Using Evidence 4 Things to Consider 1 ContextIntroduction

Using Evidence: 4 Things to Consider 1: Context/Introduction to Quote 2. Integrate Quote Into Your Own Sentence 3. Cite Correctly 4. Analysis • First, establish thesis (stance on the prompt) and the reason you’re writing for. Then, select the piece of evidence you want to use.

1. CONTEXT/INTRODUCTION to QUOTE: This is where you provide important CONTEXT and FRAMING of your quote. You never just DROP a quote. You frame your evidence so the reader sees it how YOU WANT THEM TO SEE IT! This requires skill.

CONTEXT/INTRODUCTION TO QUOTE: Framing is IMPORTANT! • Think about it: what if the evidence we had was “The cost of an in-state degree from University of Illinois is about $100, 000”? We need to frame this for the reader, depending on our argument and reason. • If we’re talking about the recent surge in in-state, public college costs, we could do this for our CONTEXT/INTO TO EVIDENCE: • College costs are out of control, even for in-state schools. According to an article written by John Smith called “The High Price of Higher-Ed, ” while U of I used to cost around $10, 000 per year in the early 2000 s, today “the cost of an in-state degree from University of Illinois is about $100, 000” (Smith). • If we’re talking about how in-state public schools are a smarter financial option, we could do this for our CONTEXT/INTRO TO EVIDENCE: • Let’s face it, college costs are going to be high wherever you go. But, students who select in-state public universities can get a lot of bang for their buck. In “The High Price of Higher-Ed, ” author John Smith makes the point that tuition for in-state schools is rising steadily. However, he also contrasts that with the cost of attending private, highly selective schools, like Harvard. In comparison to the half a million students might spend on a degree at the nation’s top private schools, “the cost of an in-state degree from University of Illinois is about $100, 000” (Smith).

Be sure to mention title, author, and main idea the first time you use a source! • Instead of: College is expensive for the average American, and practically impossible for an American in poverty. “The college costs for in-state schools in 2013 averaged $22, 826” (“What’s the Price Tag for a College Education”). • Do THIS: College is expensive for the average American, and practically impossible for an American in poverty. Costs for higher education are surging, and, according to John Smith’s article “The High Price of Higher-Ed, ” these costs are crushing families, and making it nearly impossible for students to graduate from college debt free. The costs are so high that even the price for “in-state schools in 2013 averaged $22, 826” (Smith).

2. INTEGRATE YOUR QUOTE INTO YOUR OWN SENTENCE! • To show your sophistication as a writer, please integrate your quote into your own sentence, and please use just a sentence (or less, part of a sentence) of what you’re quoting. • Example: Angelou often makes the reader feel that the Louis-Carnera boxing match was more than just a ruthless endeavor, but rather, that it was a tame, domesticated battle of the races. After Louis is hit hard and goes down, for instance, she notes that, “My race groaned--it was our people falling” (Angelou 89). • Example: Even though Birdman was voted “Best Picture” at the Academy Awards, critic Bob Mondello explains the film as an “indulgent piece of work” that is too “pretentiously uninviting” (Mondello).

3. CITE CORRECTLY (MLA) • Make sure you cite correctly. Use the author’s last name. No author? Use the title of the source! • So here’s your quote “That you’re planning to use” (Di. Domenico). • If there’s a quote from someone in an article that isn’t from the writer, you have an option: • “I need some Jordans” (Davis qtd. in Poor Kids) • Or: Johnny Davis, a child in one of the families featured in the PBS documentary Poor Kids, says, “I need some Jordans” (Poor Kids). • Don’t forget about grammar rules for punctuation– quotation marks for shorter works (“articles”) and italics for longer works (italics).

4. ANALYSIS: 2 CONNECTIONS • You cannot drop your quote and run away. You must explain two things: • 1) How does this evidence connect/support your REASON? • 2) How does this evidence and your reason connect/support your THESIS? • NOTE: NO “THIS Quote, ” “This SHOWS, ” “This proves. ” Replace “this” with specifics in regard to your evidence. • Taken from our scoring rubric: - links evidence to topic sentence and thesis/claim - Analysis is strong, insightful, and demonstrates critical thinking. - There are no breakdowns or gaps in logic. - Evidence is analyzed thoroughly. The analysis fully connects the evidence back to the topic sentence/reason (CONNTECTION 1) • - The analysis fully connects back to thesis/claim (CONNECTION 2). • •

Sample Analysis • Thesis: In Snow White, the Queen’s jealousy is the ultimate cause of her downfall. • Reason: Jealousy is often harmful to one’s self-esteem and can tempt one to make destructive decisions. • (CONTEXT/INTEGRATE QUOTE) In Snow White, the Queen’s envy erupts into both self-hatred and malice toward her stepdaughter. (INTEGRATE QUOTE INTO YOUR OWN SENTENCE) The author describes the Queen as a person who “hated anyone whose beauty rivaled her own, ” and says “she watched her stepdaughter with angry, jealous eyes” (Grimm). (CITE CORRECTLY) • ANALYSIS: Clearly, the Queen feels she does not rival her step-daughter in beauty and feels like less of a woman next to Snow White. Feeling inferior to her young step-daughter fosters a sense of hatred anger (connection to reason). These feelings tempt the Queen to make a terrible decision—to kill her stepdaughter— which are a direct cause of her downfall (connection to thesis).

Using Evidence: You Try It! Include the 4 Parts • Thesis: It’s not worth replacing your i. Phone 6 for the new i. Phone 7. • Reason: There are limited new features: • Evidence: article called “Don’t Ditch Your i. Phone 6” on Cell. Phone. Insider. com, written by Brian Sloan: “ 96% of the i. Phone 7’s features are exactly the same as the i. Phone 6” 1: Context/Introduction to Quote 2. Integrate Quote Into Your Own Sentence 3. Cite Correctly 4. Analysis