Tips for Argumentative Writing

Argumentative writing is one of the most difficult kinds of writing to teach. Students get stuck with the content, the writing, or both. Here are 6 tips for argumentative writing to keep everyone unstuck.

1. Separate content from writing. Make sure students understand and gather most of their evidence and ideas before they start writing. They may realized they need to go back for something, but this will save them in the long-run.
2. Teach a variety of introduction strategies. “How do I start?” is the first question students need answered when it comes time to write. Get rid of that blank page as quickly as possible.
3. Organize and paragraph content. Students may have a pile of evidence and ideas, but that doesn’t mean they have an essay. Their instinct is to include everything in the order they found it. teaching them to group evidence together by ideas will make the writing easier and better.
4. Teach a variety of closing strategies. By the time students get to the end of their essays, they are often exhausted, and many have been taught to repeat what they already said in a new way. This isn’t bad advice, but it is boring. Sharing ways to review in a fresh way will give students the creative energy to finish.
5. Teach students to revise for pacing. When students get to the end, they may notice that their paragraphs are uneven. This is easy to see by looking at the paragraphs. It can help direct them to which paragraphs to edit and which to develop.
6. Help them help themselves. I’m a big fan of classroom resources that students can use to help themselves when they can’t or prefer not to ask the teacher. If used well, they can become enduring resources as they go to other classes, especially content-area classes that may expect them to write without much instruction.

[Students stuck on paragraphs? Find advice for that here]

Essay Writing Help

This 17-page student workbook is available for print, fillable pdf, and fillable Google Slides. Perfect for whole-group or small group mini-lessons, or a reference guide for students to use independently when writing essays.

Students will be able to

• Construct a thesis with supporting reasons, anticipate rebuttals and counter-arguments, and consider key background knowledge their audience needs.
• Test a variety of introductions and select the most effective one.
• Organize and chunk content into paragraphs.
• Test a variety of conclusions and select the most effective one.
• Infuse their writing with smooth transitions.
• Get help when they “have nothing to write” or need to develop their essay with more evidence.