The first step in planning an argument is to make some decisions. You need to settle on a claim— the idea that you will defend—and at least three reasons that show why your claim makes sense. You need to determine what kind of evidence will support each reason most effectively and then do some thinking and research to find the evidence. Finally, you will include a counterargument/counterclaim in which you explore viewpoints that are the opposite of your claim, reasons, and evidence.
Choose 1 one of the following questions to create a claim for your argumentative essay:
Which animal makes a better pet- a dog or a cat?
Why should your reader choose a particular book to read?
Why should your reader eat breakfast?
Why should your reader donate his or her old clothes?
Why should your reader volunteer at a particular place?
Do violent video games make people more likely to be violent in real life?
Should students be required to learn a second language in school?
Does the average American have a healthy diet?
Do girls or boys face more societal pressure—or do they face equal amounts?
Do schools do enough to prevent bullying?
What is the greatest challenge today’s students face?
Should children have restricted limits on the amount of screen time they should have?
Is climate change real, and is it happening?
Should uniforms be mandatory in educational settings?
Is it right to ask children to perform chores?
Is video gaming a sport?
Is online learning or face-to-face learning better?
Should students be given less homework?
Are printed books or ebooks better?
Should college athletes get paid?
What musician will be the next legendary performer?
Click Here to download Grammarly to help with spelling and punctuation.
Use this graphic organizer to help you during the writing process.
Remember to write 5 paragraphs in your essay- an Introduction Paragraph, 3 Body Paragraphs, and a Conclusion Paragraph.
**To write an argumentative essay, you will use sources for your research (Internet, books, magazines, etc.). You need to use at least 2 sources to provide evidence for your topic.** Besides publishing your work using a word processing program, you will need to include citations. A citation refers to the source of your information. Be sure to use MLA citation format for your Works Cited page.
Argumentative Essay Outline (5 paragraphs)
INTRODUCTION (1 paragraph, 5 sentences)
1. Use a hook (a question, statement, quote, description, ect.) to get the reader’s attention.
2. Introduce the topic
3. Why is this topic important?
4. Why should the audience care?
5. Thesis statement/Claim sentence
Fill in the blank formula for a thesis statement:
The subject of the essay + writer’s point of view/claim + reasons.
BODY PARAGRAPHS (3 body paragraphs, 5 sentences in each paragraph)
2 paragraphs in support of your topic, 1 paragraph against your topic (opposing claim)
The first sentence will be a statement that supports the thesis
Each body paragraph will provide evidence (4-5 sentences) that supports the above statement.
Your opposing claim paragraph will explore viewpoints that are the opposite of your claim, reasons, and evidence.
Make sure you include Facts, Statistics, Logic, Examples, and Anecdotes
Use the ICE Method (Introduce Your Reason, Cite Details and Evidence to support your reason, and Explain why the detail/evidence is important)
PURPOSE and AUDIENCE
Is my argument persuasive?
Have I clearly stated my claim and reasons that support that claim? Have I stated an opposing claim?
Have I provided sound and meaningful evidence to support my reasons?
Is my argument focused, or do I wander from my topic? Is there any information I should delete because it is irrelevant (even if it is information about the topic)
Does my audience already have an opinion about this topic? Do I acknowledge that opinion?
Do I explain my point of view clearly? Should I use more precise language or add evidence that my audience would find more persuasive?
Is my argument organized logically so that my audience does not get confused? How might I reorganize reasons or evidence to strengthen my argument?
Are the words and sentence structures I used appropriately for my audience?
Should I make my language simpler? More technical? More formal?
CONCLUSION (1 paragraph, 5 sentences)
Restate why the topic is important
Review the main points
Review the thesis/claim sentence
Prompt the reader to contemplate an idea or be inspired to learn more
Leave the reader with a takeaway from your essay, or something to remember!
EDITING: Concise and Precise Writing:
Are my ideas organized clearly and logically?
Are my reasons logical?
Are my reasons supported by evidence from credible sources?
Are the relationships between my ideas clear?
Are the sentences written in a way that gets my ideas across clearly?
Did I use the best word choice to express my ideas?
Are all the words spelled correctly?
Are there any errors in grammar?
Are there any errors in punctuation or capitalization?
Download Grammarly to help with spelling and punctuation.
Use this diagram to see what transition words and phrases to use in your argumentative essay:
Look at the first draft you wrote and read it again. Use the Unit 8 Portfolio Checklist to make additional improvements. Answer each group of questions and make revisions as needed.
Edit your draft for spelling, paying special attention to the rules in this lesson. Use a dictionary or other resource if it helps you to spell correctly. Please have your learning coach, a family member, or a friend read through your essay to give you feedback. You should edit and correct your essay at least once before turning it into the portfolio dropbox.
You can include pictures, images, graphics, and other multimedia in your essay!
MLA Citations:
Did you use online sources to help you with your essay? Locate those websites. On a sheet of paper, list the information you would need for citing each source. If there is no author or title or date of publication, leave those parts blank. Be sure to use MLA citation format for your Works Cited page.
Check My Work:
How To Use Check My Work: You need to have a Check My Work Link as a part of your essay. The Check My Work Link shows that your essay is free from plagiarism. (Go to your Connexus Homepage 🡪 Links 🡪 Check My Work 🡪 Upload your essay 🡪 Copy and paste the URL at the end of your essay).
**Last Step: Upload your essay to the Dropbox in Unit 8 Lesson 11.
Don’t forget MLA citations and the Check My Work Link at the end of your essay.**
How Your Essay Will Be Graded:
Ideas/Purpose (4): 3/3
Organization (4): 4/4
Voice and Word Choice (2): 1/1
Claim, Reasons, Evidence, and Counterclaim (2): 4/4
Conventions (4): 4/4
Check My Work Link/MLA Citations (4): 4/4