Portfolio Assignment
Create a four-column graphic organizer on your computer or tablet with the following headings: Claim (column 1), Reasons (column 2), Evidence (column 3), and Counterclaims (column 4). Share your argumentative essay with your peer reviewer or Learning Coach, and ask him or her to give you feedback on the graphic organizer.
When you get it back, review the feedback with your Learning Coach and decide which changes to make to your essay. Remember, you do not need to use all of the advice you receive. It is your essay and you have the final say about its content.
Throughout these portfolio lessons, you have worked on different stages of the writing process -planning, drafting, and revising and editing- so that your writing conveys your ideas clearly to an audience. Let us review these stages.
Planning: You planned your argument through research and discussion, listening to the ideas of others to help you develop your own claim and reasons.
Drafting: You organized your ideas and created a first draft. Then you created a second draft, using different approaches to find the most effective way to appeal to your audience.
Revising and Editing: You checked your work with spelling and grammar proofreading tools to make sure your writing was free of error. You also shared your work with a peer or your Learning Coach to improve your writing and strengthen your ideas.
In the first column of the graphic organizer, you will write your claim. The claim is your main argument or thesis statement. It should clearly state your position on the topic.
In the second column, you will list your reasons that support your claim. These are the main points that you will use to persuade your audience to agree with you. Each reason should be supported by evidence, which you will list in the third column.
In the third column, you will provide evidence to support each of your reasons. This can be facts, statistics, examples, or expert opinions. The evidence should be relevant and credible.
In the fourth column, you will address counterclaims, which are opposing arguments to your claim. It is important to acknowledge opposing viewpoints and address them in your essay. In this column, you can list the counterclaims and provide a rebuttal or refute them with evidence.
Once you have completed your graphic organizer, share it with your peer reviewer or Learning Coach. They will provide feedback on how well your claim, reasons, evidence, and counterclaims are supported and organized. Be open to their suggestions and consider making changes based on their feedback.
After you have received feedback on your graphic organizer, review it with your Learning Coach. Discuss the suggestions and decide which changes to make to your essay. Remember that you have the final say in the content of your essay, so only make changes that you agree with and feel will improve your writing.
Throughout the writing process, it is important to take the time to plan, draft, revise, and edit your work. These steps help ensure that your ideas are clear and well-supported. By following this process, you can create a strong, persuasive argumentative essay.