SF1 - Lesson: Developing Arguments About Texts - Evidence

Developing Arguments About Texts - Evidence

Be sure that you have downloaded a copy of the FRQ Rubrics from AP Central Links to an external site..

There are 4 possible evidence points; this module will just focus on earning the first 2. At this point, please continue watching the video, focusing on the second half (from 8:15 on) for an in-depth explanation of thesis statements as related to the rubric and page 4 of the College Board rubrics.

The above video is used courtesy of the Advanced Placement YouTube channel.

How to Develop the Evidence Points (0-2)

For the upcoming paragraphs, the following will apply.

0 - No evidence
1 - The author summarizes evidence from the text, but there is no connection to a thesis. It’s essentially well-summarized random evidence.
2 - The author presents a specific piece of evidence and then directly connects it back to the thesis.

Practicing the Evidence Points

For this practice activity, there are three paragraphs of the same length. Each one has a different score from 1-3. Can you accurately grade each response? Read each paragraph carefully (read all three tabs) then write out your score in your notes, with a brief explanation defending the scoring. When you are done, scroll past the paragraphs to read a sample scoring of each paragraph.

In Kate Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour,” Mrs. Mallard is characterized as a woman with equivocating feelings about her marriage. Initially she conforms to a stereotypical feminine reaction to her husband’s death, but as the passage continues, she comes to the realization that she is happier without her husband. The process of her realization that she might not have loved her husband may be summarized with the sentence “And yet she had loved him—sometimes.” The qualifying word “sometimes” emphasized with the dash challenges the notion that she had loved him. By including the dash and its pause, the narrator draws emphasis to the process that she goes through as she realizes that her marriage was not completely ideal. Her next realization that she is “Free! Body and soul free!” furthers this realization and the repetition of the word free serves to show that she has gone from stereotypically assuming the role of 19th century wife, to that of a liberated woman who will prefer to live without her husband.

In Kate Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour,” Mrs. Mallard is characterized as a woman with equivocating feelings about her marriage. Initially she conforms to a stereotypical feminine reaction to her husband’s death, but as the passage continues, she comes to the realization that she is happier without her husband. The story starts with Mrs. Mallard being described as having “a heart trouble” so that “great care” is taken to tell her about her husband’s death. When she finds out about his death, “she wept at once,” and then retreats to her room. In her room she has a growing awareness of that she is now “Free, free, free!” and even seems to enjoy the fact that she will have several years without her husband: “he opened and spread her arms out to them [years] in welcome.” The passage then ends with the surprise return of her husband, which causes her to die of “joy that kills.”

In the “Story of an Hour,” Kate Chopin uses imagery and repetition to display the complexity of the character, Mrs. Mallard, and her relationship with her husband. The story starts with Mrs. Mallard being described as having “a heart trouble” so that “great care” is taken to tell her about her husband’s death. When she finds out about his death, “she wept at once,” and then retreats to her room. In her room she has a growing awareness that she is now “Free, free, free!” and even seems to enjoy the fact that she will have several years without her husband: “he opened and spread her arms out to them [years] in welcome.” The passage then ends with the surprise return of her husband, which causes her to die of “joy that kills.”

Sample Scoring

**Sample Scoring with Explanation**
Response 1 Scoring	Response 2 Scoring	Response 3 Scoring
Thesis: 1 point. There is a defensible claim with “woman with equivocating feelings” and is further developed with the next sentence about the conflict between “stereotypical feminine reaction,” versus “being happier without her husband.” Evidence: 2 points. There is specific textual evidence given with “And yet she had loved him—sometimes” and “Free! Body and soul free!” So the first evidence point is awarded. There is also sufficient commentary provided about how this evidence supports the thesis statement. In fact, you should note that over 70% of this essay is commentary and that the actual directly quoted evidence is only a small (but very necessary) part of the response. Score = 3	Thesis: 1 point. There is a defensible claim with “woman with equivocating feelings” and is further developed with the next sentence about the conflict between “stereotypical feminine reaction,” versus “being happier without her husband.” Evidence: 1 point. There are several well-integrated quotes in this paragraph, but they are a summary of the story rather than an analysis of a thesis statement. Each example is given without any explanation of how it refers back to the overall thesis statement, and the reader is left to decide for herself how the evidence supports the main idea. Score = 2	Thesis: 0 points. There is no defensible claim. The opening sentence does mention two literary devices (imagery and repetition) but never explains how these devices create a complex understanding of Mrs. Mallard. The second half of the sentence merely re-states the prompt. Evidence: 1 points. There are several well-integrated quotes in this paragraph, but they are a summary of the story rather than an analysis of a thesis statement. Each example is given without any explanation of how it refers back to the overall thesis statement, and the reader is left to decide for herself how the evidence supports the main idea. Score = 1

Reflection

The AP Rubrics are very specific about what constitutes an effective thesis statement and how supporting evidence must relate back to the thesis statement. Having a defensible claim is the foundation of a quality essay because it helps the student select relevant evidence to support their analysis.

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