Claims and Counterclaims

S H O U T O U T 
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Aim: How do we identify claims and counterclaims?  

Quick Write: Fill in the blanks: It is my strong opinion that the best thing ever invented was the ____________________. I say this because ________________________. Another reason I believe this is because __________________________.

An argument is a reasoned, logical way of demonstrating that a writer's position, belief or conclusion is valid. In ELA, students make claims about the worth or meaning of a literary work, defending their interpretation/opinion with evidence from the text. The same holds true for non-fiction works except that students defend their positions with facts, studies, and other information from the text.

A CLAIM is an argument or opinion that is powerful, unique, and can be supported by evidence. This is another word for "thesis" or "controlling idea."

A COUNTERCLAIM is any opposing idea. (The prefix "counter" means against.) Just as the best athletes anticipate what their opposing teams will do (the best defense is a good offense), good debaters anticipate what the opposing side will say and disprove their claims before they even get a chance to make them. This is what is called a counterclaim.

We will model techniques for identifying claims and counterclaims in class today.

Step 1: Read your next reading assignment in this class, identifying claims that are made in the text. You may tag them with post-its or use the claims-counterclaims graphic organizer.

Step 2: After you complete your reading for the day, summarize what you read. Highlight important claims that were made in the text and the facts, examples or studies that supported those claims. Also, mention any counterclaims that were discussed and dismissed.