Argument Essay
Writing
The Flavored Milk Debate
How Do you Plan and Write an
Argument Essay?
• Follow these steps every time you write an argument essay.
•
•
•
•
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Read
Brainstorm (pro/con)
Choose your claims
Choose your counterclaim
Write your thesis
Plan your essay
Write!!
• Let’s try it together!
Should Schools Serve Flavored Milk?
Text #1
Some people want to see chocolate milk, and other
flavored milks, banned from public school cafeterias because of
the childhood obesity epidemic in America. Their concern is
justified and understandable, but targeting chocolate milk is not
the answer to childhood obesity. While there is some added
sugar in flavored milk, there are still lots of vitamins, like calcium,
vitamins A and D, and protein. The American Academy of
Pediatrics and the School Nutrition Association argue that the
nutritional value of flavored low-fat or skim milk outweighs the
harm of added sugar. A joint statement from those groups points
to studies that show kids who drink fat-free, flavored milk meet
more of their nutrient needs and are not heavier than non-milk
drinkers. Additionally, a study conducted by the Milk Processors
Education Program shows that milk consumption drops by 35%
when flavored milks are removed from schools. It’s obvious that
flavored milks are important to help kids drink milk and get the
vitamins they need, so they should stay in school cafeterias.
Should Schools Serve Flavored Milk?
Text #2
Do you think the chocolate and strawberry milk served in the school
cafeteria is harmless? It’s not. According to The National Dairy Council, an 8oz. carton
of flavored milk typically has 4 teaspoons of added sugar, in addition to the 3
teaspoons of lactose, a natural sugar, found in milk. A student who drinks a carton of
milk at both breakfast and lunch is getting 8 teaspoons of added sugar, the same
amount as in a glass of soda. In a 180 day school year, that’s almost 8lbs. of extra sugar
that a student consumes. The food industry insists that kids need the nutrients in milk,
so it’s worth the added sugar, but Chef Jamie Oliver claims that kids can get their
calcium from other dairy products, as well as leafy greens, soy, nuts, and beans.
It’s clear that kids drink a lot of flavored milk in school. The Milk Processors
Education Program reports that 80% of the flavored milk sold in America is to schools.
In each school, 70% of the milk they sell is flavored. If schools stopped selling flavored
milks, some people believe that kids wouldn’t drink milk at all, but school districts
across America that have dropped flavored milks (New Haven, CT; Boulder Valley, CO;
Ventura, CA; Washington, DC) report that while milk sales initially dropped, sales went
back up after students got used to only having white milk as an option. It’s entirely
possible to remove all this additional sugar from students’ diets to the benefit of their
health and nutrition.
The Task/Question
Write an argument essay
answering the question of
whether flavored milk should
be banned in schools.
Brainstorm
• The very first step before writing anything
is brainstorming, which is the process of
compiling all your ideas.
• When brainstorming for an argument
essay, a Pro/Con chart works best.
• Pro = For (Yes)
• Con = Against (No)
• After you’ve got all your ideas together,
then you organize them into a plan.
Brainstorming: Flavored Milk
Pro
(Yes – In favor of chocolate milk in schools)
Con
(No – Against chocolate milk in schools)
Brainstorming: Flavored Milk
Pro
(Yes – In favor of chocolate milk in schools)
• Flavored milk still has vitamins
A, D, calcium, and protein.
• Nutritional benefits outweigh
added sugar.
• Milk drinkers meet more of the
nutritional needs and are not
heavier than others.
• 35% of kids stop drinking milk
when flavored milk is removed.
Con
(No – Against chocolate milk in schools)
• 4 tsp of added sugar per
carton
• Two cartons of milk = a glass
of soda
• Kids can get their nutrients
from other foods.
• 70% of kids choose flavored
milk in schools.
• Kids in districts that removed
flavored milk started drinking
white milk.
Now What?
• After you’re done brainstorming, use your Pro/Con chart
to decide which side of the argument you’re going to
support in your essay.
• This step is very important! You want to choose the
stance that will be easiest to support with the
information from the text.
• BE CAREFUL to avoid ideas that overlap! If your ideas are
too similar, the whole essay will feel repetitive.
Choosing Claims
• Look back over the Pro/Con chart to choose which two
claims you will use in your essay.
• For this example, let’s choose the CON side of the issue!
• I think the two claims should be:
• Kids can get their nutrients from other foods.
• Kids will still drink white milk if you take away flavored
milk.
• Once you know your claims, you’re ready to write your
thesis statement.
Thesis
• The thesis statement answers the question that
you’ve been asked and introduces your claims.
• It’s usually the last sentence of your introduction.
“Serving flavored milk in schools is a bad idea
because kids can get the same nutrients from other
foods, and they won’t quit drinking milk entirely if
flavored milk is removed.”
• So, are we ready to plan now?
Counterclaims
• Wait! We need to mention a counterclaim!
• A counterclaim is an argument that is opposed to, or
against, the argument you’re writing about.
• Your argument will be stronger if you bring up something
the other side says, but then show how they’re wrong.
• Which claim from the Pro side of our chart would
be easiest to prove wrong?
• 35% of kids stop drinking milk when flavored milk is
removed. – Our claim about school districts finding that
white milk consumption went back up disproves this claim.
• Let’s address this counterclaim when we talk about those
school districts!
Plan
I.
Introduction (will give background on the topic and include the
thesis)
II.
Body Paragraph 1 –
A. Claim (The point this paragraph is making)
1. Evidence
2. Evidence
III. Body Paragraph 2 –
A. Claim (The point this paragraph is making)
1. Evidence
2. Evidence
IV. Conclusion
Plan
I.
Introduction - Serving flavored milk in schools is a bad idea because kids can get the
II.
Body Paragraph 1 –
A. Claim – (T) – Kids can get their nutrients from other food.
1. Evidence – (Q)
2. Evidence – (A)
Body Paragraph 2 –
A. Claim – (T) – Kids will still drink white milk without flavored milk
being offered.
1. Evidence – (Q) 2. Evidence – (A) –
3. Counterclaim - Supporters of keeping flavored milk in schools
claim that milk consumption falls by 35%, but these school
districts have proven that it doesn’t stay that way.
Conclusion
III.
IV.
same nutrients from other foods, and they won’t quit drinking milk entirely if flavored milk is
removed.
Plan
I.
Introduction -Serving flavored milk in schools is a bad idea because kids can get the
II.
Body Paragraph 1
A. Claim – (T) – Kids can get their nutrients from other food.
1. Evidence – (Q) – “kids can get their calcium from other dairy products, as well as leafy
same nutrients from other foods, and they won’t quit drinking milk entirely if flavored
milk is removed.
greens, soy, nuts, and beans. “
2. Evidence – (A) – Schools could offer to serve more of the nutritious foods that are high in
calcium and other vitamins, replacing sugary milk with healthier food.
III.
Body Paragraph 2
A. Claim – (T) – Kids will still drink white milk without flavored milk being
offered.
1. Evidence – (Q) – “school districts across America that have dropped flavored
milks…report that while milk sales initially dropped, sales went back up after students got used
to only having white milk as an option”
2. Evidence – (A) – The transition may be difficult at first, but kids get used to and will start to
drink the healthier option, white milk, if given time.
3. Counterclaim – Supporters of keeping flavored milk in schools claim that milk
consumption falls by 35%, but these school districts have proven that it doesn’t stay that way.
IV.
Conclusion
Intro
• An introduction should open with giving some basic
background information on the issue and end with the thesis.
There has been an ongoing debate over the last several
years about whether or not flavored milk, like chocolate and
strawberry milk, should be served in public school cafeterias.
Students, parents, and health officials have all shared facts and
opinions on both sides of the issue, but throughout the country,
very little has changed in most school districts. Despite all this
uncertainty, it’s clear that serving flavored milk in schools is a
bad idea because kids can get the same nutrients from other
foods, and they won’t quit drinking milk entirely if flavored milk
is removed.
Body Paragraphs
•
T – topic sentence
•
I – Introduce quote
•
Q – Quote
•
A – Analyze quote
Body Paragraph 1
Sugary flavored milk is not a necessity for kids’ nutrition
because they can easily get the same nutrients from other sources.
According to Chef Jamie Oliver, “kids can get their calcium from other
dairy products, as well as leafy greens, soy, nuts, and beans.” School
cafeterias would be better serving students’ nutritional needs by
preparing a variety of those other healthy foods, than by relying on
heavily sweetened milk to provide kids with vitamins. An increase in
the servings of leafy greens, soy, and beans would ensure that
students not only receive the calcium and vitamins that are present in
milk, but also that they cultivate healthy eating habits to carry them
through their lives. A well-rounded diet would go a long way toward
ending obesity in America, and eliminating flavored milk in favor of
healthier alternatives would be a fantastic start.
Body paragraphs
• Did you see how that paragraph followed the TIQA structure?
• T I Q A
Sugary flavored milk is not a necessity for kids’ nutrition
because they can easily get the same nutrients from other
sources. According to Chef Jamie Oliver, “kids can get their
calcium from other dairy products, as well as leafy greens, soy,
nuts, and beans.” School cafeterias would be better serving
students’ nutritional needs by preparing a variety of those other
healthy foods, than by relying on heavily sweetened milk to
provide kids with vitamins. An increase in the servings of leafy
greens, soy, and beans would ensure that students not only
receive the calcium and vitamins that are present in milk, but
also that they cultivate healthy eating habits to carry them
through their lives. A well-rounded diet would go a long way
toward ending obesity in America, and eliminating flavored milk
in favor of healthier alternatives would be a fantastic start.
Body Paragraphs
•
T – topic sentence
•
I – Introduce quote
•
Q – Quote
•
A – Analyze quote
Body Paragraph 2
Even though kids don’t need milk to meet their nutritional
requirements, many will still drink white milk if flavored milks are
removed from the menu. Opponents of the flavored milk ban cite a
Milk Processors Education Program study that claims that kids drink
35% less milk when there is no flavored milk in schools. However, a
variety of school districts that have instituted such bans report that
“while milk sales initially dropped, sales went back up after students
got used to only having white milk as an option.” It may be a difficult
transition for kids at first, but many of them will return to drinking
white milk, thus ensuring that they will get the nutritional benefits
without the added sugar. A ban on flavored milk will help guide kids to
making the healthier choice.
Body Paragraphs
• Did you see how that paragraph followed the TIQA structure?
• T I Q A
•
Even though kids don’t need milk to meet their nutritional
requirements, many will still drink white milk if flavored milks are
removed from the menu. Opponents of the flavored milk ban cite a
Milk Processors Education Program study that claims that kids drink
35% less milk when there is no flavored milk in schools. However, a
variety of school districts that have instituted such bans report that
“while milk sales initially dropped, sales went back up after students
got used to only having white milk as an option.” It may be a difficult
transition for kids at first, but many of them will return to drinking
white milk, thus ensuring that they will get the nutritional benefits
without the added sugar. A ban on flavored milk will help guide kids to
making the healthier choice.
Conclusion
• A conclusion should restate the thesis and take one last
chance to make the audience understand your stance on the
issue.
Schools should very seriously consider eliminating sugary
flavored milks from their cafeteria menus. A ban on flavored
milk will only serve to help students lead healthier lives,
whether they continue drinking white milk or whether they get
their vitamins from other sources, they will be better off
without all that added sugar.
Wrap Up
• Follow these steps every time you write an argument essay.
• Read
• Brainstorm (pro/con)
• Choose your claims
• Choose your counterclaim
• Write your thesis
• Plan your essay
• Write!!