evaluating evidence evaluating the writer’s conclusions distinguishing facts from opinions making...

Evaluating Evidence

Evaluating the Writer’s Conclusions

Distinguishing Facts from Opinions

Making and Supporting Assertions

Your Turn

What Skills Help You Decide If Persuasion Is Convincing?

Feature Menu

“She’s only been here a week! How do you know?” you ask.

Before you’re persuaded to think or act a certain way, you evaluate the evidence by digging deeper and asking questions.

Evaluating Evidence

Cam has drawn a conclusion but gives no evidence.

“Hey, our new basketball coach is great!” exclaims Cam.

You want to know how Cam has reached his conclusion, so you ask a question.


Evaluating Evidence

Cam is asking you to trust his opinion, but he still hasn’t presented any evidence.

“I just know. Take my word for it,” says Cam.

“No way! Tell me what’s so great about her.”

You are still looking for a good reason to believe him.


Evaluating Evidence

“Well, she looks like this other really cool coach I used to know.”

This statement only makes you think, “What does that have to do with anything?”

You ask, “So what? What else do you know?”

You dig deeper. So far Cam isn’t making a lot of sense.


Evaluating Evidence

“Her teams have won almost all of their games for the last five years. And she showed me how to fix a problem I’ve been having with my jump shot.”

Cam has finally presented you with two good pieces of evidence that support his claim that the new coach is great.

With persuasive writing, you have to read carefully to decide if the evidence is strong enough to support the author’s claims.

Evaluating Evidence

Claim: The city’s anti-littering campaign has been a success.

Evidence: The increased fines are working.

Hmmm . . . Not very convincing.

With persuasive writing, you have to read carefully to decide if the evidence is strong enough to support the author’s claims.

Evaluating Evidence

Now, that’s more like it.

Claim: The city’s anti-littering campaign has been a success.

Evidence: The mayor’s office reports that workers have spent about 50 percent less time picking up trash than they did before the program was in place.

Adequate Evidence

Evaluating Evidence

Is there enough evidence to support the writer’s points?

Ms. Helen Silva, Director of Parks and Recreation, stated, “Since the anti-littering program went into effect, our parks are cleaner, and so are the city streets. The program is definitely working.”

• Sometimes one example or fact is adequate.

Quotes from respected experts, like this one, can go a long way toward supporting a claim.

Adequate Evidence

Evaluating Evidence

Is there enough evidence to support the writer’s points?

A survey of 500 city residents revealed that 80 percent of them have noticed an improvement in the cleanliness of the streets. Also, the city council has received fewer complaints about litter.

• Sometimes the writer will need to provide several facts and statistics to be convincing.

Appropriate Evidence

Evaluating Evidence

If you find yourself asking, “What does this have to do with anything?” you are probably looking at inappropriate evidence.

The city’s anti-littering campaign is working. My uncle is on the committee that developed the campaign.

Does the writer’s evidence relate directly to his or her ideas?

Huh?

Appropriate Evidence

Evaluating Evidence

The city’s anti-littering campaign is working. The Committee for a Cleaner City has reported that littering is down significantly.

Does the writer’s evidence relate directly to his or her ideas?

This statement relates directly to the idea that the campaign is working.

Accurate Evidence

Evaluating Evidence

Don’t assume everything in print is accurate. If something doesn’t sound right, check the source.

According to a June 15 article in the Daily Gazette, the City Council received official recognition from Governor Terrell, who commended them on the success of the anti-littering campaign.

Is the evidence correct? Does it come from a source you trust?

reliable source

accurate evidence

Which piece of evidence is an example of inappropriate evidence?

Evaluating Evidence

Quick Check

Claim: School uniforms improve academic performance.

Evidence: The Bern District changed to school uniforms, and students’ grades went up.

Evidence: When students aren’t focused on fashion, they focus on their work better.

Evidence: The uniforms the school board is proposing look very nice.

Does the writer give adequate evidence to support his claim? Explain.

Evaluating Evidence

Quick Check

[End of Section]

Claim: School uniforms improve academic performance.

Evidence: The Bern District changed to school uniforms, and students’ grades went up.

Evidence: When students aren’t focused on fashion, they focus on their work better.

Evidence: The uniforms the school board is proposing look very nice.

Warning! An argument may look nice and neat on the printed page, but that doesn’t mean it is well thought out.

Once you’ve evaluated the evidence, look closely at the writer’s conclusion.


Does the evidence add up to a conclusion that makes sense?

Evidence

Evidence

Evidence

ReasonableConclusion

+

+=

To see if a writer’s evidence supports his or her conclusion:

Summarizing Evidence


• Summarize the most important evidence in your own words.

• Review your summary.

• Ask: Does all the evidence clearly add up to and support the conclusion?

Remember: The summary has to support the conclusion.

Summarizing Evidence


Summary: What the text says

Conclusion: What the writer concludes

Evaluation: Why the conclusion does or doesn’t add up

Take this summary of evidence:


and this conclusion:

Do they add up? Why or why not?

Pollution is down since Rapid Ride was started. The cost of operating the buses has mostly been covered by the fares paid by passengers. People say they don’t mind paying the fare because they pay less for gas for their cars. They also say the system is convenient.

The Rapid Ride system has been good for the city.

Yes! All the evidence, as a whole, clearly supports the conclusion.

Does the evidence summarized here clearly add up to and support the conclusion? Why or why not?


Quick Check

Summary of Evidence: Loose dogs can frighten children at the park. Dogs are mean. Owners do not pick up after their dogs even when they are on a leash. There are special areas, called dog parks, where owners can take their dogs to let them run off leash.

Conclusion: Dogs should be on a leash when they are at the park.

[End of Section]

All persuasion begins with an opinion.


As a critical reader, you must distinguish between an opinion and the facts that can back it up.

Opinion: Buffalo grass is better to use for your lawn than St. Augustine grass.

Facts are pieces of information that can be proved true.

Opinions are personal beliefs or attitudes.

December is the twelfth month.

December is the best month of the year.

A young swan is called a cygnet.

Our city should provide a habitat for birds.


Which of the statements below are opinions? Which are facts?

The new CD by Brothers Limited is not very good.

Rabbits make the best pets for young children.

Brothers Limited released their new CD on August 23.

Pet rabbits need playtime and exercise daily.

Opinion

Fact

Opinion

Fact


Some statements are unsupported opinions, which are not backed up by facts or reasons.

He must have been throwing the ball in the house and knocked the plant over.

Are you overlooking a fact?Could this fact change your opinion?


A valid opinion is a judgment or belief supported by reasons and facts.

Fact: Peanut butter smeared on refrigerator.

Fact: Peanut butter on hand and face.

Fact: Peanut butter jar in lap.

Opinion: He’s the culprit!


You analyze opinions when you check to make sure that a writer’s opinions are well supported by reasons and facts.

Fact

Fact

Fact

Opinion

Opinion

Fact

Fact

An opinion should be solidly and adequately supported.


Analyzing opinions helps you• distinguish between opinions

and facts

• recognize the difference between valid opinions and unsupported opinions

• evaluate an author’s argument

[End of Section]

You can analyze opinions to help you evaluate all of the persuasive texts you read.


Identify each item as either fact or opinion.

Quick Check

______ 1. Kangaroos carry their babies in a pouch.

______ 2. Kangaroos are strange animals.

______ 3. Wildlife parks are not doing enough to help animals.

______ 4. The wildlife park raises money through its “Adopt an Animal” program.

[End of Section]


ASSERTION

ASSERTION

An assertion is a statement or a claim.

A citation is evidence from a text that backs up or supports an assertion.

When you make an assertion about a text, you need to be able to fully support your statement.

ASSERTION

Cita

tion

Cita

tion

Cita

tion


Making assertions about a text is easy if you follow these steps:

Think about the facts

presented in the text.

Put the information together, and think

about what it all means.

Use evidence from the text to

make an assertion.

Evaluate your

assertion. How well

does evidence

support it?


What assertion can you make about the article “The Global Classroom” based on the text below?


Many schools use e-mail and online exchanges that link students throughout the world. The International Education and Resource Network (iLEARN) is a network of schools teaching students aged 5 to 19 in more than 115 countries. Students and teachers interact in more than 30 languages to carry out online projects with peers worldwide.

In the time it takes the social studies teacher to spin the globe, her students can connect with classrooms on the other side of the country—or the other side of the world.

Assertion: The Internet is a valuable tool for a global education.




What evidence backs up the assertion that the Internet is a valuable tool for a global education?




Evidence: These pieces of text are citations that support the assertion.




You can use a chart like this one to keep track of your assertions and citations.


Assertion (Claim) Citation (Proof)

The Internet is a valuable tool for global education.

• Students can connect with classrooms on the other side of the world.

• E-mail and online exchanges link students throughout the world.

• Students and teachers interact in many languages to do online projects with peers worldwide.

Based on the underlined facts, what assertion might you make about Arabic and U.S. schools?

Quick Check

[End of Section]

In the twenty-first century, however, Arabic is increasingly being seen as a language that’s helpful to know in a changing world. At several high schools in Seattle, students are learning to read, write, and speak Arabic in after-school programs. Students at Annandale High School in Virginia are already in their third and fourth years of the language.

from “The Global Classroom,” by Barbara Bakowski


Apply Reading Skills

Your Turn

1. Explain how to determine whether evidence is adequate, appropriate, and accurate in supporting the writer’s conclusions.

2. How can you tell the difference between facts and opinions in persuasive writing?

Apply Reading Skills

Your Turn

3. Explain how the citation proves the assertion in the chart below:

Assertion (Claim) Citation (Proof)

The Internet allows U.S. students to communicate with students in other countries.

“Many schools use e-mail and online exchanges that link students throughout the world.”

The End

evaluating evidence evaluating the writer’s conclusions distinguishing facts from opinions making...

Documents

evidence cam

adequate evidence

good pieces of evidence

certain way

cam isnt

feature menu slide

long way

littering program