PRE-ON-DEMAND
Argument Writing
First, we must see what you know about argumentative writing. You will be given the following prompt and will write an argumentative essay on the spot. Then we will know what you know and what you need to learn.
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Pushing Toward Persuasion
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Arguing Your Position
Step 1 |
Read Prompt / Form OpinionAfter acquiring information from the articles on teenagers and technology (click the button below to access these articles), it is now time to form an opinion. Read the prompt below and decide on your opinion. You must choose one side or the other.
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Step 2 |
Complete Preliminary ResearchSearch the internet for information on social media using the Effective Search Strategies (guidelines below). See what kinds of information you can find on the pros and the cons of social media. As you jot down positive aspects of social media and negative aspects of social media. Decide which side you feel most strongly about. Make sure that you can find quality support for the side you are considering.
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PROS
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CONS
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Step 3
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Write Thesis StatementThesis Statement PracticeLet's take a look at a few thesis statements. You decide whether or not they are TOP Notch thesis statements or not. Click on the button below each statement to check your answers.
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Your turn . . .
After choosing a side, begin completing the graphic organizer below. Remember, the first step in writing any essay is to write a TOP Notch THESIS STATEMENT.
- In the Topic box, write the topic of the argument according to the prompt. In this case, the topic is the impact of social media and technology on teenagers.
- In the Opinion box, write your choice of sides: positive or negative.
- In the category boxes, decide on your the three reasons/ Points you will use to prove your side of the argument. (See more directions on this below).
POINTS - Assimilating the information you have gleaned from the articles and categorizing it into the points that you plan to discuss is one of the most difficult steps in the process. Try these steps to make it easier:
- In the articles, highlight all of the pieces of information that prove your side of the argument.
- Write each quote on a separate note card, making sure to note the source, author, and page number.
- Sort the quotes into categories. Play around with the combinations until you find at least three separate categories that stand as reasons to prove that social media and technology either positively or negatively impact teens. These categories become the three or more points you will be using to prove your claim. These finish out your thesis statement.
- Once you have your information sorted, you can copy it onto your graphic organizer, and you have a plan for your essay.
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Step 4
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Search for InformationYour next step is to begin searching for the strongest information to prove your side of the argument.
Your job is to find at least six articles that prove your thesis position. These articles should be focused on the three reasons you have used in your thesis statement. Take notes on each article, either by Quoting, Paraphrasing, Summarizing. Use a new note-taking sheet for each of your articles. Staple the note-taking sheet to the front of the article. Save these notes. You will use them to write your essay. |
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Article Links
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Video Links
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“Issue Overview: Are Social Networking Sites Good For Our Society?”
https://newsela.com/articles/lib-procon-social-networking/id/23703/ “Colleges Are Watching Your Social Media Behavior” https://newsela.com/articles/twitter-sports/id/4791/ “Emotional Fallout From Facebook?” https://newsela.com/articles/facebook-SAD/id/3047/ “On Twitter, @TheNiceBot Fights Bullying with Cheerful Messages” https://newsela.com/articles/twitter-nicebot/id/13490/ “Facebook and Google Don’t Like Bad Information on the Internet” https://newsela.com/articles/facebook-google-fake-news/id/24139/ “Ice Bucket Challenge Funds Help Scientists Find New Gene” https://newsela.com/articles/ice-bucket-challenge-research/id/20169/ “Is Pie-in-the-Face Next? Ice Bucket Challenge’s Wild Success in Fundraising” https://newsela.com/articles/icebucket-phenomenon/id/4958/ “An Emoji is Worth a Thousand Words—And They Can All Be Misinterpreted” https://newsela.com/articles/emoji-miscommunication/id/16774/ “Insta-Winners: There’s Money To Be Made By Instagram Celebs, Marketers” https://newsela.com/articles/instagram-generation/id/15901/ "Online Identity” https://www.commonlit.org/texts/online-identity |
Social Media has a NEGATIVE impact on society:
What must be considered when evaluating these videos since only one side of an argument is presented? The content of the videos address emotions and morals rather than numbers and statistics. Social Media has a POSITIVE impact on society:
Which video uses statistics to support their claims? Which video is more opinion based? NEUTRAL
Consider how these videos present both sides of the argument. These videos are more informative than opinionative. Consider how you may only use pieces of this video to support your claim. Using information that is only relevant to your stance is called angling the evidence. |
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Step 5
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Outline Body ParagraphsYour next step is to begin outlining the supporting (body) paragraphs of your text. You will take the first point from your thesis statement and begin fleshing out the paragraph. You will begin by writing your topic sentence, which should be a powerful sentence that shows how you will use this one point to prove your thesis claim.
Next, you will introduce your first piece of evidence, writing it in the author's words -- using quotation marks and parenthetical citations (author's name, page number). Then, you must explain this piece of evidence in your own words and show how it proves your thesis claim. You will do this -- evidence, explanation, proof -- two more times to ensure that you have thoroughly supported this point. Finally, you will write your clincher. It should pack a punch, once again proving to your audience, without a shadow of a doubt, that your thesis claim is correct! Use the body paragraph outline below to help your organize these body paragraphs. (On the right you will find a sample paragraph started for you as an example.) |
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Step 6
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Revise Body ParagraphsBefore adding the introduction and conclusion, you will do some revision of your supporting paragraphs, since these are the meat of your essay.
Print the Peer Reviewing Checklist below. Ask a friend or a parent to read your supporting paragraphs and make sure you have met all criteria. |
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Step 7
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Write IntroductionNow it's time to write your introduction. We are going to HIT our readers from the start of this essay so that they will not be able to put it down.
H - Hook your reader with a creative attention-getter. I - Inform your reader about your topic. What is it that you are talking about? In this case, what is social media; what is technology? T - Thesis Statement. You've already written this. Simply copy it here now. |
Click the link below for some Attention-Getter ideas. The powerpoint provides this instruction in a little more detail.
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Example 1: On Friday, February 19, 2011, life changed for an eighteen-year-old young man. He became very ill from a bacterial infection. His body could not fight the infection. Why? After a week of tests and examinations by several specialists, the diagnosis was made. He had leukemia, a cancer of the bone marrow. I am that young man. When a person finds out that he has cancer, just as I did, his whole world changes. A cancer patient is affected physically, psychologically, and socially by the impact of cancer. Example 2: One morning a young mother had her seven-month old son in his stroller under the peach tree near the family pool. She walked to the kitchen to get a knife so she could peel the peach for him. Ten seconds later, she found him facedown with the stroller at the bottom of the pool. She immediately pulled him out and administered CPR to her son. If she had been gone any longer, he might have been one of the statistics that plague our country every year. These child drownings could be greatly reduced if parents never left their children unattended around water, if pools were properly fenced, and if other safety devices were installed in or by the pool. Example 3: “The mind is its own place, and in itself can make a heaven of hell, a hell of heaven” (Milton 255). This thought by John Milton was recorded over four hundred years ago, but it is still timely for society today. Milton seems to be saying that people are the ones to control their lives. They can be miserable when things are going well, just as they can be happy when things are going wrong. With this thought in mind, we can control the way we face life through our attitude, our determination, and our ability. Example 4: This morning’s news reported that a young girl, age 5, was abducted from her classroom. As a frantic search ensued, people across the Philadelphia area were shocked to find that the kidnapper walked right into the child’s classroom and demanded that the young kindergartner leave with the woman. The child managed to escape and was found, but she had been attacked by her captors. Obviously, safety procedures broke down and this poor child paid the price. In order to assure the safety of all children, schools across the country must review safety procedures, tighten safety protocols where necessary, and assure all staff members are properly trained. |
Effective Introduction Examples:
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Step 8
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Write ConclusionNext, we will write our conclusions. These are the last words you will say to your reader, so make sure they are powerful! Let's use the TSS method.
Your conclusion consists of three parts.
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Click the link below for some Final Thought ideas. The powerpoint provides this instruction in a little more detail.
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Step 9
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Write or Type Rough DraftUsing your introduction, your three or more body paragraphs, and your conclusion, write out or type a rough draft of your essay so that we can begin the revision process.
When typing, please use MLA format. The guidelines for that are below. |
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Step 10
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Revise DraftYou will be revising a number of times for different aspects of your writing:
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Revise for Organization and Focus
Read Gaby's diary entry. What makes this writing so hard to follow? |
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Revise your essay for focus.
1. Highlight each topic sentence. Ask yourself, "Does this topic sentence show my thesis opinion?" If not, fix it. 2. Highlight each clincher. Ask yourself, "Does this clincher punch my thesis opinion?" If not, fix it. 3. Look at each piece of supporting evidence. Is each piece useful in proving my thesis opinion? If not, change it. Revise your essay for organization.
1. Read your thesis statement. Look carefully at your three points. Check your three paragraphs. Are they both listed in the same order? If not, fix it. 2. Read each supporting paragraph. Look over each piece of evidence. Have you put each piece of evidence in the most powerful order? If not, fix it. 3. Look at each supporting paragraph. Does the paragraph flow from one idea to the next? Can a reader who knows nothing about social media follow your argument? Do you need to add more explanation or background or context? If not, change it. |
Revise for Transitions and Word Choice
We are never done until we complete some major revisions. On this paper, we will focus on revising for flow and word choice.
Flow is the smooth transition between sentences and between paragraphs.
Word choice is recognizing the impact of various words and choosing the one with the most impact to affect your audience.
Flow is the smooth transition between sentences and between paragraphs.
Word choice is recognizing the impact of various words and choosing the one with the most impact to affect your audience.
View the Powerpoints below for more information on Flow and Word Choice.
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Revise for Figurative Language and Tone
Next, you're going to add in some figurative language to enhance your essay.
1. Supporting Paragraph 1 - Add a simile 2. Supporting Paragraph 2 - Add a metaphor 3. Supporting paragraph 3 - Add some personification Then you're going to work on creating a strong, intense, persuasive tone. Highly consider adding some of the following persuasive words into your clinchers and conclusion. *clearly *in fact *definitely *it is obvious *without a doubt *definitively *without any question *undeniably |
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Step 11
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Edit DraftFinally, your last major job is to edit the minor details of your essay to make sure that your readers take you seriously. Minor errors in spelling, grammar, and conventions detract from your writing and make readers feel that you do not know what you're talking about. Do not skip this step.
We will be editing for all of the editing units that we have covered so far: |
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Step 12
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Perfect Typed Final Copy
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Samples of Quality Essays
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