Informational Text: Evaluating Sources and Synthesizing Ideas – 8th Grade

Description

Overview

This two-lesson sequence develops eighth-grade students’ ability to read informational texts critically. Lesson 1 focuses on identifying an author’s argument, evaluating evidence, and noticing possible bias in a worksheet-supplied source. Lesson 2 builds on those skills by having students compare worksheet-supplied nonfiction texts and synthesize ideas into an evidence-based response. Each lesson uses only common household materials and is designed to be taught directly from this guide without reproducing the student passages.

What Students Will Learn

• Analyze argument, evidence, and possible bias in a source.
• Synthesize information from multiple nonfiction texts.

What Is Included

• Teacher Guide
• Student Workbook
• Lesson 1: Evaluating Argument, Evidence, and Bias
• Reading: Should Riverbend Middle Add a Weekly Later Start?
• Sentence Writing: Evaluate Sources
• Vocabulary Check
• Lesson 2: Synthesizing Multiple Nonfiction Texts
• Sentence Writing: Use the Vocabulary
• Fill in the Blank: Source Skills
• Reading Comprehension: Can School Gardens Help Students?

Lesson Overview

• Lesson 1: Evaluating Argument, Evidence, and Bias (45 minutes)
• Lesson 2: Synthesizing Multiple Nonfiction Texts (45 minutes)

Designed For

8th Grade students studying Informational Text and Text Features in Language Arts.

File Format

One downloadable ZIP containing two printable PDF files. The Teacher Guide contains 33 pages and the Student Workbook contains 11 pages.