Argumentative Writing

•Genre: Argumentative

•Purpose: Persuade

Argumentative Writing1. Make a claim

2. Support your claim with reasons/evidence

3. Acknowledge the counterclaim

4. Refute the counterclaim

5. Conclude with a strong statement

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Claim• States the author’s position on an issue.

• It must be debatable.

– There is no “right” answer

On which side of the fence are you?• A claim will be stated.

• Go to the side of the fence that most closely matches your opinion on the issue. (You only have 10 seconds!)

• No straddling allowed

Door =

Disagree

Window =

Agree

Tacos are better than pizza.

Door =

Disagree

Window =

Agree

I believe ___________________________________.

One Direction is more talented than Justin Beiber.

Door =

Disagree

Window =

Agree

In my opinion, _______________________________.

Support Your Claim• An opinion is not enough

• Writers must support their claims with reasons and evidence

Junk food should be illegal.

Door =

Disagree

Window =

Agree

I believe ___________________________________.

Students should be held legally responsible for bullying in schools.

Door =

Disagree

Window =

Agree

In my opinion, _______________________________.

Smoking should be illegal.

Door =

Disagree

Window =

Agree

I believe ___________________________________.

It is never appropriate for the government to restrict freedom of speech.

Door =

Disagree

Window =

Agree

In my opinion, _______________________________.

Good Job! You’ve shown you are able to make a claim.

Write down in your notebook one of the claims you made in the previous activity.

• Use one of these sentence starters:

In my opinion, _______________________________.

I believe ___________________________________.

or

The Issue: Should the driving age be changed to 18?

Copy this chart in your notebook.

Claim:

Reason/Evidence 1

Reason/Evidence 2

Reason/Evidence 3

Fill in the chart as you watch this video about changing the driving age.

Video: Let’s Raise the Driving Age

The Issue: Should the driving age be changed to 18?

Copy this chart in your notebook.

Claim:

Reason/Evidence 1

Reason/Evidence 2

Reason/Evidence 3

Fill in the chart as you read the text a second time.

Text: National Youth Rights Association (page 930)

Write a response

• You have watched the video/read the text about the driving age.

• Now you must take a stand!

• Write a paragraph in which you:

–1. State your claim on the issue

–2. Give the strongest piece of evidence to support your claim.

–3. Explain the reasoning behind that piece of evidence.

Acknowledge the Counterclaim• The counterclaim is the other side of the

argument.

You are here with your claim.

What is his claim?

Pretend your claim is…School uniforms limit students’ freedom of expression

• As you watch this video, write down what counterclaim is:

Counterclaim:

Pretend your claim is…School uniforms limit students’ freedom of expression

Watch the video again.

• Write down one reason/piece of evidence to support the counterclaim:

Counterclaim: School uniforms are good for students.

Reason/Evidence 1

Refute the Counterclaim• Address the concern of the counterclaim and

explain why it’s wrong.

Your claim Counterclaim

If you can’t think of a counterclaim, your argument is not debatable and should not be used.

Sentences to Refute the CounterclaimWrite down 2 of these in your notebook

• “While it might be true that __________, my overall position does not change because __________.”

• “A common argument against this position is _________, but _____________________.”

• “It’s easy to think _____________, but when you look at the facts _________________.”

• “Although the counterclaim says ________, I disagree because ______________.”

Conclude with a Strong Statement

• Main points are summarized and the reader is left with something to think about.

Conclusion Strategies

• Call to Action

– Ask the reader to do something or to make something happen “I challenge you to watch what you eat and to avoid fast food.”

• Provide a solution

– Provide an answer to the problem “Fast food doesn’t have to be “bad food.” Make better choices like salads, fruit and low fat treats.”

• Make a Prediction

– Explain what might be the consequences of action or inaction “If people continue to eat lots of fast food, they put their health at risk. If kids don’t make better choices today, they won’t grow into healthy adults.”