JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL
Module 15: RELIABILITY OF THE TEXT'S EVIDENCE
RELIABILITY OF THE TEXT'S EVIDENCE
Gain Attention:
Objectives:
.
At the end of this module, you should be able to:
a. Encounter different sources of information and evidence.
b. Identify if the source of evidence is reliable and credible.
c. Judge the validity of the evidence of a text.
Stimulate Recall of Prior Learning:
RELIABILITY OF THE TEXT'S EVIDENCE
A convincing argument can be made if we give our audience with evidence or research that supports our
arguments. In order to gather proof to back up your ideas, we must conduct thorough study before
writing our arguments.
In order to provide reliable information and persuade their readers, many authors draw on evidence from
a range of sources to strengthen their writings and support their arguments and ideas. Nevertheless, how
can you tell whether a source in a text is credible? What Qualifies an Information as True?
Even though the literary evidence is complex, this brief list will be enough for our purposes.
Keep in mind that you are not restricted to only quoting authors with whom you agree when you use
other writings (though this will be the most common use). Other texts may be used instead.
• as sources of evidence
JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL
Module 15: RELIABILITY OF THE TEXT'S EVIDENCE
• as objects of analysis
• as sources of data or information
• as authorities to support your claims
• as representatives of opposing points of view
ACTIVITIES
EXERCISE I. Identifying Bias
Suppose that while researching nutrition, you run across the following:
Vitamin A is an important nutrient. It is used to make rhodopsin, a pigment in our eyes. Thus,
Vitamin A is necessary for healthy vision. People can develop night blindness if they do not get enough
of it. Carrots are an excellent source of vitamin A. Carrots should be a part of your daily diet. At first,
this paragraph seems to offer good information. Would you be more skeptical if you learned that it was
written by people who grow carrots commercially? How would your opinion change? Explain your
answer below:1. The tone of the passage is
EXERCISE II. Read each paragraph; then, choose the best answer to the question
that follows to find out if you can identify bias.
New cars are not built as well as they used to be. Owners of new cars in 2002 had more
complaints about their automobiles than in past years. In fact, the recalling of new cars by their makers
is becoming a routine practice in America. Instead of insisting upon safe, well-designed products,
carmakers seem more concerned with throwing together shoddy automobiles and making a profit.
Invariably, new cars need parts replaced almost as soon as the warranty expires. Unfortunately, people
need transportation, so They continue to buy new automobiles.
1. The author shows bias against
a. new car owners
b. foreign car manufacturers
c. car repair shops
d. automobile manufacturers
JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL
Module 15: RELIABILITY OF THE TEXT'S EVIDENCE
Everyone who cooks should own a food processor. This marvelous invention is now being used
by over 12 million vegetarians, compared with only half that number a couple of years ago. Vegetarians
rarely have a weight problem since most vegetables are low in calories and contain little or no fat. They
do not suffer a build-up of cholesterol in the bloodstream as they grow older. Some doctors have
suggested a link between vegetarianism and longevity. As Americans become more health-conscious,
vegetarianism will certainly become more popular.
2. The author show bias for
a. eating more vegetables
b. avoiding cholesterol
c. eating “health foods”
d. becoming a vegetarian
America is certainly a strong military power; it now has the nuclear power to destroy the entire
world. We are not the only country that has this capacity. The threat of nuclear war affects all of us.
3. The author seems biased against
a. American military power
b. other countries
c. nuclear arms
d. the world.
An independent insurance agent works directly for you, not for a large, anonymous organization.
The agent must provide you with the best policy at the lowest price if he is to remain in business. The
agent’s job is to help you find a policy that suits your needs. This may cover your life, health, home, or
automobile. Independent insurance agents are free to recommend the best policy, regardless of which
insurance company provides it.
4. The author show bias in favor of
a. using an independent insurance agent
b. selecting an insurance policy on your own
c. avoiding low-cost insurance policies
d. buying insurance from a well-known company
The entire so-called science of parapsychology is simply a clever fraud. The attention of
parapsychologists is focused on false claims that fall outside the bounds of normal human experience,
including extrasensory perception. These parapsychologists know about as much about real science as
the town drunk. In truth, their experiments have been shown to be impossible to replicate, which is a
fundamental qualification for a science.
5. The author shows bias against
a. scientists
b. experimentation
c. parapsychologists
d. the town drunk
JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL
Module 15: RELIABILITY OF THE TEXT'S EVIDENCE
EXERCISE III. Detecting Bias
Three of the many possible sources of bias are listed below. Try matching these sources with the
paragraphs that follow. There may be more than one answer.
A. The writer has received incomplete information.
B. The writer is trying to influence or convince the reader.
C. The writer’s past experience is influencing his or her thinking.
1. The pollution in our river is caused by the big factory upstream. The people who own the factory are
only interested in making money. They don’t care about the environment at all. I heard about them from
my friend Barry, and he knows what he’s talking about.
2. Every morning, my grandfather’s rooster crows when it is still dark. About five minutes later, the sun
came up. I don’t know how it works, but my grandfather’s rooster is responsible for the sunrise!
3. On the Internet, I learned about a place where aliens have secretly landed a spaceship on Earth. They’re
going to take over the world, and when they do, they’ll put all of the redheaded people like me in charge.
You’d better be nice to me!
4. Our new science textbook will be terrific! I have used other textbooks by the same company, and they
are always well-written and accurate. One of the teachers at our school says this is the best textbook she’s
ever used.
ACTIVITY
For items 1-5, identify the type of bias or prejudice in the excerpt with the items labelled in numbers and
statements presented in italics. Look for your answers on the box provided below. Write your answers on
the box provided after the excerpt.
JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL
Module 15: RELIABILITY OF THE TEXT'S EVIDENCE
A. ageism
B. confirmation bias
E. negative bias F. social class prejudice
C. framing
D. lifestyle choice prejudice
___1 "Christmas won't be Christmas without any presents," grumbled Jo, lying on the rug.
___2 "It's so dreadful to be poor!" sighed Meg, looking down at her old dress.
___3 "I don't think it's fair for some girls to have plenty of pretty things, and other girls
nothing at all," added little Amy, with an injured sniff.
___4 "We've got Father and Mother and each other," said Beth contentedly from her
corner.
___5 The four young faces on which the firelight shone brightened at the cheerful words,
but darkened again as Jo said sadly, "We haven't got Father, and shall not have him
for a long time." She didn't say "perhaps never," but each silently added it, thinking of
Father far away, where the fighting was.
References
https://www.mdc.edu/kendall/collegeprep/documents2/BIASrev819.pdf
https://www.gpisd.org/cms/lib01/TX01001872/Centricity/Domain/2148/Week%209.pdf
https://www.ccsdut.org/site/handlers/filedownload.ashx?moduleinstanceid=300&dataid=1182&FileNam
e=bias_worksheet.pdf
https://www.utsc.utoronto.ca/twc/sites/utsc.utoronto.ca.twc/files/resource- files/CriticalReading.pdf
Writing on History (2021). Retrieved February 27, 2021 from
https://qcpages.qc.cuny.edu/writing/history/critical/bias.html
BBC Bitesize (2021). Retrieved February 27, 2021 from
https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/zcb42hv/revision/1
Thinking for dummies: A story of cognitive bias and things we can (more or less) contro.
LinkedIn. Retrieved March 2, 2021 from https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/thinking-dummies- storycognitive-bias-things-we-can-morecoupeau#:~:text=A%20cognitive%20bias%20is%20a,trying%20to%20simplify%20inform tion
%20processing.
Austen, J. (2006). Pride and Prejudice. Penguin Random House: Canada. Retrieved March 2, 2021 from
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.ca/books/286387/pride-and-prejudice-by-janeausten/9780141040349/excerpt#:~:text=%22My%20dear%2C%20you%20flatter%20me,much%20beau
ty%20to%20think%20of.%22