When we return to school in January after a lovely winter break, we begin work on Argumentative Text Analysis. Can you see my middle school students' eyes glaze over from where you are? Yup, it's a struggle. So, what do I do to engage them with analysis? Here are My top 3 tips:
1. Use choices.
I start with vocabulary. It's important that we all speak the same language in terms of argumentative analysis, right? But this can be boring. So, I use a worksheet with choices.
This worksheet allows students to choose if they know the word, know a little bit about the word, or don't know the word at all. Then, they add the necessary information based on their choice.
When we go over the words, I hang up the word wall cards.
Later, after we've completed our notes (more on that below), I offer choices again. This time, there are just 2 choices as students choose how to practice their new knowledge with a small project.
Because they get to choose, they are more engaged.
2. Use interactive notes.
My notes are fill-in-the-blanks and require students to match up picture flaps.
They are text-based, and first, I ask partners to use a word bank to try and determine what words go in what blanks. Later, I use a PowerPoint to reveal the words for the blanks so students can check their work. Then, we tape or glue on the flaps.
Students are engaged in 3 ways - with the words they write after negotiation with a partner, with the checking of the notes with the PowerPoint, and with the flaps. It's a trifecta of engagement! ;)
3. Use games (or things that look like play)
Since vocabulary can be kinda dry, after we use the worksheet, we play a dominoes matching game with printable dominoes.
I like to do one round of everyone just trying to make the matches. Then I run at least one more round where everyone mixes up their dominoes, and then I announce that the team who puts them all back together correctly first wins a prize. (The prize is a piece of candy from my jar.)
Later, after our project-based practice, if my students need additional practice, I use a mix of things - like a digital self-checking game and/or a printable maze.
Both of these items cause students to have to look back at their notes to ensure they are getting the right answers.
After our quiz, students who are ready for enrichment can use a digital escape game. Students who need remediation can use the digital self-checking game (if I haven't already used it) or a remediation menu.
These are my top 3 ways to get middle school students to engage with analysis with argumentative text. Try one or all 3!
Ready to try some of these things with your own students? I have all the items mentioned above ready to go here:
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