Grade: Grade 1 Subject: Social Studies Unit: Local Geography Lesson: 5 of 6 SAT: Information+Ideas ACT: Reading

Claim and Evidence Writing

Learn to make a claim about a place and support it with evidence from maps and pictures.

Learn

What Is a Claim?

A claim is a statement that says something is true. It is what you believe or think based on what you know.

Examples of claims:

  • "My neighborhood has many parks."
  • "The school is close to the library."
  • "Our town has changed a lot over time."

What Is Evidence?

Evidence is proof that supports your claim. It shows why your claim is true. Evidence can come from:

  • Maps (what you can see and count)
  • Pictures (what you observe)
  • Facts (things you know are true)

How to Write a Claim with Evidence

Follow these steps:

  1. Look - Study the map or picture carefully
  2. Think - What do you notice? What can you say about it?
  3. Claim - Write a sentence that says what you think is true
  4. Evidence - Write what you saw that proves your claim

Signal Words for Evidence

Use these words to connect your evidence to your claim:

  • "I know this because..."
  • "The map shows..."
  • "I can see that..."
  • "This is true because..."

Examples

Example 1: A Claim About Parks

What you see: A map showing 5 green park areas in a neighborhood.

Claim: "This neighborhood has many parks."

Evidence: "I know this because I can count 5 parks on the map."

Example 2: A Claim About Change

What you see: An old photo shows a dirt road. A new photo shows a paved street with cars.

Claim: "The street has changed over time."

Evidence: "The old photo shows a dirt road, but the new photo shows a paved street with cars."

Example 3: A Claim About Location

What you see: A map shows the library and the school are on the same street, with only one block between them.

Claim: "The library is close to the school."

Evidence: "The map shows they are on the same street with only one block between them."

Practice

Answer these questions about claims and evidence:

1. What is a claim?

  • A) A question
  • B) A statement that says something is true
  • C) A map symbol
  • D) A type of picture

2. What is evidence?

  • A) A guess
  • B) Proof that supports your claim
  • C) A story you make up
  • D) A map legend

3. A map shows 4 schools in a town. Which claim matches this evidence?

  • A) "The town has no schools."
  • B) "The town has many parks."
  • C) "The town has several schools."
  • D) "The town is very small."

4. Which sentence is a good way to give evidence?

  • A) "I think so."
  • B) "Maybe it is true."
  • C) "I know this because the map shows three rivers."
  • D) "I do not know."

5. Claim: "Our neighborhood has grown bigger." What would be good evidence?

  • A) "I like my neighborhood."
  • B) "The old map shows 10 houses, but the new map shows 50 houses."
  • C) "My friend lives here."
  • D) "Neighborhoods are nice."

6. You see an old photo of your school. It looks smaller than today. What claim can you make?

  • A) "Schools are not important."
  • B) "My school has gotten bigger over time."
  • C) "Photos are not real."
  • D) "Schools were better long ago."

7. Which word helps connect a claim to its evidence?

  • A) "Maybe"
  • B) "However"
  • C) "Because"
  • D) "Never"

8. A claim without evidence is like:

  • A) A sentence with proof
  • B) A statement with nothing to back it up
  • C) A map with a key
  • D) A photo with a caption

9. The map shows a park, a school, and a library all on Oak Street. What claim can you make?

  • A) "Oak Street has no buildings."
  • B) "Oak Street has important places for the community."
  • C) "Oak Street is in another town."
  • D) "Oak Street is only for cars."

10. What should you do FIRST when making a claim from a map?

  • A) Write your claim quickly
  • B) Close your eyes
  • C) Look at the map carefully
  • D) Ask someone else what to say

11. Claim: "The river runs through the middle of town." What would be evidence?

  • A) "Rivers are made of water."
  • B) "The map shows a blue line going through the center of the town."
  • C) "I like rivers."
  • D) "Rivers are found in nature."

12. Why is evidence important when you make a claim?

  • A) It makes your writing longer
  • B) It shows that your claim is true and not just a guess
  • C) It is not important
  • D) It makes maps easier to read

Check Your Understanding

Think about these questions:

  • Can you explain the difference between a claim and evidence?
  • What are some words you can use to introduce evidence?
  • Why do we need evidence to support our claims?
  • Can you make a claim about your classroom and give evidence for it?

Next Steps

  • Practice making claims about pictures and maps you see
  • Try writing one claim with one piece of evidence each day
  • Move on to the Unit Checkpoint to test your knowledge