1. Claims OTHER NAMES: argument, opinion, counterargument

2. What do claims do?

3. How do we identify claims? 1. Claims are an author’s opinion, _____________________. 2. Claims usually come __________ __________ that supports them. SEE EXAMPLE 1. Claims can be ______________ that challenge a reader concern SEE EXAMPLE

4. How do I know if a statement is a _________? ASK YOURSELF: 1. Is this ______________________? 2. Is this _______________________ ________________ (e.g. facts, stats, research studies, etc.)? 3. Does this statement _____________ ___________________________?_________________________________

5. Is it a _______ or _________? 1. According to the National Science Foundation, 23% of teenagers are obese. 2. Fast food industries are to blame for America’s obesity problem. 3. The problem of obesity in America is not just obese people’s – it is all of ours. 4. President Obama supported the idea of charging parents of obese children with crimes. __________

6. MATCH the evidence with the claim that it supports. 1. ___ The problem of obesity in America is not just obese people’s – it is all of ours. 2. ___ Obesity should be America’s number one health concern. 3. ___ Fast food restaurants close to schools are making kids fat. 4. ___ Parents who are not at home when kids get home from school contribute to the obesity problem. 5. ___ There are not enough calorie information charts on fast food restaurant menus. A. Out of McDonalds’ 15,000 restaurants in America, only 25% of them have calorie information pamphlets for customers to view. B. According to the government, obesity is the leading cause of preventable death in America. C. A 550 lbs. 5 th grader named Diego told CNN news that he has to eat fast food because no one is at home to cook for him. D. Health treatment of obese kids costs American taxpayers $500 million a year. E. Maurice Diaz, an obese 9 th grader, says he and his friends eat at the Taco Bell located a quarter mile from his school everyday. ___________________