Because everything is an argument

In this book, we’ll argue that you can teach the writing of argument so that students will not only exceed the Common Core State Standards, but also be prepared for a future as students and citizens. Michael Smith, Jeffrey Wilhelm, and James Fredricksen

The Common Core State Standards are an argument that students’ ability to write sound arguments on substantive topics and issues … is critical to college and career readiness.

This book is an argument. Oh, Yeah?! will persuade you that it is an ideal resource for helping you teach argument writing to adolescents. And not just any arguments, but the kinds of substantive ones the real-world demands.

We believe, write Michael Smith, Jeffrey Wilhelm, and James Fredricksen, that instruction directed to improve student performance on standards-based assessments MUST be the most powerful and engaging instruction we can possibly offer. To that end they fill Oh, Yeah?! with proven lessons for writing, reading, and discussing arguments that you can use right now. In addition, they provide ideas for how to create instructional contexts that maximize the power of those lessons through a compelling framework that will help you create your own lessons and units in the future.

Life may be a series of arguments, but your decision about how to teach argument writing needn’t be complicated. Trust Smith, Wilhelm, and Fredricksen, use Oh, Yeah?! in your classroom, and give students an argument for meeting-and exceeding-the Common Core standards.