How to Teach Argumentative Writing

Video Transcript

"Hi. I'm Laura from youngwritersworkshops.com and I'm going to talk about how to teach argumentative writing. This is such a great assignment because every student that I've ever worked with loves to give their point of view. So if you teach it from the vantage point of this is your chance to make your argument about something you really care about, it will really, can really draw the students in. So, in that respect, it's really important to choose a topic that will really hit home with the students. Something like, you know, why there should be homework or shouldn't be homework. Then they have to create an argument to defend their point of view. So, brainstorm the idea, you know, brainstorm the topic, with your students. Have them think about all the reasons that they can use to defend their point of view. At the same time, the next step is going to be to think of reasons that the other side would make, the other argument that could made against their point of view. In this process, they have to refute those points. They have to come up with reasons those are wrong, the reasons they disagree with those or make them less powerful. So you're going to create two arguments. One for and then responses, rebuttals, to the against the point of view. So, take these ideas that you've brainstormed and turn them into a paragraph form, where there's an introductory statement: I believe that kids shouldn't have homework. This is the reasons why. The next paragraph will be what the other sides, the arguments for homework would be, and the reasons they're wrong, and then a concluding statement where the students summarize why their side is right and the other side is wrong. You'll find that this assignment can really help students sharpen their logical skills and help them to strengthen their writing, because they're so intent on proving their point. These are some ideas about how to teach argumentative writing."