Extended Written Response Standard 8

Extended Written Response – Standard 8

Trampolines

When my cousins and I were children, one of our favorite past-times when we visited my grandmother’s home was jumping on the bed. The front bedroom in her house had a tall bed and a tall ceiling to match. Although we knew would get in trouble if caught, we—sometimes as many as four of us at a time--spent many hours bouncing on that bed. To us, the bed was simply a trampoline, a way to have lots and lots of fun. Our jumping jaunts would probably have continued for years had my brother not had an unfortunate accident.

One winter day we were jumping happily when my older brother Bix lost his balance. Although all of us had fallen off the bed several times—and had bruises to prove it--this time was different. When Bix fell, he fell at an angle, and his head hit the side of a chest that had metal covers on the corners. Stunned, we all watched as he crumpled to the floor, the gash in the side of his head gushing blood. He was too weak to scream, but the rest of us made up for it. Seventy miles, five hours, and seventeen stitches later, our jumping days were officially over.

Thousands of kids and parents will agree. Playing on trampolines can be a wonderful experience. Thousands of trampolines are sold every year around the world. They are set up in gyms, in homes, and thousands of backyards. Kids love trampolines. Jumping on a trampoline is great fun and can provide wonderful exercise through a whole body workout. The activity can improve muscle tone and increase balance and hand and eye coordination. The cardio workout gained through simply playing is also a possible solution to the growing rate of childhood obesity around the world. Trampolines have also been credited with helping users develop skills for other sports, such as gymnastics and ballet. Parents like trampolines because they provide a great deal of beneficial exercise an enjoyment in a small amount of space and for a reasonably small amount of money. Unfortunately, that’s not the whole picture.

One major reason for banning trampolines is that owning one can be costly. A regular-sized outdoor trampoline will usually cost under $500 and will last for several years. As recreation goes, the cost seems reasonable. What parents don’t always factor in is the almost certain cost of injury. Kids do get hurt and require medical care. Another hidden cost that some parents have faced is the rise in home insurance rates after a child or—even worse—a child’s friend has had an accident. Trampolines at home—like swimming pools—will always lead to a higher insurance premium.

Some adults and parents declare that trampolines should not be banned because supervision and safety precautions will increase children’s safety. Unfortunately, not even supervision can cut down on some dangerous accidents. The risk of using a trampoline—any trampoline, even one that is netted and padded—is very real. Even when closely supervised, children will have accidents. Sometimes worn or torn equipment may not be detectable and can lead to broken bones or concussions.

Another reason for banning trampolines is that children are not always responsible, even when they understand the risks of jumping inappropriately. Even when children have been told repeatedly that only one child can be on the trampoline at a time, kids will test the rules. What will matter if my buddy gets on the trampoline with me for just five minutes? The likelihood of “cracked” heads is not a myth and can lead to serious injury. Somersaults and other gymnastic tricks should never be attempted on a trampoline, but how many children will be able to avoid the temptation? Children also don’t have a clear sense of when to stop doing something that is so much fun. Jumping is tremendous fun, and kids often don’t realize that when they begin to tire, their risk of having an accident goes up.

The most crucial reason for banning or reducing sales of trampolines is that they cause many serious injuries, which has led the American Association of Pediatricians—a group of thousands of medical professionals--to call for restrictions on sales. Dr. Abe Bejark, an emergency room doctor at the University Medical Center in Cleveland, Ohio, recommends that trampoline use be restricted to gyms and then only used by adults who fully understand the dangers and take precautions. “Almost every child who uses a trampoline regularly for a year will have a serious accident. Bones break, heads are cracked, and vertebrate are fractured. All of those accidents are preventable if children stay off trampolines.”

For the past seven years, the United States Consumer Product Safety Review has reported trampoline use as the cause of more than 110,000 injuries requiring medical care each year. Of the people injured, children between the ages of 4-14 made up 90,000 of that number. Of that number, almost 5,000 people were hospitalized or declared dead on arrival at the hospital. Those statistics are frightening. Fortunately, all of these accidents can be avoided by not having a trampoline.

While trampolines are an inexpensive way for kids to have fun, there are negative factors to consider. Having a trampoline will be a costly investment. It will raise insurance rates because—even when supervised and with precautions—children will be injured. The number of injuries each year is staggering. When considering all of these reasons, children can and should find other ways to get exercise and have fun.

Extended Written Response 4th

A.What is the main idea of the text?
B.Explain how the author uses reasons and evidence to support the main idea, citing from the text to develop your answer.

Extended Written Response 5th

A. What is the main idea of the text?

Explain how the author uses reasons and evidence to support the main idea, citing from the text to develop your answer.

Extended Written Response 6th

A.What is the major claim of the text?
B.Explain how the author uses reasons and evidence to support the claim, citing from the text to develop your answer.

Extended Written Response

Trampolines (response to be completed on separate sheet)

Scoring Rubric Name ______Class ______

Points
Possible / Points
Earned / Scale
4=30-24 3=23–17 2=16-8 1=7-1 0=0

Restatement and answer

Restatement

Introduction -- anecdote
Some positive points about trampolines
Reason – Owning a trampoline can be costly.
Evidence
Evidence
Evidence
Reason – Supervision and safety measures will not increase safety.
Example
Example
Reason – Children are not always responsible.
Example
Example
Example
Reason – Trampolines cause serious injuries.
Authority
Authority
Math/Authority
+1 BONUS / Summary
Total Score

Extended Written Response

Trampolines (response to be completed on separate sheet)

Scoring Rubric Name ______Class ______

Points
Possible / Points
Earned / Scale
4=30-24 3=23–17 2=16-8 1=7-1 0=0

Restatement and answer

Restatement

Introduction anecdote
Some positive points about trampolines
Reason
Evidence
Evidence
Evidence
Reason
Example
Example
Reason
Example
Example
Example
Reason
Authority
Authority
Math/Authority
+1 BONUS / Summary
Total Score

Extended Written Response

Trampolines (response to be completed on separate sheet)

4th, 5thScoring Rubric Name ______Class ______

Points
Possible / Points
Earned / Scale
4=30-24 3=23–17 2=16-8 1=7-1 0=0
2 /

Restatement and answer

The sale of trampolines should be restricted or banned.
2 /

Restatement - The author uses reasons and evidence to support the main idea.

1 / In the introduction, the author shares an anecdote about his brother who was injured by jumping on a bed they used as a trampoline.
3 / The author strengthens the argument by acknowledging some positive points about trampolines: fun, increasing balance, hand-and-eye coordination, reducing obesity, improving skills for other sports, great workout for the heart, small space, small amount of money (does not need to include all of these)
2 / Reason – Owning a trampoline can be costly.
1 / Evidence – math “will cost under $500,” which seems reasonable
1 / Evidence – reason – children will get hurt
1 / Evidence – reason – effect hidden cost, insurance rates (premiums) go up after child or child’s friend get hurt
2 / Reason – Supervision and safety measures will not increase safety.
1 / Example – even a “netted and padded” trampoline is dangerous.
1 / Example – “worn or torn equipment may not detectable and can lead to broken bones and concussions”
2 / Reason – Children are not always responsible.
1 / Example – Even kids who know that only one person should jump at a time will “test” that rule.
1 / Example – Kids will try somersaults and other gymnastic tricks.
1 / Example – Kids don’t stop when they get too tired to jump.
2 / Reason – Trampolines cause serious injuries.
1 / Authority – American Association of Pediatricians – called for restriction on sales
2 / Authority – Dr. Abe Bejark, doctor, University Medical Center, Cleveland, OH, recommends that use be restricted to adults and to gyms;
Says almost every child who uses a trampoline for a year will have an accident
3 / Math and/or Authority – United States Consumer Product Safety Review – trampoline use –cause of more than 110,000 injuries requiring medical care each year; children between the ages of 4-14 made up 90,000 of that number; almost 5,000 were hospitalized or declared dead on arrival at the hospital
+1 BONUS / Summary
Total Score

Extended Written Response

Trampolines (response to be completed on separate sheet)

6thScoring Rubric Name ______Class ______

Points
Possible / Points
Earned / Scale
4=30-24 3=23–17 2=16-8 1=7-1 0=0
2 /

Restatement and answer

The sale of trampolines should be restricted or banned.
2 /

Restatement - The author uses reasons and evidence to support the claim.

Recess?

Within the past five years, many states have adopted the Common Core State Standards. More pressure has been placed on schools to prepare students for more rigorous standardized tests. Most schools believe that more instructional time in core subjects—specifically reading and math--leads to more learning; thus, school leaders have searched for ways to find more time for instruction during the school day. For many schools, the first activity to lose minutes was recess. That has been a mistake. Every child needs recess every day.

First, everyone benefits from a break. Research studies from Harvard, Yale, and Johns Hopkins have consistently shown that people (and children) learn better and learn more when given breaks from strenuous thinking. Work that includes breaks and some downtime will produce better outcomes than concentrating for long, uninterrupted stretches. By taking recess, students will learn more. In other words, asking students to go to classes four three or four hours in a row without a break means students aren’t able to absorb everything. Students need time to process and think about new information, and processing time can only occur when new information is not being introduced to the brain.

Another important reason for having recess is it increases focus, which leads to greater learning. Dr. Olga Jarrett, with researchers at Georgia State University, approached a school district that had a no-recess policy. They received permission for two 4th grade classes to have recess once a week, so they could observe the children’s behavior on recess and non-recess days. The results shown that the 43 children became more on-task and less fidgety on days when they had recess. More than 60 percent of the children, including 5 with attention deficit disorder, worked more and/or fidgeted less on recess days. When students knew they would have a break, they were able to pay attention longer.

In addition to increasing focus, physical activity feeds the brain. Thanks to advances in brain research, we now know that most of the brain is activated during physical activity—much more so than when sitting. Eric Jenson, author of several books on brain-based learning, notes that even remaining seated for periods longer than 10 minutes, “reduces our awareness of physical and emotional sensations and increases fatigue, resulting in reduced concentration and discipline issues.” Movement increases the number of and the way blood vessels in the brain work. This increases the delivery of oxygen, water, and brain food, thereby improving the brain’s performance. Consequently, numerous studies have shown that students who are physically active improve their academic performance and achieve higher test scores.

Another benefit of recess is it develops social skills. Recess is sometimes the only time during the day when children have an opportunity to talk to each other. Children don’t always see each other after school, so when the school day ends, there may be little opportunity to visit or play. In class, children are not usually encouraged to socialize, but are expected to talk about the subject or be quiet. Some schools now do not permit children to talk during meals. How can children with so few opportunities to interact with each other be expected to live and work together?

The next significant reason for having recess is natural light improves wellness. Sunlight stimulates the part of the brain that helps regulate our biological clock, improves the immune system, and makes us feel better. Outside light also triggers Vitamin D, which a number of studies have shown increases learning. Students should be given an opportunity to go outside and refresh their brains and bodies, so they will be sick less.

A related reason is exercise increases overall fitness. Many children now suffer from obesity, but even children at healthy weights benefit and require physical activity for optimal health. Playing is the best way for children to burn calories and experience the joy of movement. Research has shown that children who are physically active in school are more likely to be physically active at home. Recess can help make children healthier.

Finally, possibly the most important reason for having recess is reducing stress. The National Association for the Education of Young Children recommends physical play as a wonderful way to reduce stress and improve classroom behavior—a valuable benefit given that stress has a negative effect on learning and actions. For many children, recess is an opportunity to burn up energy in a healthy, suitable manner. Outside, children can be loud, messy, and boisterous. Because recess is a break from structure, children have an opportunity to burn up restless energy and feel much better. Children who can’t take breaks are far more likely to get in trouble.

Schools that have reduced or eliminated recess as a way to help children learn need to revisit the decision. Recess increases focus, encourages physical activity, and provides opportunities for students to be outdoors, which can lead to greater learning and wellness. Another advantage of recess is it reduces stress and provides opportunities for children to develop social skills. Rather than get rid of recess time, perhaps all schools should increase it and check out their students’ progress. Those few extra minutes of exercise may be just the break brains need to learn.