logo for you-can-teach-writing.com
sp
Home : Writing prompts : Argument prompts

Authentic argument topics
For English Language Arts classes

Choosing argument topics that relate to your English Language Arts curriculum helps you teach argument essay writing well. From authentic topics you can develop authentic writing prompts that

  • Assure students have some knowledge on the topic.

  • Promote logical rather than emotional discussion.

  • Reinforce other curriculum topics students are studying.

In addition to giving you suitable argument topics for an ELA curriculum, I am including some writing prompts with imbedded thesis options. (I call them no-brainer theses.)

I have also suggested possible modifications of some of the argument topics. You may develop others to fit your needs. With a little finessing, you can adapt the ideas I've provided as starters for

  • Argument essays

  • Research papers requiring argument (refutation)

  • Oral debates.

If you don't understand the distinction between argument topics and argument theses, you may want to review the definition of thesis.

Topic #1: developing writing skill

Writing prompt: Class blogs [are/are not] useful in developing students' writing ability.

This writing prompt does not indicate a specific audience. You may wish to restrict the prompt so that the audience is defined to a greater degree. For example, you might modify the topic to this:

Writing prompt: Writing students in [name of class] [should/should not] be required to contribute to a class blog.

Topic #2: research sources

Writing prompt: Students [should/should not] be allowed to use Wikipedia.com as a source for research papers.

You may wish to restrict this topic more by limiting it to a particular group of students, such as college students or students at XYZ high school.

Topic #3: plagiarism

Writing prompt: [Name of school] [should/ should not] have a formal plagiarism policy.

You may wish to restrict this topic more. For example, you might say this:

Writing prompt: [Name of school] [should/ should not] have a formal plagiarism policy with mandatory grade penalties for plagiarism.

Or, if you want to write about an organization that already has a plagiarism policy, you may wish to have turn your topic into a prompt like this:

Writing prompt: The mandatory grade penalty for plagiarism at [name of school] [should/ should not] be a zero on the first plagiarized paper.

Topic #4: copyright

Writing prompt: [Name of organization ] [should/should not] offer a free public training session in copyright issues.

This writing prompt allows writers to aim for a specific audience without requiring the writer to have extensive knowledge of copyright law issues.

General considerations

Giving students writing prompts that restrict their options is preferable to giving them either no topic or a broad topic. Student writers typically lack the experience to identify a suitable argument topic or to spin off a manageable thesis from a suitable topic.

If you give students thesis options until they master argument writing, they will find it much easier to identify suitable topics and to craft appropriate theses on those topics.

Having students write on argument topics about which they lack strong feelings produces better writing than having them write on topics about which they are passionate. Passions can be irrational, and argument must not be irrational.

created 03-Sep-2008; updated 02-Dec-2008
Free e-ezine
Subscribe now!


Email

Name

Then

Your e-mail address is totally secure.
I promise to use it only to send you Writing Points.

 

Not a yet a subscriber to Writing Points?

See what you've been missing.

 

 

 


 

Most ideas about teaching are not new, but not everyone knows the old ideas.
~Euclid

 

[?] Subscribe To
This Site

XML RSS
Add to Google
Add to My Yahoo!
Add to My MSN
Add to Newsgator
Subscribe with Bloglines