You will learn
- Identify the claim.
- Identify evidence.
- Judge support.
- Spot unsupported claims.
Version 0.2 · expanded edition · built from cited public sources Content is based on the official frameworks and sources listed under Sources and standards. No official endorsement is claimed. Written in the style of common primary school assessments. No exam result is promised.
Student lesson
- Find the claim.
- Find the evidence.
- Check the link.
- Mark unsupported claims.
Words to know
facts, examples or expert statements that support a claim
a claim backed by evidence
a claim with no real evidence
a number used as evidence
1. Discover: Two claims
Speaker A: “School uniforms should be kept. In our school survey, 78 percent of parents said uniforms reduce morning stress.” Speaker B: “Uniforms are terrible and everyone knows it.”
A’s claim is supported with a statistic. B’s claim is unsupported: no evidence, only a feeling.
Think: Which speaker is more convincing and why?
2. Understand: Prove it
Idea 1: Claim and evidence
A claim says what is true; evidence shows it: a statistic, an example or an expert.
Idea 2: Supported claims
A supported claim is backed by relevant, reliable evidence.
Idea 3: Unsupported claims
An unsupported claim relies on opinion or sweeping words such as everyone knows.
3. Worked examples
Example 1 (I show you): Evidence
What evidence does A give?
- Survey.
Answer: a survey showing 78 percent of parents agree
Example 2 (We do it together): Unsupported
Which claim is unsupported?
- B.
Answer: Speaker B’s claim
Example 3 (You try): Signal
Which words signal weak support?
Show the steps and answer
- Everyone knows.
Answer: everyone knows it
Did you know?
Phrases such as everyone knows are used instead of evidence.
Why this matters
Separating claims from evidence helps you decide what to believe.
4. Explore: Claim check
Judge claims.
- Listen to two short claims.
- Underline each claim.
- Find the evidence.
- Mark supported or unsupported.
Think about it: what did you notice?
You can judge claims.
5. Practise
Say it in a sentence
Use these starters when you talk about the lesson. Say them out loud.
- The claim is ___.
- The evidence is ___.
- This is supported because ___.
- This is unsupported because ___.
Guided practice
Question 1. Facts or examples supporting a claim are ___.
evidence
Question 2. A claim backed by evidence is ___.
supported
Question 3. A claim with no real evidence is ___.
unsupported
Independent practice
Level 1: Start
- Facts or examples supporting a claim are ___.
- A claim backed by evidence is ___.
- A claim with no real evidence is ___.
- A number used as evidence is a ___.
- 78 percent of ___ agreed.
Level 2: Grow
- Who gave a survey result?
- What does uniform reduce?
- What did B rely on?
Level 3: Stretch
- Is everyone knows evidence?
- Can statistics be evidence?
- Should evidence be relevant?
Answers are in the answer key below. Try first, then check.
6. Apply: English in everyday life
Listen to an advert and mark one supported and one unsupported claim.
Show a sample answer
a claim note
Another one. Find one supported and one unsupported claim in an advert or news item.
Show a sample answer
a completed task
7. Common mistakes
Fix: Slow down and check your work.
Fix: Study the example first, then try.
8. Lesson summary and revision card
- I can identify the claim.
- I can identify evidence.
- I can judge support.
- I can spot unsupported claims.
9. Check and master
Answer all 14 questions. You will see feedback after each one.
Your result appears here after you answer every question.
10. Key takeaways
- Find the claim.
- Find the evidence.
- Check the link.
- Mark unsupported claims.
11. Next lesson
Next lesson: Academic discussions. Keep going with the next idea in this course.
Exam practice
These questions are written in the style of common school and international primary assessments. Try them on your own, without looking back. Then check your answers in the marking guide. The marks are shown in brackets.
- What is evidence? [1 mark]
- Which speaker is supported and why? [2 marks]
- Why is Speaker B unsupported? [1 mark]
- Give a phrase that signals a weak claim. [1 mark]
- Explain how to judge a claim. [3 marks]
Total: 8 marks.
Marking guide and model answers
- facts, examples or expert statements that support a claim [1]
- Speaker A [1]; gives a statistic from a survey [1]
- only a feeling, no evidence [1]
- everyone knows [1]
- identify the claim [1]; find the evidence [1]; judge if it is relevant and reliable [1]
Score guide: 7 to 8 = secure. 5 to 6 = nearly there, revise the parts you missed. Under 5 = work through the lesson again with a grown-up.
Printable worksheet
- Facts or examples supporting a claim are ___.
- A claim backed by evidence is ___.
- A claim with no real evidence is ___.
- A number used as evidence is a ___.
- 78 percent of ___ agreed.
- Who gave a survey result?
- What does uniform reduce?
- What did B rely on?
- Is everyone knows evidence?
- Can statistics be evidence?
Homework
Find one supported and one unsupported claim in an advert or news item.
Answer key and marking scheme
| Question | Expected response | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Facts or examples supporting a claim are ___. | evidence | 1 |
| 2. A claim backed by evidence is ___. | supported | 1 |
| 3. A claim with no real evidence is ___. | unsupported | 1 |
| 4. A number used as evidence is a ___. | statistic | 1 |
| 5. 78 percent of ___ agreed. | parents | 1 |
| 6. Who gave a survey result? | Speaker A | 1 |
| 7. What does uniform reduce? | morning stress | 1 |
| 8. What did B rely on? | a feeling | 1 |
| 9. Is everyone knows evidence? | no | 1 |
| 10. Can statistics be evidence? | yes | 1 |
| Total | 10 |
Independent practice answers. Level 1: 1 evidence; 2 supported; 3 unsupported; 4 statistic; 5 parents. Level 2: 1 Speaker A; 2 morning stress; 3 a feeling. Level 3: 1 no; 2 yes; 3 yes.
Quiz answers: 1 B, 2 C, 3 A, 4 B, 5 C, 6 A, 7 B, 8 C, 9 A, 10 B, 11 C, 12 A, Challenge 1 B, Challenge 2 C.
Mastery and remediation
| Objective | Bronze (Developing) | Silver (Proficient) | Gold (Advanced) |
|---|---|---|---|
| O1 Identify the claim | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O2 Identify evidence | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O3 Judge support | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O4 Spot unsupported claims | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
Courseversity badge thresholds (overall quiz score): Gold = 90–100%; Silver = 80–89.9%; Bronze = 70–79.9%. A badge is never a full record of progress.
If a learner struggles
- Find the misconception: Rushing without checking. Slow down and check your work.
- Explain another way: use real objects, pictures or actions first, then words.
- Show a simpler example: Re-read the examples slowly and use the sentence frames.
- Guided practice: work through one example together and let the learner try the next one.
- Reassess: use the quiz again or the worksheet.
- Move on when the learner shows Silver-level evidence independently.
For parents and guardians
In this lesson your child practises a key Grade 3 English skill with clear examples and a quiz. You do not need to be an expert to help.
- Listen while your child explains the idea.
- Ask for one new example.
- Praise effort and careful work.
- Ask “how do you know?” after each answer, and listen.
- Praise effort, not only right answers. Mistakes are how we learn.
- Ten to fifteen minutes a day is better than one long session.
Teacher package
1–5. Objectives, prerequisites, materials, preparation, duration
Lesson objectives. Learners will: identify the claim; identify evidence; judge support; spot unsupported claims.
Prerequisite knowledge. Summarising spoken arguments.
Materials. Chart paper or board, pencils, picture or word cards, a reading book if available. Low-resource options: use chalk or charcoal on a board or wall, drawings in the sand, and objects from the classroom instead of printed materials.
Preparation. Write the key words and examples on the board or on cards before the lesson.
Suggested duration. 45–60 minutes. It can be split into two shorter sessions.
6–9. Teaching procedure, explanation notes, guided and independent activities
Introduction (5 min). Introduce the idea with the opening example.
Explanation (10 min). Teach the key words.
Guided activity (10 min). Practise together.
Independent activity (10 min). Check understanding with the quiz.
Assessment and reflection (5 min). Ask each learner to say one thing they learned and how they know it.
Key questions. What is the key idea? Can I give my own example?
Teacher explanation notes. Move from the spoken word to pictures and then to print. Read aloud often, point to the words, and let learners hear and say before they read and write.
10–12. Differentiation, formative assessment, common misconceptions
Support. Use the sentence frames and work with a partner. Extension. Create a harder example of your own.
Formative assessment. Listen to learners read and explain, ask “how do you know?”, and check the independent work.
Misconceptions. Rushing without checking. Slow down and check your work.
13–15. Assessment questions, answer keys, marking scheme
Use the quiz, the 8-mark exam practice and the worksheet on this page. All answers and marking guides are in the answer sections above. Re-check every answer before use.
16–19. Remediation, enrichment, homework, teacher reflection
Remediation. Re-read the examples slowly and use the sentence frames. Enrichment. Make up your own example and teach it to someone at home. Homework. See above.
Teacher reflection. After teaching, record: which ideas learners understood; which misconceptions occurred; which activities worked; which learners need more practice; and what to improve next time.
Sources and standards
This lesson is based on the sources below, and no official endorsement is claimed. Reference starting points: Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts, Cambridge Primary and the IB Primary Years Programme. Where a standard code is named, it points to the official framework.
Official standards for this topic area. Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts (official site): Grade 6 » Speaking & Listening. These pages list the standards that cover this topic area; read them alongside the lesson.
Research used to shape this lesson. Common Core SL.6.3 (distinguish claims that are supported by reasons and evidence from claims that are not); Cambridge Primary English Stage 6 (critical listening). These sources informed the lesson.