Argumentative Writing

My biggest take away from the reading this week was to set students up to start thinking about what works to persuade them when thinking about argumentative or persuasive writing.  Student may be able to recognize that they are being persuaded and may even be able to identify the persuasive techniques being used to move them to action.  However, unless teachers have established a strong foundation of questioning in the classroom, students often fail to fully investigate the credentials of those persuading them.  This problem was evidenced in the Lapp and Fisher article.  When the teacher asked students about the credentials of the organization they had recently donated to in order to send aid to Tokyo, students quickly began second guessing the organization and wondering aloud that they should have checked its credentials.

In chapter 7 of Write Like This, by Kelly Gallagher, I thought the "Four-Square Argument Chart" was an excellent organizer to help students map out their thinking and begin the process of developing and defending their claims.  We often ask students to consider the weaknesses in their arguments and address them directly in their papers.  This assignment actually allows them to chart out an argument before writing.  I think it's an excellent tool for developing a strong stance in writing.

I also appreciated the "Drafting the Problem-Solution Paper" section of the chapter because it provided a strong introductory model for argumentative writing.  Gallagher also mentioned that the model for writing the paper should be thought of as a guideline for reluctant writers and not a mandate.  This point is so important since many writers get stuck in the typical models of writing they are taught in schools and often find it hard to craft essays outside of standard formats.