Opinion/Argument Writing PD Science/Social Studies/Technical Subject Teachers

Redefining/Refocusing Instructional Practices All teachers need to use reading and writing as tools for content building. We are not simply adding a “unit” – we are rethinking how children should spend their time in school. ELA teachers will need to use more information text, but all teachers will need to engage students in reading, writing, and research.

Contrast of Writing Modes So far with PD this year we’ve spent a considerable amount of time on informational/explanatory writing. The fall training offered by TDOE revolved around opinion/argument writing. WHY do the standards focus so heavily on argument writing? Education experts Mike Schmoker and Gerald Graff argue that argument is “the primary skill essential to our success as citizens, students and workers.” How do these two modes of writing differ? What things need to be included in opinion/argument writing that weren’t necessarily included in information/explanatory writing?

Contrasting Mnemonics Informational/Explanatory Opinion/Argument P – Pull apart prompt O – Organize thoughts W – Write and say more T – Topic S – Supporting Evidence E – Elaboration (So what?) C - Conclusion P – Pull apart prompt O – Organize thoughts W – Write and say more T – Thesis (Taking a side: What is my claim?) R – 2/3 Reasons (Why do I make this claim?) E – Evidence to support each reason (How can I prove each reason?) C – Counterclaim (What do others think and how would I respond?) C – Conclusion (Did I wrap it up right?)

Starting Well – A Plan for the Introduction Attention Grabber - surprising statement/statistic direct/rhetorical question relevant quote historical background anecdote Identify Problem and/or Map Background – Identify the problem of the topic so the reader understands the issue and/or map out the context of the problem or provide background information needed to understand the issue. This is a good place to mention text(s) and author(s) which will be referenced. Thesis Statement - What is my claim?

Sample Introductory Paragraph In 2010,in Newburyport, Massachusetts, a disturbing incident occurred: a group of students bullied class mates by creating a false Facebook account. This anecdote and many similar ones appear in Michelle R. Davis’s article “Students Create Fake Online Profiles to Bully Peers.” How should a school official react in such a case? According to Noor Brara in “Are Facebook ‘Likes’ Protected by the First Amendment?” the answer is a legal dilemma. Experts disagree over whether schools have constitutional authority to punish students in these cases. Regardless of the philosophical debate, the bottom line is that school has to be a safe place for students, and safety reaches farther than the physical school building. School officials need to have jurisdiction to punish students for off- campus social media use if it becomes a safety risk and significant distraction to schools. Attention Grabber= blue Identify Problem/Map Background= green Thesis Statement= red

Another Major Difference: The Counterclaim Basically: What do others think AND how would I respond? Placement: wherever it logically fits

Counterclaim Starters Critics argue that.… While it may be true that…., all in all… Others may say…., but I argue that…. A common argument against this position is…., but…. It may be true…..;however,…. It’s easy to think…, but when one looks at the facts… While some researchers say….; nevertheless,…. It is often thought (imagined, supposed, etc.)…, but…… A more extensive list of frames/stems used in argument writing may be found on our district website: Academics->Literacy Tools->9-12 Literacy->Writing-Related Resources.

Model and/or Provide Examples for Your Students! Provide exemplar and weak examples of essays and essay parts and let students analyze – identify and highlight specific parts

Sample Introductory Paragraph In 2010,in Newburyport, Massachusetts, a disturbing incident occurred: a group of students bullied class mates by creating a false Facebook account. This anecdote and many similar ones appear in Michelle R. Davis’s article “Students Create Fake Online Profiles to Bully Peers.” How should a school official react in such a case? According to Noor Brara in “Are Facebook ‘Likes’ Protected by the First Amendment?” the answer is a legal dilemma. Experts disagree over whether schools have constitutional authority to punish students in these cases. Regardless of the philosophical debate, the bottom line is that school has to be a safe place for students, and safety reaches farther than the physical school building. School officials need to have jurisdiction to punish students for off- campus social media use if it becomes a safety risk and significant distraction to schools. Attention Grabber= blue Identify Problem/Map Background= green Thesis Statement= red

Model and/or Provide Examples for Your Students! Provide exemplar and weak examples of essays and essay parts and let students analyze – identify and highlight specific parts evaluate - share rubric and let students use it to score and support their opinions

Rubric/Scoring Guide Science/Social Studies/Technical Subjects-Gr9-12-Literacy Rubrics Fall/ELA/llg9-10_ArgumentWritingGrade9-10Scale.docx Fall/ELA/llg11-12_ArgumentWritingGrade11-12Scale.docx

Model and/or Provide Examples for Your Students! Provide exemplar and weak examples of essays and essay parts and let students analyze – identify and highlight specific parts evaluate - share rubric and let students use it to score and support their opinions create - pattern their own essay/essay parts based upon model/example

Make It Easy on You and on Your Students! Have students highlight and/or label the required parts in different colors before they submit the essay or essay part. This serves as a checklist for the student. AND This makes grading easier and faster for you because the parts are already identified.

Bringing Writing Instruction to the Content Areas 1. Set clear, explicit goals for a writing assignment. Set product goals that address the characteristics of the final product, including identifying audience and purpose, guidelines about length and format, the type of writing to be used (argument, informational, narrative, or combination), and content as well as text structure (i.e., introduction, body, conclusion) requirements for the writing piece. 2. Show models. Provide students with opportunities to read, analyze, and emulate models of good writing. Show sample models of each stage in the writing process (e.g., notes, first drafts), as well as what the completed assignment should look like. 3. Provide scaffolds. Provide supports for completing a writing assignment, including assignment guides, steps to follow, graphic organizers, two-column notes for gathering information from sources, and writing templates. 

Bringing Writing Instruction to the Content Areas 4. Provide opportunities for collaboration. When students have opportunities to collaborate with peers (and the teacher) during the thinking, planning, writing, or revising stages of writing, the quality of their writing improves, and they are more likely to be motivated to write. 5. Provide feedback. The feedback you give students matters as much as the writing instruction you provide. Without feedback, students won’t learn how to improve their writing. They need to know if their writing is accurate and conveying the message. Feedback can be from the teacher or peers, and should consist of more than simply marking mechanical errors on final drafts. 6. Provide opportunities for revision. Students need time to reflect on feedback from others, and then improve their writing assignments through revision. Students need explicit instruction on how to incorporate feedback to revise their writing. Not every writing task has to be revised to the point of “publication ready,” but students will not improve their writing if they do not have some opportunities to revise.

How can I help my students practice these skills? Analyze an exemplar argument essay section-by- section in small groups to identify and/or evaluate all the necessary parts and then share out with the whole group. Revise a weak argument essay section-by-section as a class to model the procedure. Then share the rubric and have students use it to assess the revision. Then revise another weak essay in small groups, and let the class in the same small groups read all the revisions to decide which is the best and why.

How can I help my students practice these skills daily? Promote discussions where “Ideas bounce back and forth like a tennis ball in a match.” ***Accountable Talk*** Help students develop and deepen arguments by sending them back to the text for more evidence, prompting them to expand on a classmate’s idea or deepen the discussion. Prompt by saying, “I heard ___________ say something that contradicts ...” “These students all said something similar ... Does anyone have a different idea?”

How can I help my students practice these skills daily? Provide sentence/elaboration starters as scaffolds for students until they internalize them.

How can I help my students practice these skills daily?

How can I help my students practice these skills daily? Provide sentence/elaboration starters as scaffolds for students until they internalize them. Make it part of your practice to routinely ask questions that promote analysis, evaluation, and deep thinking. Why did you choose that evidence? How does the evidence support your position?

Literacy Resources District Website Argument Frames/Stems Strategies to Improve Classroom Discussion Anchor Charts that Promote Use of Textual Evidence to Support Opinion/Argument