I can…
I can write one complete sentence that clearly states my position.
Teacher objective
Given an argumentative prompt, vocabulary support, a visual model, and a sentence frame or graphic organizer, the student writes a complete sentence communicating a clear position, meeting at least 3 of 4 argumentative writing checklist criteria.
1What to do
- Compare strong and weak claims.
- Discuss the prompt with a partner.
- Fill in the claim organizer.
- Write your claim. Ask a partner for feedback. Revise.
2Key words
Position
Which side you are on.
Prompt
The question you must answer.
Complete sentence
Has a subject and a verb, and a full idea.
Should
A word that shows what you think is right.
3Learn
A strong claim
A strong claim answers the prompt, takes one clear side, and is a complete sentence.
A weak claim
A weak claim is only a topic, takes no side, or is not a full sentence. Example: “Uniforms.” or “There are good and bad things.”
Claim formula
[Who/What] + should / should not + [action] + (because [reason]).
4Modeled example: Visual model: building a claim
- Prompt: Should high schools require community service to graduate?
- Who/What → High schools
- Should / should not → should
- Action → require 20 hours of community service
- Claim → “High schools should require 20 hours of community service to graduate because it connects students to their community.”
5Guided practice (with feedback)
Strong or weak? Prompt: Should students have homework on weekends?
1.Weekend homework.
2.Students should not have homework on weekends because they need time to rest.
3.Some homework is good and some is bad.
4.Teachers should give only short reading assignments on weekends.
Partner talk: Your claim is clear because ___. One way to make it stronger is ___.
6Independent assessment
Success criteria
- Addresses the prompt
- Communicates a clear position
- Uses a complete sentence
- Is understandable and cohesive
- Meet 3 of 4 criteria.
Should schools ban junk food from vending machines? Write ONE complete sentence that states your claim.
Sentence frame: Schools should / should not ___ because ___.
Sentences detected: 0. Your work saves on this device.
Teacher scoring checklist
Scored by the teacher. Written responses are not automatically graded.
0 / 4 criteria met (mastery: 3 of 4)
Next: Support Claims with Relevant Evidence. Use what you practiced here to build the next skill.