English 10 Quarter 2 Module 4

Identify Claims of Fact, Policy and Value

CLAIMS Criss-Cross Puzzle

General Directions: Complete the crossword by filling in a word that fits each clue.
Across
3. It is a principle concerning the
distinction between right and
wrong or good and bad behavior.
6. It gives judgment about
morality, beauty, merit or
wisdom.
8. It is the act or process of doing
something, to achieve an aim.
9. It is a fact or belief that is
accepted as true.
10. It is a statement or account
that makes something
Down
1. It shows that a problem exists
and it’s good to solve it in a
certain way.
2. It is the main topic of an
argument where the speaker tries
to assert on his or her beliefs,
ideas or actions.
4. It is a reason or set of reasons given with the aim of persuading others.
5. It is a fact or information indicating whether a belief is true or valid.
7. It reports, describes, predicts and shows cause and effect

Task 1. Directions: Read the items carefully. Identify each statement as a claim of fact,
a claim of policy, or a claim of value. Write your answers in your activity notebook.

1. There is only one God.

2. “Ang Probinsiyano” is the best teleserye ever in Philippine TV.
3. Using cell phones inside the classroom should be prohibited.
4. Legislation should be passed to stop the sale of cigarettes.
5. Excessive consumption of alcohol can lead to many illnesses.
6. Obesity can cause heart disease.
7. Oranges are better than apples.
8. Honesty is the best policy.
9. Extrajudicial killings should be stopped.
10. Wearing of face masks should not be mandatory.

Task 2. Directions: Read the situation below. Then, answer the questions in your
activity notebook.
A classmate comes up to you and accuses you of stealing her money. She
even adds angrily that the amount she claims has been stolen from her is just enough
for her to commute home after classes. Naturally, assuming you didn’t steal anything,
you would deny it? Your classmate doesn’t believe you, saying that you were the only
person in the room when she found out she lost her money. Plus, you are her
seatmate and you’re the nearest one to her bag where her money is, she adds.
Assuming again, that her arguments are right, how would you defend yourself?
Source: Reading and Writing Skills by Marella Therese A. Tiongson and Maxine Rafaella C.
Rodriguez
Explore!
1. What is being talked about in the paragraph?
2. Do you think the pieces of evidence presented are sufficient and valid to support
the argument? Why or why not?

Task 3. Directions: Read the paragraph below and answer the questions.

During the 21st century, the word Facebook (FB) came into our awareness. In
fact, it is one of the most popular social networking sites with over one million users.
Almost ¾ of these users are 13 to 25 years old, and these people use FB every time
they have an opportunity to do so at school, at home, in the mall, and anywhere else.
So, FB seems to just be a waste of time. It is a complete distraction to students. Many
students fail to complete their assignments and projects because they are addicted to
FB. Some use words and acronyms that only they can understand, and it crosses over
even during face-to-face conversations. FB also becomes a tool for bashing and
avenue for gossiping. These are just some of my impressions of FB.
Source: Academic Reading and Writing by Jessie s. Barrot
PhD

Analyze the text using the questions below.

1. What do you think prompted the writer to write the paragraph?
2. What are your thoughts and feelings about the text?
3. What do you think is the central claim of the text?
4. Do you share the same sentiments with the writer?
5. Do you think the pieces of evidence presented are sufficient and valid to support
the claim? Why or why not?
6. Are there evident flaws in reasoning in the text? If yes, enumerate them.

When reading texts critically, it is imperative that you identify the type of claims
or the approach to the topic, to see the main argument. Although we focus on critical
reading, it is useful to note that these claims may also be used when you write your
paper.
To identify the claims, focus on the first and last sentences of the paragraph.
The details in each paragraph will also guide you as to whether a text supports or
opposes a certain claim or argument.

What is a claim?
For a Speaker: A claim is the main topic of an argument where the speaker tries to
assert on his or her beliefs, ideas, or actions.
For a Writer: A claim is the central statement of a text that the writer tries to prove in
the text by providing details, explanations, and other types of evidence
 Whenever you read something, you find yourself looking for the writer’s point or
position regarding the chosen topic. That point is also known as the claim, or the
central argument, or the thesis statement of the text. This claim is what the
writer tries to prove in the text by providing details, explanations, and other
types of evidence. As such, it is usually found in the introduction or the first few
paragraphs of the text.
The claim is the most important part of the text. The quality and complexity of
the reading depend on the claim because the claim defines the paper’s direction and
scope. The claim is a sentence that summarizes the most important thing
that the writer wants to say as a result of his/her thinking, reading, or
writing.
A claim refers to a clear assertion of a person’s ideas, opinions, or propositions. Identifying one’s claims is an
essential skill when expressing opinions on certain issues, especially in writing.

Characteristics of a good claim

1. A claim should be argumentative and debatable.
2. A claim should be specific and focused.
3. A claim should be interesting and engaging.
4. A claim should be logical.

The use of claims may serve the purpose of convincing or persuading readers or specific audiences
to agree with a specific stand or rationale on an issue.

Types of Claims
1. A claim of fact asserts something that can be proved or disproved with
factual evidence. However, keep in mind the basic quality of claims, that they
have to be debatable, and offer an assertion about an issue. So, a claim of fact
for a logical argument cannot simply consist of a statistic or proven fact. It
needs, instead, to focus on an assertion that uses facts to back it up, but for
which the evidence might still be debatable. In other words, if you claim facts,
you show factual evidence (examples, data, research reports) that prove your
claim.
Claims of fact usually answer a “what” question. When determining
whether something is a claim of fact, the following questions are useful:
➢ Is this issue related to a possible cause or effect?
➢ Is this statement true or false? How can its truthfulness be verified?
➢ Is this claim controversial or debatable?
Example: Sometimes people use Facebook, Twitter, and other social media
to bully one another.

2. A claim of value argues that something is good or bad, or right or wrong or

that one thing is better than another thing. Claims of value attempt to explain
how problems, situations, or issues ought to be valued. To discover these
explanations, you may ask the following questions:
➢ Which claims endorse what is good or right?
➢ What qualities should be considered good? Why?
➢ Which of these values contend with others? Which ones are more
important, and why?
Example: It is wrong to use social media to bully people.

3. A claim of policy argues that certain conditions should exist, or that

something should or should not be done, in order to solve a problem. Claims of
policy defend actionable plans, and usually answer “how” questions. The
following questions will be useful in evaluating a claim of policy:
➢ Does the claim suggest a specific remedy to solve the problem?
 ➢ Is the policy clearly defined?
➢ Is the need for the policy established?
➢ Is the policy the best one available? For whom?
➢ How does the policy solve the problem?
Example: There should be criminal charges brought against people who use
social media to bully people.

Group Activity: Choose one topic or issue to write three claims (Fact, value Policy)

1. Catch-Up Fridays

2. K-12 Education

3. Jeepney Modernization

4. Charter Change

5. Feasts Devotions

Moving on, let us see if

you have listened to me
analytically earlier and if
you didn’t lie when
answered “yes ma’am” to
all my questions. Get a
w h o l e sheet of paper and
read the direction
carefully.
Let’s start.

Directions: Identify each

statement below,
taken from or inspired by
the previous text, as a
claim of fact, value, or
policy.
1. National strength can
only be built on
character.
2. The Filipinos of the pat
became strong –
willed, earnest and
adventurous by
necessity: they had to brave
the seas, clear
the forest and erect towns
and cities upon
the wilderness in order to
establish
communities.
3. To insure the
accomplishment of the task
of
national spiritual
reconstruction, we shall
formulate and adopt a
social code that can
be explained in the
schools, preached from
the pulpits, and taught in
the streets and
plazas, and in the
remotest corners of our
land.
4. Teachers are in the
position to inculcate this
social code in the youth
because they are in
the most contact with
them during their
formative years at school.
5. LTFRB should be given
the public an
advance notice about their
fare hike.
6. Donald Trump is
awesome.
7. Hilary Clinton would
have made a better
president than Donald
Trump.
8. Instagram is own by
Facebook.
9. Rodrigo Duterte is the
President of the
Philippines.
10. I made a sandwich
Directions: Identify each
statement below,
taken from or inspired by
the previous text, as a
claim of fact, value, or
policy.
1. National strength can
only be built on
character.
2. The Filipinos of the pat
became strong –
willed, earnest and
adventurous by
necessity: they had to brave
the seas, clear
the forest and erect towns
and cities upon
the wilderness in order to
establish
communities.
3. To insure the
accomplishment of the task
of
national spiritual
reconstruction, we shall
formulate and adopt a
social code that can
be explained in the
schools, preached from
the pulpits, and taught in
the streets and
plazas, and in the
remotest corners of our
land.
Directions: Identify each
statement below,
taken from or inspired by
the previous text, as a
claim of fact, value, or
policy.
1. National strength can
only be built on
character.
2. The Filipinos of the pat
became strong –
willed, earnest and
adventurous by
necessity: they had to brave
the seas, clear
the forest and erect towns
and cities upon
the wilderness in order to
establish
communities.
3. To insure the
accomplishment of the task
of
national spiritual
reconstruction, we shall
formulate and adopt a
social code that can
be explained in the
schools, preached from
the pulpits, and taught in
the streets and
plazas, and in the
remotest corners of our
land.