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152 Unit 2 ■ Appealing to an Audience

➔ Step Three: Choose Your Evidence
Your thesis requires proof which means you must select and organize relevant
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evidence in your essay to support each of the reasons that will emerge from your
brainstorming. You may have generated many examples related to your topic in
Step One, but, ultimately, you should only use evidence that directly relates to
your line of reasoning and the idea and perspective you established in your thesis.
During the AP® Exam, you will not be provided sources or permitted to
research evidence. You will need to draw evidence from your reading, observation,
and experience. The following list will help you consider the types of evidence you
might explore:
• History
• Literature
• Science
• Personal experience
• Sports
• Politics
• Current events
• Pop culture
When you explore your list of evidence, you should include examples in your
argument that directly relate to your idea, perspective, and purpose. Topics
unrelated to the ideas of moral behavior, harm, or laws have been eliminated.
For example, in exploring unjust laws, you could include examples of suffrag-
ettes or segregation, but not traffic laws which do not relate to the idea of
justice.
➔ Step Four: Develop Your Commentary
Once you have selected your evidence to support your claim and line of reason-
ing, you will need to write several sentences that explain the significance and rele-
vance of the evidence in relation to the claim in your thesis. In later units, you will
have further practice developing your commentary.

INSIDER All reasons must connect to a unifying idea. Effective
TIP arguments provide a line of reasoning consisting of two or
more reasons that justify the claim. A line of reasoning is
established when these reasons are connected to the idea,
not only the topic, in your thesis.

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