Transcript Claims, Reasons, and Evidence

Claims,
Reasons, and
Evidence
Claims
A
claim is the writer’s position on the issue
Wolves should be reintroduced into Utah.
Wolves should not be allowed to return to
Utah.
Categories of Claims
 Fact/Definition
Claims
 Cause and Effect Claims
 Value Claims
 Solution or Policy Claims
Fact/Definition
 These
claims argue about what the
definition of something is or whether
something really exists as settled fact.
 What
some people refer to as global
warming is actually nothing more than
normal, long-term cycles of climate
change.
Cause and Effect
 These
claims argue that one person,
thing, or event caused another thing or
event to occur.
 The
popularity of SUVs in America has
caused pollution to increase.
Value
 These
are claims made of what
something is worth, whether we value it or
not, how we would rate or categorize
something.
 Climate
change is the most pressing
challenge facing the world today.
Solutions/Policies
 These
are claims that argue for or against
a certain solution or policy approach to a
problem
 Instead of drilling for oil in Alaska we
should be focusing on ways to reduce oil
consumption, such as researching
renewable energy sources.
What Kind of Claims Are These?
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Using a cell phone causes brain tumors.
Cause and Effect
There are serious flaws in our nation’s gun
control laws.
Fact/Definition
Plagiarism is morally wrong.
Value
The federal government should impose national
standards for education.
Solutions/Policies
Claims should be supported
with reasons:
Wolves should be reintroduced into Utah
because the ecosystem needs an apex
predator.
because they are originally a native
species.
Wolves should not be allowed to return to
Utah
because they cause damage to flocks and
herds and can be dangerous to human
beings.
because we have other predators like
cougar, bears, and human hunters that
keep deer populations controlled.
Reasons are explanations of
the claim’s position
As a class find as many reasons as you can
to back up this statement:
 “Women’s
fashion and style magazines
(such as Glamour or Seventeen) are
harmful influences on teenage girls.”
(You can start your statement with because,
therefore, so, consequently, or thus)
Evidence
 What
types of evidence can you use to
back up your claims?
Evaluating Evidence
Use the S.T.A.R. Method

Sufficiency
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Typicality
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Is the data representative of what’s out there?
Accuracy
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Is there enough evidence?
Is the information accurate and up-to-date?
Relevance

Is it on-topic? Is the information relevant to the
claim?
“Extraordinary Claims
Require Extraordinary Proof”—
Bill Nye, the Science Guy