Trace and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is sound and the evidence is relevant and sufficient to support the claims.

The focus of middle school and beyond is about evaluating arguments and claims of texts, and so this Common Core Standard continues the process of evaluation started in sixth grade. In sixth grade, students were asked to identify claims that don't have any evidence behind them; with that out of the way, students in seventh grade are asked to identify claims that aren't supported enough. Perhaps there isn't enough evidence behind that claim, or perhaps the logic supporting that claim is faulty. Either way, students have to know when something isn't supported properly and know how to strengthen a claim or argument when it doesn't have enough support.