Teaching Argument Amy Cody

Educator- Walton-Verona MSNational Board Certified- EA/ELA

The Standards

The new Common Core State Standards focus on close reading and evidence-based argumentation as the key to academic literacy, career readiness, and rigorous thought.

The Parts of an Argument

• Answers a specific question given in a prompt or asserts an independent claim generated by the student.

• Claim statement often suggests/addresses an audience.

• Tells readers why the issue is significant*. Providing key words as part of an essential question unit often helps students express this significance and their reasoning. For example, in discussions of Facebook and teens, “privacy,” “freedom,” and “safety” are key terms students will need.

*CCSS

-Strategy- Practice Close reading of various articles with controversial issues presented- Students practice making a claim- agree or disagree and why. -- Color-code author’s claim and in a different color the points that support that claim.

claim

Claim- Technology

Students can respond to a discussion board- List topics and require response to topic as well as response to another student.

www.wallwisher.com- Students can post their claim on this space for practice and discussion.

www.polleverywhere.com- student can agree or disagree- works toward making a claim on an issue.

Discussion Board

Wall Wisher - http://wallwisher.com/wall/v5a5klienh

Poll Everywhere- Easy and Quick!

• Quotations from the text (Word for Word).

• Summary of text.

• Paraphrased information.

• Facts & statistics.

• Anyone engaged in the argument can find this and use it.

Strategy- Sentence Frames- use to respond to close readings/articles that present controversial issues. ACE- Answer, Cite, Explain (or elaborate) See handout- Example Starters for Citing Evidence

evidence

• The source of the greatest language and cognitive demands.

• This is thinking spelled out.

• Answers this question: “How does that evidence help prove the claim?”

• Where rigor and learning reside.

Strategy: ACE Sentence Starters

reasoning

Counter-Claim

• Bring it on! The counter-claim challenges students to consider other viewpoints by asking them to state an opponent’s argument and to develop a rebuttal from a shared value.

• Exploring opposing viewpoints is a strong thread throughout all academic standards, from the College Readiness Standards to the Common Core Standards. It is also a skill featured prominently in Advanced Placement assessments across disciplines.

Counter-Claim- Strategies

Students use Sentence Frames to counter-argue. ◦Some argue________ ; however, ______. ◦See Sentence frames handouts

Students practice counter-claims in isolation from an entire piece.

Discussion- Students choose sides and debate

Graphic Organizers

6 Box organizer- simple to use/rememberArgument OutlineIntro- specific topic + debatable view +

significance to the audience Body- points to argument/CounterargumentConclusion- What are the benefits of

accepting my argument?See Epals Argument Writing Graphic

Organizer handout.

Timing

Students need practice in a timed atmosphere.◦ I do many pre-writes with students using 6 box-

they have less than 10 minutes to complete the parts needed.

◦ I time them in creating introductions and counterarguments so they can think on their feet.

◦Students get practice in class and as a whole school (8 grade) we do two scrimmages a year with teachers available in a Live Scoring Atmosphere.

Passage Based Prompts

Samples createdMS vs. High school (MS- 1/HS can be 2)Finding articles to use.

◦Kelly Gallagher Article of the Week ◦Newspaper/Online news◦Procon.org

MORE RESOURCES!

The order in which I teach Argument- See handouts

More Resources available at: http://mscodysclass.wikispaces.com/Argumentative+Resources