Resources for Persuasive and Argumentative Essay Writing

Abundant, thorough resources help both teachers and students

Bottom Line: This full-service program can help teachers easily weave writing into their curriculum.

Structured literacy program inspires deep analysis, thoughtful writing

Bottom Line: This is an expertly scaffolded and pedagogically sound resource for developing critical reading and writing skills.

Stellar program scaffolds the writing process with peer review and feedback

Bottom Line: This is an intelligently structured tool for teaching writing and review that focuses on process as much as product.

Slick ethics game teaches students to make tough decisions

Bottom Line: This versatile game that can teach ethics, argumentation, and civics is light on interactivity but will come alive through discussion.

Game shows real-world uses for literacy and decision-making skills

Bottom Line: A clever, real-world, and civic-minded context to learn and practice ELA skills.

ELA game set in a medical clinic shows the value of literacy skills

Bottom Line: Great ELA lessons that realistically integrate literacy skills into the simulated day-to-day of a medical clinic.

Supreme Court sim covers constitutional history, the art of argument

Bottom Line: Social studies and civics teachers will find this game valuable for introducing major court cases -- and their influences -- and it includes plenty of extension activities for larger lessons or units.

Civics site offers building blocks for meaningful dialogue

Bottom Line: This site meaningfully promotes dialogue rather than argument, and collects a lot of resources you might normally have to curate yourself.

Expansive research tool uniquely melds learning and productivity

Bottom Line: While the complex, old-school design isn't ideal, NoodleTools gives students specific assistance where they need it the most -- with citations, paraphrasing, elaboration, and organization.

Comprehensive, nonpartisan resource navigates controversial issues

Bottom Line: The balanced pro/con format makes this a go-to source for online research on controversial issues.

Great history game offers cool constitutional spin on persuasion

Bottom Line: This super smart game will get students digging into and understanding the federalist and anti-federalist sides of the U.S. Constitution ratification debate.

Experts examine, dissect, and discuss critical issues

Bottom Line: A helpful site for exploring multiple perspectives on key current events and hot topics.

Superb ELA resource features engaging activities, stellar support

Bottom Line: An exceptional, ever-growing resource for helping your students become close readers, careful writers, and critical thinkers.

A terrific, troll-free zone for structuring student discussion and debate

Bottom Line: A valuable platform for students to learn about social and political issues while practicing digital citizenship and argumentation.

High-powered news site offers daily resource to process current events

Bottom Line: Driven by a trusted news organization with its finger on the pulse of the world, this free resource can be a reliable source of activities and ideas for current event discussions.

Chrome extension helps organize web-based research

Bottom Line: For Chrome users and mostly digital classrooms, this is a fairly intuitive tool that'll help students wrangle their research.

Engage with passionate international perspectives from youth

Bottom Line: Offers a rich variety of news and opinion stories on global issues, and its young writers will get U.S. students hooked on civic engagement.

Easy-to-use political quiz provides instant results, provokes debate

Bottom Line: A great tool to help students determine and compare political views; especially useful during the election cycle.