Instructional Strategy

INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGY

Argumentative Writing

Grade:

6-8, 9-12

Type:

Summarize & Synthesize

/ Organize Thinking

30-40

Minutes

When:

During and after reading

Materials:

Argumentative Writing graphic organizer, Argumentative Writing Sample and Rubric, whiteboard or display, writing utensils

Description

The Argumentative Writing strategy helps students organize their ideas into a clear, logical outline that includes two claims supported by evidence and an evidence-based counterclaim. This strategy strengthens students’ ability to construct logical, well-reasoned persuasive arguments while supporting coherence in writing. Students learn to differentiate between claims and counterclaims, select purposeful evidence, and anticipate opposing viewpoints. These skills are essential for effective communication across disciplines.

Procedure

Prior to the lesson or unit, review the Argumentative Writing Sample and Rubric to familiarize yourself with the expectations of the strategy, and select a compelling argumentative prompt (e.g., “Was the Boston Tea Party justified?”) that invites multiple perspectives.

Distribute the Argumentative Writing graphic organizer, and model the outlining process by thinking aloud while writing the argument statement in the top box.

Demonstrate how to identify two distinct claims that directly support the argument, and then locate one credible piece of evidence for each claim.

Model how to develop an evidence-based counterclaim by considering a strong opposing viewpoint and selecting supporting evidence.

Review the Argumentative Writing Rubric with students so that they understand evaluation criteria and can check their work before submitting it.

Provide independent work time for students to complete their own graphic organizers, circulating to offer targeted feedback on claim clarity, evidence selection, and logical flow.

Guide students in drafting their argumentative essays from the completed organizer, starting with a clear introduction that states the argument.

Remind students to expand each body paragraph by developing the claims and evidence from the graphic organizer.

Assess essays using the Argumentative Writing Rubric, noting where students can make revisions if time permits.

Differentiation

Evidence Bank Scaffold: Offer a curated “evidence bank” tied to the prompt. Students can then select the best match for each claim and improve their argumentative writing skills. As they improve, invite them to rank the evidence by strength or draft a one-sentence warrant explaining how each detail backs the claim.

Collaborative Outlining: Have students work in pairs to complete the graphic organizer, encouraging a collaborative approach to building a strong argument. One partner might focus on drafting clear, concise claims while the other searches for strong, relevant evidence to support those claims. Once both roles are complete, partners review each other’s contributions, checking for accuracy, logical connections, and persuasiveness. They then merge their work into a single, well-structured outline that reflects the strengths of both partners.

Multilingual Learning Support

Beginning Proficiency: Provide short, translated explanations of each section of the Argumentative Writing graphic organizer near each header. Before beginning the outline, allow students to brainstorm claims, evidence, and counterclaims in their home languages, using familiar vocabulary and concepts. Supply simple bilingual sentence frames for each section (e.g., “My claim is…,” “One piece of evidence is…”) to help them begin structuring their ideas. Encourage the use of gestures, quick sketches, or key home-language words alongside English to clarify meaning. Pair students with a peer who shares their home language for initial idea development before transitioning to English-focused peer review.

Intermediate Proficiency: Invite students to use bilingual dictionaries to clarify key argumentative terms and ensure they distinguish each component accurately. Supply a brief word bank of phrases they can use in their Argumentative Writing graphic organizer (e.g., “Evidence from the text shows…”). Next, ask students to draft their outline in English, taking notes in their home languages as necessary, and then revise it with a proficient peer.

Advanced Proficiency: Encourage students to use advanced transition phrases (e.g., “as a result” or “nevertheless”) to clearly signal relationships among their claims, evidence, and evidence-based counterarguments. Provide a bilingual or visual reference list of these phrases so that multilingual learners can access and apply them accurately.

Variations

Peer Review Swap and Analysis: After completing their outlines, students can exchange organizers with a partner. Reviewers annotate margins with any questions they may have, such as “Does this evidence clearly support the claim?” or “Is the counterclaim evidence-based?” Writers use the feedback to revise clarity and logical flow, justifying each element.

Reverse Engineering: Pair students and provide them with a completed argumentative essay—either a teacher-created model or a student sample. Challenge them to break it down into the components of the Argumentative Writing graphic organizer. As they transfer these elements into the organizer, prompt them to note how the author uses transitions, organizes ideas, and balances evidence with explanation.

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