Teacher’s Guide
Drafting Board: Voting Age
Time Needed: 3 to 5 class periods
Learning Objectives. Students will be able to:
 Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons
Materials Needed:
 Computers or tablets with internet
access (external keyboard helpful with

iCivics student usernames/passwords
Student worksheets
Challenge Mode Guide (for yourself)
Claim Creator Help Guide (for yourself)
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tablets)
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
Copy Instructions:
and relevant evidence.
Draw evidence from informational texts to support
analysis and reflection
Organize reasons and evidence logically
Develop a counterclaim
Use words and phrases to create cohesion and clarify
the relationships among claim(s), counterclaims,
reasons, and evidence
Produce clear and coherent writing with appropriate
development, organization, and style
 Brainstorm or Mind Map pre-write


 Describe the importance of voting
 Identify characteristics of informed voters
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activity (half-sheet; class set)
Glossary (1 page; class set)
Evidence Guide (4 pages; class set)
Progress Tracker (3 pages; class set)
Peer Edit Guide (half-sheet; class set)
STEP BY STEP
TEACHER PREP
A few easy steps will make the Drafting Board experience go smoothly:
 Make sure your students know their iCivics.org usernames and passwords.
 Preview the Challenge Mode Guide. Decide which level is best for most of your
class, and plan which students you will assign a more or less challenging level.
 Preview and choose a pre-writing activity for the class to complete.
 Copy all needed materials.
 TELL
students that in this version of Drafting Board, they will be writing about whether
the legal age for voting should be lowered.
 DISTRIBUTE
the pre-writing activity to the class and give five minutes for the students to
brainstorm. When the time is up, you may ask students to share with the class.
 PRETEACH
the vocabulary if you wish, using the printable glossary. (Glossary words are
highlighted and accessible within Drafting Board itself.)
 DISTRIBUTE
one Progress Tracker and one Evidence Guide to each student.
 SHOW
students where to write their usernames and passwords on the Progress Tracker.
 PREVIEW
the objectives for each tool and explain that this is a multi-day tool that will
take a number of class periods. The Progress Tracker will help them keep track of
each visit to Drafting Board. (Don’t worry, Drafting Board will remember where
they left off.)
 WRITE
on the board or tell students which scaffolding level you want most of the class to
use. Tell them you will circulate to let individual students know if they should
choose a different level. (Be prepared with your Challenge Mode Guide!)
This guide is part of Drafting Board by iCivics, Inc. a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing civic education. For more resources, please visit
www.icivics.org/teachers, where you can access the state standards aligned to this lesson plan. Provide feedback to [email protected].
©2012 iCivics, Inc. You may copy, distribute, or transmit this work for noncommercial purposes if you credit iCivics. All other rights reserved.
Teacher’s Guide
Drafting Board: Voting Age
 ASK
students to log in and launch Drafting Board. The first screen will ask them to
select the challenge mode.
 CIRCULATE
to assign individual challenge modes if you wish (do this immediately) and to
monitor students’ progress and help students as needed. ** This is important!
** Drafting Board is not a game. Students will not benefit as much if they speed
through the tool unsupervised.
 CLOSE
each day by giving the students a 3 minute warning and asking them to note on
the Progress Tracker where they left off. Collect packets for the next Drafting
Board session.
 REVIEW
student progress each day. Intervene either with the whole class or with individual
students if necessary.
 PRINT
or export student essays once they have finished Drafting Board to prepare for the
student editing activity.
 DISTRIBUTE
a peer editing half sheet to each student. (optional)
 PAIR
students and have them exchange essays for peer editing. Tell students to follow
the directions on the half sheet, or have students peer edit according to methods
you have previously taught.
A FEW IMPORTANT REMINDERS...
Drafting Board is not a game. You can put your kids in front of Drafting Board and walk away, but
you probably won’t like the results. Teachers who get the most out of Drafting Board make use of the
supplemental printed materials and circulate the room while students are working. This way, you can be
available to prompt students who have questions and you can make sure students are doing their best
work in the free-response portions of the essay. Using the support materials to facilitate discussions on
the topic and the writing process reinforces the experiences students have with Drafting Board.
Student finish times will vary. Each module inside Drafting Board will take between 10 and 20
minutes, but students may progress at a faster or slower pace.
 For students who finish early: Assign the game Cast Your Vote on iCivics.org, which
simulates the kinds of issues people consider when deciding whom to vote for.
 For students lagging behind: Students need internet access in order to finish Drafting
Board. Students with internet access outside school can log in and work remotely from home
or from a library. Otherwise, you may need to help students find additional computer access
at school.
Reports are available through your MyiCivics account from the Drafting Board page. By
clicking “View Report,” you can follow your students’ progress while they are still working on Drafting
Board. Once they are finished, you can print or download their essays and you can view or download a
spreadsheet that shows you how well they did at matching the evidence.
This guide is part of Drafting Board by iCivics, Inc. a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing civic education. For more resources, please visit
www.icivics.org/teachers, where you can access the state standards aligned to this lesson plan. Provide feedback to [email protected].
©2012 iCivics, Inc. You may copy, distribute, or transmit this work for noncommercial purposes if you credit iCivics. All other rights reserved.
** Teacher Guide **
VOTING AGE
CHALLENGE MODE GUIDE
The first screen of Drafting Board asks students to select a challenge mode. The challenge mode
determines how much scaffolding Drafting Board provides in the Paragraph Constructor module, which
is the part of Drafting Board where students write the essay’s three body paragraphs. There are three
(3) possible scaffolding types:
 Auto-complete. This is the highest level of scaffolding. The paragraph is pre-written and
contains blank spaces. As students click highlighted sentences in the evidence, Drafting Board
auto-completes the space. Students must determine if the auto-complete response makes sense.
 Paraphrase. This is the mid-level scaffolding. The paragraph is pre-written and contains blank
areas. Based on the evidence, students must complete the blank areas in their own words.
 Write-it-yourself. This level offers no scaffolding. Except for the topic sentence, students write
the paragraph completely on their own based on information in the evidence.
Challenge
Mode
Use this mode when...
Paragraph Paragraph Paragraph
1
2
3
 Student needs to learn the structure of an
DEFAULT
evidence-based argumentative paragraph
 Student will be ready to write a paragraph
Autocomplete
Paraphrase
Write-ityourself
Autocomplete
Paraphrase
Paraphrase
Paraphrase
Paraphrase
Paraphrase
Paraphrase
Paraphrase
Write-ityourself
Paraphrase
Write-ityourself
Write-ityourself
Write-ityourself
Write-ityourself
Write-ityourself
without help after two examples
 Student needs to learn the structure of an
evidence-based argumentative paragraph
LEVEL 1
 Student needs a structured example before
attempting to locate information in a text and
synthesize ideas independently
 Student needs to learn the structure of an
LEVEL 2
evidence-based argumentative paragraph
 Student can locate information in a text and
synthesize ideas independently
 Student needs to learn the structure of an
evidence-based argumentative paragraph
LEVEL 3
 Student will be ready to write a paragraph
without help after completing two examples with
help
 Student is familiar with the structure of an
LEVEL 4
evidence-based argumentative paragraph
 Student could use a reminder of that structure
before writing paragraphs without help
 Student understands the structure of an
argumentative paragraph
LEVEL 5
 Student is familiar with Drafting Board
 Student needs no help writing evidence-based
paragraphs
Drafting Board | Challenge Mode Guide
** Teacher Guide **
VOTING AGE
Claim Creator: Help for Struggling Students
In the main part of the Claim Creator, students must find two
pieces of evidence to support each of their reasons.
 AUDIO BUTTONS in Drafting Board let students listen to a
read-aloud version of the evidence and their reasons.
 HOVER DEFINITIONS in the evidence explain difficult words.
 GUIDING QUESTIONS (below) help you direct students to
the correct evidence. First give them the key words and
phrases to look for, then use the last two questions to help
them narrow down the options.
CLAIM: The voting age should be lowered to 16.
Reason
Key Words & Guiding Questions
 Key words and phrases: sales tax; money; spending
Young people pay taxes, so
they should have a say in how
those taxes are spent.
 Is there any piece of evidence that tells how much teens pay
in sales tax every year? (Diggin’ the Issues with Leah)
 Is there an example of a teen complaining about paying taxes
but not having any say what they’re used for? (Tara Milan,
Student)
 Key words and phrases: lifelong voters; care about the world
Allowing 16-year-olds to vote
will help them become adults
that are engaged with
society.
 Does any of the evidence claim that people are more likely to
become lifelong voters if they vote in the first election they’re
eligible for? (Eyeing the Issues with Ivan)
 Is there a piece of evidence that stresses how much we need
kids to care about the world around them? And claims voting
will help with that? (Speech: Sen. Rick Rivera)
 Key words and phrases: drive; get a job; the draft; fight for
Sixteen-year-olds are
considered mature enough
for many important
responsibilities. .
their country
 Is there any example of a student talking about the other
things the government says he’s old enough to do? (Jason
McShane, Student)
 Are there any pieces of evidence that tell us about the time the
voting age was lowered to 18? (History Minute)
 Key words and phrases: teens suffer as much as adults; laws
Sixteen-year-olds are
affected by government
decisions, so they should be
able to influence the
government.
aimed at teenagers
 Where in the evidence do you see a list of issues that affect
kids as much as adults? (TeenBlog: Three Hot Issues!)
 Does any of the evidence list laws that are aimed directly at
teenagers? (Article: Bills Target Teens)
Drafting Board | Claim Creator Help Guide p.1
** Teacher Guide **
VOTING AGE
(Claim Creator: Help for Struggling Students, cont.)
CLAIM: The voting age should not be lowered to 16.
Reason
Key Words & Guiding Questions
 Key words and phrases: civics education; civics class; boring
Sixteen-year-olds don't
understand or care about
government.
 Does any evidence show how students performed on a civics
assessment? (Study: Civics Education)
 Have any students used social media to complain that civics
class is boring? (Twitter: #civicsclass)
 Key words and phrases: political views; ads; advertisements
Young people are easily
influenced by outside forces
such as parents and the
media.
 Is there any evidence that claims teens take on the same
political views as their parents? (Poll: Parents & Political Views)
 Does any of the evidence claim teens have misconceptions
about advertising? (Issues Week)
 Key words and phrases: teen brain; fully developed
 Is the human brain fully developed by age 16? (“Tough Talk”
Sixteen-year-olds are too
immature to vote.
with Tracy)
 Is there a study that shows teens have to think longer than
adults do about obvious questions? (Study: Teens Brain
Research)
 Key words and phrases: inexperienced; real life
 Are there any adults with strong opinions about whether teens
A person who is only 16 does
not have enough life
experience to be a voter.
have enough experience to vote? (Frank Warren, Grandparent)
 Is there any evidence showing teens that didn’t know the
answers to basic questions about the way life works? (The
Nightowl Show)
Additional, built-in Claim Creator “help” features:

“DOES THIS MAKE SENSE?” POPUP lets students check their reason against a summary of the evidence they are about to match before they assign the evidence.

“REMOVE” BUTTONS let students change their mind after they have matched evidence to a reason.

END-OF-TOOL FEEDBACK tells students which pieces of evidence have been mismatched, but only
after they have chosen evidence for each reason.

HINTS guide students toward the correct evidence as part of the end-of-tool feedback.
Drafting Board | Claim Creator Help Guide p.2
GLOSSARY: VOTING AGE
accurate: True, correct, factual
advocate: Someone who supports or defends a
cause
Amendment: "Amend" means to change; an
Amendment refers to an official change to the
United States Constitution.
civics: The study of the rights and duties of citizens
consequence: The natural result or effect of
something that happened
deduct: To subtract; in this case, to subtract from
the amount of taxes a person owes to the
government
election: A public vote, usually to choose elected
officials or to approve or reject certain kinds of
proposed laws
eligible: Qualified or allowed to do something
empowered: Given the ability to act or do
something
engaged: Involved in something
incompetent: Unqualified or lacking the ability to
do something
health insurance policy: An agreement between a
person and a health insurance company, where the
person pays a fee and the company agrees to pay
certain medical costs of the person becomes ill
HMO: "Health Maintenance Organization"; a type
of health insurance that keeps costs down by
restricting how a person can access health services
legislator: Lawmaker
manipulate: To influence or control unfairly; to take
advantage of
mature: Full-grown, fully developed, showing the
qualities of an adult
mortgage interest: A mortgage is a loan for the
purpose of buying a home; interest is the fee the
borrower must pay for the privilege of borrowing
money
motive: The reason why something was done; the
reason behind an action
national defense: The United States' strategy for
defending itself against foreign threats, including
the thought process behind the strategy
obvious: Easily seen or understood
political advertisement: An advertisement paid for
by a candidate or a group in favor of a candidate or
issue, designed to influence voters' opinions
political issues: Situations or subjects that are in
dispute and that affect the nation or society, and
that involve the government or government
officials
political process: The public process of choosing
leaders and making decisions that affect the
government and society
political views: A person's opinions about the
government's role in society and the world
poll: A survey to gather the opinions from a small
group of people in order to determine the opinions
of a much larger group.
PPO: "Preferred Provider Organization"; a type of
health insurance that generally allows the freedom
to choose which doctor to see and what health
services to seek.
proficient: Having knowledge or skill
researcher: A person involved in scientific or
scholarly investigation of a subject
retirement: The period of a person's life after he or
she has permanently stopped being employed at a
job
sales tax: An extra fee the government may add to
the price of goods that are sold; the money is used
to support the government
statistics: Numbers-based information that has
been collected about a particular subject
taxpayer: A person who is required to pay money to
support the government
U.S. Congress: The lawmaking body of the United
States, made up of the House of Representatives
and the Senate; the legislative branch of United
States government
U.S. Constitution: The founding document that
established the government of the United States
and that is still followed as the supreme law of our
nation
Vietnam War: Between the years 1954 - 1975, the
military conflict between Communist North
Vietnam and non-Communist South Vietnam, in
which 58,000 American soldiers were killed
views: Opinions
voter turnout: The number of voters who actually
voted in an election
Drafting Board | Glossary
Voting Age
Name:
Brainstorm. Read the prompt below and brainstorm as many answers as you can think of until your
teacher tells you to stop. Make notes quickly, and don’t worry about spelling. Use the back for more space.
What makes a person a responsible voter?
Drafting Board | Pre-Write Activity (Brainstorm)
Voting Age
Name:
Brainstorm. Read the prompt below and brainstorm as many answers as you can think of until your
teacher tells you to stop. Make notes quickly, and don’t worry about spelling. Use the back for more space.
What makes a person a responsible voter?
Drafting Board | Pre-Write Activity (Brainstorm)
Voting Age
Name:
Mind Map! Think about the term in the center of the page. BRAINSTORM all the ideas you can think of
that are related to this word. BOX each idea you add and DRAW A LINE to connect it to the main phrase
(or to another idea you added). KEEP BRAINSTORMING until you run out of room or time.
Voting
Drafting Board | Pre-Write Activity (Mind Map)
Voting Age
Name:
Mind Map! Think about the term in the center of the page. BRAINSTORM all the ideas you can think of
that are related to this word. BOX each idea you add and DRAW A LINE to connect it to the main phrase
(or to another idea you added). KEEP BRAINSTORMING until you run out of room or time.
Voting
Drafting Board | Pre-Write Activity (Mind Map)
EVIDENCE: VOTING AGE
“DIGGIN’ THE ISSUES” WITH LEAH
SPEECH: SEN. RICK RIVERA
Leah: Today on the show, I'm talking with Sandy
Nelson, an advocate for teen rights. Sandy, you
say the voting age should be lowered to sixteen?
That seems young.
Sandy: What we're really talking about is a whole
group of taxpayers who don't have
representation in government.
Leah: I never thought of teens as taxpayers.
Sandy: Most people don't. But the fact is teens
spend nearly two-hundred billion dollars per year.
Leah: Wow! That's some superhuman shopping.
Sandy: It also adds up to big-time taxes. Right
now, the average sales tax in the United States is
nine-point-zero percent. That means teens pay
about nineteen-point-two billion dollars in sales
taxes every year. Should they have a say in how
the government spends that money?
I completely support lowering the voting age to
sixteen. Letting sixteen-year-olds vote will give
them a reason to care. We need kids who are
empowered, active, and engaged. We need kids
who will grow up to care about the world around
them. I've always said so. We can't expect kids to
care about the world around them if they're shut
out of the political process. We need to let them
in -- today, right now, starting with this year's
election!
“EYEING THE ISSUES” WITH IVAN
TARA MILAN, STUDENT
All I'm saying is this is totally unfair. I work hard at
my job to earn my own money to buy things -- and
I buy a lot of stuff. Last week, I bought a pair of
jeans for eighty-five dollars, and I paid more than
eight dollars in taxes. And I'll tell you what, most
weekends I spend a whole lot more than eightyfive dollars. I want to know why the government
thinks it can take my money without giving me
any say over what it's used for.
Ivan: Today, I'm talking with Bob Peterson, a high
school social studies teacher who thinks kids are
ready to vote.
Bob: That's right. If we lower the voting age to
sixteen, we can teach kids to become lifelong
voters.
Ivan: I've heard voter turnout among eighteen- to
thirty-year-olds is pretty low. Are you saying
lowering the voting age could help.
Bob: Absolutely. Statistics show that young
people are more likely to become lifelong voters if
they vote in the first election they're eligible for. If
the voting age is lowered to sixteen, schools can
help make sure that sixteen-year-olds vote in
their first election.
Drafting Board | Evidence Guide p.2
EVIDENCE: VOTING AGE p. 2
JASON MCSHANE, STUDENT
TEENBLOG: THREE HOT ISSUES!
Look. I'm sixteen, but I get that I'm only a kid.
Maybe I'm not even that mature. I mean, I still
love cartoons. But there are a lot of things I'm
allowed to do that are just as big a deal as voting.
Apparently, the government thinks I'm old
enough to drive, get a job, or even get married if
my parents say it's okay. There's a lot of
responsibility in those things. Why is voting so
different?
Every day, the government is making decisions
that affect teenagers. Lots of political issues
affect kids just as much as they affect adults. Here
are three examples:
 National defense. A terrorist bomb won't
injure adults but leave teens unharmed.
 Gun laws. Lots of teens like to go hunting with
their families. Teens also attend schools
where, too often, shootings occur.
 Climate change. If the polar ice caps melt, will
only adults get their feet wet? I don't think so.
Teens suffer just as much as adults if incompetent
politicians are elected to office and make bad
decisions.
ARTICLE: BILLS TARGET TEENS
“HISTORY MINUTE” ON PUBLIC RADIO
In nineteen seventy-one, the twenty-sixth
Amendment to the U.S. Constitution lowered the
voting age from twenty-one to eighteen. America
had been intensely involved in the Vietnam War
for more than six years. Nearly fifty-four
thousand American soldiers had died. Beginning
at age eighteen, American men were subject to
the draft, which forced them to join the military.
Often, they ended up in Vietnam. Many wondered
why eighteen-year-olds were old enough to be
drafted into the military and fight for their
country, but not old enough to vote for the people
making decisions about the war. In support of the
twenty-sixth Amendment, they chanted, "Old
enough to fight, old enough to vote!"
Think laws don't affect teenagers? Think again.
Here are just a handful of laws from across the
nation that are aimed directly at teenagers:
 In twenty-twelve, the U.S. Congress
considered a bill to prevent child abuse in
residential treatment programs or boot
camps for troubled teens. It passed the House
but failed in the Senate.
 Many states either have or are considering
laws to help educate teens about dating
violence. In some states, these laws have
failed.
 California made it a crime to create a fake
social media account in order to bully or
harass someone online.
 In Wisconsin, some legislators want to build
more emergency shelters where homeless
teens can spend the night. They are hoping to
increase state funding for this purpose.
Drafting Board | Evidence Guide p.4
EVIDENCE: VOTING AGE p. 3
“ISSUES WEEK” ON PEOPLE’S TELEVISION
TWITTER: #CIVICSCLASS
Host: My guest tonight is Sue Quinn. She is
concerned that if 16-year-olds are allowed to
vote, they will be easily manipulated by political
ads. Ms. Quinn, why is that?
Ms. Quinn: There’s been research showing that
teens don’t understand the motives behind
advertisements. They don’t question what the ads
are trying to do.
Host: Can you give some examples?
Ms. Quinn: Sure. Interviews showed that teens
didn’t realize the people in the ads they saw were
paid actors.
Host: Wow.
Ms. Quinn: They also thought a famous athlete
got to be in an ad as a reward for being good at his
sport. They didn’t believe he was getting paid.
Host: Amazing. So, does that suggest that teens
are likely to believe political ads are good sources
of information about candidates?
Ms. Quinn: It sure does. They might not question
where the information is coming from or whether
it’s accurate.
A quick check on Twitter shows exactly how
today’s teens feel about civics class -- the place
where they are supposed to be learning about
how our government works. Check out these
Tweets. Do they sound like teens who care about
government?
 Civics is the most boring class ever
#fallingasleep #someonesaveme
 Why do we need to learn civics??
#wasteofmytime
 Every day in civics I stare at the clock waiting
for class to end #getmeoutofhere
 and the point of civics class is...?
STUDY: CIVICS EDUCATION
POLL: PARENTS & POLITICAL VIEWS
In 2010, students in 4th, 8th, and 12th grade took
the National Assessment of Educational Progress.
This exam tested a variety of subjects, including
civics. Results showed that most teens have only a
basic understanding of civics:
A 2005 Gallup poll asked U.S. teenagers between
ages 13 and 17 the following question: “Thinking
about social and political issues, how do your
views compare to those of your parents? Are your
views more conservative, more liberal, or about
the same?” The data show that 71% of the teens
reported having “about the same” views as their
parents. Only 28% reported being more
conservative or liberal than their parents. Experts
believe this is partly because many teens don’t
know what their personal political views are. As a
result, teens often adopt their parents’ or other
relatives’ views as their own.
Grade
Basic
Proficient
Advanced
4
77%
27%
2%
8
72%
22%
1%
12
64%
24%
4%
Drafting Board | Evidence Guide p.1
EVIDENCE: VOTING AGE p. 4
FRANK WARREN, GRANDPARENT
“TOUGH TALK” WITH TRACY
Letting 16-year-olds vote is the worst idea I’ve
heard in my entire life. That’s just what we need -millions of inexperienced teenagers making
decisions about our country. Talk about a recipe
for disaster! I’ve had to provide for my family,
raise kids, save for retirement, all that kind of
stuff. I watch the news, I pay attention to what’s
going on in the world. Do they? Heck, no. Those
kids are just sitting around on their cell phones
and playing their video games. They don’t know
enough to be voters!
Tracy: This week we’re talking to Dr. Harvey
Sands about the teen brain. Dr. Sands, it feels a
little ridiculous to say the words “teen” and
“brain” in the same sentence.
Dr. Sands: Now, now, Tracy... Teens do have
brains. They’re just not fully developed yet.
Tracy: Explain.
Dr. Sands: The human brain is only half matured at
age 18. It doesn’t fully mature until age 25.
Tracy: That means a 16-year-old brain isn’t even
half mature?
Dr. Sands: Correct. All kinds of changes take place
in the brain during this time. For example, the part
of the brain that plans ahead and thinks about the
future consequences of decisions is still growing.
Tracy: Well, that explains a lot.
“THE NIGHTOWL SHOW” WITH ROSS
Ross: This afternoon we hit the streets to talk to
kids about real life. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, we
wanted to find out just how much kids know
about the way life works -- and, well... Just watch
for yourself.
Ross (on the street): Hey! Excuse me... Maybe
you could help me out. I’m thinking of buying a
house instead of renting, ‘cause you know, I’ve
heard you can deduct your mortgage interest, but
I’m wondering-- You look confused. You do know
what mortgage interest is, right?
Kids: (shaking their heads)
Ross: All right, I’m going to try these kids over
here. Pardon me! Excuse me... Listen, I’m trying to
decide whether to buy my own health insurance
policy. My job offers a plan, but it’s an HMO and I
really want a PPO-- You look confused. Um, you
do know what a PPO is?
Kids: (staring at Ross)
Ross (back in the studio): There you have it, folks. I
sure am glad these kids aren’t voting about issues
like taxes and health care!
STUDY: TEEN BRAIN RESEARCH
A study in 2006 aimed to find out why teenagers
do stupid things. Researchers asked hundreds of
teenagers some pretty obvious questions:
 Is it a good thing to set your hair on fire?
 Is it a good idea to drink drain cleaner?
 Should you swim where sharks are swimming?
Researchers found that both teens and adults
were equally likely to answer “No.” The
difference? Adults answered immediately, while
teens had to pause for a split-second and think
before answering. In addition, instruments
measured more parts of the teen brain lighting up
during the teens’ answers. This suggested that
teens had to think through the same things that
are obvious to adults.
Drafting Board | Evidence Guide p.4
TOPIC: VOTING AGE
Use this worksheet to keep track of your progress in Drafting Board.
Name
Class
iCivics Username
iCivics Password
Issue Analyzer
In the Issue Analyzer, you will investigate
both sides of the issue. By filling in the
missing pieces of a news article, you’ll get
to preview some of the evidence you’ll use
to write your essay. You’ll also get to know
the issue!
Claim Creator
In the Claim Creator, you will choose three
reasons to support the claim you made at
the end of the Issue Analyzer. These reasons
will become the topics of your three main
paragraphs. You’ll also search your evidence
to find support for each reason.
 READ the article’s introduction
 CHOOSE your reasons
 COMPLETE the story chunks
 FAVORITE your strongest reason
 CORRECT any mistakes
 FIND two pieces of evidence that
support each reason
 CHOOSE a side of the issue
Date Completed: _________________
Date Completed: _________________
Use this space to write down the basics of your essay.
Choose a Side: Should the voting age be lowered to 16?
 Yes
 No
My Claim: ____________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
Drafting Board | Progress Tracker p.1
VOTING AGE
Name:
Paragraph Constructor — Paragraph #1
The Paragraph Constructor helps you write the main “body” paragraphs of your essay.
Each paragraph starts with one of your reasons.
Paragraph type:
 USE YOUR EVIDENCE to complete the paragraph
 Auto-fill
 MAKE SURE your paragraph supports why the reason is true
 Fill-in-the-blank
 ADD TRANSITIONS to connect your ideas
 Write from scratch
 RE-READ the paragraph to be sure it makes sense
 EDIT the paragraph to add your ideas or correct mistakes
 EVALUATE how well you wrote the paragraph
Date Completed: ____________________
Paragraph Constructor — Paragraph #2
The Paragraph Constructor helps you write the main “body” paragraphs of your essay.
Each paragraph starts with one of your reasons.
Paragraph type:
 USE YOUR EVIDENCE to complete the paragraph
 Auto-fill
 MAKE SURE your paragraph supports why the reason is true
 Fill-in-the-blank
 ADD TRANSITIONS to connect your ideas
 Write from scratch
 RE-READ the paragraph to be sure it makes sense
 EDIT the paragraph to add your ideas or correct mistakes
 EVALUATE how well you wrote the paragraph
Date Completed: ____________________
Paragraph Constructor — Paragraph #3
The Paragraph Constructor helps you write the main “body” paragraphs of your essay.
Each paragraph starts with one of your reasons.
Paragraph type:
 USE YOUR EVIDENCE to complete the paragraph
 Auto-fill
 MAKE SURE your paragraph supports why the reason is true
 Fill-in-the-blank
 ADD TRANSITIONS to connect your ideas
 Write from scratch
 RE-READ the paragraph to be sure it makes sense
 EDIT the paragraph to add your ideas or correct mistakes
 EVALUATE how well you wrote the paragraph
Date Completed: ____________________
SELF-EVALUATION CHECKLIST: Did you . . .
 Use several details to explain how each piece of evidence supports your reason?
 Put the ideas from the evidence into your own words?
 Read your paragraph out loud to make sure the ideas flow together and make sense?
Drafting Board | Progress Tracker p.2
VOTING AGE
Critic Crusher — Practice Paragraph
The Critic Crusher shows you how to
“counter” an argument for the other side of
the issue. The first part walks you through
each sentence in the paragraph. Pay close
attention! You’ll have less help next time.
Name:
Critic Crusher — Essay Paragraph
Now you’ll crush their reason again, but
you’ll use different evidence. This paragraph
will appear in your essay. Remember the
purpose of each sentence:
 “SMACK DOWN” their reason
 FIND the other side’s claim
 COUNTER their evidence with yours
 CHOOSE a reason to “crush”
 POINT TO A DETAIL in your evidence
 “SMACK DOWN” their reason
 DELIVER the final “crusher” sentence
 COUNTER their evidence with yours
 POINT TO A DETAIL in your evidence
 DELIVER the final “crusher” sentence
Introduction Introducer
In the Introduction Introducer, you will
learn how to grab the reader’s attention at
the very start of your essay. You will learn
the format for an effective introduction
paragraph.
 CATEGORIZE the five hooks
 CHOOSE a hook & bridge pair
 READ your intro paragraph
 ADD transitions
 EDIT the paragraph
Date Completed: _________________
Date Completed: _________________
“HOOK” CATEGORIES
Background Info: Offer historical information or a
piece of deeper information about the issue
Statistics: Give numbers or data, especially if the
numbers will shock or surprise the reader
Quote: Use a famous person’s exact words
Question: Ask something the reader may not have
thought about
Scenario: Make the reader imagine something
Conclusion Crafter
In the Conclusion Crafter, you will learn the
structure for an effective closing paragraph.
You’ll learn how to end your essay with
information your reader wont’ forget.
 RESTATE your claim
“CLINCHER” CATEGORIES
 RESTATE your reasons
Consequences: Show the reader what might happen
if your side of the issue is not successful
Statistics: Give numbers or data that show once and
for all that your side is right!
Quote: Use a famous person’s exact words to make
a final point in favor of your side
Next Steps: Tell the reader what should be done
next to further your cause
 CATEGORIZE the clincher sentences
 CHOOSE a clincher for your essay
 ADD transitions
 EDIT the paragraph
Date Completed: _________________
Drafting Board | Progress Tracker p.3
Peer Editing
Name:
1) GIVE COMPLIMENTS. Mark places in the
text where the writing is effective.
2) MAKE SUGGESTIONS. Offer specific ideas
for how to improve the writing.
Easy to Understand. Are there places where
Confusion. Are there confusing parts? Figure
the writing is really clear? Compliment the writer
on things like...
 Good use of details
 Effective organization of ideas
 Sticks to the topic — no unrelated ideas
out why you are confused. Should the writer...
 Add some details?
 Organize the ideas in a clearer sequence?
 Stick to the topic and cut ideas that don’t fit?
Word Choice. Could the writer spice up the
Great Words. Has the writer chosen some
writing by choosing more interesting words?
Mark boring words (such as bad or nice) so the
writer can find a more descriptive alternative.
words that really sparkle? Circle great word
choices and mark them with a star.
Sentence Flow. Does the writing read
smoothly? Mark places where the writer has...
 Used transitions effectively
 Used a variety of sentence lengths
 Done anything you think works well!
Sentence Flow. Does the writing read
smoothly? If not, figure out why:
 Do any sentences seem way too long?
Suggest a way to break them up.
 Are too many sentences really short?
Suggest a way to connect some of them.
3) MAKE CORRECTIONS. Check the essay for problems with spelling, grammar, sentence
structure, capitalization, punctuation, and other technical errors. Mark these on the text.
Drafting Board | Peer Edit Guide
Peer Editing
Name:
1) GIVE COMPLIMENTS. Mark places in the
text where the writing is effective.
2) MAKE SUGGESTIONS. Offer specific ideas
for how to improve the writing.
Easy to Understand. Are there places where
Confusion. Are there confusing parts? Figure
the writing is really clear? Compliment the writer
on things like...
 Good use of details
 Effective organization of ideas
 Sticks to the topic — no unrelated ideas
out why you are confused. Should the writer...
 Add some details?
 Organize the ideas in a clearer sequence?
 Stick to the topic and cut ideas that don’t fit?
Word Choice. Could the writer spice up the
Great Words. Has the writer chosen some
writing by choosing more interesting words?
Mark boring words (such as bad or nice) so the
writer can find a more descriptive alternative.
words that really sparkle? Circle great word
choices and mark them with a star.
Sentence Flow. Does the writing read
smoothly? Mark places where the writer has...
 Used transitions effectively
 Used a variety of sentence lengths
 Done anything you think works well!
Sentence Flow. Does the writing read
smoothly? If not, figure out why:
 Do any sentences seem way too long?
Suggest a way to break them up.
 Are too many sentences really short?
Suggest a way to connect some of them.
3) MAKE CORRECTIONS. Check the essay for problems with spelling, grammar, sentence
structure, capitalization, punctuation, and other technical errors. Mark these on the text.
Drafting Board | Peer Edit Guide