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Argumentative Text Prompts

8th Grade

Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS): 8.11

Composition: listening, speaking, reading, writing, and thinking using multiple texts--genres. The student uses genre characteristics and craft to compose multiple texts that are meaningful.

Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS): 8.11.C

compose multi-paragraph argumentative texts using genre characteristics and craft;

Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS): 8.18

Students write persuasive texts to influence the attitudes or actions of a specific audience on specific issues.

Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS): 8.18.A

establishes a clear thesis or position;

Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS): 8.18.B

considers and responds to the views of others and anticipates and answers reader concerns and counter-arguments;

Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS): 8.18.C

includes evidence that is logically organized to support the author's viewpoint and that differentiates between fact and opinion.

Alabama Course of Study Standards: 8

Produce clear, coherent narrative, argument, and informative/explanatory writing in which the development, organization, style, and tone are relevant to task, purpose, and audience, using an appropriate command of language.
  1. Write narratives that establish a clear purpose, use narrative techniques, and sequence events coherently.
    Examples: narratives - memoir, short story, personal narrative; techniques - dialogue, pacing, description, reflection; sequencing - chronological, reverse chronological, flashback
  2. Write informative or explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas or processes effectively, by developing the topic with relevant information or data from credible sources and using appropriate transitions and precise vocabulary.
  3. Write an argument to defend a position by introducing and supporting a claim, distinguishing the claim from opposing claims, presenting counterclaims and reasons, and citing accurate, relevant textual evidence from credible sources.

Arizona Academic Standards: 8.W.10

Common Core State Standards: Literacy.W.8.10

Georgia Standards of Excellence (GSE): ELAGSE8W10

Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.

Tennessee Academic Standards: 8.W.RW.10

Write routinely over extended time frames and shorter time frames for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.

Pennsylvania Core Standards: CC.1.4.8.G

Write arguments to support claims.

Pennsylvania Core Standards: CC.1.4.8.H

Introduce and state an opinion on a topic.
  • E08.E.1.1.1 - Introduce text(s) for the intended audience, state an opinion and/or topic, establish a situation, and create an organizational structure in which ideas are logically grouped to support the writer’s purpose.

Pennsylvania Core Standards: CC.1.4.8.I

Acknowledge and distinguish the claim(s) from alternate or opposing claims and support claim with logical reasoning and relevant evidence, using accurate, credible sources and demonstrating an understanding of the topic
  • E08.E.1.1.2 - Develop the analysis using relevant evidence from text(s) to support claims, opinions, ideas, and inferences and demonstrating an understanding of the text(s).

Pennsylvania Core Standards: CC.1.4.8.J

Organize the claim(s) with clear reasons and evidence clearly; clarify relationships among claim(s), counterclaims, reasons, and evidence by using words, phrases, and clauses to create cohesion; provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the argument presented
  • E08.E.1.1.1 - Introduce text(s) for the intended audience, state an opinion and/or topic, establish a situation, and create an organizational structure in which ideas are logically grouped to support the writer’s purpose.

  • E08.E.1.1.3 - Use appropriate and varied transitions to create cohesion and clarify the relationships among ideas and concepts.

  • E08.E.1.1.6 - Provide a concluding section that follows from and supports the analysis presented.

Pennsylvania Core Standards: CC.1.4.8.K

Write with an awareness of the stylistic aspects of composition.

Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic.

Use sentences of varying lengths and complexities.

Create tone and voice through precise language.

Establish and maintain a formal style.
  • E08.D.2.1.1 - Use verbs in the active and passive voice and in the conditional and subjunctive mood to achieve particular effects (e.g., emphasizing the actor or the action, expressing uncertainty, or describing a state contrary to fact).

  • E08.D.2.1.2 - Choose language that expresses ideas precisely and concisely, recognizing and eliminating wordiness and redundancy.*

  • E08.D.2.1.3 - Vary sentence patterns for meaning, reader/listener interest, and style.*

  • E08.D.2.1.4 - Maintain consistency in style and tone.*

  • E08.D.2.1.5 - Choose punctuation for effect.*

  • E08.D.2.1.6 - Choose words and phrases for effect.*

  • E08.E.1.1.4 - Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic and/or convey the experience and events.

  • E08.E.1.1.5 - Establish and maintain a formal style.

Pennsylvania Core Standards: CC.1.4.8.L

Demonstrate a grade-appropriate command of the conventions of standard English grammar,usage, capitalization, punctuation,and spelling.
  • E08.D.1.1.1 - Explain the function of verbals (i.e., gerunds, participles, and infinitives) in general and their function in particular sentences.

  • E08.D.1.1.2 - Form and use verbs in the active and passive voice.

  • E08.D.1.1.3 - Form and use verbs in the indicative, imperative, interrogative, conditional, and subjunctive mood.

  • E08.D.1.1.4 - Recognize and correct inappropriate shifts in verb voice and mood.*

  • E08.D.1.1.5 - Place phrases and clauses within a sentence, recognizing and correcting misplaced and dangling modifiers.*

  • E08.D.1.1.6 - Recognize and correct inappropriate shifts in pronoun number and person.*

  • E08.D.1.1.7 - Recognize and correct vague pronouns (i.e., ones with unclear or ambiguous antecedents).*

  • E08.D.1.1.8 - Recognize and correct inappropriate shifts in verb tense.*

  • E08.D.1.1.9 - Produce complete sentences, recognizing and correcting inappropriate fragments and run-on sentences.*

  • E08.D.1.1.10 - Correctly use frequently confused words (e.g., to, too, two; there, their, they’re).*

  • E08.D.1.1.11 - Ensure subject-verb and pronoun-antecedent agreement.*

  • E08.D.1.2.1 - Use punctuation (i.e., comma, ellipsis, and dash) to indicate a pause or break.

  • E08.D.1.2.2 -Use an ellipsis to indicate an omission.

  • E08.D.1.2.3 - Spell correctly.

  • E08.D.1.2.4 - Use punctuation (i.e., commas, parentheses, and dashes) to set off nonrestrictive/parenthetical elements.*

  • E08.D.1.2.5 - Use punctuation to separate items in a series.*

Florida - Benchmarks for Excellent Student Thinking: ELA.8.C.1.3

Write to argue a position, supporting at least one claim and rebutting at least one counterclaim with logical reasoning, credible evidence from sources, elaboration, and using a logical organizational structure.

Florida - Benchmarks for Excellent Student Thinking: ELA.8.V.1.1

Integrate academic vocabulary appropriate to grade level in speaking and writing.

Arkansas Academic Standards: 8.W.1.S

Compose an argument, using clear reasons and supporting evidence.
  • Introduce claims supported by credible sources.
  • Distinguish alternate or opposing claims.
  • Maintain a cohesive structure.
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