1. Claim, Evidence, Warrant. Notebook Item #10

2. #What is a claim? Claim: The overall focus statement of a paper (Thesis)or of a paragraph (Topic Sentence) that the writer will argue for. Should be: Engaging, logical, and debatable Should not be: Obvious, vague, or simply opinion

3. Opinion vs. Arguable Claim -Opinion (alone) and Vague = Bad -Twinkies are delicious. -Virginia Woolf is better than James Joyce. -Our mayor stinks.

4. Opinion vs. Arguable Claim -Arguable and Descriptive = Good -Twinkies are a superior snack cake because of the spongy texture, the creamy filling, and the golden appearance. -Virginia Woolf is a more effective writer than James Joyce because she does not rely on elaborate language that ultimately confuses and alienates readers, her works include themes that are timeless, and her writing reveals more imagination. -The mayor has done a poor job and continually does the community a disservice by misusing money, focusing on unimportant issues, and failing to listen to constituents.

5. #What is Evidence? Evidence: Data (facts, statistics, studies) gathered to support the claim.

6. #What is Warrant? Warrant: Explanation of why or how the evidence supports the claim, the underlying assumption that connects your evidence to your claim. (Commentary) Explains the significance of the evidence Usually three to five sentences long

7. Additional Terms Backing (also referred to as the foundation): Additional logic or reasoning that may be necessary to support the warrant. Counterclaim: A claim that would seem to negate or disagree with the claim. (what the other side would say in disagreement)

8. Rebuttal Rebuttal: Evidence that negates or disagrees with the counterclaim. Don't avoid the opposing side of an argument. Instead, include the opposing side as a counterclaim. Find out what the other side is saying and respond to it within your own argument. This is important so that the audience is not swayed by weak, unrefuted, arguments. This makes you look more credible because you appear to be knowledgeable about the entirety of the debate rather than just being biased to your position and/or uniformed. The only reason to bring in a counterclaim is if you plan to refute it. Do destroy your own argument.

9. Example Claim: Hybrid/Alternative Energy cars are the most effective and realistic strategy to fight pollution. Evidence1: Driving a private car is a typical citizen's most air polluting activity. (source) Warrant 1: Because cars are the largest source of private, as opposed to industry produced air pollution, switching to hybrid cars should have a significant impact on fighting pollution.

10. Example Evidence 2: Each vehicle produced typically stays on the road for roughly 12 to 15 years. (source) Warrant 2: Cars generally have a long lifespan, meaning that a decision to switch to a hybrid car will make a long-term impact on pollution levels. Evidence 3: The hybrid engine of the Prius, made by Toyota, produces 90 percent fewer harmful emissions than a comparable gasoline engine. (source) Warrant 3: Because the efficiency of new technology is exponentially better than the old, this will make a significant impact in overall pollution rather than just a slight modification.

11. Example Counterclaim: Instead of focusing on cars, which still encourages a culture of driving even if it cuts down on pollution, the nation should focus on building and encouraging use of mass transit systems such as alternative energy busses and railroads. Rebuttal: While mass transit is an environmentally sound idea that should be encouraged, it is not feasible in many rural and suburban areas. Furthermore, automobiles are a symbol of freedom and most people want to have the ability to travel where they want, when they want. With this in mind, hybrid and alternative energy cars are a better solution for minimizing pollution in the United States.

12. Let’s apply this practice to an argumentative literary analysis

13. #How to write an effective paragraph Grab three different colored pencils or highlighters for the rest of our notes today. Color One is for claims (C) and concluding sentences (CS) Color Two is for evidence (E) Color Three is for warrants/commentary (W)

14. Step 1: Claim A topic sentence (C) is the top bun of a hamburger – First sentence in a paragraph response – Usually the last or second to last sentence in intro paragraph for argumentative essays.

15. #Example Claim(C) 1.In the fairy tale Cinderella, the main character is mistreated by her family.

16. Step 2: Evidence Evidence (E) is the meat of the hamburger Evidence comes from the text – Facts – Quotes – Examples Evidence cannot be argued with. We can, however, have different interpretations of the evidence and how to apply it.

17. #Example Evidence (E) 2. For example, Cinderella must do all the cooking and cleaning for her family.

18. Step 3: Warrant/Commentary (W) Warrant/Commentary (W) are the extras on the hamburger – cheese, lettuce, onion, etc. – they make it delicious Ws are your – Analysis – Interpretation – Insight into the data

19. #Example Warrant/Commentary Sentences 3) These chores keep her isolated and friendless. 4) The stepmother is thus able to give Cinderella even more work, which prevents her from going to the ball.

20. Step 4: Conclusions (C) A concluding sentence (CS) is the bottom bun of the hamburger C – Wraps up the paragraph – Rephrases the main idea – Echoes the intro (of the paragraph or paper) It should not be identical to the Claim

21. #Example Conclusion (C) 5. Because of these harsh actions, Cinderella feels abused by the very people who are supposed to love and support her best.

22. Step 5: Final Paragraph Next add your Claim and Conclusion The final paragraph looks like this… In the fairy tale Cinderella, the main character is mistreated. For example, Cinderella must do all of the cooking and cleaning for her family. These chores keep her isolated and friendless. The stepmother is thus able to give Cinderella even more work, which prevents her from going to the ball. Because of these harsh actions, Cinderella feels abused by the very people who are supposed to love and support her best.

23. Getting Started Starting next class, we will be starting a short essay in order to get the hang of this. In your essay you should choose to answer one of the following questions with an argumentative claim. The Question: “Who is/has been a hero in your life?” or “Who have been the most heroic people to you?”

24. The introduction has a “hook” or “grabber” to catch the reader's attention. Some “hooks” and “grabbers” include:

25. 1.Unusual detail: Ex.In the U.S., a person can mail a coconut with only a stamp and an address.

26. 2. A strong statement: Ex.Americans are the most hateful group of people in the history of the planet.

27. 3. Quotation: Best selling author Francis Chan once said, "Our greatest fear should not be of failure, but of succeeding at things in life that don't really matter.”

28. 4. Anecdote: A short, amusing, and attention-getting story. Must get to the point very quickly in a 5 paragraph paper. Should be easily understood by most audiences. EX. On New Year’s Day, a concerned neighbor in Appleton, Wisconsin called to report possible child abuse. When police arrived to remove the woman's children because of a complaint that she had given her 11-year-old daughter a "swirlie" (Holding her head in a flushing toilet), the woman reportedly said, "I haven't had a vacation in 13 years. Go ahead and take them!"

29. 5. Statistic or Fact: Sometimes a statistic or fact will add emphasis or interest to your topic. It may be wise to include the item's authoritative source. According to MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Drivers), around 1.5 Million Americans are charged with drunk driving per year. In countries like Egypt and Saudi Arabia, the number is around 1 per year. In these countries, the penalty for a DUI is a death by firing squad.

30. 6. Question: This should be an interesting and thought provoking question. EX. What is the most difficult thing you have ever had to endure? Bad Ex. Have you ever had a bad day?

31. Go to your Write Source, page 357-363 if you are in class Go to my website when at a computer, open the links about citation listed under the Web Resources tab

32. The Three Ways to in-text (parenthetical) cite correctly. We will go over this in class today. 1)According to a USA Today poll, 75% of statistics are made up on the spot. 2) “Out of 100,000 surveyed, 75 percent of statistics were made up on the spot” (Johnson). 3) When asked to quote a statistic, 75 percent of people made them up on the spot (Johnson).