Claim Hunters Worksheet
CLAIM HUNTERS
Tracking Arguments & Supporting Evidence
Name:
Date:
Class:
1. Claim: The author's central stance or primary argument on the issue.
2. Evidence: Facts, statistics, and examples that substantiate the claim.
Task: Read the passage, underline 2 pieces of proof, and answer below.
Case File 01
The Dark Sky Dilemma
Environmental Science Commentary
Over the past century, artificial lighting has transformed human nights into perpetual twilight. While streetlights and illuminated billboards provide safety and commerce, our obsession with 24-hour brightness comes at a catastrophic price for the natural world. Migrating songbirds become disoriented by glowing city towers, colliding with glass by the millions every autumn. Sea turtle hatchlings, which navigate instinctively toward the moonlight bouncing off ocean waves, crawl fatally inland toward seaside resort strips instead. Furthermore, human circadian rhythms suffer drastically when deprived of true darkness, elevating risks of chronic sleep disorders. Cities must enact strict dark-sky ordinances—such as downward-shielded fixtures and automated midnight dimming—because restoring natural darkness is not an aesthetic luxury, but an urgent matter of ecological survival.
1 Identify the Central Claim
In your own words, state the author's primary argument. What specific action or truth does the author want readers to accept?
2 Identify Supporting Evidence
Cite two distinct pieces of evidence from the excerpt that directly reinforce the author's claim.
Evidence Detail A (Wildlife/Ecosystem)
Evidence Detail B (Human Health/Policy)
3 Analyze Evidence Connection
How does the example of migrating birds and sea turtles prove the author's claim that artificial light is an "ecological crisis"?
Focus: Identifying Claims & Analyzing Evidence Page 1 of 2
CLAIM HUNTERS • INVESTIGATION CONTINUED
Student: ______________________
Case File 02
The Screen-Free Classroom Mandate
Education Policy Editorial
In an era where handheld screens dominate modern childhood, several public school districts have taken the bold step of banning personal smartphones entirely from instructional hours. While skeptics argue that restrictive phone policies fail to prepare adolescents for a technology-driven workforce, eliminating mobile devices during class is the most decisive intervention schools can implement to rebuild academic focus. Research conducted by the London School of Economics discovered that schools instituting cell phone bans registered an immediate 6.4 percent gain in standardized test outcomes, with historically underperforming students demonstrating the steepest progress. Furthermore, instructional observations indicate that without perpetual notifications, classroom discourse deepens and sustained reading intervals rise significantly. True digital literacy does not require continuous classroom distraction.
4 Identify the Central Claim
What exact position is the author defending regarding smartphone bans in schools?
5 Evidence Classification & Citation
The author combines empirical data and classroom observations. Write the evidence for each category below:
Statistical / Research Data
Observational / Behavioral Proof
6 Counterargument Recognition
What opposing view does the author mention before presenting their own argument?
★ Cross-Text Evidence Evaluation
Compare the evidence in Case File 01 (Dark Sky) and Case File 02 (Screen-Free). Which author provides more convincing evidence to support their claim? Explain your reasoning using one specific criterion (e.g., statistics, real-world examples, or credibility).
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.7.8 / RI.8.8 • Evaluating Arguments & Evidence Page 2 of 2
