AP English Language AMSCO Guided Notes
3.1: Connecting and Explaining Claims and Evidence
AP English Language Guided Notes
AMSCO 3.1 - Connecting and Explaining Claims and Evidence
Essential Questions
- As a reader, how do you understand the thinking behind writers' arguments-the relationships between their evidence and their claim?
- As a writer, how can you integrate source material to strengthen your argument?
I. Understand Writers make claims about subjects, rely on evidence that supports the reasoning that justifies the claim, and often acknowledge or respond to other, possibly opposing, arguments.
II. 1.1 Using Commentary Effectively
1. What is commentary and what role does it play in connecting evidence to claims?
A. Connecting the Pieces
1. Why might connections between evidence and claims that seem obvious to a writer not be obvious to a reader?
2. How does commentary help readers understand the logical relationship between evidence and a claim?
3. What questions should you ask yourself when analyzing how a writer uses evidence and commentary to support a claim?
III. 1.2 Integrating and Acknowledging Source Material
1. What is source material and why must writers acknowledge it in their arguments?
A. Voices of Support
1. How should writers balance maintaining their own voice while incorporating source material into their arguments?
B. Using Commentary to Integrate Sources
1. What is synthesis and what three elements does it require?
2. How does a writer use commentary to introduce and integrate source material smoothly into their argument?
C. Acknowledgment
1. What is plagiarism and why is it important to acknowledge sources through attribution, citation, or reference?
2. How do attribution, citation, and reference differ in how they acknowledge sources?
3. What information should be included when attributing an idea to an author to establish credibility?
Key Terms
attribution
citation
commentary
reference
source material
synthesis