+
Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Writing an Argument Essay: Evaluating the Model and Crafting a Claim (Chapter 28, Including Synthesis of Scenes in Previous Chapters)

For Teachers 8th Standards
Scholars use the model essay from the previous instructional activity to create their own argumentative essays. Readers make a claim about Atticus defending Tom in To Kill A Mockingbird. They then use graphic organizers to develop and...
+
Lesson Plan
EngageNY

End of Unit Assessment, Part 2: Revise Essay Drafts

For Teachers 7th Standards
And now for the grand finale! Scholars prepare their final Pygmalion end-of-unit essays. Learners participate in a brief mini activity about correcting errors and then begin revising their own argumentative essays. 
+
Lesson Plan
EngageNY

End of Unit 2 Assessment, Part 1:Drafting the Argument Essay

For Teachers 8th Standards
An informative resource instructs pupils on how to write their essay drafts about the theme of control in Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. Next, scholars complete an Exit Ticket, listing their three favorite characters from the...
+
Lesson Plan
EngageNY

End of Unit 1, Assessment, Part 2: Revise Essay Drafts

For Teachers 7th Standards
As a culminating unit activity, pupils revise their argumentative essays based on the novel Lyddie by Katherine Paterson. Paying careful attention to grammar, punctuation, and vocabulary, they incorporate teacher feedback to revise and...
+
Lesson Plan
3
3
Maryland Department of Education

The Concept of Identity Lesson 7: Logical Fallacies

For Teachers 9th - 10th Standards
What are the effects of competition in an academic environment? The competition between the main characters in A Separate Peace motivates a series of activities that asks readers to take a stance on competition, and then to develop a...
+
Handout
1
1
Indian River State College

Argumentative (Persuasive) Essay Guidelines

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
Here is a handout that outlines six great steps to structuring an argumentative essay, which can be continually referenced as you teach your class about persuasive writing.
+
Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Writing an Argumentative Essay: Crafting a Claim

For Teachers 7th Standards
As scholars prepare to craft their essays based on Katherine Paterson's Lyddie, they learn about using compelling reasons in their writing. Next, they develop a claim about whether Lyddie should sign a petition to speak out against...
+
Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Mid-Unit Assessment: Completing My Draft Position Paper

For Teachers 6th Standards
What's the difference? Scholars analyze the similarities and differences between introductory and concluding paragraphs. Then, using a model essay as a guide, they write their draft position papers. 
+
Writing
1
1
The New York Times

401 Prompts for Argumentative Writing

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Sometimes the hardest thing about an argument essay writing assignment is coming up with a question. A four-page list of prompts includes a range of topics, from social media and smart phones to video games and sports. The list is a...
+
Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Analyzing the Model Essay: Studying Argument

For Teachers 8th Standards
Scholars begin writing an argument essay based on Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. They read and analyze a model essay, considering the author's thinking before writing it.
+
Assessment
Fluence Learning

Writing an Opinion Requiring Voting

For Students 5th Standards
Challenge writers to compose an essay detailing their stance on, and the history of, voting. Three assignments, each broken down into three parts, requires fifth graders to take notes, read and complete charts, write paragraphs, compare...
+
Assessment
Fluence Learning

Writing an Opinion: Is Pride Good or Bad?

For Teachers 2nd Standards
Does pride really goeth before the fall, or can it be essential to one's development? Second graders read two of Aesop's fables that refer to pride in their morals, and write a short essay about whether pride is good or bad, based on...
+
Lesson Plan
K20 LEARN

Introduction to Arguing Effectively: Argument Writing

For Teachers 10th - 11th Standards
Which is better—Chick-fil-A or MacDonalds? High schoolers learn how to craft an argument essay by beginning an opinion statement. They state a claim, back up their claim with evidence, and consider counter calms. Scholars then create a...
+
Activity
2
2
Southern Nevada Regional Professional Development Program

The Columnist Project

For Teachers 11th - 12th Standards
Imagine a list that includes Alan Abelson of Baron's, Bob Woodward of the Washington Post, and Mother Jones. High schoolers select a national columnist, read and annotate five columns by this author, noting the rhetorical strategies,...
+
Lesson Plan
EngageNY

End of Unit 2 Assessment, Part 1: Drafting The Argument Essay

For Teachers 8th Standards
Scholars write the draft of their essays about Atticus's decision to defend Tom Robinson in Harper Lee's novel To Kill a Mockingbird. They support their claims with reasons, details, and quotes from the novel.
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Convey Ideas in Writing

For Teachers 5th - 12th
Use the platforms of the 2004 presidential candidates to bring persuasive writing to your class. Young voters identify the three issues most important to them in the election and research the issues and candidates' positions. They write...
+
Website
University of North Carolina

Audience

For Students 9th - Higher Ed Standards
Challenging pupils' perspectives by having them walk in the shoes of the reader. An informative resource discusses how to identify an audience and anticipate their needs before writing an upcoming argumentative essay. 
+
Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Writing an Argument Essay: Developing Claims and Reasons

For Teachers 7th Standards
Scholars begin working on the end-of-unit writing prompt for Pygmalion. They must analyze their collected text evidence to determine what information is compelling enough to include in their argumentative essays. The teacher guides them...
+
Lesson Plan
EngageNY

End of Unit 2 Assessment: Final Draft of Literary Argument Essay

For Teachers 6th Standards
It's a common mistake. Scholars begin with a mini activity about common errors in draft essays. They then complete a stars and steps peer critique of essay drafts. To finish, learners revise their essays and finalize their drafts.
+
Lesson Plan
The New York Times

I Don’t Think So: Writing Effective Counterarguments

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
When it comes to writing effective arguments, writers must do more than simply make a claim, counterarguments must be considered. Aspiring writers analyze counterarguments in editorials, and then learn how to write counterarguments in...
+
Unit Plan

Building Evidence-Based Arguments: Grade 9

For Teachers 9th Standards
New ReviewHigh schoolers investigate the dilemma of a proportional response with a lesson about the history of terrorism and militant extremists in the United States. As they examine memos from the FBI and speeches from President Bush and Obama,...
+
Lesson Plan
ReadWriteThink

Persuasive Essay: Environmental Issues

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Young environmentalists learn how to craft a persuasive essay about an environmental issue they consider important. After studying the components of a persuasive essay and examining a student model, writers brainstorm possible topics and...
+
AP Test Prep
College Board

2018 AP® English Language and Composition Free-Response Questions

For Students 10th - 12th Standards
Discussions of eminent domain sometimes trigger strong emotions. A set of free-response questions from the 2019 AP® English Language and Composition exam tackles the concept with a series of persuasive pieces. Learners analyze all six...
+
Assessment
New York State Education Department

English Language Arts Examination: June 2014

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
Should companies track consumers' shopping preferences without their permission? Using the resource, scholars write source-based argumentative essays to answer the question. They also answer reading comprehension questions based on an...