ASE LA 02: Argument Based Writing
Steve Schmidt
schmidtsj@appstate.edu
abspd@appstate.edu
Today’s Inspiring Quote
“Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference.”
- Winston Churchill
You Can Write on the Packet!
You can find everything from this workshop at: abspd.appstate.edu Look under: Teaching
Resources, Adult Secondary Resources, Language Arts/Reading, ASE LA 02: Argument Based
Writing.
Agenda
8:30 – 10:00
Students Know How to Argue!
10:00 – 10:15
Break
10:15 – 11:45
From Commercials to Evidence
11:45 – 12:45
Lunch
12:45 – 2:00
Using CARBS to Evaluate Evidence
2:00 – 2:15
Break
2:15 – 4:00
Case Study: Medical Marijuana
This course is funded by:
Today’s Objectives
Participants will:

Understand adult education standards’ shifts and their impact on teaching writing

Learn how to build a cross disciplinary unit of study to help students write argument based
responses

Discover how to help students evaluate reliable evidence sources

Access a variety of resources to help students learn argument based writing techniques
Argument Based Writing and High School Equivalency Tests
Argument based writing appears on all three high school equivalency tests:
GED®
On the Reasoning through Language Arts test, students must read two passages, decide which one
is best supported, and write an evidence-backed extended response that backs up their opinion. The
extended response is 18.5% of the total points possible on the test (Source: M. Kehe, GED® Testing
Service).
TASC®
The TASC® Writing test may have either an argumentative or informative/explanatory writing prompt.
The argumentative essay prompt asks students to decide which of two reading passages is best
supported by evidence. The essay is 17% of the total points possible on the test (Source: B. Fayyad,
Product Manager, TASC® Test).
HiSET®
Beginning in 2016, the Language Arts – Writing test will have “paired passages to read and use as
evidence in response to the essay prompt.” (Source: J. McDonough, Director, ETS High School
Equivalency Test - HiSET®).
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College and Career Readiness Standards for Argument Writing
- Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning
and relevant and sufficient evidence.
a. Introduce precise claim(s), distinguish the claim(s) from alternate or opposing claims, and create
an organization that establishes clear relationships among the claim(s), counterclaims, reasons,
and evidence.
b. Develop claim(s) and counterclaims fairly, supplying evidence for each while pointing out the
strengths and limitations of both in a manner that anticipates the audience’s knowledge level and
concerns.
c. Use words, phrases, and clauses to link the major sections of the text, create cohesion, and clarify
the relationships between claim(s) and reasons, between reasons and evidence, and between
claim(s) and counterclaims.
d. Establish and maintain a formal style and objective tone while attending to the norms and
conventions of the discipline in which they are writing.
e. Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the argument presented.
- Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are
appropriate to task, purpose, and audience
- Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new
approach, focusing on addressing what is most significant for a specific purpose and audience.
- Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
Adult Education Standards Writing Instructional Shifts
Guided practice of close analytic reading
Since students are writing about reading, we need to model for students how to get meaning
from texts. One way to do this is to practice close reading strategies.
Writing about reading
Create writing prompts that focus on reading passages
Using text evidence to support claims
Ask, “How do you know?” Move students away from their opinions to using text based
evidence to back up their arguments.
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Argument Based Writing
Introductory Paragraph with Thesis Statement
The introductory paragraph should:
- Grab the reader’s attention. This could be done through a surprising statement or statistic, a
question, a quote, some historical background, or an anecdote.
Did you know that the average person breathes over 20,000 times a day?
- Narrow the subject down
From the dawn of time, we have evidence that people breathed. Even today, people
spend a significant part of their life breathing.
- Thesis statement: This is the main point you are trying to prove
Breathing is vital for life as it good for people’s health and provides us with necessary
oxygen.
Body Paragraphs Should Include Evidence and Argument
Use PEA while writing body paragraphs:
P
Point - Make your point
Breathing is good for people’s health.
E
Evidence – Support your point with evidence and examples
In 2008, two Stanford University researchers looked at breathing’s effect on life. They
found study participants who breathed lived longer than those who did not breathe. A
later 2010 study in Iceland by top researchers agreed with the Stanford study’s findings.
A
Argue – Explain how the evidence supports your points
Cleary, strong academic research supports the belief that breathing contributes to a
longer life span which in turn contributes to people’s good health.
Conclusion
A conclusion does not simply restate the thesis but readdresses it in light of the evidence provided.
This is the portion of the essay that will leave the most immediate impression on the mind of the
reader. Therefore, it must be effective and logical. Do not introduce any new information into the
conclusion. Restate why the topic is important, review the main points, and review your thesis.
Adapted from Dr. Chris Rauscher, GED Testing Service, and Purdue Owl
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Phrases to Discuss Passage Strengths (+)
Phrases to Discuss Passage Weaknesses (-)
better supported
unsupported personal opinion
reliable evidence
weak evidence
sound reasons
contradictory evidence
valid
invalid
logical
weak logic (illogical)
reliable (knowledgeable, unbiased, credible,
etc.) source(s)
(This passage) lacks sound reasons…. (or any
other phrases from the strengths column)
significant evidence
uncited sources (source is not identified)
recent sources
evidence is out-of-date (or no source is
included)
relevant reasons / evidence
biased sources
substantiated evidence
unsubstantiated evidence
expert testimony
personal attacks (name-calling)
sufficient reasons / evidence
insufficient reasons / evidence
reputable source (strong reputation)
fallacy/fallacies
well-supported argument
oversimplification
supports (demonstrates)
false conclusion
Source: C. Gibson, WCCS Writing Center, Selma AL
Formal Style
What not to do:
Use slang: Dude, s’up? My bad, you don’t have to get all emo on me.
Use contractions: Don’t use contractions. We’ve better ways to write!
Use abbreviations: There are many facts to support this, etc.
Use second person pronouns to address readers: You don’t know what you don’t know until you
know that you don’t know. You know?
What to do:
Write in the third person and use longer and more complex sentences:
A recent study by Dr. Ernesto Johnson at Emory University noted that walking was the most effective
way of moving short distances in the least amount of time. She also mentioned that people normally
walk with their feet. However, some talented circus performers have become quite good at walking
on their hands.
Adapted from Dr. Chris Rauscher
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Activities to Prepare for Argument Writing
Quick Writes
See page 7
What Would You Do?
This TV show provides interesting situations where bystanders may or may not get involved. Show a
clip from the show (Google: what would you do tv show) and have students discuss and then write
about reasons why or why not they would get involved in one of the situations.
Oral Argument
I agree with _______________ because _______________
I disagree with ________________ because ______________
Was Barney Fife right to give Gomer a ticket? Google: Barney Fife citizens’ arrest
Interviews
Have students play the authors of each paper in the prompt. Students can ask the actors questions
about the evidence in their paper.
Using Ads
Students are exposed to ads every day, and they are a great way to sneak up on argument based
writing. As students analyze ads, they see how advertisers try and convince them to buy products.
The claims the advertisers make are similar to claims writer’s make in argument writing. As students
analyze ads to see if they make them more or less likely to buy a product, they practice analyzing
arguments. See pages 8 and 9.
Building a Unit of Study
Students will write far more effective arguments if they understand more about a subject’s
background. We will study medical marijuana and then use this information to write a pro or con
argument based response. We will use the video WEED - A CNN Special Report by Dr. Sanjay
Gupta (Full HD 1080p - 2013 Documentary) and an essay prompt. See pages 13 and 14.
The CARBS Test
Working in pairs, students are given two sets of evidence to consider and must decide which is more
reliable and why. See page 12 and the ABSPD website for the activity masters.
I Wanna Iguana
In this exercise, we use a children’s book to help students understand how to locate arguments and
to realize they have been preparing for argument writing their whole life! Google: I wanna iguana
youtube
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Writing about Reading: Quick Writes
A Quick Write helps students think about a topic before, during, and after reading. Students are
asked to respond to a question or prompt based on a text and should write down whatever comes
to their mind without worrying about grammar or organization.
The writing topics are related to a text and may be:



Summaries of learning
An explanation of a concept or vocabulary
A prediction, inference, or hypothesis
Give students a time limit (2 to 10 minutes) and ask that they write until time is up. (Model this as the
instructor and write too!) Quick Writes can be used as part of instruction, assessment, or discussion.
They help bring out the writer in students, build their writing confidence, and help their reading skills
too!
Quick Write Practice:
I strongly support concealed carry laws as they reduce crime, are our Constitutional right, and prevent
mass shootings.
It is clear that concealed carry laws reduce crime. A 2000 study of FBI crime data found states that
allow concealed carry have lower murder, assault, and robbery rates. Think about concealed carry
from a criminal’s perspective. You probably would not want to risk your life trying to rob someone if
you thought that person was carrying a gun. Detroit Police Chief James Craig agrees saying that
concealed weapons are “a deterrent” and reduce crime.
Our right to carry concealed weapons goes all the way back to our country’s beginning. The U.S.
Constitution’s Second Amendment guarantees citizens the right to bear (carry) arms. This right is so
important that our founders put it second in the Bill of Rights after guaranteeing free speech. In two
separate recent cases, the U.S. Court of Appeals said the Second Amendment “must be interpreted
to include a right to have a concealed gun in public, to have it ready for use, and to have it for selfdefense." Therefore the Constitution allows for and protects the rights of responsible citizens to carry
concealed firearms.
In addition to Constitutional protection, citizens carrying concealed weapons are our best chance to
stop gun violence. A recent Wall Street Journal article noted that it takes police officers an average of
11 minutes to respond to an emergency call. In Detroit, the average police response time is 58
minutes, which is enough time for a crazed gunman to kill many innocent people. A December 2007
shooting at a Colorado church was halted when Jeanne Assam, a volunteer church security guard
with a concealed weapon, killed the gunman. Two people died in the shooting, but how many more
would have been shot if Assam had not been carrying a weapon? In truth, the only way to stop a bad
guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun.
Reprinted by permission from New Readers’ Press® Writing for the GED® Test Book 4, Schmidt
Prompt
How does the author feel about concealed carry laws?
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Ad Analyzer
What is this ad trying to get you to do?
How does the ad try to convince you to buy this product? List three things it does:
How effective was the ad? Did it make you want to buy this product? Why or why not?
Idea based on R. Baron
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Political Candidate Ad Analyzer
What is this ad trying to get you to do?
How does the ad try to convince you to support this candidate? List three things it
does:
How effective was the ad? Did it make you want to support this candidate? Why or
why not?
Idea based on R. Baron
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Teach Writing Using Think Alouds
When we teach writing using think alouds, we show students what is going on in our heads as we
write. This provides students with a model they can follow as they write and shows them good writing
is not magic but a process they can learn.
The video used to demonstrate
this technique is found here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gsYFqnk_AFM&feature=youtu.be
Teach Writing as a Process
Teach students to tackle writing assignments using a process. A process is a standard method for
doing something. For example, use URPWE as a process for writing extended responses and short
answers.
U = Unpack the prompt – What are you being asked to do?
R = Read the source material
P = Plan the response
W = Write the response
E = Edit the response
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Ideas for Controversial Subjects to Argue About
Should schools have dress codes?
How old should someone be before having a cell phone?
How old should a woman be before having a baby?
Is it a good idea to listen to music while studying?
Should the drinking age be lowered to 18?
Should the United States reform its immigration policy?
Should marijuana be legal across the United States?
At what age should someone be considered an adult?
Should people who receive government benefits (TANF) be drug tested?
Should all children be vaccinated?
Should recycling be mandatory?
Is it better to get a job or go to college after finishing high school?
Should the United State have tougher gun control laws?
Should states require citizens to have a photo ID for voting?
Is it better to shop at local stores instead of national chain (like Wal Mart) stores?
Is it better to buy American or foreign made products?
Should health care be reformed in the United States?
Are lotteries good for states?
Should the United States raise its minimum wage?
Should violent video games be outlawed?
Are concealed carry laws a good idea?
Should fracking be allowed in the United States?
Should e-cigarettes be more closely regulated?
Are e-textbooks better than paper textbooks?
Other Ideas:
For more ideas about controversial subjects, visit procon.org or the New York
Times 200 prompts for argument writing
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Reliable Evidence? Think CARBS
As students look at the evidence presented in source documents, they should consider how reliable it
is. Some things used to measure reliability are:
Currency
Is the evidence up to date? Studies done more recently are usually
better than ones conducted years ago, especially in science and
technology.
Authority
Who created the source? Are they really an expert in this field?
Just because someone is well known (actors, singers, sports stars)
does not make them an expert.
Relevance
Does the evidence specifically relate to the topic being discussed?
Let’s look at the following evidence for the following topic: There
are great health benefits to running.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Running burns many calories
Running works out the entire body
Running can help someone lose weight
Running workout clothes are really fashionable
Running is great cardiovascular exercise
While number 4 talks about running, it is not relevant since it has nothing to do with running’s health
benefits. Instead, it focuses on the fashionable styles of some runners.
Bias
Is the evidence from an unbiased source? Sources such as government agencies and educational
institutions are usually unbiased. Look at who funds a study. For example, if a drug company is
funding a study about one of its new drugs, we would be surprised if the findings showed that the
drug did not work. We would expect the findings to be biased in favor of the company since it paid to
have the study done and wants to show that its product works.
Specific
Is the evidence specific? For example, the phrase “two decades of research shows that breathing
has positive health benefits” is not specific. We do not know over which two decades the research
was done. Also, “several studies have shown that walking is a great way to move from one place to
another” is not specific either. We know nothing about the studies so we cannot know if they are
current, authoritative, relevant, or biased.
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Argument Writing Case Study: Medical Marijuana
Medical Marijuana: The Cure is worse than the Disease
By Jack Johansen, Green Valley Weekly
Those who support using medical marijuana have put up a smoke screen of flimsy reasons to
encourage its use. Marijuana is a dangerous drug that should not be used to treat patients’ medical
problems.
Since 1964, the U.S. Surgeon General has warned about the dangers of smoking. Yet the primary
way marijuana is taken into the body is through smoking. It has been proven that smoking causes
cancer and lung diseases. Compared with tobacco, marijuana smoke contains 50 to 70 percent more
cancer-causing chemicals. To gain marijuana’s benefits, users inhale it more deeply into their lungs
and hold it much longer than tobacco smoke, which could lead to a greater increase of lung diseases
like emphysema and chronic bronchitis. Would we have patients smoke opium to get morphine’s
benefits or ask people to eat willow bark to get the benefits of aspirin? Then why would we ask
patients to smoke marijuana to receive its benefits? All these smoke-related dangers make medical
marijuana more likely to cause disease than to treat it.
Beyond the dangers of smoking, medical marijuana has other risks as well. It is a toxic mix of over
400 chemicals, many of which have unknown side effects. It is a psychoactive drug that alters a
user’s brain functions. Depending on how it reacts with the brain, marijuana use increases anxiety,
impairs thinking, and causes hallucinations. There is also the very real danger of users becoming
addicted. Clearly, marijuana is a dangerous drug.
Recognizing marijuana’s dangers, the U.S. government still classifies it as a Schedule 1 drug under
the Controlled Substances Act. Schedule 1 drugs must meet three different criteria: high potential for
abuse, no currently accepted medical use, and lack of safety for use even under medical supervision.
Much more rigorous testing needs to be done on any supposed benefits before allowing marijuana for
medical use.
Medical Marijuana Makes Sense
Letter to the Editor, Green Valley Weekly
Imagine you are a cancer patient and are undergoing chemotherapy treatments. While the lifesaving
cancer drugs run through your body, they are also making you very sick. You experience pain,
nausea, and vomiting and desperately want relief. Medical marijuana can provide that relief, and it
should be used to help patients.
Medical marijuana has been shown in a number of studies to provide effective relief to the symptoms
cancer patients experience during their treatments. Medical marijuana has also been shown to help
AIDS patients in two ways: it improves their immune systems and keeps them from losing weight.
Page 13 | ASE LA 02: Argument Based Writing
In his article, Johansen discusses how dangerous it is to smoke marijuana. While some patients do
smoke medical marijuana, there are safer ways to take the drug. Some patients eat marijuana.
Simple devices called vaporizers allow users to take in marijuana without smoking. Even for those
patients who do smoke, short-term smoking has not been shown to be harmful. A chemotherapy
patient who smokes marijuana for just a few short months during treatments is in no medical danger.
Johansen also uses scare tactics to get his point across. Marijuana is a psychoactive drug but so are
brain-altering substances like coffee, cigarettes, sleeping pills, and beer. According to CNN medical
correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta, marijuana is not a dangerous drug; it was classified as Schedule 1
because of the lack of knowledge of its effects. He notes that studies about marijuana are biased, as
more than 90 percent of studies focus on marijuana’s potential harms while 6 percent study its
positive effects. Dr. Gupta also mentions that fewer than 10 percent of marijuana users become
addicted according to studies.
Prompt
The article presents arguments from both supporters and critics of medical marijuana who disagree
about its usefulness and health risks.
In your response, analyze both positions presented in the article to determine which one is best
supported. Use relevant and specific evidence from the article to support your response.
Reprinted by permission from New Readers’ Press® Writing for the GED® Test Book 4, Schmidt
Page 14 | ASE LA 02: Argument Based Writing
Argument Writing Graphic Organizer
Intro Summarize the two arguments (Include passage titles and authors.) “Argument 1 says . . . .
On the other hand, Argument 2 says . . .”
Write the thesis: “Argument 1 is better supported than Argument 2 because:
Body 1 Explain one reason Argument 1 is better than Argument 2
Point (What is your reason?):
Evidence (Text evidence that backs your reason)
Argument: (Explain how the evidence supports your reason)
Body 2 Explain another reason why Argument 2 is weaker than Argument 1
Point: (What is your reason?):
Evidence: (Text evidence that backs your reason)
Argument: (Explain how the evidence supports your reason)
Conclusion
Summarize your main points
Argument 1 is the stronger argument
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Argument Writing Frame
__________________makes the claim that _____________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________makes the claim that _____________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
The best argument is ______________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
because __________________________________________________________________________________
The first reason _________________________________________________ is better is because ________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
Evidence supporting this reason is __________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
This evidence shows that ___________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
Also, the second reason __________________________________________is better is because ________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
Evidence supporting this reason is __________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
This evidence shows that __________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
In conclusion, _____________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
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Writing Prompt: Analyzing Speed Limits
1
The United States is a nation on the move. To make sure we do not move too fast, highway
speed limits have been a fact of life for many years. Speed limits in America go back to 1757 in
Boston when it was illegal for horses to move faster than a walking pace on Sundays. Interstate
highways, first built in the 1950s, were designed to handle speeds of at least 70 miles per hour.
When the energy crisis came in 1973, the National Maximum Speed Law established a 55 mile
per hour limit for the entire country. By the late 1980s, lower oil prices meant states could
choose to have higher speed limits which they did.
Let’s Not Race by Speed Limits, Keepit Slow, Washington Post Editorial
2
I am concerned about a trend I see sweeping across our country. It seems that speed limits are
moving ever higher. On Interstate highways in most of the central and western parts of the
United States, speed limits range from 70 to 85 miles per hour. These higher speeds waste
precious fuel and endanger the lives of motorists across our land. We need to keep speed limits
below 60 miles per hour.
3
Even though our country is now on pace to be the world’s leading energy producer by 2015, we
still need to be concerned about saving fuel. The US Department of Commerce did a study that
showed the difference between driving under and over 60 miles per hour. They found that
driving under 60 would save Americans 2 billion dollars a year in fuel costs.
4
In another important study done in 2007, the state of Florida examined consumer spending on
gas during the 1990s. They found that consumers paid $220 million more dollars on gas as
speed limits were increased on Florida roads during 1990 to 1999. This sharp increase was
directly related to driving faster which lowers fuel economy.
5
Much more important than saving fuel is saving lives. From 1973 to 1987 the National Maximum
Speed Law lowered the speed limit to 55 for the entire country. The National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration (NHTSA) did a study on how this change impacted highway deaths. What
the NHTSA found was fewer people died in traffic related accidents because of the lower speed
limits.
6
Also, other important evidence shows that lower speed limits save lives. In 2006, the Pew Trust
did a study on speed limits and traffic deaths. They found that deaths increased by 1200 people
each year for every mile per hour the speed limit was raised. I call on our government to once
again set a national speed limit of 55 miles per hour.
Page 17 | ASE LA 02: Argument Based Writing
Speed Demon’s Blog Post
7
Hey, I just got back from the most awesome ride I have ever had! Of course I was out in my
mean machine. You know the car I’m talking about, my 2014 Chevy Camaro. Dude, I just love
to boogity, boogity, boogity. For those of you living in a cave, boogity is NASCAR slang for going
fast! When I want to go full throttle, I can’t go as fast as I want. I always have to put up with
these stupid speed limits. I think speed limits are dumb, and we should not have them.
8
I just read some stupid article from somebody about why speed limits are a good thing. It’s so
lame, man! It says that speed limits save lives and gas. Cars back in the day were not built like
they are today. I remember my first Camaro, a 1976. It could fly but it was a piece of junk.
Everybody knows that cars today are so much better made. Those robots do a much better job
making cars than those drunks on the assembly line did back in the 1970s. If you get hit or hit
somebody, your better made car and air bags will save you!
9
People talk about gas prices, but I don’t see that as an issue. Yeah, I remember when gas was
above four bucks in 2008. That was five years ago. That’s ancient history. Gas prices are
coming down, man. Just last week I paid just over three bucks a gallon. Gas hasn’t been that
cheap in so long.
10
So in my amazing opinion (the only one that matters) speed limits are just some big government
attempt to keep us from having fun. My next post will be coming at you soon. Keep it real,
dudes and dudettes!
Prompt
The article presents arguments from both supporters and critics of speed limits who disagree
about the practice’s impact on gas consumption and safety.
In your response, analyze both positions presented in the article to determine which one is
best supported. Use relevant and specific evidence from the article to support your response.
r
Page 18 | ASE LA 02: Argument Based Writing
Teaching Using Models (Uses Speed Limit Prompt from pgs. 17-18)
In her newspaper editorial, Keepit Slow argues that speed limits
below 60 miles per hour save gas and lives. In his blog, Speed
Demon says that speed limits are not necessary because he likes
to drive fast, cars today are safer, and gas prices are coming
down. Keepit Slow’s editorial is the better of the two because
she supports her claims with recent evidence from reliable
sources while Mr. Demon’s uses only his personal experience
to back up his arguments.
In the editorial, Keepit Slow’s first reason why speed limits should
be below 60 miles per hour is that it saves gas. She first uses data
from the United States Department of Commerce to back her claim
that driving under 60 miles per hour would save Americans 2
billion dollars a year in gas. She also points to a recent 2007 study
by the state of Florida that showed consumers paid $220 million
dollars more per year for gas when speed limits were raised in the
1990s. Ms. Slow uses data from two strong sources, a United
States Government agency and a study that took place over nine
years from a large state, to back her argument.
The first paragraph introduces
the topic
The thesis (argument) is in bold
The criteria for evaluating
evidence are underlined
Specific evidence from the text
is in italics
Organization is shown through
paragraph structure where first
Keepit Slow’s evidence is
discussed and then Speed
Demon’s evidence is contrasted
Also, Ms. Slow shows that driving slower save lives. She uses
data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to
show that fewer people died when speed limits were lowered in the Transition words like also and in
1970s. Keepit Slow also talked about a 2006 study by the Pew
contrast connect paragraphs
Trust that showed that deaths increased as the speed limit went
together
up. Once again, Ms. Slow used strong evidence from two reliable
sources to make her argument more convincing.
Evidence from the passages are
paraphrased
In contrast to Keepit Slow, Speed Demon’s arguments are not
based on strong evidence but on his personal opinion. His biggest
argument was that there should be no speed limits because he just
likes to drive fast. He could provide no evidence for his claim that
cars today were made better than in the past beyond his weak
The essay has five paragraphs
argument that everybody knows that. He offers no proof that
and 440 words
everybody knows that. He based his argument that gas prices
were going down on the price he paid when he filled up his car last
week, not on national studies. Mr. Demon’s arguments are weak
because unlike Ms. Slow, he can offer no support for his
arguments like facts, data, or study evidence.
Awareness of audience and
purpose is shown by a
In conclusion, Keepit Slow’s editorial supports her opinions by
conclusion which summarizes
using current evidence from reliable government sources. Speed
the argument
Demon’s blog is just his personal opinion, and he has not done
any research to prove his points. Therefore Ms. Slow’s argument
is much better and convinces me that she is right.
Page 19 | ASE LA 02: Argument Based Writing
Resources
English for Everyone
This site contains a wealth of worksheets that assist students in writing. To find argument writing
prompts, go to www.englishforeveryone.org , choose writing practice, and scroll down to find the
argumentative writing worksheets.
I Wanna Iguana Video
This children’s book can help students begin how to recognize and evaluate arguments. To find it,
Google: I Wanna Iguana Youtube
Newsela
Newsela has articles on health, kids, money, law, and other subjects in the news. The reading levels
of the texts can be changed depending on the needs of your students. It is found at
www.newsela.com
ProCon.org
This website lists the pro and con arguments of 50 controversial subjects including medical
marijuana, video games and violence, and the death penalty. It is found at www.procon.org
200 Prompts for Argumentative Writing
This website from The Learning Network at the New York Times has 200 prompts for argument
writing covering ten major groups of issues including education, technology and social media, sports
and athletics, and parenting and childhood. To find it, Google: 200 prompts for argument writing.
Resources from my Colleagues:
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