Evaluating Debate Sources
Source: Should Schools Be Done With Homework?
Topic:
Position: against
Claim 1: too much homework
increase stress
Evidence Supporting Claim 1:In
April, Denise Pope, a researcher at
Stanford University, found that too
much homework can negatively affect
kids by increasing stress and sleep
deprivation and generally leaving less
time for family, friends, and activities.
Evidence Supporting Claim 2: Six
hours of academics is enough—except
on those occasions when teachers can
show strong reason to infringe on
family time and make these particular
students do more of this particular
schoolwork.”
Claim 2: Students already spend
enough time in school
Claim 3: They don’t want kids to
be unfairly penalized.
Evidence Supporting Claim 3:
“We don’t want kids to be unfairly
penalized for their work because they
don’t have the resources or support
they need at home,” explained Randy
Clark, Fentress County Schools’
Curriculum and Instruction
Supervisor. “Our new motto for
assignments is ‘review and preview.”
Evaluation
Ask Yourself:
1. How convincing is the writer’s
argument?
2. Does his/her evidence come
from credible and
trustworthy sources?
3. Is the author’s evidence
relevant?
4. Does the author provide a
sufficient amount, or enough,
evidence?
Answer:
1. – N/A
2. –yes
3. –yes
4. –yes
5. -yes
Evaluating Debate Sources
5. Does the writer interpret
the evidence in a way that
makes sense?
Ask Yourself:
1. How convincing is the
writer’s overall argument, or
opinion writing?
2. Do you feel that the writer
accomplishes his/her goal for
writing this argument?
3. Did the writer accomplish his
or her purpose?
Answer:
1. –N/A
2. –N/A
3. -N/A