Writing an Argumentative Essay

• English
• Middelbare school
• vwo
• Leerjaar 3

Writing an Argumentative Essay

Lesson Goals

By the end of this lesson:

- you will have written a strong Thesis Statement

- you will have used the PEE structure to write a paragraph(s)

-you will have come up with an arguments for each paragraph

What are the elements of a Thesis?

opinion+ argument

Write a Thesis to this: - Magazines should (not) promote a healthy body image.

copy it in a digital document as well

choose and write 1 reason (how are you going to prove the statement)

copy TS in doc 

PEE by all means, but ORGANICALLY (make it sound natural instead of just trying to fit it into a framework)

- Make a point (with your argument/reason)

- Give evidence/example

- Explain why/how this evidence supports your point. Analyze the effects of what's in the argument.

Example for good PEE paragraph

TS: Helmets should be obligatory for cyclists in the Netherlands because they protect cyclists. 

PEE:

First of all, a helmet will make sure fewer cyclists are killed or injured in traffic. A helmet is made of hard plastic on the outside and a few centimeters of polystyrene on the inside. Together, these layers protect the cyclist’s head in an accident. This means that if the cyclist falls off the bike and hits the asphalt, the helmet will break the fall and reduce the risk of serious head injuries. 

Linking Words/Phrases

PEE:

First of all, a helmet will make sure fewer cyclists are killed or injured in traffic. A helmet is made of hard plastic on the outside and a few centimeters of polystyrene on the inside. Together, these layers protect the cyclist’s head in an accident. This means that if the cyclist falls off the bike and hits the asphalt, the helmet will break the fall and reduce the risk of serious head injuries. 

Write a PEE paragraph for your Thesis Statement earlier. 

In Teams/assignments

Write in Teams/Asg. 

Introductions

Introduction:

Attention grabber + bridge + thesis statement 

The bridge consists of two or three sentences to guide your reader from your attention grabber to the thesis statement without revealing your arguments

Examples:

Thousands of cyclists in the Netherlands suffer severe head injuries every year. This number has to be decreased. Helmets should be obligatory in the Netherlands because they protect cyclists. 

Traffic jams during rush hours are terrible in the Netherlands. It is a small country and everybody needs to get to work. The government should make sure fewer people go by car. Taking the train or bus should be encouraged. Public transport should be free in the Netherlands because they would relieve the roads from traffic jams.

Write an introduction

Extend your Thesis Statement earlier with an introduction. 

Add it to your Teams assignment document. 

continue in Teams/Asg