In the Common Core State Standards, middle school students are being asked to write arguments where they can also formulate a counterclaim. Many students find this difficult. To help them, it is easier to teach them to recognize counterclaim before they are asked to create it. Enclosed you will find 20 task cards. Each task card contains a paragraph that contains a claim, evidence, and counterclaim. Each paragraph is either the pro or con of 10 different engaging topics. Included you will fi