Page 20 - SpringBoard_Writing_Workshop_Grade8_Flipbook

Prewriting
1. Read and mark the writing prompt above to clarify the task.
2. As a class, brainstorm ideas for the class-generated essay and create a list of
possible topics about which people might have alternative viewpoints.
3. With your class, choose a topic for the essay and write that topic here.
4. Consider, anticipate, and respond to possible audience opposing viewpoints. What are some of the views or attitudes that might prevent your idea from being adopted? How will you address this resistance?
5. To present a convincing argument, a writer must have an opinion about a topic upon which to build a claim. The claim presents the writer’s position, or thesis. One way to state a claim is to present the claim and an opposing viewpoint in the same sentence. For example:
SAMPLE: Though money is meant to be spent, collecting coins is educational and can turn into a financial windfall.
Use the sentence pattern above to write the claim for the sample argumentative essay.
While it is true that (Sample response) friends are a source of companionship and pleasure, books are a more constant and enduring form of companionship that grows and deepens as you age.
6. In your writing groups, practice using this sentence pattern to create a thesis statement that presents your topic, claim, and a counterclaim.
7. Next, the class must decide the order in which to present your claim, counterclaim, and evidence you will provide to support your opinions. Working with your teacher, generate a class-constructed topic outline of the overall organizational plan for your argumentative writing.
Writing Workshop 2 • Argumentative Writing 5
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