Summary
Students will work collaboratively to examine and deconstruct published arguments based on social issues important to them. Students will then evaluate each other's analysis of published arguments and reflect on issues in today's society. While this lesson is currently aligned only to 10th-grade standards, it would be appropriate to teach in grades 9 through 12, adjusting standards as needed.
Essential Question(s)
What issue is possibly one of the most important to the current generation of youth in America?
Snapshot
Engage
Students attempt to answer the essential question, "What issue is possibly one of the most important to the current generation of youth in America?" They will then use the Sticky Bars strategy to pair up according to their topics.
Explore
Students watch a video introducing argumentative writing and, in pairs, discuss essential elements of argument.
Explain
Students deconstruct a published argumentative article focusing on the claim, evidence, and counterarguments.
Extend
Students create a visual representation of their selected topic.
Evaluate
Students participate in a Gallery Walk to evaluate their peers’ work and offer feedback. They conclude the lesson by reflecting on their own learning.
Materials
Argument Essay Notes (attached; one per student)
Arguing With Evidence (attached; one per student)
Poster board for each pair of students
Markers, crayons, colored pencils
Sticky notes
Computer with projector
Student devices (Chromebook, laptop, tablet, etc.; one per pair of students)
If devices are not available, you may print the articles for students
Engage
Have the essential question, "What issue is possibly one of the most important to the current generation of youth in America?" posted in the classroom when students enter. Give students a minute to construct a response to the question. Assure students there are no right or wrong answers. They are to simply answer the question to the best of their ability.
On the board or on poster paper, display the following categories for students: education, social media, gender issues, politics, health, and personal character. Explain that most of their answers to the essential question will fall into one of these large categories. Pass out a sticky note to each student and ask them write their name on the sticky note. Ask them to think about which category would best fit their answer to the essential question. Using the Sticky Bars strategy, students will place their sticky note within the category that best fits their answer to the essential question. As students place their sticky notes within a category, the sticky notes should move up the wall like a bar graph. This will allow you and your students to see which category is of most interest to students of this generation. It will also help with pairing students based on their interests.
Based on student answers, group students into pairs. These pairs work together for the rest of the lesson.
Explore
Distribute the attached Argument Essay Notes handout. Play the How to Write an Argumentative Essay video. Students should complete the handout independently as they watch, with extra time following the video. Have students discuss with a partner and share out some of the most significant components of argumentative writing.
Explain
Pass out the attached Arguing With Evidence handout. Each group of partners should get a handout to share. Explain to students that they will be using the handout to deconstruct argumentative articles. Each group should be allowed to choose an article that fits their issue of concern from the beginning of the lesson (e.g., If the students chose an issue dealing with gender issues, they should search for an article dealing with gender issues). Students should use the handout to record the main thesis of the article and evidence that supports the main thesis. In addition, they will consider possible counterarguments.
Pass out an electronic device to each student. Direct them to the News ELA website: https://newsela.com/articles/#/category/opinion. On the Opinion page of the News ELA website, students can examine hundreds of articles that have an argumentative stance. Instruct each group to choose an article under their issue/topic. Give students approximately 15–20 minutes to analyze the article they have chosen and complete the handout.
Extend
Once students are done deconstructing the argument in the real life articles from News ELA, they will create a visual representation of the argument.
Direct each group of students to create a poster to represent their argument. Ask them to use the information on their handout to construct their poster. Each poster must include the following: thesis, evidence, counterarguments.
Students can create their posters using creative, artistic symbolism or use a more concrete approach by creating more of a visually appealing outline. Allow approximately 10–15 minutes for the creation of the posters. Inform students that their work will be presented to their peers and evaluated.
Evaluate
Once student partners are done with their posters, each group will hang their poster around the room.
Students will now participate in a strategy called Gallery Walk. Give each pair of students sticky notes of two different colors.
Inform students that they will use the sticky notes to give their peers feedback on their deconstruction of an argument. Instruct students that they are to either say one thing they agree with about the argument (using one color), or one thing they disagree with about the argument (using the other color). Their feedback should be meaningful and constructive.
Each partner group will stand in front of a poster that is not their own. They will have 2 minutes to leave feedback on the poster using their sticky note.
After 2 minutes, the groups will rotate to the next poster and repeat the process, until all the posters have been reviewed.
Once the Gallery Walk is complete, ask students to return to their desks and complete a 2-minute quick-write reflection on the following question:
Has your opinion of what is most important to America's youth changed during this lesson? Why or why not?
Resources
Building a strong argument infographic: https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/ac/48/6c/ac486c4e1ab5273177cf9875bcc1f620.jpg
Gonchar, M. (2014, February 4). 200 prompts for argumentative writing. New York Times. https://archive.nytimes.com/learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/02/04/200-prompts-for-argumentative-writing/ PDF: https://static01.nyt.com/images/blogs/learning/pdf/2014/200PromptsArgumentativeWriting.pdf
IgniteED: Fueling Great Minds. (2014, September). Visual of sticky bars strategy. http://fuelgreatminds.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/formative-assessment.jpg
K20 Center. (n.d.). Sticky bars. Strategies. https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/strategy/12
K20 Center. (n.d.). Gallery walk / carousel. Strategies. https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/strategy/118
The Learning Network. (2024, August 8). Open letters: Our opinion-writing contest. New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/08/learning/open-letters-our-opinion-writing-contest.html
News ELA website, Opinion section: https://newsela.com/articles/#/category/opinion
Reference guide on teaching evidence-based arguments: http://www.readwritethink.org/professional-development/strategy-guides/developing-evidence-based-arguments-31034.html
Shmoop. (2013, March 26). How to write an argumentative essay by Shmoop [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-lzGy5gizKg
