Choose Evidence to Support a Claim

What is the purpose of claims?

• Support the argument.

• Restate the argument.

• Share facts with the reader.

• Share the authors point of view.

Which piece of evidence could be used to BEST support this claim: Students should be required to wear uniforms.

• When adding everything up, a school uniform could end up costing more than $200.

• A student reported, "Allowing us to wear our own clothes gives us a chance to show our unique style and independence."

• Last year, at many schools that required students to wear uniforms, attendance rates went up and behavior incidents went down.

• School uniforms can be ordered online.

In the United States, we still need a post office. Which of the following is NOT a good piece of evidence to support this claim?

• The post office is needed for the delivery of packages.

• Nearly 90% of mail is junk mail and throwing it away is bad for the environment.

• The post office serves Americans throughout the country

What does EVIDENCE mean?

• A statement you believe to be true

• An opinion

• An argument

• Proof that supports your reasons

"Two out of three high school students fail to get enough sleep" is an example of:

• Claim

• Evidence

• Reason

Evidence: Zoos cannot perfectly copy the animal's natural habitat. Zoos don't allow animals to think and problem solve like they would in their natural habitat. Which claim best matches the evidence?

• Zoos are harmful to the well-being of the animals.

• Zoos only exist as entertainment for humans.

• Zoos are good for animals because many of the animals were endangered in their original habitats.

Evidence: If the law required all American adults to vote, government would be forced to listen to all Americans. Mandatory voting in Australia led to a greater trust between the people and the government. Which claim best matches the evidence?

• American adults should be required to vote because it creates a better relationship between the government and citizens.

• American adults should be able to choose whether they vote because they can choose whether they want to be involved.

• American adults should be required to vote because it will make citizens become more informed about our government.

Put a checkmark next to all the STRONG reasons for this claim: Starbucks is more successful than Dunkin.

• Starbucks has more stores worldwide.

• Starbucks made more money last year.

• Starbucks sells less donuts than Dunkin.

• Starbucks' stores are in more countries around the world.

Is the example below a claim, reason, or evidence?

Dr. Shelnutt, a veterinarian, said that, "Dogs have a protective instinct. They can sense danger, and they will do what they can to protect you."

• Claim

• Reason

• Evidence

Which evidence matches the reason "Sleep is needed to grow the right way."

• Researchers have discovered that kids getting 10-11 hours of sleep a night grow taller than those that don't.

• According to Kids Health, scientists have proven that kids getting 10-11 hours of sleep a night are nicer and have more friends.

• My mom only gets 4 hours of sleep a night and is really stressed out and tired all the time.

• Sleep is good for your skin and will make wrinkles in your face much smaller.