AP Seminar Performace Task 2: Integrating Evidence in to your Argument

Summary

In this educational video, Mrs. Malloy discusses the crucial aspects of Performance Task Two, focusing on the integration of evidence within academic writing. She emphasizes the importance of not just selecting evidence but also integrating it with commentary to advance an argument effectively. The video illustrates the difference between an Integrated Writing Assignment (IWA) and an Integrated Reading Response (IRR), highlighting the need for a clear and logically organized argument that connects claims and evidence. Mrs. Malloy provides strategies for evaluating the integration of evidence, including color-coding sources and examining the balance between evidence and commentary. The takeaway is that evidence must be used purposefully with commentary to enrich and support the writer's argument.

Takeaways

• 📚 The focus of the lesson is on the integration of evidence in argumentative writing, emphasizing the balance between evidence and commentary.
• 🔗 Commentary acts as a bridge, connecting evidence to the writer's purpose and argument, which is crucial for a convincing argument.
• 📝 Evidence alone is not enough; it must be accompanied by commentary to advance the main claim or thesis effectively.
• 💡 The importance of having more commentary than evidence is stressed, as depth in argumentation is preferred over breadth.
• 📉 In the provided examples, the difference between an Integrated Response Rubric (IRR) and an Integrated Writing Assignment (IWA) is highlighted.
• 🟢 The IRR is more of a report, showing other people's arguments without making claims of the writer, whereas the IWA is an argument that uses evidence to support the writer's claims.
• 📑 The script uses color coding to visually distinguish between evidence (teal), commentary (green), and claims (not color-coded) in the examples.
• 🤔 The complexity and strength of an argument are evaluated based on how debatable the claim is and whether it invites counterarguments.
• 📈 Evaluating the integration of evidence involves checking the reference page for source diversity and sufficiency, and examining the body paragraphs for alignment and balance between evidence and commentary.
• 📝 The ratio of evidence to commentary should favor commentary to ensure that the evidence is being used to support the argument rather than overwhelming it.
• 🚫 The use of stimulus material is discussed, noting that while it is provided, it should not be the only academic source used to avoid penalization in grading.

Q & A

What is the main focus of Mrs. Malloy's presentation?

The main focus of Mrs. Malloy's presentation is on the integration of evidence in academic writing, specifically how to use evidence and commentary to advance an argument.

Why is commentary important when using evidence in an argument?

Commentary is important because it acts as a bridge that unites the evidence with the writer's purpose, transforming the evidence from isolated facts into a part of the argument that supports the writer's main claim.

What does Mrs. Malloy emphasize about the balance between evidence and commentary?

Mrs. Malloy emphasizes that there should be more commentary than evidence. It's better to provide more explanation about fewer pieces of evidence rather than less explanation about more pieces of evidence for the sake of depth.

How does Mrs. Malloy differentiate between an IWW (Inadequate Writing with Evidence) and an IWA (Inadequate Writing without Argument)?

In an IWW, the writer only summarizes sources without making their own claims, essentially reporting on what others argue. In contrast, an IWA includes the writer's own claims and uses evidence to support, complicate, extend, or confirm those claims, with commentary bridging the evidence to the argument.

What is the significance of the 'so what' question when evaluating evidence?

The 'so what' question is significant because it helps determine how the evidence connects to the writer's claim and purpose. It ensures that the evidence is not just presented but is used meaningfully to advance the argument.

How does Mrs. Malloy suggest students evaluate their own integration of evidence?

Mrs. Malloy suggests students evaluate their integration of evidence by color-coding their sources, highlighting main claims, topic sentences, evidence, and commentary in their papers to check for alignment and the balance between evidence and commentary.

What is the role of the stimulus material in the argument?

The stimulus material is provided for the students to use in their arguments. However, it's important to note that the stimulus material is not considered one of the student's own sources for the purpose of the rubric evaluation.

Why might a simple claim not be effective in an argument?

A simple claim might not be effective because it lacks complexity and debatability. If there is no real point of tension or disagreement, the argument may not be convincing or engaging for the reader.

What does Mrs. Malloy mean by 'making a clear and convincing argument'?

Making a clear and convincing argument means not only presenting a logically organized and well-reasoned claim but also ensuring that the argument connects claims and evidence in a way that leads to a plausible and well-aligned conclusion.

How does Mrs. Malloy define the term 'evidence' in the context of academic writing?

In the context of academic writing, 'evidence' refers to the sources and information used to support the writer's argument. It should be used in conjunction with commentary to advance the main claim effectively.

What advice does Mrs. Malloy give for the structure of an argument?

Mrs. Malloy advises that while the claim doesn't always have to start a paragraph or argument, having it at the beginning can act as a roadmap for the reader, showing the direction of the argument and making the connection between evidence and claim clearer.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Focus on Integrating Evidence and Commentary

In this video, Mrs. Malloy addresses her AP Seminar students, emphasizing the importance of integrating evidence and commentary to advance an argument effectively. She reminds students that while evidence is crucial, it must be accompanied by commentary to create a convincing argument. The focus is on row four of the rubric, which assesses the clarity, logical organization, and reasoning of an argument, as well as its connection between claims and evidence. Mrs. Malloy uses visual examples to illustrate the difference between an I.R.R. (Insufficient, Relevant, or Redundant) and an I.W.A. (Integrates Well with Argument), highlighting the need for a balance between evidence and commentary to build a strong argument.

05:00

🔍 Evaluating the Integration of Evidence

Mrs. Malloy continues the lesson by guiding students on how to evaluate the integration of evidence within their arguments. She discusses the difference between an I.R.R., which lacks student claims and serves as a report, and an I.W.A., where the student's claim frames the paragraph and evidence is used to support it. The teacher points out that a strong argument requires a complex and debatable claim, and that evidence should be selected purposefully to support the argument. She provides a step-by-step method for students to self-evaluate their work, including checking the reference page for source diversity and sufficiency, ensuring alignment between main claims and topic sentences, and examining the ratio of evidence to commentary within body paragraphs.

10:01

🛠️ Strategies for Effective Evidence Integration

In this segment, Mrs. Malloy offers practical advice for students to improve their integration of evidence. She suggests color-coding sources on the reference page to quickly assess the variety and adequacy of sources used. Additionally, she advises students to highlight main claims in the introduction and topic sentences in body paragraphs to ensure consistency and clarity of purpose throughout the paper. Mrs. Malloy emphasizes the importance of the relationship between evidence and commentary, urging students to ensure that their commentary serves as a bridge connecting evidence to their argument's purpose. She also touches on the use of stimulus material, reminding students that while it is provided, it should be used authentically and not relied upon as the sole academic source.

15:02

🎯 The Importance of Commentary in Argument Construction

Concluding the video, Mrs. Malloy reiterates the critical role of commentary in making an argument. She stresses that evidence alone is not sufficient; it must be coupled with commentary to advance the argument, complicate, confirm, and extend the points being made. The teacher reminds students that their job is to use evidence to support their claims, not to simply present evidence and expect the grader or teacher to make the argument for them. She encourages students to focus on the purpose they set out to achieve and to use commentary as a tool to connect evidence to that purpose effectively.

Keywords

💡Performance Task

A performance task is an assessment method that requires students to demonstrate their understanding and skills through practical application. In the context of the video, it refers to the specific assignment students are working on, which involves the use of evidence and argumentation to construct a compelling case. The video script discusses 'Performance Task Two,' indicating a second part of a larger project where students must integrate evidence into their arguments.

💡Evidence

Evidence in this video refers to the data, facts, or sources that students use to support their arguments. The script emphasizes the importance of not just selecting evidence but also integrating it effectively into their arguments. It is a fundamental aspect of the performance task, as it helps to validate and strengthen the students' claims.

💡Commentary

Commentary is the students' own analysis or interpretation of the evidence. The script explains that commentary acts as a bridge between the evidence and the argument, helping to advance the main claim. It is crucial for making a clear and convincing argument, as it allows students to explain how and why the evidence supports their point of view.

💡Argument

An argument in this context is the main point or claim that students are trying to prove in their performance task. The script discusses how to make a clear and convincing argument by logically organizing evidence and commentary. The argument is the central thesis or idea that the students are advocating for through their use of evidence.

💡Rubric

A rubric is a set of criteria or standards used to evaluate work. In the video, the rubric is mentioned as a guide for how students will be assessed on their performance task. It outlines the expectations for providing a clear and convincing argument, logical organization, and the connection of claims and evidence.

💡Claim

A claim is a statement or assertion that students make in their argument, which they must then support with evidence and commentary. The script emphasizes the importance of connecting claims to evidence and making sure that these claims are driving the argument and leading to a well-aligned conclusion.

💡Integration

Integration refers to the process of combining evidence and commentary within an argument. The script discusses how to effectively integrate evidence by not only presenting facts but also explaining their relevance and how they support the argument. Good integration is key to making a compelling case.

💡Irr (Ineffective Research Report)

The term 'Irr' is used in the script to describe an example of poor evidence integration. It is a report that lists what other people argue without making any claims of the writer's own. The script contrasts this with an 'iwa' (Ineffective Writing Assignment), where the student's own claims are missing, and the paragraph is framed by the sources' arguments instead of the student's.

💡Iwa (Ineffective Writing Assignment)

Similar to 'Irr,' 'Iwa' is another term used in the script to illustrate a common mistake in writing assignments where the student's own argument is not clear or is missing. The script uses this term to highlight the importance of making and supporting one's own claims rather than just summarizing others' arguments.

💡Stimulus Material

Stimulus material is the provided content or sources that students are expected to engage with and use in their performance task. The script mentions that while students are evaluated on the sources they bring to the table, the stimulus material is given to them and should be used authentically, but not relied upon as the sole source of academic evidence.

💡Academic Journals

Academic journals are scholarly publications that contain research articles and studies. The script advises students to use academic journals as sources to support their arguments, emphasizing that these are considered authoritative and credible, thus strengthening the students' claims.

💡Ratio

The term 'ratio' in the script refers to the balance between evidence and commentary within a student's work. It is important to maintain a proper ratio to ensure that the argument is not overwhelmed by evidence or lacking in substance due to insufficient commentary.

Highlights

The importance of integrating evidence and commentary to advance an argument in academic writing.

Commentary serves as a bridge connecting evidence to the writer's purpose, enhancing the argument's clarity and strength.

Evidence alone is not enough; it must be accompanied by commentary to effectively support the thesis.

The significance of not neglecting the commentary aspect when incorporating evidence into an argument.

The rubric focuses on row four, emphasizing clear and convincing arguments with logical organization and reasoning.

The necessity of connecting claims and evidence to lead to a plausible and well-aligned conclusion.

The visual difference between an Integrated Reading and Writing Analysis (IRWA) and an Integrated Reading and Writing Analysis (IWA).

In an IRWA, the source's arguments frame the paragraph, whereas in an IWA, the student's own claim frames the paragraph.

The role of commentary in extending and bringing together the argument, as illustrated by the green extension sentences.

The evaluation of evidence integration through the comparison of an IRWA and an IWA example.

The importance of making a complex and debatable claim to create a convincing argument.

How to use evidence and commentary to frame an argument and avoid simply summarizing sources.

Evaluating the integration of evidence by examining the ratio of evidence to commentary and their alignment with the main claim.

The method to assess the sufficiency of evidence and its role in supporting the argument without being overwhelming.

The process of evaluating one's own integration of evidence by color-coding sources and checking for alignment with the main claims.

The distinction between using stimulus material effectively and ensuring it is not the only source of academic evidence.

The final takeaway emphasizing the necessity of using both evidence and commentary to advance an argument effectively.

Transcripts

hey ap seminar students it is mrs malloy

and i am here today to talk to you about

performance task

two specifically we are going to

continue

our conversations about the use of

evidence

but more specifically what are we going

to learn for today well today we're

going to focus on the

integration of evidence last

video we talked about the selection and

use of now we're going to talk about how

you

actually integrate that evidence because

integrating evidence

means using evidence and commentary

to advance your argument and for a lot

of students

they know that they need to use evidence

but that commentary

piece is sometimes neglected or left out

so we're going to focus on both

evidence and commentary here for today

so as always let's remind ourselves of

the rubric and how we are going to be

assessed so as we've talked about in the

last few videos rows three four and five

today we're going to focus on row four

remember row four

is about providing a or making a clear

and convincing argument but it's also

making sure our argument is logically

organized

well reasoned and here's the kicker for

today that it connects

claims and evidence leading to a

plausible

well-aligned conclusion so that

connection of claims and evidence is

where we are going to focus our

attention on for

this video so just a reminder

um and we've talked about this

previously but commentary and you will

notice that it is a bigger box and it is

on top because

commentary is most important commentary

is a bridge it's going to unite the

evidence

that you have with your purpose it's

what's moving that evidence from

existing in isolation or just being in

existence to actually being a part of

your argument

and helping you make a convincing and

clear argument

you will notice that we can't have

commentary without

evidence however the evidence should not

be the bigger focus

the evidence is what we use to advance

our main claim

our thesis or our main idea but it's not

meant to

speak in place of you we need a good

relationship between commentary

and evidence so that we can build the

argument that we're trying to make

but always keep in mind that we want

more commentary

than we do evidence it is always better

to say more about less than to say

less things about more things we want

that depth

now keep in mind this does not mean that

we can just

have unsubstantiated opinions and just

go on a rant about things that we think

about we need the evidence that is a

crucial part of this

but that evidence only works to make our

argument if we have

the commentary okay so let's talk about

the

integration of evidence so

i wanted to show you an irr so that you

could see the difference visually

between

an irr and an iwa so in

the green what you're seeing is

extension

sentences so improvement of the

accessibility of education for cambodian

girls has a significant impact on and

on advancement in the workplace what you

will see

in that teal is all of the evidence that

this

student is using so what this ledger

would is arguing from

that particular source then we have the

inclusion of

another source and another source with

very few places where

we're not seeing any claims made by the

student we are only saying

here's what the sources are arguing with

a few green sentences which are meant to

be

extension okay the purpose of the irr is

not to make an argument it's to show us

it's a report

here's what other people are arguing and

then you're evaluating that putting that

in conversations

so we do not want to do this for our iwa

there are no claims to be made from

the actual writer of the paper this is a

report

when we look at an example of an iwa you

notice the difference right away we

didn't have any yellow on the last

screen

so this is the student's claim this is

what the student is seeking to argue

however despite the controversy

surrounding this idea genetic

alterations to reduce vulnerable

people's predispositions to mental

illness

have the potential to be very effective

if carried out responsibly

then the student uses a source which we

can see in teal

to help advance his or her point we then

have that green where it's meant to be

the commentary or the extension here

those this sentences are really easy

cues for

what this means as we start to move from

evidence back to inkling this means that

genetic modification could likely edit

those inherited genes to significantly

reduce the probability

that an individual will develop one of

the aforementioned diseases

then the student brings in another

source and then comes back to

that argument piece where they're trying

to extend it and bring it together

this also indicates that traits such as

neuroticism which influence mental

health can

potentially be successfully altered um

by genetic editing

this method would attack the source of

mental disorders before they could even

arise making it a valuable tool

tool to consider regardless of its

drawbacks and other disputes surrounding

it so what we see here

in those green the differences these

commentary pieces or these extensions

are being used to come back to that main

claim

about how genetic alterations could be

used to reduce the potential

predispositions that people have to

mental illness so the student's argument

is framing this whole paragraph where

in the last example that we looked at

with the irr the arguments of the

sources

are what's framing the paragraph okay so

that's the difference between the irr

and the iwa when it comes to the

integration of evidence

we are making our own claim we're using

that evidence to support

um complicate extend confirm the

arguments that we're making and we're

providing that commentary

to get there so let's evaluate the

integration of evidence in this

particular example

feel free to pause the video and read

this in more depth but again i want you

to see big pictures so i'm going to talk

you through the colors

and then you can dig into this further

but if we notice at the beginning

we don't really have a claim the claim

is coming at the end of the paragraph

these countries have even greater

responsibility to change their habits

with global wide participation reversing

climate change would be an easier task

so this student is saying that if

countries all globally if we had

participation from all countries we

could reverse climate change

easier okay now when you think about

complexity and argument

is there anybody that would argue

against you if you said that hey if

every country participated

we could reverse climate change faster

no educated person is going to be like

nope

you're wrong even if every country

participated we can't

we can't reverse it easier right that's

the claim the student's making

there's not an argument about being able

to reverse it or not reverse it they're

making the argument that it would be

easier if we had support

right if every member of our team played

as a team

and we all felt like teammates and we

were trying to accomplish a task

it would make it easier than if one

member of our team

was working against us well great okay

but that's concerning when we're

thinking about the convincing nature of

the argument because that's not really

a complex argument then if we look at

the colors we see that the teal

is all again going to be summary

or evidence from sources we have one

line that's meant to be extension or

commentary

while they are expensive to build they

are cheap to run building more of these

to keep up with the demands of energy

would be a good

step towards a healthier environment

again there's not a lot of depth to that

commentary

mainly because the claim itself is weak

and it's not driving the paragraph

we really have no idea um fully what the

student is arguing here so this

is not a great example of what we want

to do this is actually

the opposite of what we want to do

if we then look at this example on the

screen

we notice a difference already by the

colors and how it's set up now you don't

always have to have your claim to start

a paragraph or to start um your

argument however i personally prefer the

claim

because then it's like the road map of

what you're going to argue and then i

can see the connection i also think it's

a better clue

visually to you as you see the claim

then you know the rest of the paragraph

is going to frame it

but inductive versus deductive arguments

sometimes we have our claims at the

beginning and sometimes we have them at

the end i understand

but if we look at the yellow that's on

the screen although extensive gerund

countries should invest more money and

nuclear power plants because they are

better for the climate and more reliable

sources of energy

some may disagree claiming that what

most countries are currently doing

investing in fossil fuels is the better

option so

right now this student if we just

compare claims has a much more complex

debatable claim

there are people that would disagree and

would argue against this so we're

showing that there is a real point of

tension or an argument to be made

we also see that although this isn't the

student's full paragraph because you can

see that the green's going to continue

there is a piece of evidence that is

used those pieces of evidence because

it's the same source but we have a

couple different lines

are then turned into working for the

argument by the use of the green or the

commentary given the amounts of

pollution and damage caused by the

world's reliance on fossil fuels it's

important to invest

in energy sources that are healthier

thus where nuclear energy emerges as a

better option

and then the students going to go into

that now is this sufficient if we think

back to the last video is there enough

evidence here no but right now we're

just looking at the integration because

it means both evidence

and commentary this is only a selection

of the student's paper

if this is all you turned in as a claim

this is not enough but this is setting

up

for a better richer conversation because

what we're seeing here is that this

student purposely

picked this evidence to then be able to

make the point or the claim that he or

she is trying to make

and then the commentary aligns with that

to bridge that gap

to bring us to an argument that actually

is um aligned but also complex and

working towards the point

so we have a thumbs up here because this

is a better

example now regardless of

how you decide to structure claims

earlier or later the important part here

is that we want to think about

not only what we're arguing and what

evidence we're going to use

right but we want to think about how we

can use that commentary

to make sure that we are bridging the

gap and we are consistently and

blatantly

working to prove our argument okay

so here's some things that you can do to

evaluate your own

integration of evidence so the first

thing that you can do which is the easy

thing to do right is to go to your

reference works cited bibliography page

highlight your sources use one color for

stimulus sources one color for academic

one color for academic journals another

one for popular or

open sources journalistic sources blogs

things like that

if you can color code that we want to

see the majority of those sources

be from those experts those academic

journals or those highly academic

sources okay

we also can look there to see if we have

a sufficient amount

but remember our reference page works

cited bibliography it only takes us so

far

it doesn't get us all the way we need to

actually look into our paper to see

how we are using that evidence so the

next thing we would do is go to our

introduction

we would highlight our main claims basis

or argument and then we would go to each

of our body paragraphs and highlight

topic sentences

because we want to see alignment if you

do not have one

clear specific purpose throughout your

whole paper

then your evidence is not working to

make your argument

um you know more convincing so we want

to make sure that it's there but we also

want to make sure you know what your

purpose is because if you're going

through the whole paper and you're

arguing one thing at one time and

something else at a different time

your argument is not going to be as

strong as it actually can be

and then we're going to go into our body

paragraphs we're going to highlight our

evidence

in one color and our commentary in

another and i want you to look at the

ratio to see are you more

focused on evidence or commentary and

what's that relationship

look like again come back to those

questions we talked about in the last

video do you have sufficient amount of

evidence

to make your argument without having too

much there is a point where sufficient

evidence

becomes overwhelming or distracting if

you go from that term

deficient to excessive so we really want

to be careful of how much do we need to

convince without

just being all evidence because the

evidence is not speaking for us

we are using the evidence to help

complicate

and enrich and confirm the points that

we're trying to make what's the function

of our commentary is it acting as a

bridge does it unite our evidence to our

purpose

is the evidence being used to advance

complicate confirm

extend your argument and then are you

clear about the so what of the evidence

meaning do you tell us

how that evidence connects to your claim

and connects to your purpose

one thing i want to emphasize while

we're looking at this page is just to

bring your attention back to the

stimulus material

because although i said it on the

reference page in the body paragraphs we

also want to think about where we're

using the stimulus material and how

we're using it in an authentic way

now stimulus material is provided for

you

so when you're being evaluated you are

being evaluated

on the sources that you are bringing to

the table

for um row five those are the sources

that you

found on your own so although you are

using the stimulus if you use one of the

stimulus sources from an academic

journal

and that's the only academic journal

source you have that is not going to

give you credit

for having an academic journal because

college board or ap

seminar gave you that specific academic

source

so we want to think about evaluating our

sources but we also want to make sure

we're using this stimulus

but know that the stimulus is not one of

the sources that you are bringing to the

table so

um it's really going to be assessed as

it comes to you being graded

and in row one on the rubric okay

so what's our takeaway for today well

our takeaway is that

integrating evidence means that we're

using evidence

and commentary to advance your argument

evidence cannot just be thrown in there

on its own with nothing

if you just overwhelm us with a bunch of

evidence here's what all these people

say

it is not our job to make the argument

for you as a grader i'm not going to do

that your teacher's not going to do that

either

your job is to make the argument use

that evidence to complicate confirm

to extend to help you make the points

you are trying to make the only way you

do that is through

the use of commentary those will help

you then

make and achieve the purpose that you

set out to

as always thank you for watching i hope

you find some joy in your day

and we look forward to seeing you next

time bye