Claim-Evidence Writing
Learn
Good historical writing uses claims supported by evidence. A claim is a statement that answers a question or makes an argument. Evidence includes facts, details, and examples that prove your claim is correct. In this lesson, you will learn how to write about state history using claims and evidence.
The claim-evidence-reasoning framework helps you organize your thinking and communicate clearly about historical topics.
Examples
Work through these examples to see the concepts in action.
Example Claim: "The railroad changed our state significantly." Evidence: "Population grew from 50,000 to 200,000 in ten years after the railroad arrived. New towns were built along the railroad lines. Farmers could sell crops to distant markets."
✏️ Practice
Test your understanding with these practice questions.
Practice Questions
0/3 correctWhat is a primary source?
What are the three branches of the U.S. government?
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Check Your Understanding
Test yourself with these review questions. Click on each question to reveal the answer.
1. What is a claim in historical writing?
Answer: A claim is a statement that makes an argument or answers a question about history. It tells the reader what you believe is true and what you will prove with evidence.
2. What is evidence in historical writing?
Answer: Evidence includes facts, details, examples, quotes, or data from sources that support and prove your claim is correct.
3. Why do you need evidence to support a claim?
Answer: Evidence proves that your claim is based on facts, not just opinion. It makes your argument convincing and helps readers trust your conclusions.
4. What makes evidence "strong" or "good"?
Answer: Strong evidence comes from reliable sources, directly relates to your claim, includes specific details or facts, and can be verified by others.
5. What is reasoning in claim-evidence writing?
Answer: Reasoning explains how your evidence supports your claim. It connects the evidence to your argument and tells the reader why the evidence matters.
6. How many pieces of evidence should you include to support a claim?
Answer: At least two or three pieces of evidence make your claim stronger. Multiple pieces of evidence from different sources are more convincing than just one.
7. What is the difference between a fact and a claim?
Answer: A fact is information that can be proven true. A claim is an argument or interpretation that uses facts as evidence but requires reasoning to support it.
8. How do you introduce evidence in your writing?
Answer: Use phrases like "According to...", "The source states...", "Evidence shows that...", or "For example..." to introduce evidence smoothly into your writing.
9. What should you do after presenting evidence?
Answer: Explain how the evidence supports your claim. Do not just list evidence; tell the reader what it means and why it proves your point.
10. How do you organize a paragraph using claim-evidence-reasoning?
Answer: Start with your claim (topic sentence), present evidence with source citations, then explain your reasoning about how the evidence proves your claim, and end with a concluding sentence.
Next Steps
- Review any concepts that felt challenging
- Move on to the next lesson when ready
- Return to practice problems periodically for review