2. RI 8.8

3.  Delineate – to clearly show or identify something precisely.  Evaluate – to judge the value or condition of something in a thoughtful, meaningful way  Relevant – closely connected to the meaning at hand, appropriate for the argument  Irrelevant – not connected to the meaning; inappropriate or not essential to the argument

4.  The claim: this is the argument boiled down to a sentence or so. Thesis statements, those time-tested linchpins of formulaic essays, are claims.  The evidence: this is what backs up your argument.  The reasoning: this is the connection from the evidence to the claim.

5.  If you are trying to argue that obesity in the USA is a national crisis, one area you would discuss is the economic impact.  You might cite evidence indicating how much heart disease costs the American taxpayer.  To effectively use this evidence, you would need to include reasoning that clearly shows heart disease has a strong connection to obesity.

6.  The rebuttal: a good argument somehow “names its naysayers” by addressing opponents.  Effective rebuttals are respectful; they accurately depict the other side, and then they either disagree entirely or they make limited concessions (admitting the other side has some logical benefits).

7.  So, in our example, the writer should address people who say obesity is NOT a national crisis.  The writer addresses: ◦ The opposite argument stating their claims and evidence ◦ Provides a counter argument to show how the evidence is incorrect or irrelevant

8.  What claim is the author making?  What evidence does the author use to support his/her claim?  What reasoning does the author give for using this evidence?  How does the author handle opposing views?

9.  Is the author’s claim clear?  Does the author’s tone lend itself to credibility? How about fanaticism? How about boredom?  Is the evidence used strong enough?  Does the evidence really prove the author’s claim, or is he/she stretching?  Does the author acknowledge naysayers? Is he/she respectful toward them? Does he/she accurately represent their side?

10.  Resource Managers: ◦ Gather a bar graph in a plastic sleeve ◦ One piece of poster paper ◦ One marker  Note Managers: ◦ Please record the answers to the Delienating and Evaluating questions on to the poster sheet  Speaking Managers: ◦ Be prepared to share out your group’s findings at the end of the activity

11.  I will read the article, “Some Animals are more Equal than Others” to you as a class  You will read the article a second time, taking notes (annotations) in your notebook  Answer the Delineating and Evaluating questions on a separate sheet of paper  Provide a summary at the end answering this question: ◦ Does the author clearly support their argument? Why or why not?