Application Toolkit

Grade 6

Common Core Opinion/Argumentative Writing Standards

Standard 1 (CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.6.1): Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence.

a. Introduce claim(s) and organize the reasons and evidence clearly. b. Support claim(s) with clear reasons and relevant evidence, using credible sources and demonstrating an understanding of the topic or text. c. Use words, phrases, and clauses to clarify the relationships among claim(s) and reasons. d. Establish and maintain a formal style. e. Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from the argument presented.

Emphasis and Major Shifts

Sixth graders must be able to use a formal writing style (e.g., written in third person, no colloquialisms, no exclamation points, full words, and no contractions or abbreviations). Use words and phrases to clarify the relationship between claims and reasons. Evidence used must be from credible sources.

Possible Learning Activities

Write an Essay: Students will form an opinion about Genghis Khan* (or another famous ruler) and support that opinion with reasons and evidence from their research. They should write an essay with an introductory paragraph, at least three body paragraphs, and a conclusion that follows logically from the argument. Each reason for their opinion will be put in a separate body paragraph and relationships between reasons and supporting evidence will be made clear. Reasons will be ordered from most persuasive to least persuasive. *Students may consult the following readings, from which they can draw evidence and support: Genghis Khan: 13-centruy Mongolian Tyrant by Enid A. Goldberg Genghis Khan by Demi Life in Genghis Khan’s Mongolia by Robert Taylor Who Was Genghis Khan? By Nico Medina, Andrew Thompson, and Nancy Harrison The Life &Times of Genghis Khan by Jim Whiting Students should also be encouraged to search the Internet for other credible sources on Genghis Khan.

Grade 7

Common Core Opinion/Argumentative Writing Standards

Standard 1 (CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.7.1): Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence.

a. Introduce claim(s), acknowledge 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), 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.

Emphasis and Major Shifts

Seventh graders will acknowledge alternate/opposing claims in their persuasive writing. Information included will be checked for accuracy. Students will use words and phrases that make writing cohesive (i.e., relationships between ideas are explained using prepositions and conjunctions).

Possible Learning Activities

Construct an Argument: Adhering to APA format, students construct an argument about a social problem they care about. Students will:

Acknowledge opposing arguments while furthering their point of view. (See “Addressing Counterclaims to Enhance Opinion/Argument Writing” graphic organizer.)

Use transition words and phrases to make their writing more cohesive (e.g., in conclusion, in fact, this illustrates, for example, furthermore, eventually, consequently, as a result, in particular, especially, for instance, similarly, in contrast, just as, in other words).

Locate and mine credible sources for data that supports their claims and students will cross-check this data to ensure that it is accurate.

Use formal tone and logically-organized writing.

Grade 8

Common Core Opinion/Argumentative Writing Standards

Standard 1 (CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.8.1): 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.

Emphasis and Major Shifts

Eighth graders will distinguish their claim from alternate or opposing claims. Students will use words and phrases to clarify relationships between counterclaims claims, reasons, and evidence (e.g., however, nevertheless, despite the fact that, although).

Possible Learning Activities

Give a Speech: Students pick a controversial topic about which they have not yet formed an opinion (ex. legalization of marijuana, assisted suicide, recent political decisions). Students will:

Locate multiple credible sources that examine each side of the topic and form an opinion based on these sources.

Craft a speech to support their argument.

Use formal tone and logical organization.

Mention one to two opposing/alternative viewpoints.

Clarify why these viewpoints are distinct from and/or less valid than their own.

Grade Levels

Texts

K-2

Let’s Find Out: Weekly Readers by Scholastic National Geographic Little Kids magazine by National Geographic National Geographic Readers by National Geographic Ranger Rick Jr. magazine by the National Wildlife Federation DK Readers series by DK Publishing Shark Wars series by E. J. Altbacker Scholastic News Nonfiction Readers book sets by Scholastic TIME for Kids news magazine (Grades K-1) TIME for Kids news magazine (Grade 2)

3-4

“If You”—book series by Scholastic Ranger Rick magazine by the National Wildlife Federation The Magic Tree House Research Guides by Mary Pope Osborne and Will Osborne National Geographic Kids magazine by National Geographic Who Was book series by the Penguin Group Scholastic News magazine by Scholastic TIME around the World news magazine (Grades 2-4) TIME for Kids news magazine (Grades 3-4) Should We Have Pets?: A Persuasive Text by Sylvia Lollis and Joyce W. Hogan Should There Be Zoos?: A Persuasive Text by Tony Stead and Judy Ballester

5-6

“You Wouldn’t Want To” —book series by Salariya Book Company DK Eyewitness book series by DK Publishing Who Was book series by the Penguin Group Scope language arts magazine by Scholastic TIME for Kids news magazine (Grades 5-6) TIME around the World news magazine (Grades 5-6) A Wicked History book series by Scholastic Chew on This: Everything You Don’t Want to Know about Fast Food by Eric Schlosser and Charles Wilson Your Food Is Fooling You: How Your Brain Is Hijacked by Sugar, Fat, and Salt by David A KesslerArticles from Fast Food: Introducing Issues with Opposing Viewpoints by Lauri S. Friedman Don’t Eat This Book: Fast Food and the Supersizing of America by Morgan Spurlock Genghis Khan: 13-centruy Mongolian Tyrant by Enid A. Goldberg Genghis Khan by Demi Life in Genghis Khan’s Mongolia by Robert Taylor Who Was Genghis Khan? By Nico Medina, Andrew Thompson, and Nancy Harrison The Life and Times of Genghis Khan by Jim Whiting What Do You Believe? Religion and Faith in the World Today by DK Publishing Religions of the World: The Illustrated Guide to Origins, Beliefs, Traditions, and Festivals by Elizabeth Breuilly, Joanne O’Brien, Martin Palmer, and Martin E. Marty Usborne Encyclopedia of World Religions by Kirsteen Rogers, Susan Meredith, and Clare Hickman World Religions 101: An Overview for Teens by Margaret O. Hyde.

7-8

Scope language arts magazine by Scholastic Junior Scholastic current events magazine by Scholastic Science World current science magazine by Scholastic Choices Books by Scholastic The Omnivore’s Dilemma: Young Readers Edition by Michael Pollan Hitler Youth: Growing up in Hitler’s Shadow by Susan Campbell Bartoletti Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave by Frederick Douglass Letter on Thomas Jefferson by John Adams Chew on This: Everything you Don’t Want to Know about Fast Food by Eric Schlosser and Charles Wilson DK Eyewitness book series by DK Publishing Survivors: True Stories of Children in the Holocaust by Allan Zullo Free At Last: A History of the Civil Rights Movement and Those Who Died in the Struggle by Sara Bullard and Julian Bond Civil Rights in American: How the Movement of the 1960s Created a New Nation by the Editors of Time Magazine The Civil Rights Movement: Martin Luther King Jr. and the 1963 March on Washington by David Aretha The Modern Feminist Movement: Sisters under the Skin, 1961-1979 by Jacqueline Laks Gorman The Women’s Rights Movement: Opposing Viewpoints by Brenda Stalcup Booklets from the Opposing Viewpoints series by Gale (http://solutions.cengage.com/Gale/Catalog/Fact-Sheets/introOppoView.pdf)

9-10

Choices Books by Scholastic Letter from Birmingham Jail by Dr. Martin Luther King Gettysburg Address by Abraham Lincoln The Autobiography of Malcolm X as told to Alex Haley Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal by Eric Schlosser Rachel and Her Children: Homeless Families in America by Johnathan Kozel New York Times Upfront current events magazine by Scholastic A People’s History of the United States by Howard Zinn The World without Us by Alan Weisman Brandwashed: Tricks Companies Use to Manipulate Our Minds and Persuade Us to Buy by Martin Lindstrom Booklets from the Opposing Viewpoints series by Gale (http://solutions.cengage.com/Gale/Catalog/Fact-Sheets/introOppoView.pdf) Note: High school students may also benefit from searching Google Scholar or another academic database for credible articles on a specific topic.

11-12

Choices Books by Scholastic Untangling the Roots of Cancer by Wayt W. Gibbs Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide by Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn Poor Economics: A Radical Rethinking of the Way to Fight Global Poverty by Abhijit Banerjee and Esther Duflo The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness by Michael Alexander and Cornel West America’s Welfare State: From Roosevelt to Reagan by Edward D. Berkowitz A People’s History of the United States by Howard Zinn excerpts from Far from the Tree by Andrew Solomon Note: High school students may also benefit from searching google scholar or another academic database for credible articles on a specific topic.

I. Introduction

A. Attention grabber:

B. Topic background information or an explanation of why the topic matters:

C. Your point of view (POV):

II. First Body Paragraph

A. Explanation of the first reason for your POV:

B. Facts and details that support this reason:

III. Second Body Paragraph

A. Explanation of the second reason for your POV:

B. Facts and details that support this reason:

IV. Third Body Paragraph

A. Explanation of the third reason for your POV:

B. Facts and details that support this reason:

V. Conclusion

A. Summary of key points:

B. Call to action or “if/then” statement that warns the reader to heed your message:

Introduction Paragraph: Introduce the topic in way that grabs the reader’s attention, give background information or explain why it should matter to readers, and end the paragraph by stating your point of view.

First Body Paragraph: Give the first reason for your opinion and include evidence (details or facts that support the claim).

Second Body Paragraph: Give the second reason for your opinion and include evidence (details or facts that support the claim).

Third Body Paragraph: Give the third reason for your opinion and include evidence (details or facts that support the claim).

Conclusion: Summarize what you have said and finish with a call to action or an “if/then” statement that warns the reader to heed your message. (Example: If we don’t stop the school’s uniform policy, then we will be denying our students their right to free expression.)

Your Claim:

The Counterclaim:

Support for Your Claim Support for the Counterclaim

Choose the answer that best describes why you disagree with the counterclaim.

I think that evidence supporting the counterclaim is

a) Invalid.

b) Valid, but not as convincing as the evidence supporting my claim.

c) Both “a” and “b”. Some of the evidence is invalid and some is valid, but just not as convincing as

the evidence in favor of my claim.

Write to deconstruct and address the counterclaim/s so that your argument is better supported.

(Use your own words or the “Acknowledging Counterclaims: Sentence Starters” graphic organizer):

Your Claim:

Student promotion to the next grade should not be determined by standardized test scores.

The Counterclaim:

Student promotion to the next grade should be determined by standardized test scores

Support for Your Claim Support for the Counterclaim

Standardized test results are not always an

accurate reflection of student knowledge or

achievement and do not reflect the work of the

student over the course of a year.

The pressure to perform well on standardized tests

can put undue pressure and stress on young

people, and some students will not do well simply

because they are not good test-takers.

The introduction of high-stakes testing has resulted

in increased high school drop-out rates in some

states.

Standardization ensures that we are holding

students to the same promotional criteria across

the state.

Passing a standardized test indicates that a

student has the requisite knowledge and skills to

be successful in the next grade.

Standardized tests are an important component of

college admissions, so students need to build their

test-taking skills now.

Choose the answer that best describes why you disagree with the counterclaim.

I think that evidence supporting the counterclaim is

d) Invalid.

e) Valid but not as convincing as the evidence supporting my claim.

f) Both “a” and “b”. Some of the evidence is invalid and some is valid, but just not as convincing as

the evidence in favor of my claim.

Write to deconstruct and address the counterclaim/s so that your argument is better supported. (Use your own words or the “Acknowledging Counterclaims: Sentence Starters” graphic organizer):

Although standardized tests ensure students are held accountable to the same standards across the

state, this benefit does not outweigh the fact that pressure to do well on the test can have an extremely

negative effect on the stress levels and well-being of students during testing time. Furthermore, studies

have shown that the introduction of high-stakes testing has increased high school drop-out rates in

several states. Admittedly, students do need to build their test-taking skills in preparation for standardized

college entrance exams. However, students can still get test-taking practice without the scores of these

practice tests determining whether or not they can pass a grade. Student promotion should reflect the

work of the student over the course of an entire year. If the student’s portfolio indicates that he or she is

ready for the next grade, a three-day test should not disprove this. Thus, the argument that students need

practice for standardized college entrance exams does not hold up as a reason their test scores should

be tied to promotion now.

KDS Application Toolkit 1

I. Introduction

A. Attention grabber:

B. Topic background information or an explanation of why the topic matters:

C. Your point of view (POV):

II. First Body Paragraph

A. Explanation of the first reason for your POV:

B. Facts and details that support this reason:

KDS Application Toolkit 2

III. Second Body Paragraph

A. Explanation of the second reason for your POV:

B. Facts and details that support this reason:

IV. Third Body Paragraph

A. Explanation of the third reason for your POV:

B. Facts and details that support this reason:

V. Conclusion

A. Summary of key points:

B. Call to action or “if/then” statement that warns the reader to heed your message:

KDS Application Toolkit 3

Introduction Paragraph: Introduce the topic in a way that grabs the reader’s attention, give background information or explain why it should matter to readers, and end the paragraph by stating your point of view.

First Body Paragraph: Give the first reason for your opinion and include evidence (details or facts that support the claim).

Second Body Paragraph: Give the second reason for your opinion and include evidence (details or facts that support the claim).

Third Body Paragraph: Give the third reason for your opinion and include evidence (details or facts that support the claim).

Conclusion: Summarize what you have said and finish with a call to action or an “if/then” statement that warns the reader to heed your message. (Example: If we don’t stop the school’s uniform policy, then we will be denying our students their right to free expression.)