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Understanding how to support our thoughts with reasons to make our arguments stronger.
Imagine you ask for a cookie and someone just says 'No.' You ask 'Why?' and they say 'Just because.' Does that feel fair? Now imagine you could use a 'magic word' to help people understand exactly what you are thinking and why they should agree with you!
In the world of thinking, a claim is simply something you believe is true. It is your main idea or your opinion. For example, if you say, 'Pizza is the best food,' that is your claim! However, a claim by itself is like a table with no legs. It can't stand up on its own. To make your claim strong, you need to support it. Without support, other people might not understand why you feel that way or why they should listen to your idea. Identifying the claim is the first step to becoming a great thinker.
Let's look at a simple sentence to find the main idea.
1. Sentence: 'I think we should play outside today.' 2. Ask yourself: 'What is the person trying to say?' 3. The answer is the claim: 'We should play outside today.'
Quick Check
In the sentence 'Dogs are the best pets,' what is the claim?
Answer
The claim is 'Dogs are the best pets.'
Let's turn a weak claim into a strong one.
1. Start with a claim: 'We should read this book.' 2. Add the bridge: '...because...' 3. Add a reason: '...it has exciting stories about dragons.' 4. Final Strong Argument: 'We should read this book because it has exciting stories about dragons.'
Quick Check
Which word acts as the 'bridge' between a claim and a reason?
Answer
The word is 'because'.
Not all reasons are the same! A strong reason gives a real explanation that helps others understand your point of view. A weak reason doesn't really explain anything. For example, saying 'I like blue because it is blue' is a weak reason. It's like trying to hold up a table with a piece of string! A strong reason for liking blue might be, 'I like blue because it reminds me of the calm ocean.' When you give strong reasons, people are more likely to respect your thoughts.
Which reason makes the claim 'We should recycle' stronger?
1. Reason A: '...because everyone else is doing it.' 2. Reason B: '...because it keeps trash out of the ocean and protects sea turtles.' 3. Reason B is the winner! It provides a specific, meaningful explanation that supports the claim.
What do we call the main idea or opinion in an argument?
In the sentence 'I am wearing a coat because it is cold,' which part is the reason?
Adding a reason to your claim makes it harder for people to understand your thinking.
Review Tomorrow
Tomorrow, see if you can remember the 'Table Analogy.' What part of the table is the claim, and what part is the reason?
Practice Activity
The next time you ask for something (like a snack or a toy), try to use the 'Power of Because' by giving one strong reason why you should have it!