Writing with Textual Evidence Introduction to ALECC

Write the following notes on your handout: A - Answer the question L - Lead (introduces the quote) E - Evidence to support the Answer C - Citation (give the author credit) C - Commentary (tell how the Evidence backs up the Answer

What is text evidence? This means any information you take from the text (article, essay, chart, film, speech, etc.)

Can I simply take text evidence and use it as my own? No! If you do, it is called plagiarism or stealing. This will get you into a bunch of trouble down the line ranging from a zero on the assignment to expulsion from school.

Then how can I use it? Simple, all you need to do is cite the source. In other words, give credit to the original author. Directly after the piece you borrowed, place the author’s last name in parenthesis followed by the page number it was on. (Johnson, 3).

Now that we know how to cite text evidence, let’s discuss how to write it. Always start by introducing your text evidence with what we call a lead or sentence starter. This makes it clear to readers they are about to learn someone else’s thoughts. There are many different leads you can use or alter: According to the author, _________ The article describes, ________ For example, _________

Now what? Once you have your lead, you can either pull text evidence word for word from the passage or paraphrase it. Word for word: (Direct Quotation) Place the evidence in quotation marks indicating it is exactly what the original text said. According to the story, “Stephanie hated watching scary movies” (Jones, 4). Notice how the final end mark goes after the citation. Paraphrased: Using your own words, write what the original text said without using quotation marks. According to the story, Stephanie didn’t enjoy horror movies (Jones, 4).

Leads -On page ___, it explained, _____. -The author wrote, ______. -In the text it described, _____. -According to the text, _____. -From the reading one can learn, ____. -According to the article "___" by ___, ______. -An example is, ______. -For instance, _______. -For example, _______. -In the film, ______. -During the speech, he/she mentioned, ______.

Let’s Practice! Which sentence is a correct example of text evidence? A. “Hunger is a large problem around the world” (James, 3). B. “Hunger is a large problem around the world.” (James, 3) C. The author explained, “Hunger is a large problem around the world” (James, 3). D. The author explained, “Hunger is a large problem around the world.” (James, 3) Now it’s time to read an excerpt from “Little Red Riding Hood” and answer the corresponding questions.

“Little Red Riding Hood” 1. What is Little Red Riding Hood bringing to her grandmother? The author wrote, "here is a piece of cake and a bottle of milk" (Grimm, 1). 2. What type of trees is Grandmother's house under? On page one it describes, "Her house stands under three large oak trees" (Grimm, 1). 3. What tool did the huntsman use to cut the wolf open? He used a pair of scissors because the text stated he, "took a pair of scissors, and began to cut open the stomach of the sleeping wolf" (Grimm, 2).

(Cont.) 4. What three physical features does Little Red Riding Hood question her "grandmother" about? On page two, Little Red asks the wolf about her ear, eyes, and hands (Grimm, 2). 5. Why does the huntsman go to the house? The text explains a snore was heard by the huntsman which caused him to stop by and check on her (Grimm, 2).

“Geothermal Power” by Tara Wells Is geothermal power a new discovery? No it is not a new discovery. According to the text, “Italians built the first geothermal power station in 1904” (Wells, 1). What are turbines? Turbines are machines that produce energy. The article explains, “Turbines are big and round and can spin very quickly” (Wells, 1). Is geothermal energy dangerous? Geothermal energy can be dangerous. The author wrote, “workers must be careful around the steam, or they could get burned” (Wells, 1). Geothermal energy is not dangerous. For example, “Geothermal energy is good for the environment and its wildlife. It does not damage the air, water, or soil” (Wells, 1).

Now let’s add the final piece to our answers….. Commentary