Activities

1. Identify a writer’s stated opinion or presented topic of a written analysis of a text.
   
   
2. Identify evidence used by a writer to support and develop ideas in an analysis of a text.

3. Explain a strategy to determine the credibility of sources used by a writer to support and develop ideas in an analysis of a text.
   
   
4. Classify evidence from texts used by a writer to support a written analysis as relevant or irrelevant.

5. Construct and explain evidence to support claims, opinions, ideas, and inferences in an original written analysis of a text.
   
   
6. Evaluate whether the evidence used to support and develop ideas in written analysis demonstrates an understanding of the text being discussed.

Answer Key/Rubric

1. Student identifies a writer’s stated opinion or presented topic in a specific piece of writing about a text. Citing direct evidence from a specific analysis of a text, the student determines the writer’s opinion or topic of the analysis. The writer’s opinion or topic of the analysis includes the complex ideas or concepts about a text the writer explores in detail.
   
   
2. Student identifies the evidence used by a writer to support and develop ideas in an analysis of a text. Reasons and evidence are identified as the information writers add to an analysis of a text to support ideas and to defend opinions. Examples of reasons and evidence include, but are not limited to, relevant text-based information. This includes paraphrased information and direct text quotations. Accurate paraphrased information summarizes text evidence and is written in the words of the writer while maintaining the central ideas expressed by the author of the original text. Accurate paraphrased information and direct text quotations also include a correct citation of the original source.
   
   
3. Student explains a strategy to determine the credibility of sources used by a writer to support and develop ideas in an analysis of a text. A credible source includes information that is believable and trusted. Credible sources include, but are not limited to, current, relevant, and recognized sources. The student considers when the source was published or created to determine if the information is current. Credible sources are related and relevant to the topic they are being used to support. Additionally, credible sources are recognizable. The student considers the source’s author, the author’s credentials, and the author’s point of view or position. The student also considers the publication and the reputation of the publication to determine if a source is credible.
   
   
4. Student classifies evidence from texts used by a writer to support a written analysis as relevant or irrelevant. To classify the relevancy of evidence, the student discusses the quality of the evidence in relation to the ideas expressed by the writer. Logical and relevant evidence directly relates to the ideas being explored by the writer. The student identifies illogical and irrelevant evidence as detracting from a writer’s opinion and/or position.
   
   
5. Student constructs and explains evidence to support claims, opinions, ideas, and inferences in an original written analysis of a text. The student supports claims, opinions, ideas, and inferences with logical reasoning and relevant text-based evidence. The reasons and evidence relate directly to the topic or opinion of a literary or informational text being presented by the student. Additionally, the reasons and evidence used by the student are thoughtfully and deliberately selected from credible sources.
   
   
6. Student evaluates whether the evidence used to support and develop ideas in written analysis demonstrates an understanding of the text being discussed. The student determines whether the reasons and evidence effectively support the analysis. Effective reasons and evidence directly related to the topic or opinion being explored by the writer and display a clear understanding of the analyzed text.