Argumentative Writing Activator Prompt: What are the elements of argumentative writing?

Preview Video *Watch the first two minutes and the last minute (begin at minute nine).

Parts of an Argumentative Essay Introductory Paragraph Hooks the reader Provides background information on the topic Includes your claim Claim this is your thesis statement tells the main idea of the essay clearly states which side of the argument you are on everything else in the paper supports this claim- it must be factual!

Hook The hook is very important to your essay because it’s the part of the essay that is going to catch your reader’s attention… from the very first words. Tell a story or analogy that connects to your argument. Provide a startling or interesting statistic. Make sure this supports your argument. Ask a thought provoking question that makes your reader begin to consider your topic. Make sure the question “leads them” to your side of the argument. Think outside the box… find a creative way to grab your reader’s attention. Make sure you connect it to your argument.

Parts of an Expository Essay Body Paragraphs Support your claim Each paragraph contains a different reason that is supported with evidence Include a counterclaim. Counterclaim: Reflects an opposing opinion of your claim Shows why the opposing side’s argument is weak or wrong You DO NOT support the opposing argument. You are merely mentioning it so you can argue against it or refute it. Your counterclaim paragraph continues to provide evidence to support YOUR argument.

Transitions Transition help connect paragraphs and ideas in an essay. Without transitions, your essay may not make sense or may be very disconnected. Examples: Furthermore, However, Most convincingly In other words, For this reason, Although In fact, You must also consider You DO NOT want to reuse the same transition words or types of transition sentences over and over again. That gets redundant.

Parts of an Expository Essay Concluding Paragraph Restate your claim Bring your argument to a close Remind your reader why your argument is strong Last chance to convince your reader

Review Video

Works Session Think- Read the Test-Prep passages and answer the questions on your own (silently). Pair- Compare your answers with a partner. Share- Students will be randomly selected to share how they got the answer with the whole class.