Evaluating Arguments Review - Diamond

The main idea of an argument is known as the...?

• Claim

• Counterclaim

• Evidence

• Reasoning

Facts, details, statistics, expert opinions, and quotes are known as...?

• Reasoning

• Evidence

• Rebuttals

• Claims

Which piece of evidence could be used to BEST support this claim: "High school students should be required to wear uniforms."

• When adding everything up, a school uniform could end up costing more than $200.

• A student reported, "Allowing us to wear our own clothes gives us a chance to show our unique style and independence."

• At one school that recently required students to wear uniforms, attendance rates went up, and behavior incidents went down.

• School uniforms can be ordered online.

Tags

CCSS.RI.6.8

CCSS.RI.8.1

CCSS.RI.8.8

CCSS.RL.7.1

CCSS.RL.8.1

Read the following excerpt from an essay. Evaluate the evidence that the writer uses to support the claim. Does the author provide evidence to support the claim?

"Everyone wants to live in a clean environment. This is something that all humans and animals deserve. Therefore, everyone should recycle. All paper, plastic, and also bottles should be put into recycling bins. Anyone that does not do this should pay a fine."

• Yes

• No

Which of the following is an example of a strong thesis statement for an argumentative essay?

• Many people think that global warming is a problem.

• Global warming is a problem because it causes more natural disasters, which affects us all.

• Global warming is bad and we should do something about it.

• There are many reasons why global warming is a problem.

How can an author best support their argument?

• By repeating the same point in different ways

• By attacking the character of the opposing viewpoint

• By providing clear, relevant, and credible evidence

• By using emotional appeals instead of facts

Which of the following is an effective strategy for concluding an argumentative essay?

• Introducing a new claim to surprise the reader

• Summarizing the main points and restating the thesis in a new way

• Presenting a counterclaim without refuting it

• Ending with a detailed description of an unrelated topic

Read this argument for the claim, "Teenagers should not have curfews."

Having a curfew when you are a teenager is pointless. They never listen to their parents. They are not going to respect it, so parents should just give up.

How could the author improve this argument?

• Do nothing. It is awesome.

• Give some statistics about how many teenagers fight with their parents.

• Give examples of teens who have become more responsible when the curfew was lifted.

• Give evidence explaining what teens do after curfew.

How does a well-structured conclusion benefit an argumentative essay?

• By introducing new and unrelated topics for future discussion

• By summarizing the main arguments and restating the thesis to reinforce the writer's stance

• By providing detailed descriptions of each evidence piece

• By asking the reader to research more about the topic

Which pieces of evidence would best support this claim?

Middle schools should start after 9 a.m.

• Teens and preteens need more sleep than adults for their bodies and brains to grow.

• Teenagers stay up really late playing video games, so they would be on time more.

• ABC Middle School had a 45% reduction in truancy and a 90% reduction in tardies when they changed their start time to 9:30.

• Teenagers do not like getting up early.