Grade: Grade 10 Subject: Social Studies Unit: World History Lesson: 5 of 6 SAT: Information+Ideas ACT: Reading

Claim-Evidence Writing

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Historical writing requires making claims (arguments) and supporting them with evidence. This skill is fundamental to both academic history and standardized tests like the SAT and ACT, which test your ability to identify, evaluate, and use evidence to support conclusions.

The Claim-Evidence-Reasoning Framework

Strong historical arguments follow this structure:

  • Claim: A clear, arguable statement that answers a historical question
  • Evidence: Specific facts, quotes, or data from sources that support the claim
  • Reasoning: Explanation of HOW the evidence supports the claim

What Makes a Strong Claim?

A strong historical claim:

  • Is specific and focused, not vague or overly broad
  • Is arguable (someone could reasonably disagree)
  • Can be supported with available evidence
  • Addresses the "so what?" question (explains significance)

Weak claim: "World War I was bad."

Strong claim: "The system of entangling alliances in Europe by 1914 transformed a regional conflict into a world war."

Types of Evidence

  • Direct quotes: Exact words from primary or secondary sources
  • Paraphrased information: Ideas from sources restated in your own words
  • Statistical data: Numbers, percentages, or measurements
  • Specific examples: Particular events, people, or places that illustrate your point

Evaluating Evidence Quality

Not all evidence is equally strong. Consider:

  • Relevance: Does this evidence directly support your claim?
  • Reliability: Is the source trustworthy? (See Primary Source Analysis lesson)
  • Sufficiency: Is one piece of evidence enough, or do you need multiple sources?
  • Representativeness: Does this evidence reflect the broader pattern, or is it an exception?

Connecting Evidence to Claims

Simply presenting evidence is not enough. You must explain the connection:

  • Why does this evidence matter?
  • How does it prove your point?
  • What does the reader need to understand about the evidence?

Addressing Counterarguments

Strong historical arguments acknowledge complexity:

  • Recognize alternative interpretations
  • Explain why your interpretation is stronger
  • Avoid oversimplifying complex events

Examples

Example 1: Building a Claim-Evidence-Reasoning Paragraph

Question: What caused the French Revolution?

Claim: Financial crisis was a primary cause of the French Revolution, forcing the king to convene the Estates-General and triggering political upheaval.

Evidence: By 1789, the French government spent over 50% of its budget on debt payments, largely from supporting the American Revolution. Louis XVI called the Estates-General in May 1789 specifically to address the fiscal emergency.

Reasoning: This financial desperation forced the king to give the French people a political voice they had been denied for 175 years. Once assembled, the Estates-General became a forum for demanding broader reforms, showing how economic crisis catalyzed political revolution.

Example 2: Evaluating Evidence for an SAT/ACT Question

A passage argues that the printing press was the most important invention of the Renaissance. Which piece of evidence would BEST support this claim?

Strong evidence: "Within 50 years of Gutenberg's invention, the number of books in Europe increased from thousands to millions, and literacy rates began rising across social classes."

Weak evidence: "Gutenberg was born in Mainz, Germany, around 1400."

Why: The first statement directly supports the claim about importance by showing measurable impact. The second is factual but doesn't support the argument.

Example 3: Identifying Insufficient Evidence

Claim: The Industrial Revolution improved living standards for all workers.

Evidence given: "Factory owner Robert Owen built model housing for his workers at New Lanark, Scotland."

Problem: One example of a progressive factory owner does not prove that all workers benefited. This evidence is not representative of the broader pattern. A stronger argument would need to address evidence of poor working conditions and consider multiple perspectives.

Practice

Apply your understanding of claims, evidence, and reasoning to these questions.

1. Which of the following is the strongest historical claim?

A) "History is interesting."
B) "The Treaty of Versailles created conditions that contributed to the rise of Nazism in Germany."
C) "World War II happened after World War I."
D) "Many things caused historical events."

2. A historian argues that the Black Death transformed European society. Which evidence would BEST support this claim?

A) "The plague was caused by bacteria."
B) "After the plague, labor shortages led to higher wages for peasants and weakened the feudal system."
C) "The Black Death occurred in the 14th century."
D) "Many people died during the plague."

3. What is the primary purpose of "reasoning" in the claim-evidence-reasoning framework?

A) To introduce new evidence
B) To explain HOW the evidence supports the claim
C) To summarize the entire argument
D) To present counterarguments

4. A student writes: "The Roman Empire fell because of barbarian invasions." What would make this claim stronger?

A) Adding more examples of barbarian groups
B) Acknowledging that multiple factors contributed to Rome's decline
C) Making the claim shorter
D) Removing any reference to evidence

5. Which question would be most useful for evaluating the RELEVANCE of evidence?

A) "When was this source created?"
B) "Does this evidence directly support the claim being made?"
C) "How long is this piece of evidence?"
D) "Who was the author of this source?"

6. An essay argues that nationalism was a major cause of World War I. Which piece of evidence is LEAST relevant to this claim?

A) "Serbian nationalists assassinated Archduke Franz Ferdinand."
B) "Germany's population grew rapidly in the late 1800s."
C) "Nationalist movements sought independence for ethnic groups within the Austro-Hungarian Empire."
D) "Pan-Slavism promoted unity among Slavic peoples against Germanic influence."

7. A claim is "arguable" if:

A) It is a statement of established fact
B) Someone could reasonably hold a different view
C) It cannot be supported with evidence
D) It is too vague to understand

8. Statistical data (numbers, percentages) is most useful as evidence when:

A) The numbers are very large
B) The data comes from a reliable source and directly supports the claim
C) The statistics are from the current year
D) Only one data point is available

9. Why should historical arguments address counterarguments?

A) To confuse the reader
B) To show awareness of complexity and strengthen the overall argument
C) To avoid stating any clear position
D) To make the argument longer

10. A student uses a single personal diary entry as evidence that "all soldiers in World War I opposed the war." This evidence is problematic because:

A) Diaries are never valid sources
B) One person's view cannot prove what "all" soldiers believed
C) World War I soldiers did not write diaries
D) Personal sources have no historical value

11. The best way to show that evidence supports a claim is to:

A) Simply place the evidence after the claim
B) Explain the connection between the evidence and the claim in your own words
C) Use as many quotations as possible
D) Avoid any analysis of the evidence

12. Which sentence best demonstrates reasoning that connects evidence to a claim about the importance of the Columbian Exchange?

A) "The Columbian Exchange happened after 1492."
B) "Potatoes were one crop transferred from the Americas to Europe."
C) "The introduction of potatoes to Europe provided a reliable food source that helped support population growth, demonstrating how the Columbian Exchange transformed societies on both sides of the Atlantic."
D) "Columbus was an Italian explorer."

Check Your Understanding

Review these key concepts before moving on:

  • Can you distinguish between strong and weak historical claims?
  • Can you identify evidence that is relevant, reliable, and sufficient?
  • Can you explain the connection between evidence and claims (reasoning)?
  • Do you understand why acknowledging counterarguments strengthens an argument?

Practice Answers

1. B | 2. B | 3. B | 4. B | 5. B | 6. B | 7. B | 8. B | 9. B | 10. B | 11. B | 12. C

Next Steps

  • Practice writing claim-evidence-reasoning paragraphs on historical topics
  • When reading historical texts, identify the author's claims and evaluate their evidence
  • Complete the Unit Checkpoint to test your mastery of all world history skills