WARM-UP Consider the articles we have read over the last 2 weeks. With “Juvenile Justice on Trial” and “Cool School” in mind, try to compose 2 “super claims” that you might use to construct an argumentative essay.

Yesterday’s Highlights Argumentative writing consists of an argument, claims, evidence & reasoning. Argumentative writing pieces have a specific purpose and audience in mind. Argumentative topics must be an opinion, must be debatable. There should be a substantial amount of evidence to back up the opinion.

Argument/ Super Claim An argument is the author’s overarching opinion or statement that they are trying to support or prove. An argument is usually one sentence long. The argument is the most important sentence in the writing piece. It identifies the topic and purpose – the point - of the entire piece. An argument is arguable. Others could agree or disagree with it. The argument can be broken down into several smaller arguments, called claims.

Claims An argument consists of several smaller arguments, called claims. Claims support or feed the argument. Claims are the main reasons an author would give to justify why his/her argument is valid. Each claim gets its own paragraph. When the author states a claim at the beginning of a body paragraph, this is a topic sentence. Claims are supported with evidence and reasoning.

Evidence & Reasoning Evidence and reasoning support or feed the claims. In order to prove that a claim is valid, authors must provide reasoning and evidence. Evidence takes the form of FEAST-ExO: Facts, Examples, Anecdotes, Statistics, Truths, and Expert Opinions. Reasoning is the ‘because’ of a claim. It explains the evidence and links it to the claim. Evidence and reasoning are the heart or foundation of the paper. The best evidence comes from a reliable text or source. An author cannot prove or support a claim without evidence and reasoning. Evidence and reasoning must be used to back up every idea. Evidence and reasoning must always be paired together.

F FACTS Can be verified by a source. The population of Milwaukee is nearly double the population of Madison, Wisconsin. E EXAMPLES Provides a specific example to illustrate a point. Using a more efficient lamp, such as a compact fluorescent lamp, would save even more energy. A ANECDOTES Short, personal story. May use “I,” “me,” and/or “my.” Many of my friends drink sugary sodas and eat candy at lunch. S STATISTICS Includes numbers, especially percentages. Statistics Nine students were dismissed and another 37 given lesser punishments for cheating. T TRUTHS Widely accepted truths. Can be found in multiple sources. Truths The 4th of July is celebrated with parades, picnics, and fireworks. EX-O EXPERT OPINIONS An expert in a field has significant experience and knowledge of the topic. Ohio has the fourth-highest breast cancer mortality rate in the United States, according to the American Cancer Society.