Counterclaims and Rebuttals

What is a counterclaim?

• Your position in an argument

• The opposing view of your claim

• The closing statement

• The counter where you claim something

What is a rebuttal?

• A response to the counterclaim that weakens the opposing view

• Support for the counterclaim

• Words used to make paragraphs flow smoothly

• Evidence

Identify the counterclaim to this claim: Students should be able to eat snacks in class.

• Chewing gum raises test scores

• Studies show eating during class keeps students focused

• Teachers argue food distracts students

• Eating is during school hours is important

Identify the rebuttal to the previous counterclaim that food causes distractions

• Students get Hot Cheeto fingers on the Chromebooks

• The real distraction is hungry students who can't focus

• It's impossible to open a bag of chips quietly

• Students leave crumbs everywhere, which attracts bugs

a claim that refutes or attempts to disprove a certain claim

• Reason

• Counterclaim

• Rebuttal

• Opinion

Answer explanation

When you address the counterclaim by explaining why it is wrong, this is known as a:

• Thesis Statement

• Conclusion Paragraph

• Claim

• Rebuttal

Rebuttals come before the counterclaim.

• True

• False

Which rebuttal best weakens the counterclaim that music is distracting?

• Music motivates students

• Music reduces stress

• Lyrics in music can cause students to lose focus

• Not all music is distracting, in fact, some genres are proven to enhance learning

an acknowledgment of a concern or disagreement from those with opposing viewpoints

• counterclaim

• evidence

• opposing viewpoint

• rebuttal

Find a rebuttal to the counterclaim "Some teachers say students would forget less if school continued through the summer."

• I don't care about that, though.

• And I kind of agree with them.

• However, summer gives students a chance to learn from other experiences.

• Elephants never forget, and they don't have school at all.