Write an argument with reasons

Grade 6 Reading Worksheet - Building Confidence

Circle the best answer.

1. Read this first

   A Filling Station for the Gym (argument draft)

   [1] Our school should install a water-bottle filling station near the gym. [2] Right now, students who want a drink must walk to the one old fountain beside the main office, which is a long way from the gym doors. [3] Drinking water is just a really good idea. [4] The school nurse, Ms. Brandt, recorded eleven headaches last spring that she linked to students not drinking enough water during long practices. [5] Last Tuesday, a friend told me that his cousin felt sick after a game. [6] A filling station costs about one thousand dollars, and the Parent Group has already raised twelve hundred dollars at the book fair. [7] A station would let players refill their bottles in seconds and return to coaching sooner. [8] The school mascot is a hawk, and a painted hawk covers the wall beside the gym. [9] For these reasons, the school should install a filling station near the gym.

2. 1.

   Ari wants to replace the opinion in [3]. Which sentence is the strongest evidence for the claim in [1]?

   • Last month, one player felt dizzy at practice and had to sit down on the bench for a while before returning to play.
   • A survey of 120 players found that more than half skipped drinking at practice because the fountain was too far away.
   • The gym floor was refinished two years ago with a clear coat that protects the wood and makes the court look new.
   • Drinking water is an important part of staying healthy, happy and ready to learn, and athletes of any age should do it often.
3. 2.

   Bo wants to replace the hearsay in [5]. Which sentence uses the most trustworthy source for the claim in [1]?

   • Coach Ruiz, who has run practices for twelve years, timed the walk to the fountain and found that it takes about five minutes.
   • A classmate heard from an older student that the fountain is far from the gym and that players often skip drinking.
   • A sports-drink company says that athletes should drink often during exercise to stay strong, focused and ready to play.
   • Some people say that the walk from the gym to the fountain takes a very long time, especially when the weather is hot.

4. More Room for Bikes (argument draft)

   [1] The school should add a second bike rack at the front entrance. [2] The one rack now holds twelve bikes, and it stands behind the cafeteria, far from the main doors. [3] Biking is a super cool way to get around. [4] A count by the student council on a sunny Monday found twenty-six bikes locked to the fence, the railing and a lamp post. [5] My neighbor says that one bike was stolen last month. [6] The bike shop on Main Street sells racks that hold ten bikes for about three hundred dollars. [7] Students who bike to school get exercise before class, and the town safety office says that bikes locked in clear view at an entrance are less likely to be stolen. [8] The cafeteria serves pizza on Fridays, and the pizza is very popular. [9] A second rack would give every rider a safe place to lock up, so the school should install one at the front entrance.

5. 3.

   Jun wants to replace the opinion in [3]. Which sentence is the strongest evidence for the claim in [1]?

   • The school's safety report lists three bike thefts at the back rack last fall, all on days when the rack was full.
   • Riding a bike is a fun and healthy way for students of any age to travel to school and see friends after class.
   • Once, a student's bike fell over in the rain, and the handlebar bent so badly that the owner had to walk home.
   • The bike shop on Main Street was opened by a family that moved to town in 1990 and has sold bikes ever since.
6. 4.

   Luz checks the draft for a sentence that does not support the claim in [1]. Which sentence should be cut?

   • [6] The bike shop on Main Street sells racks that hold ten bikes for about three hundred dollars.
   • [8] The cafeteria serves pizza on Fridays, and the pizza is very popular.
   • [7] Students who bike to school get exercise before class, and the town safety office says that bikes locked in clear view at an entrance are less likely to be stolen.
   • [2] The one rack now holds twelve bikes, and it stands behind the cafeteria, far from the main doors.

7. Early Hours at the Library (argument draft)

   [1] The library should open thirty minutes before the first bell. [2] Many students arrive early because their parents start work at seven, and they now wait in the hallway with nothing to do. [3] Reading is good for people. [4] A librarian's log shows that twenty-two students waited by the library door on an ordinary morning in October. [5] A kid in my class said that the hallway gets pretty loud. [6] Mr. Aziz, the librarian, has already agreed to adjust his schedule if the principal approves. [7] Early hours would give students a quiet place to read, finish homework or borrow a book before class. [8] The library was built in 1962 and has a red brick front. [9] Opening early would help the students who need it most, so the principal should approve the change.

8. 5.

   Milo wants to replace the opinion in [3]. Which sentence is the strongest evidence for the claim in [1]?

   • Reading is a wonderful habit that helps people succeed in school and in life.
   • A parent survey found that thirty-eight of forty-five families drop their children off before the first bell.
   • Last week, one student waited in the hallway for the whole half hour and felt bored and a little lonely.
   • The library has a large poster of a famous author hanging beside the front desk and a smaller one by the door.
9. 6.

   Pia wants to replace the hearsay in [5]. Which sentence uses the most trustworthy source for the claim in [1]?

   • A friend's cousin heard that the hallway is loud before school and that the teachers cannot hear each other.
   • Ms. Torres, the hallway monitor, measured the noise and found it above the school's limit on four of five mornings.
   • Some students think the hallway gets too loud before school, especially near the doors where the buses unload.
   • A company that sells headphones says that noisy hallways make reading hard, and it offers a discount to schools.
10. 7.

    Noah checks the draft for a sentence that does not support the claim in [1]. Which sentence should be cut?

    • [8] The library was built in 1962 and has a red brick front.
    • [6] Mr. Aziz, the librarian, has already agreed to adjust his schedule if the principal approves.
    • [7] Early hours would give students a quiet place to read, finish homework or borrow a book before class.
    • [2] Many students arrive early because their parents start work at seven, and they now wait in the hallway with nothing to do.

11. Shade for the Climbing Area (argument draft)

    [1] The elementary playground needs shade over the climbing area. [2] The metal slide and the rubber mats become very hot in the afternoon sun, and younger students have started avoiding them. [3] Shade is the best thing a playground can have. [4] The school nurse kept a record showing that four students visited her office last May after touching the hot slide. [5] A parent told me that she once saw a child cry at the top of the slide. [6] A shade sail that covers the climbing area costs about two thousand dollars, and installers say it takes one day to hang. [7] The Parent Group and the town recreation office have each offered to pay half. [8] The slide is yellow, and the swing set is blue. [9] Shade would let more students play comfortably at recess, so the school should install the sail.

12. 8.

    Ren wants to replace the opinion in [3]. Which sentence is the strongest evidence for the claim in [1]?

    • The school custodian measured the slide at 128 degrees on a sunny afternoon, hot enough to burn skin.
    • Once, a boy at the top of the slide refused to go down on a sunny day and sat on the platform instead.
    • A playground is a place where children should feel happy and safe, and a good school protects them each day.
    • The playground has a picnic table and a bench beside the fence, where parents sometimes sit and watch.
13. 9.

    Tala wants to replace the hearsay in [5]. Which sentence uses the most trustworthy source for the claim in [1]?

    • Dr. Osei, a children's doctor who has treated sun burns for fifteen years, says metal slides can burn skin in seconds.
    • A company that sells shade sails says that any playground needs shade, and it offers free quotes to schools and parent groups.
    • A teacher heard from a bus driver that children stay away from the slide when the sun is out in the afternoon.
    • A lot of parents say that their children avoid the slide on hot afternoons, and some will not climb it.
14. 10.

    Zee checks the draft for a sentence that does not support the claim in [1]. Which sentence should be cut?

    • [6] A shade sail that covers the climbing area costs about two thousand dollars, and installers say it takes one day to hang.
    • [2] The metal slide and the rubber mats become very hot in the afternoon sun, and younger students have started avoiding them.
    • [8] The slide is yellow, and the swing set is blue.
    • [7] The Parent Group and the town recreation office have each offered to pay half.