Supplemental Materials
Effects of Critical Discussions on Middle School Students' Written Historical Arguments
by D. R. Wissinger & S. De La Paz, 2015, Journal of Educational Psychology
http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/edu0000043
Appendix B – Sample Posttests – Experimental Condition
Sixth grader with a learning disability
I belive that happy days was a myth for many americans in the 1950’s. The show happy
days was just that, a television show.
Many young women were forced to pay rent [beyond their means]. Many americans were
poor and homeless. Many americans were getting only 26 Dollars up to just 45 Dollars a week.
People think that happy days was true though because the economy is at an unmatched
level of prosperity. People think the national income is more widly and fairly spread than ever
before. They think that their achieving higher standards of living and earning more.
I don’t belive Presiden Eisenhower because he doesn’t say anything bad about the
country and that is not reality. I belive that happy days was a myth for many americans in the
1950’s. the show happy days was Just that, a telivision show.
Sixth grader identified as an average writer
I believe that “Happy Days” was a myth. Anna Blanck convinced me because of many
reasons. First off, in document one, President Eisenhower said Americans were making broad
progress but in reality people were having trouble with money, because they were only getting
paid very little, like 26$ to 45$ a week. And because there getting paid lower they can’t buy any
other importances or luxuries. It states pretty clearly in document two, that the growth of the
population was leading to shortage of housing, and what happens then is, the prices go up for
rent, homes and economic, social difficulties. Department workers, and other American families
needed or wanted medical care, clothing, and some recreations prior to every persons health. To
sum up my reasoning, i’m trying to say “Happy Days” was a myth and Anna Blanck proved it
was, because the whole meaning of document two was that she was trying to make a stand point
and say that there were difficulties.
In document one, Eisenhower was saying they built a stronger and better America. Also
in document one, he said the national income was more equaly and fairly spread than ever
before, well I disagreed with that because Anna Blanck said the workers had to spend practicly
their whole paycheck on food and rent! President Eisenhower said the nation was making good
progress, in pleasing out peoples needs. But what our people needed was medical assistance, and
a decent amount of clothing. Anna Blanck states so in document two. I would rather believe a
person who was going through all of this than a president such as Eisenhower. He wouldn’t truly
know what those people were going through if he wasn’t one of them. So therefore, I believe that
“Happy Days” was a myth, and only a television show.