Grade: Grade 2 Subject: Social Studies Unit: Simple Economics Lesson: 5 of 6 SAT: Information+Ideas ACT: Reading

Claim and Evidence Writing

Learn

When we write about economics, we make claims and support them with evidence.

What Is a Claim?

A claim is a sentence that tells what you think or believe is true. It answers a question or makes a point.

  • A claim is your main idea
  • A claim can be checked with facts
  • A claim needs proof to be strong

What Is Evidence?

Evidence is information that shows your claim is true. Evidence comes from:

  • Facts - True information you can prove
  • Examples - Real things that show your point
  • Data - Numbers from graphs or charts
  • Primary sources - Real documents or pictures from the past

How to Write a Claim with Evidence

  1. Write your claim - What do you want to say?
  2. Find evidence - What proves your claim?
  3. Connect them - Use words like "because" or "for example"

Sentence Starters for Evidence

  • "I know this because..."
  • "For example..."
  • "The graph shows that..."
  • "In the picture, I can see..."

Examples

Example 1: A Claim About Goods

Claim: Farmers are important producers in our community.

Evidence: I know this because farmers grow the food we eat. For example, farmers grow apples, corn, and wheat. Without farmers, stores would not have food to sell.

Example 2: A Claim Using Data

Claim: More people bought ice cream in July than in January.

Evidence: The graph shows that the ice cream store sold 200 cones in July but only 50 cones in January. This is because people like cold treats when the weather is hot.

Example 3: A Claim Using a Primary Source

Claim: Stores looked different long ago.

Evidence: In the old photograph, I can see a general store with barrels and jars on shelves. Today, stores have shopping carts and checkout machines. The picture shows that the way people shop has changed.

Weak vs. Strong Evidence

Weak: "Doctors are helpful because I think so."

Strong: "Doctors are helpful because they provide a service that keeps people healthy. For example, doctors check if we are sick and give us medicine to feel better."

Practice

Answer these questions about claims and evidence.

1. What is a claim?

A) A question you want to ask
B) A sentence that tells what you think is true
C) A list of your favorite things
D) A picture you drew

2. What is evidence?

A) A guess about something
B) A wish you have
C) Information that shows your claim is true
D) A question to ask

3. Which is a claim about economics?

A) I like pizza
B) Stores sell goods to consumers
C) Blue is a nice color
D) Dogs are cute

4. Which word helps connect a claim to evidence?

A) Maybe
B) Because
C) Oops
D) Hello

5. Read this: "Bakeries are producers. I know this because bakeries make bread and cakes to sell." What is the evidence?

A) Bakeries are producers
B) Bread tastes good
C) Bakeries make bread and cakes to sell
D) I like bakeries

6. Which is STRONGER evidence that a toy store is popular?

A) I think the toy store is fun
B) The graph shows 100 people visited the toy store on Saturday
C) Toys are colorful
D) My friend likes toys

7. A student writes: "Teachers provide services." What evidence could support this claim?

A) Teachers wear nice clothes
B) Teachers help students learn to read and do math
C) Schools have playgrounds
D) Some teachers have pets

8. Which sentence starter would help add evidence?

A) "I wish that..."
B) "For example..."
C) "Once upon a time..."
D) "The end."

9. Read this claim: "People need services." Which is the BEST evidence?

A) Services sound nice
B) People visit doctors when sick and mechanics when cars break
C) People like to eat food
D) Some people have jobs

10. Why is "The chart shows that..." a good way to start evidence?

A) It uses a long word
B) It connects to real data that can be checked
C) It sounds fancy
D) Charts are colorful

11. A photo shows many people at a farmers market. This could be evidence for which claim?

A) Farmers markets are not popular
B) Many consumers buy goods at farmers markets
C) Nobody grows vegetables
D) Photos are hard to take

12. What makes evidence strong?

A) It is just your opinion
B) It uses facts, examples, or data
C) It is very short
D) It starts with "I think"

Check Your Understanding

Think about what you learned and answer these questions.

Quick Check 1: Write a claim about something you learned in this unit about economics.

Quick Check 2: What evidence could you use to support your claim? Name at least two pieces of evidence.

Quick Check 3: What is the difference between weak evidence and strong evidence?

Next Steps

  • Practice writing claims about topics you are learning
  • Look for evidence in books, pictures, and graphs
  • Use sentence starters like "because" and "for example"
  • Move on to the Unit Checkpoint to review everything you learned