Assessment & Extensions:: Argumentative Essay

Assessments

  Formative Assessments Directions for these assessments are provided under each Activity.

  • Activity 5.1
    • What We Know; How We Felt; What We Learned
    • Think-Write-Pair-Share
  • Activity 5.2
    • Annotated Text Excerpt
    • Characteristics of a Hero Worksheet
    • BioPoem
    • Quick-Writes

Summative Assessment

  • Argument Construction Worksheet
  • Argument Construction Peer Review Checklist
  • Argumentative Essay​

Summative Assessment: Argumentative Essay ​This Summative Assessment builds on what was learned in both Activities and involves students in the Writing Process.  This activity takes students through the five-step writing process, including using their 5.2 Quick-Writes as a prewriting activity (step 1) and the Argument Construction Worksheet to plan and outline (step 2).  A Writer’s Workshop or Peer Review is recommended for step 4.

  • Use the Lesson 5: ​Young Oak Kim: Hero and Humanitarian (Summative Assessment) presentation to support this assessment. ​

Students Prewrite

  • Have students locate and review their Quick-Writes responses from Activity 5.2.

Students Plan and Outline

  • Show students the presentation slides for details on the six parts to an argument and review the Argumentative Essay Rubric.
  • Post the writing prompt.
    • WRITING PROMPT: Choose one of the following claims and defend it in a 5-paragraph essay.
      • ​Colonel Young Oak Kim made critical contributions to the Japanese American community, as well as to the progress of civil rights of all racial minority communities in the United States.
      • Colonel Young Oak Kim is an Unsung Hero.
      • Korean Americans, such as Colonel Young Oak Kim, played a huge and important role in the U.S. military and in the community for Asian American civil rights, social justice, and advancement.
      • The contributions of Asian American and Pacific Islanders, such as Colonel Young Oak Kim, should be studied to better understand how ethnic minorities are treated in the United States military and as civilians.
      • The myth that Asian Americans as docile, passive, or too small of a community to be care about by political leaders is contradicted by the life of Colonel Young Oak Kim.
      • It is important to learn about diversity, immigrants and racism in the United States.
  • Have students select their argument claim and complete the Argument Construction Worksheet before writing. NOTE: This worksheet may also be used during peer review.
  • Approve the argument construction worksheet before students advance to writing their first draft.

Students Compose First Draft

  • Allocate sufficient time for students to compose their first draft.

Students Review and Revise 

  • Provide students with feedback through the following strategies:
    • Writer’s Workshop – students sign up for 10-minute conferences with the teacher to get assistance.
    • Peer Review – in pairs or small groups, students read each other’s drafts and provide feedback using the Argument Construction Worksheet Checklist.

Students Edit and Publish

  • Allow students time to edit their essays and finalize for submission.

Resources

  • See also Lesson 5: ​Young Oak Kim: Hero and Humanitarian (Summative Assessment) under Activity 5.1
  • Handout: Argument Construction Worksheet and Checklist
  • ​Handout: Rubric for Assessment of the Argumentative Essay

Argument Construction Worksheet and Checklist (PDF)

Rubric for Assessment of the Argumentative Essay (PDF)