Name That Method
Can you recognize persuasive messages in action?
Goal:
Goal:
If you can recognize how other writers support their claims, you'll be ready to support your own! You'll also be able to decide for yourself if an author's claim is actually supported--or "proven"--by the evidence the author provided. Use the activity below to practice identifying support for a writer's claim. Read each passage, then answer the question beneath it.
Kiddie pools are so shallow that they warm up quickly. They're also static--that is, the water in them is not replaced the way water in a river or swimming pool gets replaced by the current or by a swimming pool pump. Warm, stagnant water is the perfect environment for germs to grow. When children play in the pool and accidentally splash water in their mouths, they swallow germs.
Which method does this writer use to support the claim that kiddie pools can make kids sick?
- describing something in detail so that readers can see it
- explaining reasons why and how the claim is true
No, a detailed description would sound like this: "Your toddler spends a few hours in the kiddie pool--then wakes up vomiting in the middle of the night."
Yes, this paragraph explains how kiddie pools become germ pits.
One hundred years ago, if you wanted to send a message to someone in another location, you had to mail a letter--an actual piece of paper tucked in an envelope. Back then, it could take weeks or even months for your letter to arrive. Fast forward to today, when we can send messages in an instant to people on the other side of the Earth--or even to astronauts in orbit around the Earth! With communication tools like cell phones and satellite images, we'll soon figure out how to shoot our stories far out into the stars, hoping someone will hear it.
Which method does this writer use to support the claim that communication with other galaxies is possible?
- describing something in detail so that readers can see it
- explaining reasons why and how the claim is true
Yes, this paragraph helps readers imagine how much communication technology has evolved over time.
No, this writer isn't explaining how we got where we are--she is just describing how far we've come.
Ticks love moist, shaded woods, low-growing brush, thick weeds, and piles of leaves. They can also be found hanging out in your own backyard, especially in woodpiles and areas of tall grass. Basically, anywhere that nature is allowed to grow wild, ticks may be hiding there, waiting to hop onto your skin or clothing when you brush by a tree branch, a weed, or a tall blade of grass.
Which method does this writer use to support the claim that walking in the woods is the best way to get tick bites?
- describing something in detail so that readers can see it
- explaining reasons why and how the claim is true
Yes, this paragraph describes the tick's usual habitat in detail to help readers have a picture in their minds.
No, this writer isn't saying why ticks love wooded areas--he's just helping us imagine the environments that ticks love.
Scientists working in many different fields have presented evidence that humans are affecting the Earth's climate, which also affects the weather we experience. By studying the Earth's glaciers, scientists have found that polar caps and other areas of "permanent" ice are melting, which adds moisture to the atmosphere. That additional moisture causes the atmosphere to be less stable, which helps create more frequent and more dangerous storms.
Which method is used to support the claim that global warming is making the planet's weather more extreme?
- describing something in detail so that readers can see it
- explaining reasons why and how the claim is true
No, these sentences don't really help you visualize, or imagine, the effects of global warming.
Yes, this paragraph explains how a warmer planet leads to more extreme weather.
Summary
Questions answered correctly:
Questions answered incorrectly: