How do you take a strong position on a prompt?

1. How do you take a strong position on a prompt?

2. In this lesson, you will learn how to take a position on a prompt by analyzing the evidence for each side.

3. Responding to a Writing Prompt Imagine your family is trying to decide whether or not to get a pet. Take a position on this subject. Would you like to have a pet or not? Write a letter to your family explaining why getting a pet is, or is not, a good idea. Support your opinion with strong reasons.

4. Identify the Question and Type of Writing Write Your Response Revise Your Response Plan Your Response

5. Picking a position without looking at the evidence. Bad idea Good idea

6. Picking a position without looking at the evidence. Bad idea Good idea

7. 1 • List the evidence for each response. 2 • Judge the evidence, asking, “Which position has the strongest evidence?” 3 • Take a position.

8. 1 • List the evidence for each response. Imagine your family is trying to decide whether or not to get a pet. Take a position on this subject. Would you like to have a pet or not? Write a letter to your family explaining why getting a pet is, or is not, a good idea. Support your opinion with strong reasons.

9. 1 Pet is a good idea Pet is a bad idea • A pet can teach us about responsibility. • We learn about animals through our pet. • Pets are fun to play with at home. • Pets can be dressed up with people clothes • We can give the pet a funny name. • Adults always end up taking care of it. • Who will care for it during vacations/trips? • We will get too attached to the pet when it dies. • Pets make a huge mess • Our neighbors will hate us.

10. 2 • Judge the evidence. A pet is a good idea. A pet is a bad idea. Which position has the strongest evidence?

11. Pet is a good idea Pet is a bad idea 2 • The adults always end up taking care of it. • Who will care for it during vacations/trips? • We will get too attached to the pet when it dies. • Pets make a huge mess. • Our neighbors will hate us. • A pet can teach us about responsibility. • We learn about animals through our pet. • Pets are fun to play with at home. • Pets can be dressed up with people clothes. • We can give the pet a funny name.

12. 3 • Take a position A pet is a good idea. A pet is a bad idea.

13. Pet is a good idea Pet is a bad idea 3 • The adults always end up taking care of it. • Who will care for it during vacations/trips? • We will get too attached to the pet when it dies. • Pets make a huge mess. • Our neighbors will hate us. • A pet can teach us about responsibility. • We learn about animals through our pet. • Pets are fun to play with at home. • Pets can be dressed up with people clothes. • We can give the pet a funny name.

14. 1 • List the evidence for each response. • Judge the evidence, asking, “Which position has the strongest evidence?” 2 3 • Take a position.

15. In this lesson, you have learned how to take a position on a prompt by analyzing the evidence for each side.

16. Use the steps to take a position on the following prompt: The local science museum has decided to close on certain Saturdays during the year. Write a letter to the museum director about whether you agree or disagree with their decision. Support your opinion with strong reasons.

17. Imagine you friend disagrees with your position. You present your evidence. • How would your friend respond? • With a partner, write your friend’s response to your opinion.

18. If you have taken a side on this prompt, look at the side you didn’t pick. • Write three reasons why you didn’t pick that opinion.

19. Using the three steps from this lesson, take a position on the prompt below. Show your evidence. The fifth grade is deciding on a theme for the end-of-year dance. Write a letter persuading your classmates to use your idea for the dance. Support your opinion with strong reasons.