Analysis

CONTINUING STEPS FOR WRITING A

Point, Evidence, Analysis Paragraph

PEA

Interviews

Surveys

Experiments

Observation

Print and electronic sources

By going through these questions you are preparing to decide what needs to be done. Obviously if the dog looks vicious your next steps are going to be very different than if the dog is following you because he wants you to throw him his ball. The same process should happen when you are writing a PEA response. You need to be examining your evidence to know what your next step is. MOST of the time when writing a PEA paragraph, the next step is to ask yourself TWO very important questions.

What is the dog’s disposition?Does the dog look vicious?Does the dog look like he is ready to attack? Or Does the dog just want to play?

To analyze something is to ask what something means. Analysis is about figuring out why something does the thing it does and the purpose behind it. For example, if you find yourself being followed by a large dog, your first response, might be to be NERVOUS. Knowing as much as you possibly can about the situation is your best bet to make it out of the situation safely. Through closely examining the details around you! Asking yourself questions like:

When Evidence isn't Enough: You need Analysis

+ info

“So What?” and “Why is that important?” Answer those questions in your writing. At this point in your learning process, it is ABSOLUTELY alright to include the sentence starter: My evidence is important because …. and it proves my point because...

The Two Questions of Analysis

To get started with analysis, try using the following sentence structures…

• The fact that (rephrase your evidence) proves/shows/demonstrates/illustrates/etc. that (rephrase your claim) because…
• Based on this*, we must conclude (rephrase your claim) because…
• All of this* goes to show that (rephrase your claim) because…
• The argument that (rephrase your claim) must be true because as (rephrase your evidence) shows…
• The most logical conclusion we can draw from this* is that (rephrase your claim) because…
• Taken together, the fact that (rephrase one piece of evidence) and that (rephrase more evidence), clearly demonstrates that (rephrase your claim) because…
• This* is significant because (explain why in a way that directly relates to the claim)…
• (Rephrase your evidence) matters because (give your reason). Thus, (rephrase your claim) must be true because…
• If (rephrase evidence) were not true, then (rephrase claim) may be false. However, (repeat rephrased evidence) is true, and thus, we must conclude that (rephrase claim) because…
• These facts/examples/images/stories/data/etc. work together to build a case that (rephrase claim) because…
• *The word “this” refers to the evidence you just described

Analysis Sentence Starters

Analysis Important Reminders:

Analysis is the explanation of how and why your evidence proves your point! To make the analysis process easier try the following tips and tricks:

• Make sure you have analysis for each piece of evidence
• Use key words from your point statement
• Ask yourself, “So What” and “Why is that important?” How does your analysis prove your point? State it directly!

The example below is the text from the video. However, I have mentioned before that I am a very visual learner and I sometimes have to see things broken down to better understand them. So, here is the prompt with a COMPLETE and well-written PEA response: COLOR CODED KEY: Point- what are you writing about? Evidence- support that helps you make your point Analysis- proof that your evidence supports your point. Conclusion- a simple wrap up of the main idea The Prompt: Is the JVA a good school to attend? Why? Completed PEA Response: The JVA is a good school to attend because it has all of the required courses that I need to take while providing me the flexibility to learn online. I have always dreamed of the day that I would graduate from high school, but there was a time that I didn’t think that this would really happen because I was missing so much school because of my soccer schedule. I wasn’t even passing my required classes. When my mom took me out of my traditional school I was really worried that I wouldn’t get to walk across the stage at graduation because there was no way that I could make up the required courses in time. That is until I found out that I would still be enrolled in a Jefferson County school that offers the required courses, with none of the regular scheduling conflicts that I was used to. Once I found out that the JVA had all of the courses that I needed to take to graduate I found myself with a renewed sense of excitement for school. I found myself eager to start working toward my ultimate goal of graduation again. It was wonderful to know that my dream of graduation was still a reality, thanks to the variety of courses offered at JVA. In addition to having all of the required classes that I needed to take for graduation, the JVA also provides me with the opportunity to learn when and where it is convenient for me. Flexibility in my school schedule is extremely important to me because of my very busy practice schedule with my competitive soccer team. Currently, I am one of eleven elite starters on the Junior USA National Soccer Team. My team practices over forty hours every week, which doesn’t leave me enough time to attend a traditional middle school. By attending the JVA I can work on my school assignments in between practices, on airplanes, and even on long car rides. The flexible classroom schedule allows me to learn while still pursuing my dreams of becoming part of the United States National Soccer team. By taking out the literal walls of my classroom, I am finally able to be the student I always knew I could be. The JVA is a great school to attend because it provides students like me the opportunity to learn while providing options for how and when that learning takes place.

PEA Time!