Few middle grade novels raise questions of fairness as directly as Holes. Stanley is sent to Camp Green Lake for a crime he did not commit, and the adults around him treat the situation as normal. That makes argument writing feel urgent rather than academic.

The question of whether Stanley's punishment was fair is a strong starting point, but it needs careful framing. Some students will say it was obviously unfair because he was innocent. Others will bring up the way the camp claims to build character, and that is where the essays get interesting.

Argument writing has predictable parts: a claim, reasons, evidence, and a response to opposing views. Holes gives students enough material to practice each. It also lets them argue about a fictional situation, which can feel safer than taking a stand on a real controversy.

As the grader, your job is to separate the quality of the argument from the opinion itself. A student who defends the camp can score just as highly as one who condemns it, as long as the reasoning holds. Say so before students start writing, or many will assume there is a right side.

Frame the Question So It Can Be Debated

A prompt like "Was Stanley treated fairly?" invites a one-word answer. A better version narrows the ground: fairness in the trial, fairness in the camp routine, or fairness in how the Warden treats the boys. Specific ground produces specific claims.

• Claim: a clear position stated in the first paragraph
• Reasons: two or three distinct reasons, each in its own paragraph
• Evidence: specific moments from the novel that support each reason
• Counterargument: a fair statement of the opposing view, followed by a response
• Conclusion: a closing that reinforces the position without repeating the introduction

Grade the Counterargument Separately

The counterargument paragraph is where most students struggle, and it is the easiest to skip if it is not scored on its own. Give it its own row on the rubric. Students take a section more seriously when it counts for points.

Look for two things: a fair description of the other side and a real response. Some students set up a weak version of the opposing view just to knock it down. Comment on that directly, and suggest they consider what a thoughtful opponent would say.

Distinguish Fact, Opinion, and Inference

Students often present opinions as facts, saying the Warden is simply evil, or assume things about characters that the book never states. Teach them to separate what the text says, what they infer, and what they feel. A short mini lesson on this pays off across every essay.

Watch for emotional language that replaces reasoning. Passion is fine, but the rubric should reward support. Ask students to swap a strong word for a piece of evidence.

Handling Volume Without Losing Nuance

Argument essays are heavy to grade because each claim and counterargument has to be read carefully. Applying the same rubric to every essay, whether by hand or with a tool like GraideMind, helps you stay consistent when the positions vary widely. Consistency matters most when students argue opposite sides.

Finish with a short reflection where students explain how their view changed, if it did. It costs you little to read and tells you more about their thinking than another paragraph would. It also reinforces that good arguments respond to evidence.