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E9 E - Discuss evidence and different perspectives

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E9 E - Discuss evidence and different perspectives

Mini-description: Use short source-based information in a discussion, compare different perspectives, and clearly separate evidence from personal opinion.

Level: English as a first foreign language, Year 9, E-level, Baden-Württemberg. Work mainly in English. German is used only for short learning support, not as a full translation.

Einleitung

A strong discussion is more than “I agree” or “I disagree”. You need a clear claim, useful evidence, and respectful answers to other perspectives. You also need to show what comes from a source and what is your own opinion.

Media task – first viewing: Watch the TED-Ed video without stopping. Write down three words or ideas you understand. Then watch one selected part again and note one tip for checking information.

Your learning route

Step	What you do
English first	Meet the topic through English media and short texts.
Understand	Identify claim, evidence, opinion and perspective.
Respond	Give a clear reaction and refer to a source.
Ask	Ask a spontaneous follow-up question.
Hint	Use sentence starters only when you need them.
Improve	Check content, source use, language and coherence.
Use again	Transfer the skill to a new topic.

I-can goals

By the end, you can say:

I can tell evidence from personal opinion.
I can use short source-based information in a discussion.
I can compare at least two perspectives.
I can agree, partly agree or disagree politely and explain why.
I can ask and answer spontaneous follow-up questions.
I can write a coherent source- and perspective-based argument and revise it.
I can check whether a source is useful, current and relevant.

Vorwissen: Quick start

Decide silently: Which sentence sounds more like evidence and which sounds more like an opinion?

A: “A 2022 review of 28 studies found that later school start times were associated with longer sleep.”

B: “I think starting school later would make mornings much better.”

Now explain your choice in one English sentence.

Core skill: evidence, opinion and perspective

Term	Simple meaning	Useful question
claim	a statement you want to support	What is the speaker saying?
evidence	checkable support from a source	Where does this information come from?
opinion	a personal view, preference or judgement	Is this what someone thinks?
perspective	the way a person or group sees an issue	Why might this person see it differently?
counterargument	a reason against a claim	What could someone on the other side say?

Important: Source-based information is not automatically strong evidence. Check the source, date, method and relevance. Also remember: association does not automatically prove cause.

A fast source check

Ask four questions:

Who? Who published the information?
What? What evidence is actually given?
When? Is the information current enough for this question?
Compare? Do other reliable sources report similar or different results?

Listening and Viewing

Listening mission – BBC Learning English:

First listen: What is the main idea about disagreement?
Second listen: Note two useful expressions or ideas for respectful discussion.
Pair response: Give one 30–45 second answer to “What makes disagreement useful?”
Follow-up: Your partner asks one question you did not prepare.

Challenge viewing: The next video is denser. Use it to practise source checking. You do not need to understand every word.

Challenge task: Note one source-checking strategy and one reason why a confident claim can still need checking.

Reading: a source pack

Discussion question: Should secondary schools start later in the morning?

Source A – CDC, United States, updated 2026

For teenagers aged 13–18, the page gives a recommended sleep duration of 8–10 hours per 24 hours. It also reports that, in 2025 U.S. student data, many students did not get adequate sleep. The CDC page refers to recommendations supporting later start times for adolescents.

Source A: CDC – Sleep and Health

Source B – Yip et al., Pediatrics, 2022

A meta-analysis combined 28 studies with data from more than 1.7 million participants. Later school start times were associated with longer sleep and less negative mood. The authors also state that evidence was limited for some outcomes and that student and school differences need more research.

Source B: PubMed – School Start Times, Sleep, and Youth Outcomes

Source C – Biller et al., Sleep Medicine Reviews, 2022

A systematic review looked at 21 studies on school start times and academic achievement. The results were mixed, and the authors did not find a generalisable improvement in grades or test scores from later starts. They also point to limitations in the existing research.

Source C: PubMed – School start times and academic achievement

Read like a discussant

Complete a three-column note:

Source	What the evidence suggests	What it does NOT prove
A	Teen sleep is an important issue.	It does not prove that one start time works equally well everywhere.
B	Later starts are associated with longer sleep and some better outcomes.	Association alone does not prove that later starts cause every positive outcome.
C	Better grades are not a clear general result.	It does not show that later starts have no benefits at all.

Different perspectives

The profiles below are fictional. They are not real social-media posts and contain no private data.

Person	Perspective	Evidence or opinion?
Maya, 15, student	“I would prefer a later start because I often feel tired in the first lesson. But I would not want sports practice to finish later.”	personal opinion and experience
Leon, 14, student	“Source B makes me think a later start could help sleep. Still, our bus timetable could become difficult.”	source-based point plus personal concern
Ms Green, teacher	“I want students to be alert, but a timetable change affects staff, transport and after-school activities too.”	professional perspective, not research evidence by itself
School planning team	“Before changing the timetable, we would need local transport data and feedback from families.”	planning perspective and request for local evidence

Key idea: Different perspectives can all be relevant even when people use different types of support. Your job is to make the difference visible.

Kontextwortschatz

Word or chunk	Use it like this
evidence	The evidence suggests that ...
according to	According to Source B, ...
perspective	From a student perspective, ...
reliable	This source seems reliable because ...
relevant	This result is relevant to our question because ...
however	However, Source C shows a more mixed picture.
whereas	Source B focuses on sleep, whereas Source C focuses on achievement.
may	Later starts may improve ...
is associated with	A later start is associated with ...
counterargument	A possible counterargument is ...

Aussprache und Fluency

Focus on clarity before accent.

Stress the first syllable in evidence.
Stress the middle part in perspective.
Say useful chunks together: “According to Source B ...” / “However, we also need to consider ...”
Pause before a contrast: “I see your point, / however ...”
Practise one 45-second answer twice. The second version should sound clearer, not necessarily faster.

Recording option: A recording is voluntary. Keep it private unless you actively choose another option. Do not upload recordings or personal data without clear permission.

Speaking: build a discussion

Round 1 – prepared contribution, about 60–90 seconds

Use this structure:

State your claim.
Refer to one source.
Explain what the evidence means.
Add one different perspective.
End with a balanced conclusion or open question.

Round 2 – spontaneous interaction

Your partner chooses one follow-up:

“Which source supports that?”
“Does that prove your point?”
“What would someone with a different perspective say?”
“What local information would we still need?”
“Would your view change if new evidence appeared?”

Discussion phrases

Function	Phrase
refer to evidence	According to Source B, ...
interpret carefully	This suggests that ..., but it does not prove that ...
agree	I agree with that point because ...
partly agree	I agree up to a point, but ...
disagree	I see your point. However, ...
add perspective	From a different perspective, ...
ask	What evidence supports that?
clarify	Do you mean that ...?
revise	I would change my claim slightly: ...

Functional grammar

Use grammar to make your argument more accurate.

Purpose	Useful form	Example
report a source	present simple	Source C finds mixed results.
avoid overclaiming	may / might / suggests	Later starts may support longer sleep.
contrast	however / whereas / while	Source B focuses on sleep, whereas Source C examines achievement.
show a condition	if + present, may/might	If a school starts later, transport plans might need to change.
separate source and self	according to + source / I think	According to Source B ... / I think ...

Accuracy alert: Do not change “is associated with” into “proves” unless the source really supports causation.

Writing: source- and perspective-based argument

Write about 180–220 words on the school-start question.

Your text should include:

a clear position;
information from at least two sources;
a clear difference between evidence and your own opinion;
at least two perspectives;
one counterargument;
a short conclusion;
your own revision after feedback.

Keep both versions: Do not overwrite your first draft. Keep the original and the revised version so you can see what improved.

Mini-model

Claim: Schools should consider a later start, but the decision needs local planning.

Evidence: According to Source B, later start times were associated with longer sleep. However, Source C found no general improvement in grades or test scores.

Perspective: From a student perspective, more sleep may be helpful. From a planning perspective, transport and after-school activities also matter.

Balanced response: The evidence supports taking sleep seriously, but it does not answer every local question. I would therefore ask for local timetable and transport data before making a final decision.

Mediation

Situation: An English-speaking exchange student asks what a short German school notice means.

German notice: „Die Schulkonferenz prüft einen späteren Unterrichtsbeginn. Vor einer Entscheidung sollen Busverbindungen, Betreuungszeiten und Rückmeldungen von Schülerinnen, Schülern und Familien ausgewertet werden.“

Your task: Explain the relevant information in 60–80 words in English. Do not translate every word. Focus on purpose and addressee.

Hilfestufen

Hint 1 – keywords only: claim – source – suggests – however – perspective – question.

Hint 2 – sentence frames: “According to Source __, ...” / “This suggests ..., but ...” / “From a __ perspective, ...” / “A counterargument is ...”

Hint 3 – structure: claim → evidence → explanation → different perspective → response → conclusion.

Use the lowest hint level that helps you continue independently.

Feedback und Revision

Give feedback in this order:

Meaning: Is the main point clear?
Evidence: Is source information accurate and clearly marked?
Perspective: Is another view represented fairly?
Reasoning: Does the explanation connect evidence and claim?
Language: Are linking words, reporting verbs and sentence structures clear?
Revision: What is one specific improvement for version 2?

Fehleranalyse: repair the overclaim

Source wording: “Later start times were associated with longer sleep.”

Weak version: “The study proves that starting later always makes every student sleep more.”

Repair: “The study suggests that later start times can support longer sleep, but the result does not mean that every student will be affected in the same way.”

Your turn: Find one sentence in your own draft that is too strong, too vague or not clearly sourced. Rewrite it.

Responsible media and AI use

Use only material you are allowed to use.
Do not include private social-media data or real application/profile data in tasks; use fictional data.
Recordings are voluntary and should stay private unless you choose otherwise.
Do not upload texts, audio, images or personal data to external services without permission.
If AI is used in an approved learning setting, check factual claims, sources and feedback against the original material.
Keep your own draft and make your own final decisions about revisions.
Never treat confident wording as proof that information is correct.

Transfer

Choose a new age-appropriate question, for example: Should homework be reduced? or Should students have more project days?

Find two short, suitable sources. Then repeat the cycle:

understand → respond → ask → hint → improve → use again

Your new discussion must show which statements are source-based and which are your personal opinion.

Can-do check

Rate yourself: not yet – partly – mostly – confidently.

I can ...	My check
separate evidence and opinion
name the source of a claim
compare different perspectives
avoid overclaiming
ask a spontaneous follow-up question
revise my own argument after feedback

Folgekurs

Continue with E9 E - Evaluate sources and media claims. There you can focus more strongly on source reliability, missing context, misleading presentation and cross-checking.

Interaktive Aufgaben

Quiz: Teste Dein Wissen

Which sentence is evidence-based? (Source B reports an association between later starts and longer sleep.) (!Later school is obviously better.) (!I hate getting up early.) (!Everyone should agree with me.)

Which sentence is clearly a personal opinion? (I think a later start would make my morning easier.) (!Source C reviewed 21 studies.) (!The CDC page gives a sleep recommendation.) (!The review reports mixed academic results.)

What should you do before using information as evidence? (Check who published it, what supports it, when it was published and how it compares with other sources.) (!Use it if the headline sounds confident.) (!Use it if a friend agrees.) (!Use it only if it supports your first idea.)

Which phrase clearly signals source use? (According to Source B, ...) (!Everybody knows that ...) (!I just feel that ...) (!It must be true because ...)

What is a perspective? (A way a person or group sees an issue.) (!A number that proves a claim.) (!A grammar mistake.) (!A list of difficult words.)

What does Source C add to the discussion? (It shows that academic achievement results are mixed and not generally improved.) (!It proves later starts lower all grades.) (!It proves sleep is unimportant.) (!It says every school has the same timetable.)

Which verb helps you avoid an overclaim? (may) (!proves) (!guarantees) (!always causes)

What is a counterargument? (A reason or point that challenges a claim.) (!A source title.) (!A pronunciation rule.) (!A personal password.)

Which follow-up question best checks evidence? (What evidence supports that?) (!Do you like my answer?) (!Can we stop now?) (!Is English difficult?)

Which sequence builds a strong short contribution? (Claim, evidence, explanation, perspective, response.) (!Opinion, repetition, repetition, ending.) (!Headline, guess, joke, ending.) (!Translation, translation, translation, ending.)

Memory

Evidence	Checkable support from a source
Opinion	Personal view or judgement
Perspective	Way someone sees an issue
Claim	Statement that needs support
Source	Origin of information
Counterargument	Reason that challenges a claim

Drag and Drop

Ordne die richtigen Begriffe zu.	Thema
Evidence	Checkable support
Opinion	Personal judgement
Perspective	Point of view
Source	Origin of information
Counterargument	Challenge to a claim

Kreuzworträtsel

Evidence	What do we call checkable support for a claim?
Opinion	What do we call a personal view or judgement?
Source	What do we call the origin of information?
Claim	What do we call a statement that needs support?
Context	What helps us understand where and why information applies?
Contrast	What relationship is shown by words such as however or whereas?

LearningApps

Lückentext

Offene Aufgaben

Leicht

Evidence sorter: Write eight short statements about a school topic and label each one evidence, opinion or unclear.
Source signal hunt: Find five phrases in the course that show where information comes from and use three in new sentences.
Perspective cards: Create four fictional perspective cards for one school issue without using real personal data.
Follow-up questions: Write six respectful questions that could make a discussion more evidence-based.

Standard

Two-source discussion: Prepare a 90-second contribution using two sources from the course and one counterargument.
Mini source check: Compare two suitable sources on one youth topic using Who, What, When and Compare.
Mediation message: Explain a short German school notice in English for an exchange student without translating sentence by sentence.
Revision pair: Exchange a draft with a partner, give one content comment and one language comment, then keep both draft versions.

Schwer

Perspective panel: Run a five-minute group discussion with assigned fictional perspectives and spontaneous follow-up questions.
Evidence audit: Take a short argument, mark every claim, source reference, opinion and overclaim, then revise it.
Mini research brief: Find two reliable age-appropriate sources that do not give exactly the same picture and explain why they differ.
Transfer presentation: Give a three-minute presentation on a new school issue, compare perspectives, answer two spontaneous questions and reflect on one revision you would make.

Lernkontrolle

Evidence transfer: You receive two short sources on a new school topic. Build one claim that both sources can support and one claim they cannot support.
Perspective comparison: Explain how a student, a teacher and a planning team could interpret the same source differently without changing the source facts.
Overclaim repair: Rewrite three statements that confuse association with proof and explain what you changed.
Discussion response: Respond to a partner’s claim by referring to evidence, adding a different perspective and asking one follow-up question.
Revision explanation: Compare your first and second written draft and explain which change improved source use or reasoning most.
Mediation transfer: Pass on only the information an English-speaking visitor needs from a short German notice and justify what you left out.

Lernnachweis

For a successful learning record, show that you can:

separate evidence, opinion and perspective;
use at least two sources accurately;
compare perspectives without caricaturing them;
use cautious language when evidence is limited;
take part in a longer discussion and answer spontaneous follow-up questions;
write a coherent argument with a counterargument and conclusion;
revise your own work using feedback;
mediate information for a clear purpose and audience;
document that you checked source information and kept your own original draft.

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