Unit Title:

Argumentative Writing
SUBJECT AREA: ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS GRADE LEVEL: 6
KEY WORDS: ARGUMENT, CLAIM, COUNTER-CLAIM, EVIDENCE,
CREDIBLE, SOURCE, EVIDENCE
TIME FRAME: 3-4 WEEKS
SUMMARY OF UNIT: THIS UNIT ALIGNS TO THE COMMON CORE STATE
STANDARDS. STUDENTS WILL READ AND ANALYZE ARGUMENTATIVE
ARTICLES AND SAMPLE ESSAYS TO IDENTIFY THE ELEMENTS OF A
STRONG ARGUMENT. THEY WILL PRACTICE ARGUMENTATIVE
STRATEGIES THROUGH DISCUSSION-BASED, CLASSROOM SESSIONS AS
THEY ARGUE FOR AND AGAINST HIGH-INTEREST TOPICS, AND THEY
WILL AND CRAFT AN ESSAY IN WHICH THEY PRESENT RELEVANT,
CREDIBLE EVIDENCE ON A CONTROVERSIAL TOPIC WHILE
DEMONSTRATING EMPATHY BY ADDRESSING THE OTHER SIDE. THIS
UNIT IS PRESENTED IN EARLY SPRING AFTER STUDENTS HAVE HAD
EXPERIENCE WITH THE WRITNG PROCESS AND CLASSROOM
COMMUNITY NORMS HAVE BEEN ESTABLISHED.

Designed By: Stefania M. Hutchins

School District: Chippewa Valley
School: Seneca Middle School
 Title: Argumentative Writing
Topic: Exploring Argumentative Writing Techniques
Designer: Stefania Hutchins
Subject: English Language Arts
Grade: 6

Stage 1: Desired Results

Content Standards:
 W.6.1: Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence.
 W.6.1a: Introduce claim(s) and organize the reasons and evidence clearly.
 W.6.1b: Support claim(s) with clear reasons and relevant evidence, using credible sources and
demonstrating an understanding of the topic or text.
 W.6.1c: Use words, phrases, and clauses to clarify the relationships among claim(s) and reasons.
 W.6.1d: Establish and maintain a formal style.
 W.6.1e: Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from the argument presented.
 W.6.4: Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are
appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
 With some guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by
planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach.
 W.6.7: Conduct short research projects to answer a question, drawing on several sources and
refocusing the inquiry when appropriate.
 W.6.9: Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
● Effectively communicate for a variety of purposes
● Apply conventions of English grammar to writing

Enduring Understandings: Essential Questions:

● Effective arguments are constructed through ● How is argument writing different from
objective evidence. persuasion and opinion?
● Addressing other sides of an argument adds to ● How does a writer know their argument is
command of the topic. effective?
● Audience and purpose affect writers’ choices ● How do I choose credible, relevant sources for
in terms of organization, style, and word my writing?
choice.
● Thorough research is needed to broaden
knowledge of a writer.

Knowledge: Skills:
● The Writing Process is recursive; ● Provide research-based evidence to support a
● Strategies for constructing an effective claim;
argument; ● Present and refute a counterclaim;
● Vocabulary related to argumentative writing; ● Evaluate sources of information;
● Components of an argumentative essay. ● Correctly use writing conventions.
 Stage 2: Determine Acceptable Evidence

Performance Tasks:
 Students will participate in a Socratic Seminar, fishbowl style, in which they are presented with both
sides of a topic and must argue in support of an assigned side. Their performance will be observed by
an assigned peer, who will analyze strengths and weaknesses of their partner’s participation.
 Students will compose an argument essay on a topic of their choice using the writing process.
 Students will analyze their argument essay utilizing a checklist version of the assessment rubric.
 Students will participate in an anonymous speed-revision activity where papers are passed around a
group. With each pass, students are prompted to find a specific requirement of the writing and provide
feedback.

Other Tasks:
 Jigsaw reading and article analysis
 Observations of student participation
 Gallery walk analysis of effective/ineffective arguments
 Reflection of peer feedback

Performance Task Blueprints:

Students will understand that… Essential Questions:

● Effective arguments are constructed through ● How is argument writing different from
objective evidence. persuasion and opinion?
● Addressing other sides of an argument adds ● How does a writer know their argument is
to command of the topic. effective?
● Audience and purpose affect writers’ choices ● How do I choose credible, relevant sources
in terms of organization, style, and word for my writing?
choice. ● How can empathy affect the strength of my
● Thorough research is needed to broaden argument?
knowledge of a writer.

Students will know how to… Students will be able to…

● Utilize the Writing Process in a recursive ● Provide research-based evidence to support a

manner. claim.
● Constructing an effective argument. ● Present and refute a counterclaim.
● Recognize and use vocabulary related to ● Evaluate sources of information.
argumentative writing. ● Correctly use writing conventions.
● Demonstrate empathy for an opposing
argument.
● Compose an argumentative essay.
Authentic performance task to demonstrate student understanding:

Students will apply their understanding of argument writing in a Socratic Seminar. Students will participate in
a jigsaw reading activity for the purpose of analyzing several different perspectives on a new topic. They will
be assigned a side on which to argue. Half of the class will participate in the seminar discussion while the
other half observes their partner, making observations of effective argument techniques. Then, partners will
switch roles. Two different topics can be utilized to ensure that arguments of the second Socratic group are not
based on arguments from the first group.

Products and performances used to demonstrate understanding:

● Essay rubric
● Essay peer-revision form
● Socratic seminar observation checklist

Criteria Evaluation Tools:

● Essay rubric and checklist

● Essay peer-revision form
● Socratic seminar observation checklist

Stage 3: Learning Plan

Day Lesson Plans

1 ● Students will free-write for three minutes in response to: What are your thoughts about school
suspension as a consequence for misbehavior? H
● Students will share responses with their shoulder partner, then be invited to share with the class.
● Each table of students will be given four articles on the topic of school suspension. They will identify
 the evidence each author used to support their claim, then determine what made the evidence effective
or ineffective and record their responses on the “Looking at Argument Writing” Chart.
● After sharing responses as a class, students will be introduced to the Essential Questions and Enduring
Understandings of the unit. 1
2 ● Students will free-write for three minutes in response to: Write about the last time you tried to convince
someone to agree with you. What did you say or do to convince them? 6 H
● Students will share their responses with their shoulder partner, then be invited to share with the class.
● Two signs on opposite sides of the room will be posted: Agree and Disagree. The teacher will read a
statement and students will move to the sign they most agree with. Sides will take turns giving reasons
for their choice. Repeat with different statements as time permits. H
● At the end of class, students will be given one of five articles relating to the topic of schools assigning
letter grades for achievement. Homework will be to complete a first-read of their article.
3  Students will free-write for three minutes in response to: How do you feel about receiving a report card
with letter grades? 2 H
 Students will share their responses with their face partner, then be invited to share with the class.
 Students will close-read their articles Jigsaw style. The class will split into expert groups where all
students have read the same article. They will analyze and discuss the article, completing the Jigsaw
reading chart. E
 Students will then break into heterogeneous groups where each student has read a different article. They
will be teaching their article to their group. All students will complete the remaining parts of the
evidence chart. E
4  Upon arrival to class, students will be given an argument card and a side for which to argue. They will
complete the argument card using evidence from the jigsaw reading activity. 3
 Students will participate in a Philosophical Chairs discussion.
 Students will complete the Discussion Reflection as an Exit Ticket. 6 E
5  Student groups will be given an exemplar argument essay cut into pieces by elements required
(introduction, thesis, claim/evidence, conclusion). In their table groups, they will work together to
arrange the pieces in a way that makes sense. 3 E
 Groups will share their arrangements, and the teacher will facilitate a discussion about the elements of
an argument essay. 1 W
 The teacher will hand out the rubric and explain the prompt. 1 W
6  Argument essay topics will be introduced and discussed.
 Students will be given a choice of six topics:
 Should cell phones be allowed in class?
 Should schools implement a year-round calendar?
 Should we be allowed to clone our pets?
 Do participation trophies have value or do they undervalue the achievements of the winners?
 Do violent video games lead to violent behavior?
 Should parents monitor kids’ internet activity?
 The teacher will randomly choose equity sticks and students may choose their topic in that order. E T
 Students will write a rough thesis statement (Writing a Thesis Statement handout) on their Essay Planner
(handout). 3 5
 The teacher will present a lesson on choosing appropriate evidence (Choosing Evidence handout). 3
 Students will be responsible for finding three sources to support their argument for homework.
7  The teacher will model using a source to find supporting evidence and adding the evidence to the Essay
Planner. E
 Students will work independently to choose evidence from their sources and write the evidence on their
individual planners. 3
 Students will meet with other students who are writing on the same topic the last ten minutes of class to
share thesis statements and evidence. 4
8-9  Students will spend the first fifteen minutes of class working on translating their Essay Planner into
paragraphs.
 The teacher will model two ways to integrate evidence into an argument: direct quote and paraphrasing
(Integrating Evidence into Your Argument handout), and the claim-evidence-reasoning pattern of
structuring paragraphs. E
  Tables of students will analyze the three sample essays and highlight the portions that contain the claim-
evidence-reasoning pattern, then discuss as a class. 3
 Students will revise the paragraphs they wrote at the beginning of class to use the CER pattern. 3
 Students will meet with other students who are writing on the same topic the last ten minutes of class to
share their paragraphs. 4
10  Tables of students will be instructed to compose an argument on the topic of the value of homework.
The first ten minutes of class they will work in their table groups to construct an argument directed
towards one of the following audiences: parents, school board, teachers, students, college admission
personnel, athletic coaches. 4 5
 Each group will share their argument with the class.
 The teacher will facilitate a discussion on the importance of considering one’s audience, the concept of
counterarguments, and the importance of including them in the essay (Considering Your Audience
handout). R
 Table groups will revisit their homework arguments and add a counterargument, considering what might
be important to their assigned audience, then share out to the large group. 3 5
 Students will be given time to consider their audience for their own essay topics, and to include a
counterargument. 3 5 R
 Students will meet in same-topic groups to share the addition of their counterargument. 4
11  Tables of students will analyze the sample essays to find background knowledge given for the topic.
 The teacher will facilitate a discussion on why building background knowledge is important (Building
Background Knowledge handout). Students will be given time to consider what background knowledge
might be important to include for their topics, and to revise their introduction to include background
knowledge. 1 2 E
 Students will meet in same-topic groups and share their revisions.
12  Tables of students will analyze the sample essays for title, hook, and closing.
 The teacher will facilitate a lesson on creating titles, hooking the reader, and concluding the essay (Title,
Hook, and Closing handout). 1 E
 Students will have time to work on their drafts. 3
 Students will meet in same-topic groups and share their titles, hooks, and closings. 4
13  The teacher will model how to cite sources. 1 E
 Students will complete their Works Cited page (Citing Sources) handout. 3
 The teacher will show two sample essays. One will have effective transitional words, and the other will
not. The teacher will explain the purpose of transitional words and phrases. 1 E
 Students will revise their essays to include appropriate transitional phrases (Transitions handout). 3
 Students must have a completed draft ready for revision upon arrival to class the next day.
14  Students with will be grouped so that each student in the groups has a different argument topic. Students
will participate in a collaborative guided revision activity.
 Students will sit in a circle with a draft of their essays and the Argument Essay Checklist
(handout). They will pass their draft and checklist to the person on their right who will check the
essay for the first item on the list. If it is there, they will check it off. If it is missing, they will
make a note of that necessary revision. By the time the essay moves around the table and back
to its original owner, all items on the checklist will have been either checked off or shown as
missing. 2 3 Ev
 Students will revise their essays for homework.
15  Students will be grouped so that each person has a different topic, but not with the same students who
were in yesterday’s groups, to share their final drafts. As students listen, they will contribute one glow
and one grow, which they will give to the author after sharing (Grow and Glow cards). 2 4 Ev
 Students will submit their final essay for grading.
16  Half of the class will be given a text set on pros/cons of vaccinations, and the other half of the class will
be given a text set about pros/cons of banning pit-bull dogs.
 Students will read and annotate the text set and develop five higher-order thinking questions on the
topic. 6
17  Each student with the vaccine text set will be paired with a student with a pit-bull text set.
 Students will participate in a Socratic Seminar. One group of same-topic students will participate in the
 discussion, while the other group observes their assigned partner (Socratic Seminar Observation
handout). Students will be assigned a side for which to argue. 5 6 E
 Students will switch roles. Students with the other topic will participate in the discussion while their
assigned partners observe.
 Students will complete the Argument Writing Reflection (handout). They will reflect on the experience
of the unit, specifically why it is important to consider the other side of an argument, why objective
evidence is effective, and what it feels like to argue for a side they may not agree with. 6 R

Facet Key WHERETO Key

1: Explanation W: Where/Why
2: Interpretation H: Hook/Hold
3: Application E: Equip
4: Perspective R: Reflect
5: Empathy Ev: Evaluate
6: Self-knowledge T: Tailored
O: Organized