Building Strong Arguments: How to Make a Claim and Prove It

Building Strong Arguments: How to Make a Claim and Prove It

Grade: 8
Duration: 55 minutes (can be split across two class periods)
Mode: Online or Hybrid (Zoom / Google Meet / Canvas / Google Classroom)

🎯 Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

Define and identify claims, reasons, and evidence in argumentative texts.
Evaluate how reasoning connects claims to evidence.
Write a short argumentative paragraph including all three components.

💡 Essential Question

How do writers convince readers that their opinion is valid and worth believing?

🧰 Materials & Tech Tools

Canva or Google Slides presentation (for visual examples)
Google Docs for writing exercises
Jamboard or Padlet for brainstorming claims
Poll or chat (Zoom / Google Meet)
Optional: Kahoot or Quizizz for review

🪶 Lesson Flow

1. Warm-Up: “Fact or Opinion?” (5–7 minutes)

Teacher shares slide or reads aloud:

Chocolate is the best dessert.
The Earth orbits the Sun.
Students should have longer weekends.
Dogs make better pets than cats.
There are 50 states in the U.S.

Student Task:
Type “F” (fact) or “O” (opinion) in the chat.

Discuss:
“Facts are things that can be proven true. Opinions are personal beliefs.
When writers use opinions and back them up with reasons and evidence, that’s called an argument.”

Teacher Tip (say aloud):

“An argument in writing isn’t a fight—it’s a conversation where we use logic and evidence to prove our point.”

2. Mini-Lesson: “The Building Blocks of an Argument” (10 minutes)

Share the slide titled “Claim + Reasons + Evidence = Strong Argument.”

Term	Definition	Example
Claim	The writer’s main point or opinion	School uniforms should be required.
Reason	Why the claim makes sense	Uniforms save time and reduce bullying.
Evidence	Facts, data, or examples that support the reason	A 2023 study found that schools with uniforms reported 20% fewer discipline issues.

Teacher Talk:

“The claim is your anchor. The reasons are the ropes that tie your argument together. Evidence is what makes people trust you.”

Add a quick visual:
🪶 Claim → 💭 Reason → 📊 Evidence

Interactive Practice:
Ask students to complete this sentence in chat:

“I believe _____ because _____.”
(Encourage silly ones too: “I believe pizza is better than burgers because it has more variety!”)

3. Guided Practice: “Spot the Claim” (10–12 minutes)

Teacher shares a sample paragraph on screen:

Sample Paragraph:
Students should be allowed to use cell phones in school.
Phones can help with learning because students can look up vocabulary words, take photos of notes, and use educational apps.
For example, in a recent survey, 70% of students said phones helped them stay organized.
Allowing phones teaches responsibility and digital citizenship.

Student Task:
Highlight or note in the chat:

Claim: (Students should be allowed to use cell phones in school.)
Reasons: (Phones can help with learning, teach responsibility.)
Evidence: (70% survey statistic.)

Teacher Prompt:

“Which sentence connects the evidence back to the claim? That’s your reasoning—it explains why your evidence proves your point.”

Then display this follow-up slide:

Reasoning = the bridge between evidence and claim.
Without reasoning, evidence just sits there!

4. Collaborative Brainstorm: “Make Your Own Claim” (10 minutes)

Teacher Directions:
Open a shared Jamboard or Padlet titled “Choose a Claim!”
Add 5–6 categories:

School Life
Technology
Food
Free Time
Pop Culture
Social Media

Student Task:
Each student posts one claim under a category.
Examples:

School lunches should be longer.
Marvel movies are better than DC.
Homework should be optional.
Online learning is just as effective as in-person.

Discuss:

“How can we make these stronger? Which would be easiest to support with evidence?”

5. Independent Writing: “Build Your Mini-Argument” (20 minutes)

Prompt:

Write one strong paragraph making a claim about a topic you care about.
Include:
✅ A clear claim
✅ At least two reasons
✅ One piece of evidence (a fact, example, or observation)
✅ Reasoning that links your evidence to your claim

Model Example (share on slide):

I believe students should have a longer lunch period because it helps improve focus and reduces stress.
When students have time to eat slowly, they return to class more alert and ready to learn.
A recent study by the CDC found that schools with at least 25-minute lunch breaks reported fewer behavioral issues.
This shows that giving students a break helps both their minds and classrooms run more smoothly.

Teacher Talk (live feedback):

“Think of your paragraph like a sandwich: the claim is the top bun, the evidence is the filling, and the reasoning is what holds it all together.”

Students type directly in Google Docs or submit to LMS.
Monitor and leave real-time comments.

6. Share & Reflect (8 minutes)

Options for Online Sharing:

Breakout rooms: Students share one paragraph aloud and give one piece of feedback (“Your claim was strong because…”).
Padlet Gallery: Post a screenshot or one-sentence summary.
Whole class: Share 1–2 standout examples on screen.

Exit Question (Google Form or Chat):

What is a claim?

What makes reasoning strong?

How did you connect your evidence to your opinion?

📘 Assessment

Formative: Participation in chat, highlighting activity, and Jamboard brainstorm.
Summative: Mini-argument paragraph graded on:
- Clear claim
- Logical reasons
- Relevant evidence
- Effective reasoning

💬 Teacher Tips for Online Engagement

Use emoji reactions for quick checks (“👍 if that’s a strong claim”).
Spotlight students to read their work aloud.
Drop encouraging comments in real-time: “Great link between claim and evidence, Jada!”
Record the session and post notes for absent students.

EDUCATION