Argue Better Logic · rhetoric · fair debate

Classroom ready

Teachers & parents

Free companion tools for grades 3–5 — short lessons, printables, and weekly rhythm. No student accounts required.

Print desk cards PDF cheat sheet Kids chapter guide

Data note: Exercise answers and text you type are used to show your result on this page and are not saved in our database. We may count that a tool was opened for site statistics (not what you typed). The 30-day checklist saves only in your browser. See the privacy policy.

Skill goals

What students practice

State a claim with a reason; spot unfair argument tricks; restate a partner’s view fairly before disagreeing.

Weekly rhythm

  • Monday: Weekly Challenge warm-up (5 min)
  • Midweek: Claim + Reason writing or discussion (10–15 min)
  • Friday: Sneaky Tricks exit ticket or Quick Reference review (5–10 min)

Ready to run

Three lessons (15–20 minutes)

15–20 minutes · Grades 3–5

Lesson 1 · Claim + Because + Reason

Goal: Students turn a wish into an argument and identify claim vs reason.

  1. Write the golden rule on the board: CLAIM + BECAUSE + REASON = ARGUMENT.
  2. Model one example: “We should have a longer recess because exercise helps our brains focus.”
  3. Students open the Claim + Reason Builder and build one argument of their own.
  4. Pair share: partner restates the claim and the reason; switch.
  5. Exit: on a sticky note, write C or R for two teacher-provided sentences.

Claim + Reason Builder Print desk cards

15–20 minutes · Grades 3–5

Lesson 2 · Spot a sneaky trick

Goal: Students name one unfair pattern (twisting words, personal attack, only-two-choices) in a short example.

  1. Introduce this week’s focus from the Weekly Challenge (kids mode).
  2. Read two short examples aloud; class votes which is fair vs sneaky.
  3. Students complete 3–5 items in the Sneaky Tricks Quiz.
  4. Debrief: “What would a fair version of that argument say?”
  5. Exit ticket: write one sneaky trick you heard this week (TV, playground, or ads).

Weekly Challenge Sneaky Tricks Quiz

15–20 minutes · Grades 3–5

Lesson 3 · Fair listening (steel-man lite)

Goal: Students restate a partner’s reason in their own words before disagreeing.

  1. Prompt a low-stakes debate topic (best class pet, longer recess, homework on weekends).
  2. Partner A states claim + reason. Partner B must restate before responding.
  3. Teacher models a straw man (“so you hate homework forever”) vs a fair restatement.
  4. Optional: older students try one round of the adult Steel-Man Workshop with simplified language.
  5. Close with the Super Thinker’s Promise (see Kids hub / Quick Reference).

Claim + Reason Steel-Man Workshop Kids hub

Toolbox

Kid-friendly tools

Kids hub Chapter 1 sample Adult-readable guides