Instructions

1. Copy and paste the quotes from the Pro/Con links page or wherever you got your
information, but remember to name your sources. If you need help, there is a separate
page for citation helps on the website.
2. Use these sentence starters in your commentary sentences so that you dont have the
same sentences over and over in your paragraphs.
This shows



In this case...

This fact is proof that


This quote shows...

This is important because

The author is trying to prove...

This piece of evidence means

The author is pointing out...

This detail highlights


Basically...

Its impressive that


In other words

This detail/fact is included because
Ultimately...

This is a valid argument because
The reason this is important is...

This is a valid point/detail because

Use these words to have a varied vocabulary:

as a result
finally
to sum up
in conjunction
it states
it illustrates
although

on the other hand

others may say
said
therefore
we learn
ultimately
to close

but
secondly
some may say
for example
in other words

Introduction
Hook
Introduce the issue
State your claim

Example Paragraph:

Its eight oclock in the morning and Jane is just rolling out of bed. In many cities across
the United States, this means that Jane is running extremely late for school. However, Janes
school has adopted a late start time, and doesnt begin until nine. School start times are a
buzzword in education today, causing state legislatures and districts to examine their policies
Most school districts have a line about the best education for each child in their mission
statement, and many are researching and learning in an effort to determine what the best
course of action will be. If schools move to a later start time, they will find increased
performance, better attendance, and higher engagement rates.


Body Paragraphs
Topic sentence (reason)
Subreason
Evidence
Commentary/explanation
Subreason
Evidence
Commentary/explanation
Shoelace transitions/concluding sentences

The primary reason for a later start time is that doing so will increase student performance. One
way changing the school start time will increase performance, is that students will be able to
focus more in school. According to the National Sleep Foundation, Teens spend a great portion
of each day in school; however, they are unable to maximize the learning opportunities afforded
by the education system, since sleep deprivation impairs their ability to be alert, pay attention,
solve problems, cope with stress and retain information (Backgrounder: Later School Start
Times, 2016). In the current system, students are not able to take full advantage of their time in
school because they are fighting sleep deprivation. If teens were able to get enough sleep, they
would be able to learn more effectively, and in turn achieve more. Another reason that sleep
would enhance school performance is because the human brain stores and processes
information during sleep. An article titled, What Happens in the Brain During Sleep? published
by Scientific American, illustrates this point. According to the article, Sleep serves to reenergize
the body's cells, clear waste from the brain, and support learning and memory (2017). In order
for students to retain the information that they learn during the day, they need sleep. Without
enough sleep, the brain cannot perform its job properly. Though school performance is a crucial
reason that schools should start later, there are many other factors to consider.

Counterclaim Paragraph
State the opposing opinion (Some may say..)
Validate that opinion with evidence
Commentary/evidence explanation
Provide a rebuttal by using evidence that supports your claim
Commentary/evidence explanation
Shoelace transition

Opponents of a later start time argue that starting school later will cause a transportation
nightmare. In an article titled, Pros and Cons of Later School Start Times, Leigh Ann Morgan
comments that Many school districts use the same buses for elementary school students as
they do for high school students (2017). Disrupting the schedule could mean that school
districts need to hire additional bus drivers, or adjust the time for all schools, not just high
schools. However, there are solutions to this problem that are easy to implement. According to
the National Sleep Foundation, One solution that has worked to solve this problem is flipping
start times, most commonly elementary with high school. This solution requires no extra buses

or drivers, just a change in the order of pickups. This schedule also seems to be more
appropriate to elementary school students sleep schedules, because young children tend to
wake up earlier in the morning (Eight Major Obstacles to Delaying School Start Times, 2017).
By simply flipping the pick-up times, all students are given the chance to start the day right.
Although solutions will take a great deal of planning, they are extremely feasible.

Conclusion
Restate your claim (different words)
Summarize main points
Provide a so what? (Why should we care? Call to action)

In a world where test scores and knowledge are of paramount importance, school districts
should do all they can to make school an environment conducive to learning. One way to create
this kind of environment is to move to a later start time for middle and high schools. This change
will require creativity and planning within individual districts, but will pay great dividends in terms
of performance, attendance, and engagement. It will take work, but most good things do.
Changing school start times means changing the future, and investing in our students futures
will change the world.