PERFORMANCE

ASSESSMENT
• Close Reading of Complex Texts
• Writing from Sources:
Argument, Literary Analysis,
Research Simulation
• Performance Assessment Practice

10
 Unit 1 Argumentative Essay

Big Issues
STEP 1 ANALYZE THE MODEL
Should high school start an hour later?
Read Source Materials
NFORMATIONAL ARTICLE
from Sleep Deprivation in Teenagers Medical Journal Today 4
INFORMATIONAL ARTICLE National Sleep
from School Start Time and Sleep Foundation 5
STUDENT MODEL
We Need Our Sleep! Jon Attridge 6

STEP 2 PRACTICE THE TASK

Should a business have the right to ban teenagers?
Read Source Materials
NEWSPAPER AD
Munchy’s Promise 10
© Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company • Image Credits: ©HBSS/Age Fotostock; ©Photodisc/Getty Images

BUSINESS ANALYSIS
Munchy’s Patrons, July and October
Munchy’s Monthly Sales, July–October Hector Ramirez 11
STUDENT BLOG
Munchy’s Bans Students! Sylvia Donnolly 12
NEWSPAPER EDITORIAL
A Smart Idea Can Save a Business Francine Lipsky 13
Write an Argumentative Essay
Should a business have the right to ban teenagers? 16

v
 UNIT 1

Argumentative Essay
H
ow do we relate to and interact with other
people—friends, enemies, neighbors,
ANALYZE
strangers, and those with whom we disagree?
THE MODEL And how does age affect the way that people act or
Evaluate an argumentative react in difficult or controversial situations?
essay that offers reasons
why high school should or No doubt you have been involved in many
should not begin later in the arguments—squabbles with your friends,
day. disagreements with siblings, and those times when you
have tried to convince someone about something you
want. This kind of informal, conversational give-and-
take is different from a formal argument.

IN THIS UNIT, you will learn how to write an

PRACTICE argumentative essay that is based on your close
THE TASK reading and analysis of several relevant sources. You
Write an argumentative will learn a step-by-step approach to stating a claim,
essay that offers reasons for and then organize your essay to support your claim in a
or against a business’s right clear and logical way.
to ban teenagers from its
establishment.

PERFORM
THE TASK
Write an argumentative
essay that offers reasons
for or against raising the
© Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company

minimum driving age.

2
 ANALYZE THE MODEL

Should high school start

an hour later?
© Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company • Image Credits: ©HBSS/Age Fotostock

You will read: You will analyze:

▶ TWO INFORMATIONAL ▶ A STUDENT MODEL
ARTICLES We Need Our Sleep!
from Sleep Deprivation in Teenagers
from School Start Time and Sleep

Unit 1: Argumentative Essay 3

 Source Materials for Step 1
The texts on these two pages were used by Mr. Louie’s student, Jon Attridge, as
sources for his essay, “We Need Our Sleep!” As you read, make notes in the side
columns and underline information that you find useful.

NOTES from

Sleep Deprivation in
Teenagers
Medical Journal Today

F or the past 30 years, Dr. Smith and his research team have
studied sleep patterns in high school students. These studies of
r
14 to 18-year-olds have shown that when students learn something
new and are then deprived of REM sleep, their test scores go
down dramatically. This comes as no surprise to Dr. Smith, who
knows that certain kinds of memory are sensitive to sleep loss. He
theorizes that, if 14 to 18-year-olds are susceptible to such affects
when prevented from getting enough sleep, younger children might
be affected more severely. Students in grade school need between 9
and 10 hours of sleep for optimal learning.
Although it may vary from person to person, most teenagers
need 9.5 hours of sleep. Unfortunately, extracurricular activities,
after-school jobs, and homework may result in teenagers getting no
more than 7.5 hours of sleep a night. If teens consistently do not get
enough sleep, their moods can be affected. They will have difficulty
performing and reacting as usual. © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company

4 1. Analyze 2. Practice 3. Perform

 from

School Start Time

and Sleep
National Sleep Foundation

“Early to bed, early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and

NOTES
wise,” said Ben Franklin. But does this adage apply to teenagers?
Research in the 1990s found that later sleep and wake patterns
among adolescents are biologically determined; the natural
tendency for teenagers is to stay up late at night and wake up later
in the morning. This research indicates that school bells that ring
as early as 7:00 a.m. in many parts of the country stand in stark
contrast with adolescents’ sleep patterns and needs.

Evidence suggests that teenagers are indeed seriously sleep

deprived. A recent poll conducted by the National Sleep Foundation
found that 60% of children under the age of 18 complained of being
tired during the day, according to their parents, and 15% said they
fell asleep at school during the year.
On April 2, 1999, Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), introduced a
congressional resolution to encourage schools and school districts
© Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company • Image Credits: © Photodisc/Getty Images

to reconsider early morning start times to be more in sync with

teens’ biological makeup. House Congressional Resolution 135 or
the “ZZZ’s to A’s” Act would encourage individual schools and
school districts all over the country to move school start times to
no earlier than 8:30 a.m.

Discuss and Decide

You have read two sources about teenagers and sleep. Without going any
farther, discuss the question: Should high school start an hour later each
morning? Write out your response.

III ii tt atinextnte Unit 1: Argumentative Essay 5

 Analyze a Student Model for Step 1
Read Jon’s argumentative essay closely. The red side notes are the comments
that his teacher, Mr. Louie, wrote.

Jon Attridge
Mr. Louie
English 10
October 28

We Need Our Sleep!

Beep! You shut off the alarm. It’s 6:00 a.m.—time to get ready
Nice hook. The issue and for school, but you don’t have the energy. According to a recent
your claim are both clear.
study, 85% of teens in America aren’t getting the sleep they need.
Your audience is clear.
So you, like most of the teens in America, aren’t getting the sleep
you need. Is this the morning you want to experience for the rest of
your school career? No. School should start later.

Good paragraph. Getting up too early has serious consequences. Studies from
the American Psychological Association show that the frontal lobe
Logical follow-up to (the section of the brain in charge of learning ability and memory)
your introduction. Valid is still developing in many adolescents. Disturbing REM (rapid eye
reason, well-supported by movement) sleep can slow the development of this vital portion
sufficient evidence. of the brain. This can result in much
lower test scores. Our principal

© Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company • Image Credits: © Mike Kemp/Rubberball/Corbis

said, “Students in first period
classes tend to score lower on
standardized math tests than
their peers who take the
same classes later in the day.”
We should be as concerned
about disturbing students’
natural sleep patterns as we
are about skipping school.

6 1. Analyze 2. Practice 3. Perform

 Moreover, Trent University studies on sleep deprivation have You use an effective
shown that grades aren’t the only thing that might improve. An transition to create
additional hour of sleep can positively affect a student’s mood cohesion and signal the
and attitude. My grandfather says that when he was in school, introduction of another
students went to school later and were better rested. With reason. Your language
is formal and non-
students’ moods boosted, teachers and students would get along
combative. You remain
in stress-free situations.
focused on your purpose.
Some may argue that teenagers should simply adapt—go to
bed earlier or otherwise adjust to the reality of an early school You anticipated and
day. I refer them to research done in the 1990s, which found addressed an opposing
that later sleep and wake patterns in adolescents are biologically claim that is likely to
determined. Experts talked, and California Representative occur to your audience.
Your answer to the
Zoe Lofgren listened. She introduced House Congressional
opposing claim is well-
Resolution 135, the “ZZZ’s to A’s Act,” to encourage schools to
supported with valid
start no earlier than 8:30 a.m. evidence.
Now imagine that morning again. It’s 7:00 a.m. You say to
yourself, “Wow, I feel great, and I’ve got plenty of time to get Smooth flow from
ready.” Just one hour can make a huge difference in your mood beginning to end. Clear
and your day. conclusion restates your
claim. Your evidence is
convincing. Excellent use
of conventions of English.
Good job!
© Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company

Discuss and Decide

Did Jon convince you that school should start an hour later? If so, which
evidence was the most compelling? Write out your response.
The part when he mentions
yodists D.EEpme I efnafTasmesesnougnUnit 1: Argumentative Essay 7
 ge p
a later time

Terminology of Argumentative Texts

Read each term and explanation. Then look back at Jon Attridge’s
argumentative essay and find an example to complete the chart.
Write out your answers in the chart.

Term Explanation Example from Jon’s Essay

audience The audience for your argument
is a group of people that you want The 85 of
to convince. As you develop your
argument, consider your audience’s teens not getting
knowledge level and concerns.
enough sleep
purpose The purpose for writing an argument
is to sway the audience. Your purpose
should be clear, whether it is to
Teens need
persuade your audience to agree
with your claim, or to motivate your
more sleep
audience to take some action.

precise claim A precise claim confidently states your

viewpoint. Remember that you must School should
be able to find reasons and evidence to start at 8 30
support your claim, and that you must
distinguish your claim from opposing instead of an
claims. hour earlier
reason A reason is a statement that supports
your claim. (You should have more than
one reason.) Note that you will need to
kids grades
supply evidence for each reason you may improve if
state.
they get more
sleep
opposing claim An opposing claim, or counterclaim,
shares the point of view of people who
Some may argue
do not agree with your claim. Opposing that teens should
just to bed
© Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company

claims must be fairly presented with

evidence. go
earlier

Miami more
8 1. Analyze 2. Practice 3. Perform
 Finalize Your Plan
Whether you are writing your essay at home or working in a timed situation
Do you think
at school, it is important to have a plan. You will save time and create a more
school
organized, logical essay by planning the structure before you start writing.
should start
Use your responses on pages 16–17, as well as your close reading notes, to complete an hour later?
the graphic organizer.

▶ Think about how you will

Introduction
grab your reader’s attention
with an interesting fact or Write out your precise claim:
anecdote.
School should start later
than usual
▶ Identify the issue and your
Reason/ Reason/ Reason/
position.
Evidence Evidence Evidence

students It gives Both kids

will be kids more parents
able to
time to will be
behave do their
better satisfied
a navemorning happy
sharper routine

JD
▶ State your precise claim.
attention
span
Opposing Claim

might be
▶ List the likely opposing claim
and how you will counter it. kids arriving way
later than they're supposed
© Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company

▶ Restate your claim.

Concluding Section
If school starts later
kids will be more energized

18 1. Analyze 2. Practice 3. Perform