Analyzing Argument Structure: Identifying Claims and Evidence in Text, Study notes of Nutrition

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Analyzing an Argument

What is the author’s argument? What claims are given to support this argument? What evidence is given to support the claims?

Learning Targets for This Lesson

Analyzing an Argument

What is an “argument”?

Analyzing an argument requires you to find the 3 parts

of an argument :

the ARGUMENT

the CLAIMS

the EVIDENCE

Analyzing an Argument

What is an “argument”?

The author’s argument is his/her POSITION

on the issue being discussed--FOR or

AGAINST.

EX: writing an article in support of recycling,

writing a letter to Mr. Bushelman in support of new

SWORD Rewards

Basically, this is the author’s THESIS

STATEMENT

Analyzing an Argument

Step #1: Determine the author’s argument.

Look at your mentor texts #1: “Chocolate Milk Nutrition Information.”

Follow the steps to find the author’s argument: look at the title, look at the introduction, and, if necessary, look at the conclusion.

When you have located the author’s argument, underline the ONE sentence that gives the author’s position about chocolate milk in schools with your RED/ORANGE colored pencil. Label it with an A for “argument.”

Analyzing an Argument

Step #1: Determine the author’s argument. In this text, the argument can be found in the INTRODUCTION paragraph. While you might not think of chocolate milk as your healthiest beverage option, it has a place in a balanced diet. Drinking chocolate milk after your workouts might offer benefits, as Dr. John Ivy, Ph.D., explains in an interview with the University of Texas, that drinking chocolate milk as a post-workout snack helps you hold onto muscle and burn fat. Chocolate milk also offers other health benefits, thanks to its nutrient content, but drink it in moderation, because it contains added sugar.

Analyzing an Argument

Step #2: Determine the argument’s claims.

Generally, each claim is addressed in a different body paragraph of the text. If there are 4 body paragraphs, there are 4 different claims. If there are 3 body paragraphs, there are 3 different claims.

To find a claim, look for the MAIN IDEA SENTENCE of each body paragraph.

Main idea sentences can be found at the beginning , middle , or end of each body paragraph OR may be unstated , so it may have to be INFERRED (you may have to put it in your own words rather than copy word-for-word from the text). ****Ask yourself, “What is this entire paragraph about?”**

If an article uses SUBHEADINGS , you can use those to guide you toward each CLAIM. Subheadings will reveal a general subject that can help you determine the claim.

Analyzing an Argument

Step #2: Determine the argument’s claims.

Look at your mentor text.

Read the body paragraphs.

Follow the steps on your reference sheet to find the CLAIMS that support the author’s ARGUMENT.

With your BLUE colored pencil, find each CLAIM. Remember that main idea sentences can be found at the beginning, middle, or end of the paragraph OR may be unstated--you may have to write it in. If you have to write it in, write it with your pencil/pen and then underline it in blue. Label each CLAIM with a “C.”

Subheading: “Bone-Building Minerals” The minerals found in chocolate milk nourish your skeleton. Each serving of chocolate milk provides 272 milligrams of calcium, or 27 percent of the recommended daily intake. Calcium becomes incorporated into the mineral tissue that makes up your bones, and a calcium-rich diet fights bone-related diseases, such as osteoporosis. The copper found in chocolate milk helps you make collagen, a protein found in abundance in bone tissue. Drinking a cup of chocolate milk boosts your copper intake by 188 micrograms, or 21 percent of the recommended daily intake.

Subheading: “Beneficial Vitamins” Drink chocolate milk and you'll also consume more vitamin D and riboflavin, which is also called vitamin B-2. Vitamin D supports skeletal health, because it helps your body absorb and use calcium. It also benefits your cardiovascular health by controlling your blood pressure, helping to keep it in a healthy range. A serving of chocolate milk offers 122 international units of vitamin D, or 20 percent of the recommended daily intake. The riboflavin found in chocolate milk helps you metabolize nutrients and produce energy, and it also helps your liver detoxify your body. A serving of chocolate milk boasts 0.46 milligram of riboflavin, which is 42 percent and 35 percent of the recommended daily intake for women and men, respectively.

Clockwork

Choose one of the following to explain: (Use the steps we discussed)

How do you find the argument?

How do you find the claims?

How do you find the evidence?

Analyzing an Argument

What is “evidence” in argument writing?

Each of the author’s CLAIMS are supported by SEVERAL pieces of EVIDENCE to prove that the claims are logical and true.

Evidence = the specific details that support (prove) the claim

Evidence can come in many forms: comparisons, contrasts, causes, effects, statistics, direct quotes from experts, rhetorical questions, analogies, personal experiences, anecdotes, examples

Analyzing an Argument

Step #3: Determine the evidence that supports the claims.

Look at your mentor text.

Skim through the body paragraphs that you’ve already read, looking for the supporting details for each claim.

With your GREEN colored pencil, underline the sentences in each body paragraph that contain EVIDENCE that supports the claim (blue). Remember that evidence will be specific , not general.

Label EVIDENCE with an “E.”

Subheading: “The Nutrition Basics” Each cup of chocolate milk boosts your energy intake by 190 calories, and provides roughly 10 percent of your daily caloric intake in a 2,000- calorie diet. Most of chocolate milk's calories come from its 4.8 grams of fat and 30 grams of carbohydrates, which provide energy to help you get through the day. Chocolate milk also offers 7. grams of protein per serving. This protein helps your body maintain and repair muscle tissue, and it also supports hormone and enzyme production. Getting enough protein in your diet also nourishes other tissues, including your eyes and skin. Claim: Chocolate milk has several nutritional benefits. (This one had to be inferred). Notice how each of these green statements PROVES the blue claim listed below by showing HOW or WHY.