CREE-Explanation

CREE-Explanation

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Argumentation consists of four parts: a claim, a reason, evidence, and explanation.

• a claim is an opinion statement that usually answers a question

• a reason justifies why your claim is right

• evidence is a fact or observation that helps prove the claim to be true

• explanation explains HOW the evidence proves the claim

So, how do you write a explanation sentence that explains HOW the evidence proves the claim?

First, go back to the claim,reason, and evidence sentences and identify what they have in common. This is what you will need to explain or expand upon in your explanation sentence(s).

For example,

• Claim: Dogs make the best pets.

• Reason: They can make their owners rich.

• Evidence: Last year, dogs competing at the International Purina Dog Show won $500,000.

So, you must explain how winning $500,000 makes dogs best.

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For example (continued),

• Claim: Dogs make the best pets.

• Reason: They can make their owners rich.

• Evidence: Last year, dogs competing at the International Purina Dog Show won $500,000.

• Explanation: Clearly, this is an easy way for "man's best friend" to earn a paycheck while their owners enjoy spending it.

First, decide what needs to be connected.

Choose the best answer

Multiple Choice

Justin Trudeau is the most caring Prime Minister in the world. He wants to feed the hungry. MSNBC reported that while visiting Ghana last month, he offered to ship wheat to its starving citizens for free. What do these sentences have in common that needs to be explained?

• Prime Minister, feed, and starving citizens

• Trudeau, hungry, and visiting Ghana

• Trudeau caring, feed the hungry, and ship wheat for free

So, you must explain how shipping wheat for free, whih wil feed hungry people, proves Trudeau is caring.

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Open Ended

Directions: Add your explanation sentence below.

Justin Trudeau is the most caring Prime Minister in the world. He wants to feed the hungry. MSNBC reported that while visiting Ghana last month, he offered to ship wheat to its starving citizens for free.

Try this one.

First, decide what needs to be connected.

Choose the best answer

Multiple Choice

The people traveling on the transcontinental railroad were terrified as they approached the tunnel in the mountain. Facial expressions show a person's emotions. The photograph shows twelve passengers with their mouths hanging open and their eyes bulging. What words tie the sentences together?

• people terrified, facial expressions, and mouths hanging open and eyes bulging

• people traveling, emotions, and twelve passengers

• transcontinental railroad, emotions, and the photograph

So, you must explain how people having their mouths hanging open and eyes bulging proves that they were terrified.

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Open Ended

Directions: Add your explanation sentence below.

The people traveling on the transcontinental railroad were terrified as they approached the tunnel in the mountain. Facial expressions show a person's emotions. The photograph shows twelve passengers with their mouths hanging open and their eyes bulging.

Try one more.

First, decide what needs to be connected.

Choose the best answer

Multiple Choice

World War III could easily happen in the near future. So many nations are arming themselves. The BBC.com reports that nine countries currently have nuclear weapons of some kind. What connection must you expand upon?

• in the near future, amny nations, and currently

• World War III could happen, nations arming, and nine countries have nuclear weapons

• World War III in the near future, so many, and the BBC.com reports

So, you must explain how nine countries having nuclear weapons could cause World War III to happen.

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Open Ended

Directions: Add your explanation sentence below.

World War III could easily happen in the near future. So many nations are arming themselves. The BBC.com reports that nine countries currently have nuclear weapons of some kind.

Remember:

• You want all sentences to say the same thing, but in a different way. Synonyms are your friend!

• If you're stuck getting started, use a sentence starter like "In other words..." or "That is to say..."

• And don't ever just copy the claim or evidence sentence over as your explanation sentence.