Identifying Claim Article of the Week Game and Activity for Secondary ELA

The Claim Game is an article of the week activity that helps students to master the standards of reading informational texts. The Claim Game was designed to help students identify a claim, evaluate the evidence used to support a claim, and analyze the methods the author used to organize a text, including how major sections contribute to the whole meaning. This unit covers four of the Reading Informational texts standards.

How it works: Every Monday for four weeks, students receive an article of the week (links are provided) and are assigned to complete a page of their student workbook. On Fridays, students bring their completed article and analysis as preparation for The Claim Game. Each Claim Game is different, but works to help students master the standards of reading informational texts! For example, after reading one article, students have to develop their own claim and find the strongest evidence to support it. In class, students compete to find even stronger evidence, if they can find stronger evidence, they earn the title of The Claim Game champion!

*Alternative Use: This product could be used as a four lesson mini unit teaching students to read informational texts. Students can read and annotate the articles in class, complete the tasks, and play the Claim Game. Each lesson would take approximately 60 minutes.

Included in The Claim Game:

- 10 page student workbook with activities for four Articles of the Week

- Links to four articles

- 19 slide PowerPoint with standards-based learning targets and embedded timers

- Four Claim Game activities

- Game signs

- Answer Keys

- Digital links for editing and digital use (Google Slides links!)

- Teacher directions

- Lesson Plans