Melissa Lundberg

ED 320 ELA Methods

October 27, 2017
10th Grade Argumentative writing assignment/Debate
Title: Who is right?

Directions:

We will discuss as a class which partners will be given the following topics:

 policing (who is being protected and who is being assumed guilty)

o gun control (does the problem lie in who has access to guns, or who does not
receive consequences for using them unlawfully)
 media coverage of your community (is it true or slanted/biased)
 welfare/food stamps (is it actually helping families in need some people think it should
be cut)
 women’s rights (specifically towards a woman’s right to choose)
 environmental impacts (we need to take action now, though some do not believe in
climate change. Also, what communities are most immediately affected by climate
change?)
 a topic of your choice approved by the teacher

Your job is to research your topic, how it is presented in the news and the media, how it has
evolved (changed for the better or worse-this may seem like an opinion question but you will
need to provide proof and defend your statement). As we interact with people there will always
be areas of disagreement, your job is to communicate sensitive/touchy topics by using ethos,
pathos, and logos.

Goal: Constructively communicate with a person who has opposite beliefs than your own. Use
claims and counterclaims, provide evidence, to appeal to logos. Use your personal narrative to
appeal to pathos, and present the strengths as well as weaknesses and respectfully question
your opponent to appeal to ethos. The goal is to try and convince your audience of your
argument.

Role: Argue the position you are given effectively.

Audience: Your classmates as well as the community.

Situation: You have been selected to present your argument at city hall. Your speech/debate
will have the potential to change the dominant narrative and social norms or laws that may be
unfair and unjust.

Product and performance: Write a report of your findings in a carefully structured paper (2
pages) include your claim and the counterclaim. Use at least 3 different sources. Include
personal connection as well. During the presentation/debate you will need to have your
arguments outlined, know what you will say as well as ask your opponent. Be ready to defend
your position.
Standards:

*W.10.1a-Introduce precise claim(s) from alternate or opposing claims, and create

organization that establishes clear relationships among claim(s), counterclaims, reasons, and
evidence.
*W.10.1b-Develop claim(s) and counterclaims fairly. Supplying evidence for each while
pointing out the strengths and limitations of both in a manner that anticipates the audience’s
knowledge level and concerns.
*L.10.1b-Use various types of phrases (noun, verb, adjectival, adverbial, participial,
prepositional, absolute) and clauses (independent, dependent; noun, relative adverbial) to convey
specific meanings and add variety to interest to writing or presentations.

Total points for the assignment / 75 points

Present claims and counterclaims. Argue your position

while making strong statements and acknowledging the
opposition. /5

Proof of research. Your paper should include facts and

statistics. Use at least 3 different academic sources. /10

Personal connection. Include a personal aspect to your

argument/paper. This can be something you have
experienced firsthand or something you have learned /5
Research from talking to someone knowledgeable on the topic.
(this can replace one of the required academic sources)
Paper /45
Structure and organization. Paper should begin with an
introduction to the topic, stating the facts according to
both perspectives. Then bring in your claim, support /15
your argument with evidence and findings. The
conclusion should restate your position and the
arguments made.

Sentence structure. Include some variety in the

sentence structure. Use different phrases and clauses
as we worked on in class. (5 uses minimum-2pts/ea.) /10

Opening statement. Begin your debate with an opening

statement that states your position on the topic. /5

Key statements. Present your key arguments and

support them with evidence. /10

Debate Rebuttal statements. Be ready to question your /30

opponent, as well as respond to their questions. /10

Closing statement. Finish the debate with a strong, this

could be a summation of your arguments, or a quote,
or anything you believe will be best effective. /5
Steps for assisting students in completing this assignment:

Skills to teach:
 Building a strong argument.
o Develop a claim and counterclaim, support these with evidence.
 Strengthen argument with rhetorical devices.
o Learn how to create and apply ethos, pathos, and logos to your argument.
 Add varying sentence structure.
o Develop familiarity with different phrases and clauses to enhance writing.
 Speech delivery.
o Practice oral skills, making and defending strong statements.

Materials:
 Writing worksheets.
o Focusing on phrases and clauses.
 KWL sheets.
o Develop individual responses, students can work in pairs to complete this
assignment, which will help direct the research.

Activities:
 The students will begin the research for their topics in their partner groups and
complete separate KWL worksheets.
 As a class, we will analyze the best ways to dissect information from informational text.
 We will do some worksheets introducing new and different ways to formulate
sentences. Which works best given the information you are sharing. We use different
structures to present facts than we do to share stories.
 We will watch a video of a successful and unsuccessful debate and discuss why one was
more effective than the other.
 Students will participate in peer review of papers as they develop, asking each other for
feedback and revising their work.