writing unit
DESCRIPTION
Writing Unit for Intermediate LiteracyTRANSCRIPT
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Erin Dobey Small Educ 139 11/12/14
Persuasive Writing Unit 4th Grade
Common Core Writing Standards: CCSS.ELA-‐LITERACY.W.2.1 Write opinion pieces in which they introduce the topic or book they are writing about, state an opinion, supply reasons that support the opinion, use linking words (e.g., because, and, also) to connect opinion and reasons, and provide a concluding statement or section. Continuum Writing Standards: Understanding the Genre
o Understand that the purpose on an essay can be to persuade readers to think like the author
Writing in the Genre o Begin with a title or opening that tells the reader what is being argued or
explained and end with a conclusion o Provide a series of clear arguments or reasons to support the argument
Day 1 Topic: Introduction to Persuasive Writing Resources: The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt Chart paper Writing utensils Teacher Actions:
• Read aloud the Day the Crayons Quit to the whole class • Talk over main points from the mentor text and introduce persuasive writing
to class • Scaffold or prompt students as needed to guide discussion • Look over exit slips to check for student understanding
Student Actions:
• Listen to the Day the Crayons Quit
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• Participate in thoughtful discussion of what persuasive writing is and how this is done in the book
• Turn in exit slip at the conclusion of the activity Activity:
• After we have read the Red Crayon’s letter to Duncan, students will do a Think-‐Pair-‐Share in partners what the Red Crayon’s purpose was in writing the letter. Following this, they will Think-‐Pair-‐Share and share what the crayon’s arguments are to try and persuade Duncan to give the crayon a break.
• We will write these ideas on a piece of chart paper so students get a better idea of what persuasive writing is (i.e. the writer has a purpose and arguments to support/ persuade the reader to agree with them)
• We will continue this process with both the purple crayon and the beige crayon so students get a better understanding of what persuasive writing looks like. I will explain that the goal of it is to get the reader to support your side through your use of arguments and details.
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Assessment: • Students will be given an exit slip that asks them to reflect on what they read.
It will ask them to pick a crayon, discuss the purpose of their letter to Duncan, and highlight some key arguments to persuade the reader
The Crayon that I think was very persuasive was ____________________.
The purpose of this crayon’s letter was____________________________
________________________________________________________.
Some of the arguments they used were:
• • •
Differentiation:
• ELL students will be given an individual copy of the book to follow along with as we read. This will allow them to get a better look of the pictures and will provide additional visual support. I could also have Special Education students provide oral answers for their assessment to me so that I can see what they may need help with and I can address any misconceptions they may have, immediately.
Day 2 Topic: A Closer Look at Persuasive Writing Resources:
• Writing A-‐Z Writing Sample: Pizza for School Lunch • ELMO • Highlighter • Student’s “Writer’s Notebooks”
Teacher Actions:
• Read aloud Writing A-‐Z Writing Sample: Pizza for School Lunch • Discuss components of the article (main sentence that shows what side of the
argument they support, details to support their, conclusion summarizes why their side is right or the reader should support it)
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• Provide checklist for students Persuasive Writing based on what we saw in the sample essay (see checklist in activity)
• Check for student understanding and alter instruction to adjust to students’ needs
Student Actions:
• Listen to Writing A-‐Z Writing Sample: Pizza for School Lunch article • Provide meaningful discussion regarding the components of the persuasive
article and what the author does effectively • Write down a checklist for what should be in Persuasive Article as a guide
for their final assessment on Day 6 (see below in activity) Activity:
• We will review what Persuasive Writing is and what we learned from yesterday (ie: the goal of it and what it contains)
• I will put the Writing A-‐Z Writing Sample: Pizza for School Lunch • essay on the ELMO and students will each have an individual copy for
reference • As I read each paragraph aloud, I want students to pay attention to what each
paragraph does and what its goal is. They will do this by brainstorming in their pods and then participating in whole class discussion. I will write down responses for each paragraph on our anchor chart.
o First paragraph introduces the topic (the school is thinking about creating a new lunch menu) and purpose of the paper (student thinks pizza would be an easy choice to add to the menu)
o Second, third, and fourth paragraph each provide a reason why pizza would be a good choice and then provides explanation through further detail
o Fifth paragraph restates what their stance is in the article and some of the reasons why they support it in a clear, concise way
• As we are going through, students will highlight the arguments and details, and then fill out the Graphic Organizer so that they can analyze the passage (see Writing A-‐Z graphic organizer)
• After we do this I will take what we discussed for each paragraph, and create a “checklist” for what should be in persuasive essay. Students will write this down in their “Writer’s Notebooks”.
o Introduction that states the issue and my position on it. o Body paragraphs include a topic sentence for each reason o There is support/ elaboration for each reason (paragraph is at least 4
sentences long) o Sentences are clear, complete, concise, and support my stance o Conclusion paragraph sums up my argument or what I support
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Assessment: • I will use students’ answers in their graphic organizer to get a better sense of
their understanding. This will help me gauge whether they can decipher what the introduction is, what the reasons and details are of the body paragraphs, and finally what the conclusion is. From here, I can decide if I need to confer with a small group of students to help extend their understanding.
Differentiation:
• For students that may need additional help, I may present a skeleton note format of the organizer for them, so that they have some pieces of information filled out in order to act as an additional scaffold. For gifted students, I may have them add an additional argument to the essay in their graphic organizer or have them provide more details to an existing argument in the essay to see if they can elaborate on the topic.
Day 3 Topic: Writing an Outline Resources: Notebook paper Writing Utensils Chart Paper Teacher Actions:
• Help students reflect on the components of a persuasive essay • Provide modeling to students about what will be required in the outline • Guide students discussion • Check for understanding by circulating around room and talking to students
Student Actions:
• Provide discussion of the components of a persuasive essay • Brainstorm ideas that students could write an outline about for a persuasive
essay • Write rough outline for a persuasive essay
Activity:
• We will have a brief discussion about what the components are of a persuasive essay
o First paragraph introduces the topic and states what stance the author is taking
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o Second, third, and fourth paragraph each include a topic sentence stating one of the reasons they support their side including additional details related to the beginning sentence
o Conclusion paragraph restates side with a summary of the key points • Students will then brainstorm a list of ideas, similar to the paper they read
yesterday, that they could write a persuasive essay on and I will write potential ideas on the chart paper (should be ideas they are familiar to)
o Paper to parents asking for a: § Pet § Game, toy, etc. § Raise in allowance
o More technology time in class • I will model this on the butcher paper with the topic being a letter to the
principal to go on a fieldtrip to the zoo. I will outline the introduction (it would be educational, fun, and an authentic experience for students), I would use my body paragraphs to restate these points and provide additional detail like we would learn about animals (educational), students love going to the zoo (fun), and it would be authentic because students are applying what they have learned in a real-‐life situation (authentic), and then summarize my points in the conclusion paragraph.
• Based on what they did yesterday, they will write about one of these ideas on our chart paper using the same outline organizer (see attached) they used for the Writing A-‐Z article. I will go around and talk to students about their ideas, provide additional help or clarification, and see which students I may need to pull for small group.
Assessment:
• The students’ outline will serve as a tool to help me assess whether they have an idea of how to formulate a persuasive essay. I will see if they have an idea or topic laid out that makes sense, whether their three body paragraphs support their argument and have logical details to argue their case, and if their concluding paragraph summarizes their view.
Differentiation:
• For gifted students I will have them choose a topic of interest (maybe they’re very interested in marine life and want to do an outline about preventing ocean pollution) so that they can be more engaged in the topic. For ELL and students who need further assistance, I will confer with them in a small group setting and we can work on developing and expanding their ideas on their outline.
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Day 4 Topic: Beginning the Writing Process Resources: Time for Kids Article ELMO Writer’s Notebooks Writing Utensils Teacher Actions:
• Provide Time for Kids: Persuasive Essay Sample Paper to students • Lead students to analyze and highlight the topic, the author’s stance, the
reasons supporting their side, and the details with the class. • Explain students’ writing assignment for creating their own persuasive essay.
Student Actions:
• Work with table members to read Time for Kids: Persuasive Essay Sample Paper and highlight important parts to the essay (introduction, arguments, details, etc.)
• Discuss components in whole-‐group discussion • Work towards outlining and writing a rough draft to their persuasive essay.
Activity:
• Students will each be given the Time for Kids: Persuasive Essay Sample Paper and will work with pod members to read and highlight the topic sentence or argument in the initial paragraph, as well as the details supporting their side.
• I will provide this on the ELMO and after students are done reading and analyzing, tables will share out their findings:
o Stance is that school uniforms shouldn’t be required o Details supporting this are that there will always be distraction and
students should be trusted to focus on their schoolwork, uniforms are an expensive additional cost, they interfere with self-‐expression, etc.
• Then, I will give students their writing assignment. They are bakers that just created a new cookie that they are trying to sell. They are to create an advertisement to market their product and write a five paragraph persuasive essay to try and convince people to purchase their cookies. Other than that there are few limitations to the reasons people should buy their cookies as long as they help support their argument/ purpose.
o Students will draft their outline and begin their rough draft convincing the reader to purchase their cookies. Their outline and rough draft should include:
o Introduction that states the issue and their position on it (ie the brand of their cookie and why we should buy it)
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o Body paragraphs include a topic sentence for each argument o There is support/ elaboration for each argument (paragraph is at
least 4 sentences long) o Sentences are clear, complete, concise, and support my stance o Conclusion paragraph sums up my argument or what I support
• After they have done so, and shown me their outline, I will edit it as needed and provide any corrections they may need to help extend their ideas. If a student thinks they need additional time to confer with me, I will provide them with this option. Once I have corrected and approved their outline, they have the green light to begin typing their rough draft.
Assessment:
• I will use the students’ outline of their paper to serve as an assessment to see where their writing or ideas may need improvement, and who is ready to begin drafting. When each student submits their outline to me, I will also give them a slip of paper that looks like the one below:
How prepared do you feel to write your rough draft? (one being the lowest and 5 being the highest)
1 2 3 4 5 How clear and well-thought out do you believe your arguments are to sell your cookie?
1 2 3 4 5
Are there any parts of your argument that you need additional help with? _______ Introduction paragraph _______ Body Paragraphs with Logical Arguments and Details to Support _______ Conclusion Paragraph What can I do as your teacher to help you feel more prepared? Differentiation:
• Conferring with those that need additional support will help students’ preparation when it comes to writing their rough draft. Students that may need the organizer for their outline will be provided with this scaffold and gifted students will have a lot of freedom in this assignment to demonstrate their creativity as it is an application based project.
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Day 5 Topic: Rough/ Final Draft Resources: Access to Computers and a Printer Red Pan for Teacher Editing Teacher Actions:
• Will edit and revise students’ rough drafts to help provide well-‐developed content and appropriate conventions
• Will continue conferring with students to discuss their writing and potential changes that could be made
Student Actions:
• Will type their rough draft using their outline that the teacher has approved • Will print the rough draft and have the teacher make any edits/ revisions
that are made • Will fix any corrections that need to be made for their final draft
Activity:
• After students have turned in their outlines and they have been approved by me, they will be able to type their rough drafts. Students will be asked to type them double-‐spaced so that I can make edits to their papers. They will know to elaborate off of the ideas on their outlines. They will print their rough draft and bring it to me to edit once they are finished. I will make edits and revisions as needed and discuss them with the student so they can assist me in revising the content according to their vision. Once this has been done, they will make the appropriate changes and print their final draft, which I will keep.
• At the beginning of the writing block, I may confer with students who need additional help and said they didn’t feel prepared on their assessment from the previous day.
Assessment:
• I will grade the students’ final drafts based on the rubric attached at the end of the unit. (see page13)
Differentiation:
• Sentence starters could be provided to students who may need additional help or scaffolding. This could include the beginning of the introductory paragraph saying “My cookie is the best around for several reasons” and then they have to explain in a concise way why it is so appealing.
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Day 6 Topic: Persuasive Writing as Advertisements Resources: Advertisement packet McDonald’s commercial https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-‐EH1IlV5q10 Overhead or projector to play commercial Blank sheet of computer paper Construction paper Coloring Utensils Magazines Scissors Teacher Actions:
• Explain that advertisements are a form of persuasion because they are trying to get you to buy their product
• Show examples of advertisements to students (commercials, advertisements in magazines/ newspapers, etc.)
• Help transfer students’ ideas from their essay into an advertisement for their cookie brand
Student Actions:
• Discuss how advertisements are similar to persuasive essays based on prior knowledge and examples that the teacher shows
• Create an advertisement that helps sell their cookie brand based on the arguments they used in their persuasive article
Activity:
• Talk to students about advertisements/ commercials o How are they different from our persuasive writing? How are they
similar? • Show a McDonald’s advertisement to students on the commercial. What is
the goal of the commercial? How do they persuade you? o Want you to eat at their restaurant o Use the Lego Movie toys to persuade you o Say that if you like adventure, it’s the place for you to eat
• Give each pair of students an advertisement packet and discuss the first advertisement
o What is the goal of the advertisement? What sort of features or things do they use to persuade you not to smoke?
• Students will go through the other two pages and write down a couple of notes about the goal of the advertisement and how they persuade you. They
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will do a think-‐pair-‐share with another pair and then we will share as a whole group what students found.
• Discuss how we will be creating an advertisement for their cookie. Hand back their papers so they can refer to some of the arguments they made (ie: if they said it’s the softest cookie around, then mention something about that in the advertisement)
• Show students cookie advertisements in advertisement packet and touch on some of the features of each ad (see advertisement packet)
• Students will be able to create their own advertisement as a fun, additional supplement to their writing. They will be able to do a rough draft of their drawing and once they have their ideas laid out for the advertisement, they can create their final product using markers, cutting out pieces of magazines, or any other mediums that are available to students. They should include a title of the product, a picture, and captions that help sell the product based on the arguments they made in their essay.
Assessment: Students will be graded on their final advertisement based on the following criteria: ______ Was the cookie advertised based on arguments that were made in the
persuasive essay? _______ Was it visually appealing and did it catch the person’s attention that was
viewing it?
_______ Title of product, picture of product, and captions included in advertisement Differentiation:
• In this part of the assignment, students that are having difficulties or those that are ELL’s could use the iPads to look up more cookie advertisements to help them think of other ideas for marketing. For gifted students, I think this involves a lot of choice and freedom so they could go as in depth as they wanted to with detail and creativity.
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Reflection: I found this to be a very difficult assignment for me because I constantly found myself switching around the days that I wanted to introduce particular ideas and mentor texts throughout the course of the unit. It was a constant battle for me with revising and editing, which really reinforces why writing and writers workshop is so important for kids to learn and know how to do effectively! I think another part of the difficulty was making sure I didn’t overload some days and keep others minimal. I wanted students to feel challenged, but not overwhelmed with the amount of information that they were familiarizing themselves with. It was also hard to pick specific mentor texts for this topic when there are so many great ones out there to choose from. I wanted to start off with something simple, like the Day the Crayons Quit, because it simplifies persuasive writing into something that kids can connect with and can comfortably associate persuasive writing to. Despite the challenges of this assignment, I particularly enjoyed getting to plan out something like this because it is very authentic and illustrates how important writing is and how should be utilized appropriately in the classroom.
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Assessment for Day 5
Developing Partially Proficient
Proficient Advanced
Conventions The writing contains numerous mechanical errors making it very difficult to read
The writing contains several mechanical errors making some parts of the writing confusing
The writing contains few mechanical errors, but is understandable to read
There are no errors with conventions/ mechanics in the writing
Organization The structure of the writing not logical or sequential making it very difficult to follow
The structure of the writing has some areas of weaknesses in structure and flow making it mostly unclear
The structure of the writing is mostly logical and sequential, making it easy to follow most of the time
The structure of the writing is clear, logical, and concise making it easy to follow all of the time
Content The writing does not contain an introductory paragraph, three body paragraphs, and a conclusion
The writing contains few of the components of a persuasive essay, but does not make effective arguments in persuading the reader
The writing contains most of the components of a persuasive essay and makes arguments that are mostly effective
The writing contains all of the components of a persuasive essay and is shows superior capability in its ability to persuade a reader