Examples that show the thinking.
534 examples and lessons to explore. Find an approach, follow the thinking, and try it in your own writing.
Should Schools Assign Summer Homework?
An evidence-conscious argument for optional, accessible summer learning rather than compulsory packets or no school support at all.
Loneliness and Isolation: Why the Distinction Matters
A distinction between social isolation and loneliness helps communities respond to both limited contact and the felt absence of meaningful connection. CDC guidance and Pew Research Center findings show why counting contacts alone is not enough, while also illustrating the limits of the available evidence.
Privacy Should Be Part of the Conversation About AI in Schools
An explanatory essay on what students’ information can reveal when they use AI tools, why age and educational context matter, and how schools can pair useful technology with responsible privacy practices.
Government Arts Funding: Access Versus Artistic Independence
An argument that public funding can help the arts flourish and reach wider audiences, provided that funding is structured to protect artists from political control and preserve diverse sources of support.
An Emergency Expense Reveals More Than a Household's Monthly Income
An explanation of why income and spending alone cannot show whether a household can withstand financial shocks, using the Federal Reserve's 2024 household survey and consumer guidance.
Cold War Origins: Economic Security or Soviet Expansion?
Pollard emphasizes economic security as a cause of early Cold War policy, while Patterson stresses perceived Soviet threats. The Marshall Plan supports Pollard’s explanation; the Truman Doctrine provides a distinct development that strengthens Patterson’s security-centered argument.
Should Class Participation Be Graded? Fair Assessment for Different Learners
An argument that participation may contribute to a grade only when it measures demonstrated learning through multiple equitable options, rather than rewarding frequent public speaking.
Finding My Voice in a Class Discussion
An illustrative reflection on preparing for a class discussion, making an imperfect contribution, and learning that participation can begin with a thoughtful question rather than a perfect answer.
Social Media and Teen Mental Health: What the Evidence Actually Says
An evidence-based explanation of what U.S. teens report about social media’s benefits and harms, and why those reports do not by themselves establish cause and effect.
Macbeth and the Thane of Cawdor: A Parallel of Destruction
A literary analysis of how Malcolm’s account of Cawdor’s repentant death applies to Macbeth, especially through their different responses to danger, guilt, and the prospect of death.
Ethical Standards and Effective Public Leadership: GRE Issue Essay
An evidence-based argument that ethical leadership is essential to durable public trust, while competence and judgment also determine whether officials can govern effectively.
Cold War Policies and the End of the Cold War, 1945–1991
The Reagan administration’s nuclear policy provoked both mass protest and doubts among its own advisers. Later negotiations helped ease U.S.–Soviet tensions, but the evidence supports viewing them as one contributor—not a complete explanation—for the Cold War’s end.