Developing an argument is one of the toughest skills middle school students need to work on, and the way we teach it has changed significantly with the integration of technology. Now, rather than focusing on finding resources, we are focusing on what we call the Big 3 of developing an argument: evaluating sources, explaining reasoning, and clearly communicating points.
Let’s be honest for a second…teaching argument writing doesn’t look the same as it did even a few years ago.
Just a few short years ago, a large portion of teaching writing was about finding information… that is no longer the case. Students no longer struggle to find evidence. Their resources are not just vast, but they are literally at their fingertips.
They can:
So if students can find evidence that quickly, why are they still struggling with argument writing?
Because the problem isn’t finding evidence anymore. The real work of developing good argumentative writing lies in what we call: The Big 3 of Developing an Argument.
When we shift our instruction to focus on these three areas, everything changes.
Before students ever write a claim or add evidence, they need to ask: Can I trust this source?
In today’s world, students are constantly exposed to biased, outdated information (or often misinformation). They are really in information overload, and they have to figure out how to sort through the mess.
If they aren’t trained to evaluate credibility, they will build arguments on weak foundations.
As students work through sources, they have to go back to the old citation days when we would diligently look for things like an author’s name, publishing dates, delineating intent, reviewing the writers sources, etc.
All the same things that we used to pull to develop a complete citation.
For more information on how to work on and develop this skill with your middle school ELA class, check out these helpful resources from The Sparkly Notebook.
This is where we find that students struggle the most.
They can find a quote and copy a detail, but they can’t always answer the question: Why does this prove your point?
They know the information is on topic, but they either don’t choose the right information or they can’t explain how it connects to THEIR point about the topic.
Instead, students will often drop in evidence without an explanation, restate the information instead of analyzing how it adds to their reasoning, or assume that the reader will understand their thinking without going into detail. All of these are issues as students are developing an argument in middle school ELA.
We have to teach them that evidence does not speak for itself. Writers must do the thinking.
For more resources on teaching this skill, you can check out some of our resources below!
Even when students have good ideas, if they can’t organize and communicate them clearly, their argument falls apart.
Students need to be able to:
This is where structure meets clarity.
Part of this skill is organization, so using graphic organizers to help develop an outline is a good way to help.
To help students clarify, ask them to write an unclear version of their topic first. Then have them rewrite them.
Finally, focus peer feedback on clarity by asking: Does this make sense?
This skill is developed more deeply in Writing Standards 4 and 5. Check out the blog posts below to learn more and find additional The Sparkly Notebook Resources!
The way we teach writing has changed, so we don’t need to spend a bunch of time finding evidence. Instead, they need support with focusing on these Big 3:
When you focus on these Big 3 of Developing an Argument, you’re not just teaching writing. You’re teaching students how to think, and that’s a skill they’ll carry far beyond your classroom.
