About This Worksheet
This Grade 7 reading activity helps students examine whether an author’s reasoning is logical and complete. The article asks whether competitive video gaming should be recognized as a school sport. Students study the author’s main claim and the reasons used to compare esports with activities such as basketball, golf, and archery. For example, teamwork and competition may support the claim, but students must decide whether the comparison fully answers concerns about physical activity.
Learning Goals
The lesson teaches students to look beyond a claim and inspect how the author connects each reason to that claim. Strong reasoning should make sense, stay focused, and avoid skipping important questions. Students also learn that a comparison can be helpful only when the two things being compared share enough important features. This activity supports CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.7.8 because students must evaluate whether the author’s reasoning and evidence are sound.
Student Tasks
On this worksheet, students will read an article about recognizing esports as an official school sport. They will identify the author’s main claim and trace the reasons used to support it. Students must decide whether the argument is logical and complete, paying close attention to the comparison between esports and other sports. Their written response should explain whether the author answered the strongest objection clearly enough.
Common Challenges
Students may focus on whether they personally enjoy video games instead of studying the argument. Some may also assume that several reasons automatically make the reasoning strong. Remind them to check whether each reason actually supports the claim and whether any major concern is left unanswered. Asking, “What would a doubtful reader still want to know?” can help reveal missing reasoning.
Teaching Suggestions
This page works well as a class debate because many students will already have opinions about esports. A teacher can separate personal beliefs from text-based evaluation by requiring every comment to begin with evidence from the article. Parents can help by asking the child to explain both the strongest reason and the weakest part of the author’s case. That balanced conversation encourages more careful thinking.
Worksheet Features
The passage uses a timely school topic that is likely to interest seventh-grade readers. It includes supporting reasons, research-based information, and a clear opposing concern about physical activity. The focused question at the bottom asks students to identify the main claim before moving into deeper analysis. The page can support reading instruction, argument writing, classroom discussion, or an informal assessment.