Building Your Argument

Overview

In lesson 4 of 6, students move from choosing a speech position to planning a logical, evidence-based argument. They examine how a strong body paragraph develops one reason through a point, relevant evidence, explanation, and example, then outline three body sections for their own speech.

Learning intentions

• WALT organise speech arguments in a logical order.
• WALT support each reason with relevant evidence and examples.
• WALT explain how evidence strengthens our preferred position.
• WALT acknowledge an opposing view and show why our position is stronger.

Success criteria

• I can write a clear point for each body section.
• I can select trustworthy evidence that supports each point.
• I can explain how my evidence proves or strengthens my argument.
• I can include an opposing view and respond to it respectfully.

Curriculum links

• Writing to persuade: introducing a preferred position and organising reasons and evidence logically.
• Writing to persuade: supporting a preferred position with logical reasoning and accurate, trustworthy evidence.
• Writing to persuade: presenting an opposing position with evidence and explaining why the preferred position is stronger.
• Writing to persuade: using compelling but respectful language and rhetorical devices.

Lesson structure (45 minutes)

1. 0–5 min · Hook and retrieval. Teacher displays the question, “What makes an argument convincing rather than merely loud?” using the opening question slide, then asks students to recall their speech topic, position, audience, and two possible reasons. Students write a quick response and share one reason with a partner.

2. 5–13 min · Model a logical body paragraph. Teacher uses the argument structure slides to introduce the sequence: point, evidence, explanation, example, and link. Model a paragraph on a familiar topic such as “Schools should provide more shaded outdoor spaces”: “Schools should provide more shaded outdoor spaces. The Cancer Society recommends reducing exposure to ultraviolet radiation, particularly during the middle of the day. This shows that shade is not simply a comfort; it can help protect students’ health. For example, a shaded seating area would allow students to eat and socialise outside more safely. Therefore, schools should treat shade as an important part of the school environment.” Students identify each part, underline the evidence, and explain which sentence links back to the position.

3. 13–20 min · Sort and discuss argument components. Teacher distributes the Peel/teel Paragraph Builder Cards to groups of three or four and asks groups to arrange the paragraph components in a logical order. Students match each component to a sentence starter, justify their sequence, and identify which parts would be weakest if evidence or explanation were missing. Take brief feedback, reinforcing that evidence must be relevant and trustworthy, not just interesting.

4. 20–25 min · Plan the overall speech argument. Teacher models turning a broad position into three non-repeated reasons, using the planning instructions and example slides. Students complete the first section of the speech body planning worksheet by recording their position, audience, and three reasons in a persuasive order: strongest or most significant reason last. Circulate and check that reasons are distinct rather than three versions of the same idea.

5. 25–38 min · Independent body-section planning. Teacher asks students to complete one planning row for each reason on the speech body planning worksheet. Students record a clear point, one piece of evidence or source they could verify, an explanation of how it supports the point, and a specific example. They also add one opposing view and a respectful response that explains why their position remains stronger. Confer with individuals, prompting: “What does this evidence show?” and “How would your audience know this source can be trusted?”

6. 38–45 min · Peer review and exit check. Teacher displays the peer-review prompts on the review and plenary slides. Students exchange plans and give feedback using two strengths and one next step: “Your point is clear because…”, “Your evidence needs checking because…”, and “You could explain the link by…”. Students complete the exit box on the speech body planning worksheet: write their strongest planned point, evidence, and one sentence explaining why the evidence matters. Collect plans for the next lesson.

Resources

• the Building Your Argument slide deck
• the speech body planning worksheet
• the Peel/teel Paragraph Builder Cards
• Projector or interactive display
• Pens, highlighters, and writing books
• Students’ speech topics and prior planning

Assessment

• During modelling and card sorting, listen for students distinguishing a point, evidence, explanation, example, and link.
• Check planning sheets for three logical, distinct reasons; relevant evidence; explanations that connect evidence to the position; and a respectful response to an opposing view.
• Use the exit response to identify students who need support selecting evidence or explaining its significance before drafting.

Differentiation

• Provide sentence starters on the worksheet, such as “Research from ___ shows…”, “This matters because…”, and “Some people argue…, however…”.
• Allow students to discuss and rehearse ideas orally before writing; pair students strategically and provide a scribe or speech-to-text option where appropriate.
• For EAL learners, pre-teach and display connectives such as “firstly”, “furthermore”, “however”, “therefore”, and “for example”; accept labelled notes before expecting full sentences.
• Support students who need more structure by planning one body section together, while extending confident writers to rank evidence by reliability and include a respectful rhetorical question or carefully chosen emotive phrase.