1. Evidence-Based Claims (AKA EBCs or TDAs)
Copy the colored slides.
Set up a clean note sheet. Copy this as their heading.

2. CCSS RL 6/8.1
Students will be able to cite textual evidence that strongly supports an analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
Interpretation:
You must be able to a) make a claim (draw a conclusion) about what you’ve read, and b) locate support for your claim.
You must be able to a) explain the meaning of what you’ve read, and b) provide evidence that supports your interpretation.
Students copy the 2nd statement into their notes.
Explain that this is the 1st standard/expectation identified by the Dept. of Education. Ask students: why would this be 1st? What does that tell you?

3. Essential Questions to Understand
What is an evidence-based claim (EBC)?
What is the purpose of an EBC?
How do I make an evidence-based claim or write a text-dependent analysis?

4. Learning Objectives: Students will be able to:
Define “Evidence-based Claim”.
Describe the characteristics of an evidence-based claim.
Make evidence-based claims:
Claims based upon concrete ideas presented in the text.
Claims about more abstract ideas implied in parts of the text.
Global claims about the entire text and its larger meaning.
Evaluate the quality of evidence-based claims.
What will we learn? How will it benefit you?

5. Key Vocabulary Text = a book, or other written work
Analysis = an examination of what something means
Claim = a confident statement of something as true
or correct
Cite = to quote or refer to something as evidence
in order to prove that a conclusion is correct
Explanation = an answer that makes something clear by
showing the evidence/proof behind a claim or
belief.
Textual Evidence = information from the text used as proof (facts, details, examples, etc.)
Before we begin, students need to be familiar with these academic terms. (Copy into notes).

6. Key Vocabulary Explicit = stated clearly and directly in a text
Implied = something suggested, but not said directly
Inference = a conclusion reached by a combination of reasoning (thinking) and evidence
Generalization = a broad statement that states a belief or conclusion reached after an analysis
Sound (or Strong) = reliable; dependable
Support = to back up a claim; to prove
Before we begin, students need to be familiar with these academic terms. (Copy into notes).

7. What is an Evidence-Based Claim?
An Evidence-Based Claim (EBC) is a statement that identifies a conclusion you have come to believe, as well as the evidence you can point to in the text to prove or support that conclusion.
An EBC is a combination of three important components:
1) a conclusion reached by analysis
2) evidence
3) explanation

8. Characteristics of a Sound Evidence-Based Claim
Clearly states a conclusion that you have come to after reading a text.
Is based upon and linked to the ideas and details of the text you have read.
Demonstrates knowledge and sound thinking about the text.

9. Characteristics of a Sound Evidence-Based Claim
4. All parts of the claim are clearly supported by evidence that you can point to in the text. 5. The explanation uses direct quotations and examples from the text to support your conclusion.

10. The Elements of an EBC INTRODUCTION:
Start with a Hook (optional, but recommended)
Grab the reader’s attention
Begins to focus on the topic.
2) Exposition: provide the necessary information to orient the reader to the text is being analyzed and what the text is about.
Does it refer to the title (and author, if applicable) of the text being analyzed?
Does it briefly summarize the text (such as genre and main idea)?
The exposition should only be 1-2 sentences
3) Thesis Statement: Stating your Claim
Restate the question to introduce the answer
State your conclusion to complete the answer.

11. The Elements an EBC BODY:
4) Introduce the Evidence(Transition to the evidence)
A phrase or stem that signals to the reader that you are about to present your evidence
5) Cite the Evidence
Provide a direct quotation taken from the text (best for presenting one piece of evidence), or
A paraphrase (best when summarizing multiple pieces of evidence)
And identify where it comes from in the text (chapter, page #, etc.)
6) Explanation
Explain your reasoning. How does the evidence support the claim? Tie it all together.
REPEAT THESE STEPS 2-3 X’s AS NEEDED TO ADDRESS ALL OF YOUR EVIDENCE

12. The Elements an EBC CONCLUSION: 6) Conclusion Sentence
Include in a transition
Re-state your thesis (With confidence!—“As you can clearly see…”).

13. Forming an Evidence Based Claim
Review the Question. Identify the key words.
Brainstorm the evidence
What do I know about the topic?
Make a list of relevant details and examples from the text
Draw a conclusion based upon the evidence.
Tie the evidence to the text.
Cite the page #’s where you found each detail or example
Put it all together in a paragraph.

14. Be a Text Talker
Here are some sample sentence starters to help you “Cite textual evidence” in your answers:
For Direct Quotes
On page ________, it said “…”
In paragraph ____, the author states, “…”
For example, the character said “…”
In the words of ______ himself, “…”
When paraphrasing
In _____ (refer to the title of the text), the author explains . . .
In chapter _____, the characters (explain what the characters did)
On page ___, the author tells us ….
Note: You can embed multiple, brief quotes into a paraphrase..

15. Arthur Berg is the caring and brave leader of the teenaged gang of thieves that Rudy and Liesel join in Part Three of The Book Thief. On page 151, Death comments, “He was friendly, in a smart-mouthed, adolescent kind of way.” But he is more than that. Arthur is courageous. For example, on page 165 Rudy gets stuck on a barbed-wire fence while being chased by an axe-wielding potato farmer. Arthur returns to help him escape. Arthur is also fair and considerate. On page 153, he makes sure that the stolen apples are distributed equally among the thieves. Finally, when Death observes Arthur holding his dead sister on pg. 166, we see that Arthur is truly a sensitive and loving brother.
States Conclusion Provides Text based evidence And at least 1 direct quotation Page #s Tie the evidence back to the text 4 examples = Sufficient evidence

16. How does the setting of The Westing Game impact the story?
The setting of the Westing Game impacts the story by building tension between the characters and creating suspense. In The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin, the 16 heirs to Sam Westing’s will are trapped by a snowstorm inside Sunset Towers with a murderer among them. Being trapped with a murderer causes the characters to grow suspicious of one another. For example, on page 66 Sydelle Pulaski accuses Mr. Hoo of stealing her notebook, and on page 71 Judge Ford calls a private investigator to find information on the other tenants.
The suspense begins to rise when bombs start to go off in the
building. On pg. 68, the first bomb explodes in Mr. Hoo’s
restaurant and the tenants believe the murderer is trying to
strike again.