Grade 5 English Language Arts | FL B.E.S.T. Standard: ELA.5.R.2.4
Explain an author's claim and the reasons and evidence used to support the claim.
By the end of this unit, students will be able to:
| Term | Definition | Student-Friendly Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Claim | A statement that asserts something is true or should be done | What the author believes or wants you to believe; their main argument |
| Evidence | Facts, examples, statistics, or quotes that support a claim | The proof or support the author gives to back up their claim |
| Reason | An explanation of why the claim is true | The "because" part - why the author thinks their claim is right |
| Fact | A statement that can be proven true or false | Something you can check and prove - it's either true or not |
| Opinion | A personal belief, feeling, or judgment | What someone thinks or feels - others might disagree |
| Relevant Evidence | Evidence that directly relates to and supports the claim | Proof that actually connects to what the author is arguing |
Text: "Schools should have longer recess periods. Studies show that students who have more recess time perform better on tests. Additionally, physical activity helps children focus and reduces behavior problems in the classroom."
| Day | Focus | Activities |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Claims & Arguments | Introduce what a claim is. Practice identifying claims in short passages. Use Student Concept Worksheet. |
| 2 | Facts vs. Opinions | Deep dive into distinguishing facts from opinions. Use the "Can it be proven?" test. Sort statements. |
| 3 | Evidence & Reasons | Identify evidence that supports claims. Evaluate relevance. Practice Worksheet passages 1-2. |
| 4 | Evaluating Arguments | Analyze whether evidence is sufficient and relevant. Identify weak vs. strong arguments. Complete Practice Worksheet. |
| 5 | Assessment | Administer FAST Format Quiz. Review and reteach as needed. |
Teach students to ask: "Can this be proven true or false?" If YES, it's a fact. If NO (it's a belief or preference), it's an opinion. Practice with statements like "Pizza is delicious" (opinion - subjective) vs. "Pizza contains cheese" (fact - verifiable).
Have students become "Claim Detectives" by finding the author's main argument. Teach them to look for phrases like "I believe," "should," "must," "the best," or statements the author is trying to convince readers to accept. The claim often appears in the introduction or conclusion.
Use a checklist for evaluating evidence: (1) Is it relevant? (Does it connect to the claim?) (2) Is it credible? (Does it come from a reliable source?) (3) Is it sufficient? (Is there enough evidence?) This systematic approach helps students think critically.
Use real advertisements to practice identifying claims and evaluating evidence. Commercials often make claims ("This cereal is the healthiest!") with questionable evidence. This real-world connection engages students and builds media literacy.
Correction: A fact is a statement that CAN be proven true or false - it doesn't mean the statement IS true. "The Earth is flat" is a fact (verifiable), but it's a FALSE fact. Teach students that facts are checkable, not automatically correct.
Correction: Only information that directly SUPPORTS the claim counts as evidence. Background information or unrelated details are not evidence. Students must evaluate if information actually proves the author's point.
Correction: Statistics can be manipulated, outdated, or from unreliable sources. Teach students to consider: Who conducted the study? When? Is the sample size appropriate? Just because something has numbers doesn't make it good evidence.
Correction: Sometimes authors imply their claim rather than stating it explicitly. Students may need to infer the main argument from the evidence and reasoning presented.
On the FAST assessment, author's argument questions typically ask students to:
Key Strategy: Teach students to read the question carefully - sometimes they're asked to identify the claim, sometimes to find supporting evidence, and sometimes to evaluate the argument's strength.