Lackawanna City School District

Imagine you have the opportunity to build a new home or business, but the land is located in a flood zone. Would you build there? Fourth grade students in Ms. Hamilton's class explored this question as they began their argumentative writing pieces.

Students spent time researching the issue, developing their own claims, and gathering evidence to support their thinking. During reading groups, the conversation gets even more interesting as students share their ideas, challenge one another’s thinking, and consider different perspectives.

Through these discussions, students are discovering that a strong argument isn’t just about what you think, it’s about why you think it and what evidence you can use to support it.