Argument Writing
The adolescent years are an excellent time to focus on argument writing instruction. As any parent knows, teenagers love to argue. Writing arguments can also motivate adolescents to learn their subjects more clearly. Many students have studied more deeply so that they can win an argument. The adolescent years comprise the ideal time to learn argument writing.
Did that paragraph seemed a little formatted? It was on purpose!
The first sentence in this paragraph is the claim. It is the statement the writer is attempting to convince the reader to believe.
The second sentence is the first piece of evidence. “As any parent knows, teenagers love to argue,” is an appeal based upon common knowledge. The assumption that the sentence makes is that because teenagers love to argue verbally, then they will also like to argue in written form. This unspoken assumption is called a warrant.
The third and fourth sentences together form the second piece of evidence. The third sentence is a positive statement that supports the claim. Then the fourth sentence gives a logical defense to the third statement; it is putting the warrant into words. The final sentence concludes the paragraph by restating the claim.
Argument writing includes these key elements:
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Claim - sometimes called a thesis, assertion, or proposition.
A claim is a statement affirming or denying something. It is the fact the writer wants the reader to accept.
- Evidence - sometimes called the data or grounds
Evidence is the information that will convince the reader of the argument. It is the support or grounds for the claim. Evidence is not likely to be disputed.
- Warrant – links the evidence to the claim, it is the logic.
The warrant can often apply to many different claims and evidence combinations. It is not isolated to one particular situation. Warrants are the rules people know, but they are often left unsaid.
The Common Core State Standards suggest students beginning in sixth grade be able to introduce a claim, support it with organized clear evidence, and use words, phrases and clauses that clarify relationship.
By ninth grade claims and counterclaims should be developed by pointing out strengths and limitations. “Relationships should be developed between claims and reasons, reasons and evidence, and between claims and counterclaims.”
By eleventh and twelfth grade, students should be able to base their claims and counterclaims in anticipation of the “audience’s knowledge level, concerns, values, and possible biases.”
Resouces to Help with Critical Thinking and Logic
Learning argument writing can be a difficult endeavor, a skill that might require a parent to read, study and write along with their child. The recent increased emphasis on this type of writing means classroom teachers are in the same position. Texts preparing teachers to work with adolescent writers in learning argument writing are fresh on the market. George Hillocks, Jr. book, Teaching Argument Writing: Supporting Claims with Relevant Evidence and Clear Reasoning, warrants a careful reading by those desiring to help adolescents develop skills in this area.
Parents wishing to lay a foundation in critical thinking and logic might want to consider the texts Building Thinking Skills Level 3 Figural and Building Thinking Skills Level 3 Verbal by The Critical Thinking Company. Also the books The Fallacy Detective and The Thinking Toolbox, both by Detective Nathaniel and Hans Bluedorn, will help the student and parent being to understand some logic basics.
