Marvelous Moments: Afternoon Arguments is the ultimate classroom tool for building critical thinking, opinion writing, and reasoning skills-all in under 10 minutes a day. Perfect for grades 2-6, this resource helps students learn to think deeply, speak clearly, and write persuasively through short, engaging daily prompts. Each Afternoon Argument presents students with a thought-provoking scenario that has two obvious sides. These are not abstract debates, but real-world, kid-friendly topics like: ¿ Should homework be required every night? ¿ Is it better to live in the city or the country? ¿ Would you rather visit the past or the future? ¿ Is winning or having fun more important in sports? Students must take a stance-and back it up. With guided space for reasons, evidence, and personal connections, these activities promote both independent thought and collaborative conversation. Why it works: ¿ Encourages opinion writing and evidence-based responses ¿ Strengthens logical reasoning and decision-making ¿ Builds perspective-taking and respectful disagreement ¿ Supports test prep for argumentative prompts and essays ¿ Engages students during the most challenging time of day-afternoon! In a world where students are often told what to think, Afternoon Arguments teaches them how to think-critically, respectfully, and thoughtfully. It gives them a chance to explore real topics, form personal convictions, and express themselves with clarity and purpose. Ideal for: ¿ Daily writing warm-ups ¿ Exit ticket reflections ¿ Literacy and SEL integration ¿ Homeschool critical thinking curriculum ¿ RTI, enrichment, or early finishers ¿ State-standard-aligned opinion writing practice This book is part of the Marvelous Moments Series, which also includes: ¿ Morning Mysteries - Fiction-based prompts to build inference and creativity ¿ Lunch and Learn - Short nonfiction reads to boost content knowledge and vocabulary Marvelous Moments: Afternoon Arguments transforms the last few minutes of the school day into a powerful platform for student voice, respectful debate, and deeper reasoning.
"Strong thinkers aren't born-they're trained, one argument at a time." Available now from Teach BIG and on Amazon.