Top 6 Best Lesson Plans on "Features of Argumentative Text" for Grade 7

I. Basic Knowledge

1. Thesis Statement

- The main thesis of the essay "Fighting Illiteracy" (Lesson 18) is presented clearly.

- It is introduced as an opinion and is concretized into assertive sentences:

+ One urgent task now is to raise public awareness.

+ All Vietnamese people should understand their rights (...) and be able to read and write in the national language.

- This thesis unifies the paragraphs into a cohesive structure. In other words, the paragraphs, both in content and form, must clarify the thesis.

- For the thesis to be convincing, it must be:

+ Accurate and truthful.

+ Relevant to real needs.

2. Supporting Evidence

The supporting evidence in the essay "Fighting Illiteracy":

- Those who know how to read should teach those who do not (...) helping the illiterate population.

- Those who are illiterate should strive (...) to contribute to society.

- Women must also learn (...) how to behave appropriately?

These arguments serve as both reasoning and evidence that highlight the thesis. They provide the solid foundation needed to support the thesis.

3. Reasoning

The reasoning in the essay "Fighting Illiteracy" is clear, logical, and effective, helping readers fully understand the thesis.

Paragraph 1: The French used the policy of keeping people uneducated to deceive and exploit the Vietnamese people.

Paragraph 2: 95% of the population was illiterate, meaning most were uneducated. With such a high illiteracy rate, it’s impossible to build a progressive nation.

Paragraphs 3 and 4: The thesis is presented in two sentences (across two paragraphs).

Paragraph 5: Describes the role of the educated population.

Paragraph 6: Depicts the responsibilities of the illiterate population.

Paragraph 7: Women must make greater efforts to catch up with men.

The supporting evidence, including both reasoning and examples, is organized as follows:

+ Then and now.

+ The roles of individuals.

This system has clarified the issue: Why fight illiteracy? And how to fight it?

II. Skill Practice

Review the text "Creating Good Habits in Social Life" (Lesson 18) and identify the thesis, supporting evidence, and reasoning in the essay. Evaluate the persuasive power of the text.

Answer:

The essay "Creating Good Habits in Social Life" introduces the main thesis at the beginning. To address this clearly and practically, the author provides various forms of supporting evidence in the body, with reasoning as follows:

Introduction: Briefly introduces both good and bad habits.

Body: Presents evidence about bad habits with a critical attitude.

Conclusion: Proposes how to cultivate good habits.

All of these elements make the essay clear, simple, and persuasive.

A. KEY CONCEPTS

Every argumentative essay must include a thesis, supporting arguments, and reasoning. An essay may contain a primary thesis and supporting sub-theses.
The thesis is a statement that clearly expresses the writer's viewpoint, presented as a definitive (or negated) statement, expressed clearly, understandably, and consistently. The thesis is the heart of the essay, uniting all the paragraphs into one cohesive piece. It must be accurate, truthful, and practically relevant in order to be persuasive.
Supporting arguments consist of the reasoning and evidence that substantiate the thesis. They must be truthful, accurate, and representative in order to convince the reader.
Reasoning is the method of presenting supporting arguments in a logical sequence to lead to the thesis. The reasoning must be clear and coherent for the essay to be persuasive.

B. EXERCISES AND GUIDANCE

Question 1: Page 20, 7th Grade Literature Textbook, Volume 2

Read the text "The Need to Build Good Habits in Society" (Lesson 18) and identify the thesis, supporting arguments, and reasoning in the essay. Comment on the persuasiveness of the text.

Answer:
The thesis of the text is: "The need to build good habits in society".
To support this thesis, the writer provides several arguments and evidence:
Argument 1: Good and bad habits exist.
Evidence:
Good habits include waking up early, being punctual, keeping promises, and reading books.
Bad habits include smoking, getting angry, and being disorderly.
Argument 2: Some people can distinguish between good and bad habits, but once formed, these habits are hard to break.
Evidence: People who have the habit of smoking may also have the habit of carelessly tossing cigarette butts on the ground.
Argument 3: A common bad habit is littering. This behavior contributes to the worsening of public hygiene.
Evidence:
People often throw banana peels on the street, contributing to a pile-up of trash.
Some even throw broken glass bottles on the road, which can be dangerous for children and the elderly.
Argument 4: It is easier to form bad habits than good ones.
Analysis of reasoning: The argumentation is well-structured and logical. The writer presents common issues and gradually narrows them down into specific points, ultimately offering a solution: Individuals and families should reconsider their actions and create a more civilized society.

Main Concepts:
1. Thesis, Supporting Arguments, and Reasoning
Every argumentative essay must include a thesis, supporting arguments, and reasoning.
Thesis: Represents the opinion or viewpoint in the essay. A typical essay includes a main thesis and supporting sub-theses. The thesis is the core of the text, uniting the paragraphs into one cohesive structure. It must be accurate, truthful, and relevant to persuade.
Supporting Arguments: These are the logical reasons and evidence presented to support the thesis.
Reasoning: The method of organizing the supporting arguments logically to lead to the thesis. Proper reasoning ensures the persuasiveness of the text.

2. Example:
In the text "The Need to Build Good Habits in Society" (Lesson 18), we can see the following:
Thesis: "The need to build good habits in society".
Supporting Arguments:
1. There are good and bad habits.
2. Some people can differentiate between them, but habits are hard to change.
3. A common bad habit is littering, which becomes a public nuisance.
Reasoning: The writer logically explains why good habits are beneficial and why bad habits are detrimental to society.

I. Thesis, Arguments, and Reasoning.

1. Thesis: In the text 'Fighting Illiteracy', the main thesis is: Fighting the illiteracy problem.

This main thesis is expanded into specific points:

Those who can read and write should teach those who cannot.
Those who cannot read should strive to learn.
Women especially need to be educated.
The thesis expresses the writer's standpoint. To be persuasive, the thesis must be clear, logically presented, and coherent.

2. Arguments

The arguments in the 'Fighting Illiteracy' article are:

The colonial policy of illiteracy under French rule left most Vietnamese uneducated, preventing the nation from progressing.
Now that independence has been gained, we must quickly raise the public's literacy to build the nation.
These arguments serve to clarify the thesis by answering the question: Why should we fight illiteracy?

To be persuasive, the arguments must be sound and vivid.

3. Reasoning The structure of the reasoning in 'Fighting Illiteracy' is as follows:

State the reason for fighting illiteracy;

Discuss the purpose of fighting illiteracy;
Explore methods for combating illiteracy.

II. Practice

Thesis: It is necessary to establish good habits in social life.

Arguments:

Argument 1: There are both good and bad habits.
Argument 2: People may recognize good and bad habits but find it difficult to change bad habits once they become routine.
Argument 3: It is hard to develop good habits, but bad habits are easy to pick up.

Reasoning:

Waking up early... is a good habit.
Smoking... is a bad habit.
A bad habit is something we encounter every day.
Should we reflect on our own behavior?

I. Thesis, Arguments, and Reasoning

1. Thesis:

Review the objectives and thesis of the text 'Fighting Illiteracy' by Ho Chi Minh as outlined in section 2. What constitutes an argumentative text as discussed in 'General Overview of Argumentative Writing'.

To be persuasive, the thesis must be accurate, truthful, and convincing.

2. Arguments:

The arguments in the text 'Fighting Illiteracy' include:

+ The root causes of illiteracy.

+ The necessity of fighting illiteracy.

+ Methods for combating illiteracy.

+ Supporting examples and evidence.

Arguments play a key role in supporting the thesis. They must be factual, accurate, and representative to ensure the thesis is convincing.

3. Reasoning:

- The reasoning follows a sequence from the current state of affairs -> the need -> the solution.

- Specifically:

+ Why should we fight illiteracy?

+ What are the benefits of fighting illiteracy?

+ How can we combat illiteracy?

Advantages: the structure is logical, coherent, and highly persuasive.

II. Practice:

The text 'Creating Good Habits in Daily Life'.

Main Thesis: 'Creating Good Habits in Life.'

Arguments:

+ The importance of good habits.

+ The dangers of bad habits and their consequences.

+ Habits and social issues.

+ The consequences of harmful behaviors.

Examples: smoking, littering, dropping banana peels, and glass shards on the street.

Reasoning: Logical, coherent, accurate, and convincing, making the argument highly persuasive.

Part I: THESIS, EVIDENCE, AND ARGUMENTATION

1. Thesis

- The main thesis of the article "Fighting Illiteracy" (Lesson 18).

- It is stated as a perspective and is further specified with assertions:

+ One urgent task right now is to raise the intellectual level of the people.

+ Every Vietnamese citizen must be aware of their rights (...) and be able to write in the national language.

- This thesis unifies the paragraphs into a cohesive unit. In other words, both the content and form of the paragraphs must clearly present the thesis.

- For the thesis to be convincing, it must be:

+ Correct, truthful.

+ Address real needs.

2. Evidence

Evidence in the article "Fighting Illiteracy" includes:

- Those who are literate should teach those who are illiterate (...) to help the illiterate population.

- The illiterate should strive (...) to learn and improve their lives.

- Women, in particular, need to learn (...) to improve their social roles.

These pieces of evidence provide logical reasoning and examples that strongly support the thesis. They serve as a solid foundation to make the thesis more convincing.

3. Argumentation

- The argumentation in the article is clear, tight, and logical, helping to fully comprehend the thesis.

Paragraph 1: The French colonial policy of keeping people illiterate in order to deceive and exploit the population.

Paragraph 2: 95% of the population is illiterate, meaning almost everyone is unable to read or write. This hampers the progress of the nation.

Paragraphs 3 and 4: The thesis is stated in two sentences (in two separate paragraphs).

Paragraph 5: The duties of literate individuals.

Paragraph 6: The struggles of the illiterate population.

Paragraph 7: Women need to put in extra effort to catch up with men.

- The evidence, including both reasoning and examples, is organized as follows:

+ The past and the present.

+ The duties of people:

• Those who are literate

• Those who are illiterate

• Women.

All of this contributes to the system of reasoning that clarifies: Why should we fight illiteracy? And how should we do it?

Part II: PRACTICE

Read the text "Creating Good Habits in Social Life" (Lesson 18) and identify the thesis, evidence, and argumentation in the article. Comment on its persuasiveness.

Answer:

The article "Creating Good Habits in Social Life" introduces its main thesis at the beginning. To clarify and make it practically valuable, the author presents key evidence in the body of the text with various illustrations, and the argumentation includes:

Introduction: Brief introduction to good and bad habits.

Body: Providing examples of bad habits with a critical attitude.

Conclusion: Proposing the development of good habits.

All these elements give the article clarity, simplicity, and persuasive power.

ESSENTIAL KNOWLEDGE TO MASTER

- An argumentative point is the idea that expresses thoughts and opinions in argumentative writing; it is the heart of the article, uniting paragraphs into a coherent structure. To persuade the reader or listener, the argument must be valid, truthful, and meet practical needs.

- Supporting arguments serve as the foundation for the argumentative point in the text. For the article and argument to be convincing, the supporting arguments must be truthful, correct, and representative.

- Reasoning is the way to select and arrange supporting arguments to justify the argument. The reasoning must be tight and logical for the article to be persuasive.

I. ARGUMENTATIVE POINT, SUPPORTING ARGUMENTS, AND REASONING

1. Argumentative Point

Revisit the text "Fighting Against Illiteracy" (Lesson 18, Textbook) and answer the following questions:

- The main argumentative point of the article is: combating illiteracy.

- It is introduced as a title and specified in the following sentences:

+ One urgent task is to raise the public's awareness.

+ Every Vietnamese citizen must understand their rights (...) and be able to write the national language.

- The role of this argumentative point: it is the essence of the article, uniting the paragraphs into a cohesive whole. In other words, both the content and form of the paragraphs must clearly support the argument.

- For the argument to be convincing, it must:

+ Be valid and truthful.

+ Meet practical needs.

2. Supporting Arguments

- The supporting arguments in the article "Fighting Against Illiteracy" include:

+ The cause of illiteracy: the policy of ignorance.

+ The necessity of fighting illiteracy: because the country is now independent, and everyone must understand their rights...

+ The methods of fighting illiteracy: those who can read and write must teach those who cannot, and the illiterate must strive to learn.

+ Some examples to illustrate the argument.

- The role of these supporting arguments: they provide the foundation for the argumentative point. Only when the supporting arguments are truthful, valid, and representative can the argumentative point be convincing.

3. Reasoning

- The reasoning in the text "Fighting Against Illiteracy" follows a clear and logical sequence: from the current situation -> the requirements -> the solutions, making the argument fully comprehensible.

- Specifically:

+ Why must we fight against illiteracy?

+ What is the purpose of combating illiteracy?

+ How can we fight against illiteracy?

* Advantages: clear, logical, and highly persuasive reasoning.

II. PRACTICE SECTION

Task: Revisit the text "Creating Good Habits in Social Life" (Lesson 18) and identify the argumentative point, supporting arguments, and reasoning in the text. Comment on the persuasiveness of the article.

Answer:

- Argumentative point: The main point of the article "Creating Good Habits in Social Life" is explicitly stated in the title: Creating good habits in daily life.

- Supporting arguments:

+ Good habits in daily life.

+ Harmful habits and their negative impacts.

+ Habits and social issues.

+ Consequences of such issues.

+ Examples: smoking, littering, improper disposal of waste.

- Reasoning in the text: It is clear, logical, and persuasive.

+ Introduction: Briefly introduces good and bad habits.

+ Body: Provides examples of bad habits with a critical attitude.

+ Conclusion: Suggests adopting good habits.

=> All of the above make the article clear, simple, and persuasive.

SUMMARY

- Every argumentative text must contain an argumentative point, supporting arguments, and reasoning. A text may have one main point and several sub-points.

- The argumentative point expresses the thoughts and opinions of the article, presented as a clear and understandable assertion. It is the essence of the writing, uniting the paragraphs into a coherent whole. The argumentative point must be valid, truthful, and meet practical needs to be persuasive.

- Supporting arguments are the reasons and evidence provided to support the point. Supporting arguments must be truthful, correct, and representative to strengthen the argument.

- Reasoning refers to how the supporting arguments are presented to justify the point. The reasoning must be logical and coherent for the article to be persuasive.