Argumentative Essay Writing Collaborative Practice DIGITAL Task Cards

Use these DIGITAL task cards with included texts about Area 51 to help your middle school students practice writing a text-based argumentative essay with a counterclaim body paragraph! It's an engaging topic for your students and NO PREP or GRADING for you!

Click here for the PRINTABLE version.

Objective: Students will review what they know about structure as they plan and write a complete text-based argumentative essay.

How it works:

1. Students will go through the essay writing process with the included writing prompt and texts.

2. Students will answer the task cards. Each task card represents one sentence in the essay.

3. Students copy the complete answers on the answer sheets. This answer is the sentence in the essay.  Each task card is numbered.  Students match the number of the task card to the numbered box on the answer sheet.

4. By the time students have filled in all 28 spaces on the answer sheet, they have a skeleton essay!

5. Now students should submit their answers on the Google Quiz to see which answers were correct / incorrect so they can make revisions before writing their final copy.

7. Then using the organizer/checklist, students mark where paragraphs should be on the skeleton.

8. Finally, students write out the final copy their essay on a new Google doc.

What's included in the Google Form (Quiz) and on Google Slides:

★ Teacher's Guide with directions and links to share on any learning management system such as Google Classroom, Canvas and more!

★ Argumentative Writing Prompt embedded into the form (link also provided)

★ TWO texts about Area 51 embedded into the form & also linked to a separate Google Slide (link also provided separately).

★ One argumentative essay organizer/checklist included with the answer sheet linked in the form (link also provided separately).

★ Answer sheets for students with link embedded in the Google Form for students to make their own copy. (link is also provided separately).

★ Text boxes already placed into the answer sheets

★ Twenty-Eight Task Cards in a Google Form (Quiz)

★ Answers to the task cards and a fully filled out answer sheet for the skeleton essay!

See the preview for a closer look!

This activity produced the most effort and understanding of anything I have done with my students who have limited English or special needs in terms of essay writing. They finally "got it"! :)

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Looking for other argumentative writing ideas to reach all learners? Try these:

Argumentative DIGITAL Interactive Guided Notes for Vocabulary

Argumentative Essay DIGITAL Task cards for claims, evidence, & commentary

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