Claim
What is a claim?
A full sentence that answers a prompt or states a position/topic.
What is evidence?
Facts, details, quotes, or statistics from a text that prove a claim.
What is a theme?
The life lesson, moral, or main message of a story.
What is an inference?
A smart guess made using text clues plus what you already know.
What is your teacher's favorite drink or snack to get through the day?
Blooms, Diet Coke, Cheez-Its, Coffee
Where in a paragraph does a claim sentence belong?
At the very beginning.
Good evidence answers what two questions about a claim?
How or why the claim is true.
Why is the word "Bravery" NOT a complete theme statement?
The theme must be a full sentence, while "Bravery" is just a topic.
Fill in the formula: Text Clues + What You Know = ________?
An Inference.
June 2026, Cade!
What two words should you NEVER start your claim with?
"I think" or "I feel".
True or False: Evidence should be based on your personal opinion.
FALSE! Evidence must be factual and objective.
True or False: A theme sentence should include specific character names and plot details.
FALSE! Themes are general life lessons for anyone.
If you hear a loud siren outside and smell smoke, what can you infer?
There is a fire nearby / fire trucks are responding.
How many siblings does Mrs. Supica have? Say their names and their birth order.
2 siblings, Lexi, Brylee, Maverik.
Why is "The cafeteria serves pizza every Friday" NOT a claim?
It's just a basic factual observation that everyone agrees on, not an argument.
Evidence or Non-Evidence? To prove the line is too slow, a student states: "Half of the 6th-grade class lost their lunchtime waiting in line."
EVIDENCE! It directly proves the problem with factual details.
Theme or Not a Theme? "True friends stick together even when things get tough."
THEME! It's a universal, full-sentence life lesson.
How do you use inference to figure out a story's theme?
By using small clues about how characters act/change and combining them with real-world knowledge to find the big lesson.
Mrs. Supica's favorite place to go on her day off is....
The movie theater!
Claim or Not a Claim? "Schools should add a second lunch line to give students more time to eat."
CLAIM! It takes a strong stance and proposes a solution that people can agree or disagree with.
What must evidence always do for a claim?
It must directly support or prove the claim.
Name one way a reader can track down the theme while reading a story.
Track how the character changes, see how the conflict is solved, or look for clues.
Infer the Feeling: A student stumbles on stage, turns bright red, and stares at the floor. What can you infer they are feeling?
Embarrassed, nervous, or uncomfortable.
Mrs. Supica's favorite animal is?
Elephant