One writes out of one thing only – one’s own experience.
James A. Baldwin
Introduction
Crafting a persuasive argumentative essay is not just a skill or representation of academic achievement and informed citizenship, but a transformative experience that can empower and inspire. With this understanding, my unit will provide students with examples of persuasive argument essays that reflect strong claims with equally strong defenses.
The overall goal of this unit is to ensure that my students are academically prepared to write at a university level. The information provided in this unit will help teachers and students in elementary, middle, and High Schools.
How does one begin to write a persuasive argument essay? Writing for students in High School and, no doubt, before High School can pose a formidable challenge to students who struggle with understanding how to write a legible, coherent sentence that rises above the thumb-speed quality of text messages.
My driving force in teaching my students how to write a persuasive argument essay is not to focus their attention on the number of points they will receive, but instead to concentrate on learning to write with clarity and a sense of purpose that conveys their truth. My unit invites students to explore the structures, strategies, and responsibilities involved in creating arguments that can influence, inform, and inspire others.
Since writing is a process, it is incumbent upon me as a teacher to provide my students with a model, scaffold, or blueprint of the persuasive argument essay structure. The structure of the persuasive argument essay must have a strong foundation. No argument stands strong without a solid foundation. In persuasive writing, that foundation is built upon evidence, facts, statistics, expert opinions, and reputable sources. Including credible references not only strengthens an essay’s central claims but also signals to readers that the writer has engaged thoughtfully and responsibly with the topic.
A good, compelling argument essay should be built upon a foundation of logic and legitimacy. Hillocks notes that “a good argument begins with looking at the data that is likely to become the evidence in an argument and which gives rise to a thesis statement or central claim.”1
When my students craft their thesis statements, we engage in a collective effort as a class. The purpose of our collective efforts is to determine if each student’s thesis statement is clear. I impress upon my students that clarity is essential because readers rely on the writer to guide them through complex issues. If students articulate their claims unequivocally and defend them with sincerity and precision, their arguments are more likely to resonate and persuade. This unit will recommend steps for teachers to incorporate into their pedagogical practice to support students in developing their writing, reading, and persuasive argumentative essay skills at an academic level.
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