Civics

Argumentative
Essay
Learning Goal:

Students will be able to:

• Understand the structure of the argumentative essay;
• Remember to refer back to the task sheet requirements,
always!
Socratic Circle

Rules:
 turn taking
 making eye contact
 whole body listening and
 respectful interactions

Investigation Sources:
 Sources from throughout the Term
 New research
 Sources on Class OneNote
Socratic Circle
“Youth incarceration exacerbates adult incarceration!”

1. Read sources.

2. Create questions!
For example:
- What do you think about not incarcerating youth for crimes?
- How do you think we can better manage youth crime in Qld?
- How can we better manage youth crime in Qld?
- Is anonymity of crimes fair for the community?
3. Create a thesis statement
Socratic Circle

 Gather in 2 circles (inner & outer)

 Bring a notebook to record notes/ideas/questions

Inner circle Outer circle

Make a statement Write PMI (Plus Minus Interesting)
Clarify your understanding Write new questions
Ask follow up questions Write contributions you value
Further research ideas
Assignment Checkpoints

 DRAFT due - Week 7 Lesson 2 (Mid-Next week)

 Arguments and Recommendations to be submitted
for Drafting
 Electronic submission – [email protected]
 FINAL due - Week 8 Lesson 3
Introduction (50-100 words)
 Purpose – reword the task to identify the aim and purpose of the essay. Use the
cognitive verbs in the task sheet eg analyse, examine, develop recommendations
etc.
 Scope of the essay investigation – limitations of the research (only investigating
juvenile crime in Queensland.
Background and Context (150 words)
 Provides the motivation for writing an argumentative essay on the issue

 Describe and explain key features of the youth justice system including doli
incapax
 Analyse the role of the Youth Justice Act 1992
 Explain your topic statement in relation to the current state of juvenile
crime in Queensland.
Argument 2 (200-300 words)
1. State your Claim
Provide an argument in response to the statement

2. Provide Grounds
Give initial points of evidence or information to support the claim (basic
overview/general).

3. Provide Backing
Explain and discuss the validity of your grounds and sources, adding depth and
detail using sources.

3. Add qualifiers
State exceptions to the claim or an opposing viewpoint and indicate the
degree of certainty.

4. Revise claim and conclude

 State whether you agree or disagree
Claim with the statement

Provide reasons why you agree or

Grounds (Explain) disagree in the form of arguments

Analyse the sources and their impacts

Backing (Example) to provide evidence for your argument.

State any exceptions or alternative

views to your claim and discuss their
Qualifiers degree of validity.

Restate your claim and conclude.

Conclude
Sentence starters

 There is a great deal of evidence to suggest that….

 It is necessary to consider…..
 The issue can be viewed from several different perspectives…
 There is a strong connection between…….
Recommendations (100 words)

1. Make a general statement. E.g. “In order for Queensland to improve…”; “It is
recommended that”…..
2. Provide recommendations for improving laws or processes that are based on
your arguments and sources of evidence.

3. Justify the relevance and effectiveness of those recommendations in

supporting multiple stakeholders.

 Remember recommendations come from your investigation

 How do we make recommendations?
When you make a good quality recommendation,
you should be able to justify its positive social,
Your response legal, economic, and political impacts.
will require you to
make
recommendations
addressing how It should also be clearly linked to your argument. E.g. If you
have clearly argued that asylum seekers have poor access to
you might healthcare, it isn’t a well linked recommendation to suggest
improve any we have better education programs available in detention.

issues discussed.
So what does a good quality recommendation look like?
 How do we make recommendations?
Recommendations
can be: Take into consideration:
Reactive • How specific the recommendation is
Acting in response to a • How realistic the recommendation is
situation rather than • The likelihood of positive outcomes
creating or controlling it socially, legally, politically, and
economically
Proactive • The impact on relevant stakeholders
creating or controlling a
situation rather than just
responding to it after it has
happened. So what does a good quality recommendation look like?
 Recommendation options in Legal Studies
These will change depending on the nature and scope of your legal issue, however there are some
recommendations that can be applied to many legal issues you will come across.

Introduction of a
Establish a new
Royal program/statutory
body/
Commission court

Legislative
A change in a
Repeal/
process that
Amendment/
already exists
Enactment
 A Royal Commission Royal
Commission
into Aged Care
Royal Commission
into Misconduct in
Quality and the Banking,
Safety (2018 – Superannuation and
present) Financial Services
• A Royal Commission is an investigation, independent of Industry (2017 –
government, into a matter of great importance. Royal Commission
2019)
• Royal Commissions have broad powers to hold public into the Child
hearings, call witnesses under oath and compel evidence. Protection and
Royal
• Royal Commissions make recommendations to Youth Detention
Commission
Systems of the
government about what should change. Government of the into Aboriginal
• Each Royal Commission has terms of reference, which Northern Territory Deaths in
define the issues it will look into. (2016 – 2017) Custody (1987
– 1991)

Royal
Commission into
• Royal commissions are called to look into matters of great importance Institutional Royal
and usually controversy. Responses to Commission of Royal
• These can be matters such as government structure, the treatment of inquiry into the Commission
Child Sexual Chamberlain
minorities, events of considerable public concern or economic Abuse (2013- of Inquiry into
convictions
questions. 2017) Drug
(1986 – 1987)
• Many royal commissions last many years and, often, a different Trafficking
government is left to respond to the findings. (1981–1983)
Legislative Change
Enactment COVID-19 Emergency
• the process of passing legislation Response Amendment Bill 2021
• Can be used when legislation does not already exist, or
(Qld)
is inadequate

Amendment
• a change or addition designed to improve a piece of legislation Youth Justice Amendment Act
• Can be used when legislation exists, but needs changing
• Refers to specific sections 2021 (Qld)

Repeal/Supersede
• To revoke/remove an Act or law of parliament Police Dogs Act 1984 (Qld) –
• Can be used when legislation needs removing it its entirety
Repealed in 2008
 Introducing a new initiative
When introducing a new program, organisation, or process, it is important that this
implementation is practical and viable.

Educational
Provides Rehabilitative
Programs made
educational
available for the
opportunity purpose of
for major or rehabilitating
minor stakeholders
stakeholders Investigative Judicial
Implemented This could be
for the an additional
Are these purpose of court, or
recommendations investigating process used
reactive or or monitoring in relation to
proactive? a situation the courts
A change in a process that already exists
This type of recommendation is used when there is a clear problem with a
legal process

Application Process Judicial Process

• Complexity • Jurisdiction
• Scope • Efficiency
• Efficiency Investigation • Stakeholder rights
• Outcome Process and responsibilities
• Cost • Collection • Cost
• Communication
• Rights & Your recommendations might look
Responsibilities at addressing some of the process
• Speed issues listed above.
Conclusion (50 words)
 Briefly recap main ideas and arguments from argumentative essay.
 Reiterate recommendation.
 Use the cognitive verbs from the task sheet.
Reference list/Bibliography
 Needs to be on a separate page.

 Use the APA 6th edition referencing format.

 List references in alphabetical order by author.

Referencing – Purpose & Steps
Purpose:
 Avoid Plagiarism
 Reader can follow the thread back to the original author for reading & research

Steps:
 Record the Bibliographical details
 Insert citations in text
 Build reference list

Note:
 Punctuation is important – include commas, full stops, spaces
 Limit or avoid direct quotes whenever possible
 In text Referencing (APA 6th)
Referencing a source is made at the appropriate place in the text by stating:

• Surname(s) of author(s), year of publication, page number(s). Only for a direct

quote.
Make sure you understand what paraphrasing and direct quotes are:

• Paraphrasing is getting ideas from someone else, but not word for word.
• Example from text

1. Professor Ellis (2009) states……

2. One purpose of writing a memoir is to allow an aspect of your life to continue after
your death (Jones, 2008).
(Use this type of referencing when using an author’s ideas but not their direct
words).
3. There is an apparent reduction of alcohol consumption since 2008 (ABS, 2019).
4. The dreamer and the beast was the title of the regulatory initiative (Stevens, n.d.)
Reference list - Correct Referencing (APA 6th)
Internet and Books

Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). (2019). Apparent Consumption of Alcohol,

Australia accessed from
https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/health/health-conditions-and-risks/apparent-consu
mption-alcohol-australia/latest-release

Austlii www.austlii.gov.au accessed 25 August 2011

Woodgate, R, et al. (2007) Legal Studies for Queensland Volume 1, Fifth Edition,
Legal Eagle, Albion, Queensland.

‘Bosses Stall on Pay Rise’ (2009) The Courier Mail (Brisbane), November 14, p 1.

The Price of Defamation, 28 March 2009, Queensland Law Society,

www.qls.com.au accessed 3 September 2011
 Reference list - Correct Referencing

Legislation
As long as you are
Ombudsman Act 1976 (Cth)
consistent!
Criminal Code Act 1899 (Qld)
Webpage information required for referencing

In-text referencing
Name
Date

Reference List

Author of page or organisation

Year

Title of Page (Italicised)

Retrieved from
Communication
 Proofread all work to ensure it makes sense
 Use third person language - not first person language ie ‘you’.
 When you are writing in the third person, the story is about other people or things. Not
yourself or the reader. Use the items name or pronouns such as ‘the article showed’, 'he' or
'she'.
"A dreamer is one who can only find his way by moonlight, and his punishment is
that he sees the dawn before the rest of the world." - Oscar Wilde
"A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new." - Albert Einstein
 Use formal language ie ‘to cut corners’ is an informal way of saying ‘avoiding the
regulations’
 Avoid emotive language