Break down the parts of argumentative writing with a critical thinking activity. High schoolers read an article of your (or their choice), and use a graphic organizer to delineate the ways the author structures his or her arguments.

Concepts

argumentative writing, Research, research writing, arguments, evaluating claims, supporting evidence

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Additional Tags

english language arts

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Instructional Ideas

• Pair with a lesson on persuasive writing in which learners evaluate the claims in nonfiction reading passages
• Connect to social studies when studying primary sources and historical documents

Classroom Considerations

• The sixth in a 12-lesson unit based on Kate L. Turabian's Student's Guide to Writing College Papers
• Does not come with articles to analyze, but lesson provides examples of documents to use, and would work with any article in your curriculum

Pros

• Helpful for both reading comprehension and persuasive writing skills
• Aligned to several Common Core standards

Cons

• None

Common Core

RI.9-10.5 RI.9-10.8 RI.11-12.5 W.9-10.1.a W.9-10.1.b W.9-10.1.c W.9-10.1.d W.9-10.1.e W.11-12.1.a W.11-12.5