Argument writing is often harder to teach than literary analysis, partly because students need something worth arguing about. Island of the Blue Dolphins delivers. Karana faces decisions with no easy answer, and reasonable readers disagree about whether she chose well.

A good prompt gives students a real choice. Was Karana right to jump off the ship and return for Ramo? Did the tribe make the right decision by leaving the island? Should Karana have made weapons in defiance of the tribe's rules?

Notice that each of these questions has strong evidence on both sides. That matters, because an essay with only one defensible position cannot test counterargument skills. If nearly everyone picks the same side, revise the prompt.

Set the expectation early that opinions need support from the book. A paper that says Karana was foolish because the student would never do that has skipped the assignment. The claim has to rest on what happens in the novel.

What to Score in Argument Essays

Score the claim, the reasoning, the use of evidence, and the treatment of a counterargument. The counterargument row often separates strong from average work, since many middle school writers ignore the other side entirely. Give credit for acknowledging an opposing view even if the rebuttal is still developing.

• A specific claim that answers the prompt directly
• Reasons that are distinct from each other, not restatements
• Evidence from the novel attached to each reason
• A fair description of a counterargument
• A rebuttal or concession that shows real thought

Prompt Ideas Worth Trying

Beyond the decisions above, students can argue whether Karana's isolation made her stronger or simply forced her to adapt. They can debate whether the Aleut hunters or the tribe's leaders bore more responsibility for the conflict. These prompts ask for judgment grounded in specific events.

Vary the prompts across sections to reduce copying between classes. Rotating them from year to year also keeps old essays from circulating. Fresh prompts keep the grading interesting for you too.

Keeping Argument Grading Consistent

Because argument essays invite unusual positions, consistency can slip. Scoring against a fixed rubric, whether by hand or with a tool such as GraideMind, keeps the focus on quality of reasoning rather than agreement with your view. That protects students who take a less popular stance.

Read at least a few essays that disagree with your own opinion before you finalize scores. It is an easy way to check that you are grading the argument, not the conclusion. Most teachers find one or two scores worth adjusting.