What could you write about?

Should children be allowed

to watch whatever they

How could you present your discussion?

magazine article with

want on television?

pictures and

Homework! Is

there life after school?

photographs.

Should pupils have

to wear school uniform?

Zoos! Good or bad

for animals?

Should animals

be made to perform

As a newspaper or

As bullet points in two or more

columns.

As a leaflet.

A flyer.

A debate.

An interview with people

in circuses?

of opposing points of view.

Chips with everything? Yes or No?

Should mobile phones be banned in

A letter.

school?

Should Fox/Whale
Hunting be banned?

Have I remembered??????????????

Should children be allowed to

An introduction stating the argument

choose their own books?

My Discussion Checklist

Does this village need a

Arguments for and against with

supporting evidence.

by-pass?

A summary and conclusion

Should children walk to

school?

Logical connectives
Complex sentences

Should bullies be punished

or helped?

Present tense
To balances all points of view

How
to
Write a
Discussion
Text

Who is your Discussion text for?

?
xt for
sion te
s
u
c
s
i
r D
ts of
is you
t poin
n
e
What
r
e
f
if
sent d
To pre
opic.

ut a t
o
b
a
ce and
view
eviden
e
h
t
des.
sent
oth si
b
To pre
m
o
fr

ation
inform

guage
The Lan

about the issue and understand

the different points of view.

Someone who might want help in

making up their own mind about
the issue.

to use

tense.
Present
rson.
Third pe
nal.
Imperso

Someone who wants to know all

s.
sentence
ss; on
Complex
verthele
e
n
;
r
e
v
es: howe
r hand;
Connectiv
the othe
n
o
;
d
n
ha
fore;
the one
o; there
ls
a
;
e
r
o
trast.
furtherm
h; in con
g
u
o
h
lt
a
ple;
n move
for exam
ents the
m
e
t
a
t
s
l
h genera
Start wit
ific.
the spec
cruel to
towards
that it is

eve
ca
vers beli
o, the or
Animal lo
ity. Keik
iv
t
p
a
c
pt in
les in
, wa s k e
ly
il
keep wha
W
e
e
Fr
the film
whale in
ore
ears bef
y
r
o
f
y
captivit
e ocean.
d into th
e
s
a
le
e
r
being

FOR

*
*
*
*
*

Structu
re and
Organis
Start w
ation
ith an
o
p
ening s
and a g
tateme
eneral
nt of t
overvie
he issu
points
w
of the
e
of view
differe
.
nt

Either
write t
he argu
support
ment F
ing evid
OR wit
e
nce foll
h
ment A
o
w
ed by
GAINS
t
h
T
e
with su
argu
pportin
OrWr
g evide
ite one
nce;
point F
evidenc
OR wit
e then
h
s
u
p
one poin
porting
by supp
t AGAI
orting
N
S
T
e
vidence
followe
at a tim
. Carry
d
e.
o n on e
point

Present
each a
rgumen
paragra
t in se
phs.
parate

Finish
with a
summar
can sta
y and c
te your
onclusio
ow n op
n. You
inion at
the end
.

AGAINST

*
*
*
*
*

Summary and conclusion

Tricks of the
trade!
Use a question
for the title.

Should childre
n be made to
do homework?

Introduce the
reader to the
discussion
and why you ar
e writing abou
t it.
Keep the argu
ment balanced
and present
both points of
view as fairly
as possible.
Support each
sides point of
view with
reasons and ev
idence.
If you presen
t your own po
int of view in
the conclusion
, give the reas
ons for your
decision.