Building Arguments
📋 What it is
A strong argument has three parts: a claim (what you say), evidence (proof), and reasoning (why the proof supports the claim).
🗣️ Coach says
Every solid argument is a sandwich: CLAIM on top, EVIDENCE in the middle, REASONING that ties them together. Miss the reasoning and you’ve just dropped a fact — you haven’t shown why it matters.
🧠 Memory hook
Claim → Evidence → Reasoning. Always explain WHY the proof fits.
😂 Giggle
Why was the straw man argument so easy to beat?
Because it was stuffed with nothing!
😲 Whoa!
Judges often say the most-forgotten part of an argument is the reasoning — the "so what?" that links proof to claim.
✅ Quick check: Name the three parts of a strong argument, and which one links the other two.
Say your answer out loud first — then reveal.
Claim, evidence, and reasoning — reasoning is the link that explains why the evidence supports the claim.
Claim–evidence–reasoning is the skeleton of every argument you’ll ever make.
🧪 Try it! (2 minutes)
Make a claim ("recess should be longer"), add one piece of evidence, then the reasoning.