Middle school students love to argue, and Roald Dahl's books give them plenty to argue about. Was Matilda right to use her powers against Miss Trunchbull, and does the punishment in The Twits fit the crime? These questions have no single correct answer, which makes them ideal for teaching claims, reasons, and evidence. Teachers get writing that is personal and engaged, and students get practice with a skill they will use for years.

The key to a good argumentative prompt is that it asks students to take a side and defend it using the text. "Do you like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory?" is an opinion question that produces opinion writing. "Is Willy Wonka a responsible host?" requires students to examine his actions, consider counterarguments, and decide. The second question leads to far better writing because it demands evidence and reasoning.

Teachers should also think about the scaffolding students need. Many sixth and seventh graders can state an opinion but struggle to organize reasons or explain how evidence supports them. A simple planning chart with columns for claim, reason, evidence, and explanation gives them a structure to follow. Collecting these charts before the essay also gives the teacher an early view of who is on track.

Prompts That Invite Real Debate

Prompts work best when reasonable readers could land on either side. A question about whether a character deserves a harsh consequence, or whether a plan was clever or cruel, gives students room to disagree. Teachers can also invite students to argue against their own first instinct, which builds intellectual flexibility. The best essays often come from students who admit that the opposing view has some merit.

• Is Willy Wonka responsible for what happens to the children on his tour?
• Does Matilda use her abilities fairly, or does she go too far?
• Are the Twits punished too harshly, or exactly as they deserve?
• Is Mr. Fox a hero, or is he stealing from the farmers?
• Should adults in these stories be trusted more than the children?

Grading Claims, Reasons, and Evidence Separately

Argument essays are easiest to grade when the rubric separates the main components. A clear claim, logical reasons, relevant evidence, and thoughtful explanation can each be scored on their own scale. This approach shows students exactly where they succeeded and where they struggled, which a single holistic score cannot do. It also lets teachers give targeted feedback instead of a general comment that the essay needs more support.

Counterargument deserves its own line on the rubric as well. At the middle school level, a simple expectation might be that the student acknowledges one opposing view and responds to it. Teachers can model this with a sentence starter such as "Some readers might say, but the text shows." Over time, students learn that acknowledging the other side makes their own argument stronger.

Feedback That Middle Schoolers Can Use

Feedback for younger students must be short, concrete, and encouraging. Pointing out one strong reason and asking for one additional piece of evidence is usually more effective than listing every flaw. Students at this age respond well to comments that begin with something they did right. A comment like "your second reason is convincing; can you find a quote that proves it?" gives them a clear next step.

With over a hundred students on a typical teaching load, writing such comments by hand is a serious time commitment. AI-assisted feedback tools can generate a first draft of comments aligned to the rubric, which the teacher can then edit and personalize. This keeps the turnaround fast enough that students remember what they wrote. Quick feedback is one of the most reliable ways to improve writing.

Keeping the Writing Original

Because Dahl's books are so well known, teachers sometimes worry about students copying summaries or opinions from online sources. Prompts that require specific passages from the class copy of the book, along with personal reasoning, are harder to fake. In-class drafting for the first paragraph also helps establish a student's natural voice. Comparing later drafts against that voice makes unusual changes easier to notice.

It is just as important to teach students why original thinking matters in the first place. Many middle schoolers use outside help because they fear their own ideas are not good enough. Praising interesting claims, even when the execution is rough, builds the confidence to keep writing independently. The goal is not only to catch shortcuts but to make the honest route feel rewarding.