Overview

Lesson Procedure

60-65 minutes of class time across 5 phases.

1. Warm-Up10 minutes
2. Direct Instruction15-20 minutes
3. Guided Practice15 minutes
4. Independent Practice15 minutes
5. Closure5 minutes

1. Warm-Up10 minutes

   Warm-Up Prompt

   "You want your family to try a new place for Saturday dinner. Write one sentence that says what you want, one reason, and one fact that would help convince them."

   Take three or four answers. Point out that the best answers gave a fact someone could check ("It is ten minutes away"), not only a feeling ("It's the best"). Then introduce today's question: Should Ridgeview Middle School replace its two oldest drinking fountains with bottle filling stations? Explain that Ridgeview and its sources are invented for practice. A bottle filling station is a fountain with a tall spout, above a drain, that fills a water bottle quickly. Read the source packet aloud while students number the five paragraphs. Ask them to put a star next to the fact they find most useful and a question mark next to anything they doubt.

   1Source A: Email from Dana Ortiz, facilities manager for the Ridgeview school district, March 4. "Ridgeview has six drinking fountains. The two near the gym and in the B hallway were installed in 1998 and need new parts this year. Repairing both would cost about $900. Replacing both with fountains that include a bottle filling station would cost about $3,400, installation included. The district has set aside $4,000 for Ridgeview repairs this year. In the district's October test, all six fountains met the state's drinking water standard."

   2Source B: Student council survey, February. The student council surveyed 240 students, 80 from each grade. 180 students said they carry a refillable water bottle on most school days. 132 students said the fountains are hard to use for filling a bottle because the spout is too low or the stream is too weak. 64 students said they buy a plastic bottle of water in the cafeteria at least once a week because they cannot fill their own.

   3Source C: Note from Paul Kim, school nurse, December. "From September through November, I recorded 41 visits from students with headaches. In 23 of those visits, the student told me they had not had any water since breakfast. Many things can cause a headache, but drinking water through the day is a simple habit that helps students feel well."

   4Source D: Flyer from a company that delivers bottled water to offices and schools. "Fountain water is NEVER as safe as our bottled water! Protect your students. Order a case for every classroom today and get the first month at half price!"

   5Source E: Comment on a neighborhood website, posted by a user named "ParentOf3." "I heard those filling stations break all the time and cost a fortune to fix. Total waste of money. Just tell the kids to bring water from home."

2. Direct Instruction15-20 minutes

   Teach the words of the standard and leave them on the board:

   • Argument: writing that tries to convince readers that a claim is true by giving reasons and evidence.
   • Claim: the main point the writer wants readers to accept. A reader could agree or disagree with it.
   • Reason: a statement that tells why the claim is true.
   • Evidence: facts, numbers, quotations or examples that show a reason is true. Evidence is relevant when it is about that exact reason.
   • Credible source: a source readers can trust because of who wrote it, how they know, and whether they gain from what they say.
   • Transition: a word, phrase or clause (a group of words with its own subject and verb, such as "since the fountains must be fixed") that shows how two ideas connect.
   • Formal style: the careful, respectful language of school writing: no slang, no insults, and facts instead of feelings.
   • Concluding statement: the ending that sums up the claim and follows from the reasons.

   Work through the five examples, one for each skill. Then show Diagram 1 as the plan every argument in this lesson follows.

   • From topic to claim

     Topic: water at Ridgeview. First try: The fountains are bad. This is a complaint, and it does not say what should happen.

     Result: Claim: Ridgeview should replace its two oldest fountains with bottle filling stations. It names what should change and where, and a reader could disagree.

   • Reason or evidence?

     Reason: filling stations would make water easier to get. Which sentence from the packet is evidence for this reason?

     Result: Evidence: 132 of the 240 students surveyed said the fountains are hard to use for filling a bottle (paragraph 2). The reason says why; the evidence is the fact that shows the reason is true.

   • Credible or not?

     Source C, the nurse's note, and Source D, the bottled water flyer, both talk about health.

     Result: Use Source C. The nurse is named, his job is student health, and he reports counts from his own records. The flyer's writer sells bottled water, gains if readers fear fountain water, and gives no test results.

   • A clause that shows the relationship

     Two separate sentences: The old fountains must be fixed this year. The filling stations do not cost as much extra as they seem to.

     Result: Joined: Since the old fountains must be fixed this year anyway, the filling stations cost only $2,500 more than the repairs. The clause beginning with since shows why the lower extra cost matters.

   • Formal style

     Draft sentence: The fountain by the gym is super gross and basically useless.

     Result: Formal: The fountain near the gym has a weak stream that makes it hard to fill a bottle. The revision drops the slang and replaces an insult with a specific detail.

   Hand out the model argument. Read it once for meaning. On the second reading, students highlight the claim in one color, each reason in a second color and the evidence in a third. Ask: Which source did the writer choose for each reason? Which source did the writer decide not to trust, and why?

   1Most students at Ridgeview Middle School carry a water bottle, but many of them cannot fill it at school. This year, the two oldest drinking fountains, near the gym and in the B hallway, need repairs. Instead of simply repairing them, Ridgeview should replace them with fountains that include bottle filling stations. The stations would help students drink more water, they fit within the money the district has already set aside, and they would reduce plastic waste.

   2The first reason is that filling stations would make water easier to get during the school day. In a February survey by the student council, 132 of 240 students said the current fountains are hard to use for filling a bottle because the spout is too low or the stream is too weak. That is more than half of the students surveyed. The school nurse, Paul Kim, recorded 41 headache visits from September through November, and in 23 of them the student had not had any water since breakfast. These facts suggest that when filling a bottle is difficult, many students simply go without water.

   3In addition, the plan is affordable. According to Dana Ortiz, the district facilities manager, repairing the two old fountains would cost about $900, and replacing them with filling stations would cost about $3,400. The district has already set aside $4,000 for Ridgeview repairs this year, so the stations fit within that budget with about $600 to spare. Since the old fountains must be fixed either way, the school is really choosing between two ways to spend money that is already planned.

   4Finally, filling stations would cut down on plastic waste. The survey found that 64 students buy a plastic bottle of water in the cafeteria at least once a week because they cannot fill their own. If only half of those students switched to refilling, Ridgeview would use at least 1,100 fewer plastic bottles in a 36-week school year.

   5Not every source on this question can be trusted. A flyer from a bottled water company claims that fountain water is "NEVER as safe" as bottled water. However, the company is trying to sell its product, and it offers no test results. The district's own October test found that all six Ridgeview fountains met the state's drinking water standard, so the flyer's claim does not hold up.

   6For these reasons, Ridgeview should use this year's repair money to install two filling stations. The change would make it easier for students to drink water, stay within the district's budget, and keep more than a thousand plastic bottles out of the trash each year.

3. Guided Practice15 minutes

   Pairs complete the map of the model argument. For each paragraph, they write its job in their own words and copy the words that connect it to the claim. Circulate and ask each pair to show where the writer's evidence came from in the source packet.

   Map of the model argument (students fill in the last two columns)

   Paragraph	Job in the argument	Words that connect it
   1
   2
   3
   4
   5
   6

   Next, pairs read the weak draft below on the same question. They list every problem they notice with the claim, the reasons, the sources, the connecting words and the style. They do not rewrite it yet; that happens in Activity 3.

   Water stations are awesome and we totally need them!! Everybody I know wants one. My friend said the fountain by the gym is gross. Also a website said the stations break all the time. Also the bottled water company says fountain water isn't safe, so that's another reason. So yeah, we should get them. That's my opinion.

4. Independent Practice15 minutes

   Each student writes the introduction and one body paragraph of an argument on the filling-station question. Students may agree with the model writer or argue that Ridgeview should simply repair the old fountains. The introduction must end with a claim and a preview of two or three reasons. The body paragraph must begin with a transition, give one reason, support it with a fact from a credible source in the packet (named in the sentence), and explain in a final sentence how the fact supports the reason. Students who agree with the model writer must use at least one fact the model does not use. Collect the drafts to check claims and source choices before the homework.

5. Closure5 minutes

   Exit ticket: (1) Copy your claim. (2) Name the source you trusted most and give one reason you trusted it. (3) Write one concluding sentence for your argument that begins with a transition.

   Hand out the homework source set below. It asks a new question about the school library, with five new invented sources. Students also use it for questions 5 and 16 of the quiz.

   1Source 1: Note from Grace Tan, school librarian. "School ends at 3:05, and the library closes at 3:15. Over two weeks in January, I counted the students waiting outside the front doors for rides after 3:15. The average was 38 students a day. On rainy days, they crowd under the small roof by the office."

   2Source 2: Email from Principal Luis Herrera. "Keeping the library open until 4:30 on Monday through Thursday would require a library aide for 5 extra hours each week. Aides earn $18 an hour, so the cost would be about $3,240 for a 36-week school year. The school's budget does not include this money right now."

   3Source 3: Letter from the Ridgeview parent-teacher group. "Our group has voted to give $1,500 toward after-school library hours next year if the school can find the rest of the money."

   4Source 4: Survey by Ms. Tan's student library helpers. Of 120 sixth graders asked, 54 said they would use the library after school at least twice a week, 41 said they would use it sometimes, and 25 said they would not use it.

   5Source 5: Post on a gaming blog by a user named "LibraryHater22." "Libraries are boring and totally outdated. Nobody my age reads books anymore, so an after-school library would sit empty."

Differentiation Strategies

Assessment Guidance

1. Question 1 of 20 · Multiple Choice

   Which sentence could be the claim of an argument?

   ARidgeview's late bus leaves the school at 4:15 every afternoon. BMany students at Ridgeview have strong feelings about the late bus. CRidgeview should run its late bus at 3:30 instead of 4:15. DWhat time does the late bus leave Ridgeview each afternoon?

2. Question 2 of 20 · Multiple Choice

   In paragraph 1 of the model argument, which sentence states the writer's claim?

   AMost students at Ridgeview Middle School carry a water bottle, but many of them cannot fill it at school. BInstead of simply repairing them, Ridgeview should replace them with fountains that include bottle filling stations. CThis year, the two oldest drinking fountains, near the gym and in the B hallway, need repairs. DThe first reason is that filling stations would make water easier to get during the school day.

3. Question 3 of 20 · Multiple Choice

   How are paragraphs 2, 3 and 4 of the model argument organized?

   AThey tell the history of the two old fountains from 1998 up to the present school year. BEach one answers a different person who disagrees with the writer. CThey describe the fountains from the least used to the most used. DEach one develops one reason, in the order the reasons are listed in paragraph 1.

4. Question 4 of 20 · Multiple Choice

   A writer wants evidence for a new reason: Many students would use the filling stations. Which fact from the source packet is most relevant?

   A180 of the 240 students surveyed carry a refillable water bottle on most school days. BThe two old fountains were installed in 1998 and need new parts this year. CThe district has set aside $4,000 for Ridgeview repairs this year. DThe nurse recorded 41 visits from students with headaches from September through November.

5. Question 5 of 20 · Multiple Choice

   In the homework source set, which source is most credible for this claim: Many students have nowhere to wait indoors after school.

   ASource 1, the librarian's count of students waiting outside after 3:15 BSource 3, the parent-teacher group's letter offering $1,500 toward library hours CSource 5, the gaming blog post saying that an after-school library would sit empty DSource 2, the principal's email about the cost of keeping a library aide until 4:30

6. Question 6 of 20 · Multiple Choice

   Why does the model argument name Dana Ortiz and her job when it gives the costs in paragraph 3?

   ATo make the paragraph longer, since every paragraph needs at least five sentences BBecause she is the only adult mentioned anywhere in the source packet CTo show that the numbers come from the person in charge of the district's buildings DBecause she agrees with the writer that the school should buy filling stations

7. Question 7 of 20 · Multiple Choice

   A classmate argues, "The filling stations would use up all of Ridgeview's repair money." Which fact from the model argument shows that this misunderstands the topic?

   AThe stations would cost about $3,400, which is more than the $900 repairs. BThe fountains near the gym and in the B hallway are the two oldest in the school. CThe nurse recorded 41 headache visits from September through November. DThe stations fit within the $4,000 budget with about $600 to spare.

8. Question 8 of 20 · Multiple Choice

   Which sentence uses a clause to show how the two ideas connect?

   AThe fountain near the gym is the busiest in the school, but it should get the first filling station. BAlthough the fountain near the gym is the busiest in the school, it should get the first filling station. CBecause the fountain near the gym is the busiest in the school, it should get the first filling station. DThe fountain near the gym is the busiest in the school; for example, it should get the first filling station.

9. Question 9 of 20 · Multiple Choice

   Choose the transition that best fills the blank: The librarian counted 38 students waiting outside after school each day. ____, the school needs a safe indoor place for them.

   AFor example BAs a result COn the other hand DSimilarly

10. Question 10 of 20 · Multiple Choice

    In paragraph 4 of the model argument, what does the clause If only half of those students switched to refilling do?

    AIt sets up an estimate by stating the condition the estimate depends on. BIt introduces a second survey that the student council carried out. CIt admits to readers that the writer's claim about plastic waste might be wrong. DIt signals that the concluding section of the argument begins.

11. Question 11 of 20 · Multiple Choice

    Which sentence keeps a formal style?

    AHonestly, four minutes between classes is way too short and super annoying. BYou would totally be late too if your locker was across the whole school!! CAnyone who thinks four minutes is enough has obviously never walked our crowded hallways. DStudents with lockers in the far wing often need more than four minutes to reach class.

12. Question 12 of 20 · Multiple Choice

    Besides being a weak source, why does the bottled water company's claim hurt the weak draft's own argument?

    AThe company that made the flyer is located in another state, far away from Ridgeview. BStations use the same water as fountains, so the claim would argue against them too. CThe flyer is only three sentences long, which is too short to count as evidence. DThe draft forgot to put the company's exact words inside quotation marks.

13. Question 13 of 20 · Multiple Choice

    Which concluding statement best follows from the model argument?

    AFilling stations would help students drink more water, fit the repair budget and cut plastic waste. BRidgeview should also add more choices to the cafeteria menu, since many students skip lunch each day. CBottled water companies should not be allowed to send flyers like this one to public schools. DIn conclusion, 132 of 240 students said the fountains are hard to use for filling bottles.

14. Question 14 of 20 · Multiple Choice

    Why is "That's my opinion." a weak ending for the weak draft?

    AIt is too short, and a concluding statement must be at least three sentences long. BIt should have been placed at the beginning of the draft instead of the end. CIt only labels the draft as an opinion instead of restating the claim and the reasons. DIt uses the word opinion, which is a word that should never appear in an argument.

15. Question 15 of 20 · Short Answer

    Write an introduction of two or three sentences for an argument on this question: Should Ridgeview give students six minutes, instead of four, between classes? End with a claim and a preview of two reasons.

    Show model answer

16. Question 16 of 20 · Short Answer

    Use the homework source set. Write two or three sentences that support this reason with one fact from a credible source: After-school hours would be used by many students. Name the source and explain what the fact shows.

    Show model answer

17. Question 17 of 20 · Short Answer

    Source E in the source packet says the filling stations "break all the time and cost a fortune to fix." Explain in two or three sentences why a writer should not use Source E as evidence, and name a kind of source that would be more credible on this point.

    Show model answer

18. Question 18 of 20 · Short Answer

    Join these two sentences into one sentence that shows how they connect. Use a word, phrase or clause from the lesson, and name the relationship it shows: The library closes at 3:15. Many students wait outside for rides until almost 4:00.

    Show model answer

19. Question 19 of 20 · Short Answer

    Rewrite these sentences in a formal style. Keep the writer's point, but replace slang and feelings with specific, checkable details: "The library closing so early is totally unfair. Kids are just stuck outside in the rain like, forever!"

    Show model answer

20. Question 20 of 20 · Short Answer

    Here is the plan of a short argument. Claim: Ridgeview should add a second bike rack by the front doors. Reason 1: the one rack is full by 7:50 most mornings. Reason 2: bikes locked to the fence block the sidewalk. Write a concluding statement of one or two sentences that follows from this argument.

    Show model answer

These standards connect to W.6.1: prerequisites to review first, parallel standards at the same level, and next steps that build on it.

Standard text: Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts & Literacy. © Copyright 2010. National Governors Association Center for Best Practices and Council of Chief State School Officers. All rights reserved.