Write an argument with reasons

Grade 6 Reading Worksheet - Challenge Me

Circle the best answer.

1. Read this first

   A Lane for Bikes on Pine Street (argument draft)

   [1] The city should paint a bike lane on Pine Street. [2] Pine Street connects two schools and the community pool, yet it has no lane, so riders share the road with cars. [3] The city's traffic count recorded forty riders an hour at the busiest time of day. [4] Some residents say a lane would remove parking spaces that shoppers need. [5] The city's own map shows that the lane would remove six of the sixty spaces on the block, and a parking lot with eighty open spaces sits behind the shops. [6] Cities that added lanes have reported fewer crashes involving riders. [7] The painting would cost about four thousand dollars. [8] A lane would also give families a safer way to reach the pool. [9] Because the lane would protect riders and cost shoppers very little, the city should paint it.

2. 1.

   Bo wants a stronger [6] than a vague claim about other cities. Which sentence is the strongest, most specific evidence that lanes protect riders?

   • A city traffic report on twelve local streets found that streets with painted lanes had 30 percent fewer rider injuries than streets without them.
   • Many cities have painted lanes, and most of the lanes are bright green in color so that drivers can see them from far away, day or night.
   • Riders feel safer on a street with a lane, and that feeling matters a great deal to families who want to ride together more often.
   • One city that added a lane reported one fewer crash involving riders during the first year after the lane was painted on the street near the park.
3. 2.

   Esme wants a final sentence for [9] that gathers the reasons and restates the claim without a new claim. Which sentence does?

   • For these reasons, the city should paint a lane, and the council should hold a vote on the plan very soon.
   • Because a lane would protect riders, the city should paint it and also ban all cars from Pine Street for good.
   • Because a lane would protect riders and remove only six parking spaces, the city should paint it on Pine Street.
   • The city should paint a bike lane on Pine Street, because a bike lane on Pine Street is what the city should paint.

4. Evening Hours at the Pool (argument draft)

   [1] The community pool should stay open until eight o'clock on weekdays. [2] Right now it closes at five, which is before many parents finish work. [3] A pool survey of two hundred members found that one hundred twenty parents could visit only after six. [4] Opponents say that evening hours would cost too much. [5] The pool manager's budget shows that extra lifeguard pay and electricity would cost about forty dollars a night, and the pool collects about sixty dollars at the door on a typical summer evening. [6] Some residents also worry about noise after dinner. [7] The pool is already surrounded by a tall hedge, and the nearest house is a block away. [8] Evening swimming would let more families use a facility that the town already pays to maintain. [9] Because the hours would pay for themselves and disturb few neighbors, the pool should stay open until eight.

5. 3.

   Kira wants a new [5] that grants what is fair in [4] and answers it with evidence. Which sentence does?

   • Cost does not matter because families deserve to swim, and the town can find money somewhere in its big budget when it needs it, so the pool should simply stay open.
   • Cost is a fair concern, so the pool may want to keep its current hours and wait until more money is available in the future, perhaps next year or the year after.
   • Cost is a fair concern, but the manager's budget shows that extra pay and power would cost about forty dollars a night, less than the sixty collected at the door.
   • The pool is a fun place for families, and evening swimming would help children stay active and spend less time on screens at home on weeknights.
6. 4.

   Luz wants a second kind of evidence after [3] that also shows families would use evening hours. Which sentence adds it?

   • Pool records show that weekend attendance is double weekday attendance, which suggests that members visit when they are free.
   • One member said she would swim each evening if the pool stayed open, because it would fit her work schedule so well each week.
   • The pool was built thirty years ago and was repaired and repainted in 2018, when a new filter was installed.
   • A second pool survey of one hundred members asked how often they visit the pool in the summer and in the winter, when the weather changes.
7. 5.

   Zee wants a closing sentence for [9] that names the reasons and ends on the claim, with nothing new. Which sentence does?

   • For these reasons, the pool should stay open late, and the board should vote on the plan as soon as it can.
   • Because the hours would pay for themselves and disturb few neighbors, the pool should stay open until eight.
   • Because the hours would pay for themselves, the pool should stay open until eight and also add a snack bar and a diving board.
   • The pool should stay open until eight o'clock on weekdays, because staying open until eight o'clock is a good plan.

8. More Computers for the Library (argument draft)

   [1] The school library should buy four more computers. [2] The library has six computers, and students wait in line for them every day at lunch. [3] A librarian's log shows that the six computers were in use during eighty-five percent of the lunch periods in March. [4] Some teachers say students should use their own devices instead. [5] A school survey found that forty-one of one hundred students have no device at home that they can bring to school. [6] Another objection is that computers wear out. [7] The district's technology office replaces library computers every five years and covers the cost. [8] Four more computers would shorten the lines and let students finish assignments before the bell. [9] Because many students lack their own devices and the district covers repairs, the library should buy the computers.

9. 6.

   Noah wants a new [5] that grants what is fair in [4] and answers it with evidence. Which sentence does?

   • Personal devices do not matter, and students can always find some way to finish their work if they try hard enough on their own and ask a friend for help.
   • Computers are exciting tools, and four more computers would make the library a more modern, bright and inviting place for visitors of any age.
   • Personal devices are useful, but a school survey found that forty-one of one hundred students have none to bring, so the library remains their main access.
   • Personal devices are useful, so the library may not need new computers if students can use their own at school or at home each evening.
10. 7.

    Ari wants a stronger [3] that shows the line problem with a record. Which sentence is the strongest evidence for [2]?

    • The library has six computers, and each computer has a keyboard, a mouse, a headset and a screen that can be tilted up or down.
    • On one Monday in March, the six computers were in use at lunch, and three students were waiting for a turn at the end of the period in the line.
    • The librarian's log shows that the six computers were in use during eighty-five percent of March lunch periods, and a line formed on twelve days.
    • Computers are very useful tools for students who want to learn, and most students would agree that more of them would help students in the school.

11. A Longer Recess (argument draft)

    [1] The school should lengthen recess from fifteen minutes to twenty-five. [2] Students need time to move, and a short break leaves little room to play after the walk to the field. [3] A teacher survey found that thirty-four of forty teachers noticed better focus after outdoor play. [4] Some parents worry that a longer recess will cut into learning time. [5] The principal's schedule shows that the ten extra minutes could come from the long transition between lunch and class, where students currently wait in line. [6] A few families also say that students come inside tired. [7] The school nurse reports that tiredness after recess was rare, with only five visits to her office last year. [8] Active students also tend to feel calmer, which helps classrooms stay orderly. [9] Because the change would not shorten lessons and would help students focus, the school should lengthen recess.

12. 8.

    Jun wants a new [5] that grants what is fair in [4] and answers it with evidence. Which sentence does?

    • Recess is fun, and playing outdoors is good for children's health, which is a reason to give students more time on the field each morning.
    • Learning time is less important than play, so lessons can be shortened if students need more time outside on warm days, as many parents suggest.
    • Learning time matters, but the principal's schedule shows the extra ten minutes could come from the transition between lunch and class, where students wait.
    • Learning time matters, so the school should keep recess at fifteen minutes and not try to change the schedule this year.
13. 9.

    Milo wants a second kind of evidence after [3] that also shows longer recess helps learning. Which sentence adds it?

    • One teacher said that her class seemed calmer after a longer recess, and she thought the students listened better in math and in reading.
    • Records from a nearby school that lengthened recess show that students there finished more classwork on days with longer breaks.
    • The playing field is covered in grass and has two soccer goals and a long fence along the east side near the parking lot.
    • A second teacher survey found that most teachers like outdoor play and think it helps students feel calmer at school and in the hallways.
14. 10.

    Ren wants a final sentence for [9] that gathers the reasons and restates the claim without a new claim. Which sentence does?

    • The school should lengthen recess from fifteen minutes to twenty-five, because lengthening recess is the right plan for the school.
    • Because the change would help students focus, the school should lengthen recess and also add a second lunch period each day for the whole school.
    • For these reasons, the school should do what helps students most, and the principal should take action on the plan as soon as possible.
    • Because the change would not shorten lessons and would help students focus, the school should lengthen recess to twenty-five minutes.