2. Argumentative Writing
1. Make a claim
2. Support your claim
with reasons/evidence
3. Acknowledge the
counterclaim
4. Refute the
counterclaim
5. Conclude with a
strong statement
1
2
3
4
5
3. Claim
• States the author’s position on an issue.
• It must be debatable.
– There is no “right” answer
4. On which side of the fence are you?
• A claim will be stated.
• Go to the side of the fence that most closely
matches your opinion on the issue. (You only have
10 seconds!)
• No straddling allowed
Door
=
Disagree
Window
=
Agree
5. Tacos are better than pizza.
Door
=
Disagree
Window
=
Agree
I believe ___________________________________.
6. One Direction is more talented than
Justin Beiber.
Door
=
Disagree
Window
=
Agree
In my opinion, _______________________________.
7. Support Your Claim
• An opinion is not enough
• Writers must support their claims with
reasons and evidence
8. Junk food should be illegal.
Door
=
Disagree
Window
=
Agree
I believe ___________________________________.
9. Students should be held legally
responsible for bullying in schools.
Door
=
Disagree
Window
=
Agree
In my opinion, _______________________________.
10. Smoking should be illegal.
Door
=
Disagree
Window
=
Agree
I believe ___________________________________.
11. It is never appropriate for the government
to restrict freedom of speech.
Door
=
Disagree
Window
=
Agree
In my opinion, _______________________________.
13. Write down in your notebook one of the
claims you made in the previous activity.
• Use one of these sentence starters:
I believe ___________________________________.
or
In my opinion, _______________________________.
14. The Issue:
Should the driving age be changed to 18?
Copy this chart in your notebook.
Video: Let’s Raise the Driving Age
Claim:
Reason/Evidence 1
Reason/Evidence 2
Reason/Evidence 3
Fill in the chart as you watch this video about
changing the driving age.
15. The Issue:
Should the driving age be changed to 18?
Copy this chart in your notebook.
Text: National Youth Rights Association (page 930)
Claim:
Reason/Evidence 1
Reason/Evidence 2
Reason/Evidence 3
Fill in the chart as you read the text a second
time.
16. Write a response
• You have watched the video/read the text
about the driving age.
• Now you must take a stand!
• Write a paragraph in which you:
–1. State your claim on the issue
–2. Give the strongest piece of evidence to
support your claim.
–3. Explain the reasoning behind that piece
of evidence.
17. Acknowledge the Counterclaim
• The counterclaim is the other side of the
argument.
You are here
with your claim.
What is his
claim?
18. Pretend your claim is…
School uniforms limit students’ freedom of expression
• As you watch this video, write
down what counterclaim is:
Counterclaim:
19. Pretend your claim is…
School uniforms limit students’ freedom of expression
Watch the video again.
• Write down one reason/piece of evidence to
support the counterclaim:
Counterclaim: School uniforms are good
for students.
Reason/Evidence 1
20. Refute the Counterclaim
• Address the concern of the counterclaim and
explain why it’s wrong.
Your claim Counterclaim
If you can’t think of a counterclaim, your argument
is not debatable and should not be used.
21. Sentences to Refute the Counterclaim
Write down 2 of these in your notebook
• “While it might be true that __________, my overall
position does not change because __________.”
• “A common argument against this position is
_________, but _____________________.”
• “It’s easy to think _____________, but when you
look at the facts _________________.”
• “Although the counterclaim says ________, I
disagree because ______________.”
22. Conclude with a Strong Statement
• Main points are summarized and the reader is left
with something to think about.
23. Conclusion Strategies
• Call to Action
– Ask the reader to do something or to make something
happen “I challenge you to watch what you eat and to avoid
fast food.”
• Provide a solution
– Provide an answer to the problem “Fast food doesn’t have to
be “bad food.” Make better choices like salads, fruit and low
fat treats.”
• Make a Prediction
– Explain what might be the consequences of action or inaction
“If people continue to eat lots of fast food, they put their
health at risk. If kids don’t make better choices today, they
won’t grow into healthy adults.”
