ARGUMENT STRATEGY WRITING GRAPHIC ORGANIZER CLAIMS EVIDENCE W.1 GRADES 6,7,8

This graphic organizer is an example of a claim-evidence-reasoning (CER) graphic organizer, which can be a helpful tool for students writing argumentative essays.

Here's how it can be useful:

1. Identifying a strong claim: The graphic organizer prompts students to start by formulating a clear and concise claim, or main argument, for their essay. This helps them focus their writing and ensure that all their points support their central thesis.

2. Gathering evidence: The organizer then prompts students to identify and list evidence that supports their claim. This could include facts, statistics, examples, expert opinions, or personal anecdotes. Having a dedicated space to list evidence encourages students to think critically about what they need to include in their essay to persuade their readers.

3. Explaining the reasoning: For each piece of evidence, the organizer prompts students to explain how it connects to their claim and why it's relevant to their argument. This helps them move beyond simply listing facts and develop deeper analysis and reasoning skills.

4. Organizing the essay: The CER graphic organizer can also serve as a basic outline for the essay. The claim can be used as the topic sentence for the introduction, the evidence can be elaborated on in the body paragraphs, and the reasoning explanations can be incorporated into topic sentences and transitions.

5. Identifying weaknesses: By filling out the graphic organizer, students can get a clear picture of their argument before they start writing. This can help them identify any gaps in their evidence or reasoning, allowing them to address them before they write the essay.

Here are some additional tips for using CER graphic organizers effectively:

• Encourage students to use a variety of types of evidence. Don't rely solely on facts and statistics. Examples, expert opinions, and personal anecdotes can also be persuasive.
• Help students develop strong reasoning explanations. Don't just ask them to explain why the evidence is relevant, but also ask them to explain how it strengthens their claim.
• Use the graphic organizer as a springboard, not a script. Students shouldn't feel constrained by the organizer. They should be encouraged to add additional ideas and evidence as they write.