What a Claim Is...A strong argument! A claim persuades, argues, convinces, proves, or provocatively suggests something to a reader who may or may not initially agree with you. A claim is the main argument of an essay and the writer’s position on a problem/issue. The complexity, effectiveness, and quality of the entire paper hinges on the claim. If your claim is boring or obvious, the rest of the paper probably will be too. A claim defines your paper’s goals. Your claim appears in the introduction and is restated and affirmed in a new way in the conclusion. A claim must be argumentative and supported by reasons, evidence of facts, quotations from experts, statistics, expert opinion and telling details. When you make a claim, you are arguing for a certain interpretation or understanding of your subject. A good claim is specific. It makes a focused argument (MTV‟s popularity is waning because it no longer plays music videos) rather than a general one (MTV sucks).

What are the differences? Opinion vs. Arguable Claim An argument is supported by evidence, which can be debated/challenged. Opinion is supported by more opinion (and ultimately you end up with something along the lines of “Well, just because, okay?”). A claim can be substantiated with research, evidence, testimony, and academic reasoning. A claim is something more than statement and support: an arguable claim also goes on to address the “so what?” question, the implications and why we should care in the first place.

Opinion vs. Arguable Claim Opinion: —Twinkies are delicious. Argument/Arguable claim: — Twinkies taste better than other snack cakes because of their texture, their creamy filling, and their golden appearance.

Make a claim…A strong argument Did Pocahontas really rescue Captain John Smith? Use three reasons supported by text evidence for claim. Pocahontas decisively rescued Captain John Smith because according to the book written in 1608 by John Smith “True Relation” Smith left out the rescue because he may not have thought the rescue important enough to mention. Also, according to end note 1, in the introduction the publisher wrote, “Somewhat more was written by Smith, which being as I thought (fit only to be private) I would not venture to make it public.” The publisher intentionally left out what might have been private information. Pocahontas truly did not rescue Captain John Smith because in “Generall Historie of Virginia in 1624, seventeen years after the supposed rescue he mentions the story to make himself look good. Also, in “A True Discourse of the Present State of Virginia published in 1615 author Raphe Hamor did not mention the Pocahontas incident at all. The proves the unimportance of a rescue because he was a leader in Jamestown and knew Pocahontas well and referred to her in the book several times.

Make a claim…A strong argument What happened to the colony of Roanoke and the colonists that tried to settle in this area we now call Virginia? Support with three reasons. Use reading and evidence W.S. #37 “Lost a Colony.” Use PROP reading “What Happened to Roanoke?” evidence from relevant information, map and theories. Start with a T.S. (topic sentence), make a complete statement including because… Evidence should include author or person, date, name of source, reason why this supports the topic sentence. HW due by: __________________________________ Type, 12 font, double space. This will be an assessment grade 60%.

Remember that not all claims are created equal, and though a claim may be arguable, the best claims are focused, specific, complex, and relevant. Should the driving age be raised to 18 years old? Claim: Teens need the ability to drive just as much as everyone else, they need to get to school, to work, sports, music practice, or just go out with their friends. The driving age should not be raised to 18 years old because teenagers at 16 years have responsibilities that are necessary for mobility and using a car to get around can be a lifesaver for the family.

Counterclaims-Opposition In arguing a claim, you should always consider potential counterclaims and counterarguments. Anticipate what people with the opposing viewpoint might say and counter their objections by offering further evidence to support the claim. For instance, in response to a claim about raising the driving age to 18, someone might say: “You’re wrong. Raising the driving age will cut down on needless accidents.” Statistics show teenagers are more likely to get into accidents than adults.” This counterclaim denies the validity of my claim. It’s important to address counterclaims in your writing right after the opposition. For instance in response counter with evidence for your side: “According to Driver and Safety Magazine, studies show that it is inexperience, not age, that causes accidents.”