11

Reading and Writing

Activity Sheet
Quarter 2 – MELC 4
Determining Textual Evidence to
Validate Assertions and Counterclaims

REGION VI – WESTERN VISAYAS

Reading and Writing (Grade 11)
Activity Sheet No. 4
First Edition, 2020

Published in the Philippines

By the Department of Education
Region 6 – Western Visayas

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Development Team of Reading and Writing Learning Activity Sheet

Writer: ARVEE MAE M. ZAMORA

Editors: Gracelle V. Gapit, Eric G. Buenafe, Melva C. Barranco
Layout Artist: Arvee Mae M. Zamora

Schools Division Quality Assurance Team:

Arnaldo R. Tuga, EPS-English
Leila G. Valencia, EPS-LR
Jezereel Grace G. Tiron
Bernie P. Alcedo
Division of Iloilo City Management Team:
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Ernesto F. Servillon Jr., ASDS
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Leila G. Valencia, EPS-LR
Arnaldo R. Tuga, EPS-English
Regional Management Team:
Ma. Gemma M. Ledesma
Dr. Josilyn S. Solana
Dr. Elena P. Gonzaga
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Introductory Message
Welcome to Reading and Writing!

The Learning Activity Sheet is a product of the collaborative efforts of the

Schools Division of Iloilo City and DepEd Regional Office VI - Western Visayas
through the Curriculum and Learning Management Division (CLMD). This is
developed to guide the learning facilitators (teachers, parents, and responsible
adults) in helping the learners meet the standards set by the K to 12 Basic Education
Curriculum.

The Learning Activity Sheet is self-directed instructional materials aimed to

guide the learners in accomplishing activities at their own pace and time using the
contextualized resources in the community. This will also assist the learners in
acquiring the lifelong learning skills, knowledge and attitudes for productivity and
employment.

For learning facilitator:

The Reading and Writing Learning Activity Sheet will help you facilitate the
teaching-learning activities specified in each Most Essential Learning Competency
(MELC) with minimal or no face-to-face encounter between you and learner. This will
be made available to the learners with the references/links to ease the independent
learning.

For the learner:

The Reading and Writing Learning Activity Sheet is developed to help you
continue learning even if you are not in school. This learning material provides you
with meaningful and engaging activities for independent learning. Being an active
learner, carefully read and understand the instructions then perform the activities and
answer the assessments. This will be returned to your facilitator on the agreed
schedule.
 Quarter 2, Week 4

Learning Activity Sheets (LAS) for Reading and Writing

Name of Learner: _____________________ Grade and Section: __________________

Date: ______________________________

READING AND WRITING LEARNING ACTIVITY SHEET

Determining Textual Evidence to Validate Assertions and Counterclaims

I. Learning Competency (MELC)

Determine textual evidence to validate assertions and counterclaims made about
a text read

II. Background Information for Learners

Textual Evidence is evidence a writer needs to support the thesis of a written

document. You need to be specific about the source of this evidence found in your
written text. The reader can verify the evidence if you cite page numbers and other
information together with it. You should also directly state the importance of this
evidence and what it proves to strengthen your thesis or your claim.

Some textual evidence examples are:

 Direct quotations from a book or other text source

 Accurate summaries of what happened or was said in the text
 Larger passages that relate directly to the thesis of your essay
 Paraphrases of what the author says in the text

Assertion is an emphatic declaration by a speaker or writer. It is not

necessarily based on facts, but the person making the assertion firmly believes in it
even without any proof or support. The purpose of this is to directly convey insights or
emotions.

Types of Assertion

There are five types of assertion: basic, emphatic, escalating, I-language, and
positive.

1. A basic assertion is one’s belief, feeling, opinion, or preference expressed

through a straightforward statement. For example, “I would like to finish writing
this article first before we go out for coffee.” or “I would like you to listen to my
explanation before you make your conclusion.”

2. An emphatic assertion occurs when the speaker recognizes and sympathizes

with the other person’s position or feelings. This acknowledgement is then
followed by a statement that conveys the speaker’s own beliefs. For example, “I
understand this is not easy, but we have to get through this with our sanity
intact.”
 3. An escalating assertion occurs when the speaker or writer does not receive a
response to the first assertion, so they become more forceful with the second
and the succeeding assertions. For example, “If you keep insisting what you
want, I will have to cut ties with you.”

4. I-language assertions are often used in conflicts and misunderstandings with

another person to calm the tension and lighten the situation. As the term’s
name indicates, these statements rely on the first-person pronoun I. An I-
language assertion requires the speaker to describe how the other person
behaves and its effect on the speaker, a description of the speaker’s feelings,
and a statement indicating what the speaker wants. For example, “When you
do not tell me what is bothering you, I feel hurt because I feel as if you were
pushing me away or you did not trust me. Therefore, I would appreciate it if you
open up to me after you have taken some space to sort your thoughts out.”

5. Positive assertions occur when speakers assert positive feelings about

themselves or others like giving compliments. For example, “My painting has
inspired a lot of people.” or “You used an amazing strategy in getting the
attention of your learners.”

Claim is a statement that a writer presents to substantiate an argument. A

claim may function as a single argument by itself, or it may be one of multiple claims
made to support a larger argument.

Counterclaim (also called “counterargument”) is the argument (or one of the

arguments) which opposes the thesis statement. This paragraph is where the writer
discusses the opposing side's viewpoint and explains why it is weak or invalid.  A
counterclaim and rebuttal paragraph shows that the writer has examined both sides of
the issue, which strengthens his/her position..

Example of a Counterclaim:

On the other hand, some people say that rock music contains lyrics that are both
provocative and rebellious. This point of view makes sense because in the article, it
states that one form of rock music, punk rock, concentrates purely on antisocial subjects
as a basis for its songs.

However, rock music itself is not enough to make a teenager rebel against
society because the article also says that the average teenager does not take it
seriously and concentrates more on the musical value of the songs rather than the inner
meaning of the lyrics. Therefore, even though lyrics in rock and roll music show hints of anarchy
and social rebellion, it is not a threat to society. 

Phrases to introduce the counterclaim:

On the other hand, Some people say, Admittedly, Some people say, Certainly,
Some people say

Phrases to address the original claim:

However, Nevertheless, On the other hand

Phrases to conclude the paragraph:

Thus, Therefore, As a result
III. Accompanying DepEd Textbook and Educational Sites

Definition of “Assertion” and Types of Assertion-

https://www.supersummary.com/assertion/
https://www.lexico.com/definition/assertion

Definition of “Claim”-
https://www.supersummary.com/claim/
https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/argument/#:~:text=
Types of claims-
https://courses.lumenlearning.com/suny-esc-wm-
englishcomposition1/chapter/types-of-claims/
“Academic Reading and Writing for Senior High School”
by Jessie S. Barrot, Ph.D.
Definition of “counterclaim”-
https://kmslmc.weebly.com/counterclaim--- argumentative-essay.html#
https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/argument/#:~:text=
Definition of “claim” for “Assertion vs. Claim”
https://literarydevices.net/claim/
Definition of “textual evidence”-
https://www.princetontutoring.com/blog/2013/11/purposeful_and_specific_tex
tual_evidence/#:~:text=
https://examples.yourdictionary.com/types-of-evidence-to-use-in-writing-and-
essays.html
Slow Down and Eat Better-
https://guides.skylinecollege.edu/ld.php?content_id=17127871
Counterargument Paragraph- https://www.coursehero.com/file/45824763/Sample-
Counterargument-Paragraphpdf/
Food image- https://thehealthydiet.org/healthy-diet-food/fast-food-vs-healthy-food-
surprising-facts-people-know/
Media image- https://www.slideshare.net/rubenjezarryborja/4-types-of-media

IV. Activity Proper

Exercise 1

Read the following text and determine the textual evidence in the text by
answering the questions that follow. Write in a paragraph form.

Slow Down and Eat Better (by Amy Zhang)

(Paragraph 1)
If you drive on any highway in the United States, you’ll find fast-food
restaurants at every exit and service area. If you walk through any supermarket, you’ll
see prepared foods that say “make it in minutes” and “ready to serve.” According to an
article by James Bone on the Times Online Web site, only one- third of Americans cook
meals from scratch, meaning with fresh ingredients. Bone also writes that Americans
spend only thirty minutes cooking dinner, compared with 2½ hours in the 1960s. And in
his book Fast Food Nation, Eric Schlosser claims that one-quarter of Americans eat in a
fast-food restaurant each day. Why are Americans eating so much fast food? The
answer is simple: speed is more important than quality. While Americans may be
attracted to food that is fast and easy, they are missing the benefits of slowing down. In
fact, Americans’ obsession with fast food is hurting not only their health but also the
quality of their lives.
(Paragraph 2)
The main reason that Americans are getting takeout food and heating
prepared meals is obvious: they do not have enough time. In more than two-thirds of
families in the United States, two people are working (Bone). People with demanding
work schedules have little time for food shopping and cooking.
(Paragraph 3)
Another reason that mealtime has become so short is that many
younger adults grew up in a fast-food culture. In the past fifteen years, cell phones, the
Internet, and e-mail have increased the speed of everyday communication. At the same
time, microwave ovens, drive-through restaurants, and frozen dinners have changed the
way Americans eat. Many people now like to eat quickly, even in their cars or in front of
the television, instead of taking time to cook a meal and sit at the table. In this culture of
instant gratification, people don’t think food is important enough to spend much time on.
(Paragraph 4)
Even though Americans think that they are saving time and improving
their lives by eating precooked and prepackaged food, their obsession with fast food is
causing the quality of their lives to go down. First, their health is suffering. As most
people know, fast foods and frozen meals are generally less healthy than foods made at
home. They have lots of preservatives, fat, sugar, and salt to hide the fact that they are
not fresh. If people do not eat fresh foods that provide vitamins and minerals, they may
become tired and sick, and they may miss out on opportunities to enjoy their lives.
(Paragraph 5)
Another serious health problem is obesity. There is an obesity epidemic
in the United States today, especially with young people, and it is related to the way
people are eating. According to Schlosser, “The rate of obesity among American
children is twice as high as it was in the late 1970s” (240). Obesity can lead to many
health problems, including diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. The United States
Department of Health and Human Services notes that “deaths due to poor diet and
physical inactivity increased 33 percent” in the 1990s, and it cites a study that
concluded that “poor diet and physical inactivity may soon overtake tobacco as the
leading cause of death” in the United States. If fast food causes people to become
obese, and then obesity causes them to get sick or die, fast food cannot be considered
an “improvement” in Americans’ lives.
(Paragraph 6)
In addition to causing health problems, fast food hurts people’s
relationships with their friends and families. In an online interview, John Robbins, author
of Diet for a New America and The Food Revolution, comments on the importance of
mealtime:
“Throughout history, eating has been a way of bringing people together.
It’s how parents stay in touch with what’s going on in their kids’ lives. When
people break bread together, it’s an act of peacemaking, an act of good will.
Dining together can be a deep biological and sacred experience. When
we eat, we are connected to all of life. It’s a phenomenon found in every culture
in the world, except ours. I see the McDonaldization of our food supply as the
annihilation of our true relationship to life.” (qtd. in Lee)
(Paragraph 7)
While most Americans will not be able to cook full, fresh meals every
day, they can begin to improve the quality of their lives by buying fresh foods when they
can and by cooking fresh food at least sometimes. For example, people can shop at the
farmers’ market for fresh local produce instead of buying canned or frozen vegetables.
They will have a chance to buy foods with more nutrients at the same time that they get
to know people in their community.
(Paragraph 8)
Also, if people slow down to make food with their friends or family, they
can enjoy the benefits of good nutrition while they are building stronger relationships. An
organization called Slow Food, which describes itself as “an international organization
whose aim is to protect the pleasures of the table from the homogenization of modern
fast food and life,” encourages readers of its Web site to make pasta from scratch once
in a while. Friends and family can cook meals together, so one person isn’t doing all the
work. And people can try to cook family recipes from their parents or grandparents.
(Paragraph 9)
Even though Americans may think they are saving time and improving
their lives by eating fast food, they will actually have healthier and more enjoyable lives
if they change the way they cook and eat. Making dinner from scratch is much healthier
than getting burgers and fries from a fast-food restaurant. And people get more than just
a full stomach—they get more time with family and friends and a good feeling from
creating something healthy.

Guide Questions:

1. State the author’s claim about fast food in the opening paragraph.
2. In what paragraph did the author defend her stand about Americans “not having
time”? How did she defend it?
3. What counterclaim is mentioned by the author? What evidence did she provide to
justify her stand about fast food being unhealthy? Did she give any statistical data?
4. In the long quotation, write the sentences that help the author justify her claim about
fast food and its connection to people’s relationships?
5. Write the assertions the author made about fast food in relation to people’s quality of
life based on the conclusion?

Exercise 2

Read the following text and determine the textual evidence by answering the
questions in a paragraph form. Write your answer on your answer sheet.

(Paragraph 1)
Some scholars and researchers claim that there
are negative impacts of technology on a child’s developing mind. According to one
research study, scholars claimed that “moderate evidence also suggests that early
exposure to purely entertainment content, and media violence in particular, is negatively
associated with cognitive skills and academic achievement” (Kirkorian, Waltella, &
Anderson, 2008, p. 8).
(Paragraph 2)
Although there is validity to the presented argument, this theory
excludes educationally driven programming, some of which is specifically designed to
educate children beyond what they might experience by age-appropriate schooling
alone. There is incredible value in formal education and the public school system;
however, classroom modalities are not the only way children learn about the world
around them.
 (Paragraph 3)
Educational stimuli can come in the form of direct contact with a teacher,
reading a book, or by watching a program. For example, a student learning about the
number three can find value in hearing a teacher explain mathematical values of the
number, by reading a book which illustrates a visual example of the number, and by
watching a program with a catchy song about the number three. In his eBook
Children's Learning From Educational Television: Sesame Street and Beyond, Fisch
(2004) described how some television programs are types of informal education, “much
like educational activities that children find in magazines, museums, or after-school
programs” (p. 9).
(Paragraph 4)
While a good deal of education takes place in the classroom, television
can be used to supplement the academic experience of a student. When presented in
an informal and entertaining way, this supplemental material can help students become
more engaged in topics, and more willing to delve into deeper consideration of
concepts. Early learners may also be introduced to subject matter that is not typically
introduced until later phases of formal schooling, if at all (Fisch, 2004).
(Paragraph 5)
Children and adolescents may also find value in television news
programming which provides information on current events, such as Nickelodeon
network’s program titled Nick News. This show detailed topical information, such as
politics and environmental issues, in an entertaining televised format which was geared
to children and adolescents (Fisch, 2004). With all this considered, television and other
forms of technology should not be dismissed as petty entertainment; the potential to
present educational information in this medium is possibly immeasurable.

Guide Questions:

1. Identify the counterclaim/counterargument mentioned by the author in the paragraph.

2. How did the author respond to the counterargument?
3. What example and evidence from research did the writer provide that showed the
opposing argument was incomplete and not considering alternatives?
4. What other evidences were provided to show that the writer’s argument was stronger
than the counterargument?

Rubrics for the Paragraph

Areas of Expert Accomplished Capable Beginner

Assessment (9-10 pts.) (7-8 pts.) (5-6 pts.) (3-4 pts.)
Ideas Presents ideas Presents ideas Ideas are too Ideas are vague
in an original in a consistent general or unclear
manner manner
Organization Strong and Organized Some No organization;
organized beg/mid/end organization; lack
beg/mid/end attempt at a beg/mid/end
beg/mid/end
Understanding Writing shows Writing shows Writing shows Writing shows
strong clear adequate little
understanding understanding understanding understanding
Word Choice Sophisticated Nouns and verbs Needs more Little or no use
use of nouns make essay nouns and verbs of nouns and
and verbs make informative verbs
the essay very
informative
Sentence Sentence Sentence Sentence No sense of
Structure structure structure is structure is sentence
enhances evident; limited; structure or flow
meaning; flows sentences sentences need
 throughout the mostly flow to flow
piece
Mechanics Few (if any) Few errors Several errors Numerous
errors errors

REMEMBER:

Textual evidence is evidence, gathered from the original source or other texts, that
supports an argument or thesis. Such evidence can be found in the form of a
quotation, paraphrased material, and descriptions of the text.
Assertion is a confident and factual statement of fact or belief. Claim is the “thesis
statement” in an argument, backed up by evidence that supports it. Counterclaim
or counterargument is what someone who disagrees with your position might have
to say about your argument.

V. Reflection

1. What insights have you learned from this activity?

______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________

2. What is the most difficult part of the lesson for you? Do you think you will be able to
make improvements regarding this as you continue in your Reading and Writing
journey?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
VI. Answer Key

Exercise 1.

1. State the author’s claim about fast food in the opening paragraph.

POSSIBLE ANSWER: Americans’ obsession with fast food is hurting not only
their health but also the quality of their lives.

2. In what paragraph did the author defend her stand about Americans “not
having time”? How did she defend it?

POSSIBLE ANSWER: The author defended her stand in the second paragraph.
She said that Americans did not have enough time for food shopping and cooking
because of their demanding work schedules.

3. What counterclaim is mentioned by the author? What evidence did she provide
to justify her stand about fast food being unhealthy? Did she give any statistical
data?

POSSIBLE ANSWER: The author writes that Americans think they are saving
time and improving their lives by eating precooked and prepackaged food. The
author did not give any statistical data to support her stand. However, she gives
assertions that fast foods and frozen meals are generally less healthy than foods
made at home because of their preservatives, fat, sugar, and salt. These are to
hide the fact that they are not fresh. If people do not eat fresh foods that provide
vitamins and minerals, they may not enjoy their lives because they will become
easily tired and sick.

4. In the long quotation, write the sentences that help the author justify her claim
about fast food and its connection to people’s relationships.

POSSIBLE ANSWER: The sentences in the long quotation that help the author
justify her claim about fast food and its connection to people’s relationships are:
“Throughout history, eating has been a way of bringing people together. It’s how
parents stay in touch with what’s going on in their kids’ lives. When people break
bread together, it’s an act of peacemaking, an act of good will.” (qtd. in Lee)

5. Write the assertions the author made about fast food in relation to people’s
quality of life based on the conclusion.

POSSIBLE ANSWER: According to the author, Americans can improve the

quality of their life if they change the way they cook and eat into something
healthy like making one’s own dinner instead of ordering from a fast-food
restaurant. They will have more time with their loved ones and creating something
healthy creates positive feelings. Making one’s own dinner is much healthier than
getting burgers and fries from a fast-food restaurant.

Answers vary in Exercise 2.