DEMO: Teaching the 21st Century Student

To outline an argumentation, the writer needs to investigate the topic, take a stance, compile and evaluate evidence, as well as advocate their own position against an opponent. An indivisible part of argumentation is the acknowledgement and reasoning of the opponent’s argument. Strong argumentative essays typically follow a standard structure described in the box above. How to set up A convincing argumentative essay requires good preparation of argu- ments. Prior to the lesson, the teacher needs to assign topics and assess relevant resources that discuss the issues or dilemmas from both sides. 1 The teacher guides thestudents tocritically reviewthe literature, adopt a relevant note-taking technique, and organize their arguments into a visual solution. The P-M-I coding system (Ch. 3.1) is recommended for notes and the T-graph or table (Ch. 3.4) for extracting arguments and outlining the text. Students may also be assigned to conduct their own investigation for further resources on the issue. 2 An argumentative essay starts with a statement introducing the dilemma and the author’s stance. With each argument introduced, students are instructed to provide evidence. It is also necessary to explain how to approach the acknowledgement of the opposing views without demolishing one’s own reasoning or being impolite. Students practice how to draw in the counterarguments, efficiently out-reason them, and coherently advocate for their own position. 3 A good argumentative essay concludes with the author’s claim set into a wider context. 4 As far as the length of the paper goes, the only limitation relates to the number of arguments the author ismaking. Argumentative essaysmay range from one paragraph to a few pages or may set the methodology and structure for larger research projects (Ch. 5.5).

Remind your students that the aim of an argumentative essay is not to convince, but rather to explain that the point they are trying to make is worth considering. To do so, students must make a compelling argument supported by credible evidence and formulate their own stance on the topic. A balanced argumentation will consider all views on the topic and will set the author’s stance in a wider context. Like in real life, tell your students that if none of the potential op- posing views can be refuted, they may need to reconsider their position and that is alright. Explain to them that writing argumentative essays helps them to form their own opinions and get better in discussions or debates.

TEACHER TIP

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