Is Survival Selfish? - Evidence Evaluation

Is Survival Selfish? - Evidence Evaluation

Is Survival Selfish is an argument.

• The claim is the main point of an argument. It is your position in an arguable point. Examples - There should be no death penalty or Society needs the death penalty

• Reasons are explain or justify a claim. They show the because of your claim. Example - There should be no death penalty because it is irreversible and mistakes happen.

• Now we can't just take your word for it and believe everything you say. This is why we need evidence to support our reasons. Evidence should prove your reason. Example - Larry Griffin was executed in Missouri in 1995. Later evidence was discovered which strongly suggests his innocence.

Multiple Choice

What is the author's claim from Survival is Selfish?

• It is heroic to rush into danger to save others.

• It is always the best choice to save yourself first in survival situations.

• It is difficult for anyone to know how they will behave in a life or death situation.

What makes good evidence? Our textbook suggests that evidence can be valid (trustworthy) if it is...

• well known or common knowledge

• the author identifies the sources

• the source appears to be trustworthy

• research shows the source to be reliable

Multiple Choice

As evidence showing that people don't always have the best survival instincts, the author shares a story about a time when they were in a train station during a bomb scare. This type of evidence is...

• statistics

• data

• anecdotal

• academic research

Multiple Select

Anecdotal evidence is ...

• valid because you can identify the source

• given greater validity if you can trust the source

• lesser validity if the source has been proven untrustworthy in the past

• superior to data, statistics, and other research driven evidence

Multiple Choice

As evidence for survival instincts being untrustworthy the author says, "A guy who provides survival

training for pilots told me once that the number one determining

factor for survival is simply whether people hold it together in a

crisis or fall apart." This evidence is ...

• valid because this is well known or common knowledge

• invalid or not valid because we cannot identify the source

• valid because we know the source of this information and can research it

• invalid because we know the source and this information appears unreliable

Multiple Choice

As evidence for a situation where being a hero would be a bad idea the author says, "I remember reading the account of one woman who was in an

airliner that crashed on landing. People were frozen or screaming,

but nobody was moving toward the emergency exits, even as smoke

began to fill the cabin. After realizing that the people around her

were too paralyzed to react, she took direct action, crawling over

several rows of people to get to the exit. " This evidence is ...

• anecdotal

• valid because we know enough specific details to trust it.

• valid because it is common knowledge.

• valid because "one woman" is known as a trustworthy source.

Multiple Choice

"In a famous mountain-climbing accident chronicled in the

book and documentary Touching the Void, climber Simon Yates was attempting to rope his already-injured friend Joe Simpson down

a mountain in bad weather when the belay went awry." This evidence is ...

• invalid, there are not enough details to research it.

• valid, it is common knowledge.

• invalid, climbers are notoriously unreliable.

• valid, there are enough details to check this evidence.

Multiple Choice

"Perhaps it comes down to the ancient "fight or flight" impulse.

Animals confronted with danger will choose to attack it, or run

from it, and it's hard to say which one they'll choose, or when." This evidence is ...

• data

• based on specific research

• anecdotal

• common knowledge or well known

Poll

Did this author do a good job of providing VALID evidence?

• No, he used too many anecdotes & not enough details.

• Sometimes, he occasionally provided enough details and used common knowledge.

• Yes! His evidence was valid!

Evidence can also be considered as

• relevant, if it is closely related to the topic or issue.

• sufficient, if there is enough evidence and it comes from a variety of sources.

Open Ended

Considering the evidence that we looked at today, did this author use relevant and sufficient evidence?

Poll

Did this slide show help you with thinking about the validity of evidence?

• I'm sorry. I was sleeping. My dream did teach me something, though.

• No, it was very confusing.

• A bit, I learned a little but could use more practice.

• Yes, I'm an expert on evidence validity (at least according to today's ideas.)