Unit 2: What are the earmarks of effective textual evidence?

Objectives for Unit 2: What are the earmarks of effective textual evidence?

After completing this unit, you will be able to:

• Identify strong textual evidence
• Distinguish between effective and ineffective pieces of textual evidence

Introduction

All evidence is not created equal. Any attorney or crime-show-aficionado could tell you that different forms of evidence have different values in a court of law: a witness testimony will never be as damning as DNA evidence or surveillance footage of the crime. This holds true in the classroom: some pieces of textual evidence will support students' arguments more effectively than others.

Mini-Lecture

One may argue that any textual evidence is better than no textual evidence, and I can't necessarily disagree. It's necessary to remember, however, that our focus is on evidence-based reasoning: textual evidence is only as good as the opportunity it provides a student for analysis. Some textual evidence works more effectively towards this end than others.

Strong textual evidence:

• Needs to be explained: Strong textual evidence does not speak for itself. It is complex and requires you to read between the lines in order to make meaning from it.
  • Notable Example: "My only love sprung from my only hate!"
    • This piece of evidence leaves room for analysis. Here, Juliet reveals that she has already fallen in love with Romeo. Her conflicting feelings for him (love and hate) are portrayed in one sentence.
  • Notable Non-Example: "His name is Romeo, and a Montague."
    • This piece of evidence speaks for itself. It plainly tells us that Romeo is a Montague. It does not leave room for explanation or analysis.

• Reveals something significant: Strong textual evidence reveals something that is significant to a reader's understanding of a text. In a fictional piece, it may reveal something about character or theme. In a non-fictional piece, it may show cause and effect or help the reader come to a conclusion.
  • Notable Example: "A plague o' both your houses!"
    • This moment effects the remainder of Romeo & Juliet and gives us insight into both Mercutio and Romeo's characters. It shows that Mercutio blames Romeo for his death. Because he says this aloud, we know that Romeo is aware of Mercutio's feelings. One can claim that Romeo's feelings of guilt cause him to later kill Tybalt.
  • Notable Non-Example: "Help me into some house, Benvolio, or I shall faint."
    • This line, delivered by Mercutio, says little about Mercutio's character and does not contribute to our understanding of him or the play in any meaningful way.

• Exemplifies a literary technique: This final criteria may apply more to students in higher grades who are focusing on fictional texts. Textual evidence that exemplifies a literary technique allows students to examine both content and form.
  • Notable Example: "Beauty’s ensign yet/Is crimson in thy lips and in thy cheeks,/and death’s pale flag is not advancèd there!"
    • Here, Romeo is noting that Juliet does not look like she is dead. It builds dramatic irony for audience members who know the truth about Juliet's state and Romeo's intentions in her tomb.
  • Notable Non-Example: "Here's to my love!"
    • Although this line is ironic within the context of the play as a whole (Romeo drinks poison to die with Juliet seconds before she awakes), it does not exemplify irony in and of itself.

Exemplars of Student Work

Follow this link belw in order to examine exemplars of student work, coupled with teacher evaluation and comments of the effectiveness of each piece of textual evidence: [Exemplars of Student Work]

Quiz

[Follow this link in order to complete a quiz on unit 2!]

References and Resources for Further Exploration

• BRINER, R. B., & WALSHE, N. D. (2014). From Passively Received Wisdom to Actively Constructed Knowledge: Teaching Systematic Review Skills As a Foundation of Evidence-Based Management. Academy Of Management Learning & Education, 13(3), 415-432. doi:10.5465/amle.2013.0222
• TRANK, C. Q. (2015). "Reading" Evidence-Based Management: The Possibilities of Interpretation. Academy Of Management Learning & Education, 2015(1), 48-62. doi:10.5465/amle.2013.0444

Continue on to Unit 3!

| Unit 3: How can evidence-based reasoning be implemented in instruction?