AVReading April
"Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, including the validity of the reasoning as well as the relevance and sufficiency of the evidence." This month, our focus will be on Common Core Standard #8 (above), which asks readers to not only identify the argument made within a text, but also the specific claims (or supporting details) used to defend that position. Additionally, students are asked to assess the validity of that reasoning. In other words, they need to explain the strengths or weaknesses of this reasoning, regardless of their own personal beliefs on the issue. You might think that this pertains to only persuasive writing, those usually associated with editorials or political blogs. However, as some have pointed out, all texts are to some degree arguments. Even those that pretend to be informative or descriptive in nature are posing the argument that this text is worthy of the viewer’s or reader’s time and attention. So our...