Writing an Argumentative Essay About Courage

SUGGESTED TIME:

50 minutes

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RELATED SUBJECT:

English Language Arts

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LEARNING OUTCOMES:

• Demonstrate comprehension of the word courage
• Write an argumentative essay 
• Provide textual evidence to support claims

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REQUIRED MATERIALS:

• Prohuman Grade 7 Unit 5 Worksheet 3: Writing an Argumentative Essay About Courage

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ELA COMMON CORE STANDARDS MET

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CHARACTER AND SOCIAL EMOTIONAL (CSED) NATIONAL STANDARDS MET

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LESSON PROCEDURE

• Explain that students will write an argumentative essay of 2-3 pages, either in class or as part of a homework assignment, in response to the following prompt on the worksheet. 
• Explain that students will share their essays with three classmates for peer review. It is recommended that the teacher assign the groups. 
• Explain that students' essays will be evaluated on the criteria listed on the worksheet.

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GRADE 7 UNIT 5 WORKSHEET 3: WRITING AN ARGUMENTATIVE ESSAY ABOUT COURAGE

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Essay Prompt:

Write an argumentative essay of 2-3 pages in response to the following prompt: 

• In our unit on courage, we read two books about life in two different Communist countries: I Must Betray You by Ruta Sepetys, which is about Communist Romania, and Red Scarf Girl: A Memoir of the Cultural Revolution by Ji-li Jiang, which is about Communist China. In Sepetys' novel about Romania, the Communist state relies on informers, while during China’s Cultural Revolution, the Communist state, particularly the Red Guards, engaged in public humiliation. Which system do you think required more courage for people to stand up against the government? Provide at least three reasons for your argument, with evidence from the text, including page numbers. 

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Essay Evaluation Criteria:

Your essay will be evaluated on the extent to which it does the following:

1. Meets the length requirement. 
2. Introduces claim(s), acknowledges and distinguishes the claim(s) from alternate or opposing claims, and organizes the reasons and evidence logically.
3. Supports claim(s) with logical reasoning and relevant evidence, using accurate, credible sources and demonstrating an understanding of the topic or text.
4. Uses words, phrases, and clauses to create cohesion and clarify the relationships among claim(s), counterclaims, reasons, and evidence.
5. Establishes and maintains a formal style.
6. Provides a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the argument presented.
7. Demonstrates command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage.

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