Argument writers…
O …give compelling evidence to prove their point
O …pour over research, finding the evidence will
really support their claim
O …start by putting that evidence in their own words
O …search their texts for quotations that will bring
their side of the argument to life.
Listen to answer the question: “What makes a
quotation powerful?”
O Sarah was so brave just now! She heard a
O
Which quotations
O
are powerful?
O
What is the writer O
doing that you
could do?
bully say to a second grader, “You nerd!”
So Sarah called out the the bully, “Stop
picking on little kids, will you?”
I called, “You go, girl!” to Sarah. (You gotta
have your friends’ backs!)
Someone else called, ‘Yes! Girl power!” I’m
not sure who said that, but we were all
cheering.
Sarah went right up to the bully and said
“You don’t scare me! You’re just a bully.”
He didn’t even argue! He took 3 steps and
then another 2 steps, back! Then Sarah
turned to the second graders and said,
“We can’t let bullies rule.” They acted like
she was their hero.
What Makes a Quotation
Powerful?
O Choose quotations that are surprising, even
shocking, to spice things up.
O Choose quotations that are life lessons,
especially if the words are just right.
O Explain what’s important about the
quotation.
Write, thinking of:
How to Write an Argument
O Collect evidence that allows you to think
through various sides of an argument.
O Rehearse by explaining your position and
listing your reasons point by point.
O Plan your claim and reasons into boxes-and-
bullets structure.
O Use evidence to support your reason.
O Paraphrase, putting it in your own words.
O Quote, and then unpack the quote, showing
how it relates to the claim
Mid-Workshop Point:
Using Transitional Phrases between Writing and a
Quotation
O Don’t just PLOP a quote into your piece.
O Use tranistional phrases in between quotes and
your own writing.
O Example:
O In the article “Schools May Ban Chocolate Milk
Over Added Sugar” it says…
O .According to a video on NBC News called “Milk
Dud: Schools rule out chocolate milk,” it says
that…
O Do any of you use transition phrases? Share.
Phrases that Set Up
Quotations
O According to the text…
O In the article/video…
O The text states…
O Research shows/indicates…
O Experts demonstrate…
O Evidence suggests…
Setting Up a Quotation and
Introducing a Source
O One reason why schools should stop selling
chocolate milk is because it has too much sugar.
According to famous chef Jamie Oliver, “the
sugar is coming and it just ain’t stopping!” When
Jamie showed a school bus full of sugar, he
makes you stop and think about how much
sugar kids are getting from chocolate milk. It
makes me realize that even though one bottle of
milk might not have much, if you drink it all the
time, it’s a lot of added sugar.
Can you come up with different ways
to set up and introduce the quote by
Jamie Oliver?
O You can give information about the person
by saying their name, and then some
information, set off by commas.
O You can almost give a little biography of the
person, telling us why this person is so
important or reliable.
How to Write an Argument
O Collect evidence that allows you to think through
various sides of an argument.
O Rehearse by explaining your position and listing
your reasons point by point.
O Plan your claim and reasons into boxes-and-
bullets structure.
O Use evidence to support your reason.
O Paraphrase, putting it in your own words.
O Quote, and then unpack the quote, showing how it
relates to the claim
O Introduce the source and explain the connection
O Use “set-up” language (transitional phrases) to
prop up your sources.