John wrote an argument paper advocating for the inclusion of skateboarding as a school sanctioned sport.


Read the following COUNTERCLAIM PARAGRAPH and identify its parts below:


There are lots of people who think skateboarding is still too dangerous to be an after-school sport. True, there is some risk involved, but that’s no different from other athletics. As included in Passage 1, “More students are injured playing football than in any other sport. Head injuries are the most frequent and the most serious.” Despite this, there isn’t much talk of taking the football team away. Skateboarding isn’t a contact sport, no one is hitting another person purposefully, and the injury risk goes way down in an organized skate park environment. Compared to some other sports, skateboarding doesn’t seem too bad.


Identify the purpose of each sentence:

Sentence 1: There are lots of people who think skateboarding is still too dangerous to be an after-school sport.

Sentence 2: True, there is some risk involved, but that’s no different from other athletics.

Sentence 3: As included in Passage 1, “More students are injured playing football than in any other sport. Head injuries are the most frequent and the most serious.”

Sentence 4: Despite this, there isn’t much talk of taking the football team away.

Sentence 5: Skateboarding isn’t a contact sport, no one is hitting another person purposefully, and the injury risk goes way down in an organized skate park environment.

Sentence 6: Compared to some other sports, skateboarding doesn’t seem too bad.


Answer Options for each Include:

John provides evidence in support of the counterclaim.

John provides one final argument in favor of his position.

John provides evidence in support of his rebuttal.

John explains this reasoning behind his rebuttal evidence.

John includes reasoning in support of his own argument.

John identifies the counterclaim.

John restates the counterclaim.

John begins his rebuttal of the counterclaim.