Identify And Refute

Worksheet Description

This worksheet, titled “Refuting Counterclaims,” is centered on teaching students how to effectively oppose counterarguments in their writing. It starts by defining a counterclaim and explaining its purpose in an argumentative essay. The worksheet then presents two strategies for refuting counterclaims: agreeing with the counterclaim but providing new evidence that weakens it, and pointing out obvious flaws in the counterclaim. Students are directed to read a text, identify a counterclaim within it, and decide which strategy the author uses to refute this counterclaim, supporting their answer with text evidence.

The worksheet is intended to teach students critical thinking by identifying and addressing counterclaims in argumentative writing. It guides them in analyzing text to discern opposing arguments and the methods used to counteract them. By encouraging students to provide text evidence for the chosen refutation strategy, the exercise also enhances their analytical reading and writing skills. The ultimate goal is to strengthen the students’ ability to construct persuasive arguments and defend their thesis against potential objections.