Creative Writing - Senior Secondary 2 - Argumentative Essay: Writing a Well-Composed Argumentative Essay

TERM: 1^ST TERM

WEEK: 5
CLASS: Senior Secondary School 2
AGE: 16 years
DURATION: 2 periods of 40 mins each
DATE:
TOPIC: Argumentative Essay: Writing a Well-Composed Argumentative Essay
CONTENT: Writing an argumentative essay on controversial issues
SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES: By the end of the lesson, learners should be able to:
a. Write a well-composed argumentative essay
b. Present clear and valid arguments in essays
INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNIQUES: Discussion, writing exercises, peer review
INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS: board, markers
INSTRUCTIONAL PROCEDURES:
PERIOD 1: Structuring an Argumentative Essay
INTRODUCTION:
Teacher briefly revises the components of an argumentative essay (introduction, body, conclusion).

• Emphasize the importance of clear arguments, strong evidence, and effective counterarguments.
  Teacher Models:
• Write the introduction of an argumentative essay on “Should military rule be better than civilian rule?”
• Example: "Throughout history, military rule has been seen as a solution to political instability in many nations, but does it offer a better alternative to civilian rule?"

PERIOD 2: Learners Write their Argumentative Essays

• Learners choose one of the following topics:
  a. "Should female circumcision be abolished?"
  b. "Military rule is better than civilian rule."
• Teacher gives learners time to draft their essays, while moving around the class for guidance.

EXPLICIT INSTRUCTION/TEACHER MODELLING:

• Teacher gives examples of strong arguments and counterarguments.
• Discuss how to write clear, convincing conclusions that restate the position and call to action.

EVALUATION:

• Peer review activity: Learners exchange their essays and give feedback to one another based on the clarity of the arguments and structure.

CLASS-WORK:

• Learners finalize their argumentative essays and submit them for evaluation.

ASSIGNMENT:

• Learners revise their essays based on peer feedback and submit the final version.

CONCLUSION:
Teacher collects essays and provides individual feedback.