How I Teach Argumentative Writing in Grades 5–8 (Step-by-Step Guide)
Let’s be real—if you teach 5th grade or above, you’re probably required to teach argumentative essays every year ... and every year, it feels like one of the hardest things to get right. The structure. The evidence. The thesis. The counterclaim. The formatting. 😩 It’s a lot. But after years of refining my process, I’ve found a way to make it manageable, effective, and even—dare I say—fun for students and teachers. This post walks you through how I teach the argumentative essay in just 10 days as part of my Structured Writing Method —including my favorite hooks, how I set up digital slides, what I emphasize in each paragraph, and one simple trick that helps students finally stop using rhetorical questions in their introductions. 🙌 Let’s break it down. 🧠 Start With a Hook They Care About Before we ever start writing, I pull students in with a topic they actually want to argue about . One of my go-to questions: 👉 “What have you binge-watched lately?” Suddenly, we’re hav...