Claims, Reasons and Evidence in Argumentative Writing
TLDRThe video script focuses on crafting an argumentative paragraph by distinguishing between claims, reasons, and evidence. It emphasizes that a claim states what to think, a reason explains why, and evidence supports the claim's truth. Through an activity involving year-round schooling, the script illustrates how to identify opinions and facts, and how to structure them into a coherent argument. The main claim 'year-round school is not a good idea' is supported by reasons and evidence, demonstrating the interplay between these elements in persuasive writing.
Takeaways
- 📝 The difference between a claim, reason, and evidence is fundamental to writing an argumentative paragraph: a claim tells you what to think, a reason explains why, and evidence shows how you know it's true.
- 🔍 In the activity, participants were asked to distinguish between facts and opinions in a paragraph about year-round schooling, highlighting the importance of discerning these elements in argument construction.
- 💭 The main claim of the paragraph is an opinion, stated as 'Year-round school is not a good idea', which serves as the central argument to be supported.
- 📌 Facts from the paragraph, such as the 60-15 calendar of some year-round schools, are used as reasons to support the main claim.
- 📑 Evidence is provided to back up the reasons, illustrating the absence of summer vacation due to the year-round school schedule.
- 🔑 The relationship between claim, reason, and evidence is cyclical: a clear claim is supported by compelling reasons, which are in turn substantiated by relevant evidence.
- 📚 The activity emphasizes the importance of identifying the main claim, which is the opinion that sets the direction for the argumentative paragraph.
- 📈 Additional reasons are listed to further support the main claim, such as the need for students to have a break from academic stress and the enjoyment of summer outside of a classroom setting.
- 🤔 The script encourages critical thinking by asking participants to not only find facts and opinions but also to understand how they interrelate within the context of an argument.
- 📝 The paragraph structure is used as an example to demonstrate how claims, reasons, and evidence work together to form a cohesive argument against year-round schooling.
- 📋 The takeaway is that constructing an argumentative paragraph requires a clear understanding of the interplay between claims, reasons, and evidence to effectively persuade the reader.
Q & A
What is the primary difference between a claim, a reason, and evidence in the context of writing an argumentative paragraph?
-A claim tells you what to think, a reason tells you why you think that, and evidence tells you how you know that it is true. The relationship between the three is that a claim is proven by clear reasons that are supported by relevant evidence.
How does the activity from the bell work relate to the concept of claims, reasons, and evidence?
-The activity involved reading a paragraph about year-round school, highlighting opinions in yellow, facts in blue, and underlining the main claim. This helps in understanding how claims are supported by reasons and reasons are backed by evidence.
What is the main claim in the example paragraph about year-round school?
-The main claim in the example paragraph is that 'year-round school is not a good idea'.
What is the role of facts in supporting the reason in the argumentative paragraph about year-round school?
-Facts serve as evidence to support the reason. For example, the fact that year-round schools have a 60-15 calendar where students are in school 60 days and out for 15 days, repeating all year, supports the reason that year-round school changes students' summer schedules.
What are some additional reasons listed in the example paragraph that help support the main claim?
-Additional reasons include students needing a break from the stress of tests, quizzes, homework, and studying, and the idea that summer is to be enjoyed, not spent in a classroom.
How does the process of underlining the main claim in the paragraph help in structuring an argumentative paragraph?
-Underlining the main claim helps in identifying the central opinion that the paragraph will argue. This claim then serves as the focus around which reasons and evidence are organized.
What is the significance of distinguishing between facts and opinions in the context of an argumentative paragraph?
-Distinguishing between facts and opinions is crucial as facts provide the objective evidence needed to support the reasons, which in turn support the claim (an opinion). This distinction ensures a logical and persuasive argument.
Can you provide an example of how the relationship between claims, reasons, and evidence is apparent in the argumentative paragraph about year-round school?
-The claim 'year-round school is not a good idea' is supported by the reason 'year-round school changes students' summer schedules', which is further supported by the evidence 'some year-round schools have a sixty fifteen calendar where students are in school sixty days then out of school for 15 days, the same schedule repeats all year long, which means no summer vacation'.
What is the purpose of highlighting opinions in yellow and facts in blue during the activity from the bell work?
-Highlighting opinions in yellow and facts in blue helps in visually distinguishing between the subjective claims (opinions) and the objective supporting details (facts), which is essential for building a strong argument.
How does the example paragraph demonstrate the importance of a clear structure in an argumentative paragraph?
-The example paragraph demonstrates a clear structure by starting with a main claim, followed by reasons, and then supported by evidence. This structure helps in presenting a logical and coherent argument.
What advice can be given to students when writing an argumentative paragraph to ensure clarity and effectiveness?
-Students should clearly state their claim, provide reasons that logically follow from the claim, and support these reasons with relevant and credible evidence. This approach ensures that the argument is both clear and persuasive.
Outlines
📝 Understanding Argumentative Writing Structure
This paragraph introduces the fundamental components of an argumentative paragraph: claims, reasons, and evidence. It explains that a claim is a statement that tells the reader what to think, a reason provides the 'why' behind the claim, and evidence supports the reason with factual information. The paragraph uses the example of an opinion on year-round schooling, highlighting the difference between facts and opinions, and how they are used to construct a clear argument. The activity described involves identifying opinions in yellow, facts in blue, and underlining the main claim. The example given is the opinion that year-round school is not a good idea, supported by reasons such as changes to the traditional summer schedule and the need for students to have a break from academic stress.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Claim
💡Reason
💡Evidence
💡Argumentative Paragraph
💡Fact
💡Opinion
💡Year-Round School
💡Sixty-Fifteen Calendar
💡Stress
💡Recharge
💡Enjoy
Highlights
A claim tells you what to think, a reason tells you why you think that, and evidence tells you how you know it is true.
The relationship between claim, reason, and evidence is that a claim is proven by clear reasons supported by relevant evidence.
Activity from the bell work involved distinguishing between fact and opinion in a paragraph about year-round school.
Opinions were highlighted in yellow, indicating a personal viewpoint or claim.
Facts were highlighted in blue, providing the objective information supporting the opinion or claim.
The main claim of the paragraph is that year-round school is not a good idea.
Year-round school changes students' summer schedules, serving as a reason to support the main claim.
Some year-round schools follow a 60-15 calendar, which is an example of evidence supporting the reason.
Students need a break from the stress of tests, quizzes, homework, and studying, which is another reason supporting the main claim.
Deserving a summer to recharge batteries is presented as a reason to oppose year-round schooling.
Summer is to be enjoyed, not spent in a classroom, reinforcing the opinion against year-round school.
The paragraph demonstrates how a claim is supported by multiple reasons and evidence.
The importance of distinguishing between opinions, reasons, and evidence in constructing an argumentative paragraph is emphasized.
The activity helps in identifying the structure of an argumentative paragraph and the role of each component.
Highlighting and underlining are used as methods to visually organize the components of an argument.
The transcript provides a practical example of how to apply the concepts of claims, reasons, and evidence in writing.
The process of identifying claims, reasons, and evidence is crucial for effective argumentative writing.
The transcript illustrates the dynamic relationship between claims, reasons, and evidence in argument construction.
Understanding the difference between claims, reasons, and evidence enhances critical thinking and persuasive writing skills.
Transcripts
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