The Block: WHAT CHANGED?
Put it to the test
Use a new situation to see what you can explain, support and revise.
Caseload 4 — Put it to the test
Essential question: What counts as enough evidence for this claim?
The checkout total changed
New transfer scenario. Read the source set before answering. Do not assume that a familiar word such as “policy,” “law,” “ban,” “scholarship,” or “petition” tells you who has authority or what happened.
Source set
SOURCE A — Shelf tag
NPW practice document. “Sparkling water: $1.50.”
What it establishes: Shows the listed item price.
What it cannot establish: Does not show tax, deposit, quantity, or other checkout charges.
SOURCE B — Receipt
NPW practice document. Item $1.50; bottle deposit $0.05; local sales tax $0.12; total $1.67.
What it establishes: Shows the components of this purchase total.
What it cannot establish: Does not explain the legal basis for each charge.
SOURCE C — Store sign
NPW practice document. “Prices on shelf tags do not include tax. Beverage containers include a refundable deposit where required.”
What it establishes: Explains the store’s pricing display and that a deposit may be refundable.
What it cannot establish: Does not prove the specific tax/deposit rate without another official source.
Part A — Check
1. Which source answers “Why is the total $1.67?” most directly?
A. Source A only
B. Source B
C. Source C only
D. None
2. Which amount is the listed item price?
A. $0.05
B. $0.12
C. $1.50
D. $1.67
3. Which claim is too broad?
A. This receipt includes a deposit.
B. This purchase includes tax.
C. Every store everywhere uses the same tax and deposit rules.
D. The shelf tag excludes tax.
4. If you want to know whether the deposit is required locally, what source would you check next?
A. An official state/local container-deposit source
B. A friend’s memory
C. An unrelated receipt
D. A movie review
5. “The store secretly raised the price” is…
A. fully established
B. an inference contradicted by the itemized receipt
C. a law
D. a refund policy
Part B — Explain
Explain the difference between sticker/shelf price and final total in this scenario. Identify what the receipt proves and one thing it does not prove.
Part C — Use it
Make a one-screen “Read the total” explainer using the four numbers in Source B. Label item price, deposit, tax, and final total. Add one line telling readers where to check whether a tax/deposit rule applies in their location.
Educator answer and scoring guidance
1. Correct answer: B. The receipt breaks the total into its components.
2. Correct answer: C. Source A and Source B both list $1.50 as the item price.
3. Correct answer: C. The sources describe this store/purchase and do not establish universal rules.
4. Correct answer: A. The legal requirement should be checked with the relevant official source.
5. Correct answer: B. The receipt shows separate charges rather than a hidden change to the item price.
Strong constructed/performance response: Strong responses use the receipt as the best source for what happened in the transaction and avoid turning one store’s sign into a universal statement about all jurisdictions.
Score Part B and Part C with the master analytic rubric. Do not award or remove points for a learner’s political, institutional, or personal preference. Score the quality of source use, reasoning, authority/process understanding, scope, and communication.