Staking a claim Finally, a definition.

Before we begin… We’ll keep coming back to these. What are two controversial topics that interest you? Brainstorm how you might develop an argument about each from two different viewpoints. Consider the potential for volatile or highly emotional responses for each. What could you do to encourage a civil tone and approach? Make sure to choose ideas that you could develop into a full essay. We’ll keep coming back to these. Whenever you see purple letters and this guy it means we’re dealing with our new best friend, the EIP (essay in progress). hot sauce 

A claim is: An assertion A proposition Something that states the argument’s main idea or position. Arguable. Not a statement of fact Not your topic Informed

Several directions we can go: Let’s practice. Topic = single-sex classrooms. Several directions we can go: Many schools have single-sex classrooms Single-sex classrooms have been around for years, especially in private schools Single-sex classrooms are ineffective because they do not prepare students for the realities of the workplace Which of those could be a claim?

More practice! For each of these statements, evaluate whether it is arguable or too easily verifiable to develop in to an effective argument. Try revising the ones you consider too easily verifiable to make them into arguable claims. SUV owners should be required to pay an energy surcharge. Charter schools are an alternative to public schools. Ronald Reagan was the most charismatic president of the twentieth century. Requiring students to wear school uniforms improves school spirit. The terms global warming and climate change describe different perspectives on this complex issue. Students graduating from college today can expect to have more debt than any previous generation. People who read novels are more likely to attend sportsing events and movies than those who do not. Print newspapers will not survive another decade. The competition among countries to become a site for the Olympic Games is fierce. Plagiarism is a serious problem in today’s schools.

Types of claims Into which category does your homework fall? Why? 1. CLAIMS OF FACT assert that something is true or not true. 2. CLAIMS OF VALUE are the most common. They argue that something is good or bad, right or wrong, desirable or undesirable. 3. CLAIMS OF POLICY propose a change. Can you find claims of fact in Domini’s piece? Into which category does your homework fall? Why?

Uh oh… Choosing one of the topics you explored initially, write three different claims that could focus an essay. Be sure each is arguable. Comment on whether your overall argument will likely include more than one type of claim. Sassy 

Homework (yes!) Read the argument of policy that appeared as an editorial in the New York Times in 2004. Annotate it to identify claims of fact, value, and policy. Describe how these claims interact throughout the argument.