The Power of Argument

For the past several years, PhilWP has partnered with the Independence National Historical Park  to offer a two-week summer program for students in grades 9-12, giving them the opportunity to explore the history of their city, think critically about American history, and use their experiences to inspire their writing and art.  In addition, the partnership provided an opportunity for middle-school students to explore the importance of creating arguments using evidence as part of their ongoing learning.  In 2015,  the Philadelphia Writing Project, the National Writing Project and Independence National Historical Park completed a video called The Power of Argument, featuring Philadelphia eighth-graders and highlighting the Declaration of Independence as an argument.   The Power of Argument The Philadelphia Writing Project is part of the National Writing Project’s College-Ready Writers Program (CRWP) which offers extensive professional development opportunities for middle and high-school teachers to support the development of writing source-based arguments.