Argument Development
Build clear claims, support them with evidence, and explain why they matter.
Claim → Evidence → Reasoning
Claim: What are you arguing?
Evidence: What supports it?
Reasoning: Why does it matter?
Examples Across Subjects
Government: Checks and balances limit power because each branch can restrict the others.
U.S. History: Industrialization increased wealth but also created inequality during the Gilded Age.
Geography: Access to waterways supports economic development.
Rome: Political conflict weakened the Republic.
Greece: Democracy was limited to citizens.
Persia: Satrapies helped manage a large empire.
India: The caste system structured society.
Strong vs Weak Arguments
Strong: Clear claim, real evidence, explanation
Weak: Opinions, emotions, no support
Sentence Starters
The evidence suggests that…
This shows that…
According to the source…
One example is…
This matters because…
This reveals that…
Build an Argument
Claim: __________
Evidence: __________
Reasoning: __________
Watch for Weak Reasoning
Hasty generalization: One example = everything
Emotional reasoning: Feelings = proof
No evidence: Just opinion