Argument Writing Practice: College Value

Created Jan. 24, 2024 by Danielle De Arment-Donohue, Janet Copenhaver

Writing An Effective Argument

Lesson Overview

Objective: To demonstrate how much you know about writing an effective argument.

In this lesson, teachers will administer an assessment to determine what students know or have learned about argument writing. Students will respond to a prompt, and then you will assess each student’s argument using the 2017 Virginia Standards of Learning (SOL) Common Rubric for High School Writing Samples.  This assessment can be given at any time in the year, as a pre-assessment or post-assessment as students learn about argument writing in preparation for the traditional End of Course assessment or a supervised body of evidence writing for a local performance assessment to verify credits in writing. 

Time Required: The amount of time teachers allot for these activities will vary based on the options described below that teachers choose based on the skill level of their students, the point in the year at which they administer the assessment, and their time constraints.  They may need just one class period or they might devote a week to the assessment. 

Lesson Preparation

  • Read the lesson and student content.
  • Anticipate student difficulties and identify the differentiation options you will choose for working with your students.
  • Familiarize yourself with the writing prompt and the scoring guide.
  • If you have students on an IEP or other accommodations, check to see whether they receive extended time or need an alternative test setting. Work with the professional supporting special education staff to make sure student needs are met.
  • Typically, students will need an entire class period to write their response, and some students may need more time. 
  • Prepare activities for students who finish early.

Task 1: Preparation for Argument Writing

  • Allow students to recall what argument writing entails.
  • This is the time to mine for misconceptions—for instance, that an argument is a fight, a battle, or a big disagreement between people.
  • Ask students to share what they already know about argument writing.  Share ideas and discuss. 
  • Present students with the 2017 Virginia Standards of Learning (SOL) Common Rubric for High School Writing Samples, discuss key points, and answer any questions. 
  • In the next task, students will take the assessment. Be prepared to do the following:
    • ✓ Answer any questions that are not of a substantive nature, providing no additional guidance about the prompt.
    • ✓ Do a quick thumbs-up/thumbs-down check to ensure that students understand the prompt and are ready to begin writing.
    • ✓ Tell students to begin working. When the allotted time has elapsed, tell students to stop working.
    • ✓ If students finish before time is up, direct them to other activities.

Task 2: Research and Thinking

  • Direct students to take the assessment. They will be responding to the following prompt:
  • People wonder if going to a four-year college is a good investment. Some think that the costs outweigh the benefits. Others think that the benefits outweigh the costs.  Take a position on the issue.  Support your response with reasons and specific evidence. 

Options for Teachers: Depending on time and student skill level, teachers might provide students with a list of facts to use or links to specific sources from which they can gather information.  For more advanced students who have learned more about information literacy, teachers may choose to allow students to look for source material on their own. 

Suggested Resources:

State Council of Higher Education for Virginia: Interactive Research Main Page

State Council of Higher Education for Virginia: Information on Paying for College in Virginia

Bureau of Labor Statistics: Measuring the Value of Eduction

For Students: Your argument must use some of the information in these sources to support your claim.  It can include other reasons and evidence as well.  Your paper must also acknowledge a counterclaim. Present your reasoning in a clear and logical manner.

Task 3: Writing Time

Now you will write an argument. Remember that an argument is a text that provides claims and gives evidence to support them.  Engage with information from the sources provided as you support your claim.  As part of your writing, be sure to deal with opposing or alternative claims.

Task 4: Assessment and Reflection

  • Use the 2017 Virginia Standards of Learning (SOL) Common Rubric for High School Writing Samples to assess student work: 


Download: hs-rubric-2017-standards.docx

(VDOE Note about Use: "Users are welcome to download material displayed on this site for non-commercial purposes only, provided they retain all copyright and other proprietary notices contained on the materials.") 

  • Depending on teacher preference and goal for this point in the academic year, teachers may choose to assess the writing and have students reflect on what their strengths and weaknesses were, or they may have students self-assess and reflect, or they may have students give peer feedback.  Teachers may have students revise the initial draft to practice improving skills.  Teachers may repeat this process with a different prompt and compare the assessment results to examine student growth. 

This resource has been remixed to align with the Virginia Standards of Learning and to update and localize the information provided for students to consider and use to support their argument.  The original resource, "Writing an Effective Argument," provided by Pearson, can be found here: https://www.oercommons.org/courseware/lesson/8139/overview.

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