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24 Building Arguments

Page
199
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Write Ahead

Building Arguments Chapter Opener

Start-Up Activity

Start an argument: "Who is the best singer of all time?" Take students' suggestions and write them down on the board. Then go through the list and have students defend their suggestions. "Why is this person the best singer of all time?" Listen to reasons and objections. After working your way through the list, you can take a poll. Point at each name, say, "Raise your hand if you vote for this one," and tally the number. Afterward, even if there is a landslide winner, point out that this one poll in one class does not make this person the best singer of all time. You've strongly supported an opinion, but an opinion is not a settled fact.

Tell students that this chapter will help them argue to support their opinions.

Think About It

“I'm just about the best singer I know, and it's time for everybody to say that. I have total facility with my voice. And for some weird reason, critics don't talk about it.”

—Daryl Hall

State Standards Covered in This Chapter

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.1

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.1.A

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.1.B

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.4

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.1.E

LAFS Covered in This Chapter

LAFS.910.W.1.1

LAFS.910.W.2.4

TEKS Covered in This Chapter

110.36.c.9

110.36.c.10.C

110.37.c.9

110.37.c.10.C

110.36.c.9.B.i

110.36.c.9.B.ii

110.37.c.9.B.i

110.37.c.9.B.ii

110.36.c.7.E

110.36.c.9.A

110.37.c.9.A

TEKS Covered in This Chapter

Page 200 from Write Ahead

Thinking Through an Argument

We often don't know what we think about a topic until we've written (or spoken) about it. That's because writing requires us to put our thinking in an order that others can follow—and that we ourselves can see with greater clarity. The steps beginning on this page help students sort out their thoughts and put them into a written or spoken form.

If you wish, you can share with students an infographic that presents the following steps.

Step 1: Consider the Situation

Uses the PAST strategy to help students think about the persuasive situation. (This strategy focuses on the major elements of rhetoric—the art of persuasion that began with the ancient Greeks. It also give students a shorthand technique for succeeding on assessments.) The S in PAST stands for Subject—selecting an appropriate topic for the argument.

Step 2: Clarify Your Thinking

Help students think about their topic, beginning with what they already know and feel and gathering more information to think more deeply about the issue. Download and distribute the Pro-Con Chart to help your students work with their topics.

Downloads:
Related Minilesson:
State Standard Reference:
LAFS Standard:
LAFS.910.W.1.1
TEKS Standard:
110.36.c.9, 110.36.c.10.C, 110.37.c.9, 110.37.c.10.C
NE ELA Standard:
LA 10.2.1.b, LA 10.2.2, LA 10.2.2.a

Related Resource Tags

Click to view a list of tags that tie into other resources on our site

Level:
Grade 9Grade 10
Mode:
Persuasive Writing
Form:
Argument Essay
English Language Arts:
WritingCritical Thinking

Page 201 from Write Ahead

Step 3: Stating an Opinion

Young writers often struggle to differentiate facts from opinions. A fact is "This classroom is 80 degrees." An opinion is "This classroom is too hot!" Some hot-blooded students will argue stridently that the second example is a fact, but it is a personal opinion that might not be shared, for example, by an older teacher. The three types of opinions on this page can help students differentiate fact from opinion:

  • A statement of truth is a opinion that the writer argues is true. "It's too hot in here!" is a statement that the writer needs to justify with facts, such as, "Half of the class is sweating."
  • A statement of value says that something is good or bad. "A hot classroom is not good for learning" is a statement of value, saying that something is not good.
  • A statement of policy says what should be done. "We need to get a couple of fans" is a statement of policy, saying this action would improve conditions.

Each of these statements is an opinion, not a fact. Each must be supported by facts and reasons to become convincing.

The second half of the page helps students state their opinions while avoiding absolutes. For example, "Nobody is comfortable at this temperature" is an absolute that fails as soon as one person says, "I am!" If students use qualifiers, the position is much easier to defend, "Most of us are uncomfortable at this temperature."

Related Minilesson:
State Standard Reference:
LAFS Standard:
LAFS.910.W.1.1
TEKS Standard:
110.36.c.9, 110.36.c.10.C, 110.37.c.9, 110.37.c.10.C
NE ELA Standard:
LA 10.2.1.b, LA 10.2.2, LA 10.2.2.a

Related Resource Tags

Click to view a list of tags that tie into other resources on our site

Level:
Grade 9Grade 10
Mode:
Persuasive Writing
Form:
Argument EssayPersuasive Essay
English Language Arts:
WritingCritical Thinking

Page 202 from Write Ahead

Step 4: Collect Reasons and Evidence

Lead students through the different types of evidence. Help them understand that different types do different jobs. For example, facts and statistics ground a claim in reality, while examples demonstrate a specific case of something. For much more on details and their effects, see page 170.

Step 5: Respond to Key Objections

Of course, argument writing deals with arguable topics. In other words, the reader may disagree. Help students realize that addressing the readers' disagreements does not weaken their arguments, but in fact strengthens them. Students can give a counterargument, attempting to overturn an objection, or can concede the objection and move on. Both approaches show that the writer has considered the reader's point of view.

Related Minilesson:
State Standard Reference:
LAFS Standard:
LAFS.910.W.1.1
TEKS Standard:
110.36.c.9, 110.36.c.10.C, 110.37.c.9, 110.37.c.10.C
NE ELA Standard:
LA 10.2.1.b, LA 10.2.2, LA 10.2.2.a

Related Resource Tags

Click to view a list of tags that tie into other resources on our site

Level:
Grade 9Grade 10
Mode:
Persuasive Writing
Form:
Argument EssayPersuasive Essay
English Language Arts:
WritingCritical Thinking

Page 203 from Write Ahead

Step 6: Organize Your Argument

Use the graphics on this page to show your students that they should structure their arguments based upon their audience. If the audience is receptive to the claim, they should provide reasons and evidence first and answer objections later. If their audience is resistant, they should answer objections first (since readers won't listen until their objections are addressed) before presenting the reasons and evidence. This step shows how important the A in PAST is—thinking about the Audience.

Step 7: Confirm Your Main Point

At the end of the argument process, the writer should restate the position, helping readers remember it and agree with it.

State Standard Reference:
LAFS Standard:
LAFS.910.W.1.1
TEKS Standard:
110.36.c.9, 110.36.c.10.C, 110.37.c.9, 110.37.c.10.C
NE ELA Standard:
LA 10.2.1.b, LA 10.2.2, LA 10.2.2.a

Related Resource Tags

Click to view a list of tags that tie into other resources on our site

Level:
Grade 9Grade 10
Mode:
Persuasive Writing
Form:
Argument EssayPersuasive Essay
English Language Arts:
WritingCritical Thinking

Page 204 from Write Ahead

Avoiding Logical Fallacies

As with the rest of rhetoric, logical fallacies have been with us since the Greeks. In fact, many of them still carry Latin names. For example, bandwagoning also goes by the name argumentum ad populum. However, these problems with thinking could not be more relevant than they are now. With the prevalence of social media and fake news, students need to be equipped to recognize shoddy thinking. Use this page to help them, and then challenge each student to search the Internet for at least one example of a logical fallacy. Have them present their findings to the class.

You can find more logical fallacies in the "Thinking Critically" chapter on pages 371–372.

Related Minilesson:
State Standard Reference:
LAFS Standard:
LAFS.910.W.1.1
TEKS Standard:
110.36.c.9, 110.36.c.10.C, 110.37.c.9, 110.37.c.10.C
NE ELA Standard:
LA 10.2.1.b, LA 10.2.2, LA 10.2.2.a

Related Resource Tags

Click to view a list of tags that tie into other resources on our site

Level:
Grade 9Grade 10
Mode:
Persuasive Writing
Form:
Argument EssayPersuasive Essay
English Language Arts:
Critical Thinking