Opinion Pieces and Methods of Proof
This unit is all about developing and supporting an opinion. There are different methods
you can use to support your opinion and make your opinion, but some are stronger than
others depending on your audience and purpose. Here are some methods of proof that
people use when trying to support an opinion:
Methods of Proof
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Historical reference: events from the past that support an idea;
Comparison;
Personal observation;
Logic and reason;
Quotations: must be knowledgeable source and relevant;
Authoritative reference: experts on the topic, must be recognized;
Facts: research, generally accepted truths, statistics;
Anecdotes: brief stories, incidents;
Analogy: comparison of similar concept that explains a more difficult idea;
Emotional appeal (must be used only to create a sympathetic reader: cannot
be excessive).
The following text combines a graphic text with a non-fiction text. When you’re reading
the written part of the text, determine what proofs the author is using.
Graphics like bar charts are used with written text because they can help clarify the
main idea of the writing. They also condense a large amount of information into a small
space. Charts can be tricky to read though, because we’re used to reading from left to
right and top to bottom. Charts don’t always work that way. When you’re reading the
chart, orient yourself to the chart by looking for the way the information is labeled. What
information do you get when you read from left to right? What information do you get
when you read from bottom to top?
Finally, think about how the chart and the writing support each other when it comes to
communicating the author’s main idea.
Before reading, think about what you already learned about access to education in the
previous activity.
Required Reading
Despite Progress - Millions Without Access to Education
by Felix Richter
Jan 30, 2015
Despite significant progress that has been made over the past decade, millions of
children around the world are still without access to proper education. In 2012, more
than 120 million children of primary school or lower secondary school age were not
enrolled in school, according to a recent report published by the UNESCO Institute for
Statistics. The problem is most severe in Sub-Saharan Africa where more than 50
million children don't go to school. Providing children in less developed regions with
access to basic education should be a top priority for the international community, as
education is almost universally regarded as the most reliable pathway out of poverty.
This chart shows how many children still have no access to education in different parts
of the world.
Richter, Felix. "Infographic: Despite Progress - Millions Without Access to
Education." Statista Infographics. 30 Jan. 2015. Web. 07 May 2016.
Assignment 1: Responding to Reading
Answer on a sheet of lined paper
1) What connections were you able to make between the article you read in the
previous activity and this one?
2) What are two types of proof that the author uses? Give specific examples from
the text.
3) What do the different colours on the chart represent?
4) What two age groups are represented on the chart?
5) How are the different regions (places in the world) grouped together?
6) There are only statistics for two years shown on this chart. What do you think the
author is trying to show by including information from these two different years?
7) Which region showed the least amount of growth in children attending lower level
secondary school?
8) For the bar labeled “Rest of the World” for 2012, you will see the numbers 7.2
and 7.4. What do these numbers represent?
Assignment 2: Using Methods of Proof to Support
an Opinion
The article in this activity states that “education is almost universally regarded as
the most reliable pathway out of poverty.” Do you agree that an education is the
best way for people to get out of poverty? Or do you think there are other factors
that might play a bigger role in helping someone get out of poverty? Before you
settle on an opinion, complete the following t-chart to explore both sides. You will
need to think of reasons for both sides of the issue before determining your
opinion.
Education is the best way for people to
get out of poverty.
Education does not guarantee a way for
people to get out of poverty.
Reasons:
Reasons:
My opinion is that…