Claim and Evidence Writing
Learn
Good writers share their ideas and tell why they think so. In this lesson, you will learn to write a claim (what you think) and give evidence (the reason why).
What is a Claim?
A claim is a sentence that tells what you think or believe. It is your idea about something.
Example: "Firefighters help our community."
What is Evidence?
Evidence is a fact or reason that shows your claim is true. It answers the question "How do you know?"
Example: "They put out fires and keep people safe."
Putting Them Together
When you put a claim and evidence together, you make a strong sentence. Use words like because to connect them.
Example: "Firefighters help our community because they put out fires and keep people safe."
The Claim-Evidence Pattern
- Claim: State your idea
- Because: Use a connecting word
- Evidence: Give your reason or fact
Finding Good Evidence
Good evidence comes from things you learned or observed. You can find evidence in:
- Books and stories you have read
- Pictures and photographs
- Things you have seen in your community
- Facts that you know are true
Examples
Example 1: Writing About Teachers
Claim: Teachers are important community helpers.
Evidence: They teach children to read and do math.
Complete sentence: "Teachers are important community helpers because they teach children to read and do math."
Example 2: Writing About Doctors
Claim: Doctors keep us healthy.
Evidence: They give us medicine when we are sick.
Complete sentence: "Doctors keep us healthy because they give us medicine when we are sick."
Example 3: Writing About Mail Carriers
Claim: Mail carriers do hard work.
Evidence: They walk many miles and carry heavy bags every day.
Complete sentence: "Mail carriers do hard work because they walk many miles and carry heavy bags every day."
Example 4: Finding Evidence in a Picture
Imagine you see a picture of a crossing guard helping children cross the street.
Claim: Crossing guards keep children safe.
Evidence from the picture: In the picture, the crossing guard holds up a stop sign so cars will stop.
Complete sentence: "Crossing guards keep children safe because they hold up stop signs so cars will stop."
Practice
Practice writing claims and evidence about community helpers.
1. What is a claim?
- A) A question you ask
- B) A sentence that tells what you think
- C) A picture of a community helper
2. What is evidence?
Think about what evidence does for a claim.
3. Which word helps connect a claim to evidence?
- A) and
- B) because
- C) the
4. Read this sentence: "Police officers help our community because they catch people who break the rules."
What is the claim in this sentence?
5. Using the same sentence from question 4, what is the evidence?
6. Here is a claim: "Librarians help people learn."
Write one piece of evidence that supports this claim.
7. Here is some evidence: "They drive buses to take children to school every day."
Write a claim that goes with this evidence. (Hint: Who does this describe?)
8. Put this claim and evidence together into one complete sentence:
- Claim: Nurses take care of sick people.
- Evidence: They give medicine and check if you have a fever.
9. True or False: Good evidence can come from things you have seen or read.
10. Which is better evidence for the claim "Firefighters are brave"?
- A) Firefighters wear red helmets.
- B) Firefighters run into burning buildings to save people.
Explain why you chose that answer.
11. Write your own claim about a community helper you know.
12. Now write evidence for the claim you wrote in question 11. Then put them together into one complete sentence using the word "because."
Check Your Understanding
Answer these questions to see what you learned.
1. What is the difference between a claim and evidence?
2. Why is it important to give evidence for your claim?
3. Write a complete claim-evidence sentence about any community helper.
Next Steps
- Practice writing claim-evidence sentences about your favorite community helpers
- Look for evidence in books and pictures you see
- Move on to the Unit Checkpoint when ready to review everything you learned