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In Unit 1, you are being asked to complete a piece of Argumentative Writing. You will choose a side of the topic "Are We Better Together," meaning you are deciding:

Yes, we are better together or

No, we are not better together.

After you choose which side of the argument you are on, you will start by coming up with your claim.

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If you are struggling with the topic "Are We Better Together," you can choose one of the topics listed on this padlet, there are also sources listed with each topic to help you complete your research.

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When the outline is due in class, you will only be filling out and submitting 3 parts of the outline: Claim, Reason 1, and Reason 2. You can leave the rest of the outline blank FOR NOW!

We will continue to fill out the outline over the next couple weeks as we find out evidence.

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https://padlet.com/commonwealthcharter/are-we-better-together-9tidch8qa674b3rz

You can revise your initial claim about the unit inquiry question or keep it the same to use as part of your essay: Are we better together?

You first composed a claim to this question in an earlier lesson.

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Claim/thesis statement: a stance, a clear position, about an issue

You wrote a claim responding to the inquiry question Are we better together? during an earlier lesson.

Your claim should be "Yes, we are better together because..." or "no, we are not better together because..."

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Reasons: justifications that defend an argument's claim; a large number and a wide range of justifications that defend an argument's claim

Why do you think people are better together or better on their own?

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Evidence: facts, statistics, and supporting details that defend an argument's claim

You can use the course texts you have read so far as evidence to support your claim. Texts you are going to read such as The Finest Hours can provide evidence, as will additional research

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Counterargument: the anticipated argument of the opposing side

Why might people disagree with your point of view? This is a great time to talk to other people and revisit the class discussion at the start of this lesson.

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Rebuttal: proving why the opposing side is incorrect

What will you say to the people who disagree with you to sway them to your side?

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When looking for evidence, you can use materials from class, or you can do a quick google search to look for websites/articles that will support your claim.

You can use ELA course materials such as:

the videos “The Pleasures of Community,” “How Living Things Work Together,” and “Groups That Chant Together”;

information from other ELA lessons, including the nonfiction book The Finest Hours; and

information from other trustworthy news or education sites.