Unit

School
02 Uniforms

Warm-Up Introducing the Topic

Answer the following questions with a partner. England was the first country to use school
1 What kinds of clothes do you like to wear? uniforms. Students there first wore school
uniforms in 1552. Today, many schools require
2 Do you have to wear a uniform at school?
uniforms. Uniforms are popular in Great Britain,
3 How long does it take you to get dressed
Australia, India, and many parts of Asia. But in the
in the mornings?
United States and other places, students do not
usually wear uniforms.
Learning about the Topic

Are school uniforms good for students? 04

Read the passage and underline the supporting arguments in paragraphs 2 and 3.
Millions of students wear school uniforms. Teachers believe that students in uniforms
behave better. Some say that students should choose what they want to wear. What do
you think?

School Uniforms Are Good

First, students can dress faster. Some students take 30 minutes or longer to get ready in
the morning. They must choose their clothes. They have to choose the pants and shirts
they want to wear. With uniforms, students can get dressed more quickly. They do not
choose their clothes. They just put on their uniforms and go
to school. Second, students behave better. This was proven
by a study. It says that students who wear uniforms have
better attendance. They study harder. They also have higher
high school graduation rates.

School Uniforms Are Not Good

For one, paying for uniforms is unfair. Public schools are free. Students there do
not pay for education. Therefore, they should not buy uniforms. They are also too
expensive. One uniform costs a couple of hundred dollars. Some families cannot
pay this much money for clothes. Additionally, students should have the freedom to
choose what they want to wear. Uniforms are a type of
censorship because students cannot wear the clothes they
want. Students should be allowed to express themselves
with their clothing. This will help them show their identity.

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Vocabulary Check
Choose the correct words to complete the following sentences.

graduation censorship attendance unfair behave

1. Internet hides some types of information online.

2. The children did not well because they were tired.

3. It is to let him start the race first.

4. Your day is the last day of school.

5. Students with better usually get better grades.

Comprehension Questions
Check the correct answer for each question.
1. How can uniforms help students get ready for school more quickly?
They do not need to spend time choosing clothes.
They can spend 30 minutes choosing what they will wear.

2. What benefits do uniforms have in schools?

Students often graduate from high school early.
Students are more likely to go to their classes.

3. Why should students in public schools not have to buy uniforms?

Because no parents can spend a lot of money for clothes
Because public schools are supposed to be free

4. Why are uniforms a type of censorship?

Students cannot use clothing to show their identity.
Schools do not let students speak their ideas in class.

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Building Arguments
When you debate, you need to build a clear argument. First, you must choose good
supporting arguments for your main argument. Then, you must make supporting
examples for each supporting argument. Finally, you need to explain why your
opponent’s arguments are wrong. This is called a counterargument.

Supporting Supporting
Main Argument Counterargument
Argument Example

Read the questions below and choose the best answers to the questions.
1. Which sentence best summarizes the main argument in favor of school uniforms?
a. Students in many countries already wear school uniforms.
b. Wearing uniforms helps students do better in school.
c. There are not many benefits of wearing uniforms in school.

2. Which sentence is a supporting argument for the main argument you chose?
a. Students behave better and can study harder.
b. Students will do better if their parents help them study.
c. Some students get good grades without wearing uniforms.

3. Which sentence gives a good supporting example for the supporting argument
you chose above?
a. I am the best student in my school because I study a lot every night.
b. Students do not have to spend time choosing clothes in the morning.
c. One study found that students in uniforms have higher math scores.

4. Which sentence is the best counterargument against wearing uniforms?

a. Students can still learn a lot without wearing uniforms.
b. Students who do not wear uniforms have lower graduation rates.
c. Some people think uniforms are a good idea, but others disagree.

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Opinion Examples
Read the students’ opinions and fill in the blanks with the right words.

Main Argument

School uniforms are good for students.

Wearing uniforms is clearly better! 05

Wearing uniforms is good for students. With uniforms,

students don’t have to worry about clothing. They can
go to school and focus on their studies. This will help
them work harder in class. Without uniforms, students
will spend more time and money on clothes. This does
not help their studies.
Joshua

Summary Joshua says that students in uniforms will

harder in class because they don’t have to about clothing.

No way! Students shouldn’t wear uniforms! 06

I don’t think students need to wear uniforms.

Uniforms are expensive. If you can wear your normal
clothes to school, you don’t need uniforms. In
addition, students can study hard without uniforms.
Students who want to get good grades will always
study hard. The clothes they wear will not matter.
Melissa

Summary Melissa thinks that students who want good grades will always

hard and their clothes will not .

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Organizing Supporting Arguments
Choose the two correct supporting arguments for each main argument and write
them on the lines below.

• Students should not have to buy special clothes to attend school.

• It is easier for students to get ready for school quickly in the mornings.
• With uniforms, students are more likely to graduate from high school.
• Uniforms do not help students learn more or behave better.

School Uniforms Are Good.

1.

2.

School Uniforms Are Not Good.

1.

2.

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Planning Your Supporting Argument
Main Argument

School uniforms are good for students.

What are your arguments? Get into two groups and plan for the debate. Decide if you
AGREE or DISAGREE with the main argument. Then, read the example arguments
below and the research from your workbook. Use them to plan your supporting
arguments and examples.

Example Supporting Arguments

AGREE DISAGREE
• Supporting Argument : For starters, • Supporting Argument : For starters,
school uniforms help students to get uniforms are expensive, and students
ready for school more quickly. should not worry about spending money
on them.

• Supporting Example : For instance, • Supporting Example : For instance,

students who do not wear uniforms have students in public schools should not pay
to choose their clothes, and that takes anything to attend classes because they
time. But students who wear uniforms just are free. Making them buy uniforms is
put on their uniforms and go to school. not fair.

Write an outline for your supporting arguments and examples on the lines below.

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 Making Your Argument
What is your opinion? Do you think school uniforms are good for students?
Choose your opinion, and then make your argument.

AGREE DISAGREE

Choose your main argument.

It is my opinion that .
school uniforms help both students and schools
it is better to let students wear what they want

Write your supporting argument with a supporting example.

My first reason is

For example,

Write one of your opponent’s arguments and why you do not agree with it.

The other team argues that

I think our opponents are wrong since

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