This worksheet guides you through the process of finding and evaluating evidence to support a claim. Strong arguments rely on credible, relevant, and sufficient evidence. This worksheet helps you build that strong foundation.
Section 1: Defining Your Claim
1.1 State your claim clearly and concisely:
(Write your claim here. Be specific! Avoid vague or overly broad statements.)
1.2 Identify the type of claim:
- Claim of Fact: Asserts that something is true or false. (e.g., "The Earth is round.")
- Claim of Value: Makes a judgment or expresses an opinion about something's worth. (e.g., "Shakespeare is the greatest writer of all time.")
- Claim of Policy: Argues for a specific course of action. (e.g., "The government should implement a carbon tax.")
(Indicate the type of claim your statement is: ____________________________)
Section 2: Identifying Evidence Types
2.1 Brainstorm potential evidence types:
Consider what types of evidence could best support your claim. Examples include:
- Statistics: Numerical data from reputable sources.
- Expert testimony: Opinions from qualified professionals in the relevant field.
- Anecdotes: Personal stories or examples that illustrate a point.
- Examples: Specific instances that support your claim.
- Case studies: In-depth analysis of a particular situation.
- Historical evidence: Information from the past that supports your claim.
- Scientific studies: Research findings from peer-reviewed publications.
- Visual evidence: Charts, graphs, images, videos.
(List at least three types of evidence you plan to use: ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________)
Section 3: Locating and Evaluating Evidence
3.1 Source Search:
List at least three potential sources for each type of evidence you identified in Section 2. Be as specific as possible (include titles, authors, URLs, etc.):
| Evidence Type | Source 1 | Source 2 | Source 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
3.2 Evidence Evaluation: For each piece of evidence you plan to use, consider the following:
- Credibility: Is the source trustworthy and reliable? Consider the author's expertise, potential biases, and the reputation of the publication.
- Relevance: Does the evidence directly support your claim?
- Sufficiency: Is there enough evidence to convincingly support your claim?
- Accuracy: Is the information presented accurate and factual?
- Bias: Does the source have any obvious biases that could affect the objectivity of the information?
(Create a table evaluating each piece of evidence you plan to use, addressing the above points. You may need multiple rows depending on the number of sources you use.)
| Evidence Source | Credibility Assessment | Relevance Assessment | Sufficiency Assessment | Accuracy Assessment | Bias Assessment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Section 4: Integrating Evidence into Your Argument
4.1 Outline your argument:
Briefly outline how you will use your evidence to support your claim. Explain how each piece of evidence strengthens your argument.
(Write your argument outline here: ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________)
This worksheet provides a framework for building a well-supported argument. Remember that rigorous research and careful evaluation of evidence are crucial for effective communication.
