This Week in Writing... Preparing Your Argumentative Essay!

Last week we had live debates on all your awesome topics!  So, what's next?  You need to design and prepare for your essay by building your main ideas:

1. Look over your evidence.
2. Jot the details and evidence you plan to use on sticky notes.
3. Sort your sticky notes into your main ideas.
4. Choose key words to describe those main ideas (Remember, for my sample topic, I chose "exercise" and "inclusion" and "my counterargument".)
5. Turn those main ideas into topic sentences and begin creating your folders:
• Big Folder:  Thesis Statement
• 2-3 Small Folders: Topic sentences (main ideas)
• Sticky notes go inside the small folders

Example:

Big Folder/Thesis:  All schools should have structured recess.

1. Small Folder/Main Idea:  All schools should have structured recess because it encourages more exercise.
2. Small Folder/Main Idea:  All schools should have structured recess because it allows everyone to be included.
3. Small Folder/Main Idea/Counterargument:  While some people think it kids should make their own choices, schools should still offer structured recess because kids can still have input on the offerings.