Unit Plan 11 (Grade 6 ELA): Reasons, Evidence, and Quoting/Paraphrasing
Grade 6 argument evaluation unit: students trace and evaluate claims, reasons, and evidence in texts and speeches, judging credibility and relevance. They practice accurate quoting and paraphrasing, use transitions for cohesion, and write formal analytical paragraphs supported by strong evidence.
Focus: Evaluating arguments; credible evidence; quoting/paraphrasing accurately
Grade Level: 6
Subject Area: English Language Arts (Reading Informational; Writing—Argument; Speaking & Listening)
Total Unit Duration: 5 sessions (one week), 45–60 minutes per session
I. Introduction
This week turns students into evidence critics. They will trace and evaluate arguments in texts and short speeches, decide whether claims are supported by reasons and evidence, and practice accurate quoting and paraphrasing inside concise argument analysis paragraphs—using formal style and clear transitions.
II. Objectives and Standards
Learning Objectives — Students will be able to…
- Delineate an author’s or speaker’s claims, reasons, and evidence and evaluate which claims are supported (RI.6.8; SL.6.3).
- Support a written claim with clear reasons and relevant, credible evidence from the text (W.6.1b; W.6.9b).
- Use transitions to clarify relationships among claim, reasons, and evidence (W.6.1c).
- Maintain a formal style and quote/paraphrase accurately with brief source tags (W.6.1b–d; W.6.9b).
Standards Alignment — CCSS Grade 6
- Reading Informational 6.8 (RI.6.8): Trace and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, distinguishing claims that are supported by reasons and evidence from claims that are not.
- Writing 6.1b–d (W.6.1b–d):
- b. Support claim(s) with clear reasons and relevant evidence, using credible sources and demonstrating understanding.
- c. Use words, phrases, and clauses to clarify relationships among claim(s) and reasons.
- d. Establish and maintain a formal style.
- Writing 6.9b (W.6.9b): Draw evidence from literary nonfiction to support analysis (e.g., trace/evaluate arguments; distinguish supported vs. unsupported claims).
- Speaking & Listening 6.3 (SL.6.3): Delineate a speaker’s argument and specific claims, distinguishing claims supported by reasons and evidence from those that are not.
Success Criteria — student language
- I can name the claim, list the reasons, and identify the evidence.
- I can judge if a claim is supported (relevant, sufficient, credible evidence).
- I can quote or paraphrase accurately and attach a source tag.
- I can write in a formal style with transitions that make my reasoning easy to follow.