9.3 – Think and Apply Activity 1
The CARBS Test Activity
When you are on social media, do you believe everything that you read?
How do you know what to believe and what not to believe?
When a person provides a strong opinion about something (or a “claim”), the reader/listener should always look for reasons and evidence that back up that claim. Look at the CARBS Test Activity handout and review the claim example:
| Claim: a strong statement/opinion that someone wants you to believe | EXAMPLE: Everyone should eat 2 pieces of chocolate every day. |
|---|---|
| Reason: an explanation of WHY (usually using “because”) we should believe the claim – but it may still be an opinion and might be difficult to believe | EXAMPLE: Everyone should eat chocolate every day BECAUSE it will make you live longer. |
| Evidence: information that the writer uses to make the claim/reason stronger and more believable
Evidence can take many forms: statistics, expert opinions, reports/studies from universities, government agencies, surveys, photos, etc. |
EXAMPLE: A recent study by Harvard University reports that there is a 75% chance of living until age 80 by eating 2 pieces of chocolate each day. |
2) The first test to see if a claim is strong and believable is to identify the evidence. After that, you need to really think about it; just because something looks like evidence, doesn’t mean that it is good or reliable evidence.
But there is a quick test you can do to evaluate it. Go over the CARBS chart:
3) Practice the CARBS test on 5 pieces of evidence that relate to the topic of European colonization of America–you can work individually or in pairs. When looking at these evidence examples below, decide which one would be the most helpful to better and more accurately understand the topic.
- Which evidence is more current?
A. A chapter from a high school textbook published in 1980 about the first Thanksgiving.
B. A 2021 article from the Smithsonian Magazine about the Thanksgiving story.
- Which evidence has more authority?
A. Watching a video on Native culture from the National Museum of the American Indian.
B. Watching the Hollywood movie about Christopher Columbus “1492: Conquest of Paradise.”
- Which evidence is more relevant?
A. A National Geographic article about colonialism.
B. A Wikipedia article of the colonization of the moon.
- Which evidence DOES NOT have bias?
A. A handwritten account by Christopher Columbus about his voyages of exploration.
B. A timeline that shows the dates of the European colonization of North America.
- Which evidence is more specific?
A. A list of famous European explorers.
B. A map showing the colonization of North America:
| ANSWER KEY: 1. B is more current. 2. A has more authority–while Hollywood movies about historical events may be entertaining, they are not 100% accurate. 3. A is more relevant to a reading about European Colonization of North America. 4. B is less biased. While a handwritten account is evidence from the time the event occurred, it may be one-sided, only including perspective from the person writing it. 5. B is more specific and directly relates to learning more about European colonization. The list of explorers (A) is too broad. |
4) Can you think of other times that you will use the CARBS test to help determine if something is believable?
[EXAMPLES: listening to a political debate, deciding to make a big purchase, having discussions with friends/family about controversial events in past/present time]
