Transcript Using Anecdotes, Descriptions, Facts and Statistics

WS 1.2
CUSD
ELA Initiative
Support your writing with Proof
• It’s not enough to simply state your main idea or claim when you
are writing.
• You must support all statements and claims you make with
proof.
• Good writers often use different kinds of proof to make their
point.
The different types of proof you can use include:
anecdotes
statistics
descriptions
facts
specific examples
Anecdotes
Anecdotes are brief narratives or stories that illustrate
the point.
 Usually no more than a few sentences or a paragraph
long.
 They are often used to generate reader interest,
especially in the opening pargraph
Anecdotes
 “Queen Elizabeth I was one of the most popular
British rulers—but she was more loved by the people
of England than by her father, King Henry VIII.”
Descriptions
Descriptions are details that draw on the five senses:
sight, sound, touch, taste, smell.
 Descriptions can appeal to more than one sense at the
same time.
Descriptions
 “Prince Henry set up his school on a rocky promontory
call Sagres, in the southernmost province of Algarve,
Portugal. Although he never sailed a single ocean
voyage, Henry organized a way for others to learn the
most skilled way to sail.”
Facts and Statistics
Facts—information that can be proved through
reference materials or personal observation.
Statistics—numbers that illustrate your point.
 These can be whole numbers or percentages.
Facts and Statistics
 In 1419 Prince Henry of Portugal, known as “Henry the
Navigator,” set up a research center in southern
Portugal.
 In 1492 Columbus discovered the Americas
 Only 7% of the men who began the voyage with
Magellan completed the journey.
 The Native American population decreased by as
much as 20 million after the Spanish arrived in the
Americas.
Specific Examples
Specific Examples—specific instances or cases that
support the point.
 Examples help a reader understand a general
statement by giving specific information that
represents one piece of the whole concept.
Specific Examples
 “The king was upset when Elizabeth was born, because
he wanted a boy to inherit the throne.”
 “One reason Elizabeth probably remained single was
to maintain control of the government at a time when
most rulers were men.”
Now let’s practice…
 Silently read “Magellan’s Dream.”
 Work with a partner to answer the questions on the
second page.
 Be ready to answer the questions as a class.
Magellan’s Dream
 How does the writer open the essay?
 What example does the writer provide in paragraph 2?
 In paragraph 3, where could the author add evidence
to make the paragraph more convincing?
Magellan’s Dream
 In paragraph 4 the underlined section is an example of
what kind of supporting evidence?
 In the last paragraph, what kind of supporting details
are used?
 Where could the writer have added statistics?