Tips For Teaching Argument Essay Writing In Middle School

Middle school students know how to argue. If you are a parent or teacher of middle school students, then you have probably heard them make strong arguments for things like more free time, or less homework, or more group work. While most students instinctively know how to craft short oral arguments, they often need help transferring those skills into organized multi-paragraph argument essays. 

Argument essay units are fun to teach because they build on skills that the students already have. If you are looking for a pre-made argument essay writing unit with all of the work done for you, check out this resource that I’ve made. This unit contains everything you need to successfully teach your students how to write a five-paragraph argument essay!

While this resource will take away all the stress and guesswork that comes with planning a writing unit, you don't need to purchase a pre-made unit to teach your middle school students to write strong argument essays. Here are some tips to help you create your own engaging lessons.

Embrace Student Choice

Argument essays are a great time to add more student choice to your classroom. I know that some districts have set curriculums that teachers are not allowed to adjust. However, if you are a homeschool parent or a teacher who has some flexibility in your lesson planning, this is a chance to let your students choose what they want to write about. 

When I teach argument essay writing, I provide my students with at least three choices. Here are some of my favorites: 

• Who is the best athlete of all time? 

• Should the government ban all fast food restaurants?

• Should we have four-day school weeks?

I tailor my topics to my students’ interests. They can choose one of my suggested topics, or write about something else that they are passionate about. The goal is to get students excited about their topic.The more excited they are about their topic, the more likely they are to be engaged in the writing process. 

Go One Step At A Time

It is tempting to hand students an essay prompt and a graphic organizer and send them on their way. In fact, when I first started out as a teacher, I would do just that. However, I soon discovered that students need to be walked through the essay writing process. If your students are new to argument essays, take the time to teach the essay one step at a time. This helps to prevent the students from becoming overwhelmed by the task of writing a five-paragraph essay. My argument essay unit takes an entire week. Here is a sample breakdown of a unit.

Day 1: We spend the first day going over the structure of an argument essay. We look at an outline, and plan an outline together. Then I have students choose their topics and create their own essay outlines.

Day 2: We examine the parts of an introduction paragraph. I explain how to create opening hooks and thesis statements. Then I give students a chance to write the opening paragraphs for their own essays.

Day 3: This is when I discuss argument paragraphs. We talk about topic sentences, strong evidence, and reasoning. The students are given time to write their two argument body paragraphs.

Day 4: Once the argument paragraphs are complete, it is time to move on to the counterargument paragraphs. We discuss the importance of choosing a strong counterargument, not just a straw man. After some practice creating counterarguments and rebuttals as a class, students write their own counterargument paragraphs. 

Day 5: It is finally time for conclusion paragraphs. We discuss the components of a strong closing paragraph, and practice crafting calls to action. Then students write their own conclusion paragraphs. 

By the end of the week, students have been walked through the entire argument essay writing process one paragraph at a time. I usually give students the weekend to finish up any section of their essays that might need more work. When they return the following week, we have a final lesson on revision before wrapping up the unit. If you are looking for a pre-made argument essay unit that contains no-prep slides and handouts to simplify the teaching process, check out my argument writing unit.

Provide Exemplars

With any writing activity, it is always good practice to provide students with examples so that they know what is expected of them. At each stage of the unit, I model the writing skills for them. If we are working on introduction paragraphs, I will write a sample introduction paragraph. Then I will have us create an introduction paragraph together as a class. Finally, I will have them write their own introduction paragraphs for their essays.

Modeling writing helps to clarify expectations for students. It also gives them an example to refer to if they get stuck with their own writing. You can create your own exemplars, or click here to see my pre-made argument writing unit. It contains slides with exemplars for each section of an argument essay.

Final Thoughts

Argument essay writing in middle school can be fun for teachers and students alike if it is done right. To help the process flow smoothly provide students with topic choices that match their interests, walk them through the writing process step by step, and provide exemplars for them to refer to throughout the unit. 

Check out my pre-made argument essay unit with all of the handouts and slides already made for you. It is no-prep. Simply download the resource, and you will be ready to start teaching your unit!

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