Argumentative
In order to prepare students for their post-secondary lives, students must be able to examine multiple perspectives, so argumentative writing, AND thinking, is essential.
We will begin by examining and taking notes on rhetoric, persuasive techniques, and logical fallacies.
Argumentative Essay Assignment
To that end, students will be required to select a topic with contrasting points of view, a topic with a claim AND a counter-claim. They will read scholarly articles from both points of view, generating an opinion of their own. They will then write an argumentative piece in which they will support their newly-generated opinion while also examining the "counter-claims" against their opinion as well.
To select their topics, they will use the "Points of View Reference Center" from Ebsco; selecting topics under the direction of the teacher. To get to the "Points of View Reference Center" from Ebsco, they will first go to the West High Library Page (click the link) and then click on the link (in the middle of the page) that appears next to this picture:
This is the points of view reference center.
If accessing the website from home, a password will be required.
That password is discovery.
Students will use a minimum of 5 sources from the "Points of View Reference Center" -- including the 3 from the "main information" page: The overview article that first appears, the point article and the counterpoint article.
Note Card Format
Students will be required to take notes using note cards and highlighting information in the original articles. The first card from any source will be the "source" card that has the MLA citation information on it. The second card from any source will be the "source summary" card that will include a 6-7 sentence summary which will include the article's main points and arguments as well as its apparent bias.
When they have finished their research, they will then do an Annotated Bibliography with correct MLA format for the article citations.
Annotated Bibliography
Sample Annotated Bibliography
Annotated Bibliography Grading Rubric
When they finish researching, they will brainstorm and outline their papers before they begin writing a rough draft.
Generic Outline for Argumentative Essay
All papers will go through a self-revision before being peer edited by a classmate.
Peer Editing Argumentative Essay
Rubric for Assessment of Argumentative Essay
Next, students will make changes based upon the peer evaluation and prepare the paper for being uploaded into turnitin.com on the due date. Paper will be assessed using rubric above.
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The Common Core State Standards note that
“For students, writing is a key means of asserting and defending claims, showing what they know about a subject, and conveying what they have experienced, imagined, thought, and felt. To be college- and career ready writers, students must take task, purpose, and audience into careful consideration, choosing words, information, structures, and formats deliberately. They need to know how to combine elements of different kinds of writing – for example, to use narrative strategies within argument and explanation within narrative –
to produce complex and nuanced writing. They need to be able to use technology strategically when creating, refining, and collaborating on writing. They have to become adept at gathering information, evaluating sources, and citing material accurately, reporting findings from their research and analysis of sources in a clear and cogent manner. They must have the flexibility, concentration, and fluency to produce high-quality first-draft text under a tight deadline as well as the capacity to revisit and make improvements to a piece of writing over multiple drafts when circumstances encourage or require it.”
The Special Place of Argument
The Common Core Standards have brought about major shifts in writing. While all three text types [argument, informative/explanatory, and narrative] are important, the Common Core Standards put particular emphasis on students’ ability to write sound arguments on substantive topics and issues, as this ability is critical to college and career readiness. "Argument literacy” is fundamental to being educated. Since post-secondary education is largely an “argument culture,” K-12 schools should “teach the conflicts” so that students are adept at understanding and engaging in argument (both oral and written) when they enter college. Theorist and critic Neil Postman (1997) calls argument the soul of an education
because argument forces a writer to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of multiple perspectives. When teachers ask students to consider two or more perspectives on a topic or issues, something far beyond surface knowledge is required: students must think critically and deeply, assess the validity of their own thinking, and anticipate counterclaims in opposition to their own assertions.
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