Teaching Argument Writing with Frankenstories

Your first question is, do you want students to practice a whole argument or a specific component?

Whole argument games

Whole-argument games let you practice the reasoning and structure for one argument type.

They work well when you limit each round to 1-2 components. This keeps players coordinated.

A typical 5-round argument prompt is structured like this:

• R1 Issue & claim
• R2 Reason & evidence 1
• R3 Reason & evidence 2
• R4 Rebuttal
• R5 Conclusion

This format focuses on the most commonly-used components and gives students enough space to develop each one appropriately.

Example: Why TUFF-brand Super Bollards are worth the wait, and the weight

Component games

Component games let you practice one component by looking at it through multiple types.

Rather than constructing an argument, players write different types of issues, claims, evidence, and so on.

These games are like brainstorming, so there is no need for cohesion between rounds.

Example: Boxing World; Christmas 2023 Edition. Table of Contents:

Choosing argument types

Whether you play a whole-argument or component game, you need to decide whether you want students to practice a specific argument type or leave it open.

We recommend practising specific argument types before moving to open games.

The Argument Structure prompt guide provides a good introductory sequence:

• Whole argument prompts specify the main claim's argument type.
• Component prompts specify a different argument type each round.