MAKING

EVIDENCE-BASED CLAIMS

DEVELOPING CORE LITERACY
PROFICIENCIES

GRADE 6

Literacy Toolbox

WRITING EVIDENCE-BASED CLAIMS

Writing evidence-based claims is a little different from writing stories or just writing about something. You need to follow a few steps as you write.

1. ESTABLISH THE CONTEXT

Your readers must know where your claim is coming from and why it’s important.
Depending on the scope of your piece and the claim, the context differs. If your whole piece is one claim or if you’re introducing the first major claim of your piece, the entire context must be given:

In his speech to Stanford graduates in 2005, Steve Jobs tells a story…

Purposes of evidence-based writing vary. In some cases, naming the article and author is enough to show why your claim is important. In other cases, you might want to give more information:

Steve Jobs led an inspirational life. In his speech to Stanford graduates in 2005, Steve Jobs tells a story…

If your claim is part of a larger piece with multiple claims, then the context might be simpler:

According to Jobs,… or In paragraph 5, Jobs claims…

2. STATE YOUR CLAIM CLEARLY

How you state your claim is important; it must clearly and fully express your ideas.
Figuring out how to state claims is a process. Writers revise them continually as they write their supporting evidence. Here’s a claim about Jobs’ speech:

In his speech to Stanford graduates in 2005, Steve Jobs tells a story “about death” because he wants the graduates to realize something he has learned from having cancer: that Death is a necessary part of Life, which should influence how people live.

Remember, you should continually return and rephrase your claim as you write the supporting evidence to make sure you are capturing exactly what you want to say. Writing out the evidence always helps you figure out what you really think.

3. ORGANIZE YOUR SUPPORTING EVIDENCE

Most claims contain multiple parts that require different evidence and should be expressed in separate paragraphs. This claim can be broken down into two parts:

A description of how Having cancer caused Jobs to face death
and
how Jobs thinks death should shape how people live.

Here are two paragraphs that support the claim with evidence organized into these two parts.
A description of how Having cancer caused Jobs to face death:

In his speech to Stanford graduates in 2005, Steve Jobs tells a story “about death” because he wants the graduates to realize something he has learned from having cancer: that Death is a necessary part of Life, which should influence how people live. When Jobs was first diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, he was told that it was incurable and that he would not live long (P18). Knowing he might die from cancer caused him to remember something he had thought since he was 17, that he should live every day as if it were his last (P17).

A description of the Jobs thinks death should shape how people live:

In paragraph 5, Jobs introduces his message and tells the graduates that he can state his ideas ”with a bit more certainty than when death was a useful but purely intellectual concept.” In paragraph 21, he states several claims that explain how he now views death. He describes Death as “the single best invention of life” and “life’s change agent” because it “clears out the old to make way for the new” (P21). Jobs’s story about his cancer explains something he has said earlier in paragraph 17: “Remembering that I’ll be dead soon is the most important tool I’ve ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life.” Steve Jobs is telling the graduates that they should live their lives in a meaningful way, because, like him, they never know when life might end.

Notice the phrase, “In paragraph 20, Jobs introduces his message” starting the second paragraph. Transitional phrases like such as this one aid the organization by showing how the ideas relate to each other.

4. PARAPHRASE AND QUOTE

Written evidence from texts can be paraphrased or quoted. It’s up to the writer to decide which works better for each piece of evidence. Paraphrasing is putting the author’s words into your own. This works well when the author originally expresses the idea you want to include across many sentences. You might write it more briefly. The second line from the first paragraph paraphrases the evidence from Jobs’s text. The ideas are his, but the exact way of writing is not.

When Jobs was first diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, he was told that it was incurable and that he would not live long (P18).

Some evidence is better quoted than paraphrased. If an author has found the quickest way to phrase the idea or the words are especially strong, you might want to use the author’s words. The third line from paragraph 2 quotes Jobs exactly, incorporating his powerful phrases.

He describes Death as “the single best invention of Life” and “life’s change agent” because it “clears out the old to make way for the new” (P21).

5. REFERENCE YOUR EVIDENCE

Whether you paraphrase or quote the author’s words, you must include the exact location where the ideas come from. Direct quotes are written in quotation marks. How writers include the reference can vary depending on the piece and the original text. Here the writer puts the paragraph numbers from the original text in parentheses at the end of the sentence.

MAKING EVIDENCE-BASED CLAIMS FINAL WRITING TASKS

In this unit, you have been developing your skills as a reader who can make text-based claims and prove them with evidence from the text. You have learned to do the following things:

• Uncover key clues in the details, words, and central ideas found in the text
• Make connections among details, central ideas, and text
• Use the details, connections, and evidence you find in the text to form a claim—a stated conclusion—about something you have discovered
• Organize evidence from the text to support your claim and make your case
• Express and explain your claim in writing
• Improve your writing so that others will clearly understand and appreciate your evidence-based claim—and think about the case you have made for it

Your final two writing assignments will provide you with opportunities to use all of these related skills and to demonstrate your proficiency and growth in Making Evidence-Based Claims.

FINAL ASSIGNMENTS

1. 1. Developing and Writing an Evidence-Based Claim: On your own, you will read the final part of text in the unit closely and develop an evidence-based claim. To accomplish this, you will do the following:
   1. Read and annotate a new text (or section of text) on your own and use Guiding Questions and a Forming EBC Tool to develop an initial claim about the text.
   2. Compare the notes and initial claim you make with those made by other students—reframe or revise your claim.
   3. Complete an Organizing EBC Tool to plan subpoints and evidence you will use to explain and support your claim.
   4. Study the Writing EBC Handout to know what a written evidence-based claim needs to do, and what examples might look like.
   5. Draft a one- to two-paragraph written presentation and explanation of your claim, making sure that you do the things listed on the Writing EBC Handout:
      • Establish the context by connecting the claim to the text
      • State the claim clearly to fully communicate your ideas about the text
      • Organize supporting evidence found in the text
      • Paraphrase and quote from the text
      • Reference the evidence drawn from the text
   6. Work with other students to review and improve your draft—and to be sure it is the best possible representation of your claim and your skills as a reader and writer. Work on improving at least one of these aspects of your claim:
      • How clear your presentation and explanation of your claim is
      • How defensible (based on the evidence you present) your claim is
      • How well you have presented and referenced evidence to support your claim
      • How well you have organized your subpoints and evidence into a unified claim
   7. Reflect on how well you have used Literacy Skills in developing this written claim.
2. 2. Writing and Revising a Global or Comparative Evidence-Based Claim Essay: On your own, you will plan and draft a multiparagraph essay that presents a global or comparative claim—one based on connections you have found among sections of text you have read in the unit. To accomplish this, you will do the following:
   1. Review the text you have read, the tools you have completed, and the claims you have formed throughout the unit, looking for connections or comparisons.
   2. Use a Forming EBC Tool to make a new claim that connects or compares the text you have read or that develops a global conclusion about the meaning of the text.
   3. Use an Organizing EBC Tool to plan the subpoints and evidence you will use to explain and support your claim.
   4. Draft a multiparagraph essay that explains, develops, and supports your global or comparative claim—keeping in mind these three criteria for this final writing assignment. Your essay should do the following:
      • Demonstrate an accurate reading and insightful analysis of the texts you have read in the unit.
      • Develop a supported claim that is clearly connected to the content of the text.
      • Successfully accomplish the five key elements of a written evidence-based claim (Writing EBC Handout).
   5. Use a collaborative process with other students to review and improve your draft in two key areas: (1) its content (quality of the claim and its evidence) and (2) its organization and expression (unity of the discussion and clarity of the writing).
   6. Reflect on how well you have used Literacy Skills in developing this final explanation.

SKILLS TO BE DEMONSTRATED

As you become a text expert and write your evidence-based claims, think about demonstrating the Literacy Skills you have been working on to the best of your ability. Your teacher will evaluate your work and determine your grade based on how well you are able to do the following things:

Read

• Attend to Details: Identify words, details, or quotations that you think are important to understanding the text
• Interpret Language: Understand how words are used to express ideas and perspectives
• Identify Relationships: Notice important connections among details, ideas, or texts
• Recognize Perspective: Identify and explain the author’s view of the unit’s topic

Think

• Make Inferences: Draw sound conclusions from reading and examining the text closely
• Form a Claim: State a meaningful conclusion that is well supported by evidence from the text
• Use Evidence: Use well-chosen details from the text to support your claim; accurately paraphrase or quote what the author says in the text

Write

• Present Details: Insert details and quotations effectively into your essay
• Organize Ideas: Organize your claim, supporting ideas, and evidence in a logical order
• Use Language: Write clearly so others can understand your claim and supporting ideas
• Use Conventions: Correctly use sentence elements, punctuation, and spelling to produce clear writing
• Publish: Correctly use, format, and cite textual evidence to support your claim

HABITS TO BE DEVELOPED

Your teacher may also want you to reflect on how well you have used and developed the following habits of text-centered discussion when you worked with others to understand the texts and improve your writing:

• Engage Actively: Focus your attention on the assigned tasks when working individually and with others
• Collaborate: Work respectfully and productively to help your discussion or review group be successful
• Communicate Clearly: Present your ideas and supporting evidence so others can understand them
• Listen: Pay attention to ideas from others and take time to think about them
• Understand Purpose and Process: Understand why and how a text-centered discussion or peer writing review should be accomplished
• Revise: Rethink your ideas and refine your writing based on feedback from others
• Remaining Open: Modify and further justify your ideas in response to thinking from others

Note: These skills and habits are also listed on the Student Literacy Skills and Academic Habits Checklists, which you can use to assess your work and the work of other students.

QUESTIONING PATH TOOL

Steve Jobs’s Stanford Commencement Address, paragraphs 1–8

APPROACHING TEXTS TOOL

ANALYZING DETAILS TOOL

FORMING EVIDENCE-BASED CLAIMS TOOL

SUPPORTING EVIDENCE-BASED CLAIMS TOOL

QUESTIONING PATH TOOL

Steve Jobs’s Stanford Commencement Address, paragraphs 9–14

SUPPORTING EVIDENCE-BASED CLAIMS TOOL

SUPPORTING EVIDENCE-BASED CLAIMS TOOL

FORMING EVIDENCE-BASED CLAIMS TOOL

QUESTIONING PATH TOOL

Steve Jobs’s Stanford Commencement Address, paragraphs 15–21

FORMING EVIDENCE-BASED CLAIMS TOOL

ORGANIZING EVIDENCE-BASED CLAIMS TOOL (2 POINTS)

ORGANIZING EVIDENCE-BASED CLAIMS TOOL (3 POINTS)

FORMING EVIDENCE-BASED CLAIMS TOOL

ORGANIZING EVIDENCE-BASED CLAIMS TOOL (2 POINTS)

ORGANIZING EVIDENCE-BASED CLAIMS TOOL (3 POINTS)

FORMING EVIDENCE-BASED CLAIMS TOOL

QUESTIONING PATH TOOL

FORMING EVIDENCE-BASED CLAIMS TOOL

ORGANIZING EVIDENCE-BASED CLAIMS TOOL (2 POINTS)

ORGANIZING EVIDENCE-BASED CLAIMS TOOL (3 POINTS)

FORMING EVIDENCE-BASED CLAIMS TOOL

SUPPORTING EVIDENCE-BASED CLAIMS TOOL

ORGANIZING EVIDENCE-BASED CLAIMS TOOL (2 POINTS)

ORGANIZING EVIDENCE-BASED CLAIMS TOOL (3 POINTS)

PART 3: STUDENT ACADEMIC HABITS CHECKLIST

HABITS DEVELOPED	DESCRIPTORS	EVIDENCE OF USING THE HABIT	THINGS TO IMPROVE ON
COLLABORATING	Pays attention to and respects other participants Works productively with others to complete the task and enrich the discussion
COMMUNICATING CLEARLY	Uses clear language to communicate ideas and claims Uses relevant details to explain and support thinking
LISTENING	Pays attention to new information and ideas from others Considers others’ ideas thoughtfully

PART 4: STUDENT ACADEMIC HABITS CHECKLIST

HABITS DEVELOPED	DESCRIPTORS	EVIDENCE OF USING THE HABIT	THINGS TO IMPROVE ON
UNDERSTANDING PURPOSE AND PROCESS	Understands and uses the collaborative writing workshop process Uses literacy skills criteria to frame questions, responses, and feedback
LISTENING	Pays attention to new information and ideas from others Considers others’ ideas thoughtfully
REMAINING OPEN	Avoids explanations or justifications for what they as writers have tried to do Frames text-based questions to probe their readers’ observations
REVISING	Uses criteria to rethink, refine, or revise work Uses observations from peers to inform improvement

STUDENT MAKING EVIDENCE-BASED CLAIMS LITERACY SKILLS CHECKLIST

	LITERACY SKILLS USED IN THIS UNIT		EVIDENCE Demonstrating the SKILLS
READING	Attending to Details: Identifies words, details, or quotations that are important to understanding the text
	Interpreting Language: Understands how words are used to express ideas and perspectives
	Identifying Relationships: Notices important connections among details, ideas, or texts
	Recognizing Perspective: Identifies and explains the author’s view of the text’s topic
THINKING	Making Inferences: Draws sound conclusions from reading and examining the text closely
	Forming Claims: States a meaningful conclusion that is well-supported by evidence from the text
	Using Evidence: Uses well-chosen details from the text to explain and support claims; accurately paraphrases or quotes
WRITING	Presenting Details: Inserts details and quotations effectively into written or spoken explanations
	Organizing Ideas: Organizes claims, supporting ideas, and evidence in a logical order
	Using Language: Writes and speaks clearly so others can understand claims and ideas
	Using Conventions: Correctly uses sentence elements, punctuation, and spelling to produce clear writing
	Publishing: Correctly uses, formats, and cites textual evidence to support claims
	General comments:

STUDENT MAKING EVIDENCE-BASED CLAIMS ACADEMIC HABITS CHECKLIST

Academic Habits Used in This Unit		EVIDENCE Demonstrating the HABITS
1. Engaging Actively: Focuses attention on the task when working individually and with others
2. Collaborating: Works respectfully and productively to help a group be successful
3. Communicating Clearly: Presents ideas and supporting evidence so others can understand them
4. Listening: Pays attention to ideas from others and takes time to think about them
5. Understanding Purpose and Process: Understands why and how a task should be accomplished
6. Revising: Rethinks ideas and refines work based on feedback from others
7. Remaining Open: Modifies and further justifies ideas in response to thinking from others
General comments: