Argumentative Writing Claims & Evidence A claim is a debatable opinion that can be proven with evidence. This is what the thesis of the essay will be. Your evidence will come from what you already know and from expert opinions and research given by reliable sources, books and articles. When presented with an argumentative topic, you must consider the evidence on both sides before you decide what your claim is. Don’t just come up with a claim based solely upon your opinion. That’s not how to argue the “smart” way.

Practice Writing Claims Using Supporting Evidence With the list of argumentative topics, write one pro (yes) reason and one con (no) reason for each. After writing one pro and con reason, write a claim for each issue. Argumentative Topics Example: Cats or dogs: Which one makes the better pet? Pro - Cats make better pets because they require less effort. (You don’t have to walk a cat.) Con - Dogs make better pets because they are loyal. (They will bite an intruder.) Claim-A dog is a better pet than a cat. 1.Should students be able to give their teachers a grade? 2.Is PE class beneficial for students? 3.Should trophies be given to children just for participation in sports? 4.Should parents be able to spank their children? 5.Is homework beneficial for students?

Paragraph Writing: Argument Practice Create a paragraph using C.A.R.R. for the following topic: Which do you believe are better drivers – females or males? Make sure you give good reasons to support your opinion because you will have to share your response with the class.

Paragraph Writing: Argument Practice Create a paragraph using C.A.R.R. for the following topic: Cats or dogs: Which one makes the better pet? Kitty litter or a leash—that’s a question to think about when trying to decide upon a pet. People usually have their minds made up when it comes to owning a cat or a dog. When considering all the evidence, however, a dog is clearly a better pet. Dogs can be trained while cats cannot. This means many things to a pet owner. For example, dogs can be potty trained so that they don’t have to use the bathroom inside a house which means no foul odors and disgusting messes for the owner. Dogs can also be trained to protect their owners. Have you ever heard of a guard cat? Moreover, cats cannot be taught to do tricks such as playing fetch. Pet owners want to get their money’s worth which means good entertainment! Cats do what they want; they won’t do what their owners want them to. A pet should be like one of your own children, and children are trainable and follow the commands of a parent. Cat lovers will say that cats make better pets because they require less work and time, but why have a pet if you aren’t going to spend time with it? If that’s the case, why have a pet at all? Just go petless!

How to Gather Evidence In looking at the issue, “Is Miley Cyrus Out of Control,” think about what you already know first. Make a two-column chart on your paper: Using what you know about the issue, record one reason (evidence) for each column. It is important to use background knowledge first. Yes-Miley is Out of ControlNo-Miley is not out of Control

How to Collect Evidence Before you can make a claim (write a thesis), you need to consider both sides of the issue. You do this by examining the evidence. The evidence is what the experts via the article tells us. Using the article, find at least four reasons to support each side and record those on the chart.

Writing a Claim Now that you have evidence for both sides, it’s time to write a claim. You will consider what the facts have to say as well as your own beliefs. What is it that you firmly believe about this issue? With the given evidence, what can you prove about this issue? Your written claim should be in the form of one sentence and should state the opinion you will prove with evidence. Issue: Is Miley Cyrus out of control? Pro (Yes) Claim: ____________________________________________________________ Con (No) Claim: ____________________________________________________________

Each supporting detail needs its own paragraph (so you should have at least 3 body paragraphs) + Introduction paragraph + conclusion paragraph = 5 paragraphs 3. Make your argument convincing--following the outline given to you and complete all items. 4. Cite the details from the article using the author's last name (Murphy or Henderson) Ex. “Miley... ” stated Murphy (2014). 5. Cite the article when paraphrasing or using direct quotes from the article Ex. According to Murphy (2014), Miley.....

Avoid OVER quoting Only quote when absolutely needed. The vast majority of your paper should be YOUR paper, not what someone else has said.

*Do NOT use "I think or I feel" --try not to use "I" at all in your essay!

Argumentative Topics Choose one of the following issues for your essay. Write the question in your notebook. 1.Are people taking sports too seriously? 2.Is reality television harming or helping society? 3.Does the modeling industry help or hurt girls’ self-esteem? 4.Should social media be used for educational purposes?