Fresh Eyes: A call for explanatory writing in an era of uncivil discourse

by Laura L. Aull
In the wake of polarized and uncivil election discourse, many parents and educators are wondering what happened and what to do.
As a professor and researcher of writing, my own answer is this: Take care how, and how often, we teach argumentative essays in schools. Teach explanation and synthesis instead.
The common use of the argumentative essay in US schooling dates back to unprecedented growth in higher education and a literate middle class in the early 20th Century. College