Claim and Counterclaim

An arguable statement is...

• a claim

• a counterclaim

• a reason

• evidence

A counterclaim is...

• A taller claim

• Wrong

• An opposite or different point of view

• A point of view that agrees with the claim

What is the claim of this paragraph from "A Problem Plaguing our Society: Obesity":

“Obesity is America’s most important health problem,” Jennifer Peltz stated. She also reports that four billion dollars is spent on weight related health problems per year. This means that health problems related to obesity are costing the government lots of money. Recently, Mayor Bloomberg of New York proposed a law banning over-sized sugary drinks to solve the obesity problem. He wants to ban thirty-two ounce sodas to put an end to the obesity problem. Some people think that it’s a good idea and may yield results. According to David Frum, people will owe Bloomberg their thanks for leading the way. Others feel that Bloomberg is stripping away personal freedom to eat and drink as you wish. The big question is rather or not government assistance is needed to solve the obesity problem. The answer to this question is no. Although obesity plagues our society, government control is not needed to fight this epidemic.

• Obesity is a problem and it needs to be fixed.

• Government control will help with the epidemic of obesity.

• Although obesity plagues our society, government control is not needed to fight this epidemic.

• Although obesity plagues our society, it isn't as bad as people make it seem.

What is the claim of this part from "We Need the League":

I, Senator McCumber, [an actual Senator from 1919 in the League of Nations debate], have just participated in a debate regarding whether or not America should sign the Treaty of Versailles, and in doing so, join the League of Nations. The League of Nations is a unified group of nations dedicated to the preservation of peace. The League is designed to deal with international issues, adjudicating differences between countries instead of them going directly to combat.

Now, in the interests of the great state of North Dakota, I voted in favor of the treaty with no reservations. We need a fair treaty to prevent future wars as horrible as the Great War was. After the war, the central powers composed the Treaty of Versailles to create the League of Nations in an attempt to ward off future conflicts. We cannot have another war as horrible as this one. I believe, because of that, that we need a fair treaty, equal to all its members, that will restrict the use of new weapons, and prevent future wars from breaking out.

• The Treaty of Versailles is worthless.

• Becoming a part of the League of Nations is the only way for us to stay alive as Americans.

• The Great War was a necessary war, but it should not happen again.

• The treaty is needed in order to prevent another Great War.

If the claim of this picture is "Pepsi is better than Coke," what would be the counterclaim?

• Coke makes straws break.

• Coke is better than Pepsi.

• Straws are very picky.

• Coke is a good drink.

What would be the counterclaim to this poster.

• Women can't do the work necessary.

• Women can do the work that men once did.

• The U.S. Military needs more helpers.

• The world is falling apart.

What is the claim of this photo?

• Submarine service is useless.

• Women love a man who volunteers for submarine service.

• Volunteering to help with submarine service is good.

• Submarine service is the reason we won the war.

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What is the counterclaim to this paragraph:

Picture this: a teenage boy is about to bite into a delicious taco at the local fast food restaurant. Suddenly a disgusting cloud of smoke drifts in front of his face, obscuring his vision and causing him to cough violently. Eyes watering, he fans the smoke from his face only to discover that the horrible smell has now robbed him of his appetite. He drops his taco and grabs his backpack to leave. His meal is ruined. For many years, nonsmokers have had to breathe in contaminated air from smokers. Smoking should be prohibited by law in all restaurants so nonsmokers are free to breathe clean air when dining.

• Smoking while eating is okay, if you're alone.

• Smoking in some restaurants is allowed.

• Smoking in restaurants ruins the experience for others.

• It's a free country, smoking should not be banned from restaurants.

What is the claim of this paragraph:

Overuse of watching television can adversely affect people’s mental development. According to several scientific studies, watching TV for prolonged periods of time has a negative effect on the intellectual development of children and leads to the deterioration of the mental capacity in older people which causes both attention and memory problems in the long term. In addition, other studies, like a study conducted in the United Kingdom, reports suggestions that “TV is associated with greater incidence of Attention Deficit Disorder and that children who have watched violent or frightening shows may develop Post Traumatic Stress Disorder symptoms.” These studies support the fact that television does have a negative impact on the mind development of children and even among the elderly.

• Television is bad.

• Television negatively affects the mental development of people.

• Even though television affects people negatively, it also has positive affects on viewers.

• Parents should not allow their children to watch television.

What is a good counterclaim for this photo?

• Drinking Coke is not equivalent to being happy.

• Coke helps bring people together.

• Coke is filled with sugars and can be the cause of some diseases.

• Coke is so good, ladybugs are drawn to it.