Review: Claim

Master claims in argument writing! Learn to spot them, judge their strength, and write your own persuasive arguments.

Earlier in the year we talked about argument writing. In argument writing, the author is trying to convince the reader to believe something. The author clearly states their belief in the claim. PART 1: IDENTIFYING CLAIMSFor this first section, your job will be to identify examples and non-examples of claims. Identify which (if any) of the following statements are examples of claims by sorting them into the correct column. To do this, click on a sentence and then choose "This is a claim" or "This is NOT a claim." Your answers will then be automatically sorted based on your choices. This is a Claim The phrase “under God” should not be removed from the Pledge of Allegiance. The voting age in the United States should be lowered to 12. Middle schools in the United States should not start before 9:30 AM. Pointing out the problems in your country and working to fix them is the most patriotic thing a person can do. I do not think it is patriotic to use toilet paper with the American flag on it. This is NOT a claim In 2020, 52% of Americans stated it was “OK for NFL players to kneel during the National Anthem to protest the police killing of African Americans.” Do you think Mr. Chadburn is a better teacher than Miss G? I learned that Freedom of Speech covers actions as well as speech. Some people think it is patriotic to use a beach towel with the American flag on it, but I'm not sure. Identify which sentence (if any) in this paragraph includes the claim. The sentences will be numbered to make this process easier.1Some people think pizza is the best food ever invented. 2Those people are very wrong. 3 Tacos are far better than pizza. Sentence 1 Sentence 2 Sentence 3 There is no claim in this paragraph. Identify which sentence (if any) in this paragraph includes the claim. The sentences will be numbered to make this process easier.1 Mr. Chadburn and Miss G are always fighting about who is the better teacher. 2 Mr. Chadburn is always doing silly dances in the morning when the students arrive. 3 This shows that he is funnier. 4 However, Miss G never says mean things about Eli like Mr. Chadburn does, so she is much nicer. Sentence 1 Sentence 2 Sentence 3 Sentence 4 There is no claim in this paragraph. Identify which sentence (if any) in this paragraph includes the claim. The sentences will be numbered to make this process easier.1 Chores are important for children. 2 In 2002, researches at the University of Minnesota found that children who had been assigned chores were more likely to have healthy relationships with their friends and family members as adults. 3 The study's head researcher, Mary Rossman, explained that doing household chores helps children learn "how to contribute to family life, a sense of empathy and how to take care of themselves." 4 These findings indicate that children develop skills through doing chores that are necessary for future success. Sentence 1 Sentence 2 Sentence 3 Sentence 4 There is no claim in this paragraph. Identify which sentence (if any) in this paragraph includes the claim. The sentences will be numbered to make this process easier.1 Have you ever felt discouraged after seeing your grades on a report card? 2 You're not alone!3 Schools should not grade students because grades can decrease students' motivation to learn.4 An expert on American education once wrote that students who are graded "tend to lose interest in the learning itself, avoid challenging tasks whenever possible...and think less deeply than kids who aren't graded."5 This indicates that letter grades can become a source of stress for students and distract them from the joys of learning, which negatively impacts their motivation. Sentence 1 Sentence 2 Sentence 3 Sentence 4 Sentence 5 There is no claim in this paragraph. PART 2: EVALUATING CLAIMSFor this next section, your job will be to evaluate claims to determine whether they are strong or weak claims. When writing a claim, there are many things that you should avoid doing. Below you will see a list of some of those common mistakes that you should avoid and sample claims, each of which makes one of the common mistakes. Match the mistake on the left to the sample claim on the right that makes that mistake. MISTAKE: Including a fact in your claim instead of a debatable opinion The First Amendment guarantees American citizens Freedom of Speech, among other things. MISTAKE: The author does not clearly take a side in their claim Some people think there should be restrictions on Free Speech, but other people disagree. MISTAKE: Giving a plan for what you are going to write about I am going to tell you why there should be restrictions on Free Speech. MISTAKE: Using unnecessary language such as "I think" or "I believe" or "In my opinion" instead of getting right to the point In my opinion, Free Speech should allow American citizens to say or do anything they want without restrictions. Is this a strong claim? Read the sentence below and then choose the answer that best describe the sentence.I am not sure if I agree with the people who think that the Sons of Liberty were a terrorist group. Yes, this is a strong claim because it does not make any mistakes! No, this is a weak claim because it states a fact instead of an opinion. No, this is a weak claim because the other does not clearly choose a side in the argument. No, this is a weak claim because the author gives a plan for what they are going to write. No, this is a weak claim because the author uses unnecessary language instead of getting right to the point. Is this a strong claim? Read the sentence below and then choose the answer that best describe the sentence.The colonists were responsible for the Boston Massacre because they provoked the British soldiers. Yes, this is a strong claim because it does not make any mistakes! No, this is a weak claim because it states a fact instead of an opinion. No, this is a weak claim because the other does not clearly choose a side in the argument. No, this is a weak claim because the author gives a plan for what they are going to write. No, this is a weak claim because the author uses unnecessary language instead of getting right to the point. Is this a strong claim? Read the claim below and then explain why it is or it not a strong claim with as much detail as possible.The Proclamation of 1763 prevented colonists from moving out west and settling on the land won by the British in the Seven Years War. You may choose to type or record your answer. Is this a strong claim? Read the claim below and explain why it is not a strong claim in as much detail as possible.I am going to tell you about why The Stamp Act was not justified in my opinion. You may choose to type or record your answer. PART 3: WRITING CLAIMSFor this final section, your job will be to show off what you have learned about claims by writing your own claims. Write a claim about which season is the best season. Write a claim about your feelings toward hybrid learning. Write a claim about what it means to be patriotic. Write a claim about the Declaration of Independence. Write a claim about Mr. Chadburn.