🐺 Windsor Mill Middle School • Grade 8 • Semester Course
ARGUMENT & DEBATE
Welcome to Argument & Debate! This semester course helps students
become high school ready by strengthening the reading, writing, speaking,
research, and critical-thinking skills they will use across every subject.
Ms. Gratton • Think. Question. Prove It.
Start Here
What is Argument & Debate?
Argument & Debate is a semester-long 8th grade course designed
to build the habits students need for high school success.
Students learn to read challenging texts, evaluate information,
write evidence-based responses, communicate clearly, listen to
different perspectives, and independently defend their thinking.
⚖️
Think Like a Lawyer
Build a case, question testimony, examine evidence,
and determine whether an argument has actually been proven.
🔬
Think Like a Scientist
Separate evidence from assumptions and determine whether
conclusions are supported by reliable information.
📚
Think Like a Historian
Analyze perspective, context, credibility, cause, effect,
and how ideas influence people.
🔎
Think Like a Researcher
Ask stronger questions, compare sources, identify bias,
and look for the strongest available evidence.
✍️
Write With Purpose
Make clear claims, select strong evidence,
explain reasoning, and address opposing viewpoints.
🗣️
Speak With Evidence
Share ideas confidently while listening carefully
and responding respectfully to disagreement.
💭 BIG IDEA:
Your voice has power, but evidence gives it weight.
In this class, students learn to question what they hear,
defend what they believe, and think deeply enough to change
their minds when the evidence demands it.
Your Teacher
Meet Ms. Gratton
👩🏫
Add Ms. Gratton's headshot here
Hi, I'm Ms. Gratton! 💜
I have been at Windsor Mill Middle School since 2019.
My background is in English Language Arts, and I previously
served as the AVID Coordinator for four years. I currently
work as a Staff Development Teacher. I specialize in
interactive teaching methods designed to engage students
and promote higher-level thinking.
📚 Background
English Language Arts + AVID
💼 Current Role
Staff Development Teacher
🏆 Recognition
2025–2026 WMMS Teacher of the Year
✨ Teaching Style
Interactive learning + higher-level thinking
Course Roadmap
Four lenses. One stronger thinker.
This semester moves through four connected units.
Select a unit to preview the standards-based skills
students will strengthen.
Every Class
What students can expect.
Activities change from day to day, but the class routine stays
familiar. Students should arrive ready to begin, participate
respectfully, use evidence when speaking or writing, and leave
able to explain what they learned.
1. Do Now
Begin independently with a short online response
that activates thinking for the day's lesson.
2. Learn
Build the day's skill through interactive notebook notes,
modeling, sources, examples, or demonstrations.
3. Investigate
Read, discuss, debate, analyze evidence, prepare a case,
or complete digital or notebook-based classwork.
4. Exit Ticket
Complete a short online check to demonstrate
what you learned before leaving class.
📅 COACH CLASS: WEDNESDAYS
Students may use Coach Class for extra help, assignment support,
questions, make-up work, or required academic-integrity redos.
Come Prepared
Required Materials
Argument & Debate uses both digital learning and an
Interactive Notebook.
Students should bring the following materials to
every class.
📓
Spiral Notebook
One spiral notebook dedicated to Argument & Debate.
This will become your Interactive Notebook
and will be used primarily for note-taking, vocabulary,
models, examples, evidence, and selected class activities.
✏️
Pencils
Bring pencils every class so you are ready to take notes,
annotate sources, organize ideas, and complete work
in your Interactive Notebook.
🖍️
Highlighters
Highlighters will be used to annotate texts,
identify claims and evidence, organize information,
and make important thinking visible.
🎒 BRING EVERY CLASS:
Spiral Notebook + Pencils + Highlighters
Paper or Digital?
Where will I complete my work?
Students will use both their Interactive Notebook and
their device throughout the semester. Here's what to expect:
📓
Interactive Notebook
Note-taking will be completed in your Interactive Notebook.
Students will use it for lesson notes, vocabulary, models,
examples, evidence, and other resources they can reference
throughout the semester.
💻
Always Online
All assessments, Do Nows, and Exit Tickets will be completed online.
Students should come to class prepared to use their device
for these assignments.
🔄
Classwork
Daily classwork may be completed online or in the Interactive Notebook.
The format will depend on the lesson, activity,
and skill students are practicing.
How Your Grade Works
Your grade should show what you know.
Major assessments measure larger demonstrations of learning.
Schoolwork represents the daily analysis, writing, discussion,
preparation, and skill development that build toward those assessments.
30%
Major Assessments
Tests, major writing tasks, projects, debates,
mock trials, or other larger demonstrations of learning.
70%
Minor / Schoolwork
Class assignments, analysis, written responses,
preparation, checks for understanding,
and other scored classwork.
0%
Practice
Practice gives students an opportunity to learn,
revise, and prepare without directly changing their grade.
💻 ASSESSMENTS ARE DIGITAL:
All assessments will be completed online unless
Ms. Gratton provides different directions.
Classroom Non-Negotiables
Set the standard.
Argument & Debate works best when every student can think,
speak, disagree, and learn in a respectful environment.
🧠
Think critically.
Ask questions. Examine the evidence.
Be willing to change your thinking.
🤝
Challenge ideas, not people.
Disagreement is part of this course.
Disrespect is not.
👂
Value every voice.
Listen when others are speaking and
consider different perspectives.
🔎
Prove it.
Claims need evidence.
Evidence needs reasoning.
📵
Phones away.
Devices should not compete with learning
unless approved for a class purpose.
🎒
Come prepared.
Bring your Interactive Notebook,
pencils, and highlighters every class.
⭐
Give real effort.
Follow directions, participate,
complete your work, and own your learning.
💻
Use technology for learning.
When work is online, stay on the assigned
platform and use your device responsibly.
Academic Integrity • Important
Students caught using AI will receive a 0.
Argument & Debate is designed to measure each student's own
thinking, reading, writing, and reasoning. Using generative AI
to complete any part of an assignment without explicit teacher
permission is academic dishonesty.
🚫
Unauthorized AI use = academic dishonesty.
If AI completes, writes, answers, summarizes, or substantially
revises work a student is expected to do independently,
the assignment will be treated as academically dishonest.
0️⃣
Immediate consequence: 0.
Students caught using unauthorized AI
will receive an automatic 0 on the assignment.
✍️
Redo must be completed on paper.
To earn credit back, the assignment must be
redone by hand during Wednesday Coach Class.
❓
Unsure? Ask first.
If Ms. Gratton has not specifically approved AI
for an assignment, students should not use it.
⚠️ BOTTOM LINE:
Unauthorized AI use =
automatic 0 + paper redo during Wednesday Coach Class.
Your Argument Toolkit
By the end of the semester, students should be able to…
🎯
Make a Claim
State a clear, defensible position
that directly answers the question.
📎
Select Evidence
Choose relevant facts, examples, data,
quotations, or observations.
🧩
Explain Reasoning
Explain exactly how the evidence
supports the conclusion.
🔍
Evaluate Sources
Determine whether information is credible,
relevant, reliable, specific, and sufficient.
↔️
Address Counterclaims
Recognize reasonable opposing positions
and respond using evidence and reasoning.
🎤
Defend Your Thinking
Communicate clearly, listen carefully,
and support ideas with evidence.
High School Ready
Skills that travel with you.
This semester course is intentionally connected to the expectations
students will face in high school. Argument & Debate builds stronger
independence, more sophisticated reading, evidence-based writing,
academic discussion, and responsible decision-making.
📖
Read Complex Texts
Identify central ideas, analyze perspective,
and select evidence from challenging sources.
✍️
Write With Evidence
Answer prompts, organize ideas, support claims,
explain reasoning, and address counterclaims.
🎤
Communicate Clearly
Participate in academic discussion,
explain thinking, listen actively,
and respond respectfully.
🔍
Evaluate Information
Check credibility, recognize bias,
distinguish fact from opinion,
and question weak evidence.
⏱️
Build Independence
Manage materials, meet deadlines,
use feedback, ask for help,
and take ownership of learning.
🎓
Prepare Across Subjects
Practice transferable skills supporting ELA,
science, social studies, assessments,
magnet programs, and high school coursework.
🎯 OUR GOAL:
Students leave this semester more confident,
more independent, and more prepared for the
expectations of high school.
Before You Finish
Syllabus Check
Show what you understand about the course.
Your answers stay inside this interactive syllabus.
⚖️ Argument & Debate •
Windsor Mill Middle School •
Semester Course •
Think • Question • Prove It