Argumentative Essay Practice (Writing Process & Structure)

Our Big State Writing Test was nearly upon us, so I knew I needed to get creative to get my students motivated! What I came up with was this - The Mud Pie League!  (You can read more about this on my blog)

Mud Pie League reviews the 5 steps in writing an essay with a handy checklist. As students successfully complete each task (as determined by the teacher), they earn a piece of a puzzle that depicts a pudding cup with all kinds of "fixins" to make a mud pie! On the appointed day, students are awarded whatever their puzzle shows that they earned!

Here are the steps on the checklist:

1. Read and unpack the prompt. This is accomplished by circling verbs and underlining nouns. Then the student makes a T-chart with verbs on one side and the nouns on the other.

2. Flip the prompt. This means to take the prompt and turn it into a statement with blanks for the reasons thus creating a thesis “skeleton”.

3. Read and Mark the Texts. This is accomplished by setting up a second t-chart and recording the article number and paragraph number for any evidence that helps to support the flipped prompt.

4. Planning. This is accomplished by creating a graphic organizer (Included!)

5. Write the Essay with 5 paragraphs and embedded counterclaims. 

What's included:
★ Directions for Teacher
★ Links to articles
★ Checklist (editable!)
★ Planning graphic organizer
★ Puzzles (editable!)

Need other writing ideas? Try these:

Argumentative Essay Task Cards - Practice with identifying claim, evidence and opposing claim - all based on two original included non-fiction texts about Easter Island.


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© 2018 Mrs. Spangler in the Middle (Elizabeth [Lisa] Spangler)

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