1. Bam! Bolstering Your Position by Adding Relevant Evidence
Session # 3
Bam! Bolstering Your Position by Adding Relevant Evidence

2. Today I want to teach you that when defending an ARGUMENT with textual EVIDENCE, one of the most important moves is to sift through your EVIDENCE.
Don’t just present EVIDENCE in the order your discovered it. Instead SORT and RANK to determine the MOST compelling EVIDENCE.
You want to present the EVIDENCE that PACKS the BIGGEST Punch!!!
Be like Apple!!!

3. Tips for Incorporating EVIDENCE into Arguments

4. Which piece of evidence packs a PUNCH?
Claim: Competitive sports put too much pressure on the kids who play them.
Which evidence is strongest?

5. When Choosing and Ranking Evidence to support a point, argument writers should ask……
How well does each piece of evidence match my specific point?
How hard is this evidence to argue against?
How surprising or compelling is this evidence? Will it get my reader nodding in agreement with my point?
What work will this evidence do?
How will I use it to strengthen my argument?

6. Evidence 1
“While competitive, organized sports are often seen as a positive way for your child to spend his time, some of the pressures of sports could become a negative impact on kids in general.” (Negatives of Competitive Sports by Kay Ireland,

7. Evidence 2
“Immediately before the final period began, the coach would point to David and begrudgingly insert him as right fullback for the requisite minimum amount all kids must play. He made it painfully clear to the others that my brother was the weakest of weak links; that he was useless as a soccer player.” (“Why I don’t want my kids to play team sports” by Jeff Pearlman,

8. Evidence 3
“One of the most comprehensive surveys to date, by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, found that from 1997 to 1999, sports and recreation- related injuries were more common nationwide than injuries from traffic accidents. Americans age 5 to 24 were most likely to be treated for sports- related injuries by health professionals. Kids 5 to 14 had the highest injury rate of all—59.3 episodes per 1,000 people.” (“Pushing too Hard Too Young” by Jaqueline Stenson,

9. Work in pairs to answer the guiding questions below to evaluate the evidence in your flashdraft, looking for one(s) that pack a PUNCH..…
How well does each piece of evidence match my specific point?
How hard is this evidence to argue against?
How surprising or compelling is this evidence? Will it get my reader nodding in agreement with my point?
What work will this evidence do?
How will I use it to strengthen my argument?

11. List of transitional phrases for introducing quotations
For example, in the article by so and so, it says…
(So and so) claims….
So and so supports this claim, She writes,….
So and so has argued for a related point. He…..
***Write these down and keep them and other phrases like them in mind as you write.

12. Making “Quotes” Work Transition in the quote:
For example the text (or person) says; according to the text (so and so)
claims; (so and so) describes this….
Give some context or background, if needed.
Name the source and give credentials that set him/her up as an expert if you can.
Explain the speaker's relationship the cause/issue.
Cite the bibliographic information so others can find the information.
Transition into a discussion/analysis of the quote.

13. Analyze this paragraph:
Sample Writing Using Quotes
Analyze this paragraph:
Competitive sports are bad for kids of all ages because of the risk of injuries. Kids get too many injuries and when they get injuries, they are not treated correctly. “Fractures can be problematic if they occur around the growth plate.” Parents should not let their kids play competitively because of the risk of injuries. .
Make Recommendations from Making “Quotes” Work.

14. Analyze this paragraph:
Sample Writing Using Quotes
Analyze this paragraph:
Even though zoos help educate some human beings, they are very bad for the animals who live in them. “Zoos main interest in breeding programs is to attract visitors who love to see baby animals.” Animals in captivity are sad, stressed, and unhealthy. It is not worth it to keep them in prisons. .
Make Recommendations from Making “Quotes” Work.

15. Discuss the following with a partner: Example of In-Text Citation
Review Guidelines for Source Citations and References
Discuss the following with a partner:
Example of In-Text Citation
Example of Reference Page Entry

16. Homework
When you come in tomorrow, be sure you have your sources cited inside of your argument and a reference page with you. Because we’ll look at them tomorrow.