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Writing a Claim with Evidence: Argument Basics
Claim, evidence, reasoning, and counterclaim for middle school writers
Instant PDF download · 19 pages · 817 KB. Print as many copies as you need for your own classroom.
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About this resource
A complete lesson that teaches the foundation of argument writing: a clear claim, relevant evidence, and reasoning that connects the two. Students sort fact, opinion, and claim; strengthen weak claims; judge a set of evidence cards; plan with an organizer; practice reasoning sentence frames; write a paragraph; peer review; and practice counterclaims and rebuttals.
The Teacher Guide gives a script for modeling, common misconceptions, differentiation, and a 4-point rubric. Prompts are school-based topics that middle school students care about.
Why teachers use it
- Teaches claim, evidence, reasoning, and counterclaim in one clear sequence
- Evidence cards for a ready-made model topic
- Sentence frames for reasoning and rebuttals
- Peer review page with scored sample paragraphs
- Includes a rubric and exit ticket
Questions
What grades is it for?
Grades 6-8. It targets W.6.1 and W.7.1 and works well as the first argument-writing lesson of a unit.
Are there texts to read?
The lesson uses short evidence cards instead of long texts so you can focus on argument structure.
Can I use my own topic?
Yes. The evidence cards model the process; swap in your own topic and evidence for later lessons.
What’s inside
- Teacher Guide with rubric
- Page 1: Fact, opinion, or claim?
- Page 2: Strengthen the claim
- Page 3: Evaluate the evidence cards
- Page 4: Plan your argument (organizer)
- Page 5: Write the reasoning
- Page 6: Write your paragraph
- Page 7: Peer review
- Page 8: Counterclaim and rebuttal
- Page 9: Exit ticket (two prompts)
- Answer key and standards page
Standards
Always check your own state and district standards. These are the common standards this resource was written against.
