Ri.7.8

Ri.7.8 Standards-Skill Review

What does the standard say?

RI.7.8: Trace and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is sound, and the evidence is relevant and sufficient to support the claims. 

Key Terms

Evaluate-to determine the significance, worth, or condition of usually by careful appraisal and study.

Argument-used to convince others to agree with your claim or viewpoint when they have doubts or disagree

Sound- sensible

Reasoning- using reasonto draw inferences or make conclusions through the use of reason

Relevant- Important

Sufficient- enough

Evidence -the facts or sources that support your written argumen

Support -gives a reader details to understand a main idea, or evidence to show why a claim is true or correct

Claims -used by authors to support their ideas and arguments.

What does this look like on the test?

• What is the argument in the text? 

• Identify the claims used to support the argument. 

• What evidence is relevant? 

• Are these claims valid/invalid, and if so, why? 

• Is there sufficient evidence to support the claims? 

• Is the argument well developed and supported? Explain your answer. 

• Which sentence from the passage supports the claim in [specific paragraph] that [specific claim from passage]? 

• Part A: Which argument is supported by [specific paragraph(s)]? 

• Part B: Select two sentences from [specific paragraph(s)] that support the argument in Part A. 

• Which claim from the passage is not supported by evidence? 

• Part A: Which argument does the author make in the passage? 

• Part B: How does the author support the argument in Part A? 

• How does the author support the claim that [specific claim from passage]? 

How can I be successful???

MAAP Sample Question

Read the sentence from paragraph 6. 
 You get a sense that these animals not only know where they are but they know where they’re going in this big ocean. 
What additional quotation supports the inference that the author makes in the sentence?  

A “But animals see it very differently, and that’s why it’s useful to send fleets of animals out with tags on them.” (paragraph 5) 

B “By combining tag data with oceanographic data, we get to see how animals perceive the ocean. . ” (paragraph 5) 

C “Sometimes they’ll get into an eddy, which is a big circulation pattern that can be 100 km across. . . .” (paragraph 6) 

D “They get pushed around by strong currents, but then they’ll travel back to resume their trajectory.” (paragraph 6)

Sample MAAP Question

In the passage, Jeff Polovina states, “‘The tags allow us to see tracks in the ocean. . . .’” Which quotation from the passage supports this statement?  

A “We look out on the ocean and see this homogenous expanse.” (paragraph 5) 

B“You get a sense that these animals not only know where they are but they know where they’re going. . . .” (paragraph 6) 

C“That front separates a nutrient-rich mass of water to the north from nutrient-poor waters to the south. . . .” (paragraph 9) 

D “Then after a couple weeks one of the tags started showing completely different behavior.” (paragraph 12) e. All provided templates can be reused multiple times. Wish you a good day.

Happy teaching!I

Let's Practice!

Read "Saving Water is a Cinch"

Multiple Choice

1. What does the author include to convince the reader that he or she should try saving water in the bathroom?

• A The author cites a statistic about the amount of water that is used in the bathroom.

• B The author includes a direct comparison of indoor water usage to outdoor water usage.

• C The author argues that saving water outdoors is far too difficult for most people.

• D The author quotes a conservation expert who studies water usage in the household.

Multiple Choice

2. Which sentence from the article invites the reader to participate directly in saving water?

• A Many people turn the water on and then lather up with soap while the faucet is running.

• B Give it a try yourself and you'll agree: saving our most important natural resource is easy!

• C Because studies show that three-fourths of the water we use indoors is used in the bathroom.

• D And though 72% of our planet is covered in water, we cannot take it for granted.

Multiple Choice

3. What sentence from the passage best supports the author's claim that we cannot take water for granted?

• A After all, washing your hands takes only ten seconds or so.

• B Most people find that these habits are actually pretty easy to change.

• C In general, saving water involves changing only a few wasteful habits.

• D Water is the single most important natural resource on Earth

Multiple Choice

4. What is the author's purpose in writing this article?

• A to explain why dirty water can cause long-term health problems

• B to convince people not to use water in the bathroom

• C to convince people to change their habits in order to save water

• D to show how difficult it can be to save water indoors

Multiple Choice

5. Which sentence from the article best addresses the opposing side of the author's argument?

• A For example, what do you do when washing your hands? .

• B Most people find that these habits are actually pretty easy to change.

• C Talk about an easy way to save a huge quantity of water!

• D After all, washing your hands takes only ten seconds or so