Author's Claims and Evidences

Claims and Evidence

Poll

How confident are you in finding an author's main claim, and evidence to support the claim, within a text?

• I am confident I can determine both the author's claim and evidence that supports the claim in a text.

• I can identify the claim in a text, but I struggle finding supporting evidence.

• I struggle finding both the author's claim and evidence to support the claim in a text.

Leadership Roles​

Team Leader: keeps team on task and ccalrifies directions

Supply Manager: responsible for paperwork & supplies in the basket

Timekeeper: monitors the timer and provides team time updates

Reporter: speaks on behalf of the team regarding team discussions​

Learning Goal

( RI 3.8) Trace and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, distinguishing claims that are supported by reasons and evidence from claims that are not.​

TASK 1: Vocabulary

As we complete the multiple-choice questions, use your answers choices to fill in the vocabulary section of the worksheet​

​

Multiple Choice

 a statement that the author is trying to prove is true

•  Evaluate

• Claim

• Reasoning

• Evidence

Multiple Choice

proof that the author uses to back up a claim

• Opinion

• Evaluate

• Evidence

• Text

Multiple Choice

how the author justifies the evidence used to back up the claim

• Reason

• Evidence

• Claim

• Opinion

Vocabulary

CLAIM- a statement that the author is trying to prove is true

​

EVIDENCE-proof that the author uses to back up a claim

​

REASON-how the author justifies the evidence used to back up the claim​

TASK 2: Use evidence to find the claim

Let's look at some evidence and see if we can identify the claim that is being supported.

Multiple Choice

Evidence:

Schools have lost money in their yearly bugets and have had to cut extracurricular activities

Pay to play will allow schools to offer the activities that students want.

Which is the best claim?

• a.) Students should not have to pay to play school sports because many families will not be able to afford it.

• b.) Studnets should pay to play school sports because it is their obligation to support the school

• c.) Studnets should pay tp play because schools are having to make tough decisions mased on smaller budgets

c)​

Multiple Choice

Evidence:

Monitoring social media helps schools look for signs of trouble

When schools monitor social media, it keeps students safe and protected

Which is the best claim?

• a.) Schools should not watch students' social media postings because it is a waste of money

• b.)Schools should watch students' social media postings in order to keep all children safe

• c.)Schools should watch students' social media postings to see if they are using their devices in school

b)​

Task 3: Find the claim and evidence

Read the short passage ​with a partner.​

​

Identify the author's main claim &

​ two pieces of text evidence that support the claim.​

​​

Write the claim and the evidence on your worksheet.​

​Benjamin Franklin’s Kite & Key  

Imagine Benjamin Franklin standing outside in Philadelphia during a lightning  storm just waiting for his kite to get struck. Many Americans believe that Franklin  discovered electricity using a silk kite and key; however, this experiment could not  happen because he would have died. As the story is told Franklin’s kite was struck by lightning traveling down a lightning rod to a key dangling at the end of a string. The  electrical charge moved to the metal key. When Franklin touched this key he felt a  shock proving that electricity existed. If Franklin had actually felt the electricity from  the lightning, which can contain up to hundred million volts, the key would have been  too hot to hold. It would also send an electrical shock through his body. This shock  would have been above the 6 milliamps that is needed to stop someone’s heart. Since  the lightning had such high voltage Franklin could not have actually performed this  experiment. It is quite possible that people misinterpreted an article that he wrote in  1752 in the Pennsylvania Gazette where he detailed this kite and key experiment and  believed that he actually performed it.  

Multiple Choice

What do you think was the main claim in Benjamin's Kite and Key?

• If Franklin had actually felt the electricity from  the lightning, which can contain up to hundred million volts, the key would have been  too hot to hold.

• Many Americans believe that Franklin  discovered electricity using a silk kite and key; however, this experiment could not  happen because he would have died.

• This shock  would have been above the 6 milliamps that is needed to stop someone’s heart.

​Benjamin Franklin’s Kite & Key  

Imagine Benjamin Franklin standing outside in Philadelphia during a lightning  storm just waiting for his kite to get struck. Many Americans believe that Franklin  discovered electricity using a silk kite and key; however, this experiment could not  happen because he would have died. As the story is told Franklin’s kite was struck by lightning traveling down a lightning rod to a key dangling at the end of a string. The  electrical charge moved to the metal key. When Franklin touched this key he felt a  shock proving that electricity existed. If Franklin had actually felt the electricity from  the lightning, which can contain up to hundred million volts, the key would have been  too hot to hold. It would also send an electrical shock through his body. This shock  would have been above the 6 milliamps that is needed to stop someone’s heart. Since  the lightning had such high voltage Franklin could not have actually performed this  experiment. It is quite possible that people misinterpreted an article that he wrote in  1752 in the Pennsylvania Gazette where he detailed this kite and key experiment and  believed that he actually performed it.  

​Benjamin Franklin’s Kite & Key  

Imagine Benjamin Franklin standing outside in Philadelphia during a lightning  storm just waiting for his kite to get struck. Many Americans believe that Franklin  discovered electricity using a silk kite and key; however, this experiment could not  happen because he would have died. As the story is told Franklin’s kite was struck by lightning traveling down a lightning rod to a key dangling at the end of a string. The  electrical charge moved to the metal key. When Franklin touched this key he felt a  shock proving that electricity existed. If Franklin had actually felt the electricity from  the lightning, which can contain up to hundred million volts, the key would have been  too hot to hold. It would also send an electrical shock through his body. This shock  would have been above the 6 milliamps that is needed to stop someone’s heart. Since  the lightning had such high voltage Franklin could not have actually performed this  experiment. It is quite possible that people misinterpreted an article that he wrote in  1752 in the Pennsylvania Gazette where he detailed this kite and key experiment and  believed that he actually performed it.  

Poll

How confident are you in finding an author's main claim, and evidence to support the claim, within a text?

• I am confident I can determine both the author's claim and evidence that supports the claim in a text.

• I can identify the claim in a text, but I struggle finding supporting evidence.

• I struggle finding both the author's claim and evidence to support the claim in a text.