Page 26 - SpringBoard_ELA_CA_Smapler_Flipbook

13. Collaboratively write the claim for your editorial.
Claims Are Debatable
A claim must be something that people could reasonably have differing opinions on. If your claim is something that is generally agreed upon or accepted as fact, then there is no reason to try to convince people.
Example of a non debatable claim: Air pollution is bad for the environment. This claim is not debatable. First, the word pollution means that something is bad or negative in some way. Further, all studies agree that air pollution is a problem; they simply disagree on the impact it will have or the scope of the problem. No one could reasonably argue that air pollution is good.
Example of a debatable claim: At least twenty-five percent of the federal budget should be spent on limiting air pollution. This claim is debatable because reasonable people could disagree with it. Some people might think that this is how we should spend the nation’s money. Others might feel that this amount is too much to spend to limit air pollution. Still others could argue that corporations, not the government, should be paying to limit air pollution.
14. Does your claim clearly state your topic and opinion? Is your claim debatable? Share your claim with the class. Practice speaking loud enough to be heard.
my Notes
aCTIvITy 3.3
continued
acTIVITY 3.3 continued
m Once students have written a claim, conduct a shared reading of the section on debatable and non- debatable claims. Direct students to revisit their claim and revise it if it was not initially debatable. Act as the moderator to allow students to share their claims with the class. Alternate the sharing between claims that are “for” and “against,” and continue to evaluate the claims as a class.
n Use this opportunity to stress to students that for the EA they need to select or be assigned a topic/controversy that affects their school, their community, or society. The controversies around both the peanut and the penny would be appropriate topics for the EA.
M 9781457304620_TCB_LA_SE_L6_U3_P4.indd 171
Unit 3 • Changing Perspectives 171 13/04/15
4:33 PM
aSSeSS
Make sure students are engaging with the text by marking according to the directions. Assess students’ ability to write a claim by checking their claims for the text about
the penny. Check that students understand that a topic for an argument must be debatable.
aDaPT
Support students’ understanding of claims by finding more examples of claims from editorials or letters to the editor. School newspapers would be a great source for this. Consider having students bring an editorial to class as homework.
Unit 3 • Changing Perspectives 171
© 2017 College Board. All rights reserved.
© 2017 College Board. All rights reserved.