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Common Core ELA8th GradeSpeaking & Listening

SL.8.3: Evaluate a Speaker’s Argument and Evidence

Also written as CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.8.3 · Cluster: Comprehension and Collaboration.

Spin for an EvaluatorAll 41 8th Grade ELA Standards

The Official Wording

Delineate a speaker's argument and specific claims, evaluating the soundness of the reasoning and relevance and sufficiency of the evidence and identifying when irrelevant evidence is introduced.

Common Core State Standards, Grade 8, Speaking & Listening · Read it at the source · Checked October 14, 2026

What SL.8.3 Means in Plain English

Eighth graders hear a speech and map it: the claim, each reason, the evidence under each. They judge whether the reasons lead to the claim and the evidence is enough. New this year: catching evidence that sounds impressive but has nothing to do with the claim.

Seventh graders (SL.7.3) outline a speaker’s claims and judge the reasoning and evidence. Eighth grade adds one sentence students should be able to say: “That’s true, but it isn’t about the claim.” In grades 9 and 10 (SL.9-10.3), students also weigh rhetoric and name fallacies and distorted evidence.

SL.8.3 I Can Statements

  • I can map a speaker’s claim, reasons and evidence while I listen.
  • I can judge whether the evidence is enough to prove the claim.
  • I can point out evidence that has nothing to do with the claim.

SL.8.3 Worked Example

A classmate’s one-minute speech and two evaluations of it. One grades the delivery; the other tests the argument.

Prompt

Listen to Jordan’s speech, then evaluate his argument. Jordan: “Our school should switch to a four-day week. One district in another state switched and saw attendance go up. Teachers would get Fridays to plan lessons. My cousin’s school has a four-day week, and he loves it. And our cafeteria throws away tons of food every day.”

Not YetJordan’s speech was really good. He spoke loudly and had lots of reasons, like attendance and his cousin. I agree with him, because a three-day weekend would be awesome.It grades the delivery, counts the reasons instead of testing them and adds the listener’s own wish. The cafeteria line slips past without anyone asking what it has to do with the claim.
Meets the StandardJordan’s claim is that we should switch to a four-day week, and he gives two reasons: attendance and planning time. The attendance evidence is relevant, but one district isn’t enough to prove it would work here. The planning reason has no evidence at all. His cousin loving it is one person’s opinion. And the cafeteria waste has nothing to do with how many days we come to school, so that evidence is irrelevant.It states the claim, separates the reasons from the evidence and tests each piece: one relevant but thin, one reason unsupported, one anecdote, and one fact that may be true but is off the claim entirely.
Moves to Use
Write the claim in one sentence before judging anything else.List each reason with the evidence under it, and mark reasons that have none.Ask of each piece: does it support this claim, and is it enough?Flag evidence that may be true but has nothing to do with the claim.

Common Mistakes with SL.8.3

Grading the delivery, not the argument

“She made eye contact and sounded confident, so her argument was strong.”

Try this: Split the feedback sheet into Delivery and Argument columns, and for this practice, fill in only the Argument column.

Judging the claim instead of the support

“His argument is good because I want a four-day week too.”

Try this: Have students evaluate a speech arguing the side they disagree with, then one arguing their own side, using the same checklist.

Letting the off-topic fact slide

Nobody objects when a speech for a longer lunch adds that the gym floor is scratched

Try this: Read aloud a short argument with one irrelevant fact planted in it, and have students stand when they hear it.

Where SL.8.3 Fits

Comes BeforeSL.7.3Outline a speaker’s claims and judge the soundness of the reasoning and the evidence.
AlongsideRI.8.8Do the same with a written argument, including spotting irrelevant evidence in print.W.8.1Write an argument where every piece of evidence earns its place under a reason.
Comes NextSL.9-10.3Weigh a speaker’s point of view and rhetoric, and name fallacies and distorted evidence.

Practice SL.8.3

Random Name PickerFree ToolSpin for the speaker, then spin for the listener who must restate the claim and name the weakest piece of evidence.SpeakerEvaluator
Spin a Name

Quick Check

  1. What claim does Jordan make, and what are his two reasons?
  2. Which piece of evidence in Jordan’s speech is irrelevant, and why?
  3. Why is the attendance evidence relevant but not sufficient?

SL.8.3: Other Names

SL.8.3CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.8.3

Common Core State Standards © Copyright 2010. National Governors Association Center for Best Practices and Council of Chief State School Officers. All rights reserved. Official wording from the Common Core State Standards PDFs at corestandards.org, last checked October 14, 2026. The explanation, I can statements, example, mistakes and practice on this page are EMStudio’s own, written beside the official wording. They are not part of the standard.