Claim and Evidence Analysis
A Grade 10 ELA worksheet focusing on identifying and evaluating claims and supporting evidence in nonfiction texts.
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Claim and Evidence Analysis
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Read the passage carefully and answer the questions that follow. Pay close attention to identifying the author's claims and the evidence used to support them.
Passage: The Impact of Social Media on Adolescent Mental Health
Recent studies suggest a growing correlation between increased social media usage and a decline in adolescent mental well-being. For instance, a 2023 report from the American Psychological Association found that teenagers who spend more than three hours daily on social media platforms are significantly more likely to report symptoms of anxiety and depression. Furthermore, the constant exposure to curated, often unrealistic, portrayals of others' lives can foster feelings of inadequacy and low self-esteem among young users. Dr. Sarah Miller, a child psychologist, notes that 'the pressure to maintain an online persona and the fear of missing out (FOMO) contribute to a heightened sense of stress and isolation, paradoxically, in a hyper-connected world.' While social media offers avenues for connection and information, its pervasive nature and design, often leveraging psychological triggers, warrant careful consideration regarding its long-term effects on developing minds.
1. Which of the following best represents the main claim made in the passage?
Social media is beneficial for adolescent mental health.
Social media usage is linked to a decline in adolescent mental well-being.
Adolescents should avoid social media entirely.
Dr. Sarah Miller is a leading expert on social media.
2. The 2023 report from the American Psychological Association serves as what type of evidence?
Anecdotal evidence
Statistical evidence
Expert opinion
Personal experience
3. The passage suggests that constant exposure to portrayals of others' lives can foster feelings of inadequacy.
4. Dr. Sarah Miller highlights the pressure to maintain an persona and the fear of missing out (FOMO) as contributors to stress.
5. Identify one piece of evidence from the passage that supports the claim about social media's impact on self-esteem. Explain how it supports the claim.
6. The passage states that social media offers no benefits to adolescents.
True
False