OCCC Writing Program 1

Essay 3: Classical Argument Claims Statement Planning Worksheet

The purpose of this activity is to help you begin planning for the Classical Argument essay by developing your claim statement.

In Unit 2 planning, you looked for ideas and keywords in your personal narrative essay to choose your informative essay topic.

This time, you will begin planning by looking for arguable issues in the sources you have chosen for your research and developing some possible claim statements for your classical argument essay.

Identify possible issues associated with your topic.

Identifying issues in your source material is easier when you can recognize claims being made. There are five main types of claims. Their definitions, shown below, are summarized from page 433 of The Writer’s Mindset.

Page 435 of The Writer’s Mindset contains a chart that shows the relationship between the types of claims and the reasons that support them. Looking at that chart may also help you identify claims in your sources.

• Claims of Fact (something is true) • Claims of Definition (create definitions or categories to make an assertion) • Claims of Policy (suggest a change to what is currently being done about a problem) • Claims of Cause and/or Effect (argue that X caused Y, or if X, Y will happen) • Claims of Value (argue that certain standards or criteria are better, worse, etc. than the

alternative)

Using your sources, compile a chart like the one shown in The Writer’s Mindset on page 430. This chart has been modified from the original to suit your assignment. The cells on the chart will expand as you type in your information.

Viewpoints Chart

Source #1 Source #2 Source #3 Source #4

Main claim and type of claim

Claims of other groups or people mentioned or described

OCCC Writing Program 2

Specific issues these claims address

Reminder Notes

Author

Example for one source: Source #1

Main claim and type of claim

Phonics is a better way to teach reading than Whole Language.

Claim of value.

Claims of other groups or people mentioned or described

1. Some teachers have had success with Whole Language. 2. Some research shows that Whole Language gets kids reading quickly. 3. Some reading specialists have been able to prove that Phonics has

better long-term results than Whole Language.

Specific issues these claims address

1. The teachers in this article do not want to be forced to teach Phonics 2. The parents in this article have had to hire tutors because their

children did not learn to read with Whole Language.

Reminder Notes This source is very current and has good quotes from researchers and parents that I can use as evidence.

Author Bergstrom

Identify one issue from your viewpoints charts and state your position on it:

Example: I think phonics should be used instead of whole language to teach kids to read.

Check that your issue meets these criteria: The Writer’s Mindset, p. 425-426

• You are interested in the issue

• The issue is debatable (there is more than one opinion or possible solution)

• There is ample research on this issue

• I can keep an open mind about this issue.

If your issue meets these criteria, then you are ready to begin drafting claim statements.

OCCC Writing Program 3

Begin drafting claim statements

Drafting a claim statement is the beginning of developing the main claim of your argument. This process takes several attempts, so be patient. It is important to develop a good claim statement because the rest of your research and writing, in fact, your entire argument, will rest on this one sentence.

Writing your claim in each of the different types will help you decide how you want to approach your argument and what you want to prove to your readers.

Claim of Fact

Claim of Definition

Claim of Policy

Claim of Cause and Effect

Claim of Value

Which of these claim statements best captures the kind of argument you would like to make in your classical argument essay? Choose one to continue working with.

Examples:

Claim of Fact Educators must reexamine the impact of Whole Language reading instruction

Claim of Definition Teaching Phonics to young readers is a tried and true method, backed by science.

Claim of Policy Teachers should not be allowed to continue using Whole Language reading instruction.

Claim of Cause and Effect If schools require teachers to use Phonics, then children’s reading scores will go up.

Claim of Value Phonics is the most successful method of teaching reading to young children.