Name: Annabelle Hawkins Claim

10th Literature and Comp ReasonsWhat’s your belie

creed? Evidence
Create a Sufficient Argument with CREED Explain

Step 1: Discuss
Choose a law that is in effect that you feel should be revoked or continued.
OR Choose a law that you feel should be enacted.
I feel that a law that should be enacted is making it illegal to possess exotic animals in
zoos/circuses/as pets/etc.

Step 2: List facts you already know about the topic (be objective):
1. Zoos do not do a good job at replicating animals’ natural habitats or giving them enough space
to live
2. Animals are sold or traded because they are sometimes “surplus” from roadside zoos, captured
from the wild, or are from backyard breeders or the black market in which animals suffer during
the entire process.
3. The main law protecting animals is the Animal Welfare Act which only covers a certain amount
of animals (some warm-blooded animals and primates). The AWA does not cover birds, rats,
amphibians, reptiles, etc.
4. Being in contact with humans drives animals insane and forces them to self-harm or act
differently from how they normally would in the wild.

Step 3: Describe your point of view on the topic (be

subjective):

Spark the
argument!!

Step 4: Make a strong CLAIM:

________________________________________
Example of a claim :

Animal captivity
centers, such as zoos
and circuses, should be
banned.

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 _____________________________________________

*Remember: a claim is an opinion expressed as a statement. It will need supportive reasons

and evidence, and it must be able to take a counter-claim. In other words, is your claim
argumentative? Are there perspectives out there that disagree with yours? If not, you’ll need
to modify or change your claim.
Prepare to JUSTIFY your claim!

Step 5: Provide 3 big REASONS for your claim: A reason is an idea that
supports your claim. Reasons need EVIDENCE. (facts) If you find your
reasons doesn’t have much evidence, you may need to modify your
reason.
________________________________
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Examples of reasons: ___________________________________
_____________
________________________________
1. It is unethical to hold ___________________________________
___________________________________
animals in captivity. ___________________________________
___________________________________
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2. Animals held in captivity ________________________________
change their natural animal ___________________________________
behaviors. ___________________________________
___________________________________
3. Zoos pose unnecessary ___________________________________
_____________
risks to animals in their
care.

Write your THESIS/CLAIM

Step 6: THESIS/CLAIM statement:
STATEMENT:

Now combine your claim and your

reasons to create your thesis
statement. This will be the last
sentence in your introduction
paragraph.

Example of thesis statement:

Animal captivity centers,

such as zoos and circuses,
should be banned because
they are unethical, they
change natural animal
behavior, and they pose
unnecessary risks to the
animals in their care.

You aren’t credible without some

EVIDENCE
backing you up!

Get your technology and texts ready!

Steps 7 and 8: Provide relevant EVIDENCE for each reason and EXPLAIN
the importance!

Example of Steps 7-8

 Reason 1: (Unethical)
Evidence
Fact • According to National Geographic, “Animals in zoos suffer tremendously, both
physically and mentally. They often display neurotic behaviour, like repetitive pacing,
swaying, and bar biting. Not surprising, perhaps, considering the typical polar bear
enclosure is one million times smaller than the area they would naturally roam.”

Explanation
This evidence is relevant because it gives a prime example of how the animals are
suffering. To cause these animals in captivity to suffer is completely unethical because it
causes them to experience a lower quality of life than they may have in their natural
habitat.

[Source information]

- URL address: https://www.nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel/2017/05/hot-topic-it-time-zoos-be-banned

- Title: “Its Time Zoos Be Banned”
- Organization: National Geographic UK - Author: James Draven
 Is the source credible (believable)? YES/ NO Explain how you know:
I know this source is credible because National Geographic is a major magazine, and the author is a
traveling reporter. This means the information must be accurate.

Reason 1:
Evidence

Fact 1
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Fact 2
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Fact 3
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 Explanation: Explain how your facts support your reason.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
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_______________________________________________________________________________________________
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[Source information]
- URL address: ________________________________________________ - Title:
________________________________ - Organization: ________________________________________________
- Author: _______________________________
Is the source credible (believable)? YES/ NO Explain how you know:
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______

*Remember: in order to fully justify a claim, your evidence has to be relevant to the
reasons and support them.
You demonstrate that connection in your explanation. Use sentence starters.
**Also remember it’s essential that your source is credible, because if it’s not, who is going
to consider your argument valid or sufficient?

Reason 2:
Evidence

Fact 1
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Fact 2
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Fact 3
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_____________________

Explanation: Explain how your facts support your reason.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________
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_______________________________________________________________________________________________
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[Source information]
- URL address: ________________________________________________ - Title:
________________________________ - Organization: ________________________________________________
- Author: _______________________________
Is the source credible (believable)? YES/ NO Explain how you know:
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______

Keep going!

Reason 3:
Evidence

Fact 1
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Fact 2
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Fact 3
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_____________________

Explanation: Explain how your facts support your reason.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________
______

_______________________________________________________________________________________________
______

_______________________________________________________________________________________________
______

[Source information]
- URL address: ________________________________________________ - Title:
________________________________ - Organization: ________________________________________________
- Author: _______________________________
Is the source credible (believable)? YES/ NO Explain how you know:
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______

Evidence for each reason

validates your argument!

Want to fully crush an opposing

viewpoint…?
Step 9: Discuss/acknowledge counter-claim, a claim someone could
make against yours:
___________________________________________
Example of a counter-claim:

Some, however, argue

that children benefit and learn
from zoos.

___________________________________________
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___________________________________________
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___________________________________________

Then refute it!

*Remember: your argument is not sufficient until you have addressed opposing viewpoints.
(Make a rebuttal—explain how that opposing point of view is wrong!)
This gives you more credibility and respect in an argument. Plus, if you
are able to strongly refute that counter-claim (see next), your
argument is even more persuasive and dominant!

And then refute the counter-claim! (Provide a rebuttal—explain how it’s weak
or wrong!)
Example of a rebuttal:

That claim is up for

debate. A 2014 study by the
Society for Conservation
Biology found that of over
2,800 children surveyed
following visits to London Zoo,
62% showed no positive
learning outcomes.
 Write your rebuttal.

Step 10: Conclude your argument.

Re-state your claim and main
points. Give your reader something
more to think about… leave a
CALL TO ACTION.

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Step 11: If you were to write an argumentative speech with this claim, how
would you begin your writing to hook your reader? Choose from these
options (circle one):
- Summarize the issue objectively (give background)
- Begin with a provocative quote (word-for-word)
- Give information without any bias from a text you read.
- Give a personal anecdote (story from your life)

Now write the hook!

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YOU ARE NOW READY TO DRAFT IT!