Multiple Genres: Identifying the Intended Audience or Reader in Argumentative Texts (TEKS.ELA.7.8.E.iii)

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Texas 7th Grade ELA › Multiple Genres: Identifying the Intended Audience or Reader in Argumentative Texts (TEKS.ELA.7.8.E.iii)

Questions 1 - 4
1

Dear Trustees of Pine Ridge ISD, As you prepare next month's facilities agenda, I'm asking you to approve shade structures over the middle school bleachers and practice area. In our Central Texas heat, afternoon temperatures and turf surface readings regularly exceed UIL heat-index guidance. Coaches adjust practice times when possible, but bus routes and after-school programs make late starts unrealistic. Canvas canopies would reduce heat stress, protect families during games, and extend the life of seating. Funding need not touch classroom dollars: a facilities grant and booster support can cover installation, and maintenance fits existing custodial routines. Neighboring districts added similar canopies last year and reported fewer nurse visits and stronger event attendance. As stewards of student safety and district assets, you can move this forward with a modest, targeted investment. Please consider placing this item on the action agenda and directing staff to secure bids.

Based on the language and details in the text, who is the most likely intended audience?

Members of the district's school board

All Texas parents and guardians

Middle school athletes who use the field

Coaches across the state looking for tips

Explanation

The letter uses terms like trustees, facilities agenda, action agenda, and directing staff, which are aimed at school board members who set policy and vote on bids—not parents, students, or statewide coaches.

2

You don't need a fancy resume to make a real difference after school. Local shelters need middle school volunteers to walk dogs, tidy kennels, and help with weekend adoption events. If you're juggling homework and practice, no problem—most shifts are one to two hours, and staff will train you on the spot. Bring a signed permission form, wear closed-toe shoes, and ask a parent or guardian about a ride. It's a great way to earn community service hours, build confidence, and fill your camera roll with wagging tails. Grab a friend, set a reminder on your phone, and commit to one regular shift. When teens show up consistently, shelters can schedule more adoptions and save more animals. If you care about animals and want a low-stress, high-impact way to help, volunteering is the move—starting this month.

Who is the most likely intended audience for this persuasive piece?

Veterinarians and shelter managers seeking staff training

Parents of young children who want a new pet

Texas middle school students looking to earn service hours and help animals

City council members deciding shelter funding

Explanation

The piece uses second-person you, mentions permission forms, short after-school shifts, rides with a parent/guardian, and community service hours—signals aimed at middle school students, not professionals, parents, or officials.

3

Neighbors, our San Antonio summers aren't getting any cooler, and our water bills show it. Let's launch an Oak Creek Native Plant Swap to help each other replace thirsty turf with Texas-tough plants that thrive on less watering. If you've got extra cuttings of sage, salvia, or prickly pear, pot them up. If you're new to gardening, bring an empty container and go home with something that survives full sun. We'll meet Saturday at the neighborhood pavilion, then walk the cul-de-sac to see a few front yards already using native beds and mulch. This isn't about winning yard-of-the-month; it's about saving water, supporting pollinators, and keeping our HOA happy with neat, low-maintenance landscaping. I'll share a simple starter list and a map of residents willing to show their yards. Join us to swap, learn, and plan a fall planting day that fits our block's schedule.

Who is the writer most clearly trying to persuade?

Gardeners across the entire state of Texas

Residents of the Oak Creek neighborhood who share the same HOA and common areas

City utility regulators who set watering restrictions

Science teachers planning a botany unit

Explanation

References to our San Antonio neighborhood, Oak Creek, HOA expectations, the neighborhood pavilion, and walking the cul-de-sac point to local residents—not statewide gardeners, regulators, or teachers.

4

This brief recommends piloting later middle school start times to align with adolescent sleep cycles and improve academic outcomes. Peer-reviewed studies consistently associate delayed start times with higher attendance, reduced tardiness, and better first-period performance. Operationally, a shift of 20–30 minutes can be scheduled by adjusting bell schedules, after-school supervision, and transportation routing; a two-tier bus model minimizes added costs. Stakeholder engagement—families, campus staff, extracurricular sponsors—should precede a board workshop to surface concerns and solutions. Metrics for the pilot include attendance, nurse visits, grade distributions by period, and activity participation. If results mirror the established research base, the district can scale implementation during the annual calendar adoption process, in compliance with local policy and the state education code. Given the manageable budget impact and potential gains, leadership should authorize a phased rollout and charge staff with developing an implementation timeline.

Considering the tone, vocabulary, and recommendations, who is the intended audience?

Students who want more sleep on school days

General readers across Texas who are curious about sleep

University sleep researchers conducting clinical trials

District administrators and school board policy committees evaluating start-time changes

Explanation

The formal tone and jargon—policy brief, bell schedules, transportation routing, board workshop, metrics, implementation timeline—target decision-makers in a school district, not students, general readers, or academic researchers.