Free teaching resource

Distinguish Claims, Reasons, and Relevant Evidence

Is this the right resource?

Audience / fit: Grade 6 ELA
Teaching or planning target: Identify each statement’s job in an argument and explain the links among claim, reason, and evidence.
Essential prerequisites: Learners can read or listen to short statements and share or record a brief explanation. No prior debate vocabulary is required.
Preparation: About 5 minutes.
Use time: About 40 minutes. Planning estimate: opening 3 minutes, strategy 5, model 8, guided classification 10, independent task 12, closure 2.
Materials: Learner pages in print or editable DOCX. Pencil or another way to mark or record classifications. Optional colored pencils or highlighters for marking claim, reason, and evidence.
What to print: Use the stage-specific student choices below and the matching teacher guide. Give independent, new-evidence and later-assessment pages only at their intended stage.

Start teaching

Model and guided practice · PDF (3 pages)

Read the teacher guide and answers · PDF (10 pages)

Print model and guided practice first. Keep the independent response with the teacher until guided practice is complete. Use the complete teacher guide for the named task’s criteria and answers.

Editable Word, browser copies and other files

Print and adapt for your own planning and classroom use; printed copies may be shared within your classroom or school team, provided the source is not sold. Keep attribution and resource-specific notices. For redistribution and third-party materials, read the Terms of Use. Recommend this resource using its page link.

Browse free resources

In this estimated 40-minute lesson, learners classify statements by their role in an argument: claim, reason, relevant evidence, or unrelated detail. They explain how evidence supports a reason and how that reason supports a claim. Agreement with the claim is not scored.

All files are free. No email address, account, payment, trial or subscription is required.

Who it is for: Grade 6 ELA
Preparation: About 5 minutes.
Teaching time: About 40 minutes. Planning estimate: opening 3 minutes, strategy 5, model 8, guided classification 10, independent task 12, closure 2.
Teacher guidance: Separate teacher files include completed examples or answer and scoring guidance.

Materials

Learner pages in print or editable DOCX.
Pencil or another way to mark or record classifications.
Optional colored pencils or highlighters for marking claim, reason, and evidence.

Choose a stage and format

Give only the stage being used. Keep later tasks and all teacher keys with the teacher until needed.

Formats and all files

Complete reference files may include teaching, independent tasks, later evidence or teacher answers. Keep them with the teacher; use the separate stage selections above for handouts.

Read or download the complete resource

Keep teacher guidance and answers separate from student copies. Word files contain editable text; the PDF files are ready to print.

Support and adaptation

Read or chunk the argument, use one mark per role, and ask “What job does this sentence do here?” Let the learner point, speak, dictate, type, or write the classification without revealing the answer.

Extension

Replace the unrelated detail with relevant evidence for the reason. Explain the link and identify what additional information would strengthen the argument.

Choose a next move

Choose a route that fits the response and your teaching goal. These are links to materials already supplied, not a prescribed sequence or a placement decision.

Arguments: Check, Respond and Reconsider — After teaching, use argument-role and counterargument checks, focused practice tasks and follow-up tasks.
Argumentation: Teach, Respond and Reconsider — Choose an entry point and obtain the connected argumentation package.
Respond to a Counterargument — Once the roles of claim, reason and evidence are clear, consider a counterargument fairly.
Choose Evidence That Answers the Question — For difficulty choosing relevant rather than merely accurate details, use the focused evidence pack.

Save follow-up passages until students are ready to try them on their own. Once a passage has been shown, modeled or practiced, use it for practice. Keep answer keys with the teacher and use each resource’s own learning target and criteria.

About the materials

Use the editable files to adapt the materials to your learners and local curriculum.

You may print, copy and adapt the resource for your planning and classroom use under our Terms of Use. Report a resource issue.