In order to help the students see how we are taking their knowledge of persuasive writing and taking to the next level with argumentative writing, I need them to see the differences between the two styles.
To begin, I will give them two sets of statements in their Advanced Organizer. In the first set, the statements are all opinions. In the second set, the statements are all claims. I want the students to read through the statements and to try to identify the differences between the statements. I want them to notice that the claims can all be argued and evidence is provided. In set 1, all the statements are just opinions.
I am hoping this will help them begin to see the differences between the two forms of writing. This is a big shift with the CCSS and knowing how to help them transition is a challenge.
Here is a Student Sample.
To start with, I need to give the students the vocabulary we will be using when dealing with argumentative writing. However, I don't want to overwhelm them. I will display the Power Point and go through the first few slides. I will have the students take notes in their spirals. I want them to copy down the terms and the definitions.
Then, I will give them the basic notes on writing an argumentative essay and the research process you go through when writing. I will have the students tape these Notes into their spirals. They can use these notes as a study guide as well as a reference sheet when working.
Now I want the students to see the process with a claim and evidence already laid out for them. I will pass out the handout. The article demonstrates the differences between argumentative writing and persuasive writing. It has an example of an essay on the same topic, written using each style of writing.
I will ask the students to read the Persuasive Vs. Argumentative essays and decide which essay they think is argumentative and which essay they think is persuasive. I will ask them to record their thoughts.
The students will take the argumentative side of the essay and identify the claims, reasons and evidence used to make the argument.
I will ask the students to highlight in two different colors. This will allow them to see how the evidence is used to support the claim. I want the students to work to understand how claims and evidence are organized to build the argument.
I will have the students work to highlight the article. Once they are done, I will have them share within their groups, doing a Round Robin to share their work and to discuss their findings. This will allow them to see another student's perspective on the article.
Once I have allowed time for the Round Robin, I will display the article onto the board and ask students to demonstrate their findings by underlining the claims and evidence on the board. This will also allow students who struggled to see how other students located the claims and evidence. It will also allow me to assess the students and their understanding of the text.
To make an argument, the students really need to understand the importance of evidence and claims. To close the lesson, I will ask the students to reflect on the the work we did today. I will ask them to complete a Closure Slip. This will allow them a chance to process the information, but also really allow me to assess their learning.