Evidence & Commentary: Your Essay's Power-Up! Script

Part 1: Warm-Up & Introduction (5 minutes)

(Slide 1: Evidence & Commentary: Your Essay's Power-Up!)

Teacher: "Good morning/afternoon, everyone! Today, we're going to unlock a secret weapon for your essays – something that will make your arguments shine and really impress your readers. We're talking about 'Evidence & Commentary: Your Essay's Power-Up!'"

(Slide 2: Warm-Up: What's the Difference?)

Teacher: "Let's start with a quick thought experiment. In an essay, what do you think is the difference between evidence and just your opinion? Take a moment to think about it, then we'll do a quick share out. No right or wrong answers yet, just your initial thoughts."

(Allow 1-2 minutes for students to think or jot down ideas. Call on a few students to share their brief thoughts.)

Teacher: "Great ideas! It sounds like many of you already have a sense that evidence is about proof. And that's exactly what we're going to dive into today."

(Slide 3: Our Mission Today:)

Teacher: "By the end of this 30-minute session, our mission is clear. You will be able to: First, identify strong evidence that truly backs up your claims. And second, you'll learn to write powerful commentary that fully explains how your evidence proves your point. These are critical skills for any persuasive writing, not just in English class, but in any subject and even in life!"

Part 2: Understanding Evidence (8 minutes)

(Slide 4: What is Evidence?)

Teacher: "Let's start with evidence. In an essay, evidence is the factual information or specific details you pull from a text, research, or real-world examples that supports your claim or argument. Think of it as the proof! If you make a statement, your reader will naturally ask, 'How do you know that?' Evidence is your answer."

Teacher: "Can anyone think of a time outside of school where you needed to use evidence to prove something? Maybe convincing a parent, a friend, or even in a debate?" (Allow 1-2 student responses)

(Slide 5: What Makes Evidence STRONG?)

Teacher: "Not all evidence is created equal. To be truly effective, evidence needs to be strong. Here are four key characteristics:

• Relevant: This means it directly connects to and supports your claim. If your claim is about climate change, evidence about shoe fashion isn't relevant.
• Specific: Strong evidence isn't vague or general. It gives details, names, dates, or direct quotes.
• Credible: It comes from a trustworthy, reliable source. A scientific journal is generally more credible than a random blog post.
• Sufficient: You need enough evidence to convince your reader. One tiny piece might not be enough to fully prove a big claim."

Teacher: "Why do you think it's important for evidence to be credible? What happens if your evidence isn't from a trustworthy source?" (Allow a few student responses, guide them to ideas of losing trust/argument falling apart.)

(Slide 6: Strong vs. Weak Evidence Example)

Teacher: "Let's look at an example. Imagine our claim is: 'Regular exercise improves academic performance.'

Teacher: "Now look at these two pieces of evidence. Which one do you think is weak and which one is strong? And most importantly, why? Discuss with a partner for 30 seconds."

• Weak Evidence: "My friend who works out gets good grades."
• Strong Evidence: "A study by the Journal of Pediatrics found that students who engaged in at least 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity daily achieved higher scores in math and reading tests."

(Allow students to discuss. Call on students to share their reasoning.)

Teacher: "Exactly! The friend's experience is anecdotal and not generalizable. The study, however, is specific, credible (Journal of Pediatrics), and directly relevant. This is the kind of evidence we want to find and use!"

Part 3: Crafting Commentary (7 minutes)

(Slide 7: What is Commentary?)

Teacher: "Now that we know how to find strong evidence, what do we do with it? This brings us to commentary. Commentary is your explanation and analysis of how the evidence supports your claim. It's where your brain comes into play. You interpret, explain, and connect the dots for your reader. Think of it like a lawyer explaining to the jury why a piece of evidence is so important to their case."

Teacher: "Why can't we just drop the evidence into our essay and assume the reader knows what we mean?" (Prompt students to consider varying interpretations or the reader not making the connection.)

(Slide 8: Commentary: Do's & Don'ts)

Teacher: "To make sure your commentary is effective, here are some Do's and Don'ts:

DO:

• Explain how the evidence proves your point. Don't just restate it.
• Analyze the evidence – what does it mean? What does it imply? What's the significance?
• Connect it back to your main claim or thesis statement. Always bring it back to your argument.
• Use helpful phrases to start your commentary, like: "This shows...", "This reveals...", "The author implies...", "Consequently...", "This is significant because..."

DON'T:

• Just summarize the evidence. We just read it; we don't need to read it again in different words.
• Introduce new evidence. Commentary is for explaining the evidence you just presented.
• State personal opinions without support. Your commentary should be analytical and based on the evidence, not just 'I think this is good.'"

Teacher: "Which of these 'Do's' do you think is the most challenging for students? Why?" (Allow a few responses.)

(Slide 9: Crafting Commentary Example)

Teacher: "Let's go back to our earlier example. Our claim: 'Regular exercise improves academic performance.' Our strong evidence: 'A study by the Journal of Pediatrics found that students who engaged in at least 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity daily achieved higher scores in math and reading tests.'

Teacher: "Now, here's some commentary that effectively explains this evidence:

• Commentary: 'This study directly demonstrates that physical activity has a measurable positive impact on cognitive functions, leading to improved academic outcomes. The correlation between consistent exercise and higher test scores suggests that schools should prioritize physical education as a means to enhance overall student achievement.'"

Teacher: "Notice how the commentary doesn't just say 'kids who exercise get better grades.' It explains how the study shows this (measurable positive impact on cognitive functions) and then extends the thinking (suggests schools should prioritize PE). It connects the evidence back to the broader idea of academic performance."

Part 4: Guided Practice: Worksheet (8 minutes)

(Slide 10: Your Turn! Practice Time!)

Teacher: "Alright, it's your turn to be the expert! I'm going to hand out the Evidence & Commentary Worksheet. On this worksheet, you'll find a few claims and some potential evidence. Your task is to:

1. Identify the strong evidence.
2. Write insightful commentary that explains how that evidence supports the claim.

Teacher: "Let's try the first one together as a class. Or, if you feel ready, you can work independently or with a partner. I'll be circulating to help out and answer any questions. Remember to use the 'Do's and Don'ts' we just discussed!"

(Distribute Evidence & Commentary Worksheet. Circulate, provide individualized support, and answer questions. After about 5-6 minutes, bring the class back together to briefly discuss one or two of the answers using the Evidence & Commentary Answer Key as a guide.)

Part 5: Wrap-Up & Next Steps (2 minutes)

(Return to Slide 3 or 10 if you prefer to conclude from there.)

Teacher: "Excellent work today, everyone! You've taken important steps in powering up your essays."

Teacher: "Before you go, quick exit ticket: What's one new thing you learned or were reminded of today about writing commentary? Take 30 seconds to jot it down or think about it."

(Collect worksheets if desired, or assign completion as homework.)

Teacher: "Keep practicing these skills, and you'll see a huge improvement in the strength and clarity of your essays. Great job, and I'll see you next time!"

Evidence & Commentary Worksheet: Power Up Your Essay!

Name: __________________________

Directions: Read each section carefully and complete the tasks. Remember what we discussed about strong evidence and insightful commentary!

Part 1: Identifying Strong Evidence

Claim: Access to arts education positively impacts students' overall academic achievement.

Task: Below are several pieces of evidence. Circle the two pieces of evidence that are the strongest to support the claim. Then, for each strong piece of evidence you circled, explain why it is strong.

1. "I really enjoyed my art class last year, and I think it helped me in my other subjects."
   
   
2. A 2019 study published in Education Week found that students with consistent arts engagement were four times more likely to be recognized for academic achievement compared to students with little or no arts participation.
   
   
3. Many schools offer art and music classes.
   
   
4. Researchers at UCLA found that sustained involvement in music and theater is highly correlated with gains in math and reading test scores, as well as improved cognitive development.
   
   
5. My cousin is a musician and she's very smart.

Explain Your Choices:

Strong Evidence 1 (from above):




Why is it strong?

Strong Evidence 2 (from above):




Why is it strong?

Part 2: Crafting Commentary

Directions: For each scenario below, a claim and strong piece of evidence are provided. Your task is to write 1-2 sentences of insightful commentary that explains how the evidence supports the claim. Remember to analyze and connect the dots for your reader!

Scenario A:

Claim: Learning a second language can significantly enhance problem-solving skills.

Evidence: "Studies from the University of Edinburgh indicate that bilingual individuals demonstrate superior performance on tasks requiring selective attention and cognitive flexibility compared to monolingual individuals."

Your Commentary:

Scenario B:

Claim: Limiting screen time for teenagers can lead to improved sleep quality.

Evidence: "According to research published in Pediatrics, adolescents who reduced their evening screen time reported falling asleep faster and experienced fewer nighttime awakenings, leading to an average of 45 minutes more sleep per night."

Your Commentary:

Evidence & Commentary Worksheet Answer Key

Part 1: Identifying Strong Evidence

Claim: Access to arts education positively impacts students' overall academic achievement.

Strongest Evidence (Circled):

2. A 2019 study published in Education Week found that students with consistent arts engagement were four times more likely to be recognized for academic achievement compared to students with little or no arts participation.

3. Researchers at UCLA found that sustained involvement in music and theater is highly correlated with gains in math and reading test scores, as well as improved cognitive development.

Explanation of Choices:

Strong Evidence 1: "A 2019 study published in Education Week found that students with consistent arts engagement were four times more likely to be recognized for academic achievement compared to students with little or no arts participation."

Why is it strong? This evidence is strong because it is specific (mentions a 2019 study and Education Week), credible (a published study in a respected educational publication), and relevant (directly links arts engagement to academic achievement recognition). It provides quantifiable data (