1. Argument Writing What is it? When you try to convince someone of YOUR opinion by using words and evidence. Why would it be important to learn argument writing? It is important in life to be RIGHT! Or, at least, to persuade people to think like you! To agree with you! Is there a correct answer? No, you will just have to back up your opinion with facts from the information. Your goal is to prove you are correct!

2. Argument Writing Have you completed an argument writing this year? Science- Which was the most accurate tool to measure the volume of a cube? Social Studies- Hammurabi?

3. Let’s Start at the Beginning…Claim Claim ~ What does that mean to you? Which girl, Billie Jo or June, is more courageous than the other? Right away did you have a gut reaction to which girl? No? Look at the two organizers. Compare the two girls. Who is more courageous?

4. Writing a Claim Take out Style Book and turn to page 5. Choose one of those transitions for Assert Obvious Truth. Write your transition where it says “Claim” on the pink worksheet. Write a sentence that strongly states which girl is more courageous.

5. Do it like this: Without a doubt, Billie Jo is more courageous than June. Undoubtedly, June acts more courageously than Billie Jo. Out of the two girls, Billie Jo obviously shows much more courage than June. Certainly, of the two girls, Billie Jo and June, the one to behave more courageously is June. When your claim is written on your organizer, come to the front of the room!

6. Next Step-Why and Where You MUST back up your claim with evidence from the novels. Look at your organizer Green if you are stating June is more courageous. Blue if you are stating Billie Jo is more courageous. Number your arguments. 1 is best. 3 is worst. If you think of a new, stronger argument, add it on the back or bottom now!

7. Write your First Reason Look at the transition page again, page 5. Choose one of the transitions that introduces an example. Write that transition on your pink worksheet under the word “Reason.” Write a reason your girl was courageous. Take your ideas from the “In your own words” column. Do it like this: To illustrate, June showed courage when she blah blah blah.

8. Back Up Your Reason Look at your blue or green worksheet again. On the pink organizer, under “Evidence” Write the evidence from the text (It’s in column 2). Include the page number (It’s in column 1). Make sure everything in this box, the reason and evidence, flows together smoothly and connects back to the claim. Come to the front of the room when you are done.

9. Write your Second Reason Look at the transition page again, page 5. Choose one of the transitions that introduces an example. Write that transition on your pink worksheet under the word “Reason 2.” Follow the transition with a topic sentence that connects back to the claim. Do it like this: As further proof that June is the more courageous of the two girls… Finish with a reason your girl was more courageous. Take your ideas from the “In your own words” column.

10. Back Up Your Second Reason Look at your blue or green worksheet again. On the pink organizer, under “Evidence” write the evidence from the text (It’s in column 2). the page number (It’s in column 1). Make sure everything in this box, the reason and evidence, flows together smoothly and connects back to the claim. Come to the front of the room when you are done.

11. Let’s Win This! After each of your reasons, you used evidence to prove you were right, but you didn’t really compare your girl to the other girl. Time to ‘diss’ the other girl. If your reason was like this: Billie Jo showed more bravery by climbing the apple tree and trying to beat the grasshoppers off. Then you could end your paragraph like this: June never took any physical risks. She only showed courage against mental pain. If your reason was like this: The braver of the two girls was June because every Tuesday she chose to face her problem, when she easily could have quit swimming and never seen the other June again. Then you could end your paragraph like this: Did Billie Jo ever choose to head towards her problems? No! She just dealt with them as they came to her. As a matter of fact, she showed no courage when she hid from the music and when she ran away from the dust bowl. Courage means facing your fears not running away.

12. Counter Claim What? You have to politely consider the other side of the argument. However, your task is make that idea seem stupid (but in a nice way). To begin, look at the other girl’s organizer. Fill in the blank: Some might argue that ______ shows more courage than _____ because…

13. Counter Claim Using the “In your own words column” of the organizer of the other girl, fill in with a reason after the because Some might argue that ______ shows more courage than _____ because… You can belittle the argument with smart word choices.

14. Counter Claim Evidence Under “Evidence” write a transition that introduces an example. Use columns 1 & 2 to back up the reason with the support from the text. Again, use smart word choices to belittle the evidence. Do it like this: Provided that Billie Jo blah blah blah (evidence of what she did in the story to be courageous)

15. Refute-or- I’m Right! You need to prove to the reader that this reason is weak, or lame, or invalid, or unimportant. This adds strength to YOUR claim! Start with a transition that contradicts Explain the counterclaim’s weaknesses. Do it like this: On the contrary, Billie Jo is not really showing much courage because… Come to the front of the room when done!

16. Conclusion Basically driving the point home that your argument or claim is the best one! Write a transition that asserts an obvious truth under the word “Conclusion.” Restate your original claim in different words. Add whatever you want to say to reassert that you are right! Look at the directions under conclusion. Do it like this: Certainly, _____ ‘s situation required her to act with more courage than ______. Then come to the front of room.

17. Back to the Beginning Fill in the information in the first box based on the two stories. Feel free to make your summaries biased to make your girl look more courageous.

18. Define Courage Do it in a way that will benefit your side when you argue who is more courageous later!

19. Finally, Clever Title Lastly, add a title to this writing. Make it catchy, clever, interesting. Think about what you argued for and how can you relate to the title.