Harrison Bergeron- Day 6 Final Paragraphs

It is always a relief to reach the end of any essay when teaching writing.  Below are the steps for the Counterclaim and conclusion of the writing portion of "Harrison Bergeron" in the 8th grade on a 45 minute class schedule. This is Day 6 of the unit. Take it, adapt it, and tweak it for your needs.

Begin the lesson by reviewing the following terms.

 

 

Once reviewing the above terms, introduce the term

Explain the importance of using a counterclaim in an argumentative essay.

Hand out the following.

Work through the last two paragraphs together.
Stress that once a counterclaim has been made, it is the writers job to provide reasons why the reasoning is not valid.
I usually have students who argue about arguing. I use this as a teaching opportunity to show how a counterclaim works.
If you happen to have the class that goes with everything you say, use examples of arguments that are common between your students and parents and show how they naturally have a counterclaim.

After finishing the counterclaim, explain using a restated thesis statement for the first sentence in the conclusion followed by 2-3 sentences of summary.
Express not bringing up any new points.
Lastly, since this was a literary based argument, the students did NOT have a claim of action. I do not touch on this until our next argumentative essay we write in class.