Oh, yeah? Prove it!” You normally hear children saying that on playgrounds and in backyards. Now, students are hearing that in classrooms across the country as their teachers focus on revised standards for grades K-12. The ELA Common Core and other State Standards are moving students from an emphasis on narrative reading and writing to one focused on building evidence-based arguments.

Experts believe that constructing an argument based upon solid evidence helps build critical-thinking skills. The ability to analyze, evaluate, and develop a position is critical to success in the new assessments, college, and careers.

The Britannica Professional Development team is here and ready to help with the transition to reading for evidence. Our goal is to help build the confidence of both students and educators with webinars, white papers, and any other support that you need.

• Our recent webinar, Read like a Detective; Write like a Reporter. Explore Resources to Support Evidence-Based Reading and Writing, explores the changes in student expectations and teaches strategies to promote the use of evidence in research. Watch it here.

• The new white paper, Teaching Argumentation and Reading for Evidence with Online Resources, dives into the topic and provides sample activities that build the key skills students need to read for evidence, think critically about what they have read, and convey solid arguments.

Please feel free to contact me if your school is in need of a private webinar or a customized face-to-face workshop. I look forward to hearing from you!