WEEKLY LEARNING ACTIVITY SHEETS

ENGLISH 7 QUARTER 3 WEEK 6

AGREE OR DISAGREE

Name: ______________________________________Section:__________________________

Most Essential Learning Competency (MELC):`

 React to what is asserted or expressed in a text. EN8RC-IIIe-2.1.7

Learning Objectives:
 Define what is assertion;
 Analyze the assertion expressed by the author in the text;
 Identify the key points in expressing one’s thought or asserting opinion;
 Express one’s reaction or opinion on what is asserted in a text read;
 Write an essay expressing personal conviction on a current issue.

Time Allotment: 1 week or 5 days

What I Know

ACTIVITY 1: LET’S TRY WHAT YOU KNOW!

Let us check your knowledge on reacting to assertions.

Directions: Read and analyze the given assertions. React by writing the word
AGREE or DISAGREE on your notebook.

1. Assertion is used to let the readers feel that they should agree to what they read
or hear.

2. Reaction is an action taken in response to something.

3. When you react to an assertion, you should gather facts from any source to
support your reaction.

4. Your reaction should not be stated clearly.

5. Exclude the supporting details in making a reaction.

6. You can react without reading the text.

7. Reacting to what is asserted in a text is an important skill.

8. Facts are needed to support your reaction.

9. Reaction should focus to what is asserted by the author.

10. Making reactions allow readers to oppose the author’s idea.

ACTIVITY 2: WHAT I SAY

What you need:

Pen and Paper

What to do:

Read an excerpt from a documentary “Who’s to Blame for the

Pandemic?”, a Times documentary which reveals how your choices make future
pandemics more likely. Give your insights about the authors thoughts about the
topic discussed. Answer the questions that follow. Write your answers on a paper.

“How to Stop the Next Pandemic,” a Times documentary, reveals how your choices make
future pandemics more likely.
By Jonah M. Kessel
 Sept. 1, 2020
The pandemic is your fault.
Yes, yours.
If you are avoiding people, wearing a mask and generally following what public health
officials tell you to do (even if that has been a moving target), the notion that you have
anything to do with why this pandemic occurred may seem ridiculous.
After all, it’s easy to look for blame in others.
You may be pointing your finger at Chinese officials for not acting fast enough. A recent
Pew study suggested 78 percent of Americans place “a great deal of the blame for the
global spread of the coronavirus on the Chinese government’s initial handling” of the
outbreak.

Maybe you

There is enough blame to go around.

Finding blame in yourself can be a more difficult task. But experts say you have played a
role whether you know it or not.
“What we eat, what we wear, all the other kinds of things that we buy, whether we have a
cellphone or not, how many children we have (if we have children), how much we travel —
all of those choices put varying degrees of pressure on the rest of the natural world,” the
pandemic-focused author David Quammen told me in a Zoom interview.

It’s that simple. We’ve created a world where it’s impossible to make choices that don’t
impact the natural world.

“The more we disrupt wild, diverse ecosystems, the greater jeopardy we have of
contacting all of the very diverse viruses that wild animals carry,” said Mr. Quammen.

Our consumer habits have changed the planet so significantly that “we dominate every
ecosystem on earth right now,” he said.

“And our response is: we blame one country, versus another. We blame people who eat
one species over people who eat another. And we blame nature. Well, no, we need to point
the finger directly at ourselves, understand what’s going on and change it.”

And just like that, the pandemic was my fault.

Yours too.

1. According to the author, what are the contributing factors of humanity in terms
of developing epidemic or pandemic?

2. What is the author’s stand regarding who should be blamed in Covid-19

outbreak?

3. What are your thoughts about the message conveyed in the documentary?

4. As an individual, how do we address this pandemic and help everybody get back
up?

5. What lesson can we learn from Covid-19 Pandemic?

What is it

An assertion is a declaration or expression of strong belief towards a particular

topic, often without evidence. It usually includes forceful or confident and
positive statements regarding a belief or a fact.

Assertion, is usually subjective, expresses vindication, mostly with no support or

evidences. For example, the sentence “The Philippines is the happiest country in
the world” is an assertion because it is subjective and not founded on factual
evidences.

In English, an assertion is usually formulated after activities like exploring

reading materials, such as stories or poems, or viewing a play. Assertions are
usually written in order for a writer to convey his or her ideas or feelings towards
a particular work of literature, and convince or influence the readers to taking
and agreeing with his/her ideas or views.

What’s More

In a larger context, assertion may be used in both formal and informal

writing and is usually categorized into various types. The most common types
include the following:
a. Basic Assertion is a type of assertion that directly expresses the writer’s
feelings and beliefs through simple statements. This type is usually used in
standing up for personal beliefs.
b. Empathic Assertion involves expressing empathy and expounding on how the
writer understands the feelings and emotions of the literary author. This type
may be used in both formal and informal writing.
c. I-Language Assertion expresses the feelings and preferences of the writer.
This type is called I-Language because the writer usually uses the pronoun ‘I’ in
asserting disagreement. This type is often used in writing reviews, reaction or
reflection papers.
 It is composed of Three parts.  The first part contains the accurate
information from literary work, especially the topic the writer disagrees
with (When you. . .).
 The second part includes the effect or feeling of the writer towards the
topic (It affects/I feel...).
 The last part includes the preference or recommendation of the writer
ACTIVITY 3: MY RESPONSE
What you need:
Pen and Paper
What to do:

Read each statement from column A then choose from column B which one is the
best response from what is asserted by the author in the text read.

COLUMN A COLUMN B
1. The pandemic is your fault. a. Humanity must take the blame. Our
Yes, yours. consumer habits greatly affect the
environment.
b. I am afraid that is not quite true. The
place where it originates.
2 Finding blame in yourself can be a more a. I would say that it is hard for humanity
difficult task. But experts say you have to take the blame for the pandemic since
played a role whether you know it or not. we always put blame to others than
ourselves.
b. Humanity must take responsibility of the
global pandemic. We consume more than
what we need.
3. It’s that simple. We’ve created a world a. I know that humanity are the great
where it’s impossible to make choices that consumers of nature. What we consume
don’t impact the natural world. impacts the environment.
b. I don’t think that humanity is the sole
consumers. There are other factors that
impacts our nature.
4. The more we disrupt wild, diverse a. Knowing that humanity consumes
ecosystems, the greater jeopardy we have of nature, I agree that the more we endanger
contacting all of the very diverse viruses ourselves if we are not responsive to our
that wild animals carry. -Mr. Quammen changing ecosystem.
b. We must cooperate with the government
and work together to save nature.
5. And our response is: we blame one
country, versus another. We blame people a. Since humanity’s action affects nature,
who eat one species over people who eat change must begin in ourselves.
another. And we blame nature. Well, no, we b. I know that change must come from the
need to point the finger directly at government before us.
ourselves, understand what’s going on and
change it.

ACTIVITY 4: CHOOSE IT RIGHT!

What you need:

Pen and Paper
What to do:

Let us use this short text in formulating different types of assertion, make
sure you have read the text carefully. After reading, examine each statement from
column A then identify what type of Assertion is expressed. Write your answer on

Before the arrival of the Spaniards, the culture and values of the Filipinos are still in tacked. Pre-colonial
Philippines has their own form of government and social structure. Every local community is composed of
small kingdom or tribe headed by a chieftain called the ‘rajah’ or ‘datu’. Social structure also exists and is
composed of three classes namely – the ‘maharlika’ or freeman, ‘timawa’ or the middle class and the ‘alipin’ or
the slaves. Judicial, legislative and executive systems, also known as the branches of the government, are also
present during precolonialism.

The ‘datu’ formulates the law, ‘village elders’ help the datu in Let us use this short text in
formulating different types of assertion. deciding and promulgating laws and the ‘umalohokan’ or town crier
is the one who disseminates new law or ordinances. Philippines is also known as sea travellers with the use of
their ‘balangay’ or Butuan boat. They also had smooth foreign relation because of the trading of minerals and
goods.

Literacy rate is also high because of the existence of the ‘baybayin’ or the ancient writing method. All
of these advances were abolished as the Spaniards fully colonized the country.

your notebook.

Column A: Statements Column B: Type of Assertion

a. I know that the Philippines, before pre-
Spaniard colonization, has their system of
writing called the ‘baybayin’. This alone
proves that the Filipinos are literate as
opposed to the Spaniards claim.

b. The Philippines has an advanced

civilization before the colonization of Spain.
Form and branches of government, social
structure and the existence of ancient
writing are some of the evidence that proves
the advancement of the precolonial period

c. Upon reading that the ancient Filipino

civilization is divided into three social
classes namely the ‘maharlika’, ‘timawa’
and ‘alipin’, I feel proud because of the
civilization social advancement and at the
same time sad because of the promulgation
of social differentiation. With this finding, I
want to do further research on the existence
of these social classes’ stigma.

ACTIVITY 5: What can you say?

What you need:

Pen and Paper
What to do:
List down at least 5 sentences asserting your opinion about the topic
discussed by the author. Make sure to make use of different types of
assertion. Write your answer on your notebook.

ACTIVITY 6: WRITE YOUR THOUGHTS

What you need:

Pen and Paper
What to do:
On a piece of paper, create an essay discussing the effects of Covid-19
vaccines to people and to the global scale. Make sure to formulate opinions and
assertions which you will include in your writing to prove a point. Your output
should be not less than 300 words and must be neatly written in your notebook.

Rubrics for Essay

5 4 3 2 1
Focus/Content (states clear position at the
beginning until the end of the work; topic
captures
the reader’s attention)
Assertions Used (uses strong and effective
assertive techniques; details support the
thesis and the stand of the writer)
Development/Organization (has strong
organizational plan; has logically arranged
statements from the most important to the
least important or vice-versa; develops the
topic thoroughly with examples and
supports)
Clarity of Ideas (presents clear and sound
arguments, and evidences are authentic)
Emphasis (has interesting and attention-
grabbing introduction; has strong conclusion
that includes a call of action)
Language Mechanics and Convention
(displays minor spelling, punctuation and
grammatical errors)

Reflection
Great! You have accomplished all the tasks assigned to you. Now,
it is time for you to reflect on the significant learning you have added to
your knowledge bank. Express your learning by completing the thought
prompts as shown below.

The most meaningful lesson I learned is …

_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________

The most difficult yet manageable lesson I have encountered is …

_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________

For me, the best lesson that is worth keeping is …

_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________

References:
Management Team of Grade 7 English Learning Material. English 7
Learner’s Material. First Edition. Department of education-Bureau of
Learning Resources (Deped-BLR), Pasig City Philippines, pp. 430-432

https://literarydevices.net/assertion/
https://www.slideshare.net/VanessaRamones/formulating-assertions
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/01/video/coronavirus-pandemics-
causes.htm
Answer Key

ACTIVITY 1: LET’S TRY WHAT YOU KNOW!

1. Agree 6. Disagree
2. Agree 7. Agree
3. Agree 8. Agree
4. Disagree 8. Agree
5. Disagree 10. Disagree

ACTIVITY 2: WHAT I SAY

Answers may vary.

ACTIVITY 3: MY RESPONSE
1. A
2. B
3. A
4. A
5. A

ACTIVITY 4: CHOOSE IT RIGHT! ACTIVITY 5: What can you say?

A. Basic Assertion Answers may vary
B. Emphatic Assertion
C. I-Language Assertion

ACTIVITY 6: WRITE YOUR THOUGHTS

Answers may vary.
Prepared by:

ANGELYN C. SAJOT
Teacher 1, BANZA National High School

Reviewed by:

HAZEL P. YABO
Principal II, Banza National High School
MARIA DINAH D. ABALOS, PhD
EPS, English