In middle school writing, students struggle to explain why certain pieces of evidence support their claim. This is a common problem, often presenting as repeating sentences, or statements like “This is how this evidence supports my claim.” This course will teach students the analytical thinking and writing skills needed in order to successfully explain to others how one arrives at a certain conclusion. Students will learn to first extrapolate a conclusion based on a set of information. Then, students will learn to retrace and articulate their logical reasoning before translating this process into written form. Students will learn this process through a series of project-based assessments, including scientific papers, comparative analyses of major historical events, and critiques of literary works.