A Step-by-Step Plan for Teaching Argumentative Writing
February 7, 2016
Can't find what you are looking for? Contact Us
Listen to this post as a podcast:
This page contains Amazon Affiliate and Bookshop.org links. When you make a purchase through these links, Cult of Pedagogy gets a small percentage of the sale at no extra cost to you. What’s the difference between Amazon and Bookshop.org?
For seven years, I was a writing teacher. Yes, I was certified to teach the full spectrum of English language arts—literature, grammar and usage, speech, drama, and so on—but my absolute favorite, the thing I loved doing the most, was teaching students how to write.
Most of the material on this site is directed at all teachers. I look for and put together resources that would appeal to any teacher who teaches any subject. That practice will continue for as long as I keep this up. But over the next year or so, I plan to also share more of what I know about teaching students to write. Although I know many of the people who visit here are not strictly English language arts teachers, my hope is that these posts will provide tons of value to those who are, and to those who teach all subjects, including writing.
So let’s begin with argumentative writing, or persuasive writing, as many of us used to call it. This overview will be most helpful to those who are new to teaching writing, or teachers who have not gotten good results with the approach you have taken up to now. I don’t claim to have the definitive answer on how to do this, but the method I share here worked pretty well for me, and it might do the same for you. If you are an experienced English language arts teacher, you probably already have a system for teaching this skill that you like. Then again, I’m always interested in how other people do the things I can already do; maybe you’re curious like that, too.
Before I start, I should note that what I describe in this post is a fairly formulaic style of essay writing. It’s not exactly the 5-paragraph essay, but it definitely builds on that model. I strongly believe students should be shown how to move past those kinds of structures into a style of writing that’s more natural and fitting to the task and audience, but I also think they should start with something that’s pretty clearly organized.
So here’s how I teach argumentative essay writing.
Step 1: Watch How It’s Done
One of the most effective ways to improve student writing is to show them mentor texts, examples of excellent writing within the genre students are about to attempt themselves. Ideally, this writing would come from real publications and not be fabricated by me in order to embody the form I’m looking for. Although most experts on writing instruction employ some kind of mentor text study, the person I learned it from best was Katie Wood Ray in her book Study Driven (links to the book: Bookshop.org | Amazon ).
Since I want the writing to be high quality and the subject matter to be high interest, I might choose pieces like Jessica Lahey’s Students Who Lose Recess Are the Ones Who Need it Most and David Bulley’s School Suspensions Don’t Work .
I would have students read these texts, compare them, and find places where the authors used evidence to back up their assertions. I would ask students which author they feel did the best job of influencing the reader, and what suggestions they would make to improve the writing. I would also ask them to notice things like stories, facts and statistics, and other things the authors use to develop their ideas. Later, as students work on their own pieces, I would likely return to these pieces to show students how to execute certain writing moves.
Step 2: Informal Argument, Freestyle
Although many students might need more practice in writing an effective argument, many of them are excellent at arguing in person. To help them make this connection, I would have them do some informal debate on easy, high-interest topics. An activity like This or That (one of the classroom icebreakers I talked about last year) would be perfect here: I read a statement like “Women have the same opportunities in life as men.” Students who agree with the statement move to one side of the room, and those who disagree move to the other side. Then they take turns explaining why they are standing in that position. This ultimately looks a little bit like a debate, as students from either side tend to defend their position to those on the other side.
Every class of students I have ever had, from middle school to college, has loved loved LOVED this activity. It’s so simple, it gets them out of their seats, and for a unit on argument, it’s an easy way to get them thinking about how the art of argument is something they practice all the time.
Step 3: Informal Argument, Not so Freestyle
Once students have argued without the support of any kind of research or text, I would set up a second debate; this time with more structure and more time to research ahead of time. I would pose a different question, supply students with a few articles that would provide ammunition for either side, then give them time to read the articles and find the evidence they need.
Next, we’d have a Philosophical Chairs debate (learn about this in my discussion strategies post), which is very similar to “This or That,” except students use textual evidence to back up their points, and there are a few more rules. Here they are still doing verbal argument, but the experience should make them more likely to appreciate the value of evidence when trying to persuade.
Before leaving this step, I would have students transfer their thoughts from the discussion they just had into something that looks like the opening paragraph of a written argument: A statement of their point of view, plus three reasons to support that point of view. This lays the groundwork for what’s to come.
Step 4: Introduction of the Performance Assessment
Next I would show students their major assignment, the performance assessment that they will work on for the next few weeks. What does this look like? It’s generally a written prompt that describes the task, plus the rubric I will use to score their final product.
Anytime I give students a major writing assignment, I let them see these documents very early on. In my experience, I’ve found that students appreciate having a clear picture of what’s expected of them when beginning a writing assignment. At this time, I also show them a model of a piece of writing that meets the requirements of the assignment. Unlike the mentor texts we read on day 1, this sample would be something teacher-created (or an excellent student model from a previous year) to fit the parameters of the assignment.
Step 5: Building the Base
Before letting students loose to start working on their essays, I make sure they have a solid plan for writing. I would devote at least one more class period to having students consider their topic for the essay, drafting a thesis statement, and planning the main points of their essay in a graphic organizer.
I would also begin writing my own essay on a different topic. This has been my number one strategy for teaching students how to become better writers. Using a document camera or overhead projector, I start from scratch, thinking out loud and scribbling down my thoughts as they come. When students see how messy the process can be, it becomes less intimidating for them. They begin to understand how to take the thoughts that are stirring around in your head and turn them into something that makes sense in writing.
For some students, this early stage might take a few more days, and that’s fine: I would rather spend more time getting it right at the pre-writing stage than have a student go off willy-nilly, draft a full essay, then realize they need to start over. Meanwhile, students who have their plans in order will be allowed to move on to the next step.
Step 6: Writer’s Workshop
The next seven to ten days would be spent in writer’s workshop, where I would start class with a mini-lesson about a particular aspect of craft. I would show them how to choose credible, relevant evidence, how to skillfully weave evidence into an argument, how to consider the needs of an audience, and how to correctly cite sources. Once each mini-lesson was done, I would then give students the rest of the period to work independently on their writing. During this time, I would move around the room, helping students solve problems and offering feedback on whatever part of the piece they are working on. I would encourage students to share their work with peers and give feedback at all stages of the writing process.
If I wanted to make the unit even more student-centered, I would provide the mini-lessons in written or video format and let students work through them at their own pace, without me teaching them. (To learn more about this approach, read this post on self-paced learning ).
As students begin to complete their essays, the mini-lessons would focus more on matters of style and usage. I almost never bother talking about spelling, punctuation, grammar, or usage until students have a draft that’s pretty close to done. Only then do we start fixing the smaller mistakes.
Step 7: Final Assessment
Finally, the finished essays are handed in for a grade. At this point, I’m pretty familiar with each student’s writing and have given them verbal (and sometimes written) feedback throughout the unit; that’s why I make the writer’s workshop phase last so long. I don’t really want students handing in work until they are pretty sure they’ve met the requirements to the best of their ability. I also don’t necessarily see “final copies” as final; if a student hands in an essay that’s still really lacking in some key areas, I will arrange to have that student revise it and resubmit for a higher grade.
So that’s it. If you haven’t had a lot of success teaching students to write persuasively, and if the approach outlined here is different from what you’ve been doing, give it a try. And let’s keep talking: Use the comments section below to share your techniques or ask questions about the most effective ways to teach argumentative writing.
Want this unit ready-made?
If you’re a writing teacher in grades 7-12 and you’d like a classroom-ready unit like the one described above, including mini-lessons, sample essays, and a library of high-interest online articles to use for gathering evidence, take a look at my Argumentative Writing unit. Just click on the image below and you’ll be taken to a page where you can read more and see a detailed preview of what’s included.
What to Read Next
Categories: Instruction , Podcast
Tags: English language arts , Grades 6-8 , Grades 9-12 , teaching strategies
58 Comments
This is useful information. In teaching persuasive speaking/writing I have found Monroe’s Motivated sequence very useful and productive. It is a classic model that immediately gives a solid structure for students.
Thanks for the recommendation, Bill. I will have to look into that! Here’s a link to more information on Monroe’s Motivated sequence, for anyone who wants to learn more: https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/MonroeMotivatedSequence.htm
What other sites do you recommend for teacher use on providing effective organizational structure in argumentative writing? As a K-12 Curriculum Director, I find that when teachers connect with and understand the organizational structure, they are more effective in their teaching/delivery.
Hey Jessica, in addition to the steps outlined here, you might want to check out Jenn’s post on graphic organizers . Graphic organizers are a great tool that you can use in any phase of a lesson. Using them as a prewrite can help students visualize the argument and organize their thoughts. There’s a link in that post to the Graphic Organizer Multi-Pack that Jenn has for sale on her Teachers Pay Teachers site, which includes two versions of a graphic organizer you can use specifically for argument organization. Otherwise, if there’s something else you had in mind, let us know and we can help you out. Thanks!
Dear Jennifer Gonzalez,
You are generous with your gift of lighting the path… I hardly ever write (never before) , but I must today… THANK YOU… THANK YOU….THANK YOU… mostly for reading your great teachings… So your valuable teachings will even be easy to benefit all the smart people facing challenge of having to deal with adhd…
I am not a teacher… but forever a student…someone who studied English as 2nd language, with a science degree & adhd…
You truly are making a difference in our World…
Thanks so much, Rita! I know Jenn will appreciate this — I’ll be sure to share with her!
Love it! Its simple and very fruitful . I can feel how dedicated you are! Thanks alot Jen
Great examples of resources that students would find interesting. I enjoyed reading your article. I’ve bookmarked it for future reference. Thanks!
You’re welcome, Sheryl!
Students need to be writing all the time about a broad range of topics, but I love the focus here on argumentative writing because if you choose the model writing texts correctly, you can really get the kids engaged in the process and in how they can use this writing in real-world situations!
I agree, Laura. I think an occasional tight focus on one genre can help them grow leaps and bounds in the skills specific to that type of writing. Later, in less structured situations, they can then call on those skills when that kind of thinking is required.
This is really helpful! I used it today and put the recess article in a Google Doc and had the kids identify anecdotal, statistic, and ‘other’ types of evidence by highlighting them in three different colors. It worked well! Tomorrow we’ll discuss which of the different types of evidence are most convincing and why.
Love that, Shanna! Thanks for sharing that extra layer.
Greetings Ms. Gonzales. I was wondering if you had any ideas to help students develop the cons/against side of their argument within their writing? Please advise. Thanks.
Hi Michael,
Considering audience and counterarguments are an important part of the argumentative writing process. In the Argumentative Writing unit Jenn includes specific mini-lessons that teach kids how, when and where to include opposing views in their writing. In the meantime, here’s a video that might also be helpful.
Hi, Thank you very much for sharing your ideas. I want to share also the ideas in the article ‘Already Experts: Showing Students How Much They Know about Writing and Reading Arguments’ by Angela Petit and Edna Soto…they explain a really nice activity to introduce argumentative writing. I have applied it many times and my students not only love it but also display a very clear pattern as the results in the activity are quite similar every time. I hope you like it.
Lorena Perez
I’d like to thank you you for this excellence resource. It’s a wonderful addition to the informative content that Jennifer has shared.
What do you use for a prize?
I looked at the unit, and it looks and sounds great. The description says there are 4 topics. Can you tell me the topics before I purchase? We start argument in 5th grade, and I want to make sure the topics are different from those they’ve done the last 5 years before purchasing. Thanks!
Hi Carrie! If you go to the product page on TPT and open up the preview, you’ll see the four topics on the 4th page in more detail, but here they are: Social Networking in School (should social media sites be blocked in school?), Cell Phones in Class, Junk Food in School, and Single-Sex Education (i.e., genders separated). Does that help?
I teach 6th grade English in a single gendered (all-girls) class. We just finished an argument piece but I will definitely cycle back your ideas when we revisit argumentation. Thanks for the fabulous resources!
Glad to hear it, Madelyn!
I’m not a writing teacher and honestly haven’t been taught on how to teach writing. I’m a history teacher. I read this and found it helpful but have questions. First I noticed that amount of time dedicated to the task in terms of days. My questions are how long is a class period? I have my students for about 45 minutes. I also saw you mentioned in the part about self-paced learning that mini-lessons could be written or video format. I love these ideas. Any thoughts on how to do this with almost no technology in the room and low readers to non-readers? I’m trying to figure out how to balance teaching a content class while also teaching the common core skills. Thank you for any consideration to my questions.
Hey Jones, To me, a class period is anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour; definitely varies from school to school. As for the question about doing self-paced with very little tech? I think binders with written mini-lessons could work well, as well as a single computer station or tablet hooked up to a class set of videos. Obviously you’d need to be more diligent about rotating students in and out of these stations, but it’s an option at least. You might also give students access to the videos through computers in other locations at school (like the library) and give them passes to watch. The thing about self-paced learning, as you may have seen in the self-paced post , is that if students need extra teacher support (as you might find with low readers or non-readers), they would spend more one-on-one time with the teacher, while the higher-level students would be permitted to move more quickly on their own. Does that help?
My primary goal for next semester is to increase academic discussion and make connections from discussion to writing, so I love how you launch this unit with lessons like Philosophical Chairs. I am curious, however, what is the benefit of the informal argument before the not-so-informal argument? My students often struggle to listen to one another, so I’m wondering if I should start with the more formal, structured version. Or, am I overthinking the management? Thanks so much for input.
Yikes! So sorry your question slipped through, and we’re just now getting to this, Sarah. The main advantage of having kids first engage in informal debate is that it helps them get into an argumentative mindset and begin to appreciate the value of using research to support their claims. If you’ve purchased the unit, you can read more about this in the Overview.
My 6th graders are progressing through their argumentative essay. I’m providing mini lessons along the way that target where most students are in their essay. Your suggestions will be used. I’ve chosen to keep most writing in class and was happy to read that you scheduled a lot of class time for the writing. Students need to feel comfortable knowing that writing is a craft and needs to evolve over time. I think more will get done in class and it is especially important for the struggling writers to have peers and the teacher around while they write. Something that I had students do that they liked was to have them sit in like-topic groups to create a shared document where they curated information that MIGHT be helpful along the way. By the end of the essay, all will use a fantastic add-on called GradeProof which helps to eliminate most of the basic and silly errors that 6th graders make.
Debbi! I LOVE the idea of a shared, curated collection of resources! That is absolutely fantastic! Are you using a Google Doc for this? Other curation tools you might consider are Padlet and Elink .
thanks v much for all this information
Love this! What do you take as grades in the meantime? Throughout this 2 week stretch?
Ideally, you wouldn’t need to take grades at all, waiting until the final paper is done to give one grade. If your school requires more frequent grades, you could assign small point values for getting the incremental steps done: So in Step 3 (when students have to write a paragraph stating their point of view) you could take points for that. During the writer’s workshop phase, you might give points for completion of a rough draft and participation points for peer review (ideally, they’d get some kind of feedback on the quality of feedback they give to one another). Another option would be to just give a small, holistic grade for each week based on the overall integrity of their work–are they staying on task? Making small improvements to their writing each day? Taking advantage of the resources? If students are working diligently through the process, that should be enough. But again, the assessment (grades) should really come from that final written product, and if everyone is doing what they’re supposed to be doing during the workshop phase, most students should have pretty good scores on that final product. Does that help?
Awesome Step 2! Teaching mostly teenagers in Northern Australia I find students’ verbal arguments are much more finely honed than their written work.
To assist with “building the base” I’ve always found sentence starters an essential entry point for struggling students. We have started using the ‘PEARL’ method for analytical and persuasive writing.
If it helps here a free scaffold for the method:
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/FREE-Paragraph-Scaffold-PEEL-to-PEARL-3370676
Thanks again,
Thank you for sharing this additional resource! It’s excellent!
I’ve been scouring the interwebs looking for some real advice on how I can help my struggling 9th grader write better. I can write. Since it comes naturally for me, I have a hard time breaking it down into such tiny steps that he can begin to feel less overwhelmed. I LOVE the pre-writing ideas here. My son is a fabulous arguer. I need to help him use those powers for the good of his writing skills. Do you have a suggestion on what I else I can be using for my homeschooled son? Or what you may have that could work well for home use?
Hi Melinda,
You might be interested in taking a look at Jenn’s Argumentative Writing unit which she mentions at the end of the post . Hope this helps!
Mam it would be good if you could post some steps of different writing and some samples as well so it can be useful for the students.
Hi Aalia! My name is Holly, and I work as a Customer Experience Manager for Cult of Pedagogy. It just so happens that in the near future, Jenn is going to release a narrative writing unit, so keep an eye out for that! As far as samples, the argumentative writing unit has example essays included, and I’m sure the narrative unit will as well. But, to find the examples, you have to purchase the unit from Teachers Pay Teachers.
I just want to say that this helped me tremendously in teaching argument to 8th Graders this past school year, which is a huge concept on their state testing in April. I felt like they were very prepared, and they really enjoyed the verbal part of it, too! I have already implemented these methods into my unit plan for argument for my 11th grade class this year. Thank you so much for posting all of these things! : )
-Josee` Vaughn
I’m so glad to hear it, Josee!!
Love your blog! It is one of the best ones.
I am petrified of writing. I am teaching grade 8 in September and would love some suggestions as I start planning for the year. Thanks!
This is genius! I can’t wait to get started tomorrow teaching argument. It’s always something that I have struggled with, and I’ve been teaching for 18 years. I have a class of 31 students, mostly boys, several with IEPs. The self-paced mini-lessons will help tremendously.
So glad you liked it, Britney!
My students will begin the journey into persuasion and argument next week and your post cemented much of my thinking around how to facilitate the journey towards effective, enthusiastic argumentative writing.
I use your rubrics often to outline task expectations for my students and the feedback from them is how useful breaking every task into steps can be as they are learning new concepts.
Additionally, we made the leap into blogging as a grade at https://mrsdsroadrunners.edublogs.org/2019/01/04/your-future/ It feels much like trying to learn to change a tire while the car is speeding down the highway. Reading your posts over the past years was a factor in embracing the authentic audience. Thank You! Trish
I love reading and listening to your always helpful tips, tricks, and advice! I was wondering if you had any thoughts on creative and engaging ways to have students share their persuasive writing? My 6th students are just finishing up our persuasive writing where we read the book “Oh, Rats” by Albert Marrin and used the information gathered to craft a persuasive piece to either eliminate or protect rats and other than just reading their pieces to one another, I have been trying to think of more creative ways to share. I thought about having a debate but (un)fortunately all my kids are so sweet and are on the same side of the argument – Protect the Rats! Any ideas?
Hi Kiley! Thanks for the positive feedback! So glad to hear that you are finding value in Cult of Pedagogy! Here are a few suggestions that you may be interested in trying with your students:
-A gallery walk: Students could do this virtually if their writing is stored online or hard copies of their writing. Here are some different ways that you could use gallery walks: Enliven Class Discussions With Gallery Walks
-Students could give each other feedback using a tech tool like Flipgrid . You could assign students to small groups or give them accountability partners. In Flipgrid, you could have students sharing back and forth about their writing and their opinions.
I hope this helps!
I love the idea of mentor texts for all of these reading and writing concepts. I saw a great one on Twitter with one text and it demonstrated 5-6 reasons to start a paragraph, all in two pages of a book! Is there a location that would have suggestions/lists of mentor texts for these areas? Paragraphs, sentences, voice, persuasive writing, expository writing, etc. It seems like we could share this info, save each other some work, and curate a great collection of mentor text for English Language Arts teachers. Maybe it already exists?
Hi Maureen,
Here are some great resources that you may find helpful:
Craft Lessons Second Edition: Teaching Writing K-8 Write Like This: Teaching Real-World Writing Through Modeling and Mentor Texts and Mentor Texts, 2nd edition: Teaching Writing Through Children’s Literature, K-6
Thanks so much! I’ll definitely look into these.
I love the steps for planning an argumentative essay writing. When we return from Christmas break, we will begin starting a unit on argumentative writing. I will definitely use the steps. I especially love Step #2. As a 6th grade teacher, my students love to argue. This would set the stage of what argumentative essay involves. Thanks for sharing.
So glad to hear this, Gwen. Thanks for letting us know!
Great orientation, dear Jennifer. The step-by-step carefully planned pedagogical perspectives have surely added in the information repository of many.
Hi Jennifer,
I hope you are well. I apologise for the incorrect spelling in the previous post.
Thank you very much for introducing this effective instruction for teaching argumentative writing. I am the first year PhD student at Newcastle University, UK. My PhD research project aims to investigate teaching argumentative writing to Chinese university students. I am interested in the Argumentative Writing unit you have designed and would like to buy it. I would like to see the preview of this book before deciding to purchase it. I clicked on the image BUT the font of the preview is so small and cannot see the content clearly. I am wondering whether it could be possible for you to email me a detailed preview of what’s included. I would highly appreciate if you could help me with this.
Thank you very much in advance. Looking forward to your reply.
Take care and all the very best, Chang
Hi Chang! Jenn’s Argumentative Writing Unit is actually a teaching unit geared toward grades 7-12 with lessons, activities, etc. If you click here click here to view the actual product, you can click on the green ‘View Preview’ button to see a pretty detailed preview of what’s offered. Once you open the preview, there is the option to zoom in so you can see what the actual pages of the unit are like. I hope this helps!
Great Content!
Another teacher showed me one of your posts, and now I’ve read a dozen of them. With teaching students to argue, have you ever used the “What’s going on in this picture?” https://www.nytimes.com/column/learning-whats-going-on-in-this-picture?module=inline I used it last year and thought it was a non-threatening way to introduce learners to using evidence to be persuasive since there was no text.
I used to do something like this to help kids learn how to make inferences. Hadn’t thought of it from a persuasive standpoint. Interesting.
this is a very interesting topic, thanks!
Hi! I’m a teacher too! I was looking for inspiration and I found your article and thought you might find this online free tool interesting that helps make all students participate meaningfully and engage in a topic. https://www.kialo-edu.com/
This tool is great for student collaboration and to teach argumentative writing in an innovative way. I hope this helps!
Leave a Reply
Your email address will not be published.
- Featured Articles
- Report Card Comments
- Needs Improvement Comments
- Teacher's Lounge
- New Teachers
- Our Bloggers
- Article Library
- Featured Lessons
- Every-Day Edits
- Lesson Library
- Emergency Sub Plans
- Character Education
- Lesson of the Day
- 5-Minute Lessons
- Learning Games
- Lesson Planning
- Subjects Center
- Teaching Grammar
- Leadership Resources
- Parent Newsletter Resources
- Advice from School Leaders
- Programs, Strategies and Events
- Principal Toolbox
- Administrator's Desk
- Interview Questions
- Professional Learning Communities
- Teachers Observing Teachers
- Tech Lesson Plans
- Science, Math & Reading Games
- Tech in the Classroom
- Web Site Reviews
- Creating a WebQuest
- Digital Citizenship
- All Online PD Courses
- Child Development Courses
- Reading and Writing Courses
- Math & Science Courses
- Classroom Technology Courses
- A to Z Grant Writing Courses
- Spanish in the Classroom Course
- Classroom Management
- Responsive Classroom
- Dr. Ken Shore: Classroom Problem Solver
- Worksheet Library
- Highlights for Children
- Venn Diagram Templates
- Reading Games
- Word Search Puzzles
- Math Crossword Puzzles
- Geography A to Z
- Holidays & Special Days
- Internet Scavenger Hunts
- Student Certificates
Newsletter Sign Up
Lesson Plans
- General Archive
- Health & Safety
- Interdisciplinary
- Language Arts
- PE & Sports
- Social Science
- Special Ed & Guidance
- Special Themes
- Top LP Features
- Article Archive
- User Submitted LPs
- Box Cars Math Games
- Every Day Edits
- Five Minute Fillers
- Holiday Lessons
- News for Kids
- ShowBiz Science
- Student Engagers
- Work Sheet Library
- More LP Features
- Calculator Lessons
- Coloring Calendars
- Friday Fun Lessons
- Math Machine
- Month of Fun
- Reading Machine
- Tech Lessons
- Writing Bug
- All Work Sheets
- Critical Thinking Work Sheets
- Animals A to Z
- Backpacktivities
- EveryDay Edits
- Hunt the Fact Monster
- It All Adds Up Math Puzzles
- Make Your Own Work Sheets
- Math Cross Puzzles
- Mystery State
- Math Practice 4 You
- Phonics Word Search Puzzles
- Readers Theater Scripts
- Sudoku Puzzles
- Vocabulous!
- Back to School
- Back to School Archive
- Icebreaker Activities
- Preparing for the First Day
- Ideas for All Year
- The Homework Dilemma
- First Year Teachers
- Don't Forget the Substitute
- More Great Ideas for the New School Year
- Early Childhood
- Best Books for Educators
- Assessments
- Award Certificates
- Bulletin Board Resources
- Classroom Organizers
- Graphic Organizers
- Newsletters
- Parent Teacher Communications
- More Templates
Search form
English - body paragraphs in persuasive writing - grade 8.
Lesson Plan Outline
Subject: English
Grade: Eight
Lesson Objective: Body Paragraphs in Persuasive Writing
Common Core Standard: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.8.2 - "Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content."
Materials: Select any body of work for the class to work on as a whole, or have each student select a topic they feel compelled to write on.
Teacher Preparation: The fundamental purpose of writing is to share ideas. Whether reading someone else's work or writing and trying to connect with someone, the ability to articulate thoughts is a life skill of the utmost importance. We're constantly trying to persuade others whether we think we are or not, from what movie is better to the all-time preferred flavor of ice cream.
Anyone can have an opinion. Everyone does have opinions, but being able to articulate that opinion is one thing. And being able to convince someone to see things differently, or at least consider them from another perspective, is another thing entirely. Just like how anyone can have an opinion, anyone can master persuasive writing with these simple steps. The following is a lesson plan to help students create meaningful body paragraphs in persuasive writing.
Starter: It isn't called brainstorming for nothing. Creating ideas on how to approach a particular subject and the different ways a student can approach it can result in an overwhelming bombardment of too many ideas. This is where research plays its part by assisting the writer with ideas about the subject in general.
Even reading just a handful of papers, articles, and factoids can help students solidify the stance they want to take in their essay. Researching the topic as a whole, including resources from both sides of the spectrum, will help narrow down the stance a student wishes to take. This also helps eliminate bias in the essay as the writer sees information and can draw conclusions based on facts rather than solely on opinions.
Main: Once a student has taken a particular stance on the subject, formulating those ideas into at least three key points is essential to crafting a successful persuasive essay. One point is addressed in each body paragraph. It may be difficult for students to come up with three ideas, but starting with one topic they plan to address may lead to another that helps their stance. Or, if they only have one idea, suggest breaking that down into three manageable parts. This will allow each body paragraph to stand on its own and help the flow of the writing itself.
Outlining helps ensure that the flow of these ideas is organized to make sense and provides a road map for the student to follow when writing. Each point serves as a body paragraph, and the contents of that are made up of another three points consisting of ways the student will address the specific idea. Once the outline is created, the student has to combine the notes with grammar and punctuation, and it's off to the races.
For example, an outline for a persuasive essay about why dogs are better than cats may look something like this:
- You cant play with a cat the same way you can play with a dog.
- Dogs and cats need exercise.
- Dogs are awake for most of the day; meanwhile, cats are nocturnal.
- A common misconception is that dogs are bad.
- How dogs are raised determines their anger, not their breed.
- Cuddling with animals is clinically proven to reduce stress.
- Dogs can be taught tricks while cats cannot.
- Dogs can be trained as service animals.
- Dogs can even be taught to use programmed push buttons to say phrases about what they want.
The easiest way to craft body paragraphs after the outline is drafted is by using transitional phrases. 'First,' 'furthermore,' and 'finally' are the only three tools needed to kick off body paragraphs.
Wrapping up a paragraph that somehow ties into the next and introduces an idea that somehow ties into the last is probably the most tedious part of writing. Using transitional phrases helps students stay on the course of their outline without sacrificing content. 'First' is used to open the first paragraph, followed by 'furthermore' as it builds on the original thesis, and 'finally' begins the last body paragraph.
Reflection: Followed by a transitional phrase, a paragraph or an idea is introduced in the same way the overall essay begins: with a hook. Hooking readers goes back to that element of brainstorming. Students were encouraged to research the topic and find what makes it interesting, so they already have ideas as to what makes it interesting enough to write about in the first place.
Creating a hook draws the reader in, but it has to be related to the subject and introduced as if it were the reader's first time hearing about it. It's best to leave nothing to chance. A hook is followed up with context, reeling the reader further in and sinking them with the three points created in the outline.
The best way to ensure that body paragraphs in persuasive writing are persuasive is to draft, revise, and edit. Drafting an outline allows relevant information, quotes, and resources to be organized in a way that flows and gives a steady foundation to work from. Revising those ideas and thoughtfully formulating them builds the framework of the body paragraphs. Editing those paragraphs with hook, reel, and sink helps the essay's consistency and flow of ideas. Utilizing 'first,' 'furthermore,' and 'finally' as paragraph starters also helps students keep their ideas in order and make the task of writing more manageable.
Utilizing any of these methods in your next class will help students compose their ideas and accomplish successful body paragraphs in persuasive writing.
Written by Morgan Andrus
Education World Contributor
Copyright© 2021 Education World
EW Lesson Plans
EW Professional Development
Ew worksheets.
 Sign up for our free weekly newsletter and receive top education news, lesson ideas, teaching tips and more! No thanks, I don't need to stay current on what works in education! COPYRIGHT 1996-2016 BY EDUCATION WORLD, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. COPYRIGHT 1996 - 2024 BY EDUCATION WORLD, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
 Can You Convince Me? Developing Persuasive Writing
Persuasive writing is an important skill that can seem intimidating to elementary students. This lesson encourages students to use skills and knowledge they may not realize they already have. A classroom game introduces students to the basic concepts of lobbying for something that is important to them (or that they want) and making persuasive arguments. Students then choose their own persuasive piece to analyze and learn some of the definitions associated with persuasive writing. Once students become aware of the techniques used in oral arguments, they then apply them to independent persuasive writing activities and analyze the work of others to see if it contains effective persuasive techniques. Featured Resources
From Theory to Practice
Common Core StandardsThis resource has been aligned to the Common Core State Standards for states in which they have been adopted. If a state does not appear in the drop-down, CCSS alignments are forthcoming. State StandardsThis lesson has been aligned to standards in the following states. If a state does not appear in the drop-down, standard alignments are not currently available for that state. NCTE/IRA National Standards for the English Language Arts
Materials and Technology
Preparation
Student ObjectivesStudents will
Session 1: The Game of Persuasion
Home/School Connection: Distribute Persuasion Is All Around You . Students are to find an example of a persuasive piece from the newspaper, television, radio, magazine, or billboards around town and be ready to report back to class during Session 2. Provide a selection of magazines or newspapers with advertisements for students who may not have materials at home. For English-language learners (ELLs), it may be helpful to show examples of advertisements and articles in newspapers and magazines. Session 2: Analysis of an Argument
Home/School Connection: Ask students to revisit their persuasive piece from Persuasion Is All Around You . This time they will use Check the Strategies to look for the persuasive strategies that the creator of the piece incorporated. Check for understanding with your ELLs and any special needs students. It may be helpful for them to talk through their persuasive piece with you or a peer before taking it home for homework. Arrange a time for any student who may not have the opportunity to complete assignments outside of school to work with you, a volunteer, or another adult at school on the assignment. Session 3: Persuasive Writing
Session 4: Presenting the Persuasive Writing
Student Assessment / Reflections
The Persuasion Map is an interactive graphic organizer that enables students to map out their arguments for a persuasive essay or debate. This interactive tool allows students to create Venn diagrams that contain two or three overlapping circles, enabling them to organize their information logically.
Explore Resources by Grade
Advertisement Supported by Writing curriculum Argumentative Writing UnitWriting prompts, lesson plans, webinars, mentor texts and a culminating contest, all to inspire your students to tell us what matters to them.  By The Learning Network Unit OverviewOn our site, we’ve been offering teenagers ways to tell the world what they think for over 20 years. Our student writing prompt forums encourage them to weigh in on current events and issues daily, while our contests have offered an annual outlet since 2014 for formalizing those opinions into evidence-based essays. In this unit, we’re bringing together all the resources we’ve developed along the way to help students figure out what they want to say, and how to say it effectively. Here is what this unit offers, but we would love to hear from both teachers and students if there is more we could include. Let us know in the comments, or by writing to [email protected]. Start With Our Prompts for Argumentative WritingHow young is too young to use social media? Should students get mental health days off from school? Is $1 billion too much money for any one person to have? These are the kinds of questions we ask every day on our site. In 2017 we published a list of 401 Prompts for Argumentative Writing categorized to provoke thinking on aspects of contemporary life from social media to sports, politics, gender issues and school. In 2021, we followed it up with 300 Questions and Images to Inspire Argument Writing , which catalogs all our argument-focused Student Opinion prompts since then, plus our more accessible Picture Prompts. We are having trouble retrieving the article content. Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings. Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times. Thank you for your patience while we verify access. Already a subscriber? Log in . Want all of The Times? Subscribe . 
 Writing an Argument Essay: Planning the EssayThis writing an argument essay: planning the essay lesson plan also includes:.
It's time for a quote sandwich! Using the resource, pupils learn about the three parts of an effective quotation: introduction, quote, and analysis. Scholars use the model to peer critique each others' writing to show what they learned. Additional TagsInstructional ideas.
Classroom Considerations
Common CoreStart your free trial. Save time and discover engaging curriculum for your classroom. Reviewed and rated by trusted, credentialed teachers.
See similar resources:Analyzing the central claim and supporting claims: “the shakespeare shakedown”, measuring parts of the body, project based learning, why did some colonial virginians continue to support the king, supporting opinions: handling the end of a friendship, learning with roald dahl, i do, we do, you do, bring read-to-learn activities into your classroom, using prefixes, suffixes and root words to improve college level vocabulary, mc graw hill: part 2 reading: informational text: quote accurately. EL Education CurriculumYou are here.
Write a Practice Argument Essay: Analyze and Draft Proof Paragraph 2In this lesson, daily learning targets, ongoing assessment.
Supporting English Language LearnersMaterials from previous lessons, new materials, closing & assessments, you are here:.
Like what you see?Order printed materials, teacher guides and more. How to order Help us improve!Tell us how the curriculum is working in your classroom and send us corrections or suggestions for improving it. Leave feedback Focus Standards: These are the standards the instruction addresses.
Supporting Standards: These are the standards that are incidental—no direct instruction in this lesson, but practice of these standards occurs as a result of addressing the focus standards.
Tech and Multimedia
Supports guided in part by CA ELD Standards 8.I.C.11 and 8.I.C.12. Important Points in the Lesson Itself
Each unit in the 6-8 Language Arts Curriculum has two standards-based assessments built in, one mid-unit assessment and one end of unit assessment. The module concludes with a performance task at the end of Unit 3 to synthesize students' understanding of what they accomplished through supported, standards-based writing.
Copyright © 2013-2024 by EL Education, New York, NY. Get updates about our new K-5 curriculum as new materials and tools debut.Help us improve our curriculum.. Tell us what’s going well, share your concerns and feedback. Terms of use . To learn more about EL Education, visit eleducation.org Filter Results
Resource Type
middle-school
Printable 8th Grade Argument Writing Worksheets
Lesson Plans - DetailsBack to all resources Argumentative Essay Writing
 Documents to download
Please login or register to post comments.Argumentative Writing Unit for Grades 6-8, Opinion Essays, Persuasive Writing What educators are sayingAlso included in.  DescriptionTeach 6th-8th grade argumentative essay writing with this step-by-step writing unit ! Cover the basics like thesis statements, text evidence, and paragraph writing ! Your students will be engaged and provided the proper scaffolds they need for learning! In this unit, students will be introduced to mentor argumentative essays so that they can see what a great essay looks like. They will slowly dip their toes into the argumentative writing world by making claims and addressing counterclaims , writing argumentative paragraphs, and then eventually working their way up to writing full argumentative essays! Along the way, they will read high interest articles about cell phones in school, athlete salaries, physical education in school, and more! They will use interactive worksheets, games, group work , and so much more to learn the key concepts of argumentative writing! They will also take time to peer edit , review, and reflect on writing. At the end of the unit, students will conference with the teacher to look at how they have grown and how they can continue to grow! There are 24 lessons that could span for any amount of time that the teacher prefers. They are based on my own class periods--54 minutes. I have included ESL/ELL scaffolds and supports in this resource. It is my goal for teachers to have everything they need within each resource that I provide. Because of this, I have put ESL Tips in each lesson plan, and I have included either advice or actual pages that teachers can use to provide their ESL students with everything they need! This product features: ⭐️ 24 lessons ⭐️ ESL/ELL Resources Information ⭐️ Mentor essays ⭐️ Paragraph writing ⭐️ Argument writing rubric ⭐️ Graphic organizers ⭐️ Peer editing pages ⭐️ Self reflection pages ⭐️ Conference pages ⭐️ Bonus resources and activities You might also like: Article of the Week BUNDLE Reading & Writing Bell Ringers Don't forget to leave feedback on resources! You will earn credits to go toward your next purchase! Want to get in touch? Join my Email List for a FREE Download Follow my TpT store to get updates and notifications on new resources! If you have any questions or need assistance, please feel free to contact me! My email address is: [email protected]. Copyright ©Hello Tennessee Teacher 2018. All rights reserved by the author Permission to copy for single classroom use only Questions & AnswersHello tennessee teacher.
|
COMMENTS
If you're a writing teacher in grades 7-12 and you'd like a classroom-ready unit like the one described above, including mini-lessons, sample essays, and a library of high-interest online articles to use for gathering evidence, take a look at my Argumentative Writing unit. Just click on the image below and you'll be taken to a page where you can read more and see a detailed preview of ...
B. Analyze a Model Argument Essay - W.8.1 (15 minutes) Review the learning target relevant to the work to be completed in this section of the lesson: "I can identify the parts of a model argument essay and explain the purpose of each." Display a Painted Essay® template, and direct students to gather this resource from Module 1. Have ...
C. Plan Practice Argument Essay - W.8.5 (15 minutes) Review the learning target relevant to the work to be completed in this section of the lesson: "I can use my understanding of the elements of an argument essay to create a plan for a practice essay." Display and distribute the Practice Argument Essay Writing Plan graphic organizer.
Lesson Plan Outline. Subject: English. Grade: ... formulating those ideas into at least three key points is essential to crafting a successful persuasive essay. One point is addressed in each body paragraph. It may be difficult for students to come up with three ideas, but starting with one topic they plan to address may lead to another that ...
W.8.4 - Work Time B: Students work in pairs to produce clear and coherent writing as they develop the conclusion of their practice essay. W.8.5 - Work Time B: Student partners provide support to each other as they draft the conclusion to their practice essay. W.8.5 - Closing and Assessment A: Students receive and provide feedback to ...
Argumentative Essay Lesson Plan. Instructor Daniel Burdo. Cite this lesson. Argumentative essays are those persuading the reader to a defined perspective on a topic using specially chosen language ...
Use these ReadWriteThink resources to help students build their plans into a fully developed evidence based argument about text: Modeling Academic Writing Through Scholarly Article Presentations. And I Quote. Essay Map. Have students use the Evidence-Based Argument Checklist to revise and strengthen their writing.
The document outlines a learning plan for an 8th grade lesson on persuasive writing. It defines persuasive writing, discusses its purposes and format, and provides steps for writing a persuasive text including choosing a topic, researching, outlining, and concluding. The plan includes interactive exercises where students will revise sample essays, write their own on assigned topics, and ...
Lesson Plan Type. Standard Lesson. Estimated Time. Four 40-minute sessions. ... Have students begin writing their persuasive essays, using their printed Persuasion Maps as a guide. To maintain the spirit of the game, allow students to write their essays with their partner. ... Explore Resources by Grade. Kindergarten K; 1-2; 3-4; 5-6; 7-8; 9-10 ...
In " 10 Ways to Teach Argument-Writing With The New York Times ," you'll find resources for: Exploring the role of a newspaper opinion section. Understanding the difference between fact and ...
This Writing an Argument Essay: Planning the Essay Lesson Plan is suitable for 8th Grade. It's time for a quote sandwich! Using the resource, pupils learn about the three parts of an effective quotation: introduction, quote, and analysis. Scholars use the model to peer critique each others' writing to show what they learned.
Matthew Barbee, 2015 1 Name_____ Class_____ In an argumentative essay, your job is make the reader agree with your opinion about a controversial topic. You have to (1) state your opinion, (2) give reasons to support your opinion, and (3) argue against the opposite opinion. Overall, you must convince the audience that your side of the
1. 2. Now ask students if they think kids should have to do chores at home. Explain that they will be writing a persuasive essay on this topic with their parent or guardian as their audience. Once ...
Call on students to respond to the statement and to list their reasons. When they give a reason (for example, "Dogs are more fun"), press them to provide evidence (such as, "Dogs can be trained" or "Dogs can fetch"). Do this several times, making up new statements that you think will inspire your students. ("Beyonce is the best ...
W.8.1b - Work Time A: Students use the Painted Essay® structure to more closely analyze a model Proof Paragraph, to understand how it supports a point/reason with valid reasoning and relevant evidence. W.8.1b - Work Time B: Students orally rehearse their Proof Paragraph 2, sharing points, evidence, and the reasoning that connects back to ...
Lesson Summary. An argumentative essay is a persuasive writing piece. ... Common Core ELA Grade 8 - Writing: Standards ... Argumentative Essay Lesson Plan for High School;
The document provides a detailed lesson plan on teaching argumentative writing techniques to students. It includes objectives, materials, and a teaching procedure divided into routine activities, review of the previous lesson, motivation through discussion of a topic, and discussion. The plan aims to define argumentative essays, enumerate techniques, and help students construct their own ...
The document outlines a lesson plan on persuasive writing for 8th grade students. It includes objectives, content, procedures, and assessments. The lesson defines persuasive writing, discusses techniques and formats, and has students practice writing paragraphs and essays to convince others. Formative assessment includes multiple choice questions to check understanding, while summative ...
Earth Day Argument Writing Prompt #1: Plastic Bags. Worksheet. Fall Argument Writing Prompt #1: Fall Break. Worksheet. Novel Study: The Giver: Playlist for Jonas. Worksheet. Winter Argument Writing Prompt #2: Work Over Winter Break. Worksheet. Earth Day Argument Writing Prompt #3: Tourism and the Environment.
Argumentative Essay Writing. Students' age range: 16-18. Topic: Is cheating getting better or worse in schools? Description: To begin the lesson the teacher will present the topic to students and briefly discuss the lesson's objectives. Teacher will use the compass point strategy as a prompt to get students to start thinking and recording ...
3. Products. $24.00 $36.00 Save $12.00. View Bundle. Essay Writing Unit BUNDLE, Narrative, Informational, & Argumentative, Grades 6-8. Teach your 6th-8th grade students how to write narrative, informative, and argument essays! Save yourself time with this writing program because it has everything your students need to prepare for the state ...
At the end of the lesson, 100% of the students with at least 75% level of proficiency shall be able to: a. identify the parts and features of an argumentative essay and b. articulate their opinions about the given statements by composing a short argumentative essay.
Detailed Lesson Plan in English for Grade 10 Students. Identifying the Parts and Features of an Argumentative Essay Time Frame: 1 hour Prepared by: Madeleine B. Marcial. Objectives. At the end of the lesson, the students must be able to: Identify the parts and features of an argumentative essay;