Argumentative Essay Year 9

You have written stories, book reviews and short 5 paragraph essays. Now it is time to try your wings at an argumentative essay where you state your opinion and give supporting arguments.

Argumentative Essay:

A five paragraph essay, should be 500 to 800 words long and include an introductory paragraph, three supporting paragraphs and a concluding paragraph.

The First Paragraph: The Introduction

The first paragraph will introduce your topic. The introduction is the most important paragraph because it provides direction for the entire essay. It also sets the tone, and you want to grab the reader’s attention with interest and clarity. The best way to tackle the introduction is to:

• Describe your main idea, or what the essay is about, in one sentence. You can usually use the essay writing prompt or question to form this sentence.
• Develop a thesis statement, or what you want to say about the main idea. When the writing prompt is a question, your thesis is typically the answer to the question.
• List three points or arguments that support your thesis in order of importance (one sentence for each).

Voila! You’ve just written your introductory paragraph.

The Second, Third and Fourth Paragraphs: Supporting Details

These three paragraphs are the body of the essay. They provide details, such as facts, quotes, examples and concrete statistics, for the three points in your introductory paragraph that support your thesis. Take the points you listed in your introduction and discuss each in one body paragraph. Here’s how:

• First, write a topic sentence that summarizes your point. This is the first sentence of your paragraph.
• Next, write your argument, or why you feel the topic sentence is true.
• Finally, present your evidence (facts, quotes, examples, and statistics) to support your argument.

Now you have a body paragraph. Repeat for points two and three. The best part about introducing your main points in the first paragraph is that it provides an outline for your body paragraphs and eliminates the need to write in transitions between paragraphs.

The Fifth Paragraph: The Conclusion

The concluding paragraph must summarize the essay. In your conclusion, you should restate the thesis and connect it with the body of the essay in a sentence that explains how each point supports the thesis. Your final sentence should uphold your main idea in a clear and compelling manner. Be sure you do not present any new information in the conclusion.

Rubric for Evaluation of the Paragraph/Essay

A rubric is a grading tool that describes the criteria for writing.  The criteria are listed in the column on the left. 

Point Value
Topic Sentence	Interesting, original topic sentence, reflecting thought and insight; focused on one interesting main idea.	Clearly stated topic sentence presents one main idea.	Acceptable topic sentence presents one idea.	Missing, invalid, or inappropriate topic sentence;  main idea is missing.
Supporting Details	Interesting, concrete and descriptive examples and details with explanations that relate to the topic.	Examples and details relate to the topic and some explanation is included.	Sufficient number of examples and details that relate to the topic.	Insufficient, vague, or undeveloped examples.
Organization and Transitions	Thoughtful, logical progression of supporting examples; Mature transitions between ideas.	Details are arranged in a logical progression; appropriate transitions.	Acceptable arrangement of examples; transitions may be weak.	No discernible pattern of organization; Unrelated details; no transitions.
Style	Appropriate tone, distinctive voice; pleasing variety in sentence structure; Vivid diction, precise word choices.	Appropriate tone; Clear sentences with varied structures; Effective diction.	Acceptable tone; some variety in sentence structures; Adequate diction and word choices.	Inconsistent or Inappropriate tone; Awkward, unclear, or incomplete sentences; Bland diction, poor word choice.
Mechanics	Consistent standard English usage, spelling, and punctuation. No errors.	Some errors, but none major, in usage, spelling, or punctuation. (1-2)	A few errors in usage, spelling, or punctuation (3-4)	Distracting errors in usage, spelling, or punctuation

Uppgifter

Assignment "Letter to the Editor"

See instruction in Classroom. We gather ideas and prepare a mindmap, then write in class during two lessons in week 41.