Evaluate supporting evidence; Explain how evidence supports an idea or point in a text (Inclusive Big Idea #8)

Reading Informational Text

Grade 7: English Language Arts

Inclusive Big Idea #8: Evaluate supporting evidence; Explain how evidence supports an idea or point in a text

Standard: 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. RI.7.8

• Information Coding/Text Annotation: Provide the students with a digital or paper copy of the text for the students to mark. Students should then create a coding or annotation system on their own or with a partner to help them mark and understand the text. Provide an example to show how to create information coding. Students are encouraged to “mark up” the text by highlighting important information such as claims an author makes and supporting evidence, definitions, and key vocabulary.For example, the coding system might look something like this:
  • Code: "________________", Meaning: Here is the focus of a paragraph
  • Code: "***", Meaning: This is a fact and detail that supports the focus of the paragraph
• Graphic Organizer: Use an evidence tracker to record claims an author makes. Teach the skill of evaluating claims using a task analysis. See this TIP Sheet for more information on graphic organizers.
  • Bubble Map: When determining the main idea and relevant details in a passage, a bubble map can help students prioritize information from a text and present it in a visual way to help clarify the relationship between ideas. After reading a passage, ask students to determine what they think the text is about and place that idea in the center of the bubble map. Then have students (individually, in small groups, or as a whole class) brainstorm the supporting details and place those around the main idea. Students may need support in determining which details from the text are meaningful, so have a discussion about how to determine what information is most important to their understanding of a text.
• Model to Understand: Place an informational text on the interactive whiteboard or a shared online document. Model the process for reading an argument. Read through once for an initial impression. Read/review the argument several times. Annotate as you read. Highlight key terms and important information. Evaluate the evidence. Model the process of reading through an argument by answering the following questions:
  • What does the title suggest?
  • Who is the author? Is the author a reliable source?
  • What is the author’s claim?
  • How does the author support the claim with evidence?
  • What is the publication date?
  • What is my background knowledge on the issue?

For example, one possible barrier is the amount of information that a student needs to hold in mind.

Ideas to reduce this barrier could include:

• be aware of how much sensory input occurs at once, perhaps offer the option to use headphones
• show examples and provide answers to check along the way
• provide templates or graphic organizers
• allow use of spell checks and other tools 

Use these Inclusive Strategies to help reduce barriers.

• The Big Idea: Evaluate supporting evidence; Explain how evidence supports an idea or point in a text
• Tell me more about… Supporting Evidence
  • The supporting details of informational text are information that helps to clarify the reader’s understanding of the most important points that the author is trying to make about a specific subject. Identifying and categorizing main ideas within informational text is critical to successful readers. You support your main idea by explaining it, describing it, defining it, or otherwise giving information about it.
• Tell me more about… Main Ideas
  • The main ideas of informational text are the most important points that the author is trying to make about a specific topic. Identifying and categorizing main ideas within informational text is critical to success because it allows readers to prioritize information in a text. It provides the reader with a framework for understanding and recalling the important ideas in the text.
  • Teaching the Main Idea-- Continuum
    1. Identify the key words of a sentence
    2. Identify key words or topic of a paragraph
    3. Identify the topic sentence of a paragraph
    4. Recognize the explicitly stated point of a paragraph
    5. Infer the main idea of a paragraph
    6. Recognize the relationships among ideas in related paragraphs in longer selections
    7. Infer relationships among ideas in related paragraphs in longer selections
    8. Determine the main idea or central message of an entire text.

Common Student Misconceptions

• Key Elements: Students may have difficulty prioritizing information within a text to determine the key elements and supporting details. They will need modeling and support to make progress with this skill.
• Facts versus opinion: Students may have trouble determining the difference between supporting evidence that is based on facts and that which is based on opinion. Model looking for keywords and other indicators to help them determine the difference.

Links Across Content Areas

• Social Studies/Science: Have students record key elements and details about the topic or text by using scribes, recording, writing, moving images, etc.

Everyday Connections

• Hot Topics! Ask students to discuss changes they think would benefit the school or community. Tell them to include reasons to support their suggestions, making the distinction between personal preferences versus facts and evidence.

Sixth Grade: Identify supporting evidence; Explain how evidence supports an idea or point in a text (RI 8)

Eighth Grade: Evaluate supporting evidence; Explain how evidence supports an idea or point in a text (RI 8)