🧠Argument Essay Skills
Which would add the most sophistication to a following essay on the prompt below:
PROMPT: Does fear persuade people or push them away?
A. Repeating your claim using different or more vivid diction
B. Acknowledging that fear can work in some situations but fail in others
Answer: B (Shows complexity)
💥 BAZINGA: Get it right? Challenge anyone to a 30 second wall sit.
Read the passage & answer the question.
(1) In many classrooms, students are often told to focus on getting the “right answer” as quickly as possible. (2) While this approach may improve test scores, it can discourage deeper thinking and curiosity. (3) Students who rush to answers may miss opportunities to question, explore, and make meaningful connections. (4) Some educators argue that slowing down and allowing space for discussion leads to stronger understanding and long-term learning. (5) Rather than prioritizing speed, classrooms should emphasize thoughtful engagement with ideas.
Taken as a whole, the passage can best be regarded as
A. an argument for prioritizing speed and efficiency in education
B. an examination of testing practices in modern classrooms
C. a critique of focusing too heavily on quick answers in learning
D. a case for eliminating tests entirely from schools
Answer: C
Authors tone is clearly disapproving of the tendency for teachers to prioritize the right answer. Even ending with a call to action that suggest teachers should slow down and let students think/talk.
💥 BAZINGA: Get it wrong? Entire team whistles a tune for 10 seconds for the class.
Prompt: Analyze the rhetorical choices Michelle Obama makes to convey her message about her expectations and hope for young people.
Rate THESIS & justify: Michelle Obama uses rhetorical choices to show her message about young people and their future.
Score: 0
Justification: Too vague...doesn’t say which rhetorical choices AND No clear message → “message about young people” is unclear. Repetitive.
💥 BAZINGA: Get it right? Take 100 points from any team.
How many hearts does an octopus have?
A. 1
B. 2
C. 3
D. 4
Answer: C - 3 hearts
What is a clause?
A. A group of words with no meaning
B. A group of words with a subject and a verb
C. A single word
D. A type of punctuation including commas
Answer: B
Clause = a group of words w/ a subject/verb...basically a mini sentence
💥 BAZINGA: Get it wrong? Whole team has to perform a dance for the class.
What is missing from this thesis? Then, fix the issue.
“Group chats ruin friendships.”
Answer: Reason / justification (why this position is valid)
Ex: Group chats ruin friendships because miscommunication and exclusion can easily happen without tone or context.
Read, answer, and justify!
(1) In recent years, minimalist living has gained popularity, encouraging people to own fewer possessions and focus on what truly matters. (2) Advocates promote simplicity, freedom from clutter, and a rejection of consumer culture. (3) However, many minimalist lifestyles are showcased through carefully curated spaces filled with expensive, aesthetically pleasing items marketed as “essential.” (4) Entire brands have emerged selling high-priced products designed to help people live with less. (5) As a result, the pursuit of simplicity has, in some cases, become another form of consumption.
A central irony of the passage is that the author
A. argues that people should own more items to achieve happiness
B. claims that all minimalist products are unnecessary
C. describes minimalism as rejecting consumerism while also fueling it
D. points out that people don’t always live the way they say they believe
Answer: C
Justification: Minimalism says “buy less” but people have just turned to buying expensive minimalist items.
💥 BAZINGA: Complete both tasks for DOUBLE points. Tip: Divide & Conquer.
TASK 1: Come up with a list of 5 common rhetorical choices and the rhetorical effect on the audience using your own words!
TASK 2: Analyze this quote from the legendary Gandhi for 1 rhetorical choice and the effect of that choice on the audience:
I have deliberately used the word conversion. For my ambition is no less than to convert the British people through non-violence, and thus to make them see the wrong they have done to India. I do not seek to harm your people. I want to serve them even as I want to serve my own. I believe that I have always served them. - Gandhi
TASK 1:
TASK 2:
Exemplar: Gandhi uses the first person pronoun “I” to take personal responsibility for his beliefs and actions. This makes him sound sincere and genuine. As a result, the audience is more likely to trust him and believe in his message about nonviolence.
What percentage of your DNA do you share with a banana?
A. 10%
B. 25%
C. 50%
D. 75%
Answer: C - 50%
💥 BAZINGA: Get it wrong? Entire team whistles a tune for 10 seconds for the class.
Define BIAS.
A. Being completely fair and neutral
B. Being inquisitive
C. Giving facts only
D. Showing a preference or one-sided opinion
Answer: D
Bias = showing a preference or one-sided opinion
💥 BAZINGA: Get it right? Whole team earns 10 props.
PROMPT: Naomi Osaka argues that people should focus on being present and enjoying the moment.
👉 To what extent is this valid?
Rate COMMENTARY & Justify: Osaka’s claim is valid because focusing on the present allows individuals to stay grounded instead of becoming overwhelmed by the future. For example, during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, gymnast Simone Biles withdrew from multiple events after experiencing the “twisties,” choosing to prioritize what she was feeling in that moment rather than the pressure to win. She later stated that this decision is what led to her return as an even stronger athlete. This demonstrates that when individuals pay attention to their present mental and physical health, they can make safer and more intentional decisions that can better serve their future selves. Therefore, Osaka’s emphasis on being present is valid because it helps individuals respond to what is actually happening in front of them rather than being controlled by future worries and outside expectations.
Score: 4
Justification: Specific evidence and strong commentary that zooms out to consider what the evidence highlights about human nature/individuals.
The author’s attitude toward Mahatma Gandhi in the lines describing his life and impact is best described as:
Mahatma Gandhi was a leader who helped India gain independence from the British. Gandhi devoted his life to leading a movement rooted in peace and nonviolence, inspiring millions to challenge injustice without hatred or revenge.
A. ambivalent
B. admiring
C. objective
D. critical
Answer: B
Justification: Author uses positive diction such as "devoted" and "inspiring" when talking about Gandhi's life.
Prompt: In a well-written essay, analyze the rhetorical choices Chavez makes to develop his argument about nonviolent resistance.
Rate COMMENTARY & Justify: In his speech, Chavez uses an allusion to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to highlight an example of successful nonviolent resistance. This shows the audience that nonviolence is not just an idea, but something that has already created real change. Because King is widely respected, this builds trust and makes Chavez’s argument more believable. As a result, the audience is more likely to support nonviolent resistance since they can see that it has worked before.
Score: 4
Justification: This response earns a 4 because it clearly identifies a specific rhetorical choice (allusion to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.) and explains its effect on the audience.
💥 BAZINGA: Get it wrong? Whole team does 5 jumping jacks together.
What’s the fastest land animal?
Cheetah
Define IRONY
A. When something happens exactly as expected
B. When someone is confused
C. When what happens is different from what you expect
D. When someone is being funny
Answer: C
Irony = the opposite of what is expected
Example: It was ironic that the Houston Police Department was robbed Friday night.
💥 BAZINGA: Get it right? Challenge anyone to 5 push-ups
PROMPT: Naomi Osaka argues that people should focus on being present and enjoying the moment.
👉 To what extent is this valid?
Rate COMMENTARY & Justify: Osaka’s idea is valid because focusing on the present helps people handle difficult situations. For example, during the Tokyo Olympics, Simone Biles withdrew from multiple events after experiencing the “twisties,” choosing to focus on how she felt in that moment instead of future worries such as loss of sponsorships, fans, etc. This is significant because though she could've focused on what would happen if she quit, she focused on herself, and her immediate emotions, and did what was best for her mental and physical health in that moment, which proves the importance of focusing on the present.
Score: 2
Justification: While commentary provides specific evidence, commentary focuses too much on the evidence and doesn't zoom out to consider what the evidence highlights from a "bigger picture" standpoint
💥 BAZINGA: Get it wrong? Team loses 100 points.
Reader, answer, and be ready to justify.
The writer wants to avoid revealing any potential bias in sentence 3 (reproduced below).
Many people are excited about these new technologies, and, as civil engineering professor and infrastructure expert Shoshanna Saxe explains, they are intended to improve infrastructure by collecting data and responding automatically.
Which of the following versions of the underlined portion of sentence 3 would best accomplish this goal?
A. (as it is now)
B. excessively dismissive civil engineering professor Shoshanna Saxe notes
C. civil engineering professor Shoshanna Saxe scornfully observes
D. civil engineering professor Shoshanna Saxe cleverly declares
Answer: A
Justification: Choice A is correct because it uses neutral, objective language.
💥 BAZINGA: Get it wrong? Whole team has to do 10 jumping jacks while singing happy birthday.
TASK: Identify the FOUR key elements of the rhetorical situation for the following prompt.
On the tenth anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., labor union organizer and civil rights leader Cesar Chavez published an article in the magazine of a religious organization devoted to helping those in need. Read the following excerpt from the article carefully. Then, in a well-written essay, analyze the rhetorical choices Chavez makes to develop his argument about nonviolent resistance.
What’s one food that can last thousands of years without spoiling?
Honey
💥 BAZINGA: Get it right? Each member earns 30 props.
What is civil disobedience?
A. Following all laws without question
B. Ignoring rules to be a rebel
C. Breaking laws in a peaceful way to protest an injustice
D. Protesting violently
Answer: C
Civil Disobedience = Breaking laws in a peaceful way to protest an injustice
PROMPT: Does fear persuade people or push them away?
👉 Take a position and list 1 evidence to support the claim.
Answer: Open-ended. See some ideas below.
👎 Fear BACKFIRES
👍 Fear WORKS
💥 BAZINGA: Get it right? Challenge an entire team to complete 10 jumping jacks while singing jingle bells.
Read, answer, justify.
The writer is considering adding the clause “devices that work optimally only for a few years before bugs in their programming introduce glitches and errors” to the end of sentence 6 (reproduced below), adjusting the punctuation as needed.
Saxe and other experienced city planners worry that networked digital infrastructure would be more akin to a smartphone or computer.
Should the writer add this clause to the end of sentence 6 ?
A. Yes, because it demonstrates that Saxe and other city planners are experts on the subject of smart cities who are familiar with the latest technology.
B. No, because the word “bugs” is ambiguous and could confuse readers who are unfamiliar with technological jargon.
C. No, because it makes Saxe seem like a biased observer by portraying her as being opposed to technological innovations of any kind.
D. Yes, because the additional information clarifies a comparison to a more familiar technology that also breaks or becomes obsolete relatively quickly.
Answer: D
Justification: The added clause explains how smartphones/computers behave (they glitch, become outdated, have errors). This makes the comparison clearer and more concrete for the reader.
💥 BAZINGA: One member has to stand on 1 foot while answering.
Craft a THICK thesis by using the rhetorical situation of this prompt:
Raquel Vasquez Gilliland is a Mexican American poet, novelist, and painter whose works focus on myths, folklore, motherhood, and plants. In 2023 she published an opinion article in The New York Times titled “Go Outside, Sink Your Feet Into the Dirt and Engage With the World.” The following is an excerpt from that opinion article.
Read the passage carefully. Write an essay that analyzes the rhetorical choices Vasquez Gilliland makes to develop her argument about the value of engaging with nature.
Exemplar: In her article, Raquel Vasquez Gilliland argues that engaging with nature is important because it helps people feel more connected and grounded. She develops this idea through vivid imagery, poetic diction, and personal anecdotes that illustrate the beauty of these experiences. By using these choices, she inspires the audience to join her in reconnecting with the great outdoors.
💥 BAZINGA: Get it wrong? Whole team does 20 second wall sits together.
What is heavier: a pound of feathers or a pound of bricks?
Answer: They weigh the same.
Define COMPULSORY. Hint: School attendance is compulsory in the U.S. Parents can get in legal trouble for keeping their students out of school.
A. Optional
B. Required
C. Legal
D. Rare
Answer: B
Compulsory - Required, often by law/rules/policy.