The investigation at the center of Till Tomorrow gives teachers a strong basis for argumentative writing. David Mugisha uncovers a corruption scandal involving three wealthy and well-respected men, one of whom is partly responsible for the injury that ended his athletic career. When the effort to bring them to justice fails, students are left with real questions about accountability, power, and what counts as success. Those questions make for lively debate and substantial essays.

An argumentative essay differs from a literary analysis in that it asks students to defend a position and address opposing views. A prompt might ask whether David's effort to expose the scandal was worthwhile even though it failed. Students then need to take a stance, support it with evidence from the story, and anticipate how someone might disagree. Each of those moves can be assessed separately.

Teachers should be careful to make the prompt genuinely arguable. A question with an obvious answer produces essays that feel one-sided and lack tension. Asking students to weigh the personal value of the investigation against its practical failure creates real room for disagreement. Better prompts lead to better writing and more interesting grading.

Scoring the quality of reasoning

The heart of an argumentative essay is its reasoning, meaning how well the evidence supports the claim through logical steps. A student who says the investigation was worthwhile because David regained a sense of purpose needs to show how the evidence leads to that conclusion. Gaps in reasoning, such as assuming a point without explaining it, should lower the score even when the writing is polished. The rubric should describe reasoning quality in observable terms.

• A clear position that answers the prompt directly
• Reasons that connect logically to the claim
• Specific evidence from the novel supporting each reason
• A fair and accurate presentation of the opposing view
• A rebuttal that actually addresses the counterargument

Evaluating counterarguments

Counterarguments are where many student essays fall short. Some writers ignore opposing views entirely, while others mention them in a single sentence and dismiss them without engagement. A strong essay presents the best version of the opposing view, such as the argument that the failed investigation only deepened David's despair, and then responds with evidence. Teachers can reward this effort with a dedicated row on the rubric.

Modeling is particularly helpful here. A short class activity where students list the strongest arguments for each side before choosing a position builds the habit of fair-minded reasoning. It also reduces the temptation to write a caricature of the other side. Essays that result from this preparation tend to be more balanced and more convincing.

Keeping grading neutral on position

Teachers should score the quality of the argument, not whether they agree with the position. A student who argues that the investigation was ultimately futile may hold a view the teacher dislikes, but if the reasoning and evidence are strong, the essay deserves a high score. Writing this expectation into the rubric and sharing it with students builds trust. It also reminds the grader to check their own bias during evaluation.

Blind or anonymous scoring can help in some situations. Removing student names while grading prevents prior impressions from shaping judgment. Consistent criteria applied by a tool before the teacher reviews the essay can add another layer of steadiness. The combination supports fairer outcomes, especially when the topic invites strong opinions.

Moving from argument to revision

Feedback on argumentative writing should help students see the structure of their reasoning. A comment might ask the student to state explicitly how a particular scene shows that David's effort mattered, or to address the strongest reason for thinking it did not. These targeted prompts encourage deeper thinking than a general note to strengthen the argument. Students can then revise with a clear purpose.

Over time, the skills practiced in this assignment transfer to other courses, including history, science, and civics. Students who learn to weigh evidence and address opposing views in a literature class will bring those habits elsewhere. Teachers can reinforce this by using the same argument criteria across subjects. The result is a more coherent approach to writing instruction throughout a school.