Teaching Argument Writing with Frankenstories

That's it! We're done with argument structure!

We hope that was helpful. If you want to go deeper, there are some further reading links below.

If you have any feedback or requests, let us know.

Otherwise, have fun making zany (or sincere!) arguments in Frankenstories and beyond!

Further reading

Writing Arguments: A Rhetoric with Readings by John D. Ramage, John C. Bean, & June Johnson

Much of the content in this lesson is based on this textbook. Highly recommended.

Teaching Argument Writing, Grades 6-12 by George Hillocks Jr

Another great book, but more modest in scope.

Unlike Ramage et al., Hillocks writes for middle and senior school teachers. We incorporated some of his thinking re sequencing and framing.

The Uses of Argument by Stephen Toulmin

This is more a name-check than a straight recommendation. Toulmin is an analytic philosopher whose argumentation model underpins both Ramage et al. and Hillocks' books.

Worth reading if you want to go deeper on the epistemological aspect of arguments. (And there's an argument that we should all go deep on epistemology.)