Writing prompt Grade 7 English Language Arts
Norbury's Aging Water Pipes: An Argument Writing Prompt
A grade 7 argument prompt where students take a position on whether a fictional town should raise rates to replace old water mains now, addressing a counterclaim.
Objectives
- Students will write an argument that states a claim and addresses a counterclaim.
- Students will support both the claim and rebuttal with evidence from the background.
Vocabulary
Key words: claim, counterclaim, rate increase, infrastructure
Teacher overview
Many towns run water through pipes that were buried generations ago, and those pipes are wearing out. This prompt puts students on the town council of a fictional town facing a hard money choice: raise water rates now to replace old mains, or wait and spend the money elsewhere. The task asks for a real argument, with a claim, evidence, and a fair counterclaim about cost. It fits a grade 7 unit on argument writing, where students first learn to address the other side.
Prompt
Background: Across the country, water pipes are old and breaking. Engineers grade the nation's water systems every four years. In the most recent report, drinking water systems earned a C-minus and wastewater systems a D-plus. A water main breaks somewhere in the country about every two minutes. Fixing the problem is costly. One national estimate says about 625 billion dollars is needed over 20 years to keep drinking water flowing, and most of that is for the pipes that carry water to homes.
The town of Norbury faces its own version of this problem. Its main water lines are old, and breaks have grown more common. A broken main floods streets, cuts off water, and costs money to repair each time. The town's engineer says Norbury should replace its oldest mains now, before more of them fail. Paying for the work would mean a rate increase, so every household's water bill would go up.
Not everyone agrees. Some residents say a rate increase would strain families who are already stretched. A widely used guideline, built by adding two EPA benchmarks, treats water and sewer costs above about 4.5 percent of household income as a high burden. Some Norbury families are near that line. These residents want the town to wait and keep bills low for now.
Writing task: Norbury's council is deciding whether to raise water rates to replace the town's aging mains now. Write an argument essay that states a clear claim on what Norbury should do. Support your claim with at least two pieces of evidence from the background. Address at least one counterclaim a resident might raise about cost, and explain why your position still holds.
Planning Organizer
| Category | Your notes |
|---|---|
| Claim (should Norbury raise rates to replace mains now?) | |
| Reason 1 and evidence from the background | |
| Reason 2 and evidence from the background | |
| Counterclaim a resident might raise | |
| Your rebuttal to the counterclaim | |
| Concluding statement |
From Water for Schools (waterforschools.org). This material is in the public domain (CC0) and may be copied, edited, and shared freely.
Exemplar & Rubric
Exemplar response:
Norbury should raise its water rates now to replace the town's oldest water mains, because waiting will only cost more later. The background makes the danger clear. A water main breaks somewhere in the country about every two minutes, and the nation's drinking water systems earned only a C-minus on their most recent report card. Norbury's own mains are old, and breaks are happening more often. Each break floods streets, shuts off water, and costs money to repair. Fixing the pipes before they fail is smarter than paying for emergency after emergency.
Some residents disagree, and their concern is fair. A rate increase would raise every household's bill. For families already spending close to 4.5 percent of their income on water and sewer, an increase could push them over what a widely used guideline calls a high burden. No one wants to make a bill harder to pay. But the cost of doing nothing lands on those same families. When a main breaks, the town spends more on the emergency repair, and residents lose water while it is fixed. A planned increase can be small and steady, while surprise repairs are large and sudden. The town could also offer a lower rate for families who need help, so the burden does not fall hardest on those who can least afford it.
Norbury should approve the rate increase and replace its aging mains now. The evidence shows the pipes are failing and the national need is huge, with about 625 billion dollars required over 20 years just to keep water flowing. Paying a little more now is a better choice than paying far more after the next break.
Rubric:
| Criterion | Emerging | Developing | Proficient | Advanced |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Claim | No clear position stated | States a position but it shifts or is vague | States one clear, consistent position | States a clear position and previews the reasoning |
| Evidence & reasoning | No evidence from the background | Restates one fact without explaining it | Uses at least two specific details and explains how each supports the claim | Uses two or more details and explains how each supports the claim, with clear reasoning |
| Counterclaim | No counterclaim addressed | Mentions an opposing view without a rebuttal | States a counterclaim and offers a rebuttal | States a counterclaim, rebuts it specifically, and ties the rebuttal back to the claim |
| Organization & conventions | Ideas are disconnected; frequent errors block meaning | Some organization; errors are noticeable | Clear paragraph structure; few errors | Purposeful structure with a strong conclusion; nearly error-free |
Differentiation
Support
Provide sentence starters for each organizer row ("One reason Norbury should ___ is ___, because the background says ___.") and allow the counterclaim and rebuttal to be written as two linked sentences.
Extension
Ask students to add a second counterclaim and rebuttal, such as the argument that the town should spend the money on a different project first, and to explain why aging pipes should come before that other need.
ELL supports
Pre-teach "claim," "counterclaim," and "rate increase" with simple definitions and one example each. Let students complete the Planning Organizer with short phrases before drafting, and provide a word bank of transitions for building the rebuttal.