full of “facts” can still be weak — how?
Teacher models.
Class uses Relevant or Irrelevant?
Students evaluate arguments.
Students share a judgment.
Aligned to the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts.
Delineate and evaluate an argument, assessing whether reasoning is sound and evidence is relevant and sufficient; recognize irrelevant evidence.
Cite the textual evidence that most strongly supports an analysis.
Determine an author’s point of view and analyze how it responds to conflicting evidence.
Write arguments supported by relevant evidence.
Preview the three formative checks. Tap “Sample answer” to see what mastery looks like — hide them before you print for students.
Have students take a claim with weak evidence and replace irrelevant filler with strong, relevant evidence. A printable argument-strengthening sheet is in the ELA library.
Tap a card to flip it, then rate whether you knew it. Built from this lesson’s vocabulary.
A quick self-check with instant feedback, drawn from this lesson’s key terms.
A print-and-go review sheet with a built-in answer key. Tap “Show answer key” to reveal answers, or print the clean version for students.