Grades 11–12 · Argument
Your assignment
Develop an argument about a substantive course-related problem with competing options and incomplete evidence. Establish why the issue matters; evaluate counterclaims and the strengths and limits of evidence for an audience whose values may differ from yours.
Plan, write and revise
- Read or listen to the assignment and discuss what the reader needs to understand.
- Plan the writing with notes, sketches or an organizer.
- Create a first version. Make the content your own; use the criteria below to guide your decisions.
- Ask a peer or teacher for one specific question or suggestion. Revise your work to respond to useful feedback.
- Reread your final version and explain one change you made. Keep both versions for review.
Use actual observations or sources approved by your teacher. Record each source title, author or organization when available, and where you found it. Separate information from the source from your own inference. Never invent facts, quotations, page numbers or measurements.
What strong work shows
- Introduce precise, knowledgeable claims and establish their significance
- Organize claims, counterclaims, reasons and evidence logically
- Develop claims and counterclaims thoroughly and fairly, using the most relevant evidence
- Address strengths, limitations and the audience’s knowledge, concerns, values and possible biases
- Use cohesive language, appropriate formal style and objective tone; conclude with implications supported by the argument
Your work
Write here or work on paper. For drawings, keep the paper with your written record. Download your work before closing this page; it is not automatically saved or submitted.
Teacher scoring guide
Evaluate the work against each criterion. Use 0 for no evidence yet, 1 for partial or unclear evidence, 2 for clear evidence that meets the criterion, and 3 for effective, well-developed evidence. Record what in the work supports the rating. These ratings guide feedback; they are not standardized achievement levels or a course grade.
Apply the learner’s usual documented supports. Record help with ideas, language or transcription so the teacher can interpret the evidence. This task is not a standardized test.
| Criterion | Evidence rating |
|---|---|
| Introduce precise, knowledgeable claims and establish their significance | |
| Organize claims, counterclaims, reasons and evidence logically | |
| Develop claims and counterclaims thoroughly and fairly, using the most relevant evidence | |
| Address strengths, limitations and the audience’s knowledge, concerns, values and possible biases | |
| Use cohesive language, appropriate formal style and objective tone; conclude with implications supported by the argument |
Reference and limits
Teacher-scored evidence for this writing mode. One assignment is not evidence of sustained mastery, all writing standards, independent reading level or state approval. Revision is included as an instructional practice; a full crosswalk for additional process standards is not claimed.