Balancing evidence with analysis Stay with me now! Part 1

Analysis An argument includes researched information layered between the writer’s OWN THINKING and EXPLANATIONS (think layer cake!) How much of your writing is the words and thoughts of someone else? Your readers want to hear from YOU!

Objective When you are making an argument, you want your readers to stay with you. To do this, you ANALYZE the evidence in ways that help your reader follow your argument. You need to make sure that your thinking gets your reader to follow your line of argument—to stay with you!

Claim: Rats are beneficial to humans. Reason 1: They are a good potential food source. My task is to try to get you to stay with my line of thinking as I move from: Make a claim Giving evidence Showing how that evidence supports my claim

Reader’s attitudes towards arguments AGREE enough to stay with the author’s line of thinking DISAGREE: They throw up their hands and say “No Way! I can’t buy into what this author is saying!”

Let’s try it! Do you follow me??? Claim: Rats are beneficial to humans… My first reason is that rats are a good potential food source. Evidence: Rat meat is rich in protein. Analysis: This shows that rats are a good food source for humans.

Let’s try it! Do you follow me??? Claim: Rats are beneficial to humans… My first reason is that rats are a good potential food source. For example, rat meat is rich in protein. This is important because protein is important for every single creature’s diet. Without the right proteins, no creature can survive. It is important to note that not all kinds of food can provide these kinds of proteins. So all in all, what this means is that rats might actually be important to solving the problem of world hunger. And one in eight people around the world right now is starving.

Let’s try it! Do you follow me??? Claim: Rats are beneficial to humans… My first reason is that rats are a good potential food source. Albert Marrin, the author of Oh, Rats, says “it is not the meat but what we think of it that counts.” I think this is important because people I know eat all kinds of things—frog legs, octopus, cow’s tongue—and they tell themselves this food is special, and so it doesn’t disgust them. This makes me think that if humans were to eat rats and to tell themselves that this is a delicacy or at least that the food is good for them, then rats wouldn’t taste so gross. A lot depends on your way of thinking.

Let’s try it! Do you follow me??? I think this is important because people I know eat all kinds of things—frog legs, octopus, cow’s tongue—and they tell themselves this food is special, and so it doesn’t disgust them. This makes me think that if humans were to eat rats and to tell themselves that this is a delicacy or at least that the food is good for them, then rats wouldn’t taste so gross. A lot depends on your way of thinking. Claim: Rats are beneficial to humans… Albert Marrin, the author of Oh, Rats, says “it is not the meat but what we think of it that counts.” My first reason is that rats are a good potential food source. Conclusion: Rats are beneficial to humans because they are a potentially important food source. They should be further investigated in light of world hunger concerns. Rats should not be foes but allies to humans.

Turn to your partner and discuss Why is analysis important in your writing?

Your turn! Find a piece of evidence that you use early in your argument and that could have been analyzed more. Put your finger on it. Be ready to: 1. Start by saying your claim. 2. Present the reasons for why you believe this claim is true. 3. Give your first piece of evidence and explain that evidence, pointing out things that really matter about it!

Partner help! Partner 1: Analyze your evidence. Aim to get Partner 2 to stay with you, follow your argument. Partner 2: Listen to analysis. If partner 1 explains the evidence in such a way that you can follow the argument, nod. If you don’t follow the argument, then don’t nod. Partner 1—if it doesn’t work the first time, try again! Use your chart to help you!

Continue Revising drafts Ways to revise: Add flaps to drafts (on post-its or note cards) where you want to add on Cut apart a draft and tape in a half of a blank page to make space for more evidence or more analysis of your evidence. Star or number where you want to add information, and put a matching star or number on a blank sheet of paper.