Grade 8 · Composition: Expressing Ideas and Creating Texts · Research, Argument, and Media Literacy
Build a Defensible Argument
A defensible argument distinguishes evidence from interpretation, represents disagreement fairly, and makes its source trail visible.
The big idea
Synthesis creates relationships among sources
A research paragraph should not become a list of summaries. Sources need to be compared, corroborated, qualified, and connected to the writer's reasoning.
Work it through
Research a proposed community policy
- 1. Define a focused question, purpose, audience, and suitable final form.
- 2. Gather varied primary and secondary sources; evaluate expertise, evidence, date, bias, and missing perspectives.
- 3. Organize evidence by claim and relationship rather than by source.
- 4. Draft a qualified conclusion, cite every borrowed idea, and explain uncertainty or limitations.