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6th grade · English Language Arts · Unit 3 of 12

Make Your Case

Claims, evidence and counterarguments

What your child practices

Building an argument: stating a claim, choosing the strongest evidence, recognizing counterarguments and rebuttals, spotting persuasive techniques and ordering a persuasive paragraph.

Maine Learning Results learning standard: Writing 3; Reading 10 · claims, evidence and counterarguments

How we explain it

Children can open this short lesson before they practice.

  1. A claim is the position you argue for. Back it with strong, specific evidence.
  2. A counterargument is the other side. A rebuttal answers it.
  3. Persuasive techniques include rhetorical questions (asked for effect, not an answer) and strong emotional words.

Example: “Don’t we all want a safer playground?” Which persuasive technique is this? The writer doesn’t expect a real answer. A question asked for effect is a rhetorical question. Answer: Rhetorical question

Make Your Case in Maine

In the Maine Learning Results, this is unit 3 of 12 in 6th grade English Language Arts, after Connotation & Tone and before Agreement.

Gradelings describes a child's practice on this unit as Beginning, Approaching, Meeting or Exceeding (Four practice steps). That reflects practice, not a report-card mark: the teacher decides the mark.

Source: Maine Department of Education

Sample questions

A taste of this unit. In the app, questions change every time and get easier or harder to match your child.

  1. Question 1

    Which evidence best supports this claim?

    Claim

    Our school should install water bottle refill stations.

    • Water is made of hydrogen and oxygen.
    • Plastic bottles come in many sizes.
    • Some students prefer juice.
    • One refill station can keep thousands of plastic bottles out of the garbage each year.

  2. Question 2

    Which is the STRONGEST evidence for this claim?

    Claim

    Our town should keep the public pool open in the evenings.

    • A count on three weekdays showed about 90 swimmers arrived after 6:00.
    • Water feels cool.
    • Everybody loves pools.
    • Pools have lanes.

  3. Question 3

    Put this persuasive paragraph in a logical order.

    • For example, right now 30 bikes are locked to the fence because the racks are full.
    • To begin with, more racks mean more students can bike to school.
    • In conclusion, new bike racks would help students and keep our walkways clear.
    • In addition, bikes locked to a fence can block the walkway.
    • Our school should add more bike racks.

  4. Question 4

    Who is the best audience for a speech asking the school to start a recycling program?

    • people in another country
    • the principal and the student council, who can approve it
    • a hockey team
    • a baby sibling

  5. Question 5

    Which evidence best supports this claim?

    Claim

    Students should learn to cook at school.

    • Some kitchens are very small.
    • My favorite food is pasta.
    • Cooking teaches measuring, planning and food safety, skills people use all their lives.
    • Cooking shows are popular on TV.

  6. Question 6

    Which persuasive technique does this use?

    Join the thousands of students who already use this homework app!

    • Expert opinion
    • Facts and statistics
    • Emotional appeal
    • Bandwagon (everyone's doing it)

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