Worked examples
Two examples
Example 1
A passage written for this example (its sentences are numbered)
Sentence 2: “At 2 p.m. on a sunny July afternoon, the black roof measured 160 °F and the white roof measured 110 °F.”Is this sentence evidence or a claim?(1) Students in Harlem put one thermometer on a black tar rooftop and another on the white-painted rooftop next door. (2) At 2 p.m. on a sunny July afternoon, the black roof measured 160 °F and the white roof measured 110 °F. (3) The students argued that painting more roofs white could help keep top-floor apartments cooler in summer.
- Evidence is something observed or measured. A claim is a statement about what the evidence means.
- Ask of the sentence: did someone see, count or measure this? Yes: the students read two thermometers at 2 p.m.
- The sentence does not say why the roofs differ, or what anyone should do about it. It only reports the numbers.
Answer: Evidence
Example 2
A passage written for this example (its sentences are numbered)
Sentence 3: “The students argued that painting more roofs white could help keep top-floor apartments cooler in summer.”Is this sentence evidence or a claim?(1) Students in Harlem put one thermometer on a black tar rooftop and another on the white-painted rooftop next door. (2) At 2 p.m. on a sunny July afternoon, the black roof measured 160 °F and the white roof measured 110 °F. (3) The students argued that painting more roofs white could help keep top-floor apartments cooler in summer.
- Ask again: did someone see, count or measure this? No one measured any apartments. The students are saying what their two numbers might mean.
- The word argued is a signal. So are concluded, reasoned, think, suggest and warn.
- Notice also how careful the claim is: “could help,” not “proves.” That is wise, because they measured two roofs on one afternoon.
Answer: A claim
Where this is taught: Science Practices, part 2: Reading a science passage · Look Again Quiz 1: Reading Science
In your Kaplan book: Unit 4, Chapter 1, Lesson 1: Comprehend Scientific Presentations · Map of the Terrain, topic 1: Reading science
The drill
Ten questions
How many:
Read what is in the box first, if there is one. Then tap your answer; a few questions ask you to choose words from a drop-down instead, the way the GED test does. Press Check my answers at the bottom.Read what is in the box first, if there is one. Circle your answer; where there are brackets, circle the choice that fits. The answer key, with the reasoning, is on the last page.