At my school, we use Claim-Evidence-Reasoning (CER) to help students structure their arguments. This activity is designed to “take off the training wheels” of CER by showing students that strong argumentation doesn’t have to follow a rigid formula—there’s flexibility in how ideas can be organized and expressed. Worksheet:

Worksheet:

Here is an activity designed to help students practice making inferences and using textual evidence to clearly explain their reasoning. Worksheet:

You arrive at school one morning expecting a normal day. But when you walk into the front office, something is different. The secretary hands you a cup of coffee. Teachers are asking you questions. Students are waiting outside your office. Then someone says, “Good morning, Principal.” Video: Worksheet:

Your mission: select one of the following final lines and craft a story that leads up to it. Ensure your story is at least 150 words long. Choices for the final line of your story: Worksheet:

This activity serves as a helpful refresher on how to write a strong conclusion paragraph for an essay. It reinforces a simple formula that many effective conclusions follow. It can also introduce the basic structure of a conclusion to students who may be unfamiliar with it. Video: Worksheet: