The Teaching of Writing, Teaching, Mentor Texts Stephanie Hampton The Teaching of Writing, Teaching, Mentor Texts Stephanie Hampton

5 Tips and Tricks for Teaching the Argumentative Essay

When that beautiful time of year rolls around to teach the argumentative essay to your middle school students, you might find yourself crinkling your nose and thinking, “Oh boy, let’s just get through this.” 

I don’t blame you! 

Teaching the argumentative essay is no easy feat. You aren’t just teaching students the flow and structure of writing, but you are also teaching them how to research, evaluate evidence, make a claim, argue, convince, and write in a formal style. Many of these skills might be new to your students, so it is important to go slow, keep it simple, and make it very clear. 

Today we are going to be looking at 5 tips and tricks to help you teach the argumentative essay to your students in a fun, clear, and simple way!

  1. Mentor Texts are Golden

  2. Structure is Everything

  3. Research is Key 

  4. The Little Details Matter

  5. Checklists are a Must

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