Argument Writing & Research

Name:

Date:

Student writing an argument with research books

📚 Part 1: Identifying Opinions vs. Evidence

1. Circle the signal words that help you identify an opinion statement:

I think

The data shows

In my opinion

According to research

I believe

2. Read each statement. Circle O for Opinion or E for Evidence:

a) "Students should have longer recess because it helps them focus." O / E

b) "A study found that 85% of schools with longer recess have higher test scores." O / E

c) "I think homework is too stressful for middle school students." O / E

d) "The school assigns an average of 2 hours of homework per night." O / E

3. Which type of information counts as evidence? Check all that apply:

Facts and statistics

Personal feelings

Expert quotes

Research data

What your friend thinks

✏️ Part 2: Matching Claims with Evidence

4. Read the claim below, then choose the BEST evidence to support it:

Claim: "School uniforms improve student behavior."

I think uniforms look nice on students.

Schools with uniforms report 40% fewer disciplinary problems.

My parents like when I wear uniforms.

Uniforms are expensive to buy.

5. Complete this sentence frame using the evidence you chose above:

This evidence supports the claim because ________________________________

_________________________________________________________________

6. Write your own claim about a school topic:

I think ____________________________________________________________

because ___________________________________________________________

7. What type of evidence would you need to find to support your claim? List 2 examples:

🔍 Part 3: Evaluating Sources

8. Which sources would be most credible for researching school topics? Rank them 1-4 (1 = most credible):

____ A blog post by a random person online

____ A research study by education experts

____ An article from a school district website

____ Your friend's social media post

9. You want to argue that "Students learn better with technology in classrooms." What would be the BEST type of evidence to find?

A story about one student who likes computers

Test scores comparing tech vs. non-tech classrooms

An advertisement for new tablets

A teacher's personal opinion

10. Write one question you should ask to check if a source is reliable:

Argument Writing & Research

Argument Writing & Research

📚 Part 1: Identifying Opinions vs. Evidence

✏️ Part 2: Matching Claims with Evidence

🔍 Part 3: Evaluating Sources

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