d. e. Argument Paragraph: Session 4 Argument Paragraph Pre-Writing Take Out Your Writer’s Notebook… Begin with evidence. In your Writer’s Notebook, write down everything you know about your chosen topic. (facts, statistics, reasons, details, anecdotes, experience, observations) Re-read and examine any articles you have read on the topic in class. Perform further research on the Internet and in the library as needed. Notice which pieces of your evidence are factual and which are anecdotal. You might need to balance this out later in the drafting process. Examine your evidence. What does the evidence tell you? What is your opinion about this topic based on the evidence you recorded? a draft of your debatable claim in your Writer’s Notebook. Now focus on the WHY of your argument. This means you’ll be pre-writing for commentary. Answer these questions in your Writer’s Notebook. Why is this topic/claim important? What does the evidence tell us? Why do you feel this way about this topic? Why does it concern you? Why should your readers care about this argument?
Drafting Session 5 & 6 Concept Drafting Claim and Evidence Teaching Argument writers use only the best evidence that will most effectively support their claim and persuade the reader to agree with their point of view. For evidence to be effective, it must come from a variety of credible sources and be correctly cited. Suggested Materials Variety of Evidence Checklist Evaluating Web Tutorial Credible Sources on the Internet handout Citing Sources handout Preparation Review the handouts listed above. Watch the Evaluating Web Sites tutorial. For more information see: Revise the websites listed on the Credible Sources on the Internet handout as needed. Revise the Citing Sources handout to reflect the kinds of sources your students will be using in their paragraphs. MLA In-text Citations: MLA List of Works Cited: Teaching Point Argument writers use only the best evidence that will most effectively support their claim and persuade the reader to agree with their point of view. For evidence to be effective, it must come from a variety of credible sources and be correctly cited. *** The goal with these sessions is to help students evaluate the credibility and effectiveness of the additional evidence they find for their argument. Following these activities, it is very likely that your students will need more time to research for additional evidence. Active Engagement Revisit the and Evidence Solo Introduce the teaching Have students revisit their claim and what they believe are the three strongest pieces of evidence in their Writer’s Notebook. Ask each student to complete the Variety of Evidence Checklist to determine what other kinds of evidence could be helpful in persuading their audience to agree with their claim. Finding More Evidence Group/Solo Show your students the Evaluating Web Tutorial Review the Credible Sources on the Internet handout. In small groups, have students complete the Website Credibility Activity on the handout. Reconvene as a full to share findings. This should prompt a lively discussion about how students determined credibility—especially for sites like Wikipedia, which are controversial and whose credibility varies from entry to entry. Send students off to find more and better evidence to support their debatable claims. Citing Sources Full Class/Solo Engage students in a brief discussion about why sources need to be cited. Why would a reader care about where evidence comes from and how does citing make an argument more persuasive? Gives information credibility Allows the reader to seek out more information on the Review the key components of the Citing Sources handout and complete the citing example as a class.