Claims and Evidence Enduring Understanding

Writers make claims about subjects, rely on evidence that supports the reasoning that justifies the claim, and often acknowledge or respond to other, possibly opposing, arguments

Essential Question

As a reader, how can you identify a writer’s position and the way that position is supported? As a writer, how can you develop and support your own position?

Two parents and two teenage girls are sitting at the kitchen table in a cozy farmhouse. The teenagers look mad at each other. One parent explains to the other, “Elena claims that she and Mariana were late for school because Mariana wanted to stop and check on the new calves in the barn on the way to school. Mariana claims they were late because Elena thought she lost her phone and retraced her steps through the fields to try to find it, even though it turned out to be at the bottom of her backpack.” Both teens have different positions and are not willing to abandon their points of view. Their claims reflect their positions, and each of them must prove her claim by providing evidence or by explaining how her ideas are reasonable. In other words, each must explain how her own argument makes sense and how her sister’s argument does not.

The word claim carries a sense of uncertainty. It is not a statement of fact. A claim needs proof to be believed and accepted. Claims are proven or supported through convincing evidence and logical thinking (reasoning). This section will help you identify and explain how writers make their positions clear through claims and support those claims with evidence and reasoning. It will also provide instructions on writing a paragraph that includes a clearly stated claim and effective supporting evidence.

Some Vocabulary Fun