Philadelphia Writing Project
Supporting Civically Engaged Argument Writing with Primary Sources
Road Rules
Over the years, transportation has changed dramatically. From the horseless carriage of the past, to self-driving cars today, the rules of who and what is allowed to use city streets have always been up for debate.
A current conversation in Philadelphia, and other cities, centers on the use of all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) and dirt bikes on city streets. Pennsylvania state law requires that drivers be at least 16 to drive an ATV. In 2012, Philadelphia officials banned anyone from driving of ATVs or dirt bikes on city street. Parking an ATV like a 4-wheeler on public sidewalks or property results in a 2,000 dollar fine and possession of the vehicle by police. Currently, Bald Eagle State Forest is the only public trail in the state of Pennsylvania where it is legal to ride an ATV or dirt bike legally. This park is three hours away from Philadelphia.
Students can contribute to ongoing civic conversations about the rules of our roads.
FEATURED PRIMARY SOURCES
Photograph
Street scene, Philadelphia, PA. c1897. (Library of Congress).
Video
Madison Square, New York. 1902. (Library of Congress).
CLASSROOM ROUTINE
Joining a Conversation in Progress: The Atwoodian Table
When she taught at a summer enrichment program that combined social studies and ELA for middle school students in West Philadelphia, Javaha Ross's students analyzed news articles, videos, and photographs that focused on the ATV/dirt bike culture in Philadelphia. They were exploring the question, "What should Philadelphia do about the use of ATVs on city streets?"
Students were joining a conversation in progress. Drawing upon resources from the National Writing Project's (NWP) College, Career, and Community Writers Program, Ms. Ross asked students to create an Atwoodian Table to represent the many viewpoints on who or what should be allowed on city streets. (The Atwoodian Table is named for its creator, NWP teacher consultant Dr. Robin Atwood, and is inspired by the Burkean parlor metaphor).
Students wrote down the viewpoints from the news stories as they read in Atwoodian tables. Next, students engaged in a "classroom mingle" where they shared their Atwoodian tables and revised their speech bubbles. Then, students added their own viewpoints to a table to represent the class's viewpoints.
TEXT SET
Introduce the Issue
Teachers may introduce the topic using one or more of the texts below. Teachers outside of Philadelphia might search for local news stories on this topic to create their own set.
Instead of asking students their opinions up front, teachers should encourage students to identify the multiple perspectives of others on the issue. Before jumping into a conversation in progress it's often important to first understand what others have said.
Introducing the issue would also be a great time to introduce historical primary sources like the 1865 photograph of Chestnut Street in Philadelphia. Students could reflect on how our roads are used and how rules of the road have changed over time.
News article that explains some of the concerns of drivers and police about ATVs and dirt bikes on city streets. “Hundreds of ATVs, dirt bikes swarm Pa. streets to menace drivers, but police sound helpless.” (Penn Live, 2022).
News article gives insight on who owns and is responsible for Philadelphia streets. “Who owns the streets of Philadelphia? It’s complicated…” (WHYY, 2015).
News article describing the growth of dirt bike culture and the need for spaces to drive. “Philly dirt bike culture is stronger than ever, but riders have nowhere to go.” (Billy Penn, 2019).
Go Deeper
Students may use these texts—or excerpts from these texts—to identify additional perspectives on the issue. Teachers may introduce students to a range of people, both past and present, who have developed identities and communities around driving various vehicles, from cars to motorcycles to ATVs. For instance, students might read about Bessie Stringfield, an African American woman who road her motorcycle across the United States.
Opinion article that argues for building a park for dirt bikes. “Don’t criminalize Philly’s dirt bike culture — build a park so it can thrive.” (WHYY, 2020).
News video and article about legislative efforts to control dirt bikes on city streets. “Pa. state lawmakers aim to stop use of illegal ATVs, dirt bikes on city streets.” (6ABC Action News, 2022).
News video with interviews with young people about the benefits of dirt bike culture. “How dirt bikes in the city build community, culture.” (WHYY, 2021).
News article presenting multiple perspectives on dirt biking in cities. “The war on urban dirt biking.” (Vice, 2021).
PLANNING & EQUITY INSIGHTS
Culturally & Historically Relevant Literacies: 5 Pursuits
In Cultivating Genius (2020) and Unearthing Joy (2023), Gholdy Muhammad introduced a Culturally and Historically Relevant Literacies framework. The framework encourages teachers to plan units using five pursuits that were central to the work and learning of Black literary societies. A unit on ATVs on city streets may address each pursuit in these ways:
Identities: Students learn about the cultures of ATV and dirt bike riders in various communities, both past and present.
Skills: Students analyze articles, images, and videos from different perspectives as they develop their own positions on who should be allowed to use public streets and how.
Intellectualism: Students learn about the histories of how our streets have been used and how laws have been and can be shaped to determine who can use public streets and how.
Criticality: Students examine and critique how and why governments prioritize some uses of public streets over others—and how that has changed over time.
Joy: Students explore how individuals and groups experience joy in relation to their uses of public streets.
PLANNING RESOURCE
Creating a Text Set
This curriculum collection brings together current news articles and videos, informational texts and infographics, historical primary sources in a range of formats (e.g., photos, prints, legislation, maps), and other sources like picture books and even novels. Teachers may use text sets for a variety of purposes to support civic argument writing:
Show students how creating civic arguments involves joining a conversation in progress (Harris, 2017).
Provide ongoing opportunities for students to read, write, and discuss as they deepen their understandings and develop their own claims.
Introduce multiple perspectives on an issue and reinforce the idea that most issues are nuanced and do not have simple “pro” and “con” positions.
Invite reflection on the reliability and usefulness of sources and evidence through sourcing, contextualizing, comparing, and corroborating.
Introduce mentor texts to support students in creating their own texts for civic purposes.
Teachers in the National Writing Project's (NWP) College, Career, and Community Writers Program have developed strategies and tips for developing text sets for supporting argument writing. Additionally, the Library of Congress has developed resources to help teachers with selecting primary sources.
In a 2022 webinar, Javaha Ross and Trey Smith drew upon NWP and Library of Congress resources to offer recommendations for developing text sets. Check out the video recording and make a copy of the "Planning a text set" tool.
GOING PUBLIC WITH ARGUMENT
Self-Driving Vehicles
Communities are also discussing the rules of the road for self-driving vehicles. During the 2020-21 school year, Mr. Smith opened up discussion about this issue with high school students in his introduction to computer science class. He based the mini unit on resources from the National Writing Project's College, Career, and Community Writers Program (C3WP).
Students engaged with a range of texts (videos, infographics, news articles, Op-Eds) that discussed the issue. At the end of the mini unit, students crafted Op-Eds on the issue.
C3WP resources include the Using Sources Tool, which students and teachers can use to analyze students' arguments. Based on what teachers learn about student writing using the UST, they can plan instruction. The UST is a formative assessment tool intended for collaborative use, not to evaluate teachers or students.
Additional Planning Resources
Overlooked no more: Bessie Stringfield, the "Motorcycle Queen of Miami." (New York Times, 2018)
Lesson Planning Resources
Making the case in an Op-Ed and self driving cars text set. College, Career, and Community Writers Program. (National Writing Project, 2019).
Corner Madison and State Streets, Chicago. 1897. (Library of Congress)
Primary Source
A trip down Market Street before the fire. 1906. (Library of Congress).
Teacher Blog Post
A mystery sparked by a century old film. (Library of Congress, 2015).
Teacher Blog Post
Exploring actuality films in the classroom. (Library of Congress, 2015).
Junior Chamber of Commerce warns against jaywalking. 1953. (Temple University Libraries)
Primary Source
Watch your step or pay a fine: Jaywalking law goes into effect today. 1 June 1945. The Daily Bulletin [Dayton, OH]. (Chronicling America, Library of Congress).
Professional Development Resources
Teaching with primary sources: Technology's impact on American history: History on wheels. (National Council for History Education, 2022).
Primary Source
Good bye, horses: Wagons may now be run by electricity. St. Paul Daily Globe, p. 5. 11 August 1892. (Chronicling America, Library of Congress).
Teacher Blog Post
Electric cars, energy, and engineering. (Library of Congress, 2016).
About This Page
This website features resources created by educators affiliated with the Philadelphia Writing Project (PhilWP), supported by a Teaching with Primary Sources grant from the Library of Congress.
The following PhilWP teacher consultants contributed to this page: J. Ross and J. F. Smith. Additionally, teacher consultants T. Anderson and L. Lapina helped with editing this page.
Some of the resources and approaches referenced on this page were developed by the National Writing Project's College, Career, and Community Writers Program.
Teacher Consultants in the NWP Write Now Teacher Studio and members of the Teaching with Primary Sources Teachers Network have provided feedback on and suggestions for this page.
This page was updated 29 October 2023.