Free Reproducibles
(Re)designing Argumentation Writing Units for Grades 5–12
Discover how to establish engaging argumentation units of instruction that empower students to present and convince others of their position.
Benefits:
- Examine the characteristic elements of an argument and the benefits of teaching students to work through how to structure an argument.
 - Examine an argumentation unit map, its learning goals and guiding questions, and then develop one of your own.
 - Complete exercises throughout the book that will help to create a comprehensive argumentation unit of instruction.
 - Design a full lesson on argumentation, from establishing author’s purpose, to supporting a thesis with evidence, to presenting counter arguments.
 - Download templates, checklists, rubrics, and student activities useful for designing an argumentation unit and guiding lessons.
 
TABLE OF CONTENTS
 Chapter 1: Examining the Fundamentals of Argumentation    
 Chapter 2: Building an Argumentation Unit Map    
 Chapter 3: Formulating a Pre- and Culminating Assessment and Establishing Criteria for Success    
 Chapter 4: Writing Engaging Introductions Using Gradual Release of Responsibility    
 Chapter 5: Designing Lessons    
 Appendix A: List of Figures and Tables    
 Appendix B: Professional and Student Resources 
REPRODUCIBLES
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
- Figure 2.1: Unit-Planning Components of Backward Design
 - Figure 2.2: Unit Map Template
 - Table 2.1: Argumentation Unit Map—KUDs and Guiding Questions
 
Chapter 3
- Figure 3.3: Argument Student Writing Checklist
 - Figure 3.4: Argument Audience Checklist
 - Figure 3.5: Orienting Students to a Writing Checklist
 - Figure 3.6: Argument Writing Rubric
 
Chapter 4
- Figure 4.1: Cards for Modeling Engaging Introductions
 - Figure 4.2: Introduction Examples
 - Figure 4.3: Options for Engaging Readers
 
Chapter 5
- Figure 5.1: Text Excerpts for Author’s Purpose Activity
 - Figure 5.2: Sentence Strips for Thesis Activity
 - Figure 5.3: Sample Thesis Statements for an Argument
 - Figure 5.4: Common Subordinating Conjunctions
 - Figure 5.5: Elaboration Practice—Obesity
 - Figure 5.6: Elaboration Practice—Minimum Legal Drinking Age
 - Figure 5.7: Counterargument Sentence Frames 1
 - Figure 5.8: Counterargument Sentence Frames 2
 - Figure 5.9: Counterargument Examples
 - Figure 5.10: Socratic Discussion Peer Observation Form
 - Figure 5.11: Prewriting Suggestions
 - Figure 5.12: Argumentative Revision Sheet
 - Figure 5.13: Feedback Sheet for an Argument
 
SUGGESTED RESOURCES
Books
- Glass, K. T. (2017). The Fundamentals of (Re)designing Writing Units. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press
 - Marzano, R. J. (in press). The New Art and Science of Teaching: A Framework for Change. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press
 
Websites
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
- 6+1 Trait Rubrics
 - Achieve the Core’s “Argument/Opinion Writing: On-Demand”
 - Achieve the Core’s “Student Writing Samples”
 - Literacy Design Collaborative’s Resources
 - Stanford Center for Assessment, Learning, and Equity’s K–12 performance tasks across content areas
 
Chapter 5
- Adverb Clauses Are Subordinate Clauses
 - “Author’s Purpose Commercials” by Amanda Spence
 - Debatepedia
 - Google differentiated search lessons
 - Harvard College Writing Center
 - “Mrs. Collar’s Author’s Purpose” by Nicole Collar
 - The New Canaan High School Writing Center
 - On Demand Instruction
 - ProCon.org
 - “Scaffolding for Socratic Seminar”
 - “Socratic Seminar: The ‘N-Word’”
 - “Socratic Seminar: Patience & Practice”
 - “Socratic Seminar: Supporting Claims and Counterclaims”
 - Teaching Channel
 - What Is a Subordinate Clause?
 - The Writing Center at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
 
General Writing
- Brown’s Student Learning Tools “Argumentation Help!”
 - Dartmouth’s “Institute for Writing and Rhetoric”: 
- Duke (University) Thompson Writing Program
 - Google differentiated search lessons
 - Harvard College Writing Center
 - National Geographic Graphic Organizers Collection
 - Purdue University Online Writing Lab
 - University of Washington’s (Tacoma) “Teaching and Learning Center”
 - The Writing Center at UNC-Chapel Hill
  
Argumentation Topics
- Debatepedia
 - New York Times’s The Learning Network’s “192 Questions for Writing or Discussion”
 - New York Times’s The Learning Network’s “200 Prompts for Argumentative Writing”
 - ProCon.org
 
Thesis Statements
- Grammar-Monster.com’s “What Is a Subordinate Clause?”
 - Grammar Revolution’s “The Subordinate Clause”
 - On Demand Instruction
 - ProCon.org
 - The Writing Center at UNC-Chapel Hill “Thesis Statements”
 
Performance Assessment Tasks
- K–12 performance tasks across content areas
 - LDC module templates for elementary and grades 6–12
 - LDC science argument prompts and student work for middle school
 - Performance Assessment Resource Bank
 - Washington State Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction collection of K–12 informational and argumentation assessment prompts and rubrics for civics, economics, geography, history, and international perspectives
 
Student Writing Models
- Achieve the Core’s Student Writing Samples
 - Brown’s Student Learning Tools
 - Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts and Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects: Appendix C—Samples of Student Writing
 - Holt, Rinehart and Winston’s Holt Online Essay Scoring—Writing Prompts: 
- Literacy Design Collaborative’s Student Work Samples
 - New York Times’s The Learning Network student contests and student contest winners
  
Oregon Department of Education’s Writing Scored Student Work:
- Grade 5
 - Grade 6
 - Grade 7
 - Grade 8
 - High school
 - Oregon State University: Writing 121’s argument sample essays and web resources
 - Thoughtful Learning
 
Rubrics
- 6+1 Trait Rubrics
 - Edutopia’s Resources for Using Rubrics in the Middle Grades
 - Kathy Schrock’s Guide to Everything: Assessment and Rubrics
 - Literacy Design Collaborative’s Student Work Rubrics
 - Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, State of Washington: Social Studies—OSPI-Developed Assessments for Social Studies
 - RubiStar
 - University of Wisconsin-Stout’s “Rubrics for Assessment”
 - What Are Rubrics and Why Are They Important?
 
Calibrating to Score Student Work
- The Rhode Island Department of Education’s “Writing Calibration Protocol”
 - Stanford Center for Assessment, Learning, & Equality’s “Semi-Structured Calibration Activity”
 
Peer Review
- Calibrated Peer Review
 - Eli Review
 - Peerceptiv
 - PeerMark
 - “The Reliability and Validity of Peer Review of Writing in High School AP English Classes”
 
Published Works
- Detroit Free Press
 - The Miami Herald
 - National Geographic
 - Newsela
 - New York Times
 - New York Times articles by Nicholas Kristof
 - New York Times’s The Learning Network
 - ProCon.org
 - Slate
 - Sports Illustrated
 - Time for Kids
 - Upfront Magazine
 - USA Today
 - The Week
 
Unit and Lesson Examples
- “Analyzing Famous Speeches as Arguments”
 - Digital Docs in a Box
 - EngageNY
 - “English Language Arts Guidebook Units”
 - New York Times’s The Learning Network’s “For the Sake of Argument: Writing Persuasively to Craft Short, Evidence-Based Editorials”
 - New York Times’s The Learning Network’s “Skills Practice: Persuading an Audience Using Logos, Pathos and Ethos”
 - Project Exchange
 - Stanford History Education Group’s “Reading Like a Historian (Grades 9–12)”
 - Stanford University’s “Persuasion Across Time and Space: Analyzing and Producing Complex Texts”
 
Organizations and Associations
- International Literacy Association
 - National Council of Teachers of English
 - National Writing Project
 - ReadWriteThink
 - Stanford Center for Assessment, Learning, & Equity
 
Videos to Teach Argument
- TeachingChannel’s “Evidence & Arguments: Lesson Planning (Grades 9–10)”
 - TeachingChannel’s “Read, Discuss, Debate: Evaluating Arguments (Grades 9–12)”
 
Socratic Method

