Argument Writing

We've been busy this trimester writing arguments.  It's a fun process to dig into a controversial subject, look at the pros and cons of each side, and then pick a side to write an well-crafted argument.  We have thought about if schools should serve chocolate milk in schools, despite concerns about added sugar.  We've looked at the environmental impact and waste of disposable water bottles and weighed that with the convenience and portability they provide. Also, students placed themselves back in America in 1776 and debated reasons why the colonists should or should not break away from Great Britain.

One of the first obstacles is sifting through lots of information given through several articles/websites.  One strategy we used was to read small sections, decide the main idea, and then add a word, phrase, and a picture in the margin.  If we come across a similar main idea in another article, we used the same phrase and picture.  This is called annotating the text.

Then, we had to synthesize all of the information and focus in on three of the most compelling reasons for our argument, followed up with the BEST possible evidence to prove our thesis. 

Another strategy we used, was to write out evidence from different articles, cut them into small chunks, and try to group similar ideas together.

Once we have our reasons and evidence, then we worked as writers to get beyond "cut and paste."  In other words, we didn't just rearrange the information, we explained how it connected and added our own original thoughts about the information.
This gives each writer's paper its own voice!