Chapter 12 - Argumentative and Persuasive Essays
From “because I'm right” to “because the evidence shows”
The gap this chapter addresses
These students argue constantly and fluently in their L1 about fairness, games, and rules. Informal arguing and academic argument are different rhetorical activities; fluency in one doesn't transfer automatically.
A CLEAR prompt can generate balanced raw material, but the position, reasoning, and rebuttal must remain the student's own intellectual work.
Additional activities for Chapter 12
Activity A15-20 min
Pro/Con AI Brainstorm, Human Selection. A CLEAR prompt generates a balanced pro/con list on a debatable topic; students select and reorder only the points they genuinely find convincing, discarding any they wouldn't actually defend.
Activity B15-20 min
Counterargument Swap. Students write their claim and one piece of evidence, trade with a partner, and the partner writes the strongest counterargument they can - then the original writer drafts a rebuttal.
Further resources
GenAlphaWrite Companion Website
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writealpha.com
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© Dr. Saad Torki
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Last update: 10 July 2026