Claim-Evidence Writing
Learn
Strong historical writing follows a clear structure: make a claim, support it with evidence, and explain how the evidence proves your point. This framework is essential for essays, debates, and standardized test responses.
The C-E-R Framework
- Claim: A clear, arguable statement that answers the question
- Evidence: Specific facts, quotes, or data from sources that support your claim
- Reasoning: Explanation of how the evidence proves your claim (the "so what")
Writing Strong Claims
| Weak Claim | Strong Claim | Why It's Better |
|---|---|---|
| The Civil War was important. | The Civil War fundamentally transformed the American economy by ending slavery and accelerating industrialization. | Specific, arguable, shows what you'll prove |
| Many things caused WWI. | Nationalism, militarism, and alliance systems combined to make a large-scale European war nearly inevitable by 1914. | Names specific causes, takes a position |
Selecting Strong Evidence
- Relevance: Does this evidence directly support your claim?
- Specificity: Is the evidence detailed enough to be convincing?
- Credibility: Does the evidence come from a reliable source?
- Variety: Can you use different types of evidence (statistics, quotes, examples)?
Writing Effective Reasoning
Reasoning connects evidence to your claim. Ask yourself:
- Why does this evidence matter?
- How does this evidence prove my point?
- What would be different if this evidence weren't true?
Examples
Example 1: Complete C-E-R Paragraph
Claim: The Industrial Revolution significantly worsened living conditions for urban workers in early 19th-century England.
Evidence: Factory workers in Manchester in the 1840s lived in overcrowded housing where up to 30 people shared a single room, according to government health reports. Child laborers worked 12-16 hour days in dangerous conditions, with injury rates documented at over 40% in textile mills.
Reasoning: These conditions demonstrate that while industrialization increased production and wealth, the benefits did not reach the workers who powered the factories. The extreme overcrowding and exploitation of children show that economic growth came at a severe human cost, supporting the claim that workers' lives worsened during this period.
Example 2: Weak vs. Strong Evidence Use
Weak: "The colonists were upset about taxes. This made them want independence."
Strong: "The Stamp Act of 1765 required colonists to pay taxes on all printed materials. As Patrick Henry declared in the Virginia House of Burgesses, this amounted to 'taxation without representation,' since colonists had no voice in the British Parliament that imposed these taxes. This fundamental violation of their rights as British subjects convinced many colonists that independence was necessary to protect their liberties."
Practice Quiz
Test your understanding with these 10 questions. Click on each question to reveal the answer.
1. What are the three parts of the C-E-R framework?
Answer: Claim (your arguable statement), Evidence (facts, quotes, or data from sources), and Reasoning (explanation of how the evidence proves your claim).
2. What makes a claim "arguable"?
Answer: An arguable claim is one that someone could reasonably disagree with. It takes a position that requires evidence to support. A fact (like "The Civil War ended in 1865") is not arguable; an interpretation (like "The Civil War was primarily caused by slavery") is.
3. Is this a strong claim? "The Constitution was written in Philadelphia."
Answer: No, this is weak because it's simply a fact, not an arguable claim. A stronger version might be: "The Constitutional Convention's decision to meet secretly in Philadelphia enabled the delegates to create a more radical document than public scrutiny would have allowed."
4. What four criteria should you use when selecting evidence?
Answer: Relevance (directly supports claim), Specificity (detailed enough to convince), Credibility (from reliable sources), and Variety (different types of evidence).
5. A student writes: "The New Deal helped the economy. It created jobs." What's missing from this C-E-R?
Answer: Reasoning is missing. The student needs to explain HOW creating jobs helped the economy - for example, by increasing consumer spending, reducing poverty, or restoring confidence in the government's ability to address the Depression.
6. Why is specific evidence more convincing than general evidence?
Answer: Specific evidence (names, dates, numbers, quotes) shows you have real knowledge and provides details readers can verify. General statements like "many people" or "things got worse" could apply to anything and don't demonstrate understanding.
7. What question should you ask to develop strong reasoning?
Answer: "So what?" or "How does this evidence prove my claim?" Reasoning explains the connection between evidence and claim - why this particular evidence matters and what it demonstrates.
8. A claim states: "Immigration increased in the 1900s." How could you make this claim stronger?
Answer: Add specificity and argument: "The wave of immigration from Southern and Eastern Europe between 1890 and 1920 fundamentally transformed American cities, creating diverse ethnic neighborhoods while also sparking debates about national identity that led to restrictive immigration laws."
9. You have a quote from a primary source and a statistic about the same topic. How should you use them?
Answer: Use both - this provides variety of evidence. The statistic offers objective data, while the quote provides a human perspective or contemporary viewpoint. Together, they create a more complete and convincing argument.
10. What's wrong with this reasoning: "This proves my claim is true."
Answer: This is empty reasoning that doesn't explain anything. Effective reasoning specifically states HOW and WHY the evidence supports the claim. Instead of saying evidence "proves" something, explain the logical connection between evidence and claim.
Check Your Understanding
You should now be able to:
- Write clear, arguable claims that answer historical questions
- Select evidence that is relevant, specific, credible, and varied
- Develop reasoning that explains how evidence supports your claim
- Structure paragraphs using the C-E-R framework
Next Steps
- Review any concepts that felt challenging
- Move on to the next lesson when ready
- Return to practice problems periodically for review