Writing a balanced argument
This term, we have been reading the book, 'Pig Heart Boy' by Malorie Blackman. Our first piece of writing from this text is a balanced argument on the issue of xenotransplantation...
In the text, the main character is a thirteen-year-old boy named Cam, who contracted an illness that means his heart is failing and he has less than a year to live. His father gets in touch with a pioneering surgeon who offers Cam a chance at life - by having a transplant operation with a pig's heart.
In class, we used some of the arguments put forward in the book to have a class debate on the issue, before drawing up a list of the main pros and cons associated with this contentious subject.
From this, the children have begun to write a balanced argument, where we will attempt to impartially outline the key points for both sides. On Friday, we wrote the introductions and began to piece together the pros. Next week, we aim to continue the writing process further.