Argumentative Writing

Claim

100

What is a claim?

A claim is a statement that tells your position or point of view in an argument.

200

Which of the following is a claim? a. Students should wear uniforms because they are cool. b. Students should not wear uniforms. c. Students should not wear uniforms because they are ugly.

B

300

Write a claim for the following argument: 4 day school weeks

Students SHOULD have 4 day school weeks. 

Students SHOULD NOT have 4 day school weeks.

400

Write a claim for the following argument: School Start Time

School should start earlier OR school should start later

500

What are some of the off limits words/phrases in an argumentative piece of writing? 

I believe...

I think... 

In my opinion...

Reasoning

100

What is a reason? 

Why the author is making their claim, why they believe what they do

200

Where do you normally find the reasonings in an argumentative text? 

At the beginning of each body paragraph

300

How many reasons do you normally need when writing an argumentative text? 

2

400

Come up with 2 reasonings for the following claim: Students should have 30 minutes of free time daily in school. 

answers will vary...

500

Why does an author use reasonings in their argumentative/persuasive texts? 

To support their claim and provide credibility

Counterclaim

100

What is a counterclaim?

A counterclaim is a statement that shows the opposite point of view.

200

What is the counterclaim for the following claim? Students should wear school uniforms.

Students should not wear school uniforms.

300

What is the counterclaim for the following claim? NASA should send astronauts to live on Mars.

NASA should not send astronauts to live on Mars.

400

What is the difference between a counterclaim and a rebuttal?

A counterclaim tells the opposite point of view while a rebuttal tells why the opposite point of view is wrong or insufficient.

500

What is a good word/phrase to introduce a counterclaim?

Even though some critics say... Despite the fact that... Although the opposing argument is...

Random

100

What is the purpose of argumentative writing?

To persuade

200

What is the main idea of the following passage?

There are many fun things to do at the beach. Swimming is one thing that can be done at the beach. Snorkeling is another thing that can be enjoyed. Playing beach volleyball can be a lot of fun. It is also fun to look for shells. Some people simply like to sunbathe.

There are many fun things to do at the beach.

300

Which of the following thesis statements is the strongest?

A. Violent video games are harmful to young people, and it should be stopped.

B. Violent video games are harmful for young people to play because it promotes violence and can cause children to become desensitized to death.

C. Violent video games are harmful for young people because they should be reading a book.

B. Violent video games are harmful for young people to play because it promotes violence and can cause children to become desensitized to death. 

400

When you write evidence in your essay, what punctuation do you need to have to show that it came from the text?

A. apostrophes

B. period

C. exclamation marks

D. quotation marks

D. quotation marks

500

Which of the following is a logical fallacy?

A. Attacking a person and not their argument

B. Making a logical argument with evidence and reasons

C. Making an argument using statistics  

A. attacking a person and not their argument

Evidence

100

What is evidence?

Evidence is facts, statistics, or quotes that support your argument.

200

Which of the following is not evidence? a. 90% of girls like the color green b. 1 out of 5 boys plays basketball c. a scientist explains that "loud music can harm your hearing" d. listening to loud music is fun

d. listening to loud music is fun

300

Make up evidence for the following argument: Cats make better pets than dogs because they are easier to take care of.

Fact, statistic, or quote. Examples: While dogs need to be fed twice a day, cats can feed themselves if you leave the food out for them. 75% of cat owners say that they never have to think about feeding their cat. 1 out of 4 dog owners dread feeding their dog.

400

Which of the following evidence support the claim: 

Claim: Stephenville, TX should build a Raising Canes. 

a. Raising Canes is the best restaurant 

b. Raising Canes would bring the total chicken fast food restaurants to 23% in Stephenville. 

c. 59% of residents say they would eat at Raising Cane's at least once a week

d. 3/4 of the residents in Stephenville, TX go to Chick-Fil-A daily for chicken. 

c. 59% of residents say they would eat at Raising Cane's at least once a week

500

What is a good sentence starter to introduce evidence?

The text states 

The authors states 

In paragraph __, it says