argument writing 6th grade

Free Printable Argument Writing Worksheets for 6th Grade

Argument Writing: Discover a collection of free printable Reading & Writing worksheets, tailored for Grade 6 students and teachers, to enhance their skills in crafting persuasive arguments. Brought to you by Quizizz.

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Explore printable Argument Writing worksheets for 6th Grade

Argument Writing worksheets for Grade 6 are an essential tool for teachers to help their students develop strong reading and writing skills. These worksheets focus on teaching students how to construct well-reasoned arguments, supported by evidence and logical reasoning. By incorporating these worksheets into their lesson plans, teachers can effectively guide their students through the process of writing persuasive essays, opinion pieces, and other nonfiction writing assignments. In addition, these Grade 6 Argument Writing worksheets also help students improve their overall reading comprehension, as they learn to analyze and evaluate various texts and sources. By using these worksheets, teachers can ensure that their students are well-prepared for the challenges of reading and writing in higher grade levels.

Quizizz is an excellent platform for teachers to supplement their Argument Writing worksheets for Grade 6, as it offers a variety of engaging and interactive quizzes and activities. These quizzes can be used to test students' understanding of the concepts taught in the worksheets, as well as their ability to apply these concepts in real-world scenarios. Furthermore, Quizizz also provides teachers with valuable insights into their students' progress, allowing them to identify areas where additional support or instruction may be needed. By integrating Quizizz into their lesson plans, teachers can create a comprehensive and effective reading and writing curriculum for their Grade 6 students, ensuring that they are well-equipped to tackle more advanced nonfiction writing tasks in the future.

How to Teach Argument Writing Step-By-Step

No doubt, teaching argument writing to middle school students can be tricky. Even the word “argumentative” is off-putting, bringing to mind pointless bickering. But once I came up with argument writing lessons that were both fun and effective, I quickly saw the value in it. And so did my students.

You see, we teachers have an ace up our sleeve. It’s a known fact that from ages 11-14, kids love nothing more than to fire up a good ole battle royale with just about anybody within spitting distance.

Yup. So we’re going to use their powers of contradiction to OUR advantage by showing them how to use our argument writing lessons to power up their real-life persuasion skills. Your students will be knocking each other over in the hall to get to the room first!

I usually plan on taking about three weeks on the entire argument writing workshop. However, there are years when I’ve had to cut it down to two, and that works fine too.

Here are the step-by-step lessons I use to teach argument writing. It might be helpful to teachers who are new to teaching the argument, or to teachers who want to get back to the basics. If it seems formulaic, that’s because it is. In my experience, that’s the best way to get middle school students started.

Prior to Starting the Writer’s Workshop

A couple of weeks prior to starting your unit, assign some quick-write journal topics. I pick one current event topic a day, and I ask students to express their opinion about the topic.

Quick-writes get the kids thinking about what is going on in the world and makes choosing a topic easier later on.

Define Argumentative Writing

I’ll never forget the feeling of panic I had in 7th grade when my teacher told us to start writing an expository essay on snowstorms. How could I write an expository essay if I don’t even know what expository MEANS, I whined to my middle school self.

We can’t assume our students know or remember what argumentative writing is, even if we think they should know. So we have to tell them. Also, define claim and issue while you’re at it.

Establish Purpose

I always tell my students that learning to write an effective argument is key to learning critical thinking skills and is an important part of school AND real-life writing.

We start with a fictional scenario every kid in the history of kids can relate to.

ISSUE : a kid wants to stay up late to go to a party vs. AUDIENCE : the strict mom who likes to say no.

The “party” kid writes his mom a letter that starts with a thesis and a claim: I should be permitted to stay out late to attend the part for several reasons.

By going through this totally relatable scenario using a modified argumentative framework, I’m able to demonstrate the difference between persuasion and argument, the importance of data and factual evidence, and the value of a counterclaim and rebuttal.

Students love to debate whether or not strict mom should allow party kid to attend the party. More importantly, it’s a great way to introduce the art of the argument, because kids can see how they can use the skills to their personal advantage.

Persuasive Writing Differs From Argument Writing

At the middle school level, students need to understand persuasive and argument writing in a concrete way. Therefore, I keep it simple by explaining that both types of writing involve a claim. However, in persuasive writing, the supporting details are based on opinions, feelings, and emotions, while in argument writing the supporting details are based on researching factual evidence.

I give kids a few examples to see if they can tell the difference between argumentation and persuasion before we move on.

Argumentative Essay Terminology

In order to write a complete argumentative essay, students need to be familiar with some key terminology . Some teachers name the parts differently, so I try to give them more than one word if necessary:

• thesis statement
• bridge/warrant
• counterclaim/counterargument*
• turn-back/refutation

*If you follow Common Core Standards, the counterargument is not required for 6th-grade argument writing. All of the teachers in my school teach it anyway, and I’m thankful for that when the kids get to 7th grade.

Organizing the Argumentative Essay

I teach students how to write a step-by-step 5 paragraph argumentative essay consisting of the following:

• Introduction : Includes a lead/hook, background information about the topic, and a thesis statement that includes the claim.
• Body Paragraph #1 : Introduces the first reason that the claim is valid. Supports that reason with facts, examples, and/or data.
• Body Paragraph #2 : The second reason the claim is valid. Supporting evidence as above.
• Counterargument (Body Paragraph #3): Introduction of an opposing claim, then includes a turn-back to take the reader back to the original claim.
• Conclusion : Restates the thesis statement, summarizes the main idea, and contains a strong concluding statement that might be a call to action.

Mentor Texts

If we want students to write a certain way, we should provide high-quality mentor texts that are exact models of what we expect them to write.

I know a lot of teachers will use picture books or editorials that present arguments for this, and I can get behind that. But only if specific exemplary essays are also used, and this is why.

If I want to learn Italian cooking, I’m not going to just watch the Romanos enjoy a holiday feast on Everybody Loves Raymond . I need to slow it down and follow every little step my girl Lidia Bastianich makes.

The same goes for teaching argument writing. If we want students to write 5 paragraph essays, that’s what we should show them.

In fact, don’t just display those mentor texts like a museum piece. Dissect the heck out of those essays. Pull them apart like a Thanksgiving turkey. Disassemble the essay sentence by sentence and have the kids label the parts and reassemble them. This is how they will learn how to structure their own writing.

Also, encourage your detectives to evaluate the evidence. Ask students to make note of how the authors use anecdotes, statistics, and facts. Have them evaluate the evidence and whether or not the writer fully analyzes it and connects it to the claim.

This is absolutely the best way for kids to understand the purpose of each part of the essay.

Research Time

Most of my students are not very experienced with performing research when we do this unit, so I ease them into it. (Our “big” research unit comes later in the year with our feature article unit .)

I start them off by showing this short video on how to find reliable sources. We use data collection sheets and our school library’s database for research. There are also some awesome, kid-friendly research sites listed on the Ask a Tech Teacher Blog .

Step-By-Step Drafting

The bedrock of drafting is to start with a solid graphic organizer. I have to differentiate for my writers, and I’ve found they have the most success when I offer three types of graphic organizers.

1- Least Support: This is your standard graphic organizer. It labels each paragraph and has a dedicated section for each part of the paragraph.

2- Moderate Support: This one has labels and sections, but also includes sentence stems for each sentence in the paragraph.

3- Most Support: This one has labels and sections and also includes fill-in-the-blank sentence frames . It’s perfect for my emerging writers, and as I’ve mentioned previously, students do NOT need the frames for long and soon become competent and independent writers.

Writing the Introduction

The introduction has three parts and purposes.

First, it has a hook or lead. While it should be about the topic, it shouldn’t state the writer’s position on the topic. I encourage students to start with a quote by a famous person, an unusual detail, a statistic, or a fact.

Kids will often try to start with a question, but I discourage that unless their question also includes one of the other strategies. Otherwise, I end up with 100 essays that start with, “Do you like sharks?” Lol

Next, it’s time to introduce the issue. This is the background information that readers need in order to understand the controversy.

Last, students should state the claim in the thesis statement. I call it a promise to the reader that the essay will deliver by proving that the claim is valid.

Writing the Supporting Body Paragraphs

Each supporting body paragraph should start with a topic sentence that introduces the idea and states the reason why the claim is valid. The following sentences in the paragraph should support that reason with facts, examples, data, or expert opinions. The bridge is the sentence that connects that piece of evidence to the argument’s claim. The concluding sentence should restate the reason.

Writing the Counterclaim Paragraph

The counterclaim paragraph is a very important aspect of argument writing. It’s where we introduce an opposing argument and then confidently take the reader back to the original argument. I tell students that it’s necessary to “get in the head” of the person who might not agree with their claim, by predicting their objections.

It can be tough for kids to “flip the switch” on their own argument, so I like to practice this a bit. I give them several pairs of transitions that go together to form a counterclaim and rebuttal. I also switch up what I call this part so that they use the terminology interchangeably.

• It might seem that [ counterargument . ]However, [ turn-back .]
• Opponents may argue that [ counterargument .] Nevertheless, [ turn back .]
• A common argument against this position is [ counterargument .] Yet, [ turn-back .]

A great way for kids to practice this is to have them work with partners to write a few counterarguments together. I let them practice by giving them easy role-playing topics.

• Your cousins want to jump into a poison ivy grove for a TikTok challenge. Choose your position on this and write a counterargument and turn-back.
• Your friend wants to get a full-face tattoo of their boyfriend’s name. Choose your position on this and write a counterargument and turn-back.

This kind of practice makes the counterargument much more clear.

The concluding paragraph should remind the reader of what was argued in the essay and why it matters. It might also suggest solutions or further research that could be done on the topic. Or students can write a call to action that asks the reader to perform an action in regard to the information they’ve just learned.

My students write about local issues and then turn the essays into letters to our superintendent, school board, or state senators. It’s an amazing way to empower kids and to show them that their opinion matters. I’ve written about that here and I’ve included the sentence frames for the letters in my argumentative writing unit.

I hope this gives you a good overview of teaching argument writing. Please leave any questions below. Please also share your ideas, because we all need all the help we can give each other!

And one more thing. Don’t be surprised if parents start asking you to tone down the unit because it’s become harder to tell their kids why they can’t stay up late for parties. 🙂

Stay delicious!

Narrative Writing Workshop for Middle School ELA

Fiction & Nonfiction Reading -Teach, Practice, Test BUNDLE – Middle School ELA

RACES Writing Introduction to Paragraph Frames DIGITAL & EDITABLE

A Step-by-Step Plan for Teaching Argumentative Writing

February 7, 2016

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For seven years, I was a writing teacher.  Yes, I was certified to teach the full spectrum of English language arts—literature, grammar and usage, speech, drama, and so on—but my absolute favorite, the thing I loved doing the most, was teaching students how to write.

Most of the material on this site is directed at all teachers. I look for and put together resources that would appeal to any teacher who teaches any subject. That practice will continue for as long as I keep this up. But over the next year or so, I plan to also share more of what I know about teaching students to write. Although I know many of the people who visit here are not strictly English language arts teachers, my hope is that these posts will provide tons of value to those who are, and to those who teach all subjects, including writing.

So let’s begin with argumentative writing, or persuasive writing, as many of us used to call it. This overview will be most helpful to those who are new to teaching writing, or teachers who have not gotten good results with the approach you have taken up to now. I don’t claim to have the definitive answer on how to do this, but the method I share here worked pretty well for me, and it might do the same for you. If you are an experienced English language arts teacher, you probably already have a system for teaching this skill that you like. Then again, I’m always interested in how other people do the things I can already do; maybe you’re curious like that, too.

Before I start, I should note that what I describe in this post is a fairly formulaic style of essay writing. It’s not exactly the 5-paragraph essay, but it definitely builds on that model. I strongly believe students should be shown how to move past those kinds of structures into a style of writing that’s more natural and fitting to the task and audience, but I also think they should start with something that’s pretty clearly organized.

So here’s how I teach argumentative essay writing.

Step 1: Watch How It’s Done

One of the most effective ways to improve student writing is to show them mentor texts, examples of excellent writing within the genre students are about to attempt themselves. Ideally, this writing would come from real publications and not be fabricated by me in order to embody the form I’m looking for. Although most experts on writing instruction employ some kind of mentor text study, the person I learned it from best was Katie Wood Ray in her book Study Driven (links to the book: Bookshop.org | Amazon ).

Since I want the writing to be high quality and the subject matter to be high interest, I might choose pieces like Jessica Lahey’s Students Who Lose Recess Are the Ones Who Need it Most  and David Bulley’s School Suspensions Don’t Work .

I would have students read these texts, compare them, and find places where the authors used evidence to back up their assertions. I would ask students which author they feel did the best job of influencing the reader, and what suggestions they would make to improve the writing. I would also ask them to notice things like stories, facts and statistics, and other things the authors use to develop their ideas. Later, as students work on their own pieces, I would likely return to these pieces to show students how to execute certain writing moves.

Step 2: Informal Argument, Freestyle

Although many students might need more practice in writing an effective argument, many of them are excellent at arguing in person. To help them make this connection, I would have them do some informal debate on easy, high-interest topics. An activity like This or That (one of the classroom icebreakers I talked about last year) would be perfect here: I read a statement like “Women have the same opportunities in life as men.” Students who agree with the statement move to one side of the room, and those who disagree move to the other side. Then they take turns explaining why they are standing in that position. This ultimately looks a little bit like a debate, as students from either side tend to defend their position to those on the other side.

Every class of students I have ever had, from middle school to college, has loved loved LOVED this activity. It’s so simple, it gets them out of their seats, and for a unit on argument, it’s an easy way to get them thinking about how the art of argument is something they practice all the time.

Step 3: Informal Argument, Not so Freestyle

Once students have argued without the support of any kind of research or text, I would set up a second debate; this time with more structure and more time to research ahead of time. I would pose a different question, supply students with a few articles that would provide ammunition for either side, then give them time to read the articles and find the evidence they need.

Next, we’d have a Philosophical Chairs debate (learn about this in my  discussion strategies post), which is very similar to “This or That,” except students use textual evidence to back up their points, and there are a few more rules. Here they are still doing verbal argument, but the experience should make them more likely to appreciate the value of evidence when trying to persuade.

Before leaving this step, I would have students transfer their thoughts from the discussion they just had into something that looks like the opening paragraph of a written argument: A statement of their point of view, plus three reasons to support that point of view. This lays the groundwork for what’s to come.

Step 4: Introduction of the Performance Assessment

Next I would show students their major assignment, the performance assessment that they will work on for the next few weeks. What does this look like? It’s generally a written prompt that describes the task, plus the rubric I will use to score their final product.

Anytime I give students a major writing assignment, I let them see these documents very early on. In my experience, I’ve found that students appreciate having a clear picture of what’s expected of them when beginning a writing assignment. At this time, I also show them a model of a piece of writing that meets the requirements of the assignment. Unlike the mentor texts we read on day 1, this sample would be something teacher-created (or an excellent student model from a previous year) to fit the parameters of the assignment.

Step 5: Building the Base

Before letting students loose to start working on their essays, I make sure they have a solid plan for writing. I would devote at least one more class period to having students consider their topic for the essay, drafting a thesis statement, and planning the main points of their essay in a graphic organizer.

I would also begin writing my own essay on a different topic. This has been my number one strategy for teaching students how to become better writers. Using a document camera or overhead projector, I start from scratch, thinking out loud and scribbling down my thoughts as they come. When students see how messy the process can be, it becomes less intimidating for them. They begin to understand how to take the thoughts that are stirring around in your head and turn them into something that makes sense in writing.

For some students, this early stage might take a few more days, and that’s fine: I would rather spend more time getting it right at the pre-writing stage than have a student go off willy-nilly, draft a full essay, then realize they need to start over. Meanwhile, students who have their plans in order will be allowed to move on to the next step.

Step 6: Writer’s Workshop

The next seven to ten days would be spent in writer’s workshop, where I would start class with a mini-lesson about a particular aspect of craft. I would show them how to choose credible, relevant evidence, how to skillfully weave evidence into an argument, how to consider the needs of an audience, and how to correctly cite sources. Once each mini-lesson was done, I would then give students the rest of the period to work independently on their writing. During this time, I would move around the room, helping students solve problems and offering feedback on whatever part of the piece they are working on. I would encourage students to share their work with peers and give feedback at all stages of the writing process.

If I wanted to make the unit even more student-centered, I would provide the mini-lessons in written or video format and let students work through them at their own pace, without me teaching them. (To learn more about this approach, read this post on self-paced learning ).

As students begin to complete their essays, the mini-lessons would focus more on matters of style and usage. I almost never bother talking about spelling, punctuation, grammar, or usage until students have a draft that’s pretty close to done. Only then do we start fixing the smaller mistakes.

Step 7: Final Assessment

Finally, the finished essays are handed in for a grade. At this point, I’m pretty familiar with each student’s writing and have given them verbal (and sometimes written) feedback throughout the unit; that’s why I make the writer’s workshop phase last so long. I don’t really want students handing in work until they are pretty sure they’ve met the requirements to the best of their ability. I also don’t necessarily see “final copies” as final; if a student hands in an essay that’s still really lacking in some key areas, I will arrange to have that student revise it and resubmit for a higher grade.

So that’s it. If you haven’t had a lot of success teaching students to write persuasively, and if the approach outlined here is different from what you’ve been doing, give it a try. And let’s keep talking: Use the comments section below to share your techniques or ask questions about the most effective ways to teach argumentative writing.

Want this unit ready-made?

If you’re a writing teacher in grades 7-12 and you’d like a classroom-ready unit like the one described above, including mini-lessons, sample essays, and a library of high-interest online articles to use for gathering evidence, take a look at my Argumentative Writing unit. Just click on the image below and you’ll be taken to a page where you can read more and see a detailed preview of what’s included.

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Categories: Instruction , Podcast

Tags: English language arts , Grades 6-8 , Grades 9-12 , teaching strategies

58 Comments

This is useful information. In teaching persuasive speaking/writing I have found Monroe’s Motivated sequence very useful and productive. It is a classic model that immediately gives a solid structure for students.

Thanks for the recommendation, Bill. I will have to look into that! Here’s a link to more information on Monroe’s Motivated sequence, for anyone who wants to learn more: https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/MonroeMotivatedSequence.htm

What other sites do you recommend for teacher use on providing effective organizational structure in argumentative writing? As a K-12 Curriculum Director, I find that when teachers connect with and understand the organizational structure, they are more effective in their teaching/delivery.

Hey Jessica, in addition to the steps outlined here, you might want to check out Jenn’s post on graphic organizers . Graphic organizers are a great tool that you can use in any phase of a lesson. Using them as a prewrite can help students visualize the argument and organize their thoughts. There’s a link in that post to the Graphic Organizer Multi-Pack that Jenn has for sale on her Teachers Pay Teachers site, which includes two versions of a graphic organizer you can use specifically for argument organization. Otherwise, if there’s something else you had in mind, let us know and we can help you out. Thanks!

Dear Jennifer Gonzalez,

You are generous with your gift of lighting the path… I hardly ever write (never before) , but I must today… THANK YOU… THANK YOU….THANK YOU… mostly for reading your great teachings… So your valuable teachings will even be easy to benefit all the smart people facing challenge of having to deal with adhd…

I am not a teacher… but forever a student…someone who studied English as 2nd language, with a science degree & adhd…

You truly are making a difference in our World…

Thanks so much, Rita! I know Jenn will appreciate this — I’ll be sure to share with her!

Love it! Its simple and very fruitful . I can feel how dedicated you are! Thanks alot Jen

Great examples of resources that students would find interesting. I enjoyed reading your article. I’ve bookmarked it for future reference. Thanks!

You’re welcome, Sheryl!

Students need to be writing all the time about a broad range of topics, but I love the focus here on argumentative writing because if you choose the model writing texts correctly, you can really get the kids engaged in the process and in how they can use this writing in real-world situations!

I agree, Laura. I think an occasional tight focus on one genre can help them grow leaps and bounds in the skills specific to that type of writing. Later, in less structured situations, they can then call on those skills when that kind of thinking is required.

This is really helpful! I used it today and put the recess article in a Google Doc and had the kids identify anecdotal, statistic, and ‘other’ types of evidence by highlighting them in three different colors. It worked well! Tomorrow we’ll discuss which of the different types of evidence are most convincing and why.

Love that, Shanna! Thanks for sharing that extra layer.

Greetings Ms. Gonzales. I was wondering if you had any ideas to help students develop the cons/against side of their argument within their writing? Please advise. Thanks.

Hi Michael,

Considering audience and counterarguments are an important part of the argumentative writing process. In the Argumentative Writing unit Jenn includes specific mini-lessons that teach kids how, when and where to include opposing views in their writing. In the meantime, here’s a video that might also be helpful.

Hi, Thank you very much for sharing your ideas. I want to share also the ideas in the article ‘Already Experts: Showing Students How Much They Know about Writing and Reading Arguments’ by Angela Petit and Edna Soto…they explain a really nice activity to introduce argumentative writing. I have applied it many times and my students not only love it but also display a very clear pattern as the results in the activity are quite similar every time. I hope you like it.

Lorena Perez

I’d like to thank you you for this excellence resource. It’s a wonderful addition to the informative content that Jennifer has shared.

What do you use for a prize?

I looked at the unit, and it looks and sounds great. The description says there are 4 topics. Can you tell me the topics before I purchase? We start argument in 5th grade, and I want to make sure the topics are different from those they’ve done the last 5 years before purchasing. Thanks!

Hi Carrie! If you go to the product page on TPT and open up the preview, you’ll see the four topics on the 4th page in more detail, but here they are: Social Networking in School (should social media sites be blocked in school?), Cell Phones in Class, Junk Food in School, and Single-Sex Education (i.e., genders separated). Does that help?

I teach 6th grade English in a single gendered (all-girls) class. We just finished an argument piece but I will definitely cycle back your ideas when we revisit argumentation. Thanks for the fabulous resources!

Glad to hear it, Madelyn!

I’m not a writing teacher and honestly haven’t been taught on how to teach writing. I’m a history teacher. I read this and found it helpful but have questions. First I noticed that amount of time dedicated to the task in terms of days. My questions are how long is a class period? I have my students for about 45 minutes. I also saw you mentioned in the part about self-paced learning that mini-lessons could be written or video format. I love these ideas. Any thoughts on how to do this with almost no technology in the room and low readers to non-readers? I’m trying to figure out how to balance teaching a content class while also teaching the common core skills. Thank you for any consideration to my questions.

Hey Jones, To me, a class period is anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour; definitely varies from school to school. As for the question about doing self-paced with very little tech? I think binders with written mini-lessons could work well, as well as a single computer station or tablet hooked up to a class set of videos. Obviously you’d need to be more diligent about rotating students in and out of these stations, but it’s an option at least. You might also give students access to the videos through computers in other locations at school (like the library) and give them passes to watch. The thing about self-paced learning, as you may have seen in the self-paced post , is that if students need extra teacher support (as you might find with low readers or non-readers), they would spend more one-on-one time with the teacher, while the higher-level students would be permitted to move more quickly on their own. Does that help?

My primary goal for next semester is to increase academic discussion and make connections from discussion to writing, so I love how you launch this unit with lessons like Philosophical Chairs. I am curious, however, what is the benefit of the informal argument before the not-so-informal argument? My students often struggle to listen to one another, so I’m wondering if I should start with the more formal, structured version. Or, am I overthinking the management? Thanks so much for input.

Yikes! So sorry your question slipped through, and we’re just now getting to this, Sarah. The main advantage of having kids first engage in informal debate is that it helps them get into an argumentative mindset and begin to appreciate the value of using research to support their claims. If you’ve purchased the unit, you can read more about this in the Overview.

My 6th graders are progressing through their argumentative essay. I’m providing mini lessons along the way that target where most students are in their essay. Your suggestions will be used. I’ve chosen to keep most writing in class and was happy to read that you scheduled a lot of class time for the writing. Students need to feel comfortable knowing that writing is a craft and needs to evolve over time. I think more will get done in class and it is especially important for the struggling writers to have peers and the teacher around while they write. Something that I had students do that they liked was to have them sit in like-topic groups to create a shared document where they curated information that MIGHT be helpful along the way. By the end of the essay, all will use a fantastic add-on called GradeProof which helps to eliminate most of the basic and silly errors that 6th graders make.

Debbi! I LOVE the idea of a shared, curated collection of resources! That is absolutely fantastic! Are you using a Google Doc for this? Other curation tools you might consider are Padlet and Elink .

thanks v much for all this information

Love this! What do you take as grades in the meantime? Throughout this 2 week stretch?

Ideally, you wouldn’t need to take grades at all, waiting until the final paper is done to give one grade. If your school requires more frequent grades, you could assign small point values for getting the incremental steps done: So in Step 3 (when students have to write a paragraph stating their point of view) you could take points for that. During the writer’s workshop phase, you might give points for completion of a rough draft and participation points for peer review (ideally, they’d get some kind of feedback on the quality of feedback they give to one another). Another option would be to just give a small, holistic grade for each week based on the overall integrity of their work–are they staying on task? Making small improvements to their writing each day? Taking advantage of the resources? If students are working diligently through the process, that should be enough. But again, the assessment (grades) should really come from that final written product, and if everyone is doing what they’re supposed to be doing during the workshop phase, most students should have pretty good scores on that final product. Does that help?

Awesome Step 2! Teaching mostly teenagers in Northern Australia I find students’ verbal arguments are much more finely honed than their written work.

To assist with “building the base” I’ve always found sentence starters an essential entry point for struggling students. We have started using the ‘PEARL’ method for analytical and persuasive writing.

If it helps here a free scaffold for the method:

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/FREE-Paragraph-Scaffold-PEEL-to-PEARL-3370676

Thanks again,

Thank you for sharing this additional resource! It’s excellent!

I’ve been scouring the interwebs looking for some real advice on how I can help my struggling 9th grader write better. I can write. Since it comes naturally for me, I have a hard time breaking it down into such tiny steps that he can begin to feel less overwhelmed. I LOVE the pre-writing ideas here. My son is a fabulous arguer. I need to help him use those powers for the good of his writing skills. Do you have a suggestion on what I else I can be using for my homeschooled son? Or what you may have that could work well for home use?

Hi Melinda,

You might be interested in taking a look at Jenn’s Argumentative Writing unit which she mentions at the end of the post . Hope this helps!

Mam it would be good if you could post some steps of different writing and some samples as well so it can be useful for the students.

Hi Aalia! My name is Holly, and I work as a Customer Experience Manager for Cult of Pedagogy. It just so happens that in the near future, Jenn is going to release a narrative writing unit, so keep an eye out for that! As far as samples, the argumentative writing unit has example essays included, and I’m sure the narrative unit will as well. But, to find the examples, you have to purchase the unit from Teachers Pay Teachers.

I just want to say that this helped me tremendously in teaching argument to 8th Graders this past school year, which is a huge concept on their state testing in April. I felt like they were very prepared, and they really enjoyed the verbal part of it, too! I have already implemented these methods into my unit plan for argument for my 11th grade class this year. Thank you so much for posting all of these things! : )

-Josee` Vaughn

I’m so glad to hear it, Josee!!

Love your blog! It is one of the best ones.

I am petrified of writing. I am teaching grade 8 in September and would love some suggestions as I start planning for the year. Thanks!

This is genius! I can’t wait to get started tomorrow teaching argument. It’s always something that I have struggled with, and I’ve been teaching for 18 years. I have a class of 31 students, mostly boys, several with IEPs. The self-paced mini-lessons will help tremendously.

So glad you liked it, Britney!

My students will begin the journey into persuasion and argument next week and your post cemented much of my thinking around how to facilitate the journey towards effective, enthusiastic argumentative writing.

I use your rubrics often to outline task expectations for my students and the feedback from them is how useful breaking every task into steps can be as they are learning new concepts.

Additionally, we made the leap into blogging as a grade at https://mrsdsroadrunners.edublogs.org/2019/01/04/your-future/ It feels much like trying to learn to change a tire while the car is speeding down the highway. Reading your posts over the past years was a factor in embracing the authentic audience. Thank You! Trish

I love reading and listening to your always helpful tips, tricks, and advice! I was wondering if you had any thoughts on creative and engaging ways to have students share their persuasive writing? My 6th students are just finishing up our persuasive writing where we read the book “Oh, Rats” by Albert Marrin and used the information gathered to craft a persuasive piece to either eliminate or protect rats and other than just reading their pieces to one another, I have been trying to think of more creative ways to share. I thought about having a debate but (un)fortunately all my kids are so sweet and are on the same side of the argument – Protect the Rats! Any ideas?

Hi Kiley! Thanks for the positive feedback! So glad to hear that you are finding value in Cult of Pedagogy! Here are a few suggestions that you may be interested in trying with your students:

-A gallery walk: Students could do this virtually if their writing is stored online or hard copies of their writing. Here are some different ways that you could use gallery walks: Enliven Class Discussions With Gallery Walks

-Students could give each other feedback using a tech tool like Flipgrid . You could assign students to small groups or give them accountability partners. In Flipgrid, you could have students sharing back and forth about their writing and their opinions.

I hope this helps!

I love the idea of mentor texts for all of these reading and writing concepts. I saw a great one on Twitter with one text and it demonstrated 5-6 reasons to start a paragraph, all in two pages of a book! Is there a location that would have suggestions/lists of mentor texts for these areas? Paragraphs, sentences, voice, persuasive writing, expository writing, etc. It seems like we could share this info, save each other some work, and curate a great collection of mentor text for English Language Arts teachers. Maybe it already exists?

Hi Maureen,

Here are some great resources that you may find helpful:

Craft Lessons Second Edition: Teaching Writing K-8 Write Like This: Teaching Real-World Writing Through Modeling and Mentor Texts and Mentor Texts, 2nd edition: Teaching Writing Through Children’s Literature, K-6

Thanks so much! I’ll definitely look into these.

I love the steps for planning an argumentative essay writing. When we return from Christmas break, we will begin starting a unit on argumentative writing. I will definitely use the steps. I especially love Step #2. As a 6th grade teacher, my students love to argue. This would set the stage of what argumentative essay involves. Thanks for sharing.

So glad to hear this, Gwen. Thanks for letting us know!

Great orientation, dear Jennifer. The step-by-step carefully planned pedagogical perspectives have surely added in the information repository of many.

Hi Jennifer,

I hope you are well. I apologise for the incorrect spelling in the previous post.

Thank you very much for introducing this effective instruction for teaching argumentative writing. I am the first year PhD student at Newcastle University, UK. My PhD research project aims to investigate teaching argumentative writing to Chinese university students. I am interested in the Argumentative Writing unit you have designed and would like to buy it. I would like to see the preview of this book before deciding to purchase it. I clicked on the image BUT the font of the preview is so small and cannot see the content clearly. I am wondering whether it could be possible for you to email me a detailed preview of what’s included. I would highly appreciate if you could help me with this.

Thank you very much in advance. Looking forward to your reply.

Take care and all the very best, Chang

Hi Chang! Jenn’s Argumentative Writing Unit is actually a teaching unit geared toward grades 7-12 with lessons, activities, etc. If you click here click here to view the actual product, you can click on the green ‘View Preview’ button to see a pretty detailed preview of what’s offered. Once you open the preview, there is the option to zoom in so you can see what the actual pages of the unit are like. I hope this helps!

Great Content!

Another teacher showed me one of your posts, and now I’ve read a dozen of them. With teaching students to argue, have you ever used the “What’s going on in this picture?” https://www.nytimes.com/column/learning-whats-going-on-in-this-picture?module=inline I used it last year and thought it was a non-threatening way to introduce learners to using evidence to be persuasive since there was no text.

I used to do something like this to help kids learn how to make inferences. Hadn’t thought of it from a persuasive standpoint. Interesting.

this is a very interesting topic, thanks!

Hi! I’m a teacher too! I was looking for inspiration and I found your article and thought you might find this online free tool interesting that helps make all students participate meaningfully and engage in a topic. https://www.kialo-edu.com/

This tool is great for student collaboration and to teach argumentative writing in an innovative way. I hope this helps!

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EL Education Curriculum

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• ELA 2019 G6:M3:U3

Literary Argument Writing: Gather Evidence and Reflect on Multiple Perspectives

In this unit, ccs standards, the four ts.

• Habits of Character

Unit-at-a-Glance

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• ELA 2019 Grade 6
• ELA 2019 G6:M3

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In Unit 3, students begin their work with literary argument essay writing. They apply the Painted Essay® structure to this new type of writing, evaluating how it changes when applied to writing a literary argument. As they have done previously, students deconstruct the model and complete a collaborative practice argument essay. In each lesson, students look at a discrete aspect of the argument essay model and practice using it in their own writing. In response to an open-ended prompt, they brainstorm possible reasons to support two different positions. They collect textual evidence for both sides of the argument and connect the evidence to the reasons with sound reasoning. Finally, students determine their strongest argument and make a claim. Using these skills practiced with a partner, students are then prepared to independently plan and draft an argument essay to answer the prompt: Should Cal return to Challagi Indian Industrial School?

After writing their essay for the mid-unit assessment, students are ready to move towards the culmination of the module, an audio museum exhibit featuring the voices of American Indian boarding school students. First, students will select a text (a poem, personal narrative, etc.) written by a survivor of the boarding schools, one that resonates with them personally. They respond to this reading by writing a preface to provide context and a reflection to explain why the text is meaningful. Using the recording application first introduced in Unit 2, students record themselves reading their preface, text, and reflection aloud using proper and respectful intonation, volume, and pacing. This recording will be used for both the performance task and the End of Unit 3 Assessment. Students record two versions of their performance task contribution and then reflect on and self-assess each for their volume, pronunciation and language use. Students use their observations about their first attempt to improve their performance on the second attempt. Finally, they listen to a peer’s second recording and reflect on and paraphrase the content and assess their peer’s volume, pronunciation, and language use in that second performance.

To showcase their recordings, the class prepares listening stations where guests of the audio museum can listen and learn about American Indian boarding schools. Learning from the module and the performance task synthesizes in a concluding whole class discussion about the importance of honoring diverse experiences and perspectives.

Please note: For the 6-8 Language Arts Curriculum, there are Teaching Notes for each unit that contain helpful information for supporting English language learners. These overview notes complement the more specific English language learner supports and differentiated materials within each lesson. You will find the Teaching Notes in the Unit download below.

Reading—Literary Text

• RL.6.1: Cite textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
• RL.6.3: Describe how a particular story's or drama's plot unfolds in a series of episodes as well as how the characters respond or change as the plot moves toward a resolution.
• RL.6.10: By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems, in the grades 6-8 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.

Reading—Informational Text

• RI.6.1: Cite textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
• RI.6.6: Determine an author's point of view or purpose in a text and explain how it is conveyed in the text.
• W.6.1: Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence.
• W.6.1a: Introduce claim(s) and organize the reasons and evidence clearly.
• W.6.1b: Support claim(s) with clear reasons and relevant evidence, using credible sources and demonstrating an understanding of the topic or text.
• W.6.1c: Use words, phrases, and clauses to clarify the relationships among claim(s) and reasons.
• W.6.1d: Establish and maintain a formal style.
• W.6.1e: Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from the argument presented.
• W.6.4: Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (Grade-specific expectations for writing types are defined in standards 1-3 above.)
• W.6.6: Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing as well as to interact and collaborate with others; demonstrate sufficient command of keyboarding skills to type a minimum of three pages in a single sitting.
• W.6.9a: Apply grade 6 Reading standards to literature (e.g., "Compare and contrast texts in different forms or genres [e.g., stories and poems; historical novels and fantasy stories] in terms of their approaches to similar themes and topics").
• W.6.10: 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.

Speaking and Listening

• SL.6.2: Interpret information presented in diverse media and formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) and explain how it contributes to a topic, text, or issue under study.
• SL.6.6: Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, demonstrating command of formal English when indicated or appropriate. (See grade 6 Language standards 1 and 3 for specific expectations.)
• L.6.1: Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.
• L.6.2: Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.
• L.6.3b: Maintain consistency in style and tone.
• L.6.6: Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general academic and domain-specific words and phrases; gather vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression.
• Topic:  American Indian boarding schools
• Write a literary argument essay (W.6.1, W.6.4, W.6.5, W.6.6, W.6.9a, W.6.10, L.6.2, L.6.3, L.6.6) about whether or not Cal should return to Challagi Indian Industrial School (RL.6.1, RL.6.3, RL.6.10), using reasons and evidence to defend a claim.
• Record a performance task contribution and then reflect on and self-assess for (W.6.10) volume, pronunciation and language use (SL.6.2, SL.6.6, L.6.6). Provide feedback on a peer's recording (RI.6.1, RI.6.6, W.6.10).
• Targets: RL.6.1, RL.6.3, RL.6.10, RI.6.1, RI.6.6, W.6.1, W.6.4, W.6.6, W.6.9a, W.6.10, SL.6.2, SL.6.6, L.6.2, L.6.3b, L.6.6 (optional L.6.1)
• Texts:   Two Roads by Joseph Bruchac

Each unit in the 6-8 Language Arts Curriculum has two standards-based assessments built in, one mid-unit assessment and one end of unit assessment. The module concludes with a performance task at the end of Unit 3 to synthesize students' understanding of what they accomplished through supported, standards-based writing.

Habits of Character/Social-Emotional Learning Focus

Central to the EL Education curriculum is a focus on "habits of character" and social-emotional learning. Students work to become effective learners, developing mindsets and skills for success in college, career, and life (e.g., initiative, responsibility, perseverance, collaboration); work to become ethical people, treating others well and standing up for what is right (e.g., empathy, integrity, respect, compassion); and work to contribute to a better world, putting their learning to use to improve communities (e.g., citizenship, service).

Students focus on becoming effective learners by persevering as they read and analyze a model essay, then collaborate with a peer to plan and draft an essay as practice for the assessment. They contribute to a better world, using their strengths when working with a partner to give and receive feedback on their recordings.

Most importantly, students work to become ethical people by showing respect and compassion when they listen to and reflect upon the recordings of their classmates during the audio museum. Through this performance task, students contribute to a better world by acting as witnesses to this time period, highlighting the experiences and amplifying the voices of American Indian boarding school students.

Each unit is made up of a sequence of between 10-18 lessons. The Unit-at-a-Glance charts, available on the grade-level landing pages, break down each unit's lessons, showing CCS standards, agenda breakdown, daily learning targets, and ongoing assessments. The charts also indicate which lessons include mid- and end of unit assessments and the performance task.

View the unit-at-a-glance chart

Texts and resources that need to be procured. Please download the Required Trade Books and Resources Procurement List for procurement guidance.

See full list of texts, including recommended texts

Review the Argument Writing checklist and Model Literary Argument Essay to become familiar with what students will be required to do in this unit (see Lesson 1 supporting materials).

Determine if students will be allowed to type their literary argument essays, and arrange the necessary devices for them to do so.

Considerations for the Performance Task:

• Preread the personal narratives provided for students to use as their End of Unit 3 Speaking and Listening Assessment (see Lesson 12). Consider adding more options to the list (i.e., adding excerpts from the Independent Research Reading text list.)
• Determine what technology is needed for students to record their readings. Preview audio recording tools, such as http://eled.org/0180 or http://eled.org/0211 .
• Gather equipment needed to set up recording stations for each student for use during the End of Unit 3 Assessment.
• Determine how visitors to the audio museum will listen to the recordings. Preview a QR code generator site such as http://eled.org/0212 if planning to use codes to link to audio files.
• Plan ahead for the performance task; secure a location to set up the audio museum and invite guests from the community, offering specific details about the event.
• Create a model of the types of visuals one might display at their listening station, such as images of the boarding schools or of the author of the text chosen to be recorded.

The following material is introduced in this unit and referenced throughout both the module and the school year:

• Characteristics of Effective Argument Writing anchor chart

ELA 2019 G6:M3:U3:L1

Analyze a model literary argument essay, ela 2019 g6:m3:u3:l2, gather evidence and plan collaborative literary argument essay, ela 2019 g6:m3:u3:l3, collaborative literary argument essay: analyze a model and draft an introduction, ela 2019 g6:m3:u3:l4, collaborative literary argument essay: analyze a model and draft proof paragraph 1, ela 2019 g6:m3:u3:l5, collaborative literary argument essay: analyze a model and draft proof paragraph 2, ela 2019 g6:m3:u3:l6, collaborative literary argument essay: analyze a model and draft conclusion, ela 2019 g6:m3:u3:l7, gather evidence and plan independent literary argument essay, ela 2019 g6:m3:u3:l8, mid-unit 3 assessment: write a literary argument essay (lessons 8-9), ela 2019 g6:m3:u3:l10, prepare for performance task: analyze a model and select a text, ela 2019 g6:m3:u3:l11, plan performance task: audio museum, ela 2019 g6:m3:u3:l12, end of unit 3 assessment: rehearse and refine performance task recording, ela 2019 g6:m3:u3:l13, participate in performance task: audio museum.

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Home » Tips for Teachers » The 9 Best Creative and Argumentative Writing Prompts for 6th Grade

The 9 Best Creative and Argumentative Writing Prompts for 6th Grade

Keeping middle schoolers excited about writing is important. Writing is such an essential skill that students will need as they complete their education and move on to finding a real job.Many middle school-age students, however, often begin seeing writing as something that isn’t fun or worthwhile. Other students get discouraged about their abilities as a writer and may stop trying their best.

Finding the best writing prompts for 6th grade is so important in keeping students excited and writing and seeing it as something that is worth their time.A few years ago, I took a job as a 6th grade writing teacher. I almost immediately noticed that many of my students seemed bored with writing, while others seemed to shut down when asked to write.I searched and found some engaging writing prompts that sparked my students’ interest. What a difference it made! Students that claimed writing was ‘useless’ were now engaged and sharing their work with others!

I’d love to help you bring about this change in your students, too! Continue reading, and I’ll share:

• The 6th grade writing standards →
• Advantages of using writing prompts with your lessons →
• My favorite creative writing prompts for 6th grade →
• My favorite argumentative writing prompts for 6th grade →

5 Creative Writing Prompts for 6th Grade

Providing students with opportunities for creative writing is important. Creative writing can help students process their emotions, build their confidence, express their individuality, and increase their imagination.

Below are some of my favorite creative writing prompts for 6th grade.  You can use document cameras in order to follow your student’s writing.

Prompt: When you become disappointed, what do you do to manage your emotions?

Before having students begin writing, brainstorm some possible reactions as a class. These may include crying, breathing deeply, counting to 10, taking a break/removing oneself from the situation. After brainstorming, have students select the strategy (or strategies) that best describe their reactions and write about what they do.

2. Flying Superpower

Prompt: One morning, you wake up and realize that you are suddenly able to fly. What adventures would you like to go on?

This writing prompt will really tap into students’ creativity and imagination. Since flying is something they clearly have never done, they will have to think about all the things that would be possible and choose a few to write about.

3. Letter to Future Self

Prompt: Write a letter to your future self. What would you want yourself to know?

Tell students that they will be writing a letter to themselves to read when they are older. You can either pick an age/milestone (graduating from college, getting their first job, having children, etc.), or allow students to pick. Ask students to think about what they believe would be important to know at that juncture in their life and include it in their letter.

You could also modify this by having students write a letter to their past selves. What would they have wanted to know at the beginning of the school year, before they lost their first tooth, or before they even learned how to walk?

4. No Internet for a Month

Prompt: If there was no internet available for a month, what would you do?

This could be a fun one to do with middle schoolers who are so dependent on technology and the internet. Before students begin writing, get them to brainstorm a list of all the ways their lives are dependent on the internet.

Encourage them to think beyond the ‘obvious’ online game play and video streaming to consider other impacts such as ordering items online or communicating via email with friends and family.

5. Genie in a Bottle

Prompt: You released a genie from her magic bottle, and she said she would give you any talent that you ask for. What talent would you want and why?

This is another great creative writing prompt for sixth graders. They’ll have fun thinking about a talent they would like and what they would like to do with that talent.

4 Argumentative Writing Prompts for 6th Grade

Argumentative writing is another important skill for students to practice and develop. With argumentative writing, students must decide their opinion or position related to an issue and provide reasons that support their position. These reasons should be evidenced based, so research to find the support is often required.

You’ll find some of my favorite argumentative writing prompts to use with 6th grade students below.

Prompt: Which animal makes the best pet? Support your opinion with facts and examples.

I like this writing prompt for introducing students to argumentative writing. The topic of pets is something all students are familiar with, even if they don’t personally own a pet.

You can also use this topic to introduce students to providence factual reasons, versus opinions, to support their answers. For example, if students want to say that a cat is the best pet, a factual reason can’t be that cats are cute. However, they could say something like cats are the best pet because they do not have to be taken outside to go to the bathroom on a cold or rainy day.

2. Teaching Math in School

Prompt: Is it necessary to teach math in school? Why or why not?

I liked using this writing prompt with my 6th graders. Before I had students start, I took an initial poll by having the students raise their hands. Not surprisingly, a fair number of hands went up to vote against teaching math in school.

However, after we discussed the pros and cons of eliminating math instruction and students had to make their final decision before starting on their prompt, a lot of students changed their minds. It was encouraging to see them looking at the stronger reasons for leaving math in the curriculum and letting them outweigh their desire for ‘easier’ school.

3. Screen Time Limits

Prompt: Should parents place limits on how much screen time their children can have? Why or why not?

However, once they start thinking about reasons to limit screen time and examine evidence showing the impact of too much screen time on children, they may change their mind.

4. Conserving Energy

Prompt: What is the most important thing all households should be doing to conserve energy?

This writing prompt can pair nicely with a science unit on energy conservation. Clearly, there are a number of things that families can do to reduce their environmental impact.

However, for this writing prompt, students must decide which one thing is the most important and provide evidence to support their opinion.

Writing Standards for 6th Grade

Sixth graders will continue to build on the knowledge and skills they learned in elementary school. As the first of the middle school years, the writing expectations for sixth grade will be greater than those during the elementary school years.

Sixth grade is a critical year for students in regards to writing and other subject matters. They are transitioning from elementary school to the upper grades and will need the right supports to help them master the grade-level standards.

Below is an overview of the writing standards for 6th grade related to the writing process, writing purposes, writing evaluation, conventions, and research and inquiry.

Writing Process

Students should receive instruction and practice on each stage of the writing process. They should independently implement each of the stages when producing their own written work.

The stages of the writing process that sixth graders are expected to know and use include:

Writing Purposes

Sixth graders should be composing texts for a variety of purposes and intents. Many of these texts should be at least 500 to 700 words long.

Some of the different forms/intents that students should be writing about in sixth grade include:

• Research Reports
• Responses to Literature

Writing Evaluation

In sixth grade, students should practice evaluating and giving constructive feedback for another student’s wiring.

They should also begin evaluating their own work and identify their strengths and weaknesses as a writer. Then, they should use this information to set persona writing goals for improving their work.

Conventions

Below are some of the key convention skills that sixth graders should be proficient with:

• Sentence structure
• Capitalization
• Punctuation
• Cursive or manuscript

Research and Inquiry

Research and inquiry is another important standard for sixth graders to show proficiency with. By the end of the year, students should be able to:

• Compile information from multiple sources to complete a report
• Use graphic organizer to show prior knowledge about a subject
• Create a plan for research and take notes about a topic
• Create appropriate questions to research
• Choose appropriate and authoritative sources
• Locate relevant information from resources
• Summarize the information found from various sources
• Document and cite sources
• Understand and articulate the importance of avoiding plagiarism

Advantages of Writing Prompts at the Lessons

You may be wondering why you should use writing prompts with your sixth graders. There actually are a number of benefits associated with using writing prompts, some of which may surprise you.

A few of the benefits of using writing prompts during your writing instruction include:

• The ability to focus student writing on a specific form of writing (informative, narrative, expository, etc.).
• Giving students the opportunity to practice writing and strengthen their skills as a writer.
• Presenting students with engaging tasks and assignments.
• Helping us as teachers come up with new ideas to get our students interested and engaged.
• You can find many writing prompts online for free, which is always a benefit when you are a teacher.

Got to sub in 6th grade today, the predictions were coming fast and furious for today’s writing prompt. Got to love engaged students! pic.twitter.com/nBfzMxxP0T — Nick Jurrens (@NickJurrens) February 20, 2021

• Grades 6-12
• School Leaders

FREE Poetry Worksheet Bundle! Perfect for National Poetry Month.

100 Thought-Provoking Argumentative Writing Prompts for Kids and Teens

Practice making well-reasoned arguments using research and facts.

Writing a strong argumentative essay teaches students to make a case for their own point of view without relying on emotion or passion. These argumentative essay topics provide options for kids of all ages, including controversial subjects and some that are just for fun.

School and Education Argumentative Essay Topics

Science and history argumentative essay topics, life and ethics argumentative essay topics, social justice and civics argumentative essay topics, more argumentative essay topics, what’s the difference between argumentative and persuasive essays.

These two types of essays are similar, but there are some subtle and important differences .

• Author’s purpose: In an argumentative essay, your job is to simply convince the reader that the point of view you’re presenting is valid, even if it doesn’t change their mind. Persuasive essays seek to sway the reader to adopt your point of view over any others.
• Method: Argumentative essays rely heavily on well-researched facts and logical assertions. In a persuasive essay, the writer may use a blend of emotion and facts to win over the reader.
• Audience: Persuasive essays require a specific audience, since the writer must acknowledge and attempt to overcome their potential objections. The writer of an argumentative essay is simply making a statement, so knowing their audience is less important.
• Viewpoint: A persuasive essay writer should believe their point of view is the only correct one, and try to persuade the reader to agree. Argumentative essays acknowledge other points of view, but use reason and logic to argue that the writer’s point of view is best.

Persuasive and argumentative essay topics often overlap. The difference is in how the writer approaches the topic. When you assign one of the topics below as an argumentative essay, remind students to use research, reason, and logic to make a strong but dispassionate argument.

• Should physical education be part of the standard high school curriculum?
• Schools should require recommended vaccines for all students, with very limited exceptions.
• Should all students have the ability to attend college for free?
• What one class should all high schools students be required to take and pass in order to graduate?

• Do you think homework should be required, optional, or not given at all?
• Students should/should not be able to use their phones during the school day.
• Should schools have dress codes?
• If I could change one school rule, it would be …
• Is year-round school a good idea?
• Which is better, private schools or public schools?
• Should every student have to participate in athletics?
• Do you think schools should ban junk food from their cafeterias?
• Should students be required to volunteer in their communities?
• What is the most important school subject?
• Are letter grades helpful, or should we replace them with something else?

• Should schools be allowed to ban some books from their libraries?
• Which is better, book smarts or street smarts?
• Are single-gender schools better or worse for students?
• Are computers making teachers obsolete?
• Students who fail a test should be given a chance to take it again.
• Is it acceptable to use animals for experiments and research?
• Vaping is less harmful than smoking tobacco.
• Do we really learn anything from history, or does it just repeat itself over and over?
• Is it OK to keep animals in zoos?
• Should we ban plastic bags and bottles?
• Should we still consider Pluto a planet?

• It’s important to spend tax dollars exploring space, instead of on other things.
• Is there life on other planets?
• Who was the best/worst American president?
• Should vaccines be mandatory?
• Are GMOs more helpful than harmful?
• Is animal cloning ethical?
• Should human cloning be legal?
• Should we use stem cells from human embryos for scientific research?
• Is it better to provide drug addicts with treatment instead of punishment?

• Should we ban the use of fossil fuels?
• Can we truly do anything about human-caused global warming?
• Are electric vehicles better than gas-powered ones?
• Was life really better “back in the day”?
• Choose a foreign conflict (e.g., Vietnam or Afghanistan) and argue whether or not the United States was justified in getting involved.
• The most important challenge our country is currently facing is … (e.g., immigration, gun control, economy)
• Does social media do more harm than good?
• The best country in the world is …
• Are men and women treated equally?
• Is it better to be vegetarian/vegan than to eat meat?
• Should little kids be allowed to play competitive sports?
• Who faces more peer pressure, girls or boys?
• Should kids have set bedtimes or just go to bed whenever they’re sleepy?

• Which is better, artificial Christmas trees or real ones?
• Playing violent video games is bad for kids and teens.
• Parents should track their kids using their cell phones.
• Are paper books better than e-books?
• All kids should play on the same sports teams, regardless of gender.
• All paper documents should be replaced with electronic versions.
• Is conflict necessary for change?
• Is war ever justified?
• A strong middle class is vital to the economy.

• Is the local minimum wage truly a living wage?
• Should we do away with gender-specific public bathrooms?
• Is a progressive income tax better than a flat tax?
• Capital punishment does/does not deter crime.
• Would it be better to legalize, tax, and regulate all drugs (including alcohol and cigarettes) instead of banning them?
• Parents should be punished for their minor children’s crimes.

• The government should provide free internet access for every citizen.
• Is democracy the best form of government?
• Is capitalism the best form of economy?
• Should all Americans be required to vote?
• Should we change the minimum driving age in the United States?
• Do you think the government should find a way to provide free health care for everyone?
• School-age children should be allowed to vote.
• We should/should not abolish the electoral college.
• Are “Stand Your Ground” laws effective?
• Supreme Court judges should be appointed for fixed terms.

• Does segregation still exist in the United States?
• We should/should not continue building a wall between the United States and Mexico.
• Will stricter gun control laws help control mass shootings?
• Should we make the path to American citizenship easier?
• Is the American justice system inherently racist?
• Should we redirect some or all police force funding to social services?
• Should the United States implement a universal basic income?
• Choose a fictional character and explain why they should be the next president.
• What animal makes the best pet?
• Who is the world’s best athlete, present or past?
• Which is better, reading books or watching TV?
• Is a taco a sandwich?
• Should kids be allowed to stay up as late as they want?

• What’s the best video game system?
• Kids shouldn’t have to go to school on their birthdays.
• Is video gaming a sport?
• Are beauty pageants sexist?
• Should kids get participation trophies for sports?
• Are stereotypes ever right?
• Is there any benefit to teaching proper grammar and spelling, or should we allow language to be descriptive instead of prescriptive?
• All teenagers should have part-time jobs.
• Should kids have limits on screen time?
• Is it better to read fiction or nonfiction?
• Should kids have to eat everything on their plate, even if they really don’t like something?

• Is it better to spend an hour a day reading or exercising?
• Is graffiti an act of vandalism or an art form?
• Should society hold celebrities to a high moral standard?

What are your favorite argumentative writing prompts? Come share your thoughts in the WeAreTeachers HELPLINE group on Facebook .

Also check out 100 intriguing cause and effect essay topics for students ..

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35 Thought-Provoking Persuasive Writing Prompts For 6th Graders

Looking for a solid persuasive essay topic for your 6th grader?

The below post contains tons of great ideas that will get your 6th-grade students thinking, researching, debating, and writing!

I’m not talking about simple opinion writing topics – like their favorite food, favorite book, or how much money they should get for an allowance.

That is the the thing that my 3rd grade student would delight in arguing. 

No, sixth graders are ready for more meaty topics that require a bit of research and thought. The more they dig into the topic and refine their point of view, the more they will sharpen their critical thinking and writing skills!

Don’t miss the free pdf printable at the bottom of this page with all of the ideas in one place!

Persuasive Writing Prompts For The 6th Grade Student

1. Is a dress code ever necessary?

In this prompt, students will be asked to take a stance on whether or not they think there is ever a time to enforce a dress code. Are there times when someone should be told how to dress? Such as a school dress code or wedding? Or should people be allowed to dress in any way that expresses themselves or their personality? 

2. Should recycling be mandatory instead of suggested?

Students will be asked to consider whether the government should be more aggressive about recycling. They will  be working with the concepts of the benefits of recycling vs. the freedoms of people.

3. Should  vending machines ban junk food?

6th grade students will be asked to argue for or against the ban of junk food in vending machines. Vending machines are often used by people who are hungry and in a hurry. The vending options are usually less than healthy. Should vending machine owners be required to provide better choices? Or should they be allowed to stock their machines as they see fit?

4. Is it okay to keep exotic animals as pets?

This persuasive topic will have students take a stance on whether or not it is a good idea to keep exotic animals as pets. They will need to consider the benefits and drawbacks of keeping exotic pets and present a strong argument for their position. Make sure the student has a good understanding of the topic and the different types and sizes of animals that some people keep as pets.

5. Should the federal government impose a tax on sugary drinks?

In this prompt, students will be asked to argue for or against a government tax on sugary drinks – similar to the tax on cigarettes. They will need to consider the potential benefits of such a tax. What would the tax money be spent on? Or should people be free to drink any kind of beverage they wish, no matter how healthy or unhealthy? 

6. Should life skills be a greater focus for education?

In this prompt, students will be asked to take a stance on what should be taught in school. Should the schools be doubling down on the basics of reading, writing, and math since test scores have dipped? Or should schools start allotting more time for important life skills, like time management, personal finance, and cooking, which are things many young adults struggle with.

7. Should there be age limits to use social media? 

Students will list specific reasons why there should or should not be age restrictions for facebook pages and other forms of social media.

8. Is it important to save endangered species?

Students will be asked argue why enndangered animals should or should not be protected. They may be quick to make up their mind, but make sure they do research and find factual reasons that support their opinions.

9. Should video games be considered a sport?

Even though video games do not require the physical activity of traditional sports, does it still require focus, skill, and grit that would make it a modern sport? Or should that title only be awarded to an activity that requires you to sweat?

10. Should there be a ban on plastic bags?

Everyone knows plastic bags are bad for the environment, but should they be banned? What would the alternative be? 

11. Is it necessary to have physical books anymore?

In the age of digital everything, are paper books still necessary? College students are already buying digital books instead of expensive physical ones. What benefits would come from doing away with paper books? What drawbacks would there be for those without a computer or solid internet?

12. Is it important to teach physical education in schools?

What is the goal of physical education? Does it have a place in the academic environment of education? Should those things be taught at home or on a sports team instead of during school hours? Shouldn’t physical activity be optional? Or is PE a vital piece of knowledge for a well-rounded education?

13. Should zoos be banned?

Do zoos raise money and awareness for animal conservation…or do they imprison animals for a lifetime that should be free and in the wild?

14. Should recess be scheduled for all kids in school? Even high school students?

What are the benefits of taking an outside break with fresh air for students? Are other subjects too important to sacrifice the time? Could older students be more productive with some sunshine and fresh air during the day?

15. If a student has good grades all school year, should they still have to take standardized tests?

If a student has shown that they are learning and progressing academically, should they have to take a long standardized test? Are there other reasons to take these tests? 

16. Is hunting cruel to animals?

Most people buy their meat at grocery stores these days, so is there really any reason to still hunt animals? Does harvesting animals keep humans safe? Or does it make sport of animal lives?

17. Should gas powered cars be outlawed?

Fossil fuels are wreaking havoc on the planet, so should gasoline powered vehicles become illegal? Are electric cars a better option? Do electric cars have any drawbacks? 

18. Is a rewards program or discipline more effective to motivate students?

What incentivizes kids to dive into their work, when maybe they don’t want to? Is it a really strong rewards program that will motivate them to finish a difficult task? Or fear of a consequence if they don’t complete their work?

19. Should the United States require military service for men and women, like other countries do?

Many countries require their population to do some form of federal service. America has a draft registration for men, but not for women. Should both genders be required to serve our country? Would it strengthen our nation and our people to have a common experience with service? Or is it unfair to require people to pause their lives for 2 years during the prime of their youth?

20. Should healthcare be free for everybody?

Is it a human right to get healthcare for free? If the patient doesn’t pay, then who should pay for the treatment? What benefits and/or consequences could come from reshaping our healthcare system?

21. Should candy purchases be limited based on how many cavities you have?

Dental health is very serious. Should a kid’s candy be rationed based on their dental records? The more cavities, the less candy you can have – and vice versa?

22. Is it appropriate to let kids work at younger ages, like 10 or 12, if they can do the job?

Many kids today have a strong desire to work, make money, and be successful. We have child labor laws in place to protect kids, but could that be holding them back? If they can do a job, should they be allowed to be hired? Or would that be robbing a kid of their right to a carefree childhood?

23. Should foreign language be required in school or should it be one of the elective courses?

English is spoken nearly worldwide, as it is taught in many countries around the world. What benefits come from learning another language? Should students be able to choose another elective if they don’t want to learn a new language? Or should American children try harder to be multilingual?

24. Should students be allowed to use their cell phones during tests?

You cannot get away from cell phones these days. Even small children have them! They will be a readily available resource in most work places, so shouldn’t they be allowed during tests? Or are memorization and internalization of information important skills for students to learn?

25. Should plastic water bottles be banned?

Plastic water bottles are a huge problem in our environment. Should we outlaw them to help the Earth? What kind of things are one-use water bottles used for that might be important? 

26. Is it more important to continue exploration of space or the ocean?

Many wonderful advancements and knowledge have come from space exploration, but we know precious little about our ocean which covers 2/3 of the planet. Should governments be investing money into finding what lies beneath the surface instead of what’s above our heads?

27. Should reading an analog clock still be taught in school?

Digital clocks are everywhere – on your phone, stove, microwave, computer, cable box. Do you really need to learn how an analog clock works anymore? Are there times that digital clocks may not be available? Or are they becoming as archaic as a sundial?

28. Is learning  proper handwriting or fast typing more important in today’s world?

Many have stopped learning cursive handwriting, so should schools also stop focusing so much on print handwriting? Should kids be spending that time learning how to type on a keyboard instead? 

29. Should the voting age be lowered so elementary school students can vote?

Kids today are developing opinions and beliefs at younger ages and want to be heard. Should we lower the voting age so that children can make more of a difference? Or are most children not quite ready to handle the responsibility of voting?

30. Should AI be allowed in writing school papers if calculators are allowed in math?

Many teachers are concerned about how to tell the difference between an AI-written essay and one written by a student. Should that be a concern? If math allows calculators, can’t English classes allow help from another form of artificial intelligence? What drawback could come from not expecting kids to write their own essays?

31. Are cell phones good or bad for your health?

Cell phones are common around the world now, but are they good for us? How do they benefit our health? How might they hurt our overall health?

32. Should bees become a protected species?

Many scientists have expressed concern about the dwindling number of bees. Should these important pollinators become a protected species like the bald eagle? Or is it unreasonable to expect a person not to kill a bee that is buzzing around them?

33. Is it ever appropriate to ban a book?

Many heated discussions have come up recently about banning books. Is there ever a time that certain books should be kept from kids – like an R rating on a movie? Or should kids be allowed to read whatever they are interested in? Should offensive content be censored or should it be learned from?

34. Should community service be required for kids, middle schoolers and up?

What good could come of requiring community service from children? Or should people only serve because they genuinely want to help their community?

35. Is reading or math more important in today’s world?

Which is a more crucial skill to master? Should kids be focused on reading at the highest levels? Or should they be focused on learning the language of math at the highest levels?

Click Here To Download A One Page PDF Printable Of All The Argumentative Essay Topics

The above text link will take you to a new window where you can download and print the topics today. No email required! Terms of Use : Homeschool, classroom, co-op, and personal use only.

These essay topics will go along with any persuasive writing unit in your  writing curriculum ! Let your student go through the list and find the one that really gets them excited.

If you’re looking for more fun writing prompts, be sure to check out the picture writing prompts below. There are 40 images with corresponding text that will get your kid excited to write!

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argumentative writing 6th grade

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6th grade writing

by: Hank Pellissier | Updated: August 4, 2022

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This year, your sixth grader should learn to use precise language, the right pronouns, and high-quality sources for research. Public presentations are also a nerve-wracking but important skill highlighted this year. Read on to learn the key sixth grade writing skills your child should learn this year.

Introducing argument writing

Developmentally, sixth graders are entering a rebellious phase. Luckily, all this attitude has an academic outlet: argument writing . Your tween will write persuasive essays that promote their bold opinions with organized logic, backed by evidence from carefully researched, respectable sources. ( Wikipedia , The Onion , and National Enquirer won’t qualify, but Wikipedia does often link to sources at the bottom of their entries that may be acceptable.)

Your 11- or 12-year-old will also write formal essays that explain complicated topics with precise information. They’ll start with intriguing introductions, and then present their research in a clear, organized way. They will use quotes, facts, definitions, compare-and-contrast statements, cause-and-effect statements, graphics (e.g., charts, graphs), subject-specific vocabulary, and multimedia. It will all be formatted (e.g., using headings, subheadings, and bullet points), to make their points clear. They’ll end with concluding paragraphs that recap their main points.

“ To put it another way, Mommy, there is compelling evidence that I need another scoop of ice cream. ” This grown-up language sounds amusingly hoity-toity in squeaky voices, but don’t laugh when your child attempts it in daily conversation. Indeed, it is good practice for their writing.

Incredibly, what happened next was..

Storytelling is a fun part of sixth grade writing. This year, kids practice narrative writing in fiction and nonfiction papers. They learn effective ways to select their narrator, characters, setting, dialogue, descriptions, and conclusion. They work to make plot sequences seem natural. To really make their stories sing, kids should use specific details, precise language, and transition vocabulary (think: After nightfall or When she awoke ) that guides readers from one setting or plot point to another. Don’t be surprised if your shy bookworm starts writing a trilogy.

If at first you don’t succeed

Grit. Determination. Perseverance. Ernest Hemingway rewrote the last page of one of his novels 39 times. Rewriting and editing both teach kids discipline and determination. They are required to plan before they write, and then plan some more as their draft develops. They’re encouraged to outline before they start writing. They draft and redraft. They will revise certain parts and maybe restructure their entire paper. Then they will edit, possibly rewrite, and re-edit. At every turn, they’re encouraged to try new approaches. This isn’t obsessive redundancy; it helps students practice thinking about what they’re really, truly trying to say and then use their writing skills to convey their thoughts clearly and exactly.

Command of the keyboard

Writing nowadays often means typing . Sixth graders accelerate their hand-eye coordination as they evolve from hunt-and-peck slowness to rat-tat-tat-tat-tatting at a furious pace. The goal is for sixth graders to be able to sit and type three pages in a single sitting. Additionally, kids are taught online interaction and collaboration (e.g., emailing their work to each other, sharing Google docs, and adding suggestions and comments to each other’s work).

My research reveals…

Sixth graders get writing assignments that require research. To answer questions like What famous historical character do you admire? What’s your favorite invention? What endangered species do you worry about the most? , your young detective will read thick reference books and print periodicals at the library and digital data online (yes, often via Google). Students learn to evaluate the credibility of sources . Is National Lampoon as legitimate as Encyclopedia Britannica ? No. Using evidence, they compile information to write reports. They’ll learn to paraphrase what they’ve read, synthesize new thoughts, and use quotations to share information without plagiarizing.

Novel approach

Is Harry Potter more emotionally conflicted than Katniss Everdeen? Sixth graders sharpen their critical thinking skills by doing literary analysis. They’ll analyze poems, stories, historical novels, and nonfiction books. Kids learn to compare and contrast topics and themes. They’ll do this, for example, by discussing the consequences of prejudice in Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry and in Harriet Tubman: Conductor on the Underground Railroad or by explaining how nature directs the plots of The Secret Garden and The Island of the Blue Dolphin . In nonfiction, sixth graders learn to divide an author’s statements into facts supported by evidence versus opinions. For example, was the Great Houdini truly “the world’s greatest magician” or is this an opinion? After all, David Copperfield walked through the Great Wall of China.

Pronouns: not just me-me-me all the time

Grammar isn’t easy, especially for 11- and 12-year-olds. Pronoun usage can be particularly tough. Kids learn about proper pronoun case . What’s that? Subjective case refers to pronouns used as subjects (I, you, he, she, it, we, they). Objective case indicates pronouns used as objects (me, you, him, her, it, us, they). Possessive case conveys ownership (my, mine, your, yours, his, her, hers, its, our, ours, their, theirs). Using pronouns incorrectly can leave the writer (or speaker) looking unintelligent. For example, Us and her carried apples over to yous big barn is neither proper nor pretty.

Mistakes in pronoun person are common among this age group. To correct this, your child needs to loyally stick with the “person” they started with. No switching from first person (I or me) to second person (you), or vice-versa: When I go to school, you should have your homework done, or When you go to school, a person should have his homework done . (Hint, that second example goes from second person to third person.) Both switches are incorrect and can create confusion.

Pronoun number is also crucial. If the subject indicates a plural quantity, the related possessive pronoun needs the identical number. Here’s an example of this common error: All of the school girls took her umbrella. (It should be their umbrellas) . Vague pronouns are also a no-no. Take the sentence: Alice put a vase with a red rose on the desk, and sold it. What was sold: the vase, the rose, or the desk? We don’t know because it, used here, is too vague.

Sentences, spelling, punctuation

Sixth grade writing raises the bar when it comes to sentence structure. Kids are expected to vary their sentences by alternating the length and structure to keep their writing interesting.

When it comes to spelling, many sixth graders know that spelling rules in English are finicky and have many exceptions. Kids learn to spell odd English words correctly, with silent letters ( island, crumb ) and bizarre combo consonants ( cough, pheasant ). As such, spelling is best learned through practice and, eventually, by memorizing. If your child gets frustrated spelling words like climb or plumbing , let them know that Theodore Roosevelt, Andrew Carnegie, and a committee of concerned citizens tried to simplify English spelling more than a century ago — sadly, to no avail.

Finally, as their writing becomes more advanced, sixth graders tend to use commas, parentheses, and dashes to set apart phrases and clauses. You can help by reviewing these sentences and making sure the punctuation is placed correctly.

It’s all about presentations

In sixth grade, kids will read their writing aloud to classmates. As they read, they’ll be expected to make eye contact, pronounce their words clearly, and speak loudly enough to be heard by the entire class. They’ll share their arguments, research papers, projects, and literary efforts, which will often be accompanied by visual displays, music, audio, charts, and slides. Your child may be nervous before these presentations, but hopefully your child will be empowered by the experience.

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Common Core State Standards Initiative

English Language Arts Standards » Writing » Grade 6

Standards in this strand:, text types and purposes:, production and distribution of writing:, research to build and present knowledge:, range of writing:.

• Key Design Consideration
• Students Who are College and Career Ready in Reading, Writing, Speaking, Listening, & Language
• How to Read the Standards
• College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards for Reading
• College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards for Writing
• College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards for Speaking and Listening
• College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards for Language
• Introduction for K-5
• Kindergarten
• Introduction for 6-12
• Grade 11-12
• Introduction
• Language Progressive Skills
• Measuring Text Complexity: Three Factors
• Range of Text Types for K-5
• Texts Illustrating the Complexity, Quality, & Range of Student Reading K-5
• Staying on Topic Within a Grade & Across Grades
• Range of Text Types for 6-12
• Texts Illustrating the Complexity, Quality, & Range of Student Reading 6-12
• English Language Arts Appendix A
• English Language Arts Appendix B
• English Language Arts Appendix C