Lesson 2

• Evidence


  • Can be found in both fiction texts (novels, poems, or short stories) and nonfiction texts (biographies or scientific articles)
• Evidence in nonfiction


  • Statistical data, expert opinions, or specialized knowledge to support claims
• Evidence in fiction


  • Supporting dialogue and interactions between characters to support ideas
• Claim


  The debatable statement (main argument) that can be proven with evidence
• Steps in Finding the Evidence in the Text

  1. Read thoroughly the text

  2. Identify the claim

  3. Note inferences and quotations from the passage that support the claim

  4. Analyze the evidence

  5. Cite the evidence
• Analyzing the evidence


  • How does this textual evidence support a claim or idea from the passage?
  • What makes this evidence strong?
• Citing the evidence

  • Including quotations of the excerpted text
  • Using phrases like "According to the text", "On page", "the author stated", "One example of this from the text is"