“Indifference: What Is It, and Do I Really Care?”
A Media-Rich Lesson Plan
Submitted by Letha Brenner
Grade Level:
Grade 10
This unit could be modified to be taught in conjunction other relevant texts and to an older audience. Students should
have a solid background in researching and research writing; the ability to read complex texts, higher level thinking
skills, and competency in problem-solving.
Time Allotment:
Fifteen full and partial class periods (see specifics in lesson plans)
Overview:
As students read Night by Elie Wiesel, they will explore the concept of indifference, specifically as it applies to the
Holocaust. Such questions as “What does it mean to be indifferent?” and “What are the implications of indifference on
personal, social and governmental levels?” will be addressed. The final activity will be a four page position paper.
Prerequisites: Researching guidelines and tools, research writing, using in-text citations, and following MLA standards.
Goals:
 To broaden the student’s historical perspective
 To assist students in understanding the layers and consequences of indifference both historically and in present
day
 To allow students to grapple with their own moral responsibility
Activities:
o Read various texts: novel, speech, newspaper, archives, present-day text
o View and listen to digital media: personal narrative, speeches
Subject Matter:
This unit will analyze the concept and consequences of human indifference in correlation to the reading of Night by
Elie Wiesel.
Learning Objectives:
Studying written, visual and audio text, students will be able to:
 Read and view complex text
 Analyze complex text
 Compare and contrast positions
 Exercise complex thoughts to state and argue a position
 Use text evidence to support that position
 Organize all materials to write a position paper, correctly citing sources
Standards Met:
(North Dakota Common Core Standards)
RL.1
Cite textual evidence for analysis and inferences
RI.1
Cite textual evidence for analysis and inferences
RI.7
Analyze various accounts of subject through various mediums
RI.8
Delineate and evaluate argument and claims in text
W.1
Write arguments
W.2
Write informative texts to convey complex ideas
W.4
Writing: development, organization, style, audience, purpose
W.5
Writing: plan, revise, edit
W.7
Conduct short as well as more sustained research to solve a problem
W.8
Gather relevant information from multiple authoritative print/digital sources
W.9B.
Delineate and evaluate argument and claims
SL.1C
Pose and respond to questions that relate to the current discussion
L.1
Demonstrate command of conventions of grammar and usage in writing
L.2
Demonstrate command of conventions: capitalization, punctuation, spelling
L.3
Apply an understanding of syntax to the study of complex texts when reading
Digital Media Components:
Elie Wiesel: The Perils of Indifference - speech with written transcript
Presented in the East Room of the White House in 1999, this speech is part of the Millennium Lecture Series
hosted by President Bill Clinton and First Lady Hilary Rodham Clinton.
www.historyplace.com/speeches/wiesel.htm
Agnes Mandl Adachi: Rescue – Oral History - video with written transcript
Holocaust Encyclopedia Rescue: United States Holocaust Museum
This video is a personal account by a Holocaust survivor of rescue from Budapest.
www.ushmm.org
Downplaying the Holocaust - Sulzberger & NY Times: Anna Blech - persuasive speech
This TED Talk is focused on the U.S. media’s coverage of the Holocaust. It also
discusses the US citizens’ and the government’s role in the Holocaust.
http://tedxtalks.ted.com/video/Downplaying-the-Holucaust-Solz
Fighting Indifference: Looking at World Response to the Holocaust with Elie Wiesel by Eric Brassman –
journalism essay
The Morningside Review: Selected essays from the Columbia University Undergraduate Writing Program.
morningsidereview.org/
This piece looks at two different points of view regarding indifference. The author is close in age to sophomores
(a college undergrad).
Unit Lesson Plans:
Lesson Plan Day One – 15 min.
Objective: Understand definition of indifference; connect personally
Prep for Teachers:
o Put dictionary definition of indifference on interactive board
Materials:
 Night novel – one per student
Introductory Activity:
Role-Play:
 With the teacher playing a victim, ask for one student to role-play the bully.
 Direct the bully to hurl as many (school-appropriate) insults at the victim as
possible.
 Direct remainder of students to react as they normally would.
 Discuss Reactions/Feelings: i.e. powerless, angry, indifferent, etc.
Learning Activity:
 Show dictionary definition of indifference on interactive board.
 Direct students to write definition in their notebooks.
 Discuss as class: Where do we see indifference in our school and community?
Culminating Activity:
 Assign: Direct students to each write a journal entry: “I feel indifferent about
_________________ because…” (Hopefully they won’t write “this assignment”!)
Lesson Plan Day Two – 30 min.
Objective: Recognize indifference in history and in the present day
Prep for Teachers: Have examples of indifference marked in Night
Materials: novel
Introductory Activity:
 Ask students to share their journal entries. Compare and contrast situations and
reactions. Discuss responsibility.
Learning Activity:
 Divide students into small groups. Assign: In 10 minutes, find at least three
examples of indifference in the novel Night. Cite page and paragraph for easy
referencing.
 Regroup class and ask groups to share findings.
Culminating Activity:
 After noting school, community, and Holocaust examples of indifference in lessons
one and two, direct students to each research and find one example of global
indifference today, and send a short description to you on googledocs.
Lesson Plan Day Three – 50 min.
Objective: Examine moral responsibility through careful listening and close reading
Prep for Teachers:
 Compile student research descriptions
 Download following source – Elie Wiesel’s The Perils of Indifference
Materials:
 www.historyplace.com/speeches/wiesel.htm
Introductory Activity:
 Direct each student to summarize their present-day global indifference research as
classmates follow on interactive board.
 Generate discussion: “How did this happen?” and “What could people have done
differently?” and “What is your reaction to this event?”
Learning Activity:
 Explain to students that they’ll now read and listen to Elie Wiesel’s speech on
indifference.
 Direct students to take notes throughout.
 Discuss speech and student notes
Culminating Activity:
 Assigned Writing Activity: Direct students to write positions on whether or not
they agree with Elie Wiesel. Two in-text citations must support position.
Lesson Plan Day Four - 50 min.
Objectives: Read complex text; Compare and contrast
Prep for Teachers:
 Download Fighting Indifference: Looking at World Response to the Holocaust with Elie Wiesel
Materials:
 morningsidereview.org/
Introductory Activity:
 Explain that this article will further explore the idea of indifference by looking at
two different positions.
Learning Activity:
 Read the article together, stopping as needed for explanation and clarification.
 Direct students to highlight any areas of concern, interest, or needed clarification.
 After reading, discuss positions
Culminating Activity:
 Assign students to create a list of comparisons and contrasts between the two
positions. Send to googledocs.
Lesson Plan Day Five – 20 min.
Objective: Compare and contrast
Prep for Teachers:
 Clean up compare/contrast shared document, eliminating repeats, etc.
Materials:
 Handout #1: Questions to complete at home
Introductory Activity:
 Look at document again. Students should raise any other questions, concerns,
or need for clarification at this time.
Learning Activity:
 Go through shared compare/contrast list and direct students to continue “cleaning
up.” Goal: Clear and concise descriptions in final list.
 Send list to students’ accounts for future reference
Culminating Activity:
 Direct students to complete short answer questions on Handout #1 for tomorrow.
Lesson Plan Day Six – 30 min.
Objective: Understand consequences
Prep for Teachers:
 Download map of Budapest region
 Download following source Agnes Mandl Adachi: Rescue – Oral History
Materials:
 www.ushmm.org
Introductory Activity:
 Collect handout responses.
 Ask students if they personally know anyone who was/is a Holocaust survivor.
 Ask students if they personally know someone who has either benefitted or
suffered from indifference. Discuss.
 Show map of Budapest region
 Introduce Agnes Mandl Adachi
Learning Activity:
o Leave the lights on
 Play video of Agnes Mandl Adachi
 Direct students to take notes as they listen and watch
Culminating Activity:
 Direct students to write a journal entry: “What were the risks involved? Were the
results worth the risks? Be prepared to share your views tomorrow.
Lesson Plan Day Seven – 15 min.
Objective: Experience a local perspective
Prep for Teachers:
 none
Materials:
 none
Introductory Activity:
 Re-examine video narrative.
Learning Activity:
 Direct students to share journal entries.
 Guide discussion during and after readings.
Culminating Activity:
 Assign students to interview an adult re: his or her experience with indifference.
Get as many details as possible. Write a journal entry regarding that account.
Lesson Plan Day Eight – 40 min.
Objective: Widen the perspective to media, government
Prep for Teachers:
 Download Downplaying the Holocaust - Sulzberger & NY Times: Anna Blech
Materials:
 http://tedxtalks.ted.com/video/Downplaying-the-Holucaust-Solz
Introductory Activity:
 Students will share accounts of indifference. Characters may remain anonymous.
 Point out to students: We’ve talked mainly of indifference on an individual basis.
Today we’ll look at media, social, and governmental incidents.
Learning Activity:
 Watch video
 Eliminate visual for one minute so students can hear a sense of this person
 Pause video midway for discussion, clarification
 Direct students to write questions, points of interest or clarification as they view
Culminating Activity:
 Discuss: What are the moral responsibilities of the individual, the press, society,
and government leaders? Should there be exceptions?
Lesson Plan Day Nine – 15 min.
Objective: Take a position
Prep/Materials for Teachers:
 Review historical/current day materials
Introductory Activity:
 Explain to students that after looking at indifference from a historical and current
day perspective – on individual, societal, and governmental levels – it is time for
each of them to take a position.
Learning Activity:
 Consider your responses to the questions in Handout #2 before creating a thesis statement.
Culminating Activity:
 Direct students to write responses to Handout #2 questions and to come to
class with a well thought-out thesis statement.
Lesson Plan Day Ten – 30 min.
Objective: Review an effective outline
Prep for Teachers:
 Download and post Outline Format (attached) on interactive board
 Send outline format to students on googledocs
Materials:
 Outline example
Introductory Activity:
 Take a position example: Do as a class
 Direct students to take a position on mowing grass. Follow their lead (yes, grass
Should be mowed; no, grass should be left to grow).
Learning Activity:
 Together, come up with a working outline. Include supports and examples. From the introduction to the closing,
outline this subject/position together.
Culminating Activity:
 Direct each student to share their thesis statement on indifference with a partner
Ask students to look for clarity; precise and concise language, powerful words.
 Assign: Completed outline due tomorrow
Lesson Plans Days Eleven, Twelve, Thirteen and Fourteen*
Objectives: Express an opinion in formal writing; Follow the writing process from outline to final product
 Explain assignment to students:
o
Write a minimum four page position paper regarding indifference
o
Use MLA standards
o
Include minimum three in-text citations from materials studied in class
o
Use at least one in-text citation from other reliable and relevant source
o
20 minutes of class time will be set aside for writing for the next four
class periods.
o
Refer to Position Paper Rubric throughout the process (attached)
o
The final paper will be due on Day Fifteen
*Allow 15-20 minutes in each of these four class periods to check student progress in writing, from rough draft to final
copy. Include teacher assistance, peer review of writing conventions, and online conventions checks. Instructor should
check in-text citations for accuracy and correction citation.
Lesson Day Fifteen: Culminating Activity – 20 min.
 Direct students to turn in papers.
 Guide the class in a unit review unit using a shared google document on the interactive board. Use categories
such as pros, cons, highs, lows, “What I learned most from the research,” and “What I learned most in the
writing process.”
Cross-Curricular Extensions:
This unit would work well with the social sciences.
Community Connections:
Students will interview an adult citizen of the community.
Student Materials / Attachments:
1. Handout #1
2. Handout #2
3. Position Paper Outline Format
4. Position Paper Rubric
The
Morningside
Review
Fighting Indifference: Looking at World Response to
the Holocaust with Elie Wiesel
Eric Bressman
“The opposite of love is not hate, it’s indifference.”
—Elie Wiesel
01There exists a common misconception that the terms “World War II” and “The Holocaust” refer to the same period
in history. Though historical analysis might reveal that the Second World War had its roots in what were the early
stages of the Holocaust, that which made the war worthy of its worldly status did not truly begin until a number of
years later. By the time the United States and its allies finally launched a full scale attack against the Fascist powers in
1944, most of the genocide that the Nazis ultimately committed had already taken place, and many of the death camps
had long since closed down because there was simply no more killing to be done. What exactly was it, then, that took
the world so long to respond? And if the international community was truly unaware of what was taking place (a theory
which has long since been abandoned), why did the Europeans who were aware of but not subject to Nazi persecution
sit back and watch?
02In his speech “The Perils of Indifference,” Elie Wiesel addresses the question that underlies any discussion of the
world’s response to the atrocities of the Holocaust: “What is indifference?” (2). Essentially, his question raises two
separate but equally important issues: What motivates indifference, and what are its consequences? Martha C.
Nussbaum and Bruce Robbins, in their respective essays “Compassion and Terror” and “The Sweatshop Sublime,”
present the typical contemporary answers to these questions. It seems worthwhile, however, to take heed of the words
of wisdom that Wiesel, a Holocaust survivor, might have to offer given his experience. Analyzing the prevailing
approaches to these questions, from the perspective of two significantly different generations, ought to give deeper
insight into the concept of indifference, how it might explain the global response to the Holocaust, and, perhaps more
importantly, how it relates to the world today.
03Nussbaum expresses, in part, the more modern view on the causes of indifference in her essay “Compassion and
Terror.” Though she directly discusses the concept of compassion in the context of the events surrounding September
11th, her particular thoughts on the causes of this emotion are of equal relevance with regard to indifference.
Commenting on why Americans did not respond emotionally to the plight of Rwandans with the same intensity as they
did following September 11th, she writes, “suffering Rwandans could not be seen as part of the larger ‘us’ for whose
fate we trembled” (17). Nussbaum is of the belief that, among other causal factors, a sense of connectivity and
commonality is required between the victim and the onlooker for compassion to be aroused within the onlooker. If this
sense is lacking, the result will be a relative lack of compassion, which is one important element of indifference.
04Bruce Robbins, author of the essay “The Sweatshop Sublime,” would argue against Nussbaum’s point that a degree
of closeness is required for any feeling of compassion to develop. Compassion, Robbins claims, can be aroused
regardless of differences between the victim and the onlooker; it is simply the ability of compassion to affect action that
is affected by the degree of closeness. One might experience a “moment of consciousness,” as Robbins describes it, in
which one grasps the complexity of the division of labor and the inequality it engenders, but “this moment of
consciousness will not be converted into action” (84). While compassion or pity can be felt for people no matter their
nationality and social status, the crux of the issue is a different “tyranny of the close over the distant” (Robbins 86). The
problem, ultimately, as Robbins explains, is “that global commitments can emerge more or less organically and
continuously only from local, personal, familial commitments” (91). Though we may sympathize with the plight of
others, our willingness to assist them will only be an outgrowth of more personal, tangible issues that we have
committed ourselves to resolving. Thus, in Robbins’s terms it would seem indifference is not a lack of compassion, but
rather a lack of action.
05Though these are two very distinct aspects of the definition of indifference, it is important to note that either of these
elements could produce the same effect. A lack of compassion will never lead to action, and compassion without action
is of no help to the sufferer. Despite their differences, Robbins and Nussbaum can at least agree on what causes
indifference: a certain rift between the onlooker and the victim. A sense that the victim is different or distant ultimately
leads to a lack of compassion (in Nussbaum’s definition) or a lack of action (in Robbins’ definition), both of which
leave the victim helpless.
06Wiesel, representing the approach to indifference of generations past that have learned from history and experience,
could respond to this idea with several pieces of contradictory evidence. Most notably, how would the citizens of
Poland and Germany who claimed to bear no hatred for the victims of Nazi persecution fit into this definition? Were
these not their fellow citizens? Yet so many of them did not speak up or act and went on living their lives showing no
signs of sympathy for the suffering of others in their midst. In the city of Lublin, Poland, people literally lived with a
death camp in their backyard; if indifference can exist under such circumstances, then how can we define it as a
product of distance? Of course Nussbaum might retort that perhaps these people did feel compassion, though they did
not show it, and Robbins would say that the lack of action in this situation stemmed from a fear for their own lives. If
this is true, then Wiesel would want to know what there is to say for the response of the United States, which
presumably was not afraid of the Nazis. While the argument of distance and difference might apply, does it still hold in
the case of the St. Louis, for instance? As Wiesel explains, the St. Louis was a ship that requested refuge in the U.S.,
among other countries, and “its human cargo—maybe 1,000 Jews—was turned back to Nazi Germany” (4). Given a
blatant opportunity to prevent the suffering of one thousand people that were figuratively knocking at the country’s
door, the U.S. government sent them back with full knowledge of where it was sending them. Distance was most
definitely not an issue, and one might argue that difference is not a factor when one is in direct contact with the victim.
Then, according to Robbins and Nussbaum, why was the U.S. government so obviously indifferent?
07One might be inclined to say that this question is irrelevant to Robbins’s and Nussbaum’s definitions of indifference
altogether. It seems they are explaining the causes of indifference on the individual level, while Wiesel seeks to
understand its causes on the national level. Yet even Robbins and Nussbaum equate these two realms. Though they are
both clearly analyzing personal responses to certain issues, they frame their analyses in the context of discussions that
can only be understood on a national level. Nussbaum wants to know what factors caused the response, or lack thereof,
of Americans to the genocide in Rwanda. This question, while relevant on the individual level, only bears significance
in the context of the national; no one could realistically expect the individual to affect the situation in Rwanda, whereas
the collection of every individual response into what becomes the national one may have an impact. The same holds
true with regards to Robbins’s discussion of sweatshop labor. While it may be necessary to examine the causes of
indifference on the individual level in order to fully understand the logic behind it, such an analysis is only important in
that it leads to an understanding of the concept on a larger scale. Thus, the question that Wiesel poses about the U.S.
government’s response to the pleas of the St. Louis passengers is unequivocally relevant to Robbins’s and Nussbaum’s
understandings of indifference on the individual level as well.
08Wiesel, in attempting to decipher the causes of indifference, asks, “Is it necessary at times to practice it simply to
keep one’s sanity, live normally, enjoy a fine meal and a glass of wine, as the world around us experiences harrowing
upheavals?” (2). Robbins, explaining the aftermath of the moment of consciousness of the division of labor, answers
this question as directly as possible: “You have a cup of tea or coffee. You get dressed. Just as suddenly, just as
shockingly, you are returned to yourself in all your everyday smallness” (85). The reason, according to Robbins, that
compassion will not necessarily lead to action is because to worry about the division of labor that produced your shirt
or cup of coffee means you will not be able to fully enjoy those things. Nussbaum agrees with this idea as well,
commenting on our relative lack of compassion for things that do not affect us: “There are so many things closer to
home to distract us, and these things are likely to be so much more thoroughly woven into our scheme of goals” (16).
Essentially, Nussbaum is of the opinion that the capacities for concern we have for our own happiness and the
happiness of others are mutually exclusive, and ultimately we have to choose one over the other. The fact that our
personal goals are a more immediate distraction and a more integral aspect of our daily lives prevents us from feeling
concern for the suffering of others to the degree that we can or should. The consensus here seems to be that, if nothing
else, indifference is the result of a very natural desire to maintain one’s own happiness. This approach might help
explain the response of the U.S. to the request of the St. Louis passengers: granting one group refuge might have
inspired others to make a similar journey, thereby sparking an influx in immigration that would be easier for the
government not to have to worry about or deal with. Indifference is a product of values that prioritize personal
happiness over the greater good.
09Having established the root cause of indifference, it seems appropriate to analyze its effects. Implicit within both
Nussbaum’s and Robbins’s essays, in that they only discuss the causes of compassion and action, or lack thereof, is the
widespread idea that lack of compassion and lack of action effectively leave the situation static and unchanged.
According to Nussbaum, if we are not concerned for the fate of suffering Rwandans, then they will simply continue to
suffer; according to Robbins, if we do not respond to the plight of sweatshop laborers, then their plight will remain.
Wiesel, however, emphatically disputes this notion that indifference is merely neutral. He argues, “Indifference is
always the friend of the enemy, for it benefits the aggressor- never his victim, whose pain is magnified when he or she
feels forgotten” (3). The effect of indifference, in Wiesel’s view, is twofold: it aids the oppressor by giving him the
necessary means and the confidence to continue what he is doing, and it worsens the victim’s suffering by diminishing
his hope. The former effect is highlighted by the St. Louis incident in that the U.S. literally sent the Nazis one thousand
more people to persecute and murder as a direct result of their indifference. This sheds light upon a very relevant
distinction between the notion of lack of compassion and the notion of indifference: lack of compassion seems to imply
neutrality as Robbins and Nussbaum would like to have it; something is missing, therefore no effect will be produced.
Indifference, however, is an emotion in its own right; it is an inactively active response with real consequences that are
rarely positive.
10This important distinction captures within it a true understanding of the problem of indifference. It is not, as
Nussbaum and Robbins seem to imply, a simple lack of compassion or action to complement compassion, both of
which lead to the same result; rather, it is a helping hand to the oppressor. It is a truly active response. This being the
case, it seems all the more necessary to directly deal with the issue by stopping it at the source. The driving force
behind indifference is the one idea that Wiesel, Nussbaum, and Robbins all seem to be able to agree on: the need to
ignore the plight of others in order to maintain one’s own happiness. But given the already proven results of
indifference, is it feasible to say that the gain in happiness one receives from being indifferent outweighs the
consequences? Is our ability to enjoy trivial pleasures to a slightly greater degree more important than the suffering and
lives of so many? History has taught its lesson and offered its testimony; the only question that remains is whether we
will take heed.
Works Cited
Nussbaum, Martha C. “Compassion and Terror.” Kristeller Memorial Lecture. Columbia University, New York, New
York. April 2002.
Robbins, Bruce. “The Sweatshop Sublime.” PMLA. 117 (2002): 84-97.
Wiesel, Elie “The Perils of Indifference.” Millennium Lecture Series. White House, Washington D.C. 12 April 1999.
Handout #1: Lesson Plan Day Five
Student Name ________________________
After reading Fighting Indifference: Looking at World Response to the Holocaust with Elie Wiesel, and after
comparing and contrasting the two positions taken up in that text, respond thoughtfully to the following questions.
1. As noted in the above article, Nussbaum is cited as saying that Americans did not react to the plight of Rwandans
with the same intensity as they did following September 11th. She writes . . . “suffering Rwandans could not be
seen as part of the larger ‘us’ for whose fate we trembled” (17). Nussbaum is of the belief that, among other
causal factors, a sense of connectivity and commonality is required between the victim and the onlooker for
compassion to be aroused within the onlooker. If this sense is lacking, the result will be a relative lack of
compassion, which is one important element of indifference.
Do you agree that in order for humans to feel compassion they must feel that “sense of connectivity and
commonality”? Explain.
2. Robbins, on the other hand, states that . . .“Though we may sympathize with the plight of others, our
willingness to assist them will only be an outgrowth of more personal, tangible issues that we have committed
ourselves to resolving. Thus, in Robbins’s terms it would seem indifference is not a lack of compassion, but
rather a lack of action.
Do you agree with Robbins, that indifference is more a lack of action than a lack of compassion? Explain.
Handout #2: Lesson Plan Day Nine
Student Name ________________________
Consider and respond to the following questions before taking a position and creating a thesis statement.
1. Do you feel that individuals have a moral responsibility to try to right the wrongs in our world? If most people
followed that credo and did not practice indifference, what types of changes do you think would occur in our world?
2. Are there situations (due to circumstances) when it’s acceptable to be indifferent? If so, give examples.
3. Is there a defining line between indifference and ignorance? Explain.
4. How effective or ineffective do you think one person might be when making a commitment to a cause? Give
situational examples.
*On the back of this paper, write your position/claim in a thesis statement. Work and rework it to achieve your exact
thoughts with written words.
Outline: Position Paper Example
Use this format as a guide to create your outline on a separate document. Be thoughtful, organized, and thorough. Your
outline will be turned in for review and points before you begin writing.
I. Introduction
___A. Introduce the topic
___B. Provide background on the topic to explain why it is important
___C. Assert the thesis (your view of the issue).
Your introduction has a dual purpose: to indicate both the topic and your approach to it (your thesis statement), and to
arouse your reader’s interest in what you have to say. One effective way of introducing a topic is to place it in context –
to supply a kind of backdrop that will put it in perspective. You should discuss the area into which your topic fits, and
then gradually lead into your specific field of discussion (re: your thesis statement).
II. Counter Argument
___A. Summarize the counterclaims
___B. Provide supporting information for counterclaims
___C. Refute the counterclaims
___D. Give evidence for argument
You can generate counterarguments by asking yourself what someone who disagrees with you might say about each of
the points you've made or about your position as a whole. Once you have thought up some counterarguments, consider
how you will respond to them--will you concede that your opponent has a point but explain why your audience should
nonetheless accept your argument? Will you reject the counterargument and explain why it is mistaken? Either way,
you will want to leave your reader with a sense that your argument is stronger than opposing arguments.
When you are summarizing opposing arguments, be charitable. Present each argument fairly and objectively, rather
than trying to make it look foolish. You want to show that you have seriously considered the many sides of the issue,
and that you are not simply attacking or mocking your opponents.
It is usually better to consider one or two serious counterarguments in some depth, rather than to give a long but
superficial list of many different counterarguments and replies.
Be sure that your reply is consistent with your original argument. If considering a counterargument changes your
position, you will need to go back and revise your original argument accordingly.
III. Your Argument
___A. Assert point #1 of your claims
_____1. Give your educated and informed opinion
_____2. Provide support/proof using more than one source (preferably three)
___B. Assert point #2 of your claims
_____1. Give your educated and informed opinion
_____2. Provide support/proof using more than one source (preferably three)
___C. Assert point #3 of your claims
_____1. Give your educated and informed opinion
_____2. Provide support/proof using more than one source (preferably three)
You may have more than three overall points to your argument, but you should not have fewer.
IV. Conclusion
___A. Restate your argument
___B. Provide a plan of action but do not introduce new information
The simplest and most basic conclusion is one that restates the thesis in different words and then discusses its
implications.
Position Paper Rubric
Position Paper Rubric
Thesis Statement
and Counter-Argument
6
Developed a strong
thesis and included it in
the appropriate place in
the paper. The thesis
was the focal point of
the paper and was
strongly and thoroughly
supported throughout
the paper.
Counter-argument is
addressed effectively
and refuted.
Position is supported
with well-developed
and thoughtful reasons
(minimum of three).
Reasons show strong
analysis and
conclusions based on
the information.
5
Developed a strong
thesis and included it in
the appropriate place in
the paper. Most of the
information supported
the thesis statement.
Counter-argument is
addressed but not
refuted.
4
Developed a thesis
statement and included
it in the paper. Some of
the information
supported the thesis
statement.
Counter-argument is
vaguely addressed but
is not refuted.
3
Thesis statement needs
to be further developed.
Little of the
information supported
the thesis statement.
Counter-argument is
not addressed.
2
Thesis statement is
weak and not
supported. No counterargument is evident.
Position is supported
with a minimum of
three distinct reasons.
Reasons are developed,
but more analysis and
conclusions are needed.
Reasons are vague and
need to be developed.
No analysis and
conclusions are evident.
Reasons are not
included as support.
Depth and Variety of
Evidence
Position is supported in
depth with the variety
of sources provided as
well as an additional
relevant and reliable
source. Information
supports the writer’s
ideas.
Position is not
supported with sources
provided or an
additional source.
Provided sources are
not used; additional
source is not used.
Organization and
Mechanics
Ideas are wellorganized and free of
mechanical errors.
Position is supported
with the variety of
sources provided as
well as an additional
relevant and reliable
source. Most of the
information supports
the writer’s ideas. A
mix of general and
specific information is
used.
Organization needs to
be strengthened.
Mechanical errors are
present throught the
paper.
Position is supported
with a minimum of
three distinct reasons.
Reasons are developed,
but are more general
and need to be
developed further.
Little analysis and
conclusions are evident.
Position needs to be
supported with more of
the sources provided.
An additional relevant
and reliable source is
used. Some of the
information may not be
relevant and/or does not
support the thesis.
Paper has little
organization, and
several diversions or
abrupt shifts. There are
several mechanical
errors and poor
sentence structure is
evident.
Paper has poor
organization. Several
diversions or abrupt
shifts are apparent.
There are consistent
errors, and poor
sentence structure.
Transitions
Transitional words and
phrases are used to
connect main ideas and
maintain coherence
between paragraphs.
Paper has some
organization but
diversions or abrupt
shifts in purpose are
present. Many
mechanical errors are
present. Sentence
structure needs to be
strengthened.
Too few transitions are
used.
No transitions are
vague and not apparent.
No transitions are used.
Strong Reasons
Position Paper Score
Too few transitions are
used, or used correctly.
Total:
/30