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Claim
A claim is a conclusion that answers a question about scientific phenomena or a solution to a problem.
Example:
In “The Warmest Years Yet” section of the article, the writer presents the following claim.
Claim
Temperatures in 2014 were higher than average temperatures in the 1900s.
The title of this section, “The Warmest Years Yet,” is a clue to the writer’s response to the question from the title of the full article, “Climate change confirmed?” Remember that a claim often answers a scientific question. In the claim above, the author is attempting to address the question of whether climate change actually happens.
Writers use evidence to support claims.
Example:
The writer provides evidence to support the claim that 2014’s temperatures were higher than average temperatures in the 1900s. The evidence traces the record-breaking temperatures in the spring and summer months of 2014 and shows a trend in the hottest years ever recorded since 2002. Notice how the author cites the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) as the source of the evidence. Citing reliable sources of your evidence helps to validate the evidence you present, thereby strengthening your claim.
Claim
Temperatures in 2014 were higher than average temperatures in the 1900s.
an arrow pointing from the bottom Evidence box to the Claim box at the top
Evidence
December 2014 was the warmest month ever measured, NOAA reported.
May, June, August and September set new records for monthly highs.
A hotter 2014 continued a trend: 9 of the 10 warmest years ever recorded have occurred since 2002, NOAA said.
Writers use reasoning to explain why the evidence supports the claim. Including sound reasoning in your writing makes it more effective and helps readers to understand and accept your ideas.
Example:
The writer’s reasoning connects the evidence showing a trend in rising temperatures to the claim that 2014 was the warmest year yet. The writer explains how the burning of fossil fuels affects global temperatures, reasoning that as long as humans continue to release greenhouse gases into the Earth’s atmosphere, the Earth’s temperature will continue to rise. The writer carefully breaks down the cause-and-effect relationship between human activity, greenhouse gases and the warming of the Earth to explain the reason why we are seeing record high temperatures.
Claim
Temperatures in 2014 were higher than average temperatures in the 1900s.
two arrows pointing from the bottom Evidence box and Reasoning box to the Claim box at the top
Evidence
December 2014 was the warmest month ever measured, NOAA reported.
May, June, August and September set new records for monthly highs.
A hotter 2014 continued a trend: 9 of the 10 warmest years ever recorded have occurred since 2002, NOAA said.
Reasoning
The climate scientists said that this warming trend could only be explained if you looked at human activity. They blamed burning fossil fuels.
“Greenhouse gas trends are responsible for the majority of the trend that we see,” said NASA scientist Gavin Schmidt.
Because more greenhouse gases are being released, we may anticipate further record highs in the years to come.