Writing Arguments for the ACT

Writing Arguments for the ACTPage 48Why do we argue?Why should students learn how to argue?How do you lose an argument?

Requirements of StudentsAccording to the Common Core, Students should be able to:

Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence You need 3 things to write a proper argument:ClaimEvidenceWarrantsWhat is a claim?A claim is the conclusion of an argument. It states your position on the issue you have chose to write about.

Claim:Joining a military service after high school should be mandatory and not required.

In order to have a claim, you need to have evidence and warrants for support.

What is evidence?Evidence is any type of data used to support the claim. Like a lawyer presenting evidence to a jury, you must support your claim with facts or important information.

Claim: Joining a military service after high school should be mandatory and not required. Evidence #1: In our most recent war in Afghanistan, over 2,200 soldiers have died fighting for their countryEvidence #2: Many students want to go to college after they graduate from high school.

What is a warrant?Having evidence to support your claim is a good start, but you need to show WHY the evidence supports the claim.Warrant: shows how your evidence supports the claim

Claim: Joining a military service after high school should be mandatory and not required. Evidence #1: In our most recent war in Afghanistan, over 2,200 soldiers have died fighting for their countryWarrant: People should have the option to decide whether they want to fight (and possibly die) for their country. Every argument should haveA claim!Based on evidenceAnd a warrant that explains how the evidence supports the claimArgument by a Five Year OldClaim: All Dogs Are Boys and All Cats Are Girls

Evidence: My dog is very dirty and crazy and my cat is very clean

Warrant: Boys are dirty and crazy and my dog is both so my dog must be a boy. Girls are clean and proper like my cat so my cat must be a girl. A claim is something we believe to be true.

We often use evidence based around things we see in our everyday life.

A warrant must show the connection between our evidence and our claim. Arguments in Everyday lifeThe most popular TV show among teenagers in the United States is the Walking Dead. We know that because 75% of Owosso students said they watched the program.

Claim: The most popular TV show among teenagers in the United States is the Walking Dead.Evidence: 75% of Owosso students said they watched the program.What is needed?Warrant (show connection between the claim and evidence): The student body of Owosso is a good representation of the rest of the teenagers in the United States. Thus, a shows popularity in Owosso indicates its popularity throughout the United States. Next Up:Solving Mysteries using Claim-Evidence-Warrant!