Your Tween Tribune responses are scored, and should contain the following components:

• A hook that draw the reader in. 
• A topic sentence that names the article and tells your opinion on the issue.
• Three supporting sentences (at least) that provide support for your opinion. Be sure to CITE and address specific points that were mentioned in the article (to prove that you read it and understood it).
• Elaboration of your supporting ideas. 
• A closing sentence that begins in an interesting way, and restates your opinion.

 Some opposing viewpoint possibilities:

• Even though __________________, the evidence proves that ______________________.
• Although ________________________, people should realize that ________________________.
• Despite _________________________________, a better plan would be _____________________________.
• Regardless of ____________________, kids should understand that ____________________________.

Sample Response to an article titled "No More Homework":

        If you've ever complained about homework, it may surprise you that some adults agree that schools should get rid of homework. In response to "No More Homework," I disagree that homework should be eliminated. One reason I disagree is that if I don't go home and practice the math skills we learn in class each day, I know I will forget them by the next day. The article seems to support that, because in paragraph three a seventh grader states, "If I don't go home and review what we did in class each day, I usually forget it all be tomorrow." Most students have probably experienced that. Another reason is that we need to keep up with students around the world. According to the article, "other countries are beginning to pass the United States in test scores,... because their students do a lot more homework." Some American kids would probably argue that there's not enough time, but that's because they're spending hours on video games, the Internet, and television. A third reason we should still have homework is so that our class grades aren't based only on tests and quizzes. As Professor Paul Smith of Cornell University points out, "some kids simply stress out and don't perform well on tests." If homework grades are counted in your grade point average, those could balance out a bad test score. Even though homework is often a real pain, I think it benefits students more than it hurts them, and should therefore not be eliminated.

Here is a Google Docs template of the format:

https://docs.google.com/a/bedminsterschool.org/document/d/1U3vEUf3CM68svyNk54wu74nYyuf_E2LZrl6zasKTA4I/edit?usp=sharing

Recommended Tween Tribune Articles for Responses:

School Starting Later for Some High School Students

This Supermarket Sells Only Wasted Food

Would You...?  This is a page on Tween Tribune which contains several "Would you...?" articles, which are perfect for arguing.

Monopoly Changes Its Game Pieces

Halloween Costumes Changing

3-D Print Your Own Breakfast

Are Consumers Ready for Augmented Reality?

Would You Climb a Frozen Waterfall?

No More Tackle Powder-Puff Football

Should All Children Get an Outdoor Education?

High School Covers Bare Skin and Tattoos in Yearbook Photos

Beginning in Marking Period 3, we will use this Advanced Version, with opposing viewpoints added to each of the three reasons (one reason above already had an opposing viewpoint):

If you've ever complained about homework, it may surprise you that some adults are arguing that homework should be outlawed. In response to "NO more Homework," I disagree that homework should be eliminated. One reason I disagree is that if I don't go home and practice the math skills we did in class each day, I know I would forget them by the next day. Some students might argue that they don't need the extra practice, but I'm sure that forgetting what was learned happens to other students as well. Another reason is that, according to the article, other countries are beginning to pass the United States in test scores, and that's because their students do a lot more homework than we do. Some American kids would probably insist that there's not enough time, but that's because they're spending hours on video games, the Internet and television. A third reason we should still have homework is so that our class grades aren't based only on tests and quizzes; they shouldn't be, of course, because some kids don't perform well on tests. Tests are important, I get that, but if a teacher only gives two tests for a marking period, should your entire grade be based on those alone? Didn't you do work on the other forty-three days of the marking period? Even though homework is a real pain sometimes, I think it benefits students more than it hurts them, and should not be eliminated.

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