Question

bellwork: claim, evidence, reasoning
instructions: complete part a (cer analysis) and part b (fact vs. opinion). enter answers in textbox below and turn in when finished.
part a: claim, evidence, & reasoning (cer) analysis
read the following scenario and answer the three questions below:
a teacher assigned an essay where the final grade was based 60% on content and 40% on grammar/spelling. a student, who received a b, complained, the grading scale is completely unfair because i had the best ideas in the class. the teacher should have weighted content 90%.

1. claim: what is the main assertion or conclusion the student is making about the situation?
2. evidence: what specific piece of information (data or context) did the student use to support their claim?
3. reasoning: what is the logical connection (the students assumed rule or logic) that links the evidence to their claim about unfairness?

part b: fact vs. opinion expansion
determine whether each statement below is a fact (f) or an opinion (o). briefly explain why in one short phrase (e.g., can be proven, expresses a belief).
statement f or o?

1. the chemical symbol for gold is au.
2. the speed of light in a vacuum is approximately 299,792,458 m/s
3. learning a second language is significantly more difficult for adults than for children.
4. the renaissance was the most important cultural period in european history.
5. a quadrilateral is a polygon with exactly four sides and four vertices.
6. spicy food tastes better than bland food.

Explanation:

Part A

1. The student is asserting that the grading scale is unfair.
2. The student uses the fact that they had the best ideas (content) in the class as evidence.
3. The reasoning is that since content (ideas) is more important (in the student's view), it should be weighted more (90% instead of 60%).

Part B

1. The chemical symbol for gold being Au is a fact. It can be proven from the periodic table.
2. The speed of light in a vacuum being approximately 299,792,458 m/s is a fact. It is a scientifically - measured and agreed - upon value.
3. The statement that learning a second language is more difficult for adults than for children is an opinion. It is a belief that may vary from person to person and is not an absolute, provable fact.
4. The claim that the Renaissance was the most important cultural period in European history is an opinion. The importance of a cultural period is subjective and depends on one's perspective.
5. A quadrilateral having a polygon with exactly four sides and four vertices is a fact. It is a defined geometric property.
6. The statement that spicy food tastes better than bland food is an opinion. Taste preferences are subjective.

Answer:

Part A

1. The grading scale is unfair.
2. The student had the best ideas (content) in the class.
3. Since content (ideas) is more important, it should be weighted more (90% instead of 60%).

Part B

1. F (Can be proven from the periodic table).
2. F (Scientifically - measured value).
3. O (Subjective belief about language learning difficulty).
4. O (Subjective view of cultural period importance).
5. F (Defined geometric property).
6. O (Subjective taste preference).