Core Skills Workout: Tone-HL
DEBATE: “Are Athletes Overpaid?” pages 24–25
December 2016/January 2017
®
THE LANGUAGE ARTS MAGAZINE
Name: ___________________________________________________ Date: ________________________
What’s the Tone?
Tone is the author’s attitude toward either the subject he or she is writing about or toward the reader.
Words that could describe tone include doubtful, humorous, gleeful, serious, and questioning.
Tone is conveyed through the author’s word choice, the information included, and how the text is organized.
In this activity, you will analyze the tone in the “Are Athletes Overpaid?”
debate, with viewpoints by Jesse Edelman and Mackenzie Carro.
1.
In “You Can’t Put a Price on Talent,” Mackenzie Carro’s tone as she writes about
professional athletes could be described as sympathetic.
Choose one statement below that does NOT support this claim.
AC
arro compares professional athletes to “gladiators charging into the arena,” explaining
that both athletes and gladiators risk injuries that can end their careers or even change
their lives. This description makes Carro sound like she understands the huge risk many
athletes take every time they step into a game.
BC
arro includes the detail that Wesley Walker suffered so much nerve damage that he
can barely open a water bottle. Including this detail shows Carro’s understanding of the
negative side of a famous athlete’s seemingly glamorous life.
CC
arro writes, “No one can do what LeBron James does.” This shows that she feels
sympathy for professional athletes.
©2016 BY SCHOLASTIC INC. TEACHERS MAY PROJECT OR MAKE COPIES OF THIS PAGE TO DISTRIBUTE TO STUDENTS.
PAGE 1 OF 2
Core Skills Workout: Tone-HL
DEBATE: “Are Athletes Overpaid?” pages 24–25
December 2016/January 2017
2.
Consider the essay “Athletes Make a LOT of Money.” Jesse Edelman’s tone as he writes
about professional athletes’ salaries is disapproving. Below is one statement that
supports this claim. Write one more statement that supports this claim.
a. Edelman sounds like he disapproves of professional athletes’ salaries when he
writes, “The President of the United States—who runs the entire country—didn’t
make that much.” Edelman is pointing out the unfairness of athletes making more
money than the President.
b.
3.
Go back to Carro’s essay “You Can’t Put a Price on Talent.” Complete the sentence below
with two words that describe Carro’s tone as she writes about LeBron James.
When describing LeBron James in “You Can’t Put a Price on Talent,” Carro’s tone is
_________________ and _________________.
4.
Write two statements, using text evidence, that support your claim in number 3.
a.
b.
©2016 BY SCHOLASTIC INC. TEACHERS MAY PROJECT OR MAKE COPIES OF THIS PAGE TO DISTRIBUTE TO STUDENTS.
PAGE 2 OF 2
Core Skills Workout: Tone-LL
DEBATE: “Are Athletes Overpaid?” pages 24–25
December 2016/January 2017
®
THE LANGUAGE ARTS MAGAZINE
Name: ___________________________________________________ Date: ________________________
What’s the Tone?
Tone is the author’s attitude toward either the subject he or she is writing about or toward the reader.
Words that could describe tone include doubtful, humorous, gleeful, serious, and questioning.
Authors create tone through word choice, the information they include, and how they organize the text.
In this activity, you will analyze the tone in the “Are Athletes Overpaid?”
debate, with viewpoints by Jesse Edelman and Mackenzie Carro.
1.
In “You Can’t Put a Price on Talent,” Mackenzie Carro’s tone as she writes about
professional athletes could be described as sympathetic, or full of concern for their
struggles.
Choose one statement below that does NOT support this claim.
AC
arro compares professional athletes to “gladiators charging into the arena,” explaining
that both athletes and gladiators risk injuries that can end their careers or even change
their lives. This description makes Carro sound like she understands the huge risk many
athletes take every time they step into a game.
BC
arro includes the detail that Wesley Walker suffered so much nerve damage that he
can barely open a water bottle. Including this detail shows Carro’s understanding of the
negative side of a famous athlete’s seemingly glamorous life.
C Carro writes, “No one can do what LeBron James does.” This shows that she feels
sympathy for professional athletes.
©2016 BY SCHOLASTIC INC. TEACHERS MAY PROJECT OR MAKE COPIES OF THIS PAGE TO DISTRIBUTE TO STUDENTS.
PAGE 1 OF 2
Core Skills Workout: Tone-LL
DEBATE: “Are Athletes Overpaid?” pages 24–25
December 2016/January 2017
2.
Now think about the essay “Athletes Make a LOT of Money” by Jesse Edelman. Edelman’s
tone as he writes about professional athletes’ salaries is disapproving.
Below is one statement that supports this claim. Complete the sentence in (b) to write
one more statement that supports this claim.
a. Edelman sounds like he disapproves of professional athletes’ often high salaries
when he writes, “The President of the United States—who runs the entire country—
didn’t make that much.” Edelman is pointing out the unfairness of athletes making
more money than the president.
b. Edelman asks, “What does it say about our society when we pay athletes—men and
women who play games for a living—millions more than we pay people who save
lives?” The way he compares athletes to firefighters and nurses makes him sound
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
3.
Go back to Carro’s essay “You Can’t Put a Price on Talent.” Carro’s tone as she describes
LeBron James is impressed and admiring. Support this claim by completing the
sentences we started below.
a. Carro describes the way LeBron James slam-dunks as looking “as easy as hopscotch”
and states that LeBron is “a living legend.” Carro sounds _________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
b. Carro writes that LeBron uses his fame and fortune to _________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________.
You can tell Carro thinks LeBron ___________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________.
©2016 BY SCHOLASTIC INC. TEACHERS MAY PROJECT OR MAKE COPIES OF THIS PAGE TO DISTRIBUTE TO STUDENTS.
PAGE 2 OF 2
REFERENCE: Tone
®
THE LANGUAGE ARTS MAGAZINE
Name: ___________________________________________________ Date: __________________
Tone Words
Tone is the author’s attitude toward the subject matter or toward the reader or audience.
There are many different words that you can use to describe an author’s tone. Here are some to inspire you.
POSITIVE TONE WORDS
NEUTRAL
TONE WORDS
NEGATIVE TONE WORDS
admiring
happy
ambiguous
angry
furious
adoring
hopeful
ambivalent
annoyed
gloomy
affectionate
humorous
casual
biting
grave
amused
interested
commanding
bitter
grim
appreciative
jovial
conversational
blunt
harsh
approving
light
detached
cold
haughty
celebratory
lively
direct
conceited
hostile
cheerful
modest
indifferent
condescending
impatient
comforting
nostalgic
introspective
confused
melancholy
comic
optimistic
neutral
curt
mocking
compassionate
passionate
pensive
cynical
mournful
complimentary
playful
questioning
depressed
offended
confident
pleasant
reflective
derogatory
ominous
contented
proud
scholarly
despairing
outraged
earnest
reassuring
serious
desperate
pessimistic
elated
respectful
solemn
disappointed
sarcastic
empathetic
romantic
straightforward
disliking
scornful
encouraging
sentimental
speculative
disrespectful
selfish
excited
silly
uncertain
doubtful
skeptical
facetious
sympathetic
unconcerned
enraged
sly
forthright
tender
fearful
somber
friendly
whimsical
flippant
stern
funny
wistful
forceful
suspicious
gleeful
worshipful
foreboding
uneasy
gushing
zealous
frustrated
worried
©2016 BY SCHOLASTIC INC. TEACHERS MAY PROJECT OR MAKE COPIES OF THIS PAGE TO DISTRIBUTE TO STUDENTS.
Analyzing Arguments
DEBATE: “Are Athletes Overpaid?” pages 24-25
December 2016/ January 2017
®
THE LANGUAGE ARTS MAGAZINE
Name: ___________________________________________________ Date: ________________________
Scavenger Hunt
Directions: Fill in the boxes below to explore how the authors of the letters in “Are Athletes Overpaid?” develop their
arguments. We filled in some information for you.
Jesse Edelman
line(s) that
expresses the
central idea,
or central claim
Mackenzie Carro
“. . . athletes deserve their high salaries.” (p. 25)
two pieces of
evidence that
support the
central idea,
or central claim
“It’s true that the careers of athletes are short,
line(s) that
which means they have a smaller window of time
expresses the
to earn money. But retired athletes can go on to
counterargument
lucrative jobs.” (p. 24)
line(s) that
contains the
rebuttal to the
counterargument
©2016 BY SCHOLASTIC INC. TEACHERS MAY PROJECT OR MAKE COPIES OF THIS PAGE TO DISTRIBUTE TO STUDENTS.
Vocabulary Acquisition
DEBATE: “Are Athletes Overpaid?” pages 24-25
December 2016/January 2017
®
THE LANGUAGE ARTS MAGAZINE
Name: ___________________________________________________ Date: ________________________
Vocabulary:
“Are Athletes Overpaid?”
Listen to the
words and
definitions
aloud at Scope
Online.
1. chronic (KRON-ik) adjective; Chronic means “constant” or “occurring again and again.”
A chronic disease, for example, is a disease that lasts for a long time or a lifetime. A chronic
nailbiter is someone who constantly bites his or her nails and has done so for years. (Chronic is
often used when referring to something negative.)
2. e
xorbitant (ig-ZAWR-bi-tuhnt) adjective; Exorbitant means “going far beyond the limits of
what is normal, fair, or reasonable.” You might spend an exorbitant amount of money on concert
tickets for a band you reeeeeallly want to see, or you might spend an exorbitant amount of time
trying to convince your parents to buy those exorbitant tickets for you.
3. immeasurable (ih-MEZH-er-uh-buhl) adjective; Immeasurable means “so big in size
or amount that it is impossible to measure.” The amount of sand on a beach would be
immeasurable, for example. You could also say a major hurricane caused immeasurable damage,
or that a new puppy has brought immeasurable joy to someone’s life.
4. industry (IN-duh-stree) noun; An industry is a group of businesses and people that
provide a particular kind of product or service. For example, the music industry includes
singers, songwriters, record producers, tour managers, audio engineers, and all of the other
people and companies who work in the field of music. Industry can also mean “hard work and
determination,” as in “Sharon’s boss praised Sharon’s industry.”
5. l ucrative (LOO-kruh-tiv) adjective; Something that is lucrative produces a lot of money.
A lucrative job is a job in which you earn a lot of money. A lucrative decision is one that leads to
receiving or earning a lot of money.
6. p
ublic service (PUHB-lik SUR-vis) noun; Public service is work that is done to help people.
If you work for an organization whose main goal is to help members of the community rather
than to make money, you have a public service job. (This doesn’t mean that people who work in
public service don’t get paid; it means that the organization uses all the money it has left after
paying its employees and covering its other expenses to support its work of helping the public.)
Government jobs—from bus driver and postal carrier to police officer and garbage collector—
are all pubic service jobs. Teachers and librarians also work in public service.
©2016 BY SCHOLASTIC INC. TEACHERS MAY PROJECT OR MAKE COPIES OF THIS PAGE TO DISTRIBUTE TO STUDENTS.
PAGE 1 OF 3
Vocabulary Acquisition
DEBATE: “Are Athletes Overpaid?” pages 24-25
December 2016/January 2017
Directions: In the space below, list any other words from the article whose definitions you are not sure
about. For each word, use context clues to try to figure out the meaning. Then look up the word in a few
different dictionaries. Discuss the meaning of the word with your teacher or another adult. Then write a
definition for the word and one example sentence.
©2016 BY SCHOLASTIC INC. TEACHERS MAY PROJECT OR MAKE COPIES OF THIS PAGE TO DISTRIBUTE TO STUDENTS.
PAGE 2 OF 3
Vocabulary Acquisition
DEBATE: “Are Athletes Overpaid?” pages 24-25
December 2016/January 2017
Vocabulary Practice
“Are Athletes Overpaid?”
Directions: Below are titles and summaries for
imaginary books. Choose the best title for each book.
Briefly explain your choices. (There is one title you will
not use.)
BOOK TITLES
Directions: Fill in the circle next to the best answer to
each question.
4.Tom’s cough lingered for three years, often
keeping him up at night and leaving him feeling
exhausted.
A. Live a Lucrative Life
Which best describes Tom’s cough?
B. Exorbitant!
A lucrative
C. Explore the Immeasurable
B exorbitant
D. Public Service: Tips From an Insider
C immeasurable
D chronic
1. Rebecca Rice tackles big questions from “How big
is the universe?” to “What is the importance of
love?”
5.Which of the following is NOT a job that is about
public service?
Title (A-D): ______ Why I chose this title: _________
A mayor
________________________________________________
B restaurant owner
_______________________________________________
C nurse
D second-grade teacher
2. Millionaire Marty Moore, owner of a successful
soap company, shares insider tips on how to get
filthy rich.
6.John built engines for various companies in the
automobile ___________ for many years.
Title (A-D): ______ Why I chose this title: _________
Which word best fits in the sentence above?
________________________________________________
A lucrative
_______________________________________________
B industry
C exorbitant
3. Business professor Edward Smith discusses why
the cost of movie tickets has gone up so much over
the past 10 years.
D chronic
Title (A-D): ______ Why I chose this title: _________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
©2016 BY SCHOLASTIC INC. TEACHERS MAY PROJECT OR MAKE COPIES OF THIS PAGE TO DISTRIBUTE TO STUDENTS.
PAGE 3 OF 3
Assessment–HL
Debate, pages 24-25
December 2016/January 2017
®
THE LANGUAGE ARTS MAGAZINE
Name: ___________________________________________________ Date: ________________________
“Are Athletes Overpaid?” Quiz
Directions: Read “Are Athletes Overpaid?” Then answer the questions below.
1. Which of the following best expresses the central
claim of Jesse Edelman’s essay “Athletes Make a
LOT of Money”?
AProfessional athletes are paid too much.
BProfessional athletes have easy lives.
CTom Brady makes a large amount of money.
DProfessional athletes deserve their high salaries.
2. Author Mackenzie Carro makes all the following
points in her essay. Which point is NOT
acknowledged by Edelman?
AProfessional athletes train hard.
BProfessional athletes’ careers are short.
CInjuries are a problem for professional athletes.
DThe professional sports industry creates jobs for
many people.
3. Which of the following is an example of a
counterargument in Edelman’s essay?
A“Nurses who dedicate their lives to the care of
others didn’t make that much.”
B“It’s true that the careers of athletes are short,
which means they have a smaller window of
time to earn money.”
“Firefighters
who pull little kids out of burning
C
buildings didn’t make that much.”
“Compare
that with the average income for a
D
family: $54,000.”
4. Consider the counterargument you chose in
Question 3. Which of the following is Edelman’s
rebuttal?
A“The President of the United States—who runs
the entire country—didn’t make that much.”
B“Athletes do deserve to make a decent living.”
C“But retired athletes can go on to lucrative jobs.
Many former pros become coaches, sports
commentators, or public speakers.”
D“Athletes need salaries that will carry them past
the 5 to 15 years they are able to play.”
5. Carro writes, “In fact, many retired athletes have
chronic health problems. . . .” Context clues reveal
that chronic means
Aexpensive.
C temporary.
long-lasting.
B
D life-threatening.
6.The caption on page 25 states, “Many athletes use
their fame and fortune to make the world a better
place.” What could be added to the caption to
strengthen that statement?
Apictures of athletes’ cars
Bthe average amount of time an athlete spends at
the gym each week
Ca list of commercials that feature athletes
Da statistic about how much money athletes
donate to charity
Constructed-Response Questions
Directions: Write your answers to the questions below on the back of this paper or type them up on a computer.
7. Choose one piece of evidence that Jesse Edelman
uses to support his claim that professional athletes
are paid too much. Explain whether that evidence
is weak or strong.
8. Mackenzie Carro writes, “The work of professional
athletes certainly pays off for us.” How well does
she support this statement? How else could she
have supported the statement?
©2016 BY SCHOLASTIC INC. TEACHERS MAY PROJECT OR MAKE COPIES OF THIS PAGE TO DISTRIBUTE TO STUDENTS.
Assessment–LL
Debate, pages 24-25
December 2016/January 2017
®
THE LANGUAGE ARTS MAGAZINE
Name: ___________________________________________________ Date: ________________________
“Are Athletes Overpaid?” Quiz
Directions: Read “Are Athletes Overpaid?” Then answer the questions below.
1. Which of the following best expresses the central
claim of Jesse Edelman’s essay “Athletes Make a
LOT of Money”?
AProfessional athletes are paid too much.
BProfessional athletes have easy lives.
CTom Brady makes a large amount of money.
DProfessional athletes deserve their high salaries.
2. Mackenzie Carro makes all the following points
in her essay. Which point does Edelman NOT
make in his essay as well?
AProfessional athletes train hard.
BProfessional athletes’ careers are short.
CInjuries are a problem for professional athletes.
DThe sports industry creates many jobs.
3. A counterargument tells the point of view of
a person who disagrees with you. Which is a
counterargument in Edelman’s essay?
A“Nurses who dedicate their lives to the care of
others didn’t make that much.”
B“It’s true that the careers of athletes are short,
which means they have a smaller window of
time to earn money.”
“Firefighters
who pull little kids out of burning
C
buildings didn’t make that much.”
“Compare
that with the average income for a
D
family: $54,000.”
4. In a rebuttal, you explain why something your
opponent thinks is wrong. Think about the
counterargument you chose in Question 3. What
is Edelman’s rebuttal?
AThe president doesn’t make that much money.
BProfessional athletes are impressive.
CRetired athletes make good money as coaches
and sports commentators.
Athletes
need salaries that will last them for
D
more than 5 to 15 years.
5. Carro writes, “In fact, many retired athletes have
chronic health problems. . . .” Context clues reveal
that chronic means
Aexpensive.
C small.
Blong-lasting.
D deadly.
6.The caption on page 25 states, “Many athletes use
their fame and fortune to make the world a better
place.” What could be added to the caption to
strengthen that statement?
Apictures of athletes’ cars
Binformation about how much time athletes
spend at the gym
a
C list of commercials that feature athletes
Da statistic about how much money athletes
donate to charity
Constructed-Response Questions
Directions: Write your answers to the questions below on the back of this paper or type them up on a computer.
7. One way Jesse Edelman supports his claim that
athletes are paid too much is by comparing LeBron
James’s salary with the salaries of other people. Is
this evidence weak or strong? Explain.
8. Mackenzie Carro writes, “The work of professional
athletes certainly pays off for us.” What does she
mean? How well does she support this statement?
©2016 BY SCHOLASTIC INC. TEACHERS MAY PROJECT OR MAKE COPIES OF THIS PAGE TO DISTRIBUTE TO STUDENTS.
Argument Writing
DEBATE: “Are Athletes Overpaid?” pages 24-25
December 2016/ January 2017
®
THE LANGUAGE ARTS MAGAZINE
Name: ___________________________________________________ Date: ________________________
Write an Argument Essay
Directions: Read “Are Athletes Overpaid?” Complete the scavenger hunt on page 25.
Then follow the steps below.
STEP 1: DECIDE WHAT YOU THINK
Are athletes overpaid?
Consider what you read in the two essays, as well as your own viewpoints.
Check the box next to the point of view you will argue in your essay,
or write your own opinion in the space provided.
Yes! Athletes are overpaid.
No! Athletes are not overpaid.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
STEP 2: GATHER SUPPORT FOR YOUR OPINION
Which details from the essays support your opinion? What other information supports your opinion?
List at least three supporting details on the lines below.
Here’s an example: If you think athletes are overpaid, one of your supporting details might be
that nurses and firefighters, who save lives, make less money than athletes.
1.___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
2.___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
3.___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
©2016 BY SCHOLASTIC INC. TEACHERS MAY PROJECT OR MAKE COPIES OF THIS PAGE TO DISTRIBUTE TO STUDENTS.
PAGE 1 OF 4
Argument Writing
DEBATE: “Are Athletes Overpaid?” pages 24-25
December 2016/ January 2017
®
THE LANGUAGE ARTS MAGAZINE
STEP 3: ACKNOWLEDGE THE OTHER SIDE
If you think athletes ARE overpaid, summarize the strongest arguments that Jesse Edelman presents in
his essay. If you think athletes are NOT overpaid, summarize the strongest arguments that Mackenzie
Carro presents in her essay.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
STEP 4: CRAFT YOUR THESIS (CENTRAL CLAIM)
The thesis is where you tell readers what your essay is going to be about. The thesis should be a clear,
strong statement of the opinion you gave in Step 1. The rest of your essay will support this thesis.
Your thesis: __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
STEP 5: WRITE YOUR HOOK
The very beginning of your essay is called the hook because it “hooks” your readers’ attention. The hook
should relate to the topic of your essay, but it can take many forms. It can be:
1. An anecdote (a very short story): Describe your relationship to professional sports. Do you watch
them? How important to you are they?
2. A surprising fact: Find a fact that will raise your readers’ eyebrows. Several surprising facts are
included in the article. You can also do some research to find one that is not included in the article.
3. A
rhetorical question (a question to which you don’t expect an answer): Ask your readers a
question that reflects your point of view about the salaries of athletes. Here’s one way you could
structure your question: “Do athletes really deserve ________? ”
4. A quote: Find a thought-provoking quote that relates to the topic of your essay.
Choose one of the ideas above, or use your own idea, and write a hook on the lines provided.
Your hook:
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
©2016 BY SCHOLASTIC INC. TEACHERS MAY PROJECT OR MAKE COPIES OF THIS PAGE TO DISTRIBUTE TO STUDENTS.
PAGE 2 OF 4
Argument Writing
DEBATE: “Are Athletes Overpaid?” pages 24-25
December 2016/ January 2017
®
THE LANGUAGE ARTS MAGAZINE
STEP 6: SUMMARIZE THE ISSUE
Let readers know a little about the issue you will be writing about. This is not your point of view; it’s
a brief summary of the issue. Finish summarizing the issue presented in both letters on the lines below.
Many professional athletes get paid millions of dollars. Some people think that these athletes
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
STEP 7: START WRITING
On the next page, you’ll find guidelines for how to organize your essay.
©2016 BY SCHOLASTIC INC. TEACHERS MAY PROJECT OR MAKE COPIES OF THIS PAGE TO DISTRIBUTE TO STUDENTS.
PAGE 3 OF 4
Argument Writing
DEBATE: “Are Athletes Overpaid?” pages 24-25
December 2016/ January 2017
®
THE LANGUAGE ARTS MAGAZINE
Argument Essay Outline
Directions: Use the outline below to write your essay. You will use what you wrote on the first three pages
of this activity.
1
INTRODUCTION
Open with your hook from Step 5.
Write a transition sentence that relates your hook to the question of whether athletes are overpaid.
(See Scope’s handout “Great Transitions” for some ways to link your ideas.)
Write your summary of the issue from Step 6.
2
BODY PARAGRAPH(S)
Now write your supporting points from Step 2.
For each one, write 1-3 sentences that
provide additional details.
You can put your supporting points and detail sentences
together in one paragraph or you can split them
into several paragraphs. It depends on how much
you want to write about each point.
3
Hint! Order your
supporting poin
ts from
weakest to stro
ngest.
Readers will re
member
details that are
presented last.
ACKNOWLEDGE THE OTHER SIDE
Now it’s time to recognize the other side of the argument.
Use what you wrote in Step 3.
Then explain why you think the opposing point of view is wrong.
4
CONCLUSION
Write 2-3 sentences to remind your readers
of your main points.
Finish with a strong final sentence.
5
Need an idea?
Refer to your ho
ok,
find a quote, or
give
a call to action
.
READ AND REVISE
Use Scope’s “Argument-Essay Checklist” to evaluate and edit what you have written.
©2016 BY SCHOLASTIC INC. TEACHERS MAY PROJECT OR MAKE COPIES OF THIS PAGE TO DISTRIBUTE TO STUDENTS.
PAGE 4 OF 4
®
THE LANGUAGE ARTS MAGAZINE
Name: _______________________________________________________ Date: ______________
Skill: Essay Writing
Argument-Essay Checklist
Introduction
3 Does the first sentence grab readers’ attention?
3 Does the first paragraph provide a general overview of the essay’s topic?
3 Does the first paragraph include a thesis statement that strongly and clearly states your
point of view? Does the thesis clue readers in as to what the essay is going to be about?
Body Paragraphs
3 Do they contain a total of at least three points that support the thesis?
3 Do they provide details to further explain each of the supporting points?
3 Are the supporting points presented in order from weakest to strongest?
3 D o you acknowledge an opposing point of view and then explain why you think it isn’t strong
enough to change your point of view?
Conclusion
3 Does the last paragraph remind readers of the main points of the essay, without going
into too much detail and repeating everything readers just read?
3 Is the conclusion free of new information (such as another supporting point)?
3 Does the last sentence leave readers with a strong final impression?
General
3 Does one idea flow smoothly into the next?
3 Do the sentence structures and lengths vary?
3 Does every sentence relate to the thesis?
3 Does everything make sense?
3 Is the essay convincing?
3 Are the grammar, punctuation, and spelling correct?
Scholastic sCOPE handout
Uses: Copy machine, opaque projector, or transparency master for overhead projector. Scholastic Inc. grants subscribers of Scholastic Scope permission to reproduce this page for use in their classrooms. ©2012 by Scholastic Inc. All rights reserved.
Directions: Use this guide to check your own essay, or exchange papers with a classmate and use
the list to check each other ’s essays. In the margins of the essay you are checking, make notes about
anything that needs to be revised.
®
THE LANGUAGE ARTS MAGAZINE
Name: _______________________________________________________ Date: ______________
Skill: Essay Writing
Transitions are like bridges between your ideas—they help your readers move from one idea to the next.
Here are some transition words and phrases you may wish to use in your essay. Keep in mind that they
can be used at the beginning of a sentence or within a sentence.
If you are adding information or showing similarity between ideas:
• additionally
• besides
• so too
• first of all/secondly/thirdly
• in addition
• also
• likewise
• to begin with
• as well as
• another
• furthermore
• finally
If you are showing that one idea is different from another:
• however
• even though
• in contrast
• on the one hand/on the other hand
• yet
• despite
• still
• some people say/other people say
• but
• although
• in spite of
• regardless
If you are showing that something is an example of what you just stated:
• for example
• to illustrate
• this can be seen
• for instance
• namely
• specifically
If you want to show cause and effect:
• as a result
• consequently
• it follows that • therefore • so
• eventually
If you want to add emphasis:
• in fact
• of course
• truly
• even
Scholastic sCOPE handout
• indeed
Uses: Copy machine, opaque projector, or transparency master for overhead projector. Scholastic Inc. grants subscribers of Scholastic Scope permission to reproduce this page for use in their classrooms. ©2012 by Scholastic Inc. All rights reserved.
Great Transitions