Analyze characteristics and structures of argumentative text by: (i) identifying the claim; (ii) explaining how the author uses various types of evidence to support the argument

Standards Alignment

• TEKS.110.22.08E primary
  analyze characteristics and structures of argumentative text by: (i) identifying the claim; (ii) explaining how the author uses various types of evidence to support the argument; and (iii) identifying the intended audience or reader; and
• TEKS.110.22.08F primary
  analyze characteristics of multimodal and digital texts.; and

Lesson Overview

This Grade 6 English Language Arts lesson focuses on analyzing argumentative texts by identifying the claim, explaining how the author uses various types of evidence to support the argument, and identifying the intended audience. Students will explore characteristics and structures of argumentative texts and multimodal/digital texts through reading, discussion, and writing activities aligned with TEKS standards.

Learning Objectives

• Identify the claim in an argumentative text.
• Explain how the author uses different types of evidence to support the argument.
• Identify the intended audience or reader of an argumentative text.
• Analyze characteristics of multimodal and digital argumentative texts.

Success Criteria

• Students can clearly state the claim made by the author in a given argumentative text.
• Students can describe at least two types of evidence used by the author to support the claim.
• Students can identify the intended audience for the text and explain how the text targets that audience.
• Students can recognize features of multimodal or digital texts that support the argument.

Prerequisite Knowledge

Students should understand basic text features such as main idea and supporting details, and have experience reading informational and narrative texts. Familiarity with persuasive writing and basic vocabulary related to argumentation will be helpful.

Key Vocabulary

• Argumentative text
• Claim
• Evidence
• Supporting details
• Intended audience
• Multimodal text
• Digital text
• Author's purpose

Materials and Resources

• Copies of short argumentative texts (print or digital) appropriate for Grade 6
• Graphic organizer for claim and evidence
• Projector or smartboard for displaying texts and examples
• Writing materials (paper, pencils, or digital devices)

Teacher Preparation

• Select or prepare short argumentative texts that clearly state a claim and use various types of evidence.
• Prepare a graphic organizer to help students identify claims, evidence, and audience.
• Prepare examples of multimodal or digital argumentative texts (e.g., a webpage, infographic, or video clip).
• Plan discussion questions to guide students in analyzing texts.

Detailed Lesson Notes

Understanding Argumentative Texts

Argumentative texts are written to persuade the reader to accept a particular point of view or take a specific action. The main part of an argumentative text is the claim, which is the author's main argument or position. Supporting the claim, authors use different types of evidence such as facts, statistics, expert opinions, examples, and anecdotes. Recognizing these parts helps students understand how arguments are built and how authors try to convince readers.

Identifying the Claim

The claim is the central idea or statement that the author wants the reader to believe or agree with. It is often found in the introduction or thesis statement of the text. Teaching students to find the claim involves looking for sentences that express the author's main opinion or position on the topic. For example, in a text about recycling, the claim might be 'Recycling is essential to protect the environment.'

Types of Evidence Used to Support Arguments

Authors use various types of evidence to make their claims stronger and more convincing. These include: - Facts and statistics: Numbers or data that support the claim. - Expert opinions: Statements from people who are knowledgeable about the topic. - Examples: Specific instances that illustrate the claim. - Anecdotes: Short personal stories that relate to the argument. Helping students identify these types of evidence in texts allows them to understand how arguments are constructed.

Identifying the Intended Audience

The intended audience is the group of readers the author wants to persuade. Authors choose language, examples, and evidence that will appeal to their audience's interests, values, or beliefs. For example, an argumentative text aimed at students might use simpler language and examples relevant to school life. Recognizing the audience helps students understand why the author presents the argument in a particular way.

Analyzing Multimodal and Digital Argumentative Texts

Multimodal texts combine words with other modes such as images, videos, or sound to communicate an argument. Digital texts may include hyperlinks, animations, or interactive elements. These features can strengthen the argument by appealing to different senses and making information clearer or more engaging. Teaching students to notice these features helps them analyze how arguments are presented beyond just words.

Worked Examples

Classroom Activity

Students read the text and identify the claim and types of evidence used, recording them on a graphic organizer.

Guided Practice

Independent Practice

1. Foundational: What is the claim in the sentence: "Recycling helps protect the environment."?
2. Developing: Name two types of evidence an author might use to support a claim in an argumentative text.
3. Application: Read a short argumentative paragraph and identify the claim and one piece of evidence the author uses to support it.
4. Analysis: Explain how the intended audience influences the way an author presents an argument in a text.
5. Challenge: Analyze a multimodal argumentative text and describe how its images or digital features strengthen the author's claim.

Independent Practice Teacher Answer Key

1. 1. The claim is that recycling helps protect the environment.
2. 2. An author might use facts and expert opinions as types of evidence.
3. 3. The claim is the main argument stated by the author, and the evidence is a fact, example, or expert opinion that supports that claim. (Specific answers depend on the paragraph given.)
4. 4. The intended audience influences the author's choice of language, examples, and types of evidence to make the argument more persuasive and relatable to that audience.
5. 5. Images or digital features can highlight key points, provide visual evidence, or engage the audience emotionally, making the argument more convincing and easier to understand.

Guiding Questions

• What is the author's main claim?
• How does the author support the claim?
• What types of evidence are used?
• Who is the author trying to persuade?
• How do images or digital features help the argument?

Common Misconceptions

• The claim is just any opinion, not the main argument of the text.
• All evidence is the same; students may not recognize different types such as facts versus anecdotes.
• The intended audience is always obvious or the same for all texts.
• Multimodal and digital texts are just like print texts and do not require different analysis.

Differentiation

Assessment

• Identify the claim and evidence in a short text during guided reading.
• Participate in class discussions explaining the author's argument and audience.
• Write one sentence stating the claim of an argumentative text read in class.
• List two types of evidence the author used to support the claim.
• Write a paragraph analyzing the claim, evidence, and intended audience of an argumentative text.
• Create a presentation explaining how a multimodal text supports its argument.

Answer Guide

• Identify the claim in the example text about school uniforms.
  Answer: The claim is that school uniforms should be required.
• Explain the type of evidence used in the example text.
  Answer: The evidence is a statistic from a survey showing a 30% reduction in bullying incidents.

Real-Life Application

Encourage students to find an example of an argument at home or in media (such as a commercial or news article) and identify the claim and evidence used. They can discuss their findings with family members.

Homework or Home Connection

• Encourage students to find an example of an argument at home or in media (such as a commercial or news article) and identify the claim and evidence used. They can discuss their findings with family members.

Lesson Summary

In this lesson, students learned to identify the claim in an argumentative text, explain how authors use different types of evidence to support their arguments, and recognize the intended audience. They also explored how multimodal and digital features can strengthen arguments. These skills help students critically analyze persuasive texts and understand how authors communicate their messages effectively.

Teacher Notes

Use the exact standards alignment and retrieved-source provenance stored with this enrichment.

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