WHAT IS A DISCUSSION / ARGUMENTATIVE ESSAY?

An argumentative essay also known as a discussion presents both sides of the argument
on a specific topic so as the audience can form their own opinion.

The first task in writing a good argumentative essay is finding a suitable topic that has
strong and valid opinions for both sides of the argument.

PICK YOUR POISON WISELY: CHOOSING DISCUSSION

TOPICS

The beauty of incorporating discussion and argument into the classroom is that you can
easily build your lessons around the interests of the students themselves. From the
youngest students in elementary to those wizened old owls at high school, a quick class
brainstorm will reveal a wealth of juicy topics for them to get their mental teeth into. In
this day and age of political correctness however, be sensitive to the selection of a topics
for discussion appropriate to the demographics of your class. While controversial topics
can lead to the most lively of discussions, it is best to avoid subjects too close to the
bone that may cause deep rifts in the class dynamic. If in doubt, rather than take
suggestions from the class, have some interesting topics pre-prepared for the students
choose from or to vote on.

GET YOUR FACTS STRAIGHT

The challenge in writing a good discussion or argumentative essay is to be open minded

even if you know which side you want to support.
Factual research and evidence is your number one tool. It gives you credibility by
sourcing knowledge from experts but more importantly it gives your own opinions and
ideas greater weight as you have demonstrated a broad and accurate understanding of
the topic you are writing about.

be sure to spend some time researching your topic before writing about it and make sure
you reference where you have sourced this knowedge from.

Most students will head straight for the internet to find their evidence so make sure you
have a clear understanding of how to use it correctly. This poster demonstrates how to
get the most out of the three major search platforms on the web. You can download
the free poster version of it here.

ORAL ACTIVITIES TO GET IN THE 'DISCUSSION' ZONE

ORAL ACTIVITY 1: PROS AND CONS

This is a great warm-up exercise that allows students to explore a topic, weigh up the
different possible opinions, and even offers a chance for the student to discover what
they think themselves about a topic. This exercise can also serve as a fantastic prep
exercise for a piece of extended writing and it involves minimal prep itself.

Pros and Cons involves students making a list of the pro arguments and conarguments
of a given topic. This is often best done in small groups where the students can
brainstorm together and bounce ideas off one another. The process of comparing the for
and against of an issue gives them an awareness of the range of opinions on the matter,
helping them on their way to forming their own opinion.
The list created during this activity can also provide a helpful outline that can work as a
springboard into later writing. It is a great way to organize ideas coherently that can
seamlessly feed into the writing process described later below.

BY LISTING POINTS AND COUNTERPOINTS TOGETHER, STUDENTS

GET INTO THE PRACTICE OF DEVELOPING A NUANCED AND
CONSIDERED ARGUMENT, RATHER THAN PRODUCING MERE
PROPAGANDA. THIS HELPS THEM INTERNALIZE THE IMPORTANCE
OF GIVING FULL CONSIDERATION TO A RANGE OF DIFFERING
OPINIONS ABOUT THE SAME TOPIC.

ORAL ACTIVITY 2: THINK - PAIR - SHARE

This activity requires almost zero prep, other than giving the class a topic to really get
their teeth into!

First, have the students think silently on the topic for the minute or two. They may
scratch down doodles or brief notes of their ideas on a piece of paper to use in the
discussion portion of this exercise, but this is not a writing activity!

Then, partner them up with another student. At this stage you may give consideration to
differentiation, you may wish to match students with other students of equal ability, or
with a stronger one as support. Either way, students discuss the topic with their partner
for a predetermined number of minutes. The length of time will be dictated by the
students’ ages and abilities. Experiment to find the most suitable length of time for your
class.

After the time is up, students can then share their opinions with the class. You can also
scribe the ideas generated by each group onto a master list displayed on the whiteboard
as part of a pre-writing exercise. This can also be a good exercise to begin the
preparation for a formal debate, as it affords the students opportunities to think on their
feet, engage with differing opinions, and to work on public speaking skills such as body
language.

ORAL ACTIVITY 3. SPEED-DATING FUN

This is a pacy, fun activity to get a lively conversation going in a manner that apes the
popular speed dating format - but with a more virtuous intent! You can organize the
desks in rows facing each other or in concentric circles in the middle of the classroom.

Choose one row or circle to be mobile. Give students a list of topics to discuss and start
the clock. After three minutes or so, signal that the time is up and instruct students to
move to the next table. At the next station they can either discuss the same topic or
move on to the next topic on their list.

Of course, you may shorten or lengthen the amount of allotted time based on the
students’ abilities or the complexities of the topics. However, as this exercise works best
fun and fast-paced, and the aim is for each student to have the opportunity to speak with
every other student, it is often best to keep the topics fairly straightforward. Questions
like Is it better to live in the town than the country? or Do dogs make better pets than
cats? work well here.

THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE TO WRITING A BALANCED

ARGUMENT

The aim of a well-written discussion text is to present information and opinions that
express more than one viewpoint. This will often take the form of a newspaper report or
a leaflet. Regardless of the genre of the writing undertaken however, there are some
common factors that apply to most discussion texts. Most often they are written in the
present tense are commonly structured in the following way:
INTRODUCTION

No better place to begin than at the start. The title should normally be a general
statement, or even a question, that draws attention to a specific issue. For
example Should cellphones be banned in schools?

The introduction section itself should usually be relatively brief and open with a brief
statement on the issue and provide some background to the issue to be discussed. It will
give an outline of the arguments to be reviewed ahead, but the introduction itself does
not normally contain any of the student’s opinions or views on the topic in question.
There are however a number of things to consider when writing the introduction.

THE HOOK

As with any genre of writing it is important to grab the reader’s attention from the
outset, and discussion texts are no different. Fortunately, there are a number of tried and
tested methods of achieving this. Here are a few that may be suitable openers for your
students’ discussion writing:

● open with a quotation relevant to the topic being addressed. A well-chosen

quotation can grab the attention of even the most distracted of reader and compel them
to read more!
● a surprising fact is another great way to grab the reader’s attention and illuminate
the topic that is to be discussed. Not only is it engaging, but informative too!

● a joke. Everyone loves a laugh and a joke can provide an excellent in to the
student’s writing. But, encourage your students to be careful here, the suitability of a
humorous opening will largely depend on the topic being discussed. As jokes may not
always be appropriate to the material they must be used wisely.

THE ARGUMENTS

In writing a balanced argument, it is important that students consider the positive and
negatives of the issue. The body of the text should be focused on presenting the pros
and cons, the for and against arguments, relating to the central issue. This is why the
oral starter activities can be so useful as pre-writing exercises.

After the student has laid out the topic in their introduction by providing the necessary
background information, it is time for the student to consider laying out the case for the
argument.

The use of time connectives is a great way for students to organize their information.
Adverbs of time, such as firstly, secondly, next, then etc and phrases such as, in addition
to, therefore etc can be a great help for students to structure their information
chronologically and coherently.

Depending on the length of the text, it is normally recommended that each paragraph
consists of a single point. It is important to remind students that in the presentation of a
balanced argument they should not express their own bias, or even their own point of
view, rather they are laying out both sides of the argument for the reader and should
give equal weight to each point of view. When exploring each point, whether for or
against, the PEE method can be a helpful way to aid students in structuring their
paragraphs and to give their arguments direction:

P = Point (Student makes their point at the beginning of the paragraph)

E = Evidence (Student provides evidence that underpins this point)

E =Explain (Student explores point further and ties back to the central issue)
When the student has considered each of their points for the argument, for example
three separate paragraphs each making three separate points for the argument, it is now
time to consider, and do the same for, the argument against. The purpose here is to set
up an opposition to the previously made points; to offer the other side of the story.

Encourage students here to use words and phrases that set up this contrast, for
example, however, contrastingly, on the other hand, etc. Displaying these words and
phrases in a word bank can also be a great way to help weaker students to organize their
writing.

CONCLUSION

In the conclusion, the student reviews the information, provides a summary of the
arguments made, and weighs up the issue in light of the available evidence. It is at this
point that students can offer their own opinion in favor or against the issue at hand, but
only if it is appropriate to the genre of the discussion text.

Students often find it difficult to know how to end their writing. One excellent way to
finish their discussion is to end it with a question, a challenge to the readers to form
their own opinion on the issue in light of the evidence that has been presented.

THE IMPORTANCE OF DISCUSSION IN THE CLASSROOM

The discrete teaching of discussion and argument in the classroom is essential. It offers
students invaluable opportunities to test their opinions and ideas with their peers in a
safe environment. Students learn that disagreement is inevitable and not fatal! They
learn, too, that it is okay to revise an opinion in the light of compelling evidence they
had not previously considered..
 Discussion is a proving ground for ideas. Ideas tested in the arena of classroom
discussion will likely be expressed much more coherently in written form. Often it
happens that students are not fully aware of exactly how they think on an issue until
they have had a chance to try out their embryonic ideas with each other in a public
discussion. It also helps students to avoid the dangers of the echo chamber of their own
minds where frequently their ideas existed without challenge.

Encouraging our students to engage in respectful and productive disagreement is

perhaps one of the most important skills we can help them develop.

REAL ASSESSMENT OPPORTUNITIES

Discussion activities offer wonderful opportunities for some informal assessment that
helps with planning to best meet the needs of your students in future lessons. The fact
that they are not teacher-led gives the teacher a chance to take a backseat and give full
attention to the students’ conversations. This allows you to spot areas of difficulty and
gaps in learning - all valuable information that will be priceless for effective future
lesson planning.

TIPS FOR WRITING A GREAT ARGUMENTATIVE ESSAY

 Make sure you clearly explain the topic to the audience before you get into taking sides.
 When you have selected a topic ensure that you research both sides of the argument
thoroughly before writing.
 In your conclusion make it clear which side of the argument you side, even make a
recommendation but allow the reader to keep an open mind.
 Keep everything in order.
 List all the items that will be required to complete the task.
 Use paragraphs effectively. Each new argument should start with a new paragraph.
 Keep your arguments short, sharp and to the point.
 Use the correct language and terms.