multiple genres TEKS talk image

Knowledge and Skills Statement

Multiple genres: listening, speaking, reading, writing, and thinking using multiple texts--genres. The student recognizes and analyzes genre-specific characteristics, structures, and purposes within and across increasingly complex traditional, contemporary, classical, and diverse texts.

Provide students with an argumentative text. Direct them to read the text, underline the author's claim, and highlight text that provides support for the author's claim.


Further Explanation

For this assessment, the student must determine the position or arguable statement that the author holds about the topic or issue being discussed in the text.

a text written to demonstrate to an audience that a certain position or idea is valid and that others are not The writer appeals to reason, develops, defends, or debates the topic, connecting a series of statements in an orderly way so they lead to a logical conclusion.
When students read an argumentative text, they are expected to determine the claim, a position or arguable statement that the author holds about the topic or issue being discussed in the text. The claim is usually the main idea that is the essence of an argument. The claim must offer facts and reasons to show the author's point of view and be backed up with evidence.
Recognizing characteristics requires determining the specific components of something. In reading, students are expected to have a clear idea of the particular attributes of argumentative text. For example, they should know that an argumentative text has unique characteristics such as a claim, an intended audience, and the use of facts in support or refutation of an argument.
Students should recognize structures, such as introduction, claim, facts, arguments, counterarguments, and conclusion, of argumentative text that create the way an argumentative essay is organized. Each one of these structures has a specific function in an argumentative text that students should identify and explain.

Research

1. Wagemans, J.H.M. (2011). The assessment of argumentation from expert opinion. Argumentation, 25, 329–330. doi:I 10.1007/s10503-011-9225-8

Summary: This article introduces a tool that can be used to format an argument from a position of expertise and experience. The tool allows students to learn how to analyze opposing positions, and develop questions from a critical perspective. The tool fosters reading comprehension and writing skills.

2. Composition Writing Studio. Argumentative Essay/Commentary. From the University of Purdue’s Online Writing Lab Retrieved from https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/general_writing/academic_writing/essay_writing/argumentative_essays.html

Summary: This online resource offers a comprehensive overview of creating an argumentative essay including the topic and position in relationship, defining terms, providing evidence in support of your argument, as well as examining counterarguments. 

3. Nussbaum, E.M., & Schraw, G. (2017). Promoting argument-counterargument integration in students' writing. The Journal of Experimental Education, 76(1), 59–92.

Summary: This study provides instructional strategies to improve the students' ability to construct an argument for or against a position. A graphic organizer is suggested as a means to identify the argument and counterargument before developing a final conclusion. Although the participants in this study were undergraduates, the practical application of the strategy is consistent with secondary students. The process also increased the students' reasoning and ability to create rebuttals.

4. Hillocks, G. (2010). Teaching argument for critical thinking and writing: An introduction. The English Journal, 99(6), 24–32. Retrieved from www.ncte.org/library/nctefiles/ej0996focus.pdf

Summary: In this article, Hillocks places an emphasis on the use of culturally related topics to teach the genre characteristics and craft of writing an argumentative essay or commentary. The article addresses the claim, evidence and warrant, backing, qualifications, and rebuttals. Using background knowledge, students are asked to write an argumentative essay that includes supporting evidence, counterarguments, and an analysis of the weaknesses and gaps in the counterarguments. The articles includes graphs and examples. 

5. VanDerHeide, J., & Juzwik, M.M. (2018). Argument as conversation: Students responding through writing to significant conversations across time and place. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 62(1), 67–77. doi: 10.1002/jaal.754

Summary:  In this article, the author presents an instructional model that reconnects to the why of writing. The model of information reasoning requires students to learn how to make claims, provide supporting evidence of that claim, and create additional examples of the claim through the use of analogies and stories. In this study, students were asked to write a letter in response to an ongoing conversation that was of particular importance to them. Personal experience helps to develop the students' ability to advocate for a position through writing. The approach requires scaffolding on argumentative writing instruction. This study includes multiple templates to guide the writing of the responses. This approach fosters the opportunity for students to participate in conversations that have a historical background. In doing so, students engage in topics of debate that have continued over time and in various spaces. Students are invited to participate in these discussions through their writing positions as arguing for or against a position. 

6.Jonassen, D.H., & Kim. B. (2009). Arguing to learn and learning to argue: Design justification and guidelines. Education Technology and Research Development, 58(4), 439–457. doi: 10.1007/s11423-009-9143-8

Summary: In this study, the researcher suggest that students who experience meaningful learning are also deeply engaged in the learning process. The study focuses on argumentative writing. Jonassen and Kim consider critical thinking as a way to facilitate conceptual change and problem solving in fact critical thinking is foundational to learning how to effectively argue. The study also examines what occurs when a student is unsuccessful in persuading an audience or presenting an argument. The report provides ways to evaluate the arguments for their quality.