Teaching Argument
Amy Cody
Educator- Walton-Verona MS
National Board Certified- EA/ELA
 The
new Common Core State Standards
focus on close reading and evidencebased argumentation as the key to
academic literacy, career readiness, and
rigorous thought.
The Standards
The Parts of an Argument
claim
• Answers a specific question given in a prompt or asserts an
independent claim generated by the student.
• Claim statement often suggests/addresses an audience.
• Tells readers why the issue is significant*. Providing key words
as part of an essential question unit often helps students express
this significance and their reasoning. For example, in discussions
of Facebook and teens, “privacy,” “freedom,” and “safety” are key
terms students will need.
*CCSS
Strategy- Practice Close reading of various articles with controversial
issues presented- Students practice making a claim- agree or disagree
and why.
- Color-code author’s claim and in a different color the points that support
that claim.
-
-
Students can respond to a discussion
board- List topics and require response to
topic as well as response to another
student.
 www.wallwisher.com- Students can post
their claim on this space for practice and
discussion.
 www.polleverywhere.com- student can
agree or disagree- works toward making a
claim on an issue.

Claim- Technology
Discussion Board
Wall Wisher http://wallwisher.com/wall/v5a5
klienh
Poll Everywhere- Easy and Quick!
evidence
• Quotations from the text (Word for Word).
• Summary of text.
• Paraphrased information.
• Facts & statistics.
• Anyone engaged in the argument can find this and use it.
StrategySentence Frames- use to respond to close readings/articles that
present controversial issues.
ACE- Answer, Cite, Explain (or elaborate)
See handout- Example Starters for Citing Evidence
reasoning
• The source of the greatest language and cognitive demands.
• This is thinking spelled out.
• Answers this question: “How does that evidence help prove the
claim?”
• Where rigor and learning reside.
Strategy:
ACE
Sentence Starters
• Bring it on! The counter-claim challenges
students to consider other viewpoints by asking
them to state an opponent’s argument and to
develop a rebuttal from a shared value.
 • Exploring opposing viewpoints is a strong
thread throughout all academic standards, from
the College Readiness Standards to the
Common Core Standards. It is also a skill
featured prominently in Advanced Placement
assessments across disciplines.

Counter-Claim

Students use Sentence Frames to
counter-argue.
◦ Some argue________ ; however, ______.
◦ See Sentence frames handouts
Students practice counter-claims in
isolation from an entire piece.
 Discussion- Students choose sides and
debate

Counter-Claim- Strategies
6 Box organizer- simple to use/remember
Argument Outline
Intro- specific topic + debatable view +
significance to the audience
 Body- points to
argument/Counterargument
 Conclusion- What are the benefits of
accepting my argument?
 See Epals Argument Writing Graphic
Organizer handout.



Graphic Organizers

Students need practice in a timed
atmosphere.
◦ I do many pre-writes with students using 6 boxthey have less than 10 minutes to complete the
parts needed.
◦ I time them in creating introductions and
counterarguments so they can think on their feet.
◦ Students get practice in class and as a whole school
(8 grade) we do two scrimmages a year with
teachers available in a Live Scoring Atmosphere.
Timing
Samples created
 MS vs. High school (MS- 1/HS can be 2)
 Finding articles to use.

◦ Kelly Gallagher Article of the Week
◦ Newspaper/Online news
◦ Procon.org
Passage Based Prompts
The order in which I teach Argument- See
handouts
 More Resources available at:

 http://mscodysclass.wikispaces.
com/Argumentative+Resources
MORE RESOURCES!