Chocolate Milk Counterclaims

Grade: 5
Date: 3/21/2023
Lesson Goals
Central Focus of Lesson:
Students will be able to comprehend the concept of counterclaims and implement the skill into
the chocolate milk letters.
Students will be able to incorporate at least one counterclaim and rebuttal into their
argumentative writing piece.

Standard(s) Addressed:
1. Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons and
information.
b. Provide logically ordered reasons that are supported by facts and details.
c. Link opinion and reasons using words, phrases, and clauses (e.g., consequently,
specifically).

Lesson Objective
Content Objectives:
Students will be able to incorporate at least one counterclaim and rebuttal into their
argumentative writing piece.

Language Objectives:
Students will be able to comprehend the concept of counterclaims by using the key words of
“counterclaim”, “but”, or “however”.

Social/ Emotional Objectives:

Students will be able to cooperate and use flexible thinking within small groups.

Instructional Resources and Materials:

Anchor Chart
Counterclaim Sentence Starter

Instructional and Learning Tasks

Introduction
Teacher will activate prior knowledge by asking students what were the objectives of the
previous writing lesson.
Teacher will introduce today’s lesson by asking the students if they have ever heard the word
“Counterclaim” and to try and define the word.
Teacher will read the definition of a counterclaim off of the anchor chart.
The teacher will inform the students that they will be arguing for chocolate milk for today’s
lesson.

Explicit Teaching/Modelling (I DO)

The teacher will have an example of a counterclaim that is against chocolate milk on the
anchor chart and will read the example aloud to the students.
After reading the example, the teacher will explain why this is a counter to their original claim
and then give a rebuttal.
Guided Practice (WE DO)
The teacher will have a second counterclaim on the anchor chart and students will discuss in
small groups for 5 minutes or less and come up with a rebuttal for the counterclaim given.
The teacher will walk around and listen to student conversations to check for understanding.
Students will share their ideas to the rest of the class.

Independent Practice (YOU DO)

After sharing, students will have the opportunity to work independently and insert their own
counter claims into their argumentative writing pieces.

Conclusion
The teacher will conclude the lesson by asking a few students to share a counterclaim that
they are including in their argumentative writing. This will check for student’s understanding of
the concept counterclaims.

Assessment
Students will be assessed through informal assessments. The teacher will check for student’s
understanding of the concept through listening to the small group student discussions as well
as during the conclusion of the lesson by asking students to share the counterclaims that they
individually came up with.

Differentiation

Struggling reading and writing students will receive a counterclaim sentence starter to help
them incorporate counter claims into their writing pieces.

Appendices