Worksheet

A Later Bell: Strengthening an Argument

Evaluate a later-start-time argument, examine evidence and opposing views, and plan a supported argument with a clear conclusion.

Grade 7ELAInteractive · Printable

Aligned toW.7.1

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Single worksheet
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1 Common Core standard
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13 questions
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Details

Format: Interactive · Printable
Grade: Grade 7
Subject: ELA
Question types: Multiple choice, Circle the answer, Short answer

About this worksheet

What students practice

Students evaluate whether reasons and evidence adequately support an argumentative claim.
Students acknowledge opposing views and develop logical, evidence-based responses.
Students plan a cohesive argument with a formal style and a conclusion that follows from its reasoning.

How to use

Have students read the essay and evaluate its reasoning independently. Discuss the limits of the evidence before students complete the two argument-planning tasks.

Curriculum

Common Core standard covered

W.7.1

Write arguments that back up a claim, acknowledging other views, with logical reasoning and relevant evidence.

Preview

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Name Date

A Later Bell: Strengthening an Argument

Evaluate and revise a student essay about school start times.

Read the Student Essay

The school and local records below are fictional. Treat the details as the available evidence, not as findings about all schools.

Make Room for a Later Morning

1At Westfield Middle School, the first bell rings at 8:00 a.m. Students arrive carrying instruments, unfinished conversations, and sometimes heavy eyelids. I propose moving the opening bell to 8:40 for a six-week trial next fall. The school should judge the trial using classroom observations and transportation records, rather than deciding that the current schedule is best simply because it is familiar.

2During adolescence, sleep patterns often shift toward later sleeping and waking times. Young people still need adequate sleep, even when their bodies are not ready for an early bedtime. A later opening bell could give students more opportunity to rest before school. It would not guarantee that students sleep longer, because evening habits would still matter.

3Our student council collected anonymous responses from 60 seventh graders. Of those respondents, 38 reported difficulty staying alert during first period at least three mornings that week. The questionnaire did not ask about bedtimes, and students chose whether to participate. These limits mean the responses cannot show why students felt tired or represent every student, but they identify a concern worth examining.

4Changing the first bell would affect more than mornings. If class time stays the same, dismissal would move from 3:00 to 3:40. The activities coordinator notes that some away-game buses currently leave at 3:20. Players could miss part of their final class unless those departures changed. Families with fixed pickup arrangements could also face difficulties. These are planning problems, not signs that families or coaches care less about learning.

5Before approving the trial, administrators should check whether game departures, bus routes, and pickup arrangements can be adjusted. They should publish the plan early enough for families to respond. During the trial, teachers could record signs of alertness using the same checklist before and after the change. The transportation office could track late arrivals. Neither record alone would settle the question, but together they would offer more useful information than guesses.

6A later bell deserves a careful test, not an automatic promise of better grades. If workable transportation arrangements cannot be made, the trial should wait. If they can, Westfield should compare the benefits and disruptions before choosing its long-term schedule.

Evaluate the Argument

Choose one answer for each multiple-choice question. For the evidence question, underline one complete sentence.

Which reason for investigating a later start is directly supported by the student council's questionnaire?

A. Students across the school prefer a change in dismissal time.
B. A later opening bell would improve respondents' academic grades.
C. Students' evening routines are the main cause of morning tiredness.
D. Morning alertness is a concern among many of the respondents.

Underline the sentence from paragraph 3 that reports how common difficulty staying alert was among the respondents.

Our student council collected anonymous responses from 60 seventh graders.Of those respondents, 38 reported difficulty staying alert during first period at least three mornings that week.The questionnaire did not ask about bedtimes, and students chose whether to participate.These limits mean the responses cannot show why students felt tired or represent every student, but they identify a concern worth examining.

Why is it useful for the writer to explain the questionnaire's limits in paragraph 3?

A. It shows that participation matters more than the questions students answer.
B. It keeps a local observation from being presented as proof of a cause.
C. It makes the questionnaire sufficient for choosing a permanent schedule.
D. It establishes that anonymous responses are more accurate than records.

The writer wants to verify and strengthen the general explanation about adolescent sleep in paragraph 2. Which source would be most useful?

A. A medical organization's article explaining adolescent sleep research
B. A student advertisement promoting a more comfortable bedroom
C. A school calendar listing the opening bells at neighboring schools
D. An unsigned comment describing one student's favorite weekend routine

An editor suggests adding this sentence: “Because 38 respondents reported tiredness, moving the bell will raise test scores.” What is the main reasoning problem?

A. It treats a concern about first period as a concern about transportation.
B. It places a proposed school action before the evidence explaining it.
C. It predicts an academic result that the questionnaire did not measure.
D. It gives students' reported experiences less weight than bus records.

Which revision of the opposing view would make paragraph 4 less fair and weaken the argument?

A. Some players may lose class time if away-game departures remain unchanged.
B. Some families may have pickup arrangements that are difficult to change.
C. Opponents are attached to familiar routines and unwilling to solve problems.
D. Coaches may need to coordinate departure times with other schools.

Which unresolved question would administrators need to answer before the writer's response to transportation concerns becomes convincing?

A. Can the needed schedule adjustments actually be arranged for the trial?
B. Have teachers used checklists for subjects other than morning alertness?
C. Did the questionnaire include a question about students' favorite classes?
D. Would students prefer a different name for the six-week trial?

Revise and Plan

Consider how organization, precise language, and a fair response strengthen an argument. Then plan your own position using the available evidence.

Why does placing paragraph 4 immediately before paragraph 5 help organize the essay?

A. It replaces the sleep explanation with a different claim about athletics.
B. It presents practical objections before describing steps to address them.
C. It separates the questionnaire results from the reasons for collecting them.
D. It introduces a permanent schedule before discussing the temporary change.

Which sentence could introduce paragraph 5 while making the relationship between the opposing view and the proposed response explicit?

A. Because these scheduling concerns are real, the trial needs advance planning.
B. In contrast to sleep patterns, transportation records describe school attendance.
C. As a result of the proposed trial, these scheduling concerns have been resolved.
D. For example, the questionnaire gives a complete explanation of these difficulties.

10.

A draft sentence reads, “An 8:00 bell is ridiculous, and the people defending it need to get real.” Which revision maintains a formal style while preserving a clear position?

A. The people defending the bell should recognize that their position makes little sense.
B. The current bell is obviously unreasonable, as any sensible student would agree.
C. There are different opinions about the bell, so taking a position seems unhelpful.
D. The current bell deserves reconsideration, although changing it requires careful planning.

11.

Which sentence would weaken the existing conclusion by introducing a new, unsupported reason?

A. A permanent decision should wait until the school has examined the trial records.
B. The change would also lower the school's electricity bill throughout the year.
C. A temporary change would allow the school to examine benefits alongside disruptions.
D. The decision should account for classroom observations and transportation difficulties.

12.

Argument plan—claim, reasons, and evidence: Should Westfield pursue the proposed later-start trial? Write 4–6 sentences stating a precise claim and two distinct reasons. Support each reason with a specific detail from the essay and explain the connection. You may support, oppose, or conditionally support the trial, but do not treat the questionnaire as proof that a later bell will improve grades.

13.

Argument plan—opposing view, response, and conclusion: Continue the position you developed in question 12. Write 4–6 sentences that fairly explain one opposing view, respond with reasoning and a specific essay detail, and end with a conclusion that follows from your argument. Use a transition to show how your response relates to the opposing view. Do not add a new factual claim in the conclusion.