Activities

1. Identify evidence used by an author to support claims and information in an informational text.
   
   
2. Recognize the difference between fact-based evidence used in an informational text and an author’s position or opinion.

3. Identify two or more informational texts that have conflicting information on the same topic.
   
   
4. Create a Venn diagram to compare and contrast two informational texts that provide conflicting information on the same topic.

5. Analyze how different authors present conflicting information on the same topic.
   
   
6. Evaluate two or more authors’ conflicting interpretations of the same fact-based evidence.

Answer Key/Rubric

1. Student identifies evidence used by an author to support claims and information in an informational text. Evidence may include, but is not limited to, examples, quotations, or other information used to support an author’s claims. Claims are the evidence-based arguments and salient points that are used to support, explain, or defend a position.
   
   
2. Student recognizes the difference between fact-based evidence used in an informational text and an author’s position or opinion. The student correctly identifies fact-based evidence in an informational text. An author’s position is identified as the main idea about a particular topic that is being discussed. A position also includes the central argument an author tries to persuade others to think about an issue or topic. The student correctly identifies facts in an informational text as being different from an author’s position that interprets those facts.
   
   
3. Student identifies two or more informational texts that have conflicting information on the same topic. After reading two or more informational texts about the same topic, the student recognizes conflicting information in the texts. Correct responses may recognize authors who present different opinions or positions on the same topic. The student may also identify similar facts that are interpreted by different authors to support conflicting positions or opinions.
   
   
4. Student creates a Venn diagram to compare and contrast two informational texts that provide conflicting information on the same topic. Acceptable responses may include, but are not limited to, a comparison of:

• The purpose of the authors
• The position or opinion of the authors
• The facts and evidence used to support the authors’ claims
• The authors’ interpretation of facts and evidence

5. Student analyzes how different authors present conflicting information on the same topic. The student’s analysis correctly compares the arguments or positions in texts that present conflicting information on the same topic. The student correctly identifies the central claims of different authors and the evidence used to support those claims. The student analyzes the use of similar evidence to support conflicting interpretations.
   
   
6. Student evaluates two or more authors’ conflicting interpretations of the same fact-based evidence. The student evaluates the effectiveness and soundness of conflicting interpretations of facts and evidence related to the same topic.