English Language Arts · 6th Grade

Active learning ideas

Maintaining a Formal Style in Argumentation

Active learning works for this topic because students often mistake strong opinions with informal language, and hands-on practice helps them experience the difference between persuasive and effective academic writing. When students revise real examples, they see how formal style strengthens their argument rather than weakens it.

• Common Core State Standards
• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.6.1.d

• 20–30 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 3 activities

Activity 01

• Peer Teaching
• 25 min · Pairs

Peer Revision: The Formality Audit

Students exchange argumentative drafts and use a structured checklist to identify: all contractions, all first-person pronouns, all opinion-signaling phrases (I think, obviously, clearly), and any slang or informal vocabulary. The peer marks each instance and suggests a formal alternative. Writers revise using the annotations before returning to their own draft.

Explain how word choice contributes to a formal tone in an argumentative essay.

Facilitation Tip

During Peer Revision: The Formality Audit, provide a colored highlighter for each type of informal language (contractions, slang, first-person) so students can visually track patterns in their peers' writing.

What to look for

Present students with a short paragraph arguing a common topic (e.g., the best type of pet). Ask them to highlight any words or phrases that sound informal or overly emotional. Then, have them rewrite two sentences using more formal language.

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Create
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills

Activity 02

• Think-Pair-Share
• 20 min · Pairs

Think-Pair-Share: Formal or Charged?

Present a series of argumentative sentences that differ only in word choice, one formal and evidence-based, one emotionally charged. Students individually decide which sounds more credible to an academic audience and explain why, then compare their reasoning with a partner. The class debrief builds shared vocabulary for identifying register in argumentation.

Differentiate between appropriate and inappropriate language for a formal argument.

Facilitation Tip

For Think-Pair-Share: Formal or Charged?, give pairs a short list of formal alternatives they can reference when deciding between phrasing options.

What to look for

Students exchange drafts of their argumentative paragraphs. Using a checklist (e.g., 'No contractions', 'No slang', 'Objective language used'), they identify one sentence that could be more formal and suggest a revision. Partners sign off if the checklist is complete.

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Awareness
• Relationship Skills

Activity 03

• Inquiry Circle
• 30 min · Small Groups

Inquiry Circle: Rewrite the Rant

Groups receive a short paragraph written in very informal argumentative style. Their task is to rewrite it maintaining the same position but using formal language and evidence-based reasoning. Groups share revised paragraphs and the class discusses which version is most persuasive to an academic reader.

Critique a piece of writing for instances of informal language or biased phrasing.

Facilitation Tip

In Collaborative Investigation: Rewrite the Rant, assign each group a different type of informal language to focus on so the whole class covers the full range of formal style requirements.

What to look for

Provide students with two sentences: one formal and one informal, both making the same point. Ask them to identify which is formal and explain why, citing specific word choices. Then, ask them to write one sentence about why formal language is important in arguments.

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Self-Awareness

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teachers approach this topic by making the invisible visible—students often don’t realize how casual their writing sounds until they compare it side-by-side with formal models. Avoid lecturing solely about rules; instead, let students discover the impact of language choices through guided revision. Research shows that students improve formal style most when they analyze and revise authentic examples rather than memorize a checklist.

Successful learning looks like students identifying informal language in peer work and confidently revising it to maintain a formal register. They should use evidence-based reasoning in their arguments without relying on emotional or casual phrasing. By the end of the activities, students will consistently apply formal style in their own writing.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Peer Revision: The Formality Audit, students may believe that using strong emotional language makes an argument more persuasive.

  During Peer Revision: The Formality Audit, circulate with a sample paragraph that uses emotional language and guide students to identify how evidence-based reasoning feels more credible. Ask them to revise the paragraph to remove emotional phrasing while keeping the argument intact.

• During Think-Pair-Share: Formal or Charged?, students might think formality is only about avoiding contractions.

  During Think-Pair-Share: Formal or Charged?, provide a checklist with examples of other informal markers (e.g., 'I think,' 'obviously,' 'and also') and have pairs categorize each phrase as formal or informal before discussing alternatives.

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Methods used in this brief

• Peer Teaching
• Think-Pair-Share
• Inquiry Circle