Best Text Evidence - Part 2

Consider this claim:

Online colleges prepare students for careers just as well as traditional brick-and-mortar schools do.

Which is the strongest evidence to support the claim?

• Many students choose to gain some credits through an online college program and then successfully transfer to a brick-and-mortar institution to complete a degree.

• Online college programs often provide career preparation services that are equivalent to those provided by traditional college programs, including interview preparation, job fairs, and even internship placement.

• "I've hired two people recently who received their college degrees through online programs, and the quality of their performance is as good as, if not better than, that of their peers," reported business owner Bill Newman.

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Multigenerational households benefit families.

Which is the strongest evidence to support the claim?

• According to a survey conducted by the Pew Research center, eighteen percent of Americans live in multigenerational households.

• Sociologist Erica Palmer says, "When a grandparent lives in the home, parents feel less pressure because there's another adult to cover childcare and other domestic responsibilities."

• "When I retire, I want to be close to my children and grandchildren. In fact, I've begun a conversation with my son about moving in with him and his family," said Dave Zimmerman.

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Consider this claim:

Wikis, or websites that allow users to generate and alter content, are not reliable sources for academic research.

Which is the strongest evidence to support the claim?

• Ben Floyd, a political science professor, forbids his students from citing wikis as sources in any of their research papers.

• Many wikis were first launched in the twenty-first century, while encyclopedias have been used as reference sources since the eighteenth century.

• Many wikis allow anyone, not just subject-matter experts, to post information on their sites.

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Consider this claim:

Rather than being promoted as art, graffiti should be condemned and prohibited.

Which is the strongest evidence to support the claim?

• Studies have demonstrated that the majority of people who make graffiti are males between the ages of twelve and twenty-one years old, whereas only about 15 percent of graffiti taggers are young females.

• Calling graffiti "art" encourages its creation, which in turn leads to a costly community expense. For instance, the Kansas City Parks and Recreation Department spent approximately $130,000 in 2012 to remove graffiti.

• Graffiti Hurts, a grassroots community education program in the United States, cites fame, rebellion, self-expression, and power as the four motivating factors for graffiti vandalism.

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Consider this claim:

For the benefit of all citizens, fluoride should be added to drinking water.

Which is the strongest evidence to support the claim?

• Some experts say that the fluoridation of water may threaten people who suffer from kidney disease.

• More than half of Americans have fluoride in their drinking water.

• Many experts agree that the fluoridation of water helps to prevent tooth decay.

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Consider this claim:

Public schools should provide music classes because they are important for children's development.

Which is the strongest evidence to support the claim?

• Research has shown that music training can help improve reading skills through the way it teaches students to distinguish between sounds and recognize language patterns.

• In a recent survey, a majority of elementary school students reported that they enjoy their music classes as much as or more than they enjoy their math and science classes.

• At a recent conference for music educators, teachers noted that a lack of funding for the arts was making their jobs more difficult.

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Consider this claim:

College is worth the cost of tuition because graduates experience greater financial success.

Which is the strongest evidence to support the claim?

• The lifetime earnings of a college graduate are about half a million dollars more than those of someone with only a high school diploma.

• A prominent financial blogger writes, "My father dropped out of college in his senior year, and he always regretted it. I was determined to not make the same mistake."

• College graduates are more likely than those who don't have college degrees to report being in excellent health.

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Consider this claim:

People should avoid getting tattoos because of the associated health risks.

Which is the strongest evidence to support the claim?

• According to U.S. News & World Report, infections can occur even when tattoo parlors sterilize their needles because bacteria can contaminate the tattoo ink

• One survey found that one in six people ultimately come to regret their tattoos.

• One member of an online tattoo forum reported, "I acquired a serious infection after getting my tattoo and needed to take antibiotics.

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Consider this claim:

Daylight saving time should be abolished.

Which is the strongest evidence to support the claim?

• Turning the clocks forward in the spring means an extra hour of daylight in the evenings, which might motivate people to do more active outdoor activities after work instead of sitting around inside.

• An economics professor noted that his students often seem less alert in class during the week following daylight saving time because the time change throws off their sleep schedule.

• A study from the National Bureau of Economic Research found that turning the clocks forward in the spring increased energy consumption, contradicting the popular belief that daylight saving time saves energy.

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Consider this claim:

People should be rewarded for winning, not merely participating.

Which is the strongest evidence to support the claim?

• Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker James Harrison took away his children's participation trophies, posting on Instagram that he wouldn't give them back until his sons earned real trophies by winning.

• On giving out participation trophies, parenting blogger Allison Slater Tate writes, "There is something to teaching kids that it is worth keeping a commitment, that we value this. Winning and losing is not a lesson that kids need to search out to find. It's everywhere."

• Chris Hudson, founder of the website Understanding Teenagers, warns, "Ironically, participation medals don't build confidence, but they do create entitlement. Confidence and resilience don't come from false praise or rewarding normal behavior."

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