Claims, Reasons, and Evidence ARGUMENT WRITING Claims, Reasons, and Evidence

HOW MANY OF YOU HAVE EVER BEEN IN AN ARGUMENT? WHEN YOU THINK ARGUMENT AT THIS POINT IN YOUR LIFE, YOU PROBABLY THINK OF SIBLINGS / FRIENDS. IN WRITING, AN ARGUMENT IS DIFFERENT…

ARGUMENT WRITING PURPOSE: To Persuade / Convince the reader to agree with or take action based on your claim Credible Sources are critical  expert sources That’s how we know we should consider the information Conclusion Paragraph  ends with a ‘call to action’ Tell the reader what to think or do as a result of your argument

CONTROVERSY IN SCHOOL WRITING, AN ARGUMENT IS DIFFERENT… WE MUST MAKE A CLAIM ABOUT A CONTROVERSY AND THEN SUPPORT THAT CLAIM WITH REASONS AND EVIDENCE

CONTROVERSY A disagreement or argument about something that is important to many people  Often posed as a question

CONTROVERSY?

CONTROVERSY?

CONTROVERSY?

CONTROVERSY?

Parts of an Argument ARGUMENT CLAIM REASONS EVIDENCE

CLAIM An OPINION on / ANSWER to a controversial topic that can be argued using the support of reasons and evidence, tied together with explanation (MY) ANSWER to a controversial question Must be ‘debatable’ CANNOT start with: ‘YES’ or ‘NO’ “I think”

MAKE A CLAIM Should a standardized test be a requirement for high school graduation? Do professional athletes deserve multi-million dollar salaries? Should students be paid for performance in school? Should English be the official language of the United States? Are kids responsible for stepping in to prevent bullying?

MAKE A CLAIM Are green technologies worth the investment? Should American students be required to learn a second language? Nuclear power: our energy future or danger to society? Who is responsible for childhood obesity?

REASON An idea that logically supports or backs up a claim A general pattern found in sources / information Answers the question “WHY?” you believe your claim is correct

EVIDENCE Specific Proof that a reason is valid Detail Fact Statistic Example Answers the questions “WHEN?” or “WHAT?” about the reasons

SO… C L A I M R E S O N V D T AN ARGUMENT

CREate an Argument ARGUMENT Make a CLAIM Give a REASON Support with EVIDENCE Support with more EVIDENCE Give another REASON

EXAMPLES Who is the best basketball player on our team? Jose is the best basketball player on our team because he scores the most points. Last game, for example, he scored 40 points.

EXAMPLE Some people think that The Cay is a story of survival, but it is really a story about acceptance because Philip learns to accept and appreciate Timothy in spite of being a different race. Philip’s first impressions of Timothy are negative. However after spending two months stranded together on the cay, Philip didn’t “remember that ugly welted face… it seemed only kind and strong” (Taylor 54). Philip’s change of heart illustrates the true meaning of the book – that all people should be valued equally and judged on their character rather than their looks.

ARGUMENT PLANNER

Frozen

MockingJay (part 2)