Making Arguments: Developing
Stamina, Fluency, and Habits of
Looking at the World
Excerpted from a mini-unit developed by Linda Denstaedt and
Beth Rimer, i3 Leadership Team
i3 College Ready Writers Program
National Writing Project
2014
Creating Voices and Reading the World
These activities will support daily argument
writing.
Finding Opinions & Leveraging the Writer’s
Notebook in Daily Argument Writing
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Collect ideas, save thinking
List writing territories
Quick Lists
Schedule of My Day
Writing Sprints
Responding to the world
and creating a voice -Arguments are
everywhere.
Quick List
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1-2: Two ways you spend your time
3-4: Two things you like that others might not
5-6: Two topics you are talking about
7-8: Two TV shows or books you are watching/reading
9-10: Two things others like but you don’t
11: Anything on your mind
• Star ones you’re ready to write about.
• Why might this be a good thing to do with students?
Schedule of My Day: Donald Graves
• Write down your schedule
• Code the list—mark “A” beside each topic that
you have an opinion about or could find an
argument about
Sample:
• Why use this?
5:45 Get up, fix breakfast
5:55 Turn on radio
6:10 Wake kids
etc.
Writing Sprints
• 1 minute, timed writing
• Share a “start” with a partner.
• Why a sprint? When would we ask students
to respond for longer periods of time (5 or 10
minutes)?
Making Claims at a Glance
• Helps students see themselves as observers of
the world
• Demonstrates how quickly we form opinions
• Provides practice in reacting in writing
Let’s try the first one together.
Faceinabook - billboard
What Claims Could We Make?
• Libraries are creatively trying to attract
readers.
• Facebook makes reading a social act; libraries
assume it’s an individual experience.
• Billboards detract from our communities.
• People prefer white cars.
• Counterclaim: We ARE reading when we’re
online.
The animal Rescue League in Berk County Pennsylvania has a
Book Buddies Program for children in grades 1-8. The children
read to cats that are available for adoption. Yahoo News 2-22-14
Headline:
Babies Born, Raised Behind Bars May Keep
Mothers from Returning to Prison—ABC News
Nightline
Excerpt:
Is your doctor on a drug maker's payroll?
Our view The Editorial Board, USATODAY8:44 p.m. EST February 20, 2014
This week, drug and device manufacturers began reporting to the
government. A report found 22 doctors who received $500,000 from major
drug companies. GlaxoSmithKline announced that it is moving to stop paying
doctors for speaking engagements and attending medical conventions.
Doctors have long gotten small favors from drug makers: pads with logos,
a deli tray sent to the office, tickets to sporting events and free drug samples.
But in recent years, those trinkets have evolved into big money for doctors
paid to speak to other doctors about new drugs, often using canned scripts
provided by the pharmaceutical companies.
Critical Reading / Stop and Jot
“Disruptions: More connected, yet more alone”
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Mark 3 dots (randomly)
Read up to the dot
Pause at dot
Write: Pull a line or react to the text. (Possible questions to
consider as you respond)
– What reactions do you have to the evidence/information or claims in
the text/
– What do you know about the topic or claims that might be added to
the information in the text?
– What is your view on the topic or claims in the text?
• Continue reading, pausing, writing
Looping / Peter Elbow
• Read over your “stop and jot” entry.
• Find a word, phrase, or line that is interesting
to you.
• Write it at the top of a new page.
• Write ONLY from that phrase. Push for
surprise—try to write to discover new ideas.
• Why Looping?
Creating Habits of Writing:
Doing and Making
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Developing and thinking through ideas
Developing fluency
Developing stamina
Developing habit of looking at the world and
responding
Reflection
• How might you use these ideas to initiate
Argument Writing into the Day?
• How might these activities support students
as writers and thinkers? Reduce risks as
students try argument writing? Find topics for
their own writing?
Exit slip
• Make a claim about argument writing.
• List one takeaway from this session.