It’s always good to start by asking yourself some questions. For example:
What are the benefits of getting a buddy bench?
Is there another way to help students connect and make newcomers feel welcome without it?
What are possible obstacles to getting a buddy bench, and how can I argue against them?
Being able to answer these kinds of questions will give you the reasons for your argument and help you come up with the facts and details you need to support your claim.
Let’s look at Deon’s argument. What support does he offer to convince the Clay Elementary PTA to approve a buddy bench?
REASON: A buddy bench will help lonely students connect and make new students feel welcome.
EVIDENCE: Deon has noticed a shy new student, Dinesh Barazani, standing alone at recess, and wants to find an accessible way to make him feel more included.
REASON: A buddy bench will not cost the PTA any funds to provide.
EVIDENCE: Lizzy and Connor’s parents will donate a bench for free, and Padma will paint it for free as well.
Wrap it up!
Now that you’ve made your claim and supported it with reasons and evidence, it’s time to wrap everything up in the conclusion of your argument. This is your last chance to get your audience to agree with your point of view—make the most of it! In your conclusion, you can restate your claim, tie up any loose ends, and make a call to action if needed. A call to action asks your audience to believe something or do something. The BIG creates a slogan: “Everybody needs a buddy!” This is a call to action because they are asking the school to support the idea of a buddy bench.
Put it all together!
What we’ve just gone over are the basic elements of a strong argument. This is a good format to follow for your next persuasive speech, writing assignment, or anytime you want to be convincing. Now you have all the tools you need to take that first step toward making a difference.
So, what’s your big idea? Better get to work—you’ve got a lot of convincing to do, and I want you to wow me!
— CHAPTER 1 —
Armadillo Blues
The trouble began when a giant purple armadillo ran onto the field behind Clay Elementary School.
Well, “ran” isn’t exactly the right word.
No, not “jogged” either.
The armadillo stumbled.
It bumbled.
It huffed and puffed.
It gasped.
And finally paused, panting, to face a gathered crowd of students. The armadillo bellowed into a megaphone, “ARE YOU READY—FOR—gasp, wheeze—THE FUN RUN?”
Pointing his right front claw, the armadillo led the charge. He ran forward, but his tail snagged on a tree root. Rip! Whoops! No more tail! Cotton stuffing floated into the air, carried by the wind.
Shivering in the cold November afternoon, students of Clay Elementary watched in wonder. They stood huddled together like a colony of penguins. The boys and girls were not dressed for the chilly weather. Most wore running shorts, T-shirts, and sneakers. A few pulled on wool hats and gloves. It was time for the annual Fun Run for Fitness.
“I’m freezing!” Connor O’Malley complained. His teeth chattered. “I can’t feel my toes.” He turned to his twin sister, Lizzy. “Are my lips turning blue? I actually think my face has frozen solid. I might freeze to death.”
Lizzy poked her brother’s cheek with a finger. “It feels like a hockey puck.” She grinned. “I think you’ll survive.”
“Hey, why aren’t you cold?” Connor asked.
“I came prepared. I stuffed heat packs into my socks,” Lizzy said. “Just call me Toasty Toes.”
“Oh no!” Kym Park interjected. “Look now.”
All eyes turned to watch as the school’s purple mascot, Arnold the Armadillo, slipped and tripped and sprawled belly-first into an icy mud puddle.
“Whoa, belly flop,” Connor said.
“Ladies and gentlemen, the armadillo has landed,” Deon Gibson observed.
Connor and Deon bumped fists.
Every student at Clay Elementary knew that Principal Tuxbury was in there. Deon shook his head. “Worst . . . mascot . . . ever.”
Lizzy frowned. “The costume does seem a little droopy.”
“I’ll say,” Connor agreed.
“It’s a sad, sorry armadillo,” Deon added.
“I wonder why we have an armadillo for a mascot,” Lizzy mused. “We live in Connecticut. I don’t think there are any armadillos in Connecticut. Are there?”
“We have possums,” Deon said. “That’s kind of the same. Isn’t it?”
Lizzy frowned.
Kym had other concerns. “I hope Principal Tuxbury isn’t hurt.” She was right to fret. Groans echoed from inside the armadillo’s plush-and-chicken-wire head. Ms. Baez, the school nurse, rushed to the fallen mascot. She began yanking on the armadillo’s head.
“It’s stuck. Nurse Baez needs help,” Kym said.
“Let’s go!” Connor roared.
In moments, students and teachers formed a long chain—all yanking and tugging on the fallen armadillo’s head.
“Oof, huzzuh, gork!” Muffled cries came from inside the mascot.
The head remained fixed to the body of the costume. It would not budge. Principal Tuxbury was trapped.
“Should we call the fire department?” Kym asked. No one replied to Kym’s question. Because no one heard it. The screaming was too loud.
“Heave!” beseeched Nurse Baez.
“Ho!” the students cried.
“HEAVE!”
“HO!”
And finally, with one mighty tug, the head ripped off. It flew up into the sky. The long line of tuggers toppled to the ground, heels kicking the air.
The grubby mascot sat up. The headless costume now exposed the bald, round, unhappy head of Principal Larry Tuxbury. He looked around, dazed and confused.
“Are you all right, Mr. Tuxbury?” Nurse Baez asked. “Perhaps you should lie down on a cot.”
“Never again,” he muttered. “You’ll never, ever get me into that ridiculous suit again!”
From that day forward, it would always be remembered as the best Fun Run ever.
It was the day the armadillo died.
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About the Author
JAMES PRELLER is the author of the popular Jigsaw Jones Mysteries, which have sold more than ten million copies. He is also the author of Bystander, named a 2009 Junior Library Guild Selection, Six Innings, an ALA Notable Book, and the Scary Tales series of mystery-horror stories for children. James lives in Delmar, New York, with his wife, three children, cats, and dog.
Visit him at jamespreller.com
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