A Quick Guide to Claim/Data/Warrant
 Claim/Data/Warrant
is a format for writing
an argument
 When
making an intelligent argument, you
have to:



(1) make your point
(2) support your point with facts
(3) explain how the facts prove your point.
(1)
Claim
(2)
Data (with a transition)
(3)
Warrant
 The
1st sentence of a paragraph
 Includes
 Clear
the title of the piece and the author
and provable opinion; usually a
response to a question or prompt from the
teacher
Prompt: How might Santiago’s sheep symbolize
the way some people live their lives?
 (a) Santiago notices how his sheep are only
concerned with food and water and how they
rely heavily on him. The sheep could symbolize
people who give up on their dreams.
 (b) Santiago’s sheep symbolize people who give
up on their dreams because they only concern
themselves with food and water and rely too
much on Santiago.
 (c) In The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, Santiago’s
sheep symbolize people who do not follow their
dreams and rely on others to support them
throughout their lives.

Prompt: How might Santiago’s sheep symbolize
the way some people live their lives?
 (a) Santiago notices how his sheep are only
concerned with food and water and how they
rely heavily on him. The sheep could symbolize
people who give up on their dreams.
 (b) Santiago’s sheep symbolize people who give
up on their dreams because they only concern
themselves with food and water and rely too
much on Santiago.
 (c) In The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho,
Santiago’s sheep symbolize people who do not
follow their dreams and rely on others to
support them throughout their lives.

 Evidence
from the text that proves/supports
the claim
 Quotations
should be properly documented
(MLA citations – rules will come later!)
A
paragraph should contain 2 pieces of data –
no one believes an argument based on one
fact!
Claim: In The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho,
Santiago’s sheep symbolize people who do not
follow their dreams and rely on others to support
them throughout their lives.
 (a) “The only things that concerned the sheep
were food and water” (7).
 (b) “They trust me, and they’ve forgotten how
to rely on their own instincts, because I lead
them to nourishment” (7).
 (c) “They were content with just food and water,
and, in exchange, they generously gave of their
wool, their company, and – once in awhile – their
meat” (7).

Claim: In The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho,
Santiago’s sheep symbolize people who do not
follow their dreams and rely on others to support
them throughout their lives.
 (a) “The only things that concerned the sheep
were food and water” (7).
 (b) “They trust me, and they’ve forgotten how
to rely on their own instincts, because I lead
them to nourishment” (7).
 (c) “They were content with just food and water,
and, in exchange, they generously gave of their
wool, their company, and – once in awhile – their
meat” (7).

A
sentence or partial sentence that sets the
context of the data
 Answers
questions like who, what, where,
when (not necessarily all of them)
 MLA
rules about transitions will be visited
later!
 Data:
“They trust me, and they’ve forgotten
how to rely on their own instincts, because I
lead them to nourishment” (7).
 (a) After watching the behavior of his sheep,
Santiago comments,
 (b) Santiago feels his sheep trust him and do
not take care of themselves any longer.
 (c) Santiago’s sheep do not search for a more
meaningful life, which symbolizes people
who do the exact same thing.
 Data:
“They trust me, and they’ve forgotten
how to rely on their own instincts, because I
lead them to nourishment” (7).
 (a) After watching the behavior of his
sheep, Santiago comments,
 (b) Santiago feels his sheep trust him and do
not take care of themselves any longer.
 (c) Santiago’s sheep do not search for a more
meaningful life, which symbolizes people
who do the exact same thing.
 The
most important and significant part of
the argument
 States
how and why the data proves the
claim
 Interpretation
and analysis of the data
 In
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, Santiago’s
sheep symbolize people who do not follow
their dreams and rely on others to support
them throughout their lives. After watching
the behavior of his sheep, Santiago
comments, “They trust me, and they’ve
forgotten how to rely on their own instincts,
because I lead them to nourishment” (7).
 With a partner, write a warrant that would
explain how and why the data supports the
claim.
 What
does a completed CDW paragraph look
like?
 Claim
 Transition into Data
 Warrant
 Transition into Data
 Warrant
 Concluding sentence