Reasons vs. Evidence
Understanding the difference so we can organize our writing
The Challenge We're Facing
Let's clear up some confusion
We have all these details marked in our texts...
But how do we turn them into a well-organized letter?
REASONS
The BIG ideas
EVIDENCE
The specific details
What is a REASON?
The BIG idea that supports your opinion
A REASON is a big idea or claim that explains WHY you hold your opinion.
What is EVIDENCE?
The specific details from the text
EVIDENCE is a specific fact, detail, or example from the text that PROVES your reason is true.
Side by Side Comparison
See the difference clearly
Let's Try an Example
The Ethan example from yesterday
"Ethan never does his homework. He never does his classwork. And his desk is always messy."
When I told you those three things about Ethan, what conclusion did you come to?
What was I really telling you about Ethan?
💡 "Ethan is LAZY!"
That's the REASON — the big idea you figured out!
Breaking Down the Ethan Example
See how evidence leads to a reason
💡 REASON: Ethan is lazy
I gave you three specific pieces of EVIDENCE (behaviors I observed), and your brain automatically categorized them into one REASON (a conclusion about Ethan).
Think of it Like Buckets!
A helpful way to visualize this
Imagine each REASON is a bucket with a label on it.
Your EVIDENCE pieces are like balls that you need to sort into the right buckets.
Evidence that fits
Evidence that fits
Evidence that fits
Let's Practice Together
What's the reason?
All these details point to the same big idea about Maya.
What REASON (big idea) do these pieces of evidence support?
Maya Example - Answer
The evidence points to the reason
💡 REASON: Maya loves learning / Maya is a hard worker
"Maya is a hard worker. She reads during recess instead of playing. She always raises her hand to answer questions. She even asks for extra work when she finishes early."
See how the reason is the topic sentence, and the evidence proves it?
One More Practice
Now you're getting it!
If someone told you all these things about school lunch...
What REASON (big idea) would you conclude?
Lunch Example - Answer
Evidence → Reason
💡 REASON: School lunch is low quality / School lunch is bad
You just did what good writers do: you looked at specific details and figured out what big idea they all point to!
Now Let's Apply This to Pluto!
Using what we learned
You have details marked with P and C in your source texts.
Now you need to sort those details into "buckets" that match your reasons.
If you think the decision was CORRECT
Sort your P details into reasons that explain WHY it was the right call
If you think the decision was INCORRECT
Sort your C details into reasons that explain WHY it was the wrong call
Pluto Example: PRO
If you think the decision was CORRECT
Evidence from the texts (P details):
📋 Pluto is in the Kuiper Belt with other objects 📋 Pluto's orbit is tilted and crosses Neptune's 📋 Pluto hasn't cleared its orbital neighborhood💡 REASON: Pluto is too different from the other planets
In your letter: "The IAU made the right decision because Pluto is too different from the other planets. Unlike the eight planets, Pluto is in the Kuiper Belt with many similar objects. Its orbit is tilted and even crosses Neptune's path. Most importantly, Pluto hasn't cleared its orbital neighborhood like true planets have."
Pluto Example: CON
If you think the decision was INCORRECT
Evidence from the texts (C details):
📋 Only 500 of 10,000 astronomers voted 📋 304 scientists signed a petition against it 📋 Many couldn't vote because they weren't in the room💡 REASON: The voting process was unfair
In your letter: "The IAU made the wrong decision because the voting process was unfair. Only about 500 of the 10,000 IAU members actually voted on the new definition. Many astronomers couldn't vote because they weren't in the room when the vote happened. In fact, 304 scientists were so upset they signed a petition saying the process was flawed."
Now It's Your Turn!
Organize your evidence
• "If I put all these details together, what are they telling me?"
• "What bucket does this detail belong in?"
• "What's the big idea that all these details prove?"
Key Takeaway
Remember this!
EVIDENCE
Specific details from the text
REASON
The big idea they prove
Multiple pieces of EVIDENCE → One REASON
Just like: "never does homework + never does classwork + messy desk" → "Ethan is lazy"
Time to Organize!
Open your books and start sorting your evidence into reasons