Claims, Reasoning, and Evidence (AP)
I. Claims (The What):
A. Definition: A claim is the central argument or assertion you are making. It's your main point or stance on the issue. Your claim should be clear, focused, and debatable.
B. Characteristics of a Strong Claim:
Debatable: It should be an opinion or interpretation that others could reasonably disagree with. Avoid stating facts or self-evident truths as claims.
Specific: Your claim should be focused and narrow enough to be supported within the scope of your essay. Avoid vague or overly broad claims.
Arguable: It should present an assertion that you will then aim to prove or support with reasoning and evidence throughout your essay.
Aligned with the Prompt: Ensure your claim directly addresses the question or task presented in the AP exam prompt.
C. Examples of Claims:
Weak Claim: "Climate change is bad." (Too vague and generally accepted as true.)
Stronger Claim: "While the impacts of climate change are global, developing nations bear a disproportionate burden due to their limited resources for adaptation and mitigation." (Debatable, specific, and arguable.)
Another Example: "Competition is 'overrated' because it fosters unnecessary stress and can undermine ethical behavior in both academic and professional settings." (Clear stance with a reason provided.)
II. Reasoning (The Why):
A. Definition: Reasoning is the logical connection or explanation that links your evidence to your claim. It explains why your evidence supports your claim and how it leads to your overall argument. It highlights that reasoning is the "glue" that holds your argument together.
B. Characteristics of Effective Reasoning:
Logical: Your reasoning should be sound and follow a clear line of thought. Avoid logical fallacies.
Explanatory: It should clearly articulate the connection between the evidence and the claim. Don't assume the reader will automatically understand the link.
Analytical: Reasoning often involves breaking down evidence, interpreting it, and showing its relevance to your argument.
Well-Developed: Provide sufficient reasoning to thoroughly explain the connection. Don't leave gaps in your logic.
C. Types of Reasoning:
Causal Reasoning: Showing a cause-and-effect relationship between the evidence and the claim.
Comparative Reasoning: Drawing parallels or distinctions between the evidence and the claim.
Deductive Reasoning: Starting with a general principle and applying it to specific evidence to support the claim.
Inductive Reasoning: Using specific evidence to draw a broader conclusion or support the claim.
D. Connecting Reasoning to Evidence:
After presenting evidence, explicitly explain how that evidence supports your topic sentence (which should relate back to your main claim).
Use transition words and phrases to signal the logical connections in your reasoning (e.g., "therefore," "because," "as a result," "this demonstrates," "this suggests").
III. Evidence (The How/What Supports):
A. Definition: Evidence is the information or data that supports your claim and makes it believable.Your evidence should be relevant, credible, and sufficient.
B. Characteristics of Strong Evidence:
Relevant: The evidence you choose should directly relate to your claim and the point you are trying to make. Avoid evidence that is tangential or off-topic.
Credible: Your evidence should come from reliable and trustworthy sources. Consider the author's expertise, the publication's reputation, and potential biases.
Sufficient: Provide enough evidence to adequately support your claim and make your argument convincing. The amount of evidence needed may vary depending on the complexity of the argument and the requirements of the prompt.
Specific: Use concrete examples, facts, statistics, expert opinions, anecdotes (when appropriate), or textual evidence to support your claims. Avoid vague or general statements.
C. Types of Evidence:
Statistics: Numerical data that can provide strong support.
Examples: Specific instances or illustrations that help clarify and support your claim.
Expert Opinions: Quotes or findings from authorities on the subject.
D. Integrating Evidence:
Introduce your evidence smoothly.
Use direct quotations strategically and cite them properly.
Paraphrase or summarize information accurately and cite it.
Analyze your evidence to explain its significance and how it supports your reasoning and claim.
IV. The Interplay of Claims, Reasoning, and Evidence:
It stresses that these three elements work together to create a strong and complex argument.
Your claim is your assertion.
Your evidence provides the support for that assertion.
Your reasoning explains why and how the evidence supports the claim, creating a logical link between them.
A weakness in any one of these areas can undermine the strength of your entire argument. For example:
A strong claim without sufficient evidence will be unconvincing.
Strong evidence without clear reasoning may not effectively support the claim.
A weak or irrelevant claim will make even the best reasoning and evidence fall flat.
V. Applying CRE to AP Exam Essays
Argumentative Essay: Clearly state your claim in your thesis. Develop body paragraphs with topic sentences (mini-claims) supported by evidence and logical reasoning. Acknowledge and refute counterclaims using CRE.
Rhetorical Analysis Essay: Your main claim will likely be an interpretation of the author's overall argument or purpose. Your evidence will be specific rhetorical choices the author makes, and your reasoning will explain the intended effect of those choices on the audience and how they support your overall claim about the author's argument.
Synthesis Essay: Your claim will be your position on the given topic, drawing from the provided sources. Your evidence will come from these sources (correctly cited), and your reasoning will explain how the evidence from different sources supports your claim and connects with each other.