Relevant and Irrelevant Evidence

Evidence that DOES connect to the claim is _____________ evidence.

• Relevant

• Irrelevant

Evidence that DOES NOT connect to the claim is _______________ evidence.

• Relevant

• Irrelevant

This paragraph is about the invention of the book. Which sentence is irrelevant?

• Most people could never own a book.

• Then sometime between 1450 and 1460, Johannes Gutenberg got the idea of carving separate letters and moving them to make new words.

• Gutenberg died at the age of 68.

• This was the invention of moveable type.

• From then on, the numbers of books grew quickly.

This paragraph is about the origin of the solar system. Which sentence is irrelevant?

• `The solar system is believed to have formed, perhaps 5 billion years ago, from a spinning cloud of gas called a nebula.

• As this nebula contracted, it began to spin faster and faster.

• Probably, it spun off rings of planetary matter as it became more disk-like.

• These rings later contracted into planets.

• Earth is the third planet from the Sun.

In the text "Money for Food, Not Mars", what irrelevant evidence is given?

• Money can be used to solve our country's economic and social problems.

• The enormous numbers seem absurd.

• Our country is in debt and countless people are hungry and homeless.

• People need to speak out on this urgent issue so that we can make cuts that matter and put money where it is needed most.

reasons that do not directly relate to or support the claim

• evidence

• overgeneralizations

• irrelevant evidence

• vague language

Answer explanation

The correct choice is 'irrelevant evidence' because it does not directly relate to or support the claim.

Which of the following statements best supports the central idea of a text about climate change?

• "Climate change is a natural phenomenon that has occurred throughout Earth's history."

• "Recent studies show that human activities have significantly accelerated the rate of climate change."

• "Many species have adapted to changing climates over millions of years."

• "The Earth's climate has always been subject to fluctuations."

Tags

DOK Level 3: Strategic Thinking

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.9-10.1

What is irrelevant evidence?

• Evidence that connects to big ideas and is on point. 

• Evidence that is helpful.

• Evidence that is not related to the subject at hand.

Why is it important to use relevant evidence in an essay?

• To make the essay longer

• To support the essay's arguments and claims

• To introduce new topics

• To entertain the reader

Why is it important for the evidence in an essay to be relevant and credible?

• To ensure the essay meets the required word count

• To make the essay more difficult to read

• To strengthen the essay's argument and persuade the reader

• To fill up space in the body paragraphs