Elements of a Written Argument

(Claims, Evidence, & Explanation)

Parts:1. Claim: a point you are arguing. 2. Subclaim: a point you are

arguing that supports another claim you have already made.

3. Evidence: the sources you use to support your claim.

4. Explanation: the reasoning for why your evidence supports your claim.

Claim:A claim is a point you are arguing. Claims are not facts but rather conclusions that the writer draws from facts.

When you think of an “argument,” you might imagine people taking opposite sides and debating in a

win/lose situation. In academics, a written argument

is not always so heated - academic argumentation deals with any question that does not have a straightforward answer.

Claim Example:

See? A claim does not need to be controversial (like, “the death penalty should be

eliminated”) - a claim can be any statement that you must support with evidence. Most academic claims are about

anything that can be questioned within a discipline.

“Early Medieval people believed that the way burials were conducted influenced the activity of spirits.”

Evidence:The research, facts, and testimony that support your claim.

The following things can NOT be used as evidence:

Because it’s my personal opinion Because my friends or relatives think so or most people think so Because it’s always been agreed upon / it’s tradition Because it’s obvious Because it’s morally right

Evidence Example:Claim: “Early Medieval people believed that the way burials were conducted influenced the activity of spirits.”

This piece of evidence is based on archaeological finds and the conclusions made by archaeologists.

Evidence: “Archaeologists have discovered that Anglo-Saxons sometimes removed bodies from graves, cremated them, and cast the ashes into a running water source.”

Explanation?

As the writer, YOU might understand how this statement

supports the claim you made, but the reader can’t always make the

connection. There is one thing still missing from this argument:

EXPLANATION.

Evidence: “Archaeologists have discovered that Anglo-Saxons sometimes removed bodies from graves, cremated them, and cast the ashes into a running water source.”

Claim: “Early Medieval people believed that the way burials were conducted influenced the activity of spirits.”

Explanation:The reasoning or rationale for why your evidence supports your claim. Even when your evidence seems to obviously support

your claim, you should explain the connection to your reader as clearly as possible.

Explanation?

Evidence: “Archaeologists have discovered that Anglo-Saxons sometimes removed bodies from graves, cremated them, and cast the ashes into a running water source.”

Explanation: “Because the Anglo-Saxons believed that angry spirits would often leave their graves and torment people of the town, the living hoped that by destroying the body and removing it from a traditional burial place, the spirits could no longer take vengeance.”

Claim: “Early Medieval people believed that the way burials were conducted influenced the activity of spirits.”

Example #2Claim: “Dora the Explorer is an educational T.V. show for kids.”

Time to gather evidence! Choose your evidence from

reliable sources that support your interpretation. The

evidence can be quoted, paraphrased, or summarized.

Example #2Claim: “Dora the Explorer is an educational T.V. show for kids.”Evidence 1: “Dora often uses colors and numbers to communicate various pieces of information to her young audience.”

You usually want to supply several pieces of evidence so that your support is solid and, therefore,

yields more credibility to your claim.

Example #2Claim: “Dora the Explorer is an educational T.V. show for kids.”

Evidence 1: “Dora often uses colors and numbers to communicate various pieces of information to her young audience.”

Evidence 2: “The show uses simple words in English and Spanish to help unfold the plot.”

Add Explanation…Dora the Explorer is an educational T.V. show for kids. Dora often uses colors and numbers to communicate

various pieces of information to her young audience. The use of color and numbers helps prepare kids for the early

stages of learning in preschool and kindergarten. Early exposure to these basics units of knowledge helps

prepare children for their first few years in an educational setting. Additionally, the show uses simple words in

English and Spanish to help unfold the plot. The use of two languages in the show helps create young bilingual speakers. Early exposure to multiple languages will help

prepare kids for the more intensive language lessons they will experience during high school and college.

ActivityLook at the images on the screen, and respond to the prompt questions on a separate document. You will email your answers to Ms. G at the end of the activity!You will practice making claims and supporting them with evidence and explanation.

This is a photo manipulation self-portrait. Write a claim in response to this question:

- What is this man’s personality like?

Describe the evidence you have to support your claim based on the image. Explain how your evidence supports your claim in 2-4 sentences.

This is a photography self-portrait. Write a claim in response to this question:

- What is this man’s personality like?

Describe the evidence you have to support your claim based on the image.

Explain how your evidence supports your claim in 2-4 sentences.

This is a surrealist painting. Write a claim in response to this question:

- What is the meaning of this painting?

This is a surrealist painting. Write a claim in response to this question:

- What is the meaning of this painting?

This is a satire image. Write a claim in response to this question:

- What is the meaning of this image?

Describe the evidence you have to support your claim based on the image.

Explain how your evidence supports your claim in 2-4 sentences.