Unit 1, Week 3
Argument Writing
This lesson is designed to follow the close reading of Robert Frost's "The Road Not Taken."
Writing Arguments: Claim, Evidence and Warrant
Learning Objectives:
Students will...
Review the terms Claim, Evidence and Warrant. Spend time discussing each of these words, using examples. Co-create sentence frames, such as: I believe ______[claim]. [This piece of evidence or data] proves my claim because it shows ______[warrant].
Ask students to think about what they believe is the theme of Robert Frost’s “The Road Not Taken.” If needed, have them use a graphic organizer such as this prior to writing in paragraph form:
Writing Arguments: Claim, Evidence and Warrant
Learning Objectives:
Students will...
- with some guidance and support from peers and adults, develop writing as needed by planning.
- introduce claim(s) and organize the reasons and evidence clearly.
- write routinely over shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.
- distinguish claims that are supported by reasons and evidence from claims that are not.
Review the terms Claim, Evidence and Warrant. Spend time discussing each of these words, using examples. Co-create sentence frames, such as: I believe ______[claim]. [This piece of evidence or data] proves my claim because it shows ______[warrant].
Ask students to think about what they believe is the theme of Robert Frost’s “The Road Not Taken.” If needed, have them use a graphic organizer such as this prior to writing in paragraph form:
Have students share their ideas with a partner and discuss the validity of their evidence in support of their claims. Model your thinking and guide students as needed, particularly in terms of the warrant.
If students need more work with evidence and warrants, you might try writing a set of your own claims and evidence. Ask students to sort these statements into two piles: 1) “Evidence Supports Claim” and 2) “Evidence does not support claim.” Then have students write a sentence that explains how or why the evidence in the first column supports the evidence, and why the evidence in the second column does not sufficiently support the claim. Then have students go back to the Robert Frost poem and write/revise their claims, evidence and warrants.
If students need more work with evidence and warrants, you might try writing a set of your own claims and evidence. Ask students to sort these statements into two piles: 1) “Evidence Supports Claim” and 2) “Evidence does not support claim.” Then have students write a sentence that explains how or why the evidence in the first column supports the evidence, and why the evidence in the second column does not sufficiently support the claim. Then have students go back to the Robert Frost poem and write/revise their claims, evidence and warrants.