Materials & Prep
- Project the teacher-created evidence set below or provide one copy per pair.
- Prepare one half-sheet exit ticket.
- Usual writing materials.
Evidence set for today’s question, “Should school begin 30 minutes later?” Card A: In a teacher-created survey of 100 ninth graders, 68 reported sleeping fewer than eight hours on school nights. Card B: During a four-week later-start pilot at a comparable high school, first-period tardies fell from 52 to 31 per week. Card C: In a survey of 100 students, 41 said that a later dismissal could interfere with an after-school job, family pickup, or team practice. Card D: In the pilot, the school moved activities 20 minutes later and added a late bus on two days each week.
Opening
Display“Imagine the school is deciding whether to begin 30 minutes later. What is one reason a student might support the change? What is one concern someone else might raise?” Students quickwrite both responses, then compare with a partner.
Ask“If you support a later start, does the concern about jobs and practices disappear just because you repeat that students need sleep?” Take two or three responses. Connect their familiar reasoning to argument writing: a convincing writer anticipates a real objection and answers it, rather than pretending no one could disagree.
Direct instruction
DefineA claim is a specific, arguable position. A counterclaim is a reasonable opposing position. A response explains why the writer’s claim still stands after seriously considering the counterclaim. Evidence is a fact, statistic, example, or quotation that supports the response.
Display
ClaimHigh schools should begin 30 minutes later.
Counterclaim: A later start could create problems for students with jobs, family responsibilities, and activities after school. Weak response: Some people disagree, but school should still start later because students need sleep.
ConfrontAsk students to identify what the weak response actually does with the counterclaim. It names disagreement but neither explains the concern nor uses evidence to address it. Do not let “some people disagree” count as a counterclaim.
Think aloudModel using Cards C and D. “Card C gives the opposing side a real concern: 41 students could face conflicts. I should state that concern precisely, not dismiss it. Card D gives me a way to respond. It does not prove there would be no inconvenience, but it shows a practical adjustment that could reduce the problem.”
Worked example“Although a later start could interfere with some students’ jobs and activities, schools can reduce that conflict by adjusting schedules and providing transportation. In the pilot, activities moved 20 minutes later and a late bus was added twice weekly. Because the school can plan for those conflicts, the benefit of a later start still outweighs the scheduling challenge.”
EmphasizeThe evidence must connect to the counterclaim. A sleep statistic may support the overall claim, but Card D is stronger evidence for answering the scheduling concern.
Check for understandingProject Card B. Ask students to write one sentence explaining whether Card B best supports the claim, the counterclaim, or a response to the counterclaim, and why. Listen for students distinguishing “evidence for my side” from “evidence that answers this specific objection.”
Guided practice
Have studentsIn pairs, use Cards A and B to build a claim paragraph that includes a claim and evidence. Then choose Card C as the counterclaim and Card D as the response evidence.
Post this frame for students who need an entry point
“High schools should/should not because . Some may argue that . However, . According to Card __, . This evidence shows , so .”
CirculatePrompt pairs with, “What would a reasonable person actually worry about?” and “Which card helps answer that exact worry?” Require partners to underline the counterclaim, circle the evidence, and draw an arrow from the evidence to the response explanation.
ShareInvite one pair to read only its counterclaim and response. The class gives a thumbs-up only if the response both acknowledges the concern and explains how the evidence answers it. Revise unclear examples aloud.
ExtensionStudents ready for more challenge qualify their response rather than overclaiming, using language such as “while this would require planning” or “although the change may inconvenience some students.” They explain why the evidence makes the claim stronger despite that limitation.
Independent writing
WriteStudents draft a focused argument paragraph answering the later-start question. Their paragraph must include a clear claim, a specific counterclaim drawn from Card C, a response, and at least two pieces of evidence. One piece must support the claim and one must help answer the counterclaim.
SupportKeep the annotated frame available, but ask students first to complete the blanks with their own ideas before drafting. Confer first with students who tend to repeat their claim. Ask them to point to the exact sentence where an opposing reader’s concern is answered; if they cannot, have them revise that sentence using Card D.
ChallengeStudents add a final sentence that weighs the trade-off without repeating the claim, explaining why their evidence makes one option more reasonable.
Closing
Exit ticketOn the half-sheet, respond to this new issue: “Should English classes assign a choice of independent-reading books rather than one whole-class novel?” Write a claim, a plausible counterclaim, and a two-sentence response using this evidence: “In a class poll of 28 students, 22 said they completed more reading when they selected their own book; six preferred one shared text because class discussion felt easier.”
Look forA claim that takes a position, a counterclaim that gives the opposing reason, and evidence used to answer or weigh that reason. Sort exit tickets into ready, developing, and reteach groups for the next lesson; reteach students will revise a “some people disagree” sentence into a specific counterclaim before drafting again.