A great lesson that teaches students how to analyze pro and con positions.

1. Should People Become
Vegetarian?
Prepare to Review the Issue and Write
an Argumentative Essay

2. Evaluating Pro and Con
Arguments for an Issue
Prepare to Write an
Argumentative Essay

3. Evaluating Pro and Con Arguments
A Common Core Lesson
By
Dean Berry, Ed. D.
Gregg Berry, B. A.
Common Core Curriculum Solutions
www.commoncorecurriculum.info

4. Common Core Reading Standards
Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a
text, assessing whether the reasoning is sound and the
evidence is relevant and sufficient; recognize when irrelevant
evidence is introduced.
Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a
text, assessing whether the reasoning is sound and the
evidence is relevant and sufficient; recognize when irrelevant
evidence is introduced.

5. Common Core Speaking
and Listening Standards
Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions
(one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse
partners on topics, texts, and issues, building on others’
ideas and expressing their own clearly.
Delineate a speaker’s argument and specific claims,
evaluating the soundness of the reasoning and relevance
and sufficiency of the evidence and identifying when
irrelevant evidence is introduced.

6. Writing Standards
Support claim(s) with logical reasoning and relevant
evidence, using accurate, credible sources and
demonstrating an understanding of the topic or text.
Use words, phrases, and clauses to create cohesion and
clarify the relationships among claim(s), counterclaims,
reasons, and evidence.
Provide a concluding statement or section that follows
from and supports the argument presented

7. Evaluating Pro and Con Arguments
Prepare to Review the
Issue and Write an
Argumentative Essay

8. Eating healthy is a serious issue:
Should people become vegetarian?

9. Should people become vegetarians?
Let’s Think About the Issue
Will longevity be increased by eating a vegetarian
diet?
Can other sources of protein adequately replace
the minerals, vitamins and proteins provided by
meat?
• Does our typical meat based diet create animal
abuse?

10. • Is a vegetarian diet healthier than a meat based diet?
• Is it more efficient and less costly to feed people
with a plant based diet rather than a meat based
diet?
• Is eating meat an important part of the evolution and
history of mankind?
• What minerals and vitamins are more efficiently
provided by eating animal based diets?
• Is it easier to lose weight on a meat based diet?
• What food value is provided by fish based diets?

11. Should people become vegetarian?

12. What Do You Think?
Use your red or green card to signify your response to this question.
Raise your red card if you disagree or your green card if you agree.
People should become vegetarians.

13. What Do You Think?
Raise Your Red or Green Card
People should not feel the
need to become vegetarians.

14. Essential Questions to Guide our
Review of the Issue
• 1. What does the research data say about the
issue?
• 2. How do you know the research is reliable?
• 3. Are the arguments supported by logical
reasoning?
• 4. Is each argument supported by specific facts
and examples?
• 5. Which side of the issue is supported by a
preponderance of the evidence?

15. Evaluating Evidence
Now that we have shared opinions, let’s
examine the evidence. Analyze the pro
and con arguments on the following
frames and determine which position
presents the strongest case.

16. Should People Become Vegetarian?
Background Information
In 2012, the United States Department of
Agriculture (USDA) estimated that Americans ate
an average of 52.3 pounds of beef, 57.4 pounds of
chicken, and 43.5 pounds of pork, per person.
Vegetarians, about 5% of the US population, do not
eat meat (including poultry and seafood). The
USDA includes meat as part of a balanced diet, but
it also states that a vegetarian diet can meet "the
recommended dietary allowances for nutrients."

17. Many proponents of vegetarianism say that eating
meat harms health, wastes resources, causes
deforestation, and creates pollution. They often
argue that killing animals for food is cruel and
unethical since non-animal food sources are
plentiful.
Many opponents of a vegetarian diet say that
meat consumption is healthful and humane, and
that producing vegetables causes many of the
same environmental problems as producing meat.
They also argue that humans have been eating
and enjoying meat for 2.3 million years.

18. Review the Evidence and Arguments
The Pro Position

19. Read each argument closely to
see if it passes the smell test?
The Pro Position
Take careful notes as you read
the following arguments.

20. Reason # 1
PRO Vegetarian
It is cruel and unethical to kill animals for food
when vegetarian options are available. Animals
are sentient beings that have emotions and
social connections. Scientific studies show that
cattle, pigs, chickens, and all warm-blooded
animals can experience stress, pain, and fear.

21. In the United States about 35 million
cows, 115 million pigs, and 9 billion
birds are killed for food each
year. These animals should not have
to die to satisfy an unnecessary
dietary preference.

22. Reason # 2
Human anatomy has evolved to support a primarily
vegetarian diet. Humans do not have the large
mouth or long, pointed teeth of carnivores. Human
teeth are short and flat for chewing fibrous food.
Carnivores have short intestines (3-6 times body
length) while human intestines are long (10-11 times
body length) to allow slower digestion of plant foods.
The liver of a carnivore can detoxify the excess
vitamin A absorbed from a meat-based diet. The
human liver cannot detoxify excess vitamin A.

23. Reason # 3
A vegetarian diet delivers complete nutrition and
can provide health benefits. According to the
American Dietetic Association, a vegetarian diet
can meet protein requirements, provide all the
essential amino-acids (the building blocks of
protein), and improve health. It can also provide
all the necessary vitamins, fats, and minerals,
and can improve one’s health. According to the
USDA and the Food and Agriculture Organization
of the United Nations, meat is not an essential
part of a healthy diet.

24. Reason # 4
A vegetarian diet can help alleviate world
hunger. Over 10 pounds of plant protein are used
to produce one pound of beef protein. If these
grains were fed to humans instead of animals,
more food would be available for the 925 million
people in chronic hunger worldwide. Research
from Cornell University found that the grain used
to feed US livestock alone could feed 800 million
people.

25. Reason # 5
A vegetarian diet helps build healthy
bones because vegetarians absorb more
calcium than meat eaters. Meat has high
renal acid levels which the body must
neutralize by leaching calcium from the
bones, which is then passed into urine and
lost. There are many sources of healthy
vegetarian calcium including tofu, dark
leafy greens like kale, spinach, and
collard greens, as well as fortified
cereals.

26. Reason # 6
A vegetarian diet lowers the risk of heart
disease. According to a peer-reviewed 1999 study of
76,000 people, vegetarians had 24% lower mortality
from heart disease than meat eaters. A vegetarian diet
also helps lower blood pressure, prevent hypertension,
and thus reduce the risk of stroke.

27. Reason # 7
Eating meat increases the risk of getting type 2
diabetes. A peer-reviewed 2004 study from
Harvard researchers found that eating meat
increases the risk of getting type 2 diabetes in
women, and a 2002 study found that eating
processed meat increases the risk in men. A
vegetarian diet rich in whole grains, legumes,
nuts, and soy proteins helps to improve glycemic
control in people who already have diabetes.

28. Reason # 8
Vegetarians live longer. A Mar. 12, 2012 peer-reviewed
study of 121,342 people found that eating red meat was
associated with an increased risk of death from cancer
and cardiovascular disease. [1 A peer-reviewed 2003
study found that adherence to vegetarian diets or diets
very low in meat for 20 years or more can increase life
expectancy by 3.6 years. A peer-reviewed July 9, 2001
study of Seventh-Day Adventists who were vegetarian (or
ate very little meat) showed longevity increases of 7.28
years for men and 4.42 years for women. On June 3, 2013
a peer-reviewed study of 73,308 people found that a
vegetarian diet is associated with a 12% reduction in
all-cause mortality.

29. Reason # 9
Studies show that vegetarians are up to 40% less
likely to develop cancer than meat eaters. According
to a peer-reviewed 1994 study by Harvard
researchers, consuming beef, pork, or lamb five or
more times a week significantly increases the risk of
colon cancer. The World Cancer Research Fund found
that eating processed meats such as bacon or
sausage increases this risk even further. A 2014
study found that diets high in animal protein were
associated with a 4-fold increase in cancer death risk
compared to high protein diets based on plant-derived
protein source

30. Reason # 10
Producing one hamburger destroys 55 square feet of
rainforest. Between 1996-2006, 25 million acres of
Amazon rainforest were cleared—80% of which became
pasture for beef cattle. In 2009, the United States
imported 44,284 tons of processed Brazilian beef
mostly for use in hamburgers, hot dogs, and lunch
meats. Importing fresh Brazilian beef became legal in
Nov. 2010, and US beef imports from Brazil will likely
increase.

31. Reason # 11
Many animals raised for food in the United States
are not slaughtered humanely. The Humane Methods
of Slaughter Act (HMSA) mandates that livestock be
stunned unconscious before slaughter to minimize
suffering. However, birds such as chickens and
turkey are exempted from the HMSA, and many US
slaughterhouses routinely ignore the HMSA. A 2010
report by the US Government Accountability
Organization (GAO) found that the USDA was not
"taking consistent actions to enforce the HMSA."

32. Reason # 12
A vegetarian diet reduces overuse of
antibiotics. 70% of antibiotics sold in the United
States go to livestock like cows, pigs, and chickens
to prevent the spread of disease in CAFOs where
animals live cramped together. A peer-reviewed
2007 study from the National Institute of
Environmental Health Sciences found that overuse
of antibiotics in CAFOs causes antibiotic resistant
bacteria to develop, which may endanger human
health.

33. Reason # 13
It is cruel and unethical to kill animals for food when
vegetarian options are available. Animals are sentient
beings that have emotions and social connections.
Scientific studies show that cattle, pigs, chickens, and
all warm-blooded animals can experience stress, pain,
and fear. In the United States about 35 million cows,
115 million pigs, and 9 billion birds are killed for food
each year. These animals should not have to die to
satisfy an unnecessary dietary preference.

34. Read each argument closely to
see if it passes the smell test?
The Con Position
Take careful notes as you
read the following arguments.

35. The Con Position
Reason # 1
Eating meat is not cruel or unethical; it is a natural
part of the cycle of life. Vegetarians mistakenly
elevate the value of animal life over plant life.
Research shows that plants respond
electrochemically to threats and may feel fear, so
vegetarians are also causing harm every time they
kill and eat a plant. Every organism on earth dies or
is killed, at some point, so others organisms can live.
There is nothing wrong with this cycle; it is how
nature works.

36. Reason # 2
Eating meat has been an essential part of human
evolution for 2.3 million years. The inclusion of meat
in the ancestral diet provided a dense form of
nutrients and protein that, when combined with high-
calorie low-nutrient carbohydrates such as roots,
allowed us to develop our large brains and
intelligence. Evidence shows our taste buds evolved
to crave meat's savory flavor.

37. Reason # 3
Meat is the most convenient protein source
available. In one serving, meat provides all
the essential amino acids (the building blocks
of protein), as well as essential nutrients
such as iron, zinc, and B vitamins. Most plant
foods do not provide adequate levels of all the
essential amino acids in a single serving.

38. Reason # 4
Eating meat provides healthy saturated fats, which enhance
the function of the immune and nervous systems. Saturated
fats contain the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K, and
the cholesterol from saturated animal fat is needed for the
proper function of serotonin receptors in the brain. According
to a Feb. 7, 2014 study by researchers at the Institute of
Social Medicine and Epidemiology, vegetarians "suffer
significantly more often from anxiety disorder and/or
depression." Low cholesterol levels have been linked to
depression. Saturated fats are also essential for building and
maintaining cell health, and help the body absorb calcium. [

39. Reason # 5
Meat is the best source of vitamin B12, a
vitamin necessary to nervous and digestive
system health. Although it is also found in
eggs and dairy, a peer-reviewed July 2003
study showed two in three vegetarians were
vitamin B12 deficient compared to one in 20
meat eaters.

40. Reason # 6
Eating meat provides a better source of
iron than a vegetarian diet. The body
absorbs 15% to 35% of the heme iron in
meat, but only absorbs 2% to 20% of the
non-heme iron found in vegetarian sources
like leafy greens and beans.

41. Reason #7
A meat-centered diet can help with weight
loss. It takes fewer calories to get protein
from lean meat than it does from vegetarian
options. One serving of lean beef (3 oz.)
contains as much protein as one serving of
beans (1½ cups) or a veggie burger. However,
the lean beef has half the calories of beans
(180 vs. 374), and 50%-75% fewer calories
than the veggie burger.

42. Reason # 8
Raising beef is often the most efficient way to
produce food for humans. About 85% of US
grazing land is not suitable for raising crops
humans can eat. Today 98% of the original
American prairie lands, along with their native
plants and animals, are gone. Most of that
land is now covered in corn and wheat fields.
Natural prairie grasslands can coexist with
sustainable herds of cattle or bison, but they
cannot coexist with monocrop agriculture.

43. Reason # 9
Vegetarians do not live longer. This myth
stems from the fact that vegetarians tend to
be more health conscious overall, eating a
more balanced diet, exercising more, and
smoking less than the general population.
When a peer-reviewed Apr. 11, 2005 study
from the German Cancer Research Center
compared health conscious meat eaters with
vegetarians, there was no difference in
overall mortality rates.

44. Reason # 10
A diet that includes fish provides the body with
essential omega-3 fatty acids. Fish are a powerful
source of the omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA
which are important for brain function, lowering
triglycerides, and reducing the risk of death from
heart attacks and strokes. Although the omega-3
fatty acid ALA can be found in plant oils, the ALA
must first be converted by the body into the
essential EPA and DHA. The process is inefficient
and may not provide the same cardiovascular
benefits as eating fish.

45. Reason # 11
Saturated fats from meat are not to blame for
modern diseases like heart disease, cancer,
and obesity. Chemically processed and
hydrogenated vegetable oils like corn and
canola cause these conditions because they
contain harmful free radicals and trans fats
formed during chemical processing.

46. Reason # 12
Lean red meat, eaten in moderation, can be a healthful part
of a balanced diet. According to researchers at the British
Nutrition Foundation, "there is no evidence" that moderate
consumption of unprocessed lean red meat has any negative
health effects. However, charring meat during cooking can
create over 20 chemicals linked to cancer, and the World
Cancer Research Fund finds that processed meats like
bacon, sausage, and salami, which contain preservatives
such as nitrates, are strongly associated with bowel cancer
and should be avoided. They emphasize that lean,
unprocessed red meat can be a valuable source of nutrients
and do not recommend that people remove red meat from
their diets entirely, but rather, that they limit consumption to
11 ounces per week or less.

47. Reason # 13
Modern slaughter techniques minimize the suffering
of animals. US slaughterhouses must conform to the
Humane Methods of Slaughter Act (HMSA) which
mandates that livestock be stunned unconscious
before slaughter. Many of the largest US meat
producers also adhere to the handling standards
developed by Dr. Temple Grandin which factor in
animal psychology to design transportation devices,
stockyards, loading ramps, and restraining systems
that minimize stress and calm animals as they are
led to slaughter.

48. Evaluating Pro and Con Arguments
for an Issue
Prepare to Write an
Argumentative Essay

49. Converse with Your Peers
Meet in small groups to discuss the
pros and cons of this issue and take a
group position on the problem. Select a
group chairperson to lead the group and
report back to the class.
Discuss the following essential Questions.

50. Questions to Guide our Exploration
Discuss the Following Issues
• 1. What does the research data say about the
issue?
• 2. How do you know the research is reliable?
• 3. Are the arguments supported by logical
reasoning?
• 4. Is each argument supported by specific facts
and examples?
• 5. Which side of the issue is supported by a
preponderance of the evidence?

51. Research and Statistics
• Compare the research and statistics for
both the pro and con positions
• Discuss which position presents the
strongest research and most reliable
sources

52. Should people become vegetarians?
Discuss These Issues
Will longevity be increased by eating a vegetarian
diet?
Can other sources of protein adequately replace
the minerals, vitamins and proteins provided by
meat?
• Does our typical meat based diet create animal
abuse?

53. Continue Your Group Deliberations
• Have group members use their notes to
discuss and analyze each major argument and
supporting evidence.
• Each group member should take the leadership
and lead the discussion on one or more of the
pro and con arguments.

54. Continue Your Group Discussions
• Is a vegetarian diet healthier than a meat based
diet?
• Is it more efficient and less costly to feed
people with a plant based diet rather than a
meat based diet?
• Is eating meat an important part of the
evolution and history of mankind?
• What minerals and vitamins are more efficiently
provided by eating animal based diets?
• Is it easier to lose weight on a meat based diet?
• What food value is provided by fish based diets?

55. Weigh the Evidence
Have your group create a plus and minus chart.
Place the best, most logical arguments for the pro
position on one side and the best arguments against
the pro position on the other side.
Use this process to help your group reach a decision.

56. Report Back to the Class
Present your findings to the
class. Which side of the issue
does your group support?
Why?

57. Write an Essay
Organize your ideas and prepare to write an
essay about the pros and cons of becoming a
vegetarian. Evaluate the arguments and
evidence on both sides of the issue. Weigh
the pros and cons and decide which position
is supported by the most persuasive
evidence.

58. Develop a Writing Plan
•Determine what your main point will be, and write a
topic sentence that provides focus for your essay.
•Choose several main ideas that support your topic
sentence.
•Sort your information into supporting details with
facts and examples.
•Be sure to address both the pro and con positions
58

59. Use the following
essay format to
write your paper.
59

60. 60
Essay
Outline
Introduction
What is my topic
sentence?
Body-Main Ideas
With supporting
details
Conclusion
How can I summarize
my paragraph?
How can I rephrase
my topic sentence?

61. Essays Require
Three Main
Sections

62. Begin Your Essay With
a Carefully Crafted
Introduction

63. Get the Reader’s Attention and State Your Thesis

64. The Key Elements of a
Strong Introduction

65. Check Out This Sample Introduction

66. Details Must Support
the Main Ideas
Provide specific
facts, examples,
and reasons for
each main idea
in the body of
your essay

67. Create an Outline
Topic Sentence___________________________________
_______________________________________________
A. Main Idea_____________________________________
_______________________________________________
Details/Evidence__________________________________
_______________________________________________
Details/Evidence__________________________________
_______________________________________________
B. Main Idea_____________________________________
_______________________________________________
Details/Evidence__________________________________
________________________________________________
67

68. Prepare to Write
•Use your outline and write
an essay on your topic.
•As you write your rough
draft, it will be very
important to use special
words that enable you to
transition smoothly from
one idea to the next.
68

69. Transition Words
As you view these words,
select the words that help you
make transitions smoothly
from one idea to the next.
• as a result
• such as
• for example
• nevertheless
• for that reason
• finally
• at this time
• therefore
• furthermore
• in addition
• in conclusion
• as well as
69

70. Conclusion
Write a conclusion
for your essay
reviewing your main
points and discussing
why this issue is so
important for our
future.

71. Write a Strong Conclusion for Your Essay

72. What does a good conclusion do?

73. Let’s Review a Good Conclusion

74. Review, Edit, and Rewrite
1. Re-read your essay several
times.
2. How can you improve your
sentences to communicate more
clearly?
3. Are your main ideas supported
by examples and details?
4. Exchange papers with another
student and read each other’s
essay out loud.
5. Make final corrections and write
the final draft of your polished
essay. 74

75. 75
Copyright Protected © 2013 Dean R. Berry
All Rights Reserved
No part of this document may be reproduced without written permission
from the author