Determining Textual Evidence

to Validate Assertions
and Counterclaims
Learner’s Module in
Reading and Writing 11

Quarter 4- Week 2

JEANILYN M. COLAL
Developer

Department of Education • Cordillera Administrative Region

 Republic of the Philippines
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Cordillera Administrative Region
Wangal, La Trinidad, Benguet

Published by
Learning Resource Management and Development System

COPYRIGHT NOTICE
2021

Section 9 of Presidential Decree No. 49 provides:

“No copyright shall subsist in any work of the Government of the Philippines.
However, prior approval of the government agency of office wherein the work is
created shall be necessary for exploitation of such work for profit.”

This material has been developed for the implementation of K to12 Curriculum
through the DepEd Schools Division of Baguio City – Curriculum Implementation
Division (CID). It can be reproduced for educational purposes and the source must be
acknowledged. Derivatives of the work including creating an edited version, an
enhancement or a supplementary work are permitted provided all original work is
acknowledged and the copyright is attributed. No work may be derived from this
material for commercial purposes and profit.

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What I Know
True or False: Answer the statements with either true or false.
1. When you read a text, there are different things that will stand out to you. When you read a
text for a second time, you realize that there are new things that you noticed but did not mind
before.
2. It is not a problem to write texts using one’s idea or impression about a place even without
seeing it personally.
3. It is ethical to base write-ups on truth.
4. Answers to given questions are grounded on the text contents.
5. The author is not accountable of the things he/she writes.
Multiple Choice: Read well and answer each question correctly. Write only the letter.
For numbers 6-8, kindly refer to these choices.
A. statistics evidence C. testimonial evidence
B. hypothetical evidence D. analogical evidence
____ 6. In writing or in speaking, this makes use of other people’s personal experiences in
order to support a write-up or discourse.
____ 7. This involves comparing your thesis or idea with another one that is related to it.
____ 8. This reference can make use of numbers or percentages to illustrate data or
information.
For numbers 9 and 10, here are your choices.
A. anecdotal evidence C. testimonial evidence
B. evidence from other Writings D. hypothetical evidence
____ 9. Parts of the narrative or write-up was taken from another book which has a topic
similar to that of the author’s subject of discussion.
____ 10. This involves a possible action or consequence that can take place later if something
is not done ahead of time.
Read and Answer: Answer the questions after each paragraph.
Paragraph 1: Based on the 2010 Census of Population and Housing, the Cordillera
Administrative Region reported a 1.6 million population with Benguet, including Baguio City,
having the largest (722.6 thousand) and Apayao with the least (112.6 thousand). Both
Ifugao and Apayao reported the biggest percentage of rural population.
11. If the paragraph is used as a textual evidence, what kind of evidence is it?
12. What is the source of the information?
13. What government agency is responsible in conducting census for population and housing?

Paragraph 2: At 2 o’ clock in the morning, we were fired up and ready to go. With trail mix,
cooked instant noodles, and energy gels all packed in our bags, we ventured to
the Ambangeg trail for beginners. Three or four layers of thick clothing clung to our bodies
as we took our first steps ascending up the gradual slope from the Ranger Station. Pulag is
the coldest place in the country as the weather could drop to sub-freezing temperatures
especially during the amihan season, hence the layering of clothes.
14. If the paragraph is quoted in support of the kind of weather the described place has,
what do you think is the textual evidence it represents?
15. What particular sentence in the paragraph excerpt contains the name of the place
visited by the author?

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What's In
Communication is important in our daily lives. Through it, we express our ideas,
feelings, concerns, suggestions and others. However, it has its own limits. Although we live in
a democratic country where there is freedom of expression, what we write or say is always
our responsibility. This is the reason why we need to be always careful of what we say or write
because a consequence in relaying false information can ruin our reputation and can cause
trouble with others.

In this lesson, you will be tasked to validate information by presenting their sources.
To validate means to present proofs. You will use textual evidence to prove that what you say,
assert or counterclaim. These are proven by specific lines in the texts where you got the
information. Textual evidence is a proof or fact found in reading texts we have read.

What's New
Activity: The Search!
Encircle the things that you commonly notice or look for in a text.

grammatical correctness facts or trivia

poetic/literary devices opinions
author’s ideas illustrations
explanations emotions
beautiful words pleasure

What is it

In writing, how do you present your ideas and claims so that your readers will believe
in what you have written or said? Are you going to share your experiences? Are you going to
do some researches? When we write, we cannot do away from sharing our views, assertions
or counterclaims.
Assertions are statements or claims we strongly believe in. This is the reason why we
defend or assert them. Usually, we declare things because they are the result of what we
gained through reading. They are also the result of what we acquired through experiences. In
other words, these are proofs to what we are saying or writing.

Counterclaims are statements that oppose or contradict previous declarations. We

use them when we try to check errors stated or written previously.

We present assertions and counterclaims through textual evidence. This is done so

the readers or listeners who may be in doubt previously will be given a clear picture of the real
data supposed to be imparted. Textual evidence is a proof that is used to support our
assertions or statements.

According to Yourdictionary, Types of evidence to use in writing and essays, there are
different kinds of textual evidence that we can use to support our stand when writing. They
are also helpful when we are doing speeches.

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 1. Statistical Evidence
This is the use of numbers or data to support our claims. We can get them from
books, magazines, newspapers, periodicals or from trusted sources in the social
media. Specifically, these can be derived from:
* numbers gleaned from your own research or surveys you have conducted
* numbers from personal experience if you have sources to support them
* percentages from good sources like government reports or peer-reviewed
studies
* measurements and numbers you gathered yourself or gathered from research

2. Anecdotal Evidence
This can be a story or a case study that supports your assertions or ideas. It
stands as a conclusion drawn from casual observation or personal experiences.
Some examples are:
* interviews with someone who tells a story related to your view
* a personal experience related to your topic
* a case study from a journal or your own research
* an excerpt from a journal or letter

3. Testimonial Evidence
We can also use testimonies to help support our claims in writing. Testimonies
are real-life experiences or statements declared by someone as true with full assurance.
Examples of this are:
* direct interviews with experts in your topic
* quotes from an expert’s book, paper, or newspaper editorial
* conclusions from essays written by experts
* your own specialized knowledge if you have the credentials or experience to
support it

4. Evidence from other writings

This is the use of information obtained from other written texts. Page numbers
and other information can be indicated to guide the reader in confirming it.
Examples under this can be:
* 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

5. Hypothetical Evidence
This is the use of a guess or presumption about a future event that can possibly
happen. It has not happened but you, as the writer, can project that it could. An
example of this is when you write why toddlers should be closely monitored at home
because if not, something bad can happen to them. This can be indicated by “What if”
statements.
Here are some examples under this:
* a story about what would happen if your thesis were true
* a story to go with a statistic from a good source
* an imaginary event that would trigger an action related to your thesis

6. Analogical Evidence
This compares something that is not certain or known with a situation
known. In your text, you will draw a conclusion based on that comparison. Take note

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that in order for the known issue to function as a great support to your claim or thesis, you
need to make a strong case on their similarities. These are some examples:
* a peer-reviewed study that is similar in many ways to the topic in your essay
* an expert opinion about something very similar to your topic
* a court case or historical event that is similar to your thesis
* statistics from a journal or direct research that is related to your topic but not
exactly the same

What’s More

Activity 1: In search of the evidence!

Read each statement or short paragraph then write the letter containing the supporting
evidence it represents.

A. Statistical Evidence D. Evidence from other writings

B. Anecdotal Evidence E. Hypothetical Evidence
C. Testimonial Evidence F. Analogical Evidence

____ 1. Peter does not believe that smoking cigarettes shortens life. He has read a statement
from the internet that supports his belief. To quote it: “… Jason said that that was all
cool and everything, because his grandfather smoked 30 cigarettes a day and lived until
he was 97.
____ 2. According to the author of the literature book I read, “Reading and writing are two
skills every person will need in the workplace.”
____ 3. Peter earns his living by working in an advertising website. He is a loyal staff of
infolinks smart ads. What motivated him to join the group was this statement from
one of the staffs there: “I made an extra $500 this month from my site with infolinks.”
____ 4. While writing an article related to health issues for publication, Lita suddenly thought,
“What if only few people will be left here on earth within the next few years if many
continue to die because of Covid-related illness!”
____ 5. According to the World Health Organization, there were 989,380 confirmed COVID-
19 cases and 16, 674 deaths.

Activity 2: Read, analyze, answer!

Read the text carefully so that you can be able to answer the questions that follow.

These Druids built great Temples and altars, open to the sky, fragments of some of
which are yet remaining. Stonehenge, on Salisbury Plain, in Wiltshire, is the most
extraordinary of these. Three curious stones, called Kits Coty House, on Bluebell Hill, near
Maidstone, in Kent, form another. We know, from examination of the great blocks of which
such buildings are made, that they could not have been raised without the aid of some
ingenious machines, which are common now, but which the ancient Britons certainly did
not use in making their own uncomfortable houses.
I should not wonder if the Druids, and their pupils who stayed with them twenty years,
knowing more than the rest of the Britons, kept the people out of sight while they made these
buildings, and then pretended that they built them by magic. Perhaps they had a hand in the
fortresses too; at all events, as they were very powerful, and very much believed in, and as
they made and executed the laws, and paid no taxes, I don’t wonder that they liked their trade.
And, as they persuaded the people the more Druids there were, the better off the people would
be, I don’t wonder that there were a good many of them. But it is pleasant to think that there

6
are no Druids, now, who go on in that way, and pretend to carry Enchanters’ Wands and
Serpents’ Eggs‐‐and of course there is nothing of the kind, anywhere.
From A Child’s History of England by Charles Dickens
https://www.englishworksheetsland.com/grade4/writing/21/2text.pdf

Questions:
1. Dickens says that the temples of the Druids were “extraordinary”. Cite details from the text
that clearly demonstrate that this is the case.
___________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
2. The Druids are described as “very powerful”. Cite evidence from the text to support this
description.
___________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________

What I Have Learned

Sum it up!
Write a short paragraph to summarize what you have learned in this module. Use the
rubric as your guide.

Norm 10 9 8 7
Organization Details are in Details are in Some details are Details are not in
logical order. Order logical order. Order not in logical order. logical or expected
keeps the reader makes writing less Reader is order.
interested. interesting. distracted.
Content Substantial, specific Sufficiently Limited content Superficial and/or
and/or illustrative developed content with inadequate minimal content
content with adequate elaboration or
demonstrating elaboration or explanation
strong development explanation.
and sophisticated
ideas.
Conventions There are no There are less than There are more Various spelling
spelling and 5 spelling and than 5 but less and grammar
grammar errors. grammar errors. than 10 spelling errors are found in
Proofreading and The work was and grammar the paragraph. No
editing was done. proofread and errors. trace of
edited with Proofreading and proofreading and
considerable editing was not editing was done.
success. done well.
TOTAL

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What I Can Do

With your age now, you are very curious of the things happening around. You want to
go out and explore things with your friends. However, this pandemic time, you are restricted
to go anywhere you want. Now, fill in the table below with five reliable things/events that
happened or are still happening in your barangay or the city based on what you observed,
heard through the radio or watched in the television. Write also an evidence that it has really
happened or it is really happening.

Activity/Event Justification/Evidence
Example: Use of a face mask outside Nobody is allowed to go to the city proper when a
the residence person is not wearing his face mask. Barangay
officials and/or policemen will call one’s attention if
he/she is disobeying. He/She will also be fined.
1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

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Post-Assessment

True or False: Answer the statements with either true or false.

1. When you read a text, there are different things that will stand out to you. When you read
a text for a second time, you realize that there are new things that you noticed but did
not mind before.
2. It is not a problem to write texts using one’s idea or impression about a place even without
seeing it personally.
3. It is ethical to base write-ups on truth.
4. Answers to given questions are grounded on the text contents.
5. The author is not accountable of the things he/she writes.
Multiple Choice: Read well and answer each question correctly. Write only the letter.
For numbers 6-8, kindly refer to these choices.
C. Statistics evidence C. Testimonial evidence
D. Hypothetical evidence D. Analogical evidence
____ 6. In writing or in speaking, this makes use of other people’s personal experiences in
order to support a write-up or discourse.
____ 7. This involves comparing your thesis or idea with another one that is related to it.
____ 8. This reference can make use of numbers or percentages to illustrate data or
information.
For numbers 9 and 10, here are your choices.
C. Anecdotal evidence C. Testimonial evidence
D. Evidence form other Writings D. Hypothetical evidence
____ 9. Parts of the narrative or write-up was taken from another book which has a topic
similar to that of the author’s subject of discussion.
____ 10. This involves a possible action or consequence that can take place later if something
is not done ahead of time.
Read and Answer: Answer the questions after each paragraph.
Paragraph 1: Based on the 2010 Census of Population and Housing, the Cordillera
Administrative Region reported a 1.6 million population with Benguet, including Baguio
City, having the largest (722.6 thousand) and Apayao with the least (112.6 thousand).
Both Ifugao and Apayao reported the biggest percentage of rural population.

11. If the paragraph is used as a textual evidence, what kind of evidence is it?
12. What is the source of the information?
13. What government agency is responsible in conducting census for population and housing?

Paragraph 2: At 2 o’ clock in the morning, we were fired up and ready to go. With trail mix,
cooked instant noodles, and energy gels all packed in our bags, we ventured to the Ambangeg
trail for beginners. Three or four layers of thick clothing clung to our bodies as we took our first
steps ascending up the gradual slope from the Ranger Station. Pulag is the coldest place in
the country as the weather could drop to sub-freezing temperatures especially during the
amihan season, hence the layering of clothes.
14. If the paragraph is quoted in support of the kind of weather the described place has, what
do you think is the textual evidence it represents?
15. What particular sentence in the paragraph excerpt contains the name of the place visited
by the author?

9
Additional Activity
Activity: Read and provide for me!
Read the text that follows and provide textual evidences to the questions below.

Have you heard the place called Baguio? It is the summer capital of the Philippines. It
is located in Northern Luzon. Baguio is one of the most visited tourist destinations here in the
Philippines. You know why? I’m going to describe it to you.
Baguio is called summer capital of the Philippines during summer. Baguio can give
you cold and cool breeze to beat the summer heat. Places like Camp John Hay and Philippine
Military Academy will give you a perfect description of nature: a calm and serene environment,
trees and plants thriving all around the place, the relaxing ambiance, and the cool breeze
caressing your skin. Mount Santo Tomas will bring out the adventurer in you. The thrilling
downhill slopes will excite you, and the enormous mountains and thick fog make the scenic
view a breath-taking moment to enjoy. Mines View Park also offers that same feeling. Fresh
air and a beautiful view of the plains and mountains in front of you. Overall, Baguio is one of
the most wonderful cities in the Philippines, maybe even the world. That is why you can never
run out of words to describe this incredibly wonderful place. -Patric Palac
Questions:
1. What particular statement in the text shows the author’s idea that many people go to
Baguio?
2. Cite or copy the statement from the text that shows that Baguio is the summer capital of the
Philippines.
3. What scenic spots were mentioned by the author in the text?
4. According to the author, what makes one an explorer?
5. What statement in the text shows that the author appreciates Baguio City?

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Answer Key

Additional Activity: Varied answers

15. last sentence 10. False 10. D

14. testimonial evidence 9. True 9. B
13.Philippine Statistics Office 8. True 8. A
12. 2010 Census of population and housing 7. False 7. D
11. statistical evidence 6. True 6. C
Post Assessment

What I Can Do: Answers vary What I Have Learned: Answers vary
Activity 2:
3. C
5. A 2. D
4. E 1. B
Answers vary Activity 1:
What’s New What’s More

15. last sentence 10. D 5. False

14. testimonial evidence 9. B 4. True
13.Philippine Statistics Office 8. A 3. True
12. 2010 Census of population and housing 7. D 2. False
11. statistical evidence 6. C 1. True
What I Know

References

Yourdictionary. Types of Evidence to use in writing and essays.

https://examples.yourdictionary.com/types-of-evidence-to-use-in-writing-and-
essays.html
Palac, P. 2016. Baguio (Descriptive Essay).
http://comskillsessay.blogspot.com/2016/03/baguio-have-you-heard-theplace-
called.html
Philippines Statistics Authority. Agriculture 2012. Cordillera Administrative Region.
https://psa.gov.ph/sites/default/files/CAF2012Agri_CAR.pdf. page 9
Lao, T. 2018. DG Traveler Magazine. Mount Pulag: How a first-timer survived the Climb.
https://dealgrocer.com/dgtraveler/articles/mount-pulag-how-a-first-timer-survived-
the-climb-5b681f522a481841e70000b7
https://covid19.who.int/region/wpro/country/ph, Global-Philippines

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