Evaluating an Argument

Evaluating an Argument

A focus on evidence

Last week...

• what an argument is

• types of evidence

• counterarguments

Fact vs. Opinion

• a statement that can be proven true or false

• opposite from opinion; opinion is an expression of a person's feelings that cannot be proven

• Opinions can be based on facts or emotions and sometimes they are meant to deliberately mislead others

Examples of Fact

• Women live longer than men.

• Most buses weigh more than most cars.

• There are ten inches in one foot. (False)

Open Ended

Write a FACT below; it may be true or false, but you must be able to prove it.

Opinions

• can be argued

• may be supported with facts

• cannot be proven

Examples of Opinion

• Hamburgers are delicious.

• Golf is boring.

• Blue is the best color.

Poll

According to sales records, strawberry ice cream is the worst selling of all flavors.

• Fact

• Opinion

Poll

This is because strawberry ice cream does not taste as good as chocolate or vanilla ice cream.

• Fact

• Opinion

Multiple Choice

How many facts are in this paragraph:

Westminster Dog Show is the greatest dog show on Earth. Over 199 dog breeds are showcased at the event. It is also the largest dog show in the USA, with over 17 million viewers each year. Clearly, it is better than other dog shows, including England's Crufts Dog Show.

• One

• Two

• Three

• Four

Quotes as Evidence

• Something that someone else said or wrote

• From a reputable person (usually, an expert on the topic)

• Is relevant to the argument

Multiple Choice

Which quotation would be the best (relevant and from a reputable source) for an argument about why volcanoes are cool?

• My neighbor said, "I love volcanoes, they're so fun to watch! I went to visit one last year on my vacation."

• Scientist Bill Nye explains that, "Volcanoes have an explosive power from deep inside the Earth, and many people find them extraordinary."

• Former President George W. Bush states, "Volcanoes are dangerous, and we don't like them."

Examples

• Explaining more in depth what you mean

• Verbally painting a picture for your reader

• Use things that happened (real or imaginary) to describe specific instances

Examples of Examples

• "There are hundreds of types of breeds that attend Westminster Dog Show, including the Rottweiler, Labrador Retriever, and Bichon Frise."

• "While awesome, volcanoes can be deadly. For example, when Mt. Vesuvius erupted in 79 A.D., the eruption completely buried the ancient city Pompeii."

Multiple Choice

Which is not an example of a school subject?

• Math

• Language Arts

• Gym

• Car Racing

Statistics

• a fact or piece of data with numbers

• comes from a study

• can be percentages (%), probabilities, averages, or raw numbers

• In public speeches, statistics have the advantage of seeming objective, authoritative, and factual, but critical audiences will want to know about the sources and methods for determining your statistical evidence.

Examples of Statistics

• Each year, over 177 million people visit the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

• On average, women's bowling leagues eat two pizzas less per game than men's bowling leagues.

• Crossing the Lake Erie ice increases your chance of death by 50%.

Multiple Choice

Which is not a statistic?

• Of those surveyed, 51% liked blue better than orange.

• On average, North Americans own 1 more car than Europeans.

• Each day is 24 hours long.

• 149 different types of snails are native to Northern Ohio.

Practice

   Americans want to know what is wrong with the U.S. education system. American children consistently score lower on tests than students from many other countries. One possible reason for this failing is that Americans put too much emphasis on intelligence. American students are taught that if a person is intelligent, he or she does not have to work hard to succeed.

   Psychologists Claudia Mueller and Carol Dweck have performed studies to determine the effects of praise. In one study, a group of fifth graders were given a challenging test. After they took the test, some of the children were praised for being intelligent. The other children were praised for working hard. The children were then given a choice. They could take another challenging test, or they could take an easy test. The majority of the students who were praised for being "intelligent" chose to take the easy test. Conversely, the majority of the students who were praised for being "hardworking" chose to take the more challenging test.

   Personal accounts from teachers also support the idea that praising students for their intelligence does not encourage success. Some teachers reported that students tried to conceal how hard they worked and how much time they spent studying. According to the teachers, the students did not want to be seen as unintelligent for putting too much effort into their schoolwork.

   These findings show that when adults praise children too much for being smart, the children receive the wrong message. The children mistakenly believe that schoolwork should be easy for smart kids. Another effect is that students who believe they are smart will not try as hard. The best way to solve these problems is to put the focus back on hard work.

Multiple Choice

The author argues that students lack motivation when they are praised too much. Which sentence from the passage is evidence to support this idea?

• These findings show that when adults praise children too much for being smart, the children receive the wrong message.

• Personal accounts from teachers also support the idea that praising students for their intelligence does not encourage success.

• The majority of the students who were praised for being "intelligent" chose to take the easy test.

• American children consistently score lower on tests than students from many other countries

A quick review on counterarguments

• Addressing arguments the opposing side might have

• Counterarguments are part of good persuasive writing and speaking strategy because they show that the author has considered other points of view. They also set up the chance to refute the opposition and show why the position is the right one to have.

Counterargument Example

• A boy may argue for a dog. The parents remind the boy his sister is allergic to dogs. The boy uses the counterargument that she has been around some dogs without any problems. He is ready for each argument against the dog, perhaps stating there are breeds of dogs that are hypoallergenic.

Multiple Choice

What is a counterargument for the following argument?

"Students should be allowed to play video games in schools."

• Video games are a great way to learn new skills

• Video games take away time from learning important things

• Video games are fun and keep kids interested

This week we will be reading different arguments about when kids become adults.

• We will start by tracing the arguments

• Tracing includes identifying the claims, evidence, and counterarguments

Multiple Select

Which of the titles below clearly displays the author's claim? There are multiple answers.

• What the Brain Says About Maturity

• Leave the Voting Age Alone

• Better Training for New Drivers

• A Parent's Role in the Path to Adulthood

• Mandatory Service to Become an Adult

Open Ended

Questions? Type them here.