Selecting and
Framing Evidence
TIP OF THE DAY: YOU WANT TO TAKE
NOTES ON THIS STUFF…
WHICH MEANS TAKING OUT YOUR
NOTEBOOK AND A WRITING UTENSIL IF YOU
HAVEN’T DONE SO ALREADY
ENGLISH 101
FALL 2011
What is going on in this picture?
 Where is this happening?
 When is this happening?
 Why is this happening?
 What information do we
still need?
 Is this a good trip or a
bad trip?
Do you think the sailors are having a bad day?
Frames determine
what is seen and
unseen.
As writers, you are in control of how evidence is framed.
 What do you want to
emphasize?
 What should be left out?
 What can you leave out
while still being an
ethical writer?
Is there anything
wrong with this
caption?
Fresh fish from the sea caught daily
Your angle of vision will help determine how you
frame evidence.
 It’s like looking through
a peep hole or camera
lens.
 As a writer, “you
maximize the reader’s
focus on some data,
minimize the reader’s
focus on other data, and
otherwise [guide] the
reader’s vision and
response” (96).
What influences your angle of vision?
 Age
 Marital status
 Gender
 Cultural or ethnic
background
 Class
 Education level
 Personal history
Selecting and framing evidence are two ways to
use logos to create an angle of vision.
 What is logos again?
 “focuses attention on the quality of the message—that is, on
the internal consistency and clarity of the argument itself and
on the logic of its reasons and support” (62)
 How do you think logos affects the quality of a message?
 Why do you think logos is connected to “selecting
and framing evidence?”
Let’s practice creating an angle of vision by
selecting evidence.
 Turn to page 96 in your textbook.
 Your task as a group is to compose a short speech either
in favor of or in opposition to a city ordinance to ban
mosh pits. I will assign each group a position (for or
against). You have ten minutes to complete this task.

Use the provided list of evidence on pages 96-97 to compose your
speech.
 Group Roles:




Timekeeper: Make sure your group manages its time.
Scribe: Take notes on behalf of the group.
Whip: Make sure your group stays on task.
Orator: You will present the finished speech to the class.
There are different ways to effectively frame
evidence.
 Controlling the space given to supporting versus contrary
evidence.

When composing your speeches, did you choose to use more
evidence to support your position or to refute it? Why?
 Emphasizing a detailed story versus presenting lots of
facts and statistics.

When might we privilege one strategy over the other?
 Providing contextual and interpretive comments when
presenting data.

Can the data speak for itself?
 Putting contrary evidence in subordinate positions

Some subordinate conjunctions: although, even though, rather than,
though, whereas, while
How does Leonhardt frame evidence?
 Pull out your copy of
 Controlling the space given
Leonhardt’s editorial.
 Read through it
individually and mark
where he presents evidence
and how it is framed. (5
minutes)
 Compare your findings
with your group mates and
then be prepared to share
them with the class.
to supporting versus
contrary evidence.
 Emphasizing a detailed
story versus presenting lots
of facts and statistics.
 Providing contextual and
interpretive comments
when presenting data.
 Putting contrary evidence
in subordinate positions.
Always think about how you frame statistics.
 As you watch this video,
 Turn to page 101 in your
note which statistics are
used:
 http://www.youtube.co
m/watch?v=Y7GGwg194
9A
 Why say 1 in 166?
 The odds of your child
being diagnosed with
autism? .06 %
textbook.
 Let’s come up with
different ways to frame
the evidence about the
ballpark.
Evidence is tied to logos.
 Evidence
Ethos
Logos
Pathos