{"id":214,"date":"2016-06-10T20:33:17","date_gmt":"2016-06-10T20:33:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/waymaker-level3-english\/?post_type=chapter&p=214"},"modified":"2018-08-21T13:47:51","modified_gmt":"2018-08-21T13:47:51","slug":"outcome-supporting-claims-1-6","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-esc-englishcomposition1-2\/chapter\/outcome-supporting-claims-1-6\/","title":{"raw":"Understanding Claims","rendered":"Understanding Claims"},"content":{"raw":"The claim defines what the author wants you to do, think, or believe by the time you finish reading his or her work.\u00a0Your claim is your thesis assertion, or angle. In logical argument, your\u00a0<\/span>argument<\/span> is only as valuable as its <\/span>claim<\/span>, which needs to be detailed, reasonable, and supportable with valid evidence. <\/span>\r\n\r\nIf\u00a0your\u00a0<\/span>claim<\/span> is not reasonable by virtue of being too broad, obvious, or irrelevant to anything readers care about, few will want to read the\u00a0<\/span>argument<\/span> supporting it. For example, if you started to read a piece that claimed that all schoolhildren under the age of\u00a0eight should\u00a0have a short break time during the school day,\u00a0r<\/span>eaders may wonder why\u00a0you\u00a0bothered to argue for it. Or, if your claim is not supportable and\u00a0<\/span>cannot be settled by appealing to <\/span>evidence<\/span>, some readers may be interested in that\u00a0opinion, but few will have reason to engage the\u00a0<\/span>argument<\/span>.\u00a0 For example, if a piece asserts that\u00a0a UFOs really did land in\u00a0New Mexico and Nevada, you might read for amusement but not for serious engagement with the argument.<\/span>\r\n\r\n\"decorative\r\n

Claims in your thesis sentences need to be effective in order for your readers to read. Effective claims have three qualities:<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n

    \r\n \t
  1. They address important, relevant problems. Readers will think that the <\/span>claim<\/span> might help them address a <\/span>problem<\/span> they care about.<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t
  2. They are <\/span>contestable<\/span>. That is, readers will wonder whether the <\/span>claim<\/span> is true.<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t
  3. They are debatable. That is, readers will think that the <\/span>claim<\/span> can be proved or disproved.<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n

    A\u00a0significant <\/span>claim<\/span> answers a question that readers care about; it leads readers to think not, That\u2019s obvious<\/i> or I already knew that<\/i>, but Oh, you\u2019ll have to prove that,<\/i> and it raises the kinds of issues that can be settled by factual <\/span>evidence<\/span>.\u00a0 Here's one example of a strong, significant claim: Studies have shown that excessive digital use in very young children can affect\u00a0social and language development.\u00a0 Since it is irresponsible to deny digital access to children, given the 21st century reality of a technical society,\u00a0\"very young\" and \"excessive\"\u00a0need to be defined more specifically, underwritten by federal government funding\u00a0just as\u00a0the government\u00a0has done for nutritional and other health guidelines.<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n

    <\/h3>","rendered":"

    The claim defines what the author wants you to do, think, or believe by the time you finish reading his or her work.\u00a0Your claim is your thesis assertion, or angle. In logical argument, your\u00a0<\/span>argument<\/span> is only as valuable as its <\/span>claim<\/span>, which needs to be detailed, reasonable, and supportable with valid evidence. <\/span><\/p>\n

    If\u00a0your\u00a0<\/span>claim<\/span> is not reasonable by virtue of being too broad, obvious, or irrelevant to anything readers care about, few will want to read the\u00a0<\/span>argument<\/span> supporting it. For example, if you started to read a piece that claimed that all schoolhildren under the age of\u00a0eight should\u00a0have a short break time during the school day,\u00a0r<\/span>eaders may wonder why\u00a0you\u00a0bothered to argue for it. Or, if your claim is not supportable and\u00a0<\/span>cannot be settled by appealing to <\/span>evidence<\/span>, some readers may be interested in that\u00a0opinion, but few will have reason to engage the\u00a0<\/span>argument<\/span>.\u00a0 For example, if a piece asserts that\u00a0a UFOs really did land in\u00a0New Mexico and Nevada, you might read for amusement but not for serious engagement with the argument.<\/span><\/p>\n

    \"decorative<\/p>\n

    Claims in your thesis sentences need to be effective in order for your readers to read. Effective claims have three qualities:<\/span><\/p>\n

      \n
    1. They address important, relevant problems. Readers will think that the <\/span>claim<\/span> might help them address a <\/span>problem<\/span> they care about.<\/span><\/li>\n
    2. They are <\/span>contestable<\/span>. That is, readers will wonder whether the <\/span>claim<\/span> is true.<\/span><\/li>\n
    3. They are debatable. That is, readers will think that the <\/span>claim<\/span> can be proved or disproved.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      A\u00a0significant <\/span>claim<\/span> answers a question that readers care about; it leads readers to think not, That\u2019s obvious<\/i> or I already knew that<\/i>, but Oh, you\u2019ll have to prove that,<\/i> and it raises the kinds of issues that can be settled by factual <\/span>evidence<\/span>.\u00a0 Here’s one example of a strong, significant claim: Studies have shown that excessive digital use in very young children can affect\u00a0social and language development.\u00a0 Since it is irresponsible to deny digital access to children, given the 21st century reality of a technical society,\u00a0“very young” and “excessive”\u00a0need to be defined more specifically, underwritten by federal government funding\u00a0just as\u00a0the government\u00a0has done for nutritional and other health guidelines.<\/span><\/p>\n

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      Candela Citations<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t
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      CC licensed content, Original<\/div>