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English lesson plan · 11th grade (Year 12 in England) · 60 minutes

Which finding would weaken (or strengthen) a claim?

Reading Comprehension

CCSS RI.11-12.8CCSS RI.11-12.1England: SAT Reading and Writing (Command of Evidence: Textual)England: ACT Science-style reasoning

Objective and success criteria

Students will: Which finding would weaken (or strengthen) a claim?.

  • I can answer questions on today's skill on my own, without help.
  • I can explain each step and say why it works.
  • I can check my answer and spot a mistake.

Before and after

Needs first: Command of evidence (SAT/ACT); Counterclaims and rebuttals in arguments

Leads to: Does the study design support the claim?

Materials: A short text or extract (one copy each), Highlighters, Question cards, Mini whiteboards, A short model text on the board, Printed student sheet (below).

Warm-up · 6 min

  • Quick retrieval from earlier learning (Command of evidence (SAT/ACT); Counterclaims and rebuttals in arguments). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
  • Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.
  1. Is the proposed answer correct? Claim: "Students should learn to code at school." Which sentence is a COUNTERCLAIM? → Critics argue that coding tools change so fast that what students learn will soon be out of date. (yes, it is correct / no, it is not correct) → yes, it is correctPrompt: A counterclaim states the opposing view; a rebuttal answers it.
  2. A researcher hypothesises that bees prefer blue flowers to yellow ones. A: Bees visited both colours in the morning. B: Bees made 62% of their visits to blue flowers and 38% to yellow flowers of the same size and scent. C: Yellow flowers were more common in the field. D: Some bees did not visit any flowers. Which finding, if true, would most directly support the hypothesis? (A / B / C / D) → BPrompt: First decide what the answer to the question is.
  3. Is the proposed answer correct? Claim: "Our town should build a skate park." Which sentence is a COUNTERCLAIM? → A survey found 300 young people would use it weekly. (yes, it is correct / no, it is not correct) → no, it is not correctPrompt: A counterclaim states the opposing view; a rebuttal answers it.

Hook · 6 min

  • Read the first lines of a short text aloud and ask what students predict will happen and why.
  • Share the objective: Which finding would weaken (or strengthen) a claim?. Read the success criteria together.

I do: model it · 12 min

  • Work through the example out loud, saying why you do each step, not just what you do.
  • Example: An economist argues that a city's new metro line caused local shops to earn more. Which finding would most directly WEAKEN this argument?
  • Step 1: Evidence strengthens a claim when it shows the predicted result in a fair comparison, and weakens it when the result appears without the proposed cause.
  • Step 2: If distant shops did equally well, the metro probably isn't the cause.
  • Step 3: So the answer is: Shops far from any metro station saw the same rise in earnings during the same period.
  • Answer: Shops far from any metro station saw the same rise in earnings during the same period.
  • Pause after each step and ask a student to say what comes next.

We do: guided practice · 12 min

  • Do these together. Students try each step on whiteboards before you reveal it.
  • Use the hints as prompts rather than giving the answer.
  1. Is the proposed answer correct? A researcher claims that a new fertiliser causes tomato plants to produce more fruit. Which finding would most directly WEAKEN this claim? → The fertiliser is made from recycled materials. (yes, it is correct / no, it is not correct) → no, it is not correctPrompt: Restate the claim exactly. What would have to be true if it were right?
  2. Scientists propose that a species of bird uses Earth's magnetic field to navigate. Which finding would most directly SUPPORT this proposal? (The birds travel over 5,000 kilometres. / Birds became disoriented when small magnets were attached to them, but not when non-magnetic weights were attached. / The birds eat insects during migration. / The birds fly mostly at night.) → Birds became disoriented when small magnets were attached to them, but not when non-magnetic weights were attached.Prompt: Restate the claim exactly. What would have to be true if it were right?

You do: independent practice · 17 min

  • Students work on the student sheet. Circulate and check the first two answers of every student early.
  • Students who finish: write a question of their own for a partner, with the answer.

The 8 questions are on the student sheet below, with answers in the key.

Exit ticket · 7 min

  • Two questions on their own. Sort answers into got it / nearly / not yet to plan the next lesson.
  1. Is the proposed answer correct? A researcher claims that playing music to cows increases the amount of milk they produce. Which finding would most directly SUPPORT this claim? → In a controlled study, cows that heard calm music produced more milk than similar cows that heard no music. (yes, it is correct / no, it is not correct) → yes, it is correctPrompt: Restate the claim exactly. What would have to be true if it were right?
  2. A historian argues that a medieval town grew rich mainly through the wool trade. Which finding would most directly WEAKEN this argument? (The town had several large churches. / Wool was traded in many medieval towns. / Sheep were kept on nearby farms. / Tax records show that wool made up less than 5% of the town's trade income.) → Tax records show that wool made up less than 5% of the town's trade income.Prompt: Restate the claim exactly. What would have to be true if it were right?

Watch out for

  • Answering from memory or opinion instead of evidence in the text.
  • Copying a long quote without explaining what it shows.

Support and stretch

Support

  • Review first: Command of evidence (SAT/ACT).
  • Use concrete materials: a short text or extract (one copy each).
  • Give the first step of each question, or a partly worked example to finish.
  • Pair with a confident partner for the guided practice.

Stretch

  • Move on to: Does the study design support the claim?.
  • Explain a common mistake in writing and how to fix it.
  • Write a word problem that uses today's skill, then solve a partner's.

Homework and more practice

Free online practice with hints and printable worksheets for this skill: eurekami.com/english/grade-11.

Free lesson plan from eurekami.com/lesson-plan-builder

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Which finding would weaken (or strengthen) a claim?

Name

Date

Score/ 8

  1. Question 1

    A school claims that its new reading programme raised pupils' reading scores. Which finding would most directly WEAKEN this claim?

    • A. Teachers received training for the programme.
    • B. Pupils enjoyed the programme.
    • C. The programme was expensive.
    • D. Reading scores rose by the same amount at nearby schools that did not use the programme.

  2. Question 2

    Is the proposed answer correct? Scientists propose that a species of bird uses Earth's magnetic field to navigate. Which finding would most directly SUPPORT this proposal? → Birds became disoriented when small magnets were attached to them, but not when non-magnetic weights were attached.

    • A. yes, it is correct
    • B. no, it is not correct

  3. Question 3

    A literary critic claims that a novelist's later books are more optimistic than her early ones. Which finding would most directly SUPPORT this claim?

    • A. She wrote her early novels in a city.
    • B. Her later novels sold more copies.
    • C. In her later novels, most main characters end the story with their problems resolved, unlike in her early novels.
    • D. Her later novels are longer.

  4. Question 4

    Is the proposed answer correct? A researcher claims that playing music to cows increases the amount of milk they produce. Which finding would most directly SUPPORT this claim? → In a controlled study, cows that heard calm music produced more milk than similar cows that heard no music.

    • A. yes, it is correct
    • B. no, it is not correct

  5. Question 5

    Is the proposed answer correct? A historian argues that a medieval town grew rich mainly through the wool trade. Which finding would most directly WEAKEN this argument? → Tax records show that wool made up less than 5% of the town's trade income.

    • A. yes, it is correct
    • B. no, it is not correct

  6. Question 6

    A historian argues that a medieval town grew rich mainly through the wool trade. Which finding would most directly WEAKEN this argument?

    • A. Tax records show that wool made up less than 5% of the town's trade income.
    • B. Sheep were kept on nearby farms.
    • C. Wool was traded in many medieval towns.
    • D. The town had several large churches.

  7. Question 7

    Is the proposed answer correct? A school claims that its new reading programme raised pupils' reading scores. Which finding would most directly WEAKEN this claim? → Teachers received training for the programme.

    • A. yes, it is correct
    • B. no, it is not correct

  8. Question 8

    A researcher claims that a new fertiliser causes tomato plants to produce more fruit. Which finding would most directly WEAKEN this claim?

    • A. Plants given the fertiliser grew slightly taller.
    • B. Plants given the fertiliser produced the same amount of fruit as identical plants given only water.
    • C. Tomatoes are popular in many countries.
    • D. The fertiliser is made from recycled materials.

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Answer key: Which finding would weaken (or strengthen) a claim?

  1. 1. D. Reading scores rose by the same amount at nearby schools that did not use the programme.

  2. 2. A. yes, it is correct

  3. 3. C. In her later novels, most main characters end the story with their problems resolved, unlike in her early novels.

  4. 4. A. yes, it is correct

  5. 5. A. yes, it is correct

  6. 6. A. Tax records show that wool made up less than 5% of the town's trade income.

  7. 7. B. no, it is not correct

  8. 8. B. Plants given the fertiliser produced the same amount of fruit as identical plants given only water.