Refuting an Argument

What is the correct rebuttal?

Claim: All students should have daily chores to teach them good habits.

Counterclaim: Daily chores may make students tired during the day.

• Some may say that all students should have daily chores to teach them good habits, but daily chores after school may make students tired.

• Some may say that daily chores may make students tired during the day, but daily chores will teach students good habits.

• Daily chores are good! We should have them!

What is the correct rebuttal?

Claim: Internet should be banned from all schools.

Counterclaim: The internet opens up wider possibilities to learning.

• Some may argue that the internet opens up wider possibilities to learning, however, internet should be banned from all schools because there are inappropriate websites.

• Some may argue that internet should not be allowed in school because there are inappropriate websites, however, the internet should be allowed because it opens up wider possibilities to learning.

• "Children's brains deteriorate when exposed to too much online activity"

What is the correct rebuttal?

Claim: Students should be allowed to pray in school for personal expression.

Counterclaim: Prayer of any form should be prohibited from schools because there is a separation of church and state.

• While it is easy to think that students should be allowed to pray in school for personal expression, prayer of any form should be prohibited from schools because there is a separation of church and state.

• "Prayer calmed students down during class"

• While it is easy to think that prayer of any form should be prohibited from schools because there is a separation of church and state, students should be allowed to pray in school for personal expression.

an argument made to address likely objections

• support

• claim

• evidence

• counterargument

Why is it important to include the counterargument in your essay?

• the reader will convince you

• it helps prove your claim by proving the opposite side of the argument is weak

• it helps your essay be longer

• You can show the reader that the other side is also right

Identify which sentence contains the claim in the following paragraph. 
¹At first, in junior high everything feels difficult. ²However, once students have the time to adjust to the new routine, they begin to look forward to senior high. ³Though junior high prepares students for high school, the change from 9th to 10th grade can be a challenge. ⁴High school is more difficult than junior high because there are more people, the teachers are more strict, and the work is much harder. 

• Sentence 2
• Sentence 3
• Sentence 4