Lessons

Grade 8

Lesson

Writing an Argumentative Essay

Lesson

Writing an Argumentative Essay

Grade

Grade 8

UNIT

•

Grit

Last Updated:

June 10, 2025

In Unit 2, Lesson 3, “Writing an Argumentative Essay,” students will choose to respond to one of two prompts based on the two books covered in Lessons 1 and 2 of this unit: A Night Divided by Jennifer A. Nielsen or Undefeated: Jim Thorpe and the Carlisle Indian School Football Team by Steve Sheinkin.

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‍SUGGESTED TIME:

1 class period to introduce the assignment and to start on in-class brainstorming

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RELATED SUBJECT:

English Language Arts

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LEARNING OUTCOMES:

Write an argumentative essay
Provide textual evidence to support claims
Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.

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REQUIRED MATERIALS:

Prohuman Grade 8 Unit 2 Worksheet 3: Writing an Argumentative Essay

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ELA COMMON CORE STANDARDS MET

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CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.8.1

Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence

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CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.8.1.A

Introduce claim(s), acknowledge and distinguish the claim(s) from alternate or opposing claims, and organize the reasons and evidence logically.

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CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.8.1.B

Support claim(s) with logical reasoning and relevant evidence, using accurate, credible sources and demonstrating an understanding of the topic or text.

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CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.8.1.C

Use words, phrases, and clauses to create cohesion and clarify the relationships among claim(s), counterclaims, reasons, and evidence.

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CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.8.1.D

Establish and maintain a formal style.

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CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.8.1.E

Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the argument presented.

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CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.8.4

Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience

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CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.8.10

Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.

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CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.8.1

Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.

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CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.8.3

Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening.

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CHARACTER AND SOCIAL EMOTIONAL (CSED) NATIONAL STANDARDS MET

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Performance Character A6

Describe a role model who demonstrates a positive attitude, effort, and grit

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Intellectual Character B4

Compare and contrast perspectives and defend a position (e.g., intellectual autonomy)

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Social-Awareness A3

Demonstrate respect for other people’s opinions and perspectives

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Social-Awareness A5

Practice “perspective taking” as a strategy to strengthen your acceptance of others

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Social-Awareness A6

Demonstrate awareness and understanding that despite differences, all people have similar needs, feelings and wants

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Responsible and Ethical Decision-Making A3

Write about and share a principle you want to live by that you learned from a family member, book, movie, or personal experience

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LESSON PROCEDURE

Explain that students will write an argumentative essay of 2-3 pages in response to the prompt on the worksheet.
Explain that we will spend one in-class session for each student to decide which prompt they want to write about, to ask any questions, and to start brainstorming.
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 8 UNIT 1 WORKSHEET 3: WRITING YOUR HERO’S JOURNEY

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Essay Prompt:

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In our unit on grit, we read two books: A Night Divided by Jennifer A. Nielsen and Undefeated: Jim Thorpe and the Carlisle Indian School Football Team by Steve Sheinkin. Write an argumentative essay of 2-3 pages in response to one of the following prompts:

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Option 1: The word grit means a person persists toward their goals despite obstacles or disappointments. They don’t give up easily and are willing to work hard to achieve results. In the novel A Night Divided by Jennifer A. Nielsen, which character shows the most grit and why? Provide reasons for your position and cite evidence from the book to support your argument.

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Option 2: In Undefeated: Jim Thorpe and the Carlisle Indian School Football Team, the author Steve Sheinkin argues that the attacks against Jim Thorpe and his summer baseball season negating his amateur status for the Olympic Games “would not be happening to a student from Harvard” (218). Explain why you agree or disagree with Sheinkin, citing evidence from the text.

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Prohuman K-12 Curriculum © 2025 by Prohuman Foundation is licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0.
To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/

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