52 For Instructors: Creating Evidence Based Claims Activities

Note for Instructors: There are three activities within this chapter: a discussion post activity, an in-class group activity, and two reading response activities. These were designed to complement either the Profile or the Analysis — two assignments that ask students to transition from narratives to academic writing by incorporating evidence.

Creating Evidence-Based Claims Discussion Prompt:

After reviewing this week’s readings on source integration and citation, how would you describe an evidence-based claim? Why do writers need to include evidence in arguments? In what ways have you incorporated evidence into your previous writing? Use specific examples from the readings to provide evidence for your discussion claims.

Post a paragraph from your [Insert Essay Being Work On] essay that includes quotes, paraphrasing, and/or summary of your secondary sources using in-text citations. Please share any questions you have about citing, paraphrasing, and summarizing. Cover the following questions for your response:

• How do these citations help provide evidence for your informative claims?
• Why did you choose to quote, paraphrase, or summarize in this example paragraph?
• What do you find challenging about citation practices?

Discussion Rubric:

In-Class Activity:

Separate students into groups. Students will look at the  First-Year Composition: Writing as Inquiry and Argumentation pressbook, the FYC eReader, or the instructor’s own collection of student essays. Each group will look at a different essay example. They can look at these examples on their computer or laptop or you can print out copies.

Part One:

In your groups read [Insert Essay Example] together and make note of the use of evidence to help prove the student’s claims. You can highlight, underline, put a star next to, etc. the use of evidence. After you have made note of the use of evidence in the student’s essay, choose a notetaker for your group discussion. The notetaker will write down or type out the answers to these next questions. In your groups have a discussion that covers these questions with specific examples:

• How does the students’ use of outside sources, observations, and/or interviews help enhance and support their claims? Provide one example of how a claim is proven or supported or analyzed with evidence.
• Do you think these pieces of evidence help flesh out and prove the points on display? Why or why not? Provide another example of how you think evidence provides fleshed-out context or discussion or examples.
• What advice would you give this student for things they could add, tweak, or revise in terms of evidence? Are there areas where more evidence is needed? If so, provide an example of a claim or section or sentence that needs more support/evidence.
• What is the group’s general consensus about the use of evidence in your chosen example? Do you all agree or disagree? Why or Why not?

Part Two:

Have each group share their findings with the rest of the class. Everyone but the notetaker must reveal to the class their answers and examples to the above questions.

Grading/Assessment:

Students can be assessed on participation/labor-based guidelines.  You can have them upload their responses via Canvas (it can be their handwritten in-class notes, they can type them up in class or reflect upon them later, or you can have them turn in their work at the end of class). You can grade it as complete/incomplete. You can give it a letter/percentage/point grade depending on your own class grading structure/weights. This would be considered a Minor Assignment.

Reading Response Activities:

Choose Two Chapters to Read From the List Below:

• What is Research?
• 51. Primary vs. Secondary Sources
• 52. Searching for Sources
• 53. Evaluating Sources
• 54. Spotting Fake News
• 55. Examining Biases
• 56. Quoting, Paraphrasing, and Summarizing
• 57. Avoiding Plagiarism
• 58. Annotating Sources

Then find at least ONE quote/sentence or section you liked or found thought-provoking from EACH chapter. Copy and paste it into your post below and provide three quick sentences on why you think that quote is interesting or helped you learn something or affirmed something you already know. 

*Many types of comments are acceptable: questions, observations, connections drawn between the text you’re reading and other information you have received in previous classes, how you plan on using this information moving forward, why you chose that particular line/sentence/idea.  Do not just post the first line or sentence from the excerpts. Show me you read them! Again I am just looking for authentic participation and effort. If you show me that you will get full credit for these types of things. Don’t be afraid of “writing the wrong thing.” At these early stages, discussion and expression of thought and an attempt at analysis and critical thinking are way more important than “correct” answers or “correct” analysis (if there is such a thing when it comes to this sort of thing!). Also, don’t feel like you have to write a whole essay or paragraph. Think of this as more note-taking and free thought association. You can keep your ideas and phrasing conversational.

Choose Two Chapters to Read From the List Below:

• What is Argumentation?
• 29. What does it mean to argue?
• 30. Composing Strong Thesis Statements
• 31. Developing an Argumentative Style
• 32. Analyzing Claims (i.e., Toulmin Method)
• 33. Analytical Writing
• 34. Writing with the Appeals 
• 35. Alternative or Cultural Methods and Approaches

Then find at least ONE quote/sentence or section you liked or found thought-provoking from EACH chapter. Copy and paste it into your post below and provide three quick sentences on why you think that quote is interesting or helped you learn something or affirmed something you already know.

*Many types of comments are acceptable: questions, observations, connections drawn between the text you’re reading and other information you have received in previous classes, how you plan on using this information moving forward, why you chose that particular line/sentence/idea.  Do not just post the first line or sentence from the excerpts. Show me you read them! Again I am just looking for authentic participation and effort. If you show me that you will get full credit for these types of things. Don’t be afraid of “writing the wrong thing.” At these early stages, discussion and expression of thought and an attempt at analysis and critical thinking are way more important than “correct” answers or “correct” analysis (if there is such a thing when it comes to this sort of thing!). Also, don’t feel like you have to write a whole essay or paragraph. Think of this as more note-taking and free thought association. You can keep your ideas and phrasing conversational.