Aim: How can we identify a counterclaim? Essential Questions:

Why is it important to include a counterclaim when you are stating a position?

A counterclaim is an opposing viewpoint.

We use counterclaims in writing to show the other side of a position and why they are WRONG.

Aim: How can we identify a counterclaim?

How do counterclaims work?

State the counterclaimGive a piece of evidence that supports this counterclaim.

Give a rebuttal (Why is the other viewpoint wrong? Why is your claim correct?)

Aim: How can we identify a counterclaim?

Excerpt from Open Letter to the Board by Ramon P.

You want to prevent school violence, improve student achievement, and help students from low-income families to fit in. All of these things are great goals. But, your solution, school uniforms, isn’t working. Claim

School offi cials believe that uniforms can protect students from gangs and violence. Certain gangs wear certain colors. Schools have uniforms to prevent them from wearing those colors.. But students still sag (pulling their pants down) to show that they are gang-related or bring their colors to school on a bandana. Even if they are required to wear navy blue and white, gang members still find a way to show their colors and violence still occurs. According to Offi cer Woods, the police offi cer in charge of our school, “Horace Mann Middle School has more crimes than Crawford High School.” This means that Crawford, a high school with no uniform policy, has less violence than a middle school that has a strict uniform policy in place. Both of these schools serve the same population. If uniforms aren’t preventing crimes and violence, why have them?

Counterclaim Rebuttal

Aim: How can we identify a counterclaim?

Excerpt from School Uniforms Reduce Problems by Katie B.

Claim - Students enrolled in a public high school should berequired to wear a school uniform

Some people say that uniforms infringe on students’ freedom. However, uniforms would not cause a threat to a student’s individual freedom because there are lots of other things that make you “you” besides clothing. People would be noticed for who they are as individuals rather than for what they were wearing. Because wearing uniforms would reduce many problems and would improve grades and behavior, students enrolled in public high school should be required to wear a school uniform.

Turn and Talk - What is the counterclaim? What is the rebuttal?

Aim: How can we identify a counterclaim?

Counterclaim starters• They say that…• Some believe that…• Others say…• However, many still

believe…• Some still think

that…• Opponents believe

that…• Nonetheless, there

are others who think…

• Some people say that…

• Many disagree, stating that…

Using the articles and your graphic organizer, write a counterclaim paragraph. Make sure to:

- State your counterclaim (using a counterclaim starter)- State one piece of evidence that supports the counterclaim (the weakest evidence)

- State why the counterclaim is wrong (attacking the evidence you presented).

DO NOT write "The counterclaim is wrong because..."

How can we identify a counterclaim?

Exit Slip

Why is it important to include a counterclaim when you are stating a position?

Aim: How can we identify a counterclaim?