1. Academic vocabulary NOTES:
“Evaluate the soundness” – judge whether something is reasonable
Example: Using one grocery store over another because prices are lower for identical items would be a sound reason for shopping there.
Salient point – most important or noteworthy point
Example: In court, a lawyer would present salient points in order to win the case.
Claim – an assertion of the truth (what you believe to be true)
Example: One could claim that cats are the best apartment pets.
Argument – a debatable topic; uses evidence and examples to persuade
Example: A student might write a persuasive essay stating that uniforms should be required in public schools.
“Modify views when warranted” – change your view(s) when reasonable to do so
Example: During group work, three students believe the answer to a multiple choice answer is “C” while the fourth believes it is “A.” If text evidence can be found to prove it is “C,” the fourth student changes, or modifies, her answer. If proof cannot be found, the student would not change her answer since it would not be reasonable to do so since it cannot be warranted, or justified.

2. Academic vocabulary NOTES:
Analyze – examine how elements work together to make a whole
Example: In order to determine a story’s theme, one could examine the protagonist, how he solves conflicts, how he interacts with other characters and his environment, etc.
“Evaluate the relevance and sufficiency of evidence” – judge whether proof is related and if there is enough of it
Example: A student loses points on an essay on the health benefits of fruits because she mentions that she also likes animals who eat fruit; second, she only offers one example for why fruit is beneficial.
“Pertinent descriptions” – relevant or applicable examples
Example: In an essay on the health benefits of fruits, a student explains why cherries, blueberries, and apples are beneficial to one’s health.
In context – considered together with surrounding information
Example: “Sound” in an ELA class has a different definition than in the context of a music class.