Title
Unit 2 – Solving Linear Equations
Compare and Analyze Real-World Situations Using Open Sentences and
Substitution.
Skill
Making a Strong Argument
EBA Activity
Choosing the Best Warrant Mini Debate:
Claims and
Warrants
Claim: Option A (B, C) will be the most profitable.
Warrant A: Soccer games do not have many fans that will buy programs.
Warrant B: The initial cost will be too hard to pay off.
Warrant C: The profit from each program is very large.
Procedure
This is a standard Choosing the Best Warrant Mini Debate Activity.
Timing/Pacing



Notes
Before this lesson, students will have learned to solve equations,
substitute into equations and solve open sentences. After this lesson
students will learn how to solve for a given variable.
This activity will take 15 minutes
This activity will be the last 15 minutes of the class following the
creation of open equations and tables.

Scenario: The high school sports boosters club has decided that they
want to print and sell programs at the soccer games. This has been a
controversial topic within the club for a long time. One perspective is
that the other teams are receiving special treatment as they have
programs printed every year and the soccer team has never had
programs. The opposing concern is that since soccer draws a smaller
crowd, it will be difficult to make any money from the venture. Three
companies have made offers that the sports boosters club needs to
consider.
o Option A) Printing Pizzazz Company: Our company has an
initial charge of $80 for the layout, then your team will profit $2
for each program sold.
o Option B) Mr. P’s Printing Company: Our company has an
initial charge of $9 for the layout, then your team will profit
$0.50 for each program sold.
o Option C) The Printing Press: Our company has no initial
charge for the layout, then your team will profit $0.25 for each
program sold.

This scenario in this activity is the same scenario for a Full Length
Debate activity that follows. This activity could be used to prepare
students for their opening statements in the debate the next day.
Boston Debate League © 2012
Follow Up
Activity
Unit 2 – Solving Linear Equations
To add a writing component, this activity could be followed up by a Choosing
The Best Warrant Writing Exercise.
Text
Standard Algebra 1 Text
Boston Debate League © 2012
Name:____________________________________ Class:______________ Date:______________
Choosing the Best Warrant Mini-Debate
Background Information:
Scenario: The high school sports boosters club has decided that they want to print and sell
programs at the soccer games. This has been a controversial topic within the club for a long
time. One perspective is that the other teams are receiving special treatment as they have
programs printed every year and the soccer team has never had programs. The opposing concern
is that since soccer draws a smaller crowd, it will be difficult to make any money from the
venture. Three companies have made offers that the sports boosters club needs to consider.
o Option A) Printing Pizzazz Company: Our company has an initial charge of $80
for the layout, then your team will profit $2 for each program sold.
o Option B) Mr. P’s Printing Company: Our company has an initial charge of $9
for the layout, then your team will profit $0.50 for each program sold.
o Option C) The Printing Press: Our company has no initial charge for the layout,
then your team will profit $0.25 for each program sold.
Claim: Option _____ will be the most profitable.
Warrant A: The program will help increase sales, but even so soccer games do not have
many fans that will buy programs.
Warrant B: The initial cost will be less hard to pay off than A.
Warrant C: The slope of our line is better than C.
Boston Debate League © 2012
Choosing the Best Warrant Mini Debates – Which warrant best proves the claim is true?
Before the Mini Debate write the two reasons you believe your warrant best proves the claim is true in the top two boxes in the appropriate
column (i.e. warrant 1 or warrant 2).
Claim:
My warrant (Warrant __) best
proves the claim is true
because…
1st Reason
warrant
best proves
the claim is
true.
2nd Reason
warrant
best proves
the claim is
true.
Boston Debate League © 2012
My 1st opponent argues warrant My 2nd opponent argues warrant
___ best proves the claim is true ___ best proves the claim is true
because…
because…