Informational Texts

Argument Think about the last argument you had. - With whom did you argue? - What was the topic of the argument? - What was the purpose of the argument? - Did you and the other party come to a mutual agreement?

A series of statements designed to convince you of something Argument A series of statements designed to convince you of something

What’s the Claim? Claim - statement about what is true or good or about what should be done or believed; also called an opinion

WHICH STATEMENT IS ARGUEABLE? Claim: “The movie was Brad Pitt’s best.” People can disagree and offer support for their different opinions Not: “I didn't like the movie.”

Generalization The claim (or opinion) is often stated in the form of a GENERALIZATION. Generalization – a broad statement that covers many situations Men are logical, women are emotional. “Every eligible citizen should be required to vote.”

Credibility – the believability of an author’s argument People are more likely to be persuaded if the person doing the persuading is seen as being credible, expert and trustworthy.

How do you think the blind date went? Inferences Your best friend comes in from a blind date and looks utterly miserable. He says, that was just great. How do you think the blind date went? You would probably infer (guess) the date was not a success

Inferences Inferences - evidence-based guesses. They are the conclusions a reader draws about the unsaid based on what is actually said.

Inferences What can you infer from the following passage? You have just gotten a pit bull puppy from an animal shelter. He's lovable but nervous. If you raise your voice for any reason, he cowers and trembles. If you scold him, he hides. When you got him from the shelter, he had a slight limp and a deep scratch across his nose.

Synthesis Synthesis - to put together several parts into a whole piece; involves combining two or more summaries

Logical Appeals Emotional Appeals Types of Support Logical Appeals Emotional Appeals

Logical Appeals The strategic use of logic, claims, and evidence to convince an audience of a certain point. Ex: If we build bridges over freeways, the traffic will flow without interruption. The time taken for each vehicle getting to the city will be shorter.

Statements that explain why the author holds an opinion. Reasons Statements that explain why the author holds an opinion. Ex: Citizens should be required to vote because only then will elected officials represent all the people.

The specific information used to back up a reason. Evidence The specific information used to back up a reason. It must be relevant to the reason

Facts – something that actually exists Statistics – numerical data Types of Evidence Facts – something that actually exists Statistics – numerical data Examples – provides support; must be relevant Quotes or opinions of experts

Stirs feelings such as happiness or anger in readers/audience Emotional Appeals Stirs feelings such as happiness or anger in readers/audience

Types of Emotional Appeals Loaded Words – words with strong emotional connotations (associations)

Types of Emotional Appeal Personal anecdotes – brief stories or personal accounts of an event

Fact vs. Opinion Fact - A fact is true about a subject and can be tested or proven. Look for clues such as: " 56% of...., or "The patient experienced..." Opinion - An opinion is what someone thinks about that subject. Look for clues such as: "I believe...", "It's obvious...", or "They should..."

Summary vs. Paraphrase A summary briefly restates the original passage in your own words. It should include only the main point and key supporting points. It is much shorter than the original. A paraphrase puts information that you read into your own words. It is about as long as the original.

The honeybee colony, which usually has a population of 30,00 to 40,000 workers, differs from that of the bumblebee and many other social bees or wasps in that it survives the winter. This means that the bees must stay warm despite the cold. Like other bees, the isolated honeybee cannot fly if the temperature falls below 50 degrees F and cannot walk if the temperature is below 45 degrees F. Within the wintering hive, bees maintain their temperature by clustering together in a dense ball; the lower the temperature, the denser the cluster. The clustered bees produce heat by constant muscular movements of their wings, legs, and abdomens. In very cold weather, the bees on the outside of the cluster keep moving toward the center, while those in the core of the cluster move to the colder outside periphery. The entire cluster moves slowly about on the combs, eating the stored honey from the combs as it moves.

Paraphrase Honeybees, unlike many other varieties of bees (such as bumblebees and wasps), are able to live through the winter. The 30,000 to 40,000 bees within a honeybee hive could not, individually, move about in cold winter temperatures. But when “clustering together in a dense ball,” the bees generate heat by constantly moving their body parts. The cluster also moves slowly about the hive, eating honey stored in the combs. This nutrition, in addition to the heat generated by the cluster, enables the honeybee to survive the cold winter months.

Summary Honeybees, unlike many other varieties of bees, are able to live through the winter by “clustering together in a dense ball” for body warmth.