Sixth Grade · Reading · week 17

Argument Autopsy Project

Formally dissect a full persuasive text piece by piece -- claim, each reason, each piece of evidence -- and evaluate its overall effectiveness.

An argument autopsy means taking a persuasive text apart completely, the way this whole unit has practiced one piece at a time, and putting the full picture back together in a single formal evaluation. Instead of testing one reason or spotting one technique, this project asks for the whole anatomy at once: the claim, every reason, the evidence behind each reason, and a final judgment on how well the whole structure holds up.

Susan B. Anthony's 1873 speech is the text for this project, since its careful, chain-built structure from Week 11 rewards a full formal dissection. This time, instead of tracing just the logical path, the goal is a complete autopsy: label every part, then step back and judge the argument as a whole.

📋 For the teacher
Teach it (10–15 min):
  • Treat this like a real project with a finished product: a full written or spoken autopsy labeling every part, not just a quick verbal run-through.
  • Encourage an honest final evaluation -- a strong argument does not require every single step to be equally airtight, and noticing the weaker step is a sign of careful reading, not disloyalty to the argument.
  • Ask your student to imagine presenting this autopsy to someone who has never read the speech -- would the dissection alone make the argument's structure clear?
  • Connect back to Week 11: the chain identified there becomes the skeleton this autopsy fills in with a full evaluation.
Talk about it:
  • Why is it useful to evaluate an argument's weakest link even when the overall argument is strong?
  • Does finding one weaker step in Anthony's chain change whether you find her overall conclusion convincing? Why or why not?
  • What would you want to ask Anthony directly if you could, based on this dissection?

Mastery looks like: They can produce a complete, labeled breakdown of a persuasive text's claim, reasons, and evidence, plus an honest evaluation of its overall strength.

Common stumbles: Producing a one-sided cheerleading summary or a one-sided takedown instead of an honest, evidence-based evaluation that credits real strengths and real weaknesses.

See it visually

Interactive, spoken-aloud tools that show this idea in motion.

Persuasive AppealsBuild an argument with ethos, pathos, and logos.try →
Homework for this lessonType it, write it with a stylus, or print it for pencil & paper.open →
Records attendance + 15 min of Reading for this learner.
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