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Claim Warm-Up

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BIG HISTORY PROJECT / LESSON 1.4ACTIVITY CLAIM WARM-UP1Unless otherwise noted, this work is licensed under CC BY 4.0. Credit: “Claim Warm-Up”, OER Project, https://www.oerproject.com/PurposeIdentifying and writing claims are essential skills to becoming a betterwriter.Process1.Before you begin writing your own claims, you need to understand what a claim is and what its purpose is. Take a few minutes to answer these questions.a.What is a claim?b.What does a claim do in your writing?2.Readthe article “What Is Knowledge?” and try to find the thesis/major claim. Write it below. If you can, share the claim you identified with a partner, friend, or the class. Did you choose the same major claim/thesis?
BIG HISTORY PROJECT / LESSON 1.4ACTIVITY CLAIM WARM-UP23.Review the example in the table below of how you could take a writing prompt, turn it into the stem of a statement, and add to it to create a thesis statement/major claim.Writing prompt: Why should we eat fruits and vegetables?Turn the prompt into the stem of a statement.We should eat fruits and vegetables because ...Complete the sentence stem to produce a clear thesis/major claim statement.We should eat fruits and vegetables because they are healthy.Rewrite your thesis/major claim to make it more specific by including a preview of the reasons why you support your major claim.We should eat fruits and vegetables because they are healthy and contain vitamins and minerals that give us energy.4.Now, think about the materials you read in this lesson about knowledge and disciplines. Work through each of the steps in the tables below to help you write claims that answer each prompt.Writing prompt: How do people create knowledge?Turn the prompt into the stem of a statement.Complete the sentence stem to produce a clear thesis/major claim statement.Rewrite your thesis/major claim to make it more specific by including a preview of the reasons why you support your major claim.
BIG HISTORY PROJECT / LESSON 1.4ACTIVITY CLAIM WARM-UP3Writing prompt: How do different disciplines help us understand history?Turn the prompt into the stem of a statement.Complete the sentence stem to produce a clear thesis/major claim statement.Rewrite your thesis/major claim to make it more specific by including a preview of the reasons why you support your major claim.