What you will be able to do
write a claim that answers a question; select relevant evidence; explain the link between evidence and claim
Claims and Supporting Evidence
How does relevant evidence support a clear claim?
Activate what you know
Make a claim about which of two fictional routes is shorter, then name what map information would support it
- claiman answer or conclusion that can be supported
- evidencefacts, source details, examples, or data used as support
- reasoningthe explanation connecting evidence to a claim
- relevantdirectly connected to the question or claim
- sufficientenough for the conclusion being made
- qualifyto make a claim more precise or limited
1
A Claim Answers the Question
A claim should be specific enough to test. ‘The park is good’ is vague. ‘The west entrance provides more step-free access than the east entrance’ names what is being compared and can be checked against a map or site record. Evidence must be relevant and accurate. The color of the park sign does not support a claim about entrance access. Strong evidence comes from sources suited to the question and includes the detail needed for the comparison
2
Evidence Sets the Claim’s Boundaries
One source may be enough for a narrow fact but not a broad conclusion. A current official map may establish where ramps are located. To claim how users experience them, researchers need observations or accounts from affected users as well. If evidence is incomplete or mixed, qualify the claim with words such as may, in this source, or based on the available records. Honest limits make an argument stronger because readers can see exactly what is known. When sources disagree, identify the exact difference and investigate it. Do not average unlike facts; check dates, definitions, methods, and whether each source addresses the same claim
Complete the Because
State the claim, cite the evidence, and explain: ‘This matters because ____.’ That final link is reasoning
Color-Code the Chain
Underline the claim in one color, evidence in another, and reasoning in a third. Missing colors reveal missing thinking
A Fact Is Not Automatically Relevant
A detail can be true yet fail to support the claim. Relevance depends on the question being answered
Build and Revise
Use a simple map or data table. Write a claim, cite two details, explain each connection, and qualify the claim if the source cannot support every part
A strong conclusion answers the question with a precise claim, relevant and sufficient evidence, and reasoning that makes the connection clear
Practice and answer guide
Work through all 10 questions. Open an answer only after you have written or explained your response.
- 1. Which sentence is a testable claim? A. The north route is shorter by two blocks. B. Transportation is nice. C. Everything is best
Check answer
The north route is shorter by two blocks
- 2. Name the three parts of a claim-evidence-reasoning response
Check answer
Claim, evidence, and reasoning
- 3. Which evidence is relevant to bus-route frequency? A. a current schedule B. the bus color C. a park photograph
Check answer
A current schedule
- 4. Explain why the ramp evidence supports the access claim
Check answer
A ramp provides a step-free route, so its presence directly supports the access comparison
- 5. Why cannot the map prove that everyone prefers one entrance?
Check answer
A map records features, not every user’s preference or experience
- 6. Qualify the claim ‘This street is always crowded’ when you have one noon photograph
Check answer
Accept: ‘The street appears crowded at noon in this photograph.’
- 7. Choose relevant evidence for: The town added more trees between 2000 and 2020. A. comparable tree maps from both years B. one recipe C. a shoe size chart
Check answer
Comparable tree maps from both years
- 8. Write reasoning that connects the two tree maps to the claim
Check answer
If comparable maps show more mapped trees in 2020, that difference supports an increase over the period
- 9. Can one true fact be irrelevant? Give an example
Check answer
Yes; for example, a bus’s paint color may be true but irrelevant to whether it arrives on time
- 10. Revise ‘The park is good’ into a precise claim
Check answer
Accept a specific, supportable claim such as ‘The park offers three free recreation areas.’