W.6.9: Writing with Evidence from a Poem, a Fable and an Argument
In plain English: W.6.9 is the Common Core grade 6 ELA standard that asks students to draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection and research. In writing, they apply the grade 6 Reading standards, for example comparing a story and a poem with a similar theme, or tracing an argument and telling supported claims from unsupported ones.
Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
a.Apply grade 6 Reading standards to literature (e.g., "Compare and contrast texts in different forms or genres [e.g., stories and poems; historical novels and fantasy stories] in terms of their approaches to similar themes and topics").
b.Apply grade 6 Reading standards to literary nonfiction (e.g., "Trace and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, distinguishing claims that are supported by reasons and evidence from claims that are not").
Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts & Literacy · Domain: Writing Standards · Cluster: Research to Build and Present Knowledge · Official standard
Students write with evidence from two kinds of text. For literature, they compare Ralph Waldo Emerson's poem "Fable" (1846), in which a squirrel answers a mountain's insult, with Aesop's fable "The Peacock and Juno," in which a peacock complains that he cannot sing. The two texts share a theme, that every creature has its own gifts, but approach it from opposite sides. For literary nonfiction, students trace and evaluate an argument from an 1893 book of Arbor Day programs, which claims that every school should have a garden and supports some of its claims with numbers from Europe and others with nothing at all.
The lesson follows the two parts of W.6.9: it applies RL.6.9 (part a) and RI.6.8 (part b) in writing, through analysis, reflection and a short research step. Students match quotations to claims, put claims "on trial," use a research card to explain why the peacock complains to Juno, and repair a weak draft. For homework, they compare another Aesop fable with the poem and evaluate a second section of the Arbor Day book.
Learning Objectives
By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:
Draw exact, cited evidence from a poem and a story to support written analysis
Compare and contrast how a poem and a fable approach a similar theme, with evidence from both
Trace an argument in literary nonfiction by identifying its claim, reasons and evidence
Distinguish claims that are supported by reasons and evidence from claims that are not, and explain the difference in writing
Use evidence from texts in a reflection and in a short research step
Prior Knowledge Required
Students should already be comfortable with:
Drawing evidence from texts in grade 5 writing, such as comparing characters or explaining how an author uses reasons and evidence W.5.9
Citing textual evidence to support analysis RL.6.1
Determining a theme and how details convey it RL.6.2
Using quotation marks and giving line or paragraph numbers
"Think of something you can do that someone bigger, older or more famous cannot. Write one sentence about it."
Share a few answers, then introduce W.6.9. It asks students to draw evidence (take quotations and details) from texts to support three kinds of writing: analysis (explaining how a text works or what it means), reflection (connecting a text to your own thinking) and research (finding out more). The standard has two parts. Part (a) applies the grade 6 reading standards to literature, for example comparing a story and a poem about a similar theme (a message about life that a text develops). Part (b) applies them to literary nonfiction (true writing, such as essays and speeches), for example tracing an argument (a claim, or position, backed by reasons and evidence) and telling which claims are supported and which are not.
Tell students that today's literary texts are two short animal stories about the same idea: one is a poem and one is a fable (a very short story, often with animals, that teaches a lesson).
Direct Instruction20 minutes
Read Emerson's poem "Fable" (first published in 1846) aloud twice. Explain three words: a prig is a fussy, self-important person; Bun is the squirrel's name, an old pet name for a squirrel; and a sphere is a globe, here the whole Earth. Then read Aesop's "The Peacock and Juno," in a 1912 translation. Juno is the queen of the gods in Roman myths.
1The mountain and the squirrel Had a quarrel, And the former called the latter 'Little Prig; Bun replied, 5'You are doubtless very big; But all sorts of things and weather Must be taken in together, To make up a year And a sphere. 10And I think it no disgrace To occupy my place. If I'm not so large as you, You are not so small as I, And not half so spry. 15I'll not deny you make A very pretty squirrel track; Talents differ; all is well and wisely put; If I cannot carry forests on my back, Neither can you crack a nut.'
Ralph Waldo Emerson, Fable ("The mountain and the squirrel"), in Poems, Household Edition (Text 1: the complete poem) (1846; this edition 1911). Public domain (published 1911). Source text.
1The Peacock was greatly discontented because he had not a beautiful voice like the nightingale, and he went and complained to Juno about it. "The nightingale's song," said he, "is the envy of all the birds; but whenever I utter a sound I become a laughing-stock." The goddess tried to console him by saying, "You have not, it is true, the power of song, but then you far excel all the rest in beauty: your neck flashes like the emerald and your splendid tail is a marvel of gorgeous colour." But the Peacock was not appeased. "What is the use," said he, "of being beautiful, with a voice like mine?" Then Juno replied, with a shade of sternness in her tones, "Fate has allotted to all their destined gifts: to yourself beauty, to the eagle strength, to the nightingale song, and so on to all the rest in their degree; but you alone are dissatisfied with your portion. Make, then, no more complaints. For, if your present wish were granted, you would quickly find cause for fresh discontent."
Aesop, translated by V. S. Vernon Jones, The Peacock and Juno, in Aesop's Fables: A New Translation (Text 2: the complete fable) (1912). Public domain (published 1912). Source text.
Use Diagram 1 to set the two texts side by side. Then read the model paragraph (Text 3) and ask students to underline each quotation and circle each line number. Work through the examples: the first three apply the reading standard for literature (part a), and the last two preview the argument in Guided Practice (part b).
1Ralph Waldo Emerson's poem "Fable" and Aesop's fable "The Peacock and Juno" share a theme: every creature has its own gifts, and no creature has all of them. Emerson's squirrel explains that "all sorts of things and weather / Must be taken in together, / To make up a year / And a sphere" (lines 6-9), and Aesop's Juno says that "Fate has allotted to all their destined gifts." The two texts approach this theme from opposite sides, though. Emerson's squirrel is content with what it is. When the mountain calls it "Little Prig," it answers calmly, "I think it no disgrace / To occupy my place" (lines 10-11). Aesop's peacock is the opposite. Even after Juno praises his beauty, he "was not appeased." In the poem, a small creature accepts its gifts and is proud of them; in the fable, a creature with a great gift wants one more. Readers meet the same idea twice: once as something to be glad about, and once as something we forget when we envy others.
SVHS lesson authors, Two Ways to See Small Gifts (Text 3: a model comparative paragraph written for this page; the quotations are from Texts 1 and 2). Original passage written for this page.
Drawing evidence for a theme from a poem
After the mountain's insult, the squirrel sums up its view in line 17: "Talents differ; all is well and wisely put."
Result: This line states the theme almost directly: different creatures have different talents, and that is the right way for the world to be. A writer quotes it with its line number: "Talents differ" (line 17).
Drawing evidence for the same theme from a fable
Juno tells the peacock that each creature has its own gift: "to yourself beauty, to the eagle strength, to the nightingale song."
Result: Juno's list is evidence for the same theme in a different form. Instead of one character defending itself, a goddess hands out gifts to many creatures, and the peacock is the only one who is not satisfied.
Comparing approaches to a similar theme (the official example for part a)
Text 3 notes that the squirrel says "I think it no disgrace / To occupy my place" (lines 10-11), while the peacock is still unhappy even after Juno praises his beauty.
Result: Same theme, opposite approach: Emerson shows a small creature that is content with its gift, and Aesop shows a creature with a great gift who still wants another. The comparison needs evidence from both texts.
Tracing an argument: the claim and a reason (part b)
In Text 4, Egleston writes that part of the school grounds could be "set apart" so pupils could "plant flower and tree seeds and thus be able to observe the ways and characteristics of plants in all periods of their growth" (paragraph 1).
Result: The claim is that every school's grounds should include a garden and an arboretum (a garden of trees). One reason: pupils could watch plants grow at every stage. Tracing an argument means finding the claim first, then each reason and piece of evidence that holds it up.
Telling supported claims from unsupported ones (the official example for part b)
Egleston supports the claim that other countries already keep school gardens with a number: "There are now nearly 8,000 school gardens in Austria" (paragraph 3). He also writes, "It would require but a little incitement from the teacher to make the pupils enthusiastic" (paragraph 2).
Result: The first claim is supported by evidence, a specific number. The second is a prediction with no example, number or reason behind it, so it is unsupported. Diagram 2 shows both.
Guided Practice15 minutes
Read Text 4, from an 1893 book of Arbor Day programs for schools. Arbor Day is a spring holiday for planting trees; it began in Nebraska in 1872. Explain four words before reading: arboretum (a garden of many kinds of trees), indigenous (native to a place), munificence (great generosity) and premiums (prizes). Pairs complete Diagram 2 by finding a second reason and one more unsupported claim, then fill in the chart below.
1Then it should not be difficult to have a portion of the school grounds set apart, where the pupils might, with the teacher's guidance, plant flower and tree seeds and thus be able to observe the ways and characteristics of plants in all periods of their growth. They could thus provide themselves with trees for planting on future Arbor Days, and at the time of planting there would be increased enjoyment from the fact that they had grown the trees for that very purpose.
2Why might not every school-house ground be made also an arboretum, where the pupils might have under their eyes, continually, specimens of all the trees that grow in the town or in the State where the school is situated? It would require but a little incitement from the teacher to make the pupils enthusiastic with the desire to find out the different species indigenous to the region and to gather them, by sowing seeds or planting the young trees, around their place of study.
[...]
3Europeans are in advance of us in school management. The Austrian public school law reads: "In every school a gymnastic ground, a garden for the teacher, according to the circumstances of the community, and a place for the purposes of agricultural experiment are to be created." There are now nearly 8,000 school gardens in Austria, not including Hungary. In France, also, gardening is taught in the primary and elementary schools. There are nearly 30,000 of these schools, each of which has a garden attached to it, and the Minister of Public Instruction has resolved to increase the number of school gardens and that no one shall be appointed master of an elementary school unless he can prove himself capable of giving practical instruction in the culture of Mother Earth. In Sweden, in 1871, there were 22,000 children in the common schools receiving instruction in horticulture and tree-planting. Each of more than 2,000 schools had for cultivation from one to twelve acres of ground.
4Why should we be behind the Old World in caring for the schools? By the munificence of one of her citizens, New York has twice offered premiums for the best-kept school-grounds. Why may we not have Arbor Day premiums in all of our States and in every town for the most tasteful arrangement of school-house and grounds? These places of education should be the pride of every community instead of being, as they so often are, a reproach and shame.
N. H. Egleston (the section is unsigned; Egleston compiled the book), Arbor Day Leaves, "The Best Use of Arbor Day" (Text 4: four paragraphs of the section; cuts marked [...]) (1893). Public domain (published 1893). Source text.
Argument chart for Text 4 (pairs fill in the blank cells)
Part of the argument
Quotation (with paragraph number)
Supported or unsupported? Why?
Main claim
Reason 1
Reason 2
Evidence
A claim with no support
Discuss: does the evidence about Europe show that school gardens help pupils learn, or only that many European schools have them? What evidence would Egleston need to show the first?
Independent Practice15 minutes
Read the weak first draft about Egleston's argument (Text 5). Students mark each numbered sentence: E if it uses evidence from Text 4, U if it repeats a claim as if it were proven, and O if it gives only the writer's opinion. Then each student writes a paragraph of 6-8 sentences that traces Egleston's argument and evaluates it, with at least two quotations and paragraph numbers. The quiz uses Texts 1-5 (Direct Instruction through Independent Practice).
1[1] Egleston's argument is about Arbor Day. [2] He says schools should have gardens. [3] He proves this with lots of facts. [4] He is right that American school grounds were a shame back then. [5] Europeans were better than Americans at everything in schools. [6] I think gardens are fun, so I agree with him. [7] In conclusion, his argument is very good.
SVHS lesson authors, Egleston's Argument (Text 5: a weak first draft written for this page; the student is invented; sentences are numbered in brackets for discussion). Original passage written for this page.
Closure5 minutes
Exit ticket: (1) Name one difference between the way the poem and the fable approach their theme, with a quotation from each. (2) Quote one claim from Text 4 that has no support. Then hand out the homework texts below: another Aesop fable (Text 6) and another section of Egleston's book (Text 7).
Teacher note: Text 7 names "Indian Territory," the official name in 1893 for land that the United States government had set aside for Native nations, many of them forced to move there from their homelands. The words are kept as printed. It is a good moment to point out that a source's words and names show when it was written.
1An Oak that grew on the bank of a river was uprooted by a severe gale of wind, and thrown across the stream. It fell among some Reeds growing by the water, and said to them, "How is it that you, who are so frail and slender, have managed to weather the storm, whereas I, with all my strength, have been torn up by the roots and hurled into the river?" "You were stubborn," came the reply, "and fought against the storm, which proved stronger than you: but we bow and yield to every breeze, and thus the gale passed harmlessly over our heads."
Aesop, translated by V. S. Vernon Jones, The Oak and the Reeds, in Aesop's Fables: A New Translation (Text 6, homework: the complete fable) (1912). Public domain (published 1912). Source text.
1It adds to the pleasure attending the observance of Arbor Day when we think how many are uniting with us in its celebration. It is but a few years since the day was first known and its observance was limited to a single one of our States. Now the day is known and observed from Maine to Oregon and from Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico. Not only is this true, but this our tree-festival so commends itself to all that its observance has spread more rapidly and more widely than any other public observance in the world's history. It is already established in portions of England, France, and Italy, in far-away South Africa and Australia, and we shall probably hear before long of its adoption in China and Japan.
2And so, as we come together to have pleasant talks about the trees and to march out with songs and banners to plant them in school grounds, in parks, by the road-side or elsewhere, it will be pleasant to remember that so many others are engaged in similar services. It should make the day a happier one for us to think that so many will enjoy it as we do, as it should always increase our happiness to know that others are sharing with us anything that is good.
3As it will, doubtless, be interesting to all engaging in the celebration of the day, we give on the next page a list of the States in which Arbor Day is observed.
[...]
4Only the following five states or territories fail to observe Arbor Day--Arkansas, Delaware, Oklahoma, Indian Territory, and Utah.
N. H. Egleston (the section is unsigned; Egleston compiled the book), Arbor Day Leaves, "Growing Observance of Arbor Day" (Text 7, homework: the whole section; the table that follows it is left out and marked [...]) (1893). Public domain (published 1893). Source text.
Differentiation Strategies
For Struggling Students
Give a sentence frame for comparisons: "Both texts show ___. In Text 1, ___ (line __). In Text 2, however, ___."
Highlight the numbers in Text 4 in one color and the opinion words ("reproach," "shame") in another before students sort claims
Let students complete Diagram 2 with a partner before writing on their own
For Advanced Students
Ask students to add a third text to the comparison, such as Text 6, and explain which of the three approaches they find most convincing
Have students write the evidence Egleston would need to prove that school gardens help pupils learn, and suggest where a researcher could find it today
Ask students to rewrite Egleston's paragraph 4 so that every claim in it has support
Assessment Guidance
What to Look For
In comparisons, look for a shared theme stated clearly and at least one difference in approach, each supported by an exact quotation from both texts with a line or paragraph number. In argument writing, look for the claim stated first, reasons and evidence traced to it, and a clear judgment about which claims are supported and which are not. Evidence should be explained, not just dropped in, and personal opinions should be kept separate from what the text shows.
02
Classroom Activities
3 Activities
1
Evidence Match-Up
15 minPairs
Pairs match six quotation cards to the claims they support, then write one sentence that uses a card as evidence. The activity practices choosing evidence that fits a claim before students write a full comparison.
Three Claim Cards
Claim A: The mountain looks down on the squirrel.
Claim B: The squirrel is proud of being quick.
Claim C: The peacock cares more about what others think than about his own gift.
Six Quotation Cards
Card 1: "the former called the latter 'Little Prig" (Text 1, line 3)
Card 2: "And not half so spry." (Text 1, line 14)
Card 3: "You are doubtless very big" (Text 1, line 5)
Card 4: "whenever I utter a sound I become a laughing-stock" (Text 2)
Card 5: "The nightingale's song [...] is the envy of all the birds" (Text 2)
Card 6: "Neither can you crack a nut." (Text 1, line 19)
Answer Key (for the teacher)
Claim A: Card 1. Claim B: Cards 2 and 6. Claim C: Cards 4 and 5. Card 3 is the squirrel admitting the mountain's size, so it fits no claim as well as the others do; accept it for Claim A only if the pair explains that the squirrel answers the insult by agreeing with the facts and changing their meaning.
Write It
Each partner writes one sentence that states a claim, quotes a card and names the text and line.
2
Claim Court
20 minGroups of 4
Groups put six claims from Egleston's Text 4 "on trial." For each claim, one student reads it, two students search the passage for reasons or evidence, and a judge rules it supported or unsupported.
The Six Claims on Trial
Claim 1: It would not be difficult to set apart part of the school grounds for a garden (paragraph 1).
Claim 2: A school arboretum would let pupils see the kinds of trees that grow in their town or state (paragraph 2).
Claim 3: A teacher could easily make pupils enthusiastic about native trees (paragraph 2).
Claim 4: Swedish schools had land where pupils could garden (paragraph 3).
Claim 5: France plans to increase its number of school gardens (paragraph 3).
Claim 6: American towns could offer prizes for well-kept school grounds (paragraph 4).
Procedure
The reader reads the claim aloud.
Two searchers have 2 minutes to find a reason or evidence in Text 4 and read it aloud with its paragraph number.
The judge rules: supported by evidence, supported by a reason only, or unsupported. Rotate roles after each claim.
Answer Key (for the teacher)
Supported by evidence: Claim 4 ("Each of more than 2,000 schools had for cultivation from one to twelve acres of ground"), Claim 5 (the Minister "has resolved to increase the number of school gardens") and Claim 6 (an example: "New York has twice offered premiums"). Supported by a reason only: Claim 2 (pupils would have "specimens of all the trees that grow in the town or in the State" under their eyes). Unsupported: Claim 1 (he never says why it would be easy) and Claim 3 (a prediction with nothing behind it).
Modification for Distance Learning
Post the six claims in a shared slide deck, one per slide. Students type the evidence they find as comments, and the judge types the ruling.
3
Research to Support Analysis: Why Juno?
15 minIndividuals, then pairs
Students use a short research card to answer a question the fable raises: why does a peacock complain to Juno, and not to another god? Then they write a reflection that uses evidence from Text 1 or Text 2.
Research Card (written for this activity; the facts are real)
In Roman myths, Juno was the queen of the gods and the wife of Jupiter. The peacock was her sacred bird. In a myth told by the Roman poet Ovid, Juno placed the hundred eyes of her dead watchman, Argus, in the peacock's tail.
Research Step
Write two sentences that use the research card and Text 2 together to explain why Juno is the right judge for the peacock's complaint. Name the card and quote the fable.
Reflection Step
Choose one line from Text 1 or one sentence from Text 2 that reminds you of your own life. Quote it, name the text, and write three sentences connecting it to an experience of your own.
Sample Answer (for the teacher)
Research: According to the research card, the peacock was Juno's own sacred bird, and in Ovid's myth she put Argus's eyes in its tail. So when the peacock complains, he is complaining to the goddess who gave him his "splendid tail" in the first place, which makes his discontent seem even more ungrateful.
03
Diagrams & Visual Aids
2 diagrams
Diagram 1: A Poem and a Fable with a Similar Theme
The two texts differ in form and characters but share a theme: every creature has its own gifts. The last row shows the key difference in approach, the main character's attitude to its gift. Students can add rows for who states the lesson and how each text ends.
Diagram 2: Tracing Egleston's Argument in Text 4
The claim sits at the top, held up by reasons and evidence. One reason and one piece of evidence are filled in, and the box marked "?" is for students to complete. The red box holds a claim that has no reasons or evidence behind it.
04
Homework Assignment
~30 min
W.6.9 Homework: A Fable, a Poem and an 1893 Argument
Directions: Use Text 6 and Text 7 in the Closure section of the lesson plan, and Text 1 (Emerson's "Fable") from Direct Instruction. Every answer needs evidence: quote the text and give the line or paragraph number.
Part 1: Comparing a Fable and a Poem (Problems 1-3)
In Text 6, what do the Reeds say is the reason they survived the storm? Quote their answer.
Compare how the Oak in Text 6 and the mountain in Text 1 treat the smaller characters. Quote one line or phrase from each text.
Write a paragraph of 5-7 sentences comparing how Text 6 and Text 1 approach the idea that small things have strengths big things lack. Use at least one quotation from each text and cite the lines of the poem.
Part 2: Tracing and Evaluating an Argument (Problems 4-6)
In paragraph 1 of Text 7, what is Egleston's main claim about Arbor Day? What does he point to in paragraphs 3 and 4 as support?
Sort these four claims from Text 7 into "supported by evidence in the text" and "not supported": (a) the day is observed "from Maine to Oregon and from Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico"; (b) it "has spread more rapidly and more widely than any other public observance in the world's history"; (c) it is "established in portions of England, France, and Italy"; (d) "we shall probably hear before long of its adoption in China and Japan." Explain each choice in one sentence.
Write a paragraph of 5-7 sentences that traces the argument in Text 7 and evaluates it. Quote at least two claims with paragraph numbers, and explain which one has the strongest support and which has the weakest.
Rubric
Criterion
Full Credit (2 pts)
Partial Credit (1 pt)
No Credit (0 pts)
Comparing the fable and the poem
Explains a similar theme and a clear difference in approach, with evidence from both texts
Compares with evidence from only one text, or only summarizes
No comparison
Tracing the argument
Identifies the claim and the support Egleston points to, with paragraph numbers
Identifies the claim without the support, or the reverse
Claim not identified
Supported and unsupported claims
Sorts all four claims correctly with a reason for each
Sorts two or three correctly, or gives no reasons
Not attempted
Using evidence
Quotations are exact and cited by line or paragraph, and each one is explained
Quotations are present but not cited or not explained
No quotations
05
Quiz: 20 Questions
Interactive, with answers
Instructions
The questions use Texts 1-5 in the lesson plan: Emerson's poem, Aesop's fable, the model paragraph, the section of Egleston's book and the weak draft (Direct Instruction through Independent Practice). Line and paragraph numbers match the numbers beside each text. Your score updates as you answer, and Reset quiz clears everything so you or your students can try again.
Multiple choice: pick an option to check it. Short answer: write your answer, then reveal the model answer.
0 of 20 answered · 0 correct
Question 1 of 20 · Multiple Choice
In line 3 of Text 1, the mountain calls the squirrel "Little Prig." What does this insult show about the mountain?
Answer: A
A "prig" is a fussy, self-important person, and "Little" points to the squirrel's size, so the mountain is sneering at a creature it thinks is small and unimportant. The squirrel's reply, "You are doubtless very big" (line 5), shows that size is the issue. Nothing in the poem suggests fear (B), friendship (C) or admiration (D).
Question 2 of 20 · Multiple Choice
What does the squirrel mean in lines 18-19: "If I cannot carry forests on my back, / Neither can you crack a nut"?
Answer: B
The two lines are balanced: the mountain can carry forests, and the squirrel can crack nuts, so each has a talent the other lacks. A reverses the squirrel's attitude; it thinks it "no disgrace" to be small (line 10). C takes the image too literally. D overstates the point, since the squirrel grants that the mountain is "very big" (line 5).
Question 3 of 20 · Multiple Choice
In lines 12-14, the squirrel says, "If I'm not so large as you, / You are not so small as I, / And not half so spry." How does the squirrel use the word "spry"?
Answer: C
"Spry" means quick and lively. The squirrel first points out that the mountain is "not so small as I" and then adds that it is "not half so spry," so being small comes with a talent. A and B reverse the meaning. D has no support in the poem.
Question 4 of 20 · Multiple Choice
Who states the lesson in each text?
Answer: D
In the poem, the squirrel gives the lesson in its own reply: "Talents differ; all is well and wisely put" (line 17). In the fable, Juno does: "Fate has allotted to all their destined gifts." A and C name the characters who insult or complain, and the nightingale never speaks. B is wrong because in both texts a character, not a narrator, states the lesson.
Question 5 of 20 · Multiple Choice
Which word best describes Juno's tone in her last speech in Text 2?
Answer: B
Aesop says Juno replied "with a shade of sternness in her tones," and she orders, "Make, then, no more complaints." Her first reply was gentle ("tried to console him"), so her tone changes. Nothing shows amusement (A), fear (C) or jealousy (D).
Question 6 of 20 · Multiple Choice
Which difference in approach comes from the way each text is told?
Answer: A
Aesop's narrator says the peacock "was greatly discontented," while in the poem the squirrel's feelings come through its speech, such as "I think it no disgrace" (line 10). B reverses the texts: Juno is in the fable. C is wrong because both texts state their lessons through characters. D swaps the forms.
Question 7 of 20 · Multiple Choice
In Text 3, which quotation does the writer use as evidence that the peacock is discontented?
Answer: C
Text 3 writes, "Even after Juno praises his beauty, he 'was not appeased,'" as evidence that the peacock is "the opposite" of the content squirrel. A is Juno's statement of the theme. B and D come from the poem and are evidence about the squirrel.
Question 8 of 20 · Multiple Choice
Why does the writer of Text 3 give line numbers after the quotations from the poem?
Answer: D
Line numbers such as "(lines 10-11)" point readers to the exact place the evidence comes from, so they can check it in context. A, B and C are not reasons to cite evidence.
Question 9 of 20 · Multiple Choice
In Text 4, which reason does Egleston give for having pupils grow trees at school?
Answer: A
Egleston writes that pupils "could thus provide themselves with trees for planting on future Arbor Days," with "increased enjoyment from the fact that they had grown the trees for that very purpose" (paragraph 1). B, C and D are not in the passage; the New York prizes were for "the best-kept school-grounds" (paragraph 4), not for growing trees.
Question 10 of 20 · Multiple Choice
Besides Austria, which country does Egleston name with evidence about school gardens?
Answer: C
Egleston writes that France has "nearly 30,000 of these schools, each of which has a garden attached to it" (paragraph 3). He also names Sweden. Germany (A) and England (B) do not appear in Text 4. Hungary (D) is mentioned only to say it is not counted: "not including Hungary."
Question 11 of 20 · Multiple Choice
Which claim in Text 4 is NOT supported by any reason or evidence?
Answer: D
Egleston calls school grounds "a reproach and shame" (paragraph 4) but gives no example or number about American school grounds. A is supported by the law he quotes. B and C are specific facts he offers as evidence for his argument.
Question 12 of 20 · Multiple Choice
Egleston's book appeared in 1893. Why might a careful reader want newer evidence than his figures about Sweden?
Answer: A
Egleston writes, "In Sweden, in 1871, there were 22,000 children" (paragraph 3), and 1893 - 1871 = 22 years. B misreads the passage. C is wrong: the figures count 22,000 children and 2,000 schools as well as acres. D has no support; the minister he names is French.
Question 13 of 20 · Multiple Choice
Egleston claims, "Europeans are in advance of us in school management" (paragraph 3). How well does he support this claim?
Answer: B
His evidence (the Austrian law, the gardens in France and the Swedish schools) is all about gardens and gardening, but the claim is about "school management" in general. A is wrong because he names only three countries. C is wrong because the paragraph has several numbers. D is wrong because the law he quotes is Austrian.
Question 14 of 20 · Multiple Choice
In Text 5, which sentence repeats one of Egleston's unsupported claims as if it were proven?
Answer: C
Sentence [4], "He is right that American school grounds were a shame back then," accepts Egleston's "reproach and shame" (Text 4, paragraph 4) even though he gives no evidence for it. [1] and [2] are accurate summaries, and [7] is a vague judgment, but none of them treats an unsupported claim as proven.
Question 15 of 20 · Short Answer
Write 3-4 sentences comparing how Text 1 and Text 2 end. Quote the last line or sentence of each text, and explain what each ending leaves the reader thinking.
Model answer: The poem ends with a joke: "Neither can you crack a nut" (line 19). The small squirrel gets the last word, so the reader leaves smiling and on the squirrel's side. The fable ends with a warning from Juno: "if your present wish were granted, you would quickly find cause for fresh discontent." The reader leaves with a lesson about wanting too much, not with a laugh. Rubric line: 2 points for both endings quoted and a clear contrast in effect; 1 point for one ending or no explanation.
Question 16 of 20 · Short Answer
Reflection: Choose one line from Text 1 that you think is true in your own life. Quote it with its line number and explain the connection in 3-4 sentences.
Model answer: "I'll not deny you make / A very pretty squirrel track" (lines 15-16). Even after the mountain insults it, the squirrel admits that the mountain has something good about it. When my older sister teases me, I still have to admit that she draws much better than I do. The line reminds me that I can stand up for myself and still be fair to someone who has different talents. Rubric line: 2 points for an exact quotation with a line number and a clear, specific connection; 1 point for a connection with no quotation or a quotation with no clear connection.
Question 17 of 20 · Short Answer
Trace the argument in paragraphs 3 and 4 of Text 4. What does Egleston claim there, and what evidence does he use? Quote two pieces of evidence.
Model answer: In paragraphs 3 and 4, Egleston claims that the United States is "behind the Old World" and should offer Arbor Day prizes for the best school grounds. He backs it with European examples, such as Swedish schools, where "Each of more than 2,000 schools had for cultivation from one to twelve acres of ground." He also points out that "New York has twice offered premiums for the best-kept school-grounds," which shows that his idea of prizes has already been tried. Rubric line: 2 points for the claim and two exact quotations; 1 point for the claim with one quotation, or quotations with no claim.
Question 18 of 20 · Short Answer
Does Egleston's evidence about Austria show that school gardens help pupils learn? Explain in 2-3 sentences, using the text.
Model answer: No. Egleston quotes the Austrian school law and reports "nearly 8,000 school gardens in Austria" (paragraph 3), so the evidence shows that Austria requires school gardens and has many of them. It says nothing about what Austrian pupils learned, so it shows how common the gardens are, not whether they improve learning. Rubric line: 2 points for a correct judgment explained with evidence from the text; 1 point for a judgment with no evidence.
Question 19 of 20 · Short Answer
Sentence [3] of Text 5 says, "He proves this with lots of facts." Rewrite it as two sentences that name specific evidence from Text 4, with a quotation and a paragraph number.
Model answer: Egleston supports his claim that other countries already keep school gardens with numbers from Europe. For example, he quotes the Austrian school law, which says that "In every school" there must be "a garden for the teacher" (paragraph 3). Rubric line: 2 points for an exact quotation with a paragraph number that fits the claim; 1 point if the evidence is named but not quoted or cited.
Question 20 of 20 · Short Answer
Research: Egleston's evidence about school gardens is from the 1870s to the 1890s. Write one research question you could investigate to find out whether school gardens are common today, and name a credible source you could use.
Model answer: Research question: How many schools in my state have a school garden today? Source: a report or web page from the state department of education or a university agriculture extension office, because it is published by an organization that studies schools or farming and gives its sources and dates. Rubric line: 2 points for a focused research question and a credible source with a reason; 1 point for one of the two.
0 of 20 answered · 0 correct
06
Frequently Asked Questions
10 Questions
What does W.6.9 mean?
W.6.9 means that sixth graders support their writing with evidence taken from what they read, both literature and nonfiction.
Students use quotations and details from texts to support analysis (explaining a text), reflection (connecting it to their own thinking) and research (finding out more), and they apply the grade 6 reading standards while they write.
What does "apply grade 6 Reading standards" mean in W.6.9?
It means the writing task asks students to do in writing what the reading standards ask them to do when they read.
For literature (part a), the official example is RL.6.9: comparing texts in different forms, such as a story and a poem, that approach a similar theme. For literary nonfiction (part b), the example is RI.6.8: tracing an argument and telling supported claims from unsupported ones.
How is W.6.9 different from RL.6.9 and RI.6.8?
RL.6.9 and RI.6.8 describe reading skills; W.6.9 asks students to show those skills in writing, with evidence.
A student might compare a poem and a fable in a discussion for RL.6.9. For W.6.9, the student writes the comparison and supports each point with quotations from both texts.
How do students compare a story and a poem for W.6.9?
They find a theme or topic the two texts share, then compare how each text approaches it, with evidence from both.
Useful questions include: Who states the lesson? How does each main character feel about it? How does each text end? How does the form, such as rhyme or narration, change the effect?
What makes a claim "supported" in RI.6.8 and W.6.9?
A claim is supported when the author gives reasons or evidence for it, such as facts, numbers, examples or quotations.
An unsupported claim is simply stated, like a prediction or a strong opinion with nothing behind it. Students should quote the claim and point to the support, or show that there is none.
How much evidence should a sixth grader use in a W.6.9 paragraph?
A paragraph of analysis usually needs at least two quotations or specific details, and a comparison needs evidence from each text.
What matters more than the number is that each piece of evidence is exact, cited by line or paragraph, and explained in the student's own words.
Can W.6.9 evidence come from research sources as well as literature?
Yes. The standard names research as one purpose, so evidence can come from informational texts that students find while researching.
Handling research sources well (judging credibility, quoting and paraphrasing, listing sources) is the focus of W.6.8, which pairs naturally with W.6.9.
How does W.6.9 change in grade 7?
W.7.9 applies the grade 7 reading standards instead.
Its literature example compares a fictional portrayal of a time, place or character with a historical account of the same period, and its nonfiction example asks students to assess whether the reasoning is sound and the evidence is relevant and sufficient.
How is W.6.9 usually assessed?
It is usually assessed through short written responses and essays that must use evidence from assigned texts.
A useful rubric checks whether the writing makes a clear point, whether the evidence is exact and cited, whether it is explained, and whether the student did the reading task named, such as comparing two texts or evaluating an argument.
How can parents help with W.6.9 at home?
When your child tells you an opinion about a book or article, ask "Where in the text does it say that?"
Asking your child to point to the exact words, and then to explain them, is the habit this standard builds.
07
Related Standards
5 standards
These standards connect to W.6.9: prerequisites to review first, parallel standards at the same level, and next steps that build on it.
Before this lesson
W.5.9Prerequisite
Draw evidence from literary or informational texts in grade 5 writing
Lesson coming soon
Alongside
RL.6.9Parallel
Compare texts in different forms or genres that approach similar themes
