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Difficulty: MediumRhetorical Synthesis: Supporting Claims

While preparing a presentation on the history of written language in North America, a student takes the following notes:

* In 1821, Sequoyah completed the Cherokee syllabary, a writing system representing the syllables of the Cherokee language.
* Prior to Sequoyah's invention, the Cherokee language was purely oral, and literacy in English among Cherokee people was very low.
* By 1830, Cherokee literacy rates in their own language reached over 90 percent.
* In 1828, the Cherokee Nation established a bilingual newspaper, the *Cherokee Phoenix*, which utilized Sequoyah's syllabary.

The student wants to support the claim that Sequoyah’s writing system led to a rapid and dramatic increase in literacy among Cherokee people. Which choice most effectively uses information from the given notes to support this claim?

  1. Within less than a decade after Sequoyah completed the Cherokee syllabary in 1821, Cherokee literacy rates rose from nearly nonexistent to over 90 percent.Answer
  2. B
    Sequoyah’s writing system, completed in 1821, was a syllabary representing the spoken syllables of the Cherokee language.
  3. C
    Before Sequoyah completed his syllabary in 1821, over 90 percent of Cherokee people were already literate in English.
  4. D
    Sequoyah’s syllabary was so successful that it was widely adopted by neighboring Indigenous tribes, leading to similar literacy rises across North America.

Answer

Within less than a decade after Sequoyah completed the Cherokee syllabary in 1821, Cherokee literacy rates rose from nearly nonexistent to over 90 percent.
The correct option effectively supports the claim because it connects the timeline (1821 to 1830, which is less than a decade) to the change in literacy rates (from very low/nearly nonexistent prior to the invention to over 90 percent). This directly demonstrates a rapid and dramatic increase using only facts from the notes.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the student's primary writing goal in the prompt.
The goal is to support the claim that Sequoyah's writing system led to a rapid and dramatic increase in literacy among Cherokee people.
This sets the criteria for selecting the correct choice; the correct answer must explicitly mention the rapid/dramatic rise in literacy.
2
Evaluate the notes for information showing the rate and extent of literacy changes.
The notes state that before Sequoyah's invention in 1821, the language was purely oral and English literacy was very low, but by 1830, Cherokee literacy in their own language reached over 90 percent.
This provides the necessary factual evidence of a rapid (nine-year) and dramatic (low to over 90%) literacy increase.
3
Analyze each option to see which one directly uses these facts to support the claim without speculating or misrepresenting the notes.
The correct option connects the completion date (1821) and the 1830 literacy rate (over 90%) to show a rapid rise from nearly nonexistent levels.
This matches the rhetorical goal and uses only information explicitly stated in the notes.

Key Concept

Synthesizing notes to support a specific claim or rhetorical goal.
Estimated Time:1m 0s
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Topics

Rhetorical Synthesis: Supporting Claims

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