Examples vs. Evidence, Outlining Strategies, and Example Selection

Examples: Illustrate a general category with specific instances (e.g., Maya checking Instagram 50 times a day and feeling anxious). They clarify meaning through a representative case but do not prove a broader claim.
Evidence: Proves or supports a claim using data, facts, and research collected over time across multiple individuals.
- Instance: A 2023 study of 10,000 teens found that those using social media more than 3 hours daily had 27% higher rates of depression.
Citations: Applied when quoting or referencing data so readers can verify the source.

Purpose: Helps visualize paragraph flow, prevents repetitive writing, and ensures examples fit the logical structure before drafting.
Structure: Use short words and phrases rather than long, chopped-up sentences.
Notation Techniques:
- Examples: Write EX followed by a brief summary of the example.
- Evidence: Write e b along with the author, page number, and paragraph number to save time.

Avoid Overused References: Examples such as Rosa Parks for civil rights, Steve Jobs for innovation, and 9/11 for tragedy are predictable and lack originality.
Current Events: Utilize recent news media, local communities, or less-known figures to capture audience attention.
Recent Event Example: A story shared on TikTok about a cockpit brawl where a knifed pilot opened the door, a passenger pulled back on the yoke to level the plane, and individuals landed the flight safely in Saudi Arabia.

Group Activity: Small groups, including a group of three with Mr. Sukorius, were given 4 minutes to brainstorm alternative examples for overused topics.
Discussion Topics: Students suggested artificial intelligence developments, NVIDIA, AIP, Apple, and humanoid robots racing on tracks as fresh examples for innovation.