Argument is Everywhere

Argument Is Everywhere

The reciprocal relationship among listening, speaking, and writing is the touch stone for creating and maintaining a classroom culture in which argument writing flourishes. Though surrounded by arguments every day, Upper Elementary students may lack opportunities to engage in conversations about an issue before being asked to write about it. Argument is Everywhere includes instructional practices that promote a classroom culture where structured student discourse may lead to improved comprehension and informed argument writing. This resource is recommended as an introduction to Upper Elementary argument writing instruction.

Argument Is Everywhere supports student interaction with routine argument topics ranging from low impact inquiry -"What is the best candy bar to pack in a lunch box in the summer?" - to high impact community issues that focus on creating change - "What role should the government play in helping students with severe, life-threatening allergies?" Through the interactions described in the resource, students begin to notice that effective arguments address multiple perspectives. Students experiment with making oral claims and developing recursive claims, followed by experimenting with attaching source-based evidence to claims.

Additional teacher support materials that value listening and speaking as rehearsals for making arguments are embedded in the resource.

Follow this link for a printable version of this resource.