Increasingly Complex Types of Argument Writing
Writing Progression
Interpretation
Interpretation tasks ask students to write one-sided arguments without necessarily recognizing alternative perspectives. They are the foundation for social studies argument writing centered on claims, evidence, and reasoning. Across the Interpretation tasks, students write claims, integrate relevant and specific evidence, and explain their reasoning about how the evidence supports their claim and why that evidence is reliable given the argument. For each task, students write arguments for an interpretation of a social issue that is a part of our lives today.
In completing these assignments, students delve into issues of representation, perspective, and context as they work with sources, construct evidence-based responses to the central question, and communicate their arguments to a contemporary audience. Investigations and corresponding tasks become increasingly more complex. For each investigation, we provide rubrics to assess students’ performance. The rubrics identify four levels of development (Beginning, Developing, Proficient, and Advanced) for each component of the argument (Claim, Evidence, Reasoning).
Critique
Critique tasks call for students to write arguments that critique a current interpretation of a historical issue made by someone else. The culminating task for these investigations is the argument students write to Critique someone else’s interpretation of the sources and central question. Critiques, like other arguments, ask students to share claims, evidence, and reasoning. However, in Critiques, students’ claims express what they reject or question in another person’s argument. Students then share the evidence to support their critique of another person’s argument. For example, students may find that someone has misquoted or misinterpreted a source; in presenting evidence, students would include the corrected quotation or a more complete interpretation of the source. In their reasoning, students share how the evidence presented supports their claim and why that evidence is reliable given the argument. The Critique tasks are an important stepping stone for writing Counterarguments, in that they enable students to focus directly on the notion of rebuttal without also having to construct their own position.
In completing these assignments, students delve into issues of representation, perspective, and context as they work with sources, construct evidence-based critiques of other people’s arguments about historical issues, and communicate their arguments to a contemporary audience. Investigations and corresponding tasks become increasingly more complex. For each investigation, we provide rubrics to assess students’ performance. The rubrics identify four levels of development (Beginning, Developing, Proficient, and Advanced) for each component of the argument (claim, evidence, reasoning).
Counterargument
Counterargument tasks call for students to write arguments for their interpretation of a historical issue with a counterargument that recognizes and rebutts interpretations or evidence that challenge their position. Students develop their positions and an understanding of alternative positions by thinking about the sources and central question. Counterarguments, like other arguments, ask students to share claims, evidence, and reasoning in support of their position. However, for Counterarguments, students must also share challenging or conflicting claims and evidence. Students draw on their earlier work with Critiques when they share their reasoning to critique, rebut, or reconcile possible counterarguments. As they do so, students recognize that multiple interpretations are possible while also reasserting the strengths of their argument.
In completing these assignments, students delve into issues of representation, perspective, and context as they work with sources, construct evidence-based responses to the central question, and communicate their arguments to a contemporary audience. For each investigation, we provide rubrics to assess students’ performance. The rubrics identify four levels of development (Beginning, Developing, Proficient, and Advanced) for each component of the argument (Claim, Evidence, Reasoning, Counterargument).