Evaluating Sources and Evidence for Argumentative Writing — Answers
Answer sheet with model answers and success criteria for the 8th Grade persuasive writing worksheet.
Success TutoringWorksheetsAnswer sheet8th Grade · English · Persuasive WritingEvaluating Sources and Evidence for Argumentative Writing — Answers
Part A: Judge the sources
Ask about each source: Who made it? Why (to inform, to sell, to vent)? Are they an expert? Is it current? Does it show its evidence? Read the sources, then answer.
Claim: Our city should build protected bike lanes on Main Street.
*The sources below are made up for practice.*
Source A: A report by the city's transportation department that found crashes involving cyclists on Main Street increased over the past five years. It explains how the data were collected.
Source B: A post on a personal social media account that says, "Bike lanes are a total waste. Nobody bikes here anyway!" with no evidence.
Source C: An advertisement from a company that sells bike-lane barriers, saying its product "makes any street 100% safe."
Source D: A recent article in a newspaper that interviews local cyclists, business owners, and a traffic engineer, and names its sources.
Source E: A 25-year-old pamphlet about bicycle safety from another country.
- ASource A
- BSource B
- CSource C
- DSource E
Answer: Source A
It comes from an official department, focuses on this street, uses data, and explains its methods.
- AIt is too long.
- BThe company profits if people believe it, and "100% safe" is an overstated claim.
- CIt is about bikes.
- DIt names its sources.
Answer: The company profits if people believe it, and "100% safe" is an overstated claim.
A source that sells a product has a reason to be biased, and no street can be made perfectly safe.
- AIt gives an opinion with no evidence and makes a sweeping generalization ("Nobody bikes here").
- BIt is from the transportation department.
- CIt is too recent.
- DIt includes interviews.
Answer: It gives an opinion with no evidence and makes a sweeping generalization ("Nobody bikes here").
Opinions without evidence, and words like nobody, everyone, and always, are warning signs.
- AIt is from an expert.
- BIt is out of date and about another place, so it may not apply to this city today.
- CIt includes too much data.
- DIt is a newspaper article.
Answer: It is out of date and about another place, so it may not apply to this city today.
Evidence should be current and relevant to the situation being argued about.
Answer: It is recent; it names its sources; it includes several viewpoints, including an expert (a traffic engineer).
- Any two of: recent, names its sources, includes several viewpoints, includes an expert, is local.
Part B: Strong, relevant, and sufficient
Strong evidence is accurate and specific. Relevant evidence connects directly to the claim. Sufficient evidence is enough to prove the point.
- AMy friend almost got hit by a car once.
- BData showing how many crashes involving cyclists happened on Main Street, along with studies of what happened on similar streets after protected lanes were added.
- CBike lanes look nice.
- DEveryone knows bike lanes are safer.
Answer: Data showing how many crashes involving cyclists happened on Main Street, along with studies of what happened on similar streets after protected lanes were added.
It combines local data with comparable examples. An anecdote, an opinion, or "everyone knows" is weak evidence.
- AThe evidence is not relevant.
- BThe evidence is not sufficient: one example cannot show a pattern.
- CThe source is biased.
- DThe evidence is too recent.
Answer: The evidence is not sufficient: one example cannot show a pattern.
Sufficient evidence means enough to support the claim. One story may be vivid, but it does not prove a trend.
- AProtected bike lanes can reduce some types of crashes.
- BProtected bike lanes will end all traffic accidents forever.
- CSeveral cities have added protected bike lanes.
- DSome drivers worry about losing parking.
Answer: Protected bike lanes will end all traffic accidents forever.
Words like all and forever claim more than any evidence can support.
Part C: Integrate the evidence
Introduce evidence with a signal phrase (According to…, In a report by…, As … explains), give the evidence, then explain how it supports your claim.
- ACrashes. Source A says there were many.
- BAccording to a five-year report by the city's transportation department, crashes involving cyclists on Main Street have increased, which shows that the current design is not keeping riders safe.
- CHere is a quote: "crashes."
- DI read something about crashes once.
Answer: According to a five-year report by the city's transportation department, crashes involving cyclists on Main Street have increased, which shows that the current design is not keeping riders safe.
It names the source with a signal phrase, gives the evidence, and explains what it shows.
Answer: In a recent newspaper article, a traffic engineer explained that physical barriers keep cars from drifting into bike lanes. This suggests that protected lanes would give cyclists on Main Street a safer space than paint alone.
- Any answer that names the source (signal phrase) and explains how the evidence supports the claim is correct.
Part D: Your turn
Model answer: Protected bike lanes would make Main Street safer for everyone who uses it. According to a five-year report by the city's transportation department, crashes involving cyclists on Main Street increased over the past five years. This data shows that the current street design is not protecting riders. In addition, a recent newspaper article quoted a traffic engineer who explained that physical barriers keep cars from drifting into bike lanes. If barriers separate cyclists from traffic, drivers and riders are less likely to collide. Together, this evidence shows that protected lanes are a practical way to reduce danger on Main Street.
Success criteria:
- A topic sentence that supports the claim
- Evidence from two credible sources (A and D)
- Each piece of evidence introduced with a signal phrase
- Each piece of evidence explained and connected to the claim
- No biased, outdated, or unsupported sources; no invented statistics
- A formal, objective tone
Marking tips
- Give credit for correct method even when the final answer slips — the working shows where the thinking went right.
- For open-ended tasks, use the success criteria as a checklist rather than looking for one "right" answer.
- Celebrate what went well first, then pick one thing to work on next.