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 Research
Search 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 StatementAfter 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.
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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 Information
Your next step is to begin searching for the strongest information to prove your side of the argument.
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VIDEO LINKS
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. |
ARTICLE LINK“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 |
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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 meet 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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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!
Your conclusion consists of two 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 DraftWe 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. |
View the Powerpoints below for more information on Flow and Word Choice.
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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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