Analysis and Evidence Revision
STUDENT MATERIALSSTUDENT MATERIALSS-1ANALYSIS AND EVIDENCE REVISIONOER PROJECT / PROJECT SCOREPreparation• Your teacher will provide a sample essay to use for this activity (it may be yours!)PurposeA good way to improve your writing skills is to analyze and edit writing samples using peer drafts or even your own essay. In this activity, you are given a tool to use that gives you a strategy for evaluating and revising the use of analysis and evidence in a piece of writing based on the Score Writing Rubric. As you think critically about the criteria in the rubric and evaluate a piece of writing against it, you will develop a stronger understanding of all of the factors that make a piece or writing “good.” ProcessIn this activity, you’ll first review the Analysis and Evidence row of the Score Writing Rubric with your class. Then, you’ll review the Analysis and Evidence Revision Tool and learn how to use it to improve upon the use of analysis and evidence in an essay. Finally, you’ll use the Analysis and Evidence Revision Tool to review and revise an essay that has been graded by Score. Start by reviewing the Analysis and Evidence row of the Score Writing Rubric with your class and discuss why this is important to attend to in writing. Remember, well-placed and well-explained evidence can make all the difference in making a convincing and compelling argument.Next, take out the Analysis and Evidence Revision Tool and walk through it with your class. First, note the directions at the top, which ask you to review the Score feedback from an essay. This is a helpful step because it gives you a general sense of how the essay fared in terms of analysis and evidence and where improvement is needed. Now it’s time to go through each item on the checklist to make sure all criteria related to analysis and evidence were included in the essay. Work through the list with your class, and be sure to ask questions if you aren’t clear about what an item is asking for. Then, look to see if everything in the list is included in the essay. Only check the boxes if the criteria are met. If any criteria from the checklist were not met, leave those boxes blank. The final step is to revise the essay based on all the blank checkboxes. Use the unchecked boxes as guidance for what can be done to improve the essay. You can use the Analysis and Evidence Prewriting Tool to help structure revisions. To give you more practice with the Analysis and Evidence Revision Tool, your teacher might have you review and revise a sample Score-graded essay.Once you have a solid grasp on how the tool works, you’ll repeat the process on your own Score-graded essay. Once you’re done revising, your teacher may ask you to resubmit your essay to Score to see how much you improved!
Name:Date:Name:Date:STUDENT MATERIALSS-2ANALYSIS AND EVIDENCE REVISIONOER PROJECT / PROJECT SCOREAnalysis and Evidence Revision ToolDirections: First, review the Score feedback for the essay. Look specifically at the feedback on use of analysis and evidence to help give you a general understanding of how and where the essay could be improved. Second, go through each item on the checklists below to make sure all criteria related to analysis and evidence are included in the essay. Third, for any items you do not check off, it’s time to revise! Use the unchecked boxes as guidance for what you can do to improve the essay. You can use the Analysis and Evidence Prewriting Tool to help guide your edits, as well. Step 1 – Review and Revise: Thesis/Major Claim and Supporting ClaimsReview the thesis/major claim to be sure it is clear, specific, and debatable. This is important because all analysis and evidence should tie back to this claim. q The writing prompt/question is directly answered.q There is a preview of the supporting claims in the thesis/major claim.q Counterclaims are addressed.Review the supporting claims to be sure they are related to the focus of the essay.q Each paragraph has a clear supporting claim that is directly related to the thesis/major claim. q Each paragraph focuses on its supporting claim and its supporting claim only throughout the paragraph.q Each paragraph contains ideas, words, or phrases that link back to your claim.Review each paragraph, making sure there is enough justification provided to prove the idea presented in the supporting claim.q At least one detail (evidence) from a source is included to back up the supporting claim presented. q Sentences are included that introduce the evidence.q Sentences are included that explain the evidence. q Counterclaims are addressed.Review the use of counterarguments or counterclaims. Counterarguments can be addressed anywhere throughout the argument where they make sense, or where a reader might say, “But what about...?”q Each paragraph addresses alternative or opposing viewpoints to your argument. (Hint: Simply start the sentence with the phrase that captures an alternative or opposing viewpoint, such as “While some have argued....”)q Counterclaims include evidence and analysis specifically refuting that counterclaim.
Name:Date:Name:Date:STUDENT MATERIALSS-3ANALYSIS AND EVIDENCE REVISIONOER PROJECT / PROJECT SCOREStep 2 – Review and Revise: EvidenceReview each paragraph to be sure you have selected the best evidence to support the point you are trying to prove.q The detail selected is the most compelling detail from the source.q The detail selected is the best detail to prove the point presented. q There is evidence to refute a counterclaim in the argument. q There is enough specific evidence text to make the detail clear, but not so much that there is a long summary or a large chunk of quoted text in the middle of the essay.Includes an introduction to the evidence being presented.q The evidence is introduced, perhaps by summarizing details about the source (who wrote it, when, why, and how it relates to the larger question at hand).q There is enough context for the reader to understand the source this evidence came from or to understand why the evidence supports the argument.Includes an explanation of the evidence presented. Explains to readers exactly why the detail provided proves the point being made.q The explanation links back to the supporting claim using specific ideas, words, or phrases from the supporting statement. q The reader can point to an exact line in the paragraph that answers the question, “Why does the writer think this detail proves their point?”Step 3 – Review and Revise: ReasonEach paragraph explains how the evidence links to the thesis/major claim.q Each paragraphs has a sentence or two that links the details and analysis presented back to the claim. q There are specific ideas, phrases, or words that mirror a part of the claim.
Name:Date:Name:Date:STUDENT MATERIALSS-4ANALYSIS AND EVIDENCE REVISIONOER PROJECT / PROJECT SCOREAdvancedProficientDevelopingEmergingClaim and Focus*Make a clear claim about the topic early in the essay and focus on proving it.The essay makes a precise and significant claim based on the topic and/or source(s). The essay maintains a strong focus on defending a directly stated position, using the whole essay to support and develop the claim and counterclaims while thoroughly addressing the demands of the prompt.The essay makes a clear claim based on the topic and/or source(s). The essay maintains focus on defending an identifiable position, using most of the essay to support and develop the claim and counterclaims while addressing the demands of the prompt.The essay makes a claim based on the topic and/or source(s), but it may not fully address the demands of the prompt. Counterclaims may not be acknowledged, and the essay may not stay focused on the purpose and task.The essay makes an overly simplistic or vague claim, or a position on the topic and/or source(s) may not be stated. Counterclaims are not acknowledged, and the essay does not address the purpose, task, or demands of the prompt.Analysis and EvidenceChoose the right evidence and explain how it supports the claim and analysis.The essay cites the most appropriate and valid evidence to support its claim, drawing information substantively from multiple sources to defend its position and effectively refute counterclaims. The essay demonstrates insightful reasoning and careful understanding of the sources, acknowledging inconsistencies or weaknesses in evidence, and fully explains the relationship between claims and support.The essay cites sufficient and appropriate evidence to support its claim, drawing information from multiple sources to defend its position and refute counter- claims. The essay demonstrates reasoning and understanding of the sources, potentially acknowledging inconsistencies or weaknesses in evidence, and adequately explains the relationship between claims and support.The essay cites evidence to support its claim, but it may be insufficient or draw unevenly from available sources. Support may be inadequate in defense of the position and refutation of the counterclaim or rely too heavily on summary. The essay demonstrates some reasoning and/or understanding of the sources, though explanations of the relationship between claims and support are not always clear.The essay cites minimal or irrelevant evidence to support its claim. Support may rely primarily on opinion, reasoning, or summary of the source(s) without clear cited evidence. The essay demonstrates little to no reasoning and/or understanding of the sources. An explanation of the relationship between claims and support is not present.OrganizationPresent ideas in a structure that enhances the analysis. Use transitions throughout the essay to make connections clear.The essay incorporates precise transitions within a sophisticated organizational structure that enhances the relationships between and among ideas and promotes cohesion and clarity. A well-executed, logical progression of ideas is clearly constructed, including an effective introduction and a conclusion which follows from and supports the claim and analysis.The essay employs an organizational structure that shows the relationships between and among ideas, yielding a cohesive analysis. Clear transitions support a logical progression of ideas, including an effective introduction and a conclusion which follows from and supports the claim and analysis.The essay uses a simplistic organizational structure, though relationships between ideas may not be consistently clear. Use of transitions is sparse, repetitive, and/or does not show the connections among sections of the text. A progression of ideas is evident, however, the introduction and/or conclusion may not be fully developed or follow from and support the claim and/or analysis.An organizational structure is not evident, and relationships between ideas are not consistently clear. The essay may read as a series of unrelated ideas, as the absence of transitions makes it difficult to see connections among sections of the text. An introduction and/ or conclusion is missing from the essay.Score Writing Rubric
Name:Date:Name:Date:STUDENT MATERIALSS-5ANALYSIS AND EVIDENCE REVISIONOER PROJECT / PROJECT SCOREAdvancedProficientDevelopingEmergingLanguage and StyleUse specific, interesting language and clear sentence structure to communicate ideas.The essay has an established, formal style and objective tone that is maintained throughout. The essay uses varied sentence structure, precise language, and domain-specific vocabulary in a way that addresses the complexity of the topic. Few errors are present, and they do not interfere with meaning.The essay has an established, formal style that is maintained throughout. The essay uses mostly correct, varied sentence structure and generally uses precise language and domain-specific vocabulary in a way that generally addresses the complexity of the topic. The essay may have some errors, but they do not interfere with meaning.The essay attempts to establish a formal style that may not be maintained throughout. The essay attempts to vary sentence structure and uses some precise language that may be domain-specific at times but may address the complexity of the topic inconsistently. The essay contains some errors that may interfere with meaning.The essay does not establish and/or maintain a formal style. The essay uses little variety in sentence structure, and the language is general and not domain-specific.The essay contains errors that interfere with meaning.*Turnitin, LLC, created the first four rows of this rubric for use with their Revision Assistant and Turnitin tools.
Name:Date:Name:Date:STUDENT MATERIALSS-6ANALYSIS AND EVIDENCE REVISIONOER PROJECT / PROJECT SCOREAnalysis and Evidence Prewriting ToolDirections: First, write the thesis/major claim you will be using in response to a Score prompt. Then, follow the instructions to help you decide what kinds of evidence you will use to support your analysis. My Thesis/Major ClaimSupporting Claim #1Step 1: Supporting claim #11. Write a supporting claim that supports your major claim/thesis.1. Step 2: Evidence1. Which of the sources (documents, images, charts, maps) you’ve read will best support the supporting claim in Step 1? 2. Write down the specific evidence you will use from the document in support of your supporting claim. Remember to add quotes when needed.1. 2.
Name:Date:Name:Date:STUDENT MATERIALSS-7ANALYSIS AND EVIDENCE REVISIONOER PROJECT / PROJECT SCORESupporting Claim #13. Write a brief summary stating why this evidence is helpful in understanding your supporting claim.3. Step 3: Reason1. Write one or two sentences explaining how the evidence you found supports your supporting claim. Remember, if you aren’t quotingdirectly from the source, be sure to use your own words to describe the supporting evidence.1. Supporting Claim #2Step 1: Supporting claim #11. Write a supporting claim that supports your major claim/thesis.1.
Name:Date:Name:Date:STUDENT MATERIALSS-8ANALYSIS AND EVIDENCE REVISIONOER PROJECT / PROJECT SCORESupporting Claim #2Step 2: Evidence1. Which of the sources (documents, images, charts, maps) you’ve read will best support the supporting claim in Step 1? 2. Write down the specific evidence you will use from the document in support of your supporting claim. Remember to add quotes when needed.3. Write a brief summary stating why this evidence is helpful in understanding your supporting claim.1. 2. 3. Step 3: Reason1. Write one or two sentences explaining how the evidence you found supports your supporting claim. Remember, if you aren’t quotingdirectly from the source, be sure to use your own words to describe the supporting evidence.1. Supporting Claim #3Step 1: Supporting claim #12. Write a supporting claim that supports your major claim/thesis.1.
Name:Date:Name:Date:STUDENT MATERIALSS-9ANALYSIS AND EVIDENCE REVISIONOER PROJECT / PROJECT SCORESupporting Claim #3Step 2: Evidence1. Which of the sources (documents, images, charts, maps) you’ve read will best support the supporting claim in Step 1? 2. Write down the specific evidence you will use from the document in support of your supporting claim. Remember to add quotes when needed.3. Write a brief summary stating why this evidence is helpful in understanding your supporting claim.1. 2. 3. Step 3: Reason1. Write one or two sentences explaining how the evidence you found supports your supporting claim. Remember, if you aren’t quotingdirectly from the source, be sure to use your own words to describe the supporting evidence.1.