Question

Argumentative Prompt:
Should schools allow more outdoor activities on sunny days to improve students’ mood and energy levels?

Which TWO sources would provide the most credible evidence to support an argumentative essay on this topic?

A psychology textbook explaining how sunlight affects brain chemicals such as serotonin and melatonin.

A class blog where students post personal stories about feeling happier when the weather is nice.

A scientific article from a health journal measuring students’ alertness after exposure to sunlight.

A weather app advertisement that claims “sunshine boosts happiness” without citing data.

A social media poll asking users to vote for their favorite kind of weather.

Answer 1

Best two: the psychology textbook and the scientific article from a health journal.

Why:
- Psychology textbook: provides established, peer‑reviewed theory and biological mechanisms (e.g., sunlight’s effects on serotonin and melatonin) that explain why mood and energy could change — useful for the essay’s rationale.
- Scientific article from a health journal: gives empirical, measured evidence (students’ alertness after sunlight exposure) and likely reports methods/statistics — strongest direct support for the claim.

Why not the others:
- Class blog: anecdotal and not systematically gathered evidence.
- Weather app ad: promotional and uncited — not reliable.
- Social media poll: self‑selected, non‑controlled, and measures preference rather than mood/energy with scientific rigor.