W.8.1: Writing Arguments That Distinguish a Claim from Opposing and Alternate Claims
In plain English: W.8.1 is the Common Core grade 8 ELA standard that asks students to write arguments that support a claim with logical reasoning and relevant evidence from accurate, credible sources. New in grade 8, students distinguish their claim from alternate or opposing claims, not only acknowledge them, and use words and clauses that show how claims, counterclaims, reasons and evidence relate.
Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence.
a.Introduce claim(s), acknowledge and distinguish the claim(s) from alternate or opposing claims, and organize the reasons and evidence logically.
b.Support claim(s) with logical reasoning and relevant evidence, using accurate, credible sources and demonstrating an understanding of the topic or text.
c.Use words, phrases, and clauses to create cohesion and clarify the relationships among claim(s), counterclaims, reasons, and evidence.
d.Establish and maintain a formal style.
e.Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the argument presented.
Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts & Literacy · Domain: Writing Standards · Cluster: Text Types and Purposes · Official standard
Students learn to write a grade 8 argument: one that supports a claim with logical reasoning and relevant evidence, and that shows readers exactly how the claim differs from the claims of people who disagree. The lesson uses one local question: should an invented town, Quarry Hill, lower the speed limit on the road in front of its middle school from 35 to 25 mph? The source packet mixes summaries of two real publications (a 2011 report from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety on impact speed and a 2018 Insurance Institute for Highway Safety study of Boston's lower speed limit) with invented local sources, including a post on a neighborhood app that gets both real sources wrong.
The lesson follows the five parts of W.8.1. Students introduce a claim, acknowledge and distinguish it from alternate or opposing claims, and organize reasons logically (a); support it with logical reasoning and evidence from accurate, credible sources that shows they understand the topic (b); use words, phrases and clauses that create cohesion and show how claims, counterclaims, reasons and evidence relate (c); keep a formal style (d); and end with a conclusion that follows from and supports the argument (e). Grade 7 asked students to acknowledge the other side. The grade 8 additions get the most time here: distinguishing the claim, so that readers see where the writer agrees and disagrees with each other plan, and naming the relationships among all four parts, counterclaims included.
Learning Objectives
By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:
Introduce a precise claim and distinguish it from an opposing claim and an alternate claim, saying where they agree and where they differ
Answer a counterclaim by acknowledging it fairly, granting what is true and responding with evidence that fits the difference
Support reasons with accurate facts from credible sources, reporting numbers exactly as the source states them
Use words, phrases and clauses such as unlike, while and even though to show how claims, counterclaims, reasons and evidence relate
Keep a formal style and write a conclusion that follows from and supports the whole argument
Prior Knowledge Required
Students should already be comfortable with:
Writing arguments that acknowledge alternate or opposing claims and use accurate, credible sources W.7.1
Tracing an argument and judging whether its reasoning is sound and its evidence relevant RI.7.8
Assessing the credibility and accuracy of a source and paraphrasing it without changing its facts W.7.8
Finding the median of a data set, the middle value when the values are in order 6.SP.B.5
"Your class wants a longer lunch. One classmate says, 'Keep lunch the same.' Another says, 'Keep lunch the same length but let us eat outside.' Write one sentence that explains how your idea is different from each of theirs."
Take three or four answers. Point out that the strongest ones named what the two ideas share (both see a problem with lunch) before naming the difference. Explain that grade 7 asked writers to acknowledge the other side; grade 8 asks them to distinguish their claim from it, so that readers see exactly where the writer agrees and where the writer parts ways. Then introduce today's question: Should Quarry Hill lower the speed limit on Linden Avenue, in front of the middle school, from 35 to 25 mph? Quarry Hill and Sources C to G are invented for practice; Sources A and B summarize real publications. Read the packet aloud while students number the seven paragraphs. They mark each fact that supports a lower limit with a plus sign, each fact an opponent could use with a minus sign, and anything that looks wrong with a question mark.
1Source A: Summary of a report by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, a nonprofit research group started by the automobile club AAA, published in September 2011. The report studied United States crashes in which a car or light truck hit a pedestrian (a person on foot). It measured risk by impact speed, the speed of the vehicle at the moment it hits the person. For an average pedestrian, the risk of death reached about 10 percent at an impact speed of 23 mph, 25 percent at 32 mph, 50 percent at 42 mph, 75 percent at 50 mph and 90 percent at 58 mph. The report also found that risk varies with age: older pedestrians face a higher risk at the same speed.
2Source B: Summary of a study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), a nonprofit research group paid for by auto insurance companies, released in August 2018. On January 9, 2017, Boston lowered the default speed limit on its city streets from 30 to 25 mph. Researchers measured vehicle speeds in Boston before and after the change and compared them with streets in Providence, Rhode Island, where the limit stayed the same. In Boston, the odds that a vehicle was going faster than 35 mph fell by 29.3 percent. The odds of going faster than 30 mph fell by 8.5 percent, and the odds of going faster than 25 mph fell by 2.9 percent.
3Source C: Speed survey by the Quarry Hill police department (invented). During one school week in May, officers measured the speeds of 2,000 vehicles on Linden Avenue in front of Quarry Hill Middle School, where the posted limit is 35 mph. The median speed was 36 mph. (The median is the middle value when all the speeds are put in order.) 380 of the 2,000 vehicles were going faster than 40 mph.
4Source D: Survey by the Quarry Hill Middle School safety club (invented). The club asked all 640 students how they get to school. 150 students said they walk or bike, and 92 of them said they cross Linden Avenue. Of those 92, 38 said they also cross it after 3:30 p.m. at least once a week, on the way home from clubs, sports or the town library.
5Source E: Memo from Tomas Reyes, town engineer (invented). "The stretch of Linden Avenue that passes the school is 0.8 mile long. Lowering its limit from 35 to 25 mph would take six new signs, about $2,400 in all. A driver who could travel the whole stretch at the limit would take about 82 seconds at 35 mph and about 115 seconds at 25 mph. Another option is a pair of flashing school-zone signs that lower the limit to 20 mph only from 7:30 to 8:15 a.m. and from 2:45 to 3:30 p.m. That pair would cost about $38,000."
6Source F: Email from Denise Albright, Quarry Hill fire chief (invented). "Linden Avenue is the main route from Fire Station 2 to the east side of town. We oppose speed humps on it, because every hump slows our engines. A lower posted limit is different: it would not change our response times, because engines on an emergency call may go faster than the posted limit when it is safe."
7Source G: Post on a neighborhood app by a user called "LindenDriver22" (invented). "Lower speed limits don't work. When Boston lowered its limit, speeds didn't change at all. Plus AAA says getting hit at 25 is just as deadly as getting hit at 35. Look it up!
SVHS lesson authors, Source packet: Should Quarry Hill Lower the Speed Limit on Linden Avenue? (Sources A and B summarize real publications; Sources C-G and the people in them are invented for practice, and Quarry Hill is not a real town). Original passage written for this page.
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, using reasons and evidence.
Claim: the main point the writer wants readers to accept. A precise claim says exactly what should change, where and when.
Opposing claim: a claim that says the change should not happen ("keep the limit at 35").
Alternate claim: a different answer to the same problem ("add speed humps instead"). Counterclaim is the name for either kind when a writer answers it.
Acknowledge: state the other claim fairly. Distinguish: show how your claim differs from it, by naming what the two share and exactly where they part ways.
Logical reasoning: the sentence that explains why a piece of evidence supports a reason.
Accurate source: one whose facts match the original, with numbers and words unchanged. Credible source: one readers can trust because of who wrote it and how they know.
Cohesion: the way sentences and paragraphs hold together. Relationship words such as however, unlike, although, while and in other words also tell readers how a claim, a counterclaim, a reason and a piece of evidence relate.
Formal style: careful, respectful school language with no slang and no insults.
Impact speed (a term from Source A): the speed of a vehicle at the moment it hits a person.
Work through the five examples. Then show Diagram 1, the claim map of the model argument.
A claim precise enough to distinguish
Topic: the Quarry Hill skate park. First try: The skate park needs to be better. A reader cannot tell what would change, so there is nothing to compare with other plans.
Result: Claim: The town should add lights to the skate park so that it can stay open until 9:00 p.m. from April to October. It names one change, and the writer can add: This is a plan to keep the park open later, not to build a new park. That sentence distinguishes the claim before anyone argues.
Acknowledge, then distinguish
Acknowledging only: Some residents would rather have speed humps. The sentence admits that another plan exists but does not say how it differs from the writer's.
Result: Distinguishing: Supporters of speed humps agree that Linden Avenue is too fast; where we differ is the fix, since humps would slow fire engines as well as ordinary drivers. The writer names the shared ground (the road is too fast) and the exact difference (what each plan slows down).
Credible and accurate?
A classmate's notes say, Police found that most cars on Linden Avenue go faster than 40 mph. Source C, the police survey, says that 380 of the 2,000 vehicles measured were going faster than 40 mph.
Result: The note is not accurate: 380 of 2,000 is 19 percent, fewer than one in five, not most. The police are a credible source, but the note changed their fact. Go back to the original and report its numbers exactly: 380 of 2,000 vehicles, or 19 percent.
Evidence plus reasoning
Evidence: A pedestrian hit at an impact speed of 32 mph has about a 25 percent risk of death; at 23 mph, about 10 percent. The fact alone does not explain what a speed limit has to do with impact speed.
Result: Reasoning: Impact speed is the speed at the moment of the crash, so a driver who starts slower hits at a lower speed even with no time to brake. The reasoning sentence links the fact to the claim that a lower limit saves lives, and it shows the writer understands the term.
Clauses that relate a counterclaim to evidence
Choppy: Some drivers say a lower limit wastes time. The stretch is 0.8 mile. At 25 mph a driver would lose about half a minute. The reader has to guess how the three sentences connect.
Result: Related: Although some drivers say a lower limit wastes time, the stretch is only 0.8 mile, so a driver would lose about half a minute. Although marks the counterclaim, only signals that the fact answers it, and so shows the result. Each word names a relationship.
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, each counterclaim in a third, and each sentence that distinguishes the claim from another plan in a fourth. Ask: Which counterclaims are opposing and which are alternate? Where does the writer admit that an objection is partly true? Which source in the packet did the writer leave out, and why?
1Last May, Quarry Hill police found that the median vehicle passing the middle school on Linden Avenue was going 36 mph, and 380 of 2,000 vehicles were going faster than 40 mph. Ninety-two students cross that road on their way to or from school. The town should lower the speed limit on the 0.8-mile stretch of Linden Avenue that passes the school from 35 to 25 mph, at all hours. This claim is narrower than it may sound: it does not call for speed humps or for more tickets, only for a lower posted limit. Two reasons support it. Slower impact speeds save lives, and lower limits do change how fast drivers go. Some residents disagree, and their objections deserve a direct answer.
2The first reason is that speed decides how badly a person is hurt. According to a 2011 report by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, a pedestrian hit at an impact speed of 32 mph has about a 25 percent risk of death; at 23 mph, the risk falls to about 10 percent. Impact speed is the speed at the moment of the crash, so a driver who is already going slower hits at a lower speed even with no time to brake.
3A new sign would matter only if drivers noticed it, and a real city shows that they do. In January 2017, Boston lowered its default limit from 30 to 25 mph. A study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety compared Boston with Providence, Rhode Island, where the limit stayed the same. In Boston, the odds that a vehicle was going faster than 35 mph fell by 29.3 percent. In other words, the lower limit cut the fastest speeding the most.
4Opponents argue that the limit should stay at 35 because drivers will ignore a new sign. This objection is partly true. In the Boston study, the odds of going faster than 25 mph fell by only 2.9 percent, so many drivers still went over the new limit. However, the claim here is not that every driver will obey. It is that fewer drivers will travel at the highest speeds, and the Boston results show exactly that. Other residents object that a lower limit would waste their time. According to town engineer Tomas Reyes, a driver traveling the whole stretch at the limit would need about 115 seconds at 25 mph instead of about 82 seconds at 35 mph, a difference of about half a minute.
5Two alternate plans also deserve an answer, because their supporters agree that the road is too fast. The first is speed humps. Unlike a lower limit, however, humps would slow fire engines too; Fire Chief Denise Albright opposes humps on Linden Avenue, the main route from Station 2 to the east side. The second plan is a pair of flashing school-zone signs that drop the limit to 20 mph during arrival and dismissal. That plan offers more protection during those 90 minutes, but it would cost about $38,000, compared with $2,400 for six new signs, and it would end at 3:30. According to the safety club, 38 students cross Linden Avenue after 3:30 at least once a week.
6For these reasons, Quarry Hill should lower the limit on Linden Avenue to 25 mph at all hours. A slower road gives a person on foot a far better chance of surviving a crash, and the Boston study shows that drivers respond to a lower limit. The alternate plans slow fire engines or end at 3:30. Half a minute of a driver's time is a small price for that protection.
SVHS lesson authors, Model argument: Slow Down Linden Avenue (Quarry Hill, Tomas Reyes and Denise Albright are invented; the AAA Foundation and IIHS studies are real). Original passage written for this page.
Guided Practice15 minutes
Pairs complete the relationship table below for the model argument. For each counterclaim, they copy the words that introduce it, write what the writer grants, and copy the word, phrase or clause that shows how the writer's claim differs. Circulate and ask each pair which source supplies the evidence in each response.
Relationship table for the model argument (pairs fill in the last three columns)
Counterclaim
Words that introduce it
What the writer grants
Words that distinguish the claim
Drivers will ignore a new sign
A lower limit wastes drivers' time
Build speed humps instead
Install flashing school-zone signs instead
Next, pairs read the weak draft below on the same question. They list its problems in four columns: claim (precise and distinguished from other plans?), sources (credible and accurate?), counterclaims, and style. They do not rewrite it yet; that happens in Activity 3.
The speed limit on Linden should be way lower. Cars go crazy fast. Some guy online said Boston tried it and speeds didn't change, whatever. AAA says getting hit at 35 is basically always deadly. Speed humps would work, or flashing signs, or cops, anything really. People who whine about 30 seconds are just selfish. So lower it!!
SVHS lesson authors, Weak draft for revision. Original passage written for this page.
Independent Practice15 minutes
Each student writes one counterclaim paragraph on the speed-limit question. Students who agree with the model writer answer a claim the model does not answer: Quarry Hill should hire a crossing guard for Linden Avenue instead of changing the limit. Students who disagree take the model's claim as their counterclaim and answer it. Either way, the paragraph must acknowledge the other claim fairly, grant what is true, include one sentence that distinguishes the two claims, and respond with at least one accurate fact from a credible source in the packet, named in the sentence, plus a sentence of reasoning. It must use at least two relationship words from the board. Collect the paragraphs to check the distinguishing sentences before the homework.
Closure5 minutes
Exit ticket: (1) Write one sentence that distinguishes the model's claim from the flashing-sign plan. (2) Name one fact in the packet you would not use, and the source that shows it is wrong. (3) Copy one relationship word from your paragraph and name the relationship it shows.
Hand out the homework source set below. It asks a new question about the eighth-grade trip, with seven new invented sources. Students also use it for questions 14, 17, 18 and 19 of the quiz.
1Source 1: Note from Nadia Brennan, eighth-grade trip coordinator at Quarry Hill Middle School. "For the past six years, the eighth-grade trip has been one day at Wave City, a water and amusement park 90 miles away. The cost is $85 per student: $55 for the ticket and $30 for the bus."
2Source 2: Email from Owen Kessler, director of Camp Tamarack. "Our two-day outdoor science program costs $140 per student. That includes the bus, one night in cabins, four meals, and lessons in stream ecology, astronomy and orienteering (finding your way with a map and compass). The camp is 40 miles from Quarry Hill."
3Source 3: Survey by the eighth-grade student council. Of 210 eighth graders, 126 chose Wave City, 63 chose Camp Tamarack, and 21 had no preference.
4Source 4: Note from Anand Iyer, school counselor. "Last year, 17 eighth graders did not go on the trip. The families of 11 of them told me that the $85 cost was the reason."
5Source 5: Note from the treasurer of the parent-teacher association (PTA). "The PTA can give $3,000 toward the eighth-grade trip this year, whichever trip the school chooses."
6Source 6: Flyer from a company that sells school trip packages. "Kids who go to science camp score 40 percent higher on science tests! Every top school does it. Book now!"
7Source 7: Comment on a parents' forum by a user called "QHDad." "Overnight trips are never safe. No one should send a 13-year-old away overnight.
SVHS lesson authors, Homework source set: Should the Eighth-Grade Trip Move from Wave City to Camp Tamarack? (all seven sources, the people in them, Wave City and Camp Tamarack are invented for practice). Original passage written for this page.
Differentiation Strategies
For Struggling Students
Give distinguishing frames: "Supporters of ... and I agree that ... . Where we differ is ... ." and "My claim is not that ... ; it is that ... ."
Provide the packet with the plus and minus facts already marked, and let students answer one opposing claim and one alternate claim instead of all four
Let students fill in Diagram 1 as a blank organizer before writing sentences
For Advanced Students
Ask students to write the strongest case for the flashing school-zone signs, then decide whether the model's response is fair and revise it if it is not
Have students explain why the model reports Boston's result as a change in odds and not as a promise that drivers obey, and find the sentence where it admits the limit's weakness
Ask students to list the facts they would still need before recommending the change to the town council, such as crash records for Linden Avenue
Assessment Guidance
What to Look For
Check that the claim says exactly what should change, where and when, and that the writer names at least one opposing claim and one alternate claim fairly. Each counterclaim should get a sentence that distinguishes it from the writer's claim, naming what they share and where they differ, followed by a response with evidence. Every fact should come from a credible, named source and match the original exactly; watch for claims borrowed from Source G and for numbers from Source A attached to the wrong speed. Evidence should be followed by reasoning. Relationship words (however, unlike, although, in other words) should show how each counterclaim, reason and piece of evidence connects to the claim. The style should stay formal, with no insults, and the conclusion should restate the claim and show why it still holds after the counterclaims.
02
Classroom Activities
3 Activities
1
Same, Opposing, Alternate or Not a Claim? Card Sort
15 minPairs
Pairs sort eight cards that respond to one claim, Quarry Hill Middle School should run a late bus at 5:00 p.m. for students who stay for clubs and sports, into four piles: the same claim in other words, opposing claims, alternate claims, and statements that are not claims. Then they write sentences that distinguish the original claim from two of the cards. The activity builds standard a: introducing a claim, acknowledging and distinguishing it from other claims, and organizing reasons logically.
The 8 Cards
1. Quarry Hill should not add a late bus, because the district cannot afford another driver.
2. Students who stay after school deserve a bus ride home at 5:00.
3. Instead of a late bus, clubs and practices should end in time for the regular 3:30 buses.
4. The regular buses leave the school at 3:30 p.m.
5. Families should arrange their own rides; the school has no reason to add a bus.
6. Rather than running a bus, the school should give students in clubs free passes for the town's public bus.
7. A 5:00 p.m. bus should carry home the students who stay for activities.
8. How many students stay after school on a typical day?
Procedure
Pairs sort the eight cards and write a one-line reason for each placement
Teacher key: cards 2 and 7 restate the claim, cards 1 and 5 are opposing claims, cards 3 and 6 are alternate claims, and cards 4 and 8 are not claims (a fact and a question)
Each pair writes one distinguishing sentence for card 3 and one for card 6, naming what each shares with the claim and where it differs
Pairs decide which counterclaim they would answer first in an essay and explain the order in one sentence
Discussion Questions
Cards 2 and 7 use different words from the claim. Why are they not counterclaims?
Cards 3 and 6 both accept that students need a way home. What exactly makes each one different from the claim?
What would you add to card 8 to turn it into a claim?
2
Source Audit
20 minGroups of 3
Groups test every source in the packet for credibility and accuracy, trace each fact in the model argument back to its source, and use Diagram 2 to read Source A's numbers exactly. The activity builds standard b: logical reasoning, accurate and credible sources, and an understanding of the topic.
Roles
Reader: reads each source aloud
Checker: finds any other source that reports the same fact and compares the words and numbers
Recorder: rates each source credible or weak, and each fact accurate or not accurate, with one reason
Procedure
Groups rate all seven sources, changing roles after each one
Teacher note: Source G makes two claims about real sources; each group should find the source that contradicts each claim. Sources E and F come from invented town officials, who are credible on distances, costs and fire routes
Groups trace five facts in the model (the 36 mph median, the 25 and 10 percent risks, the 29.3 percent, the 115 and 82 seconds, and the 38 students) back to their sources and confirm that each matches
Each group writes one sentence of reasoning that explains what the Boston study can and cannot show about Linden Avenue
Discussion Questions
Source B's writers are paid for by insurance companies. Does that make the study less credible, or more? What would you want to know?
Source A reports impact speed, not the speed a driver was going before braking. Why does that difference matter when a writer uses its numbers?
Source F comes from a fire chief who opposes one plan. Can a writer use it to argue for a different plan? Why?
Modification for Distance Learning
Share a document with one row per source. Each student rates the sources alone for five minutes, then the group meets in a breakout room to agree on one rating per source.
3
Distinguish and Rebuild
20 minPairs
Pairs rebuild the weak draft from Guided Practice into a formal paragraph with a precise claim, one counterclaim that is acknowledged and distinguished, accurate evidence, relationship words and a concluding sentence. The activity builds standards c, d and e, and the distinguishing part of standard a.
Relationship Word Bank
To acknowledge a counterclaim: opponents argue that, some residents would rather, one alternative is
To grant: this objection is partly true, it is fair to say that, admittedly
To distinguish: unlike, where we differ is, my claim is not that ... but that, while both plans
To connect evidence to a reason: according to, in other words, this shows that, so
To respond: however, even so, although
To conclude: for these reasons, in the end, taken together
Procedure
Replace the first sentence with a precise claim: what speed, on which stretch of road, at what hours
Replace the claim about Boston and the claim about AAA with accurate facts from Sources A and B, naming each source
Pick one of the other plans the draft lists (speed humps or flashing signs) and write two sentences that acknowledge it and distinguish the claim from it
Replace the insult about people who worry about time with a formal sentence that grants their point and answers it with Source E
Add a concluding sentence that restates the claim and shows why it still holds
Trade with another pair, who underline every relationship word and label what it connects (claim to counterclaim, reason to evidence, and so on)
Council Letter Variation
Pairs turn their paragraph into a short letter to the Quarry Hill town council. They add a greeting and a closing, keep the formal style, and place the distinguishing sentence where a council member who favors speed humps would read it first.
03
Diagrams & Visual Aids
2 diagrams
Diagram 1: Claim Map of the Model Argument
The claim sits at the top, with its two reasons and their sources below it. The bottom row holds the four counterclaims: two opposing claims on the left and two alternate claims on the right. Each blue word is the relationship word that opens or turns the writer's response to that counterclaim, and the gray lines name the evidence the response uses. Grade 7 writers acknowledge the bottom row; grade 8 writers also say exactly how the top box differs from each one.
Diagram 2: Risk of Death by Impact Speed (Source A)
The five bars are the five impact speeds reported in the 2011 AAA Foundation report summarized in Source A, drawn to scale. The report gives these five points only, so an accurate writer reports each risk with the speed the report pairs it with.
04
Homework Assignment
~30 min
W.8.1 Homework: Should the Eighth-Grade Trip Change?
Directions: Use the homework source set in the Closure section of the lesson plan. You will write an argument of 5-6 paragraphs, one step at a time, on this question: Should Quarry Hill Middle School replace its one-day trip to Wave City with a two-day trip to Camp Tamarack? You may argue yes, no, or a different plan. Whatever you decide, you must distinguish your claim from at least one opposing claim and one alternate claim. Name each source in your sentence, check every number against its source, and keep a formal style.
Part 1: Check the Sources and Plan (Problems 1-2)
Rate each of the seven sources as credible or weak, and each of its facts as accurate or not accurate, with one reason for each rating. For Source 7, explain what kind of evidence a writer would need to support or answer its claim about safety.
Write a precise claim in one sentence. Then write the strongest opposing claim and one alternate claim (for example, a one-day trip to a nature center, or letting each family choose either trip). For each, write one sentence that distinguishes your claim from it by naming what the two share and where they differ.
Part 2: Introduction and Reasons (Problems 3-4)
Write your introduction: two or three sentences of background with one fact from a named source, your claim, a sentence that says what your claim does not call for, and a preview of your reasons.
Write one body paragraph for each of two reasons, in an order you can explain. Each paragraph gives the reason, at least one accurate fact from a credible, named source, and a sentence of reasoning that explains what the fact shows. If you use a number you calculated, such as a cost per student, show the calculation in the margin.
Part 3: Counterclaims, Relationships and Conclusion (Problems 5-6)
Write a counterclaim paragraph that answers the opposing claim and the alternate claim from Problem 2. For each one, acknowledge it fairly, grant what is true, distinguish your claim from it, and respond with evidence. Underline every relationship word and label what it connects: claim to counterclaim, reason to evidence, or counterclaim to evidence.
Write a concluding paragraph that restates your claim and shows why it still holds after the counterclaims, without adding a new reason. Then reread the whole argument for formal style, and list two changes you made.
Rubric
Criterion
Full Credit (2 pts)
Partial Credit (1 pt)
No Credit (0 pts)
Claim, Counterclaims and Organization
Precise claim; an opposing and an alternate claim acknowledged fairly and clearly distinguished; reasons in a logical order
Counterclaims acknowledged but not distinguished, or only one answered
No claim, or no counterclaim
Reasoning, Evidence and Sources
Each reason supported by an accurate fact from a credible, named source, followed by reasoning
Evidence present but unexplained, or one fact inaccurate or from a weak source
No evidence
Relationships, Cohesion and Style
Relationship words show how claim, counterclaims, reasons and evidence connect; formal and respectful throughout
Some links unclear, or some informal words
No relationship words; informal or insulting
Conclusion
Restates the claim and shows why it holds after the counterclaims
Repeats the claim only, or adds a new reason
No conclusion
05
Quiz: 20 Questions
Interactive, with answers
Instructions
The questions use the source packet, the model argument and the weak draft in the lesson plan, and questions 14, 17, 18 and 19 use the homework source set in the Closure section. Your score updates as you answer, and Reset quiz clears everything so you or your students can try again.
Multiple choice: pick an option to check it. Short answer: write your answer, then reveal the model answer.
0 of 20 answered · 0 correct
Question 1 of 20 · Multiple Choice
Which sentence from paragraph 1 of the model argument distinguishes the writer's claim from other plans?
Answer: C
C tells readers what the claim is not (speed humps or more tickets), which separates it from other plans before they come up. B acknowledges that others disagree, but it does not say how the claim differs from their views; that is the grade 7 move, not the grade 8 one. A is evidence from Source D. D previews the reasons.
Question 2 of 20 · Multiple Choice
Read this paragraph from a student's argument: The Quarry Hill library closes at 6:00 p.m. on weekdays. Many students finish sports practice at 5:30 p.m. The library should stay open until 8:00 p.m. on school nights. Longer hours would give students a quiet place to study and a place to use computers. Which sentence states the writer's claim?
Answer: A
A says what should change and when, and a reader could argue against it, so it is the claim. B and C are background facts that no one would argue with. D is a reason: it answers why the library should stay open later, while the claim says what should happen.
Question 3 of 20 · Multiple Choice
Which response to the claim Quarry Hill should lower the limit on Linden Avenue to 25 mph is an alternate claim rather than an opposing claim?
Answer: D
D accepts the problem, students crossing a fast road, and offers a different fix, so it is an alternate claim. A, B and C all argue that the limit should not change, each for a different reason, which makes them opposing claims.
Question 4 of 20 · Multiple Choice
In paragraph 4, how does the writer answer the objection that drivers will ignore a new sign?
Answer: B
The writer grants the point ("This objection is partly true") and uses the 2.9 percent figure to admit that many drivers still went over the limit. Then the writer distinguishes the claim: "the claim here is not that every driver will obey." A misreads the 2.9 percent, which shows that many drivers did not obey. C contradicts paragraph 1, which says the claim does not call for more tickets. D is wrong: the objection is answered before paragraph 5 begins.
Question 5 of 20 · Multiple Choice
Why should a writer not use Source G's statement that when Boston lowered its limit, "speeds didn't change at all"?
Answer: B
Source B summarizes the actual study, which found that the odds of going faster than 35 mph fell by 29.3 percent, so Source G is not accurate. A invents a length rule; the problem is the false fact. C is wrong twice: the statement is not accurate, and the issue is the fact, not the website. D confuses disagreeing with being inaccurate; a writer answers accurate opposing evidence instead of hiding it.
Question 6 of 20 · Multiple Choice
A classmate writes, According to AAA, a pedestrian hit by a car going 35 mph has a 25 percent risk of death. What is wrong with this sentence?
Answer: D
Source A reports about 25 percent at an impact speed of 32 mph and lists no figure for 35, so the sentence changes a number and is not accurate. A dismisses a named research group without a reason; Source A was published by its research foundation. B and C misread the source, which reports risk of death for crashes with cars or light trucks.
Question 7 of 20 · Multiple Choice
A writer argues that the Quarry Hill skate park should get lights and stay open until 9:00 p.m. Which sentence best clarifies the relationship between a counterclaim and the evidence that answers it?
Answer: B
Even though marks the noise worry as a counterclaim, and the main clause answers it with a fact about closing time, so the reader sees how the two relate. A places the two sentences side by side with no relationship word. C joins them with and, which adds information but does not show that the fact answers the worry. D lists issues without connecting any of them to evidence.
Question 8 of 20 · Multiple Choice
In paragraph 5, what does That plan refer to?
Answer: C
That plan points back to the sentence before it, about the flashing school-zone signs that drop the limit to 20 mph during arrival and dismissal. Pointing words like this create cohesion. A is the first alternate plan in the paragraph, B is the writer's own plan, and D does not appear in the model.
Question 9 of 20 · Multiple Choice
Choose the relationship word that best fills the blank: The flashing signs would lower the limit to 20 mph at arrival and dismissal. ____, they would do nothing for a student who crosses after a 4:30 club meeting.
Answer: A
The second sentence names a limit of the plan in the first, so however shows the contrast. Therefore would mean the first fact causes the second. For instance would make the second sentence an example of the first. Similarly signals a matching idea, not a contrast.
Question 10 of 20 · Multiple Choice
Why does the writer compare the $38,000 cost of the flashing signs with $2,400 for six new signs?
Answer: D
The writer grants that the flashing signs protect students more during 90 minutes, then distinguishes the claim by cost and by hours. A is wrong: the writer argues for a $2,400 change. B contradicts the paragraph, which says that plan offers more protection during arrival and dismissal. C reverses the numbers: the writer's plan costs less.
Question 11 of 20 · Multiple Choice
Which sentence answers supporters of speed humps in a formal style?
Answer: B
B states the other plan's strength and its cost in respectful, precise words. A insults the people who disagree. C uses slang and a sarcastic question. D speaks to the reader as you and ends with an exclamation point.
Question 12 of 20 · Multiple Choice
Which concluding statement best follows from and supports the model argument?
Answer: A
A restates the claim and gathers both reasons, so it follows from and supports the argument. C adds a new topic. B repeats one fact and leaves out the claim and the reasons. D repeats background about a source.
Question 13 of 20 · Multiple Choice
The writer presents the Boston study (paragraph 3) before answering the objection that drivers will ignore a new sign (paragraph 4). Why is this order logical?
Answer: D
The response to the objection depends on the Boston numbers, so presenting them first as a reason lets the writer answer the objection quickly. A invents a rule: a counterclaim can come earlier. B is not a reason about order. C describes hiding the other side, which is the opposite of acknowledging it.
Question 14 of 20 · Multiple Choice
Use the homework source set. A writer needs evidence for this reason: More eighth graders want to keep the Wave City trip than want to switch. Which source gives the most accurate, credible support?
Answer: C
The student council asked the eighth graders themselves and reports the counts (paragraph 3): 126 chose Wave City and 63 chose Camp Tamarack. A is credible, but it is about money, not what students want, so it is not relevant. B comes from a company that sells trips and says nothing about student choices. D is an anonymous opinion about safety.
Question 15 of 20 · Short Answer
Claim: Quarry Hill Middle School should replace its printed yearbook with a free digital yearbook. Alternate claim: The school should offer both, and families who want a printed copy should pay for it. Write two or three sentences that acknowledge the alternate claim, say what it shares with the claim, and distinguish the claim from it. Keep a formal style.
Model answer: "Some families would rather keep a printed yearbook for those who pay for one, while offering a free digital yearbook to everyone else. That plan and mine share the same goal: every student should get a yearbook. Where they differ is the printing. My claim is that the school should stop printing altogether, so that no student is left with a lesser version because of cost." Rubric line: 2 points for a fair acknowledgment, a named shared goal, and a clear difference in formal style; 1 point if the claim is acknowledged but the difference is vague; 0 if the alternate claim is dismissed or insulted.
Question 16 of 20 · Short Answer
Source G says, AAA says getting hit at 25 is just as deadly as getting hit at 35. Using Source A, explain in two or three sentences whether this statement is accurate.
Model answer: The statement is not accurate. Source A reports that the risk of death is about 10 percent at an impact speed of 23 mph but about 25 percent at 32 mph, so the risk rises steeply between those speeds instead of staying the same. Source A lists no figure for exactly 25 or 35 mph, so a careful writer reports the numbers it does give. Rubric line: 2 points for concluding that the statement is not accurate and citing both of Source A's numbers correctly; 1 point for the right conclusion with one number wrong or missing.
Question 17 of 20 · Short Answer
Use the homework source set. Explain in two or three sentences why a writer should not use Source 6's claim that kids who go to science camp score 40 percent higher on science tests.
Model answer: Source 6 is a flyer from a company that sells trip packages, so it gains when schools book camps. It names no study, no test and no group of students, so a reader cannot check whether the 40 percent is accurate, and "every top school does it" gives no evidence at all. A writer who wants to argue that the camp teaches science should use Source 2's list of lessons instead. Rubric line: 2 points for naming the seller's interest and the missing, uncheckable evidence; 1 point for one of the two.
Question 18 of 20 · Short Answer
Use the homework source set. Join these two sentences into one sentence that shows how the counterclaim and the evidence relate, and name the relationship: Some families say Camp Tamarack costs too much. The PTA can give $3,000 toward the trip.
Model answer: "Although some families say Camp Tamarack costs too much, the PTA's $3,000 gift would lower the price by about $14 for each of the 210 eighth graders." Although marks the counterclaim, and the main clause answers it with evidence: a relationship of contrast, or concession. (A writer on the other side might add that the gift would lower the Wave City price by the same amount, so the gap between the trips stays $55.) Rubric line: 2 points for a correct sentence with a fitting relationship word and a correct label; 1 point if the sentence works but the label is missing or wrong.
Question 19 of 20 · Short Answer
Use the homework source set. Write two or three sentences that support this reason: Cost already keeps some eighth graders home, so a more expensive trip could keep out more. Use facts from two credible, named sources and add a sentence of reasoning.
Model answer: "According to counselor Anand Iyer, 17 eighth graders missed last year's trip, and the families of 11 of them said the $85 cost was the reason. Camp Tamarack would cost $140 per student, $55 more, according to camp director Owen Kessler. If $85 was already too much for 11 families, a higher price is likely to keep even more students home." Rubric line: 2 points for accurate facts from Sources 4 and 2 (or 1), each named, plus reasoning; 1 point if the reasoning is missing or one fact is inaccurate; 0 for facts from Source 6 or 7.
Question 20 of 20 · Short Answer
Here is the plan of a short argument. Claim: Quarry Hill should add a crossing guard at the Linden Avenue crosswalk from 3:30 to 5:00 p.m. Reason: students who stay for clubs cross Linden Avenue after 3:30, when school-zone hours end. Counterclaim answered: a guard costs money every year, but less than a new traffic light. Write a concluding statement of one or two sentences that follows from and supports this argument.
Model answer: "For these reasons, Quarry Hill should station a crossing guard at Linden Avenue from 3:30 to 5:00 p.m. A guard costs money every year, but it protects the students who cross after the school-zone hours end, and it costs less than a new traffic light." Rubric line: 2 points for restating the claim and showing why it holds after the counterclaim, with no new reason; 1 point for restating the claim only; 0 for a new topic.
0 of 20 answered · 0 correct
06
Frequently Asked Questions
10 Questions
What does W.8.1 mean?
W.8.1 means that eighth graders can write an argument that supports a claim with logical reasoning and relevant evidence, and that shows how the claim differs from the claims of people who disagree.
Its five parts ask students to introduce the claim, acknowledge and distinguish it from alternate or opposing claims, and organize reasons logically (a); support it with logical reasoning and evidence from accurate, credible sources that shows an understanding of the topic (b); use words, phrases and clauses that create cohesion and clarify how claims, counterclaims, reasons and evidence relate (c); keep a formal style (d); and end with a conclusion that follows from and supports the argument (e).
How is W.8.1 different from W.7.1?
Grade 8 adds distinguish to part a and counterclaims to part c.
A seventh grader must acknowledge alternate or opposing claims. An eighth grader must also show how the claim differs from them, and must use words and clauses that make clear how the counterclaims relate to the claim, the reasons and the evidence. In high school (W.9-10.1), students develop claims and counterclaims fairly and point out the strengths and limitations of both.
What does it mean to distinguish a claim from an opposing claim?
It means telling readers exactly where your claim and the other claim part ways, and often what they share.
For example: "Supporters of speed humps agree that the road is too fast; where we differ is the fix." A writer can also say what the claim is not: "This is a plan to keep the skate park open later, not to build a new park." Both moves keep readers from confusing the writer's position with a nearby one.
What is the difference between an opposing claim and an alternate claim?
An opposing claim says the change should not happen; an alternate claim offers a different way to solve the same problem.
If the claim is "lower the limit to 25 mph," then "keep it at 35" is opposing, and "add speed humps instead" is alternate. Alternate claims often come from people who agree there is a problem, which is why distinguishing the claim from them matters so much: without it, readers may not see why the writer's fix is better.
Does W.8.1 require a rebuttal of every counterclaim?
No; the standard asks writers to acknowledge and distinguish their claim from other claims, not to defeat every one.
Still, an argument is stronger when the writer grants what is true in an objection and then responds with evidence. The model argument on this page does that, and it also admits a real weakness of its own plan (many Boston drivers still went over the new limit), which makes it more believable.
What words help clarify relationships among claims, counterclaims, reasons and evidence?
Words and clauses that name how two ideas connect, such as although, even though, while, unlike, however, in other words and according to.
"Although some drivers worry about lost time" marks a counterclaim; "according to the town engineer" introduces evidence; "unlike speed humps" separates the writer's claim from an alternate one. Part c asks students to choose the word that fits the relationship, not only to add transitions.
What makes a source accurate and credible for a grade 8 argument?
A credible source comes from a writer readers can trust on that subject; an accurate fact matches the original exactly.
The two can come apart. An anonymous post can misreport a real study, and a careful writer can still attach a number to the wrong speed. Eighth graders should trace each fact to the original, copy numbers exactly, and ask who paid for or benefits from a source.
How long should a W.8.1 argument be?
The standard sets no length; many grade 8 classes write arguments of five or six paragraphs.
A common plan has an introduction with the claim, two or three body paragraphs of reasons, one or two paragraphs that answer counterclaims, and a conclusion. Shorter pieces, such as a single counterclaim paragraph, are useful for practicing the grade 8 moves.
How is W.8.1 usually assessed?
W.8.1 is usually assessed with a written argument scored on a rubric for claim, counterclaims, evidence, organization, language and conventions.
Many state tests give eighth graders a short set of sources and ask for an argument that uses them and addresses other points of view. Check your state's released practice tasks and scoring guides for the exact format.
How can parents help with W.8.1 argument writing at home?
When your child argues for something, ask, "How is your idea different from mine?"
Then ask two follow-up questions from this lesson: "What do our ideas have in common?" and "What fact supports your side?" When a news story cites a study, look up the original together and check whether the numbers match.
07
Related Standards
5 standards
These standards connect to W.8.1: prerequisites to review first, parallel standards at the same level, and next steps that build on it.
Before this lesson
W.7.1Prerequisite
Write arguments that acknowledge alternate or opposing claims, with credible evidence
