6th Grade ELA Quiz: Delineate Speakers Argument And Claims

Speaker: 'School needs new playground gear; students are bored at recess.' Which part is a reason, not evidence?

Speaker: 'Our school is safe; nothing bad has happened in my three years here.' What flaw?

Student: 'Ban junk food; students eat too much.' What missing evidence would help most?

Speaker: 'Video games cause violence. Lab players acted more aggressively.' How is the argument weak?

Guest: 'Soccer is the safest sport. Injury data favor soccer over football.' Which speaker's claim is unsupported?

In a short video commentary for a media class, Talia argues about screen time at home.

Main argument/thesis: Families should set a "no screens during homework" rule.

Claim 1 (supported): Talia says multitasking makes homework take longer. She gives a reason: switching attention between apps and assignments breaks concentration, so students need extra time to re-focus.

Claim 2 (supported): She says the rule is realistic because it only applies during homework time, not all day. She explains that students can still use screens afterward, which makes the rule easier to follow.

Claim 3 (unsupported): She says, "All students will get straight A's if they do this," with no evidence.

Claim 4 (unsupported): She adds, "Anyone who disagrees just doesn't care about learning," which attacks people instead of giving support.

Which choice identifies a claim that Talia does not support with reasons or evidence?

At a community meeting with families and students, a coach speaks against canceling after-school sports to create more tutoring time. He makes several statements during his speech:

Main argument/thesis: The school should keep after-school sports while also offering tutoring.

The coach makes the following four statements as he explains his position to the audience.

Which statement does the coach support with data (numbers) rather than just an opinion?

In a product pitch to the PTA, two students, Sam and Priya, propose selling healthy snack packs at school events.

Main argument/thesis: The PTA should approve healthy snack packs instead of candy-only sales.

Claim 1 (supported): They say many families want healthier options. They report results from a quick survey of 120 event-goers: 78 said they would buy a snack pack with fruit, popcorn, and water.

Claim 2 (supported): They say the plan can still raise money. They show a simple calculation: if each pack costs $1.20 to make and sells for $2.00, the profit is $0.80 per pack.

Claim 3 (unsupported): Sam says, "These snack packs are the healthiest food you can eat," without nutrition facts or comparisons.

Claim 4 (unsupported): Priya says, "If we sell these, our events will be the most popular in the whole city," without evidence.

Which statement is best supported by evidence in the pitch?

During a student council meeting, Maya gives a 3-minute persuasive speech to classmates arguing that the school should move homeroom to the end of the day instead of the beginning.

Main argument/thesis: Homeroom should be at the end of the school day.

Claim 1 (supported): Maya says end-of-day homeroom would reduce late arrivals. She cites the assistant principal's announcement that "tardies are highest in first period," and she adds that when students miss the bus or get dropped off late, they would miss homeroom instead of a class that teaches new material.

Claim 2 (supported): She says it would improve organization. She explains that teachers could use the last 10 minutes to check planners, remind students of tomorrow's materials, and help students pack what they need, which logically prevents forgetting items.

Claim 3 (unsupported): Maya says, "Everyone would feel less stressed immediately," but she gives no survey, example pattern, or expert source.

Claim 4 (unsupported): She adds, "No teachers would mind this change," without any evidence from teachers.

Which claim is supported by reasons and evidence in Maya's speech?

At a 6th-grade student council meeting, Maya gives a short persuasive speech arguing that the school should create a phone-free lunch zone in half of the cafeteria.

Main argument/thesis: The school should set aside a phone-free lunch area so students can talk more and feel better at lunch.

Claim 1: Students would socialize more. Support: Maya says her group counted 60 students at lunch for three days; in the area where fewer phones were out, students had about 2 conversations per table instead of 1.

Claim 2: A phone-free zone would reduce lunch stress. Support: She quotes the school counselor, Mr. Alvarez, who says he sees more friendship conflicts that start from group chats during lunch and that "a short break from phones can calm conflicts."

Claim 3: "Everyone will be happier immediately." Support: Maya does not give any facts, examples, or expert statements—she just says it's obvious.

Claim 4: The zone would be easy to try. Support: She explains the school could start with a two-week trial using signs and student volunteers, then collect feedback.

Which claim is not supported by reasons or evidence in Maya's speech?

In a classroom debate, Priya argues that the school should keep daily recess for middle school.

Main argument/thesis: Middle school students should have daily recess because it supports learning and health.

Claim 1 (supported): Priya says movement helps the brain. She gives logical reasoning: after sitting for long periods, students get restless; a short break lets them return to class calmer and more ready to learn.

Claim 2 (supported): She cites the school nurse's report that visits for "headache/stress" were higher on days when indoor recess was canceled for testing practice (she says the nurse counted 18 visits on a canceled-recess day compared to 9 on a normal day).

Claim 3 (unsupported): Priya says, "If we remove recess, students will stop caring about school," but she gives no evidence.

Claim 4 (unsupported): She says, "Schools without recess have the worst behavior," but she does not cite any study or examples.

Which statement is an example of logical reasoning (a cause-and-effect explanation) used as support?

In a classroom presentation, Leo proposes a new policy: a 15-minute silent reading time at the start of every day.

Main argument/thesis: The school should add 15 minutes of silent reading every morning.

Claim 1 (supported): Leo says it would help students read more books. He cites the class library checkout record: in the month when their teacher tried "reading warm-up" twice a week, checkouts rose from 60 to 92.

Claim 2 (supported): He argues it would improve focus. He gives logical reasoning: starting with a quiet activity helps students transition from the hallway to learning, so teachers spend less time settling the class.

Claim 3 (unsupported): Leo says, "This will raise everyone's test scores," but he doesn't provide any study, data, or explanation.

Claim 4 (unsupported): He adds, "No one will complain about losing 15 minutes," without evidence.

Which claim is supported by statistical evidence?

A student entrepreneur, Lena, pitches a fundraiser idea to her homeroom: selling reusable water bottles with the school logo.

Main argument/thesis: The school should run Lena's reusable bottle fundraiser.

Claim 1: Students want the product. Support: Lena says she surveyed 80 students; 52 said they would "probably" or "definitely" buy one.

Claim 2: The fundraiser can make a profit. Support: She shows numbers: bottles cost $4 each in bulk, and she proposes selling them for $9, leaving $5 per bottle before other costs.

Claim 3: "These bottles are the best quality on the planet." Support: She gives no tests, reviews, or comparisons.

Claim 4: It could reduce plastic waste. Support: She reasons that if students refill bottles, they buy fewer single-use drinks.

Which claim is supported by survey data?

In an oral editorial for the school news show, a student argues that the school should keep arts classes (music and art) every year instead of cutting them.

Main argument/thesis: The school should not cut arts classes.

Claim 1: Arts classes help academic skills. Support: The speaker mentions a district report showing students who took at least one arts class had higher average attendance than students who took none.

Claim 2: Arts classes build confidence. Support: The speaker gives an example of three students who felt more comfortable presenting after performing in a concert.

Claim 3: "If we cut art, the school will stop being a real school." Support: The speaker does not explain what "real school" means or provide evidence.

Claim 4: Cutting arts would save less money than people think. Support: The speaker cites the proposed budget showing arts supplies are $1,200 for the year, which is less than 1% of the total activity budget.

Which claim is supported by specific budget numbers?

During a morning announcement, the assistant principal argues that the school should start a recycling program in every classroom.

Claim 1: The program would reduce trash. Support: He says the custodians reported the school throws away about 18 large bags of paper each week, and paper can be recycled.

Claim 2: Recycling teaches responsibility. Support: He gives a reason: when students sort materials, they practice making careful choices that help the community.

Claim 3: "Other schools are doing this and they're all cleaner." Support: He does not name any schools, give numbers, or describe how he knows.

Claim 4: The plan is realistic. Support: He explains that the city's recycling department provides free bins and will pick up once a week.

Which statement best describes the assistant principal's main argument?

In a debate about school rules, Priya argues that the school should allow hats indoors (as long as faces are visible).

Main argument/thesis: Students should be allowed to wear hats inside school.

Claim 1: Hats can help students feel comfortable and confident. Support: Priya says some students feel self-conscious about hair or medical conditions, and that feeling comfortable can help them focus.

Claim 2: Allowing hats would not harm safety if faces are visible. Support: Priya describes how the rule could work in practice, giving specific steps the school could follow.

Claim 3: Teachers secretly want this rule too. Support: Priya says she is sure the teachers agree with her about the rule.

Claim 4: Other schools allow hats. Support: Priya says that lots of schools nearby already let students wear hats indoors.

Which claim has the strongest support because Priya explains a clear, practical reason for how it would work?

A student entrepreneur, Leila, pitches a proposal to the principal to start a "Borrow-a-Book Box" outside the cafeteria.

Main argument/thesis: The school should approve and fund the Borrow-a-Book Box because it will increase reading.

Claim 1 (supported): Leila says students will use it. She reports a survey of 90 students: 54 (60%) said they would borrow a book if it was easy to grab at lunch.

Claim 2 (supported): She says the cost is manageable. She shows a list of prices from two local stores: a weatherproof box costs $45–$55, and paint and labels cost about $15.

Claim 3 (unsupported): She says, "It will completely end boredom at lunch," but gives no evidence.

Claim 4 (unsupported): She claims, "Students will never lose or damage books," without support.

Which claim does Leila make that is not supported by reasons or evidence?

In a morning announcement (public service message), the assistant principal encourages students to bring reusable water bottles.

Main argument/thesis: Students should use reusable water bottles to reduce waste and save money.

Claim 1 (supported): She says the school throws away a lot of plastic. She cites the custodian's count from one week: about 1,050 single-use bottles were found in trash and recycling combined.

Claim 2 (supported): She says reusables can save families money. She gives an example calculation: if a student buys 2 bottled waters a week at $1.25 each, that’s $2.50 per week, about $90 over a 36-week school year.

Claim 3 (unsupported): She says, "Reusable bottles make water taste better," but provides no source.

Claim 4 (unsupported): She says, "Our school will become famous for being eco-friendly," without evidence.

Which choice best describes how the speaker supports the claim that reusables can save money?

In an oral opinion piece for the school news show, Carlos argues about homework.

Main argument/thesis: Teachers should limit homework to no more than 30 minutes per night in middle school.

Claim 1 (supported): Carlos says too much homework reduces sleep. He cites a class poll of 28 students: 19 said they go to bed later on nights with "over an hour" of homework.

Claim 2 (supported): He says shorter homework can still help learning if it's focused. He gives a reason: practicing a few key problems shows what you understand, and teachers can see mistakes without assigning lots of pages.

Claim 3 (unsupported): Carlos says, "Long homework is pointless busywork," but he doesn't give examples from assignments.

Claim 4 (unsupported): He claims, "All parents agree homework should be cut," without any survey or quotes.

Which claim is presented as a sweeping statement without evidence?

In a short commercial played on the school announcements, a student promotes a new after-school club: Board Game Club.

Main argument/thesis: Students should join Board Game Club.

Claim 1: Board games build problem-solving skills. Support: The speaker gives a reason that many games require planning ahead, predicting moves, and adjusting strategies.

Claim 2: The club already has interest. Support: The speaker says 23 students signed an interest sheet at lunch last Friday.

Claim 3: "This will be the most popular club in the whole school." Support: The speaker provides no comparison to other clubs and no data.

Claim 4: The club is easy to run. Support: The speaker explains they can meet in the library and use donated games.

Which claim is supported by a specific number (statistical evidence)?