Claim or Not

This worksheet helps students in Grades 5 and 6 strengthen reading comprehension, critical thinking, and foundational argument writing skills by distinguishing between claims and non-claims. Learners read individual statements and decide whether each one functions as an argumentative claim or simply presents a fact, preference, or neutral statement, focusing on purpose, intent, and assertiveness in language.

Learning Goals

• Understanding Claims vs. Non-Claims (Grades 5-6)
  Students identify what qualifies as a claim by analyzing whether a statement presents an arguable position.
• Classifying Statement Types
  Learners distinguish between claims, facts, opinions, and simple statements.
• Critical Thinking & Justification
  Students explain why a sentence does or does not function as a claim.
• Foundations of Argument Writing
  The activity builds essential skills needed for persuasive and opinion-based writing.

Instructional Benefits

• Teacher-Created Resource
  Designed by educators to align with upper elementary ELA and argument writing standards.
• Clear, Focused Practice
  Short, individual statements keep students focused on classification and reasoning.
• Optional Writing Extension
  Students demonstrate mastery by writing their own claim and non-claim.
• Flexible Classroom Use
  Ideal for writing units, literacy centers, homework, assessment, or test prep.

This printable worksheet helps students clearly understand what makes a statement an argumentative claim. By practicing identification, justification, and creation of claims and non-claims, learners strengthen critical reading, reasoning, and persuasive writing readiness. It’s a practical, no-prep resource that works well in both classroom instruction and homeschool learning.

This worksheet is part of our Arguments and Claims Worksheets collection.