Writing 1

Argumentative Writing Unit Unit Overview: This unit focuses on developing students argumentative writing. The students start by writing an essay that serves as their pre-assessment the backpack essay. The students will write this essay without instruction beforehand, so that I can see where they are with their writing and what skills we need to work on. After this initial assessment, I will address the most common issues in their writing grammatically, and structurally. In addition, I we will spend time on creating effective introductions, conclusions, and supporting arguments. The second essay they write will be on a topic that they choose. The only requirement is that they craft an argument. It does not have to be a research paper, as I want them to write about something they know enough about so that they can apply their own thoughts, ideas, and experiences. The focus is on their ideas and their argument, not on research. The essays will be graded on a rubric based on 6 traits organization, ideas, sentence fluency, word choice, conventions, and voice. Rationale: In order to be career and college ready and overall, a successful communicator students need to be able to present their ideas and opinions on a topic, while taking into consideration other perspectives. They also need to use evidence whether its through experience, research, or logic in order to back up their ideas.

Standards:
W.9-10.1 Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence. W.9-10.1a Introduce precise claim(s), distinguish the claim(s) from alternate or opposing claims, and create an organization that establishes clear relationships among claim(s), counterclaims, reasons, and evidence. W.9-10.1b Develop claim(s) and counterclaims fairly, supplying evidence for each while pointing out the strengths and limitations of both in a manner that anticipates the audiences knowledge level and concerns. W.9-10.1c Use words, phrases, and clauses to link the major sections of the text, create cohesion, and clarify the relationships between claim(s) and reasons, between reasons and evidence, and between claim(s) and counterclaims.

W.9-10.1d Establish and maintain a formal style and objective tone while attending to the norms and conventions of the discipline in which they are writing. W.9-10.1e Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the argument presented.

W.9-10.5 Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on addressing what is most significant for a specific purpose and audience. W.9-10.6 Use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and update individual or shared writing products, taking advantage of technologys capacity to link to other information and to display information flexibly and dynamically. W.9-10.10 Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of tasks, purposes, and audiences.

Understandings: Students will understand that. . . A convincing argument presents a clear assertion/claim, provides supporting arguments along with relevant evidence, and acknowledges and refutes opposing arguments. Essential Questions: What do all argumentative essays have in common? What makes an argument convincing? Students will be able to: Present a strong and convincing claim within an argumentative essay. Support that claim with relevant evidence. Effectively refute opposing claims by . . . Choose vivid verbs, without being overly descriptive and wordy.

Lesson: Intro to Argumentative Writing New Backpack Policy Day 1 Overview of Procedures This lesson will address an issue that is real for the students the new backpack policy. It will attempt to get students to think argumentatively, and serve as a preassessment of how comfortable they are with argumentative writing. 1. 2. 3. 4. Students answer opinionaire on new backpack policy Ask students to share what they write Ask students Now what if I said . . . How would you argue against that? Ask students So, if you were going to craft your argument into an essay, what elements should you include? Write ideas down on the board. a. Claim/Thesis b. Supporting arguments c. Counterarguments acknowledge opposing arguments and explain why those are wrong or irrelevant 5. Hand out my opinion essay and read silently. Ask students to underline my thesis/claim, number my main supporting arguments, and put brackets where I acknowledge and counter an opposing argument. 6. Students fill out an argument outline 7. Students begin their own essay on Google Docs Learning Objectives I can identify and write a claim, supporting arguments, and counterarguments.

Materials/Resources Opinionaire My Sample Essay Chrome Books Rubric Activities/Procedures Description Introduction Attendance, house-keeping Hand out opinionaire and backpack policy. Ask students to write an explanation for their answer. Tell them to defend their position as though they 3 Time 15

Modeling/Direction

were going to enter a debate or bring up the issue to the school board be ready to defend your position. Ask for student volunteers to share their arguments. I will play the devils advocate and challenge their arguments. I will ask, Now what would you say if I said. . . and So, if you were to craft your argument into a more formal essay, what elements would you want to make sure you included in order to make your argument as convincing as possible? I will write their thoughts on the board. Argument Clinic Video? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnTmBjk-M0c

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Guided Practice

Independent Practice

I will hand out an example of my own writing arguing against the new backpack polity. Students are to read it silently and underline the elements that we talked about thesis/claim, supporting arguments, counterarguments. Discuss as a class what each one is. Hand out argument outline. Each student writes a thesis, supporting arguments, identifies opposing arguments, and writes counterarguments on outline. After (Wednesday?), begin writing an essay that includes 1 thesis, 2-3 supporting arguments, acknowledges at least one opposing argument and counters that argument students will ONLY be graded on those 3 main elements within their essay.

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Closure/Summary

Tomorrow we will finish what we didnt complete today and we will also spend some time typing your essays in Google Docs.

Assessment Argument outline, shared essay on Google Docs (see rubric)

Unit: Argumentative Writing Lesson: Body Organization and Conclusions Day: 10 Materials: Projector Copy of In My Opinion: Dont Lower the Bar on Education Standards Leonard Pitts Jr./ miamiherald.com, November 24, 2012 Conclusion Dos and Donts handout Printed Backpack Essays Course Curriculum Standards/Common Core:
W.9-10.1c Use words, phrases, and clauses to link the major sections of the text, create cohesion, and clarify the relationships between claim(s) and reasons, between reasons and evidence, and between claim(s) and counterclaims. W.9-10.1e Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the argument presented.

Anticipatory Set: What are the 6 writing traits? Which 3 are the most important in argumentative writing? Objectives: Students will identify transitional words and phrases within a piece of writing. Students will examine different ways to end a piece of writing. Students will write two different types of endings. Instructional Input: 1. To begin class, I will ask What are the 6 writing traits? Which 3 are the most important to keep in mind when writing an argumentative essay? I will take volunteers and write them on the board, putting stars next to ideas, organization, and sentence fluency. I will remind students to keep referring to the descriptions of these on their assignment guidelines, because, once again, these are what their grades will be based on. 2. Next, I will ask students to pull out the essay In My Opinion: Dont Lower the Bar on Education Standards and a pen/pencil. I will explain that we are going to read the essay together and underline any transitional words/phrases that we find. I will also ask students to look for key ideas that connect paragraphs/ideas together. Since students pieced this article together yesterday, they should already have some key points in mind that helped them put the paragraphs in a logical order. 3. Once we finish analyzing the organization of the essay, I will ask students what they think of the conclusion of the essay. Is it like a traditional, 5-paragraph essay? No,
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its not. I will tell students there are different ways to end a piece of writing rather than just restating your introduction. In fact, in many ways, the conclusion of a piece of writing is the most important part. Its the last thing the reader reads, thus, it stays fresh in his mind and can make-or-break his impression of the piece. Then, I will handout Conclusion Dos and Donts. I will tell the students that this handout gives suggestions for ways to end your essay. You may use one of these strategies, or you may use three of them all in one conclusion depending on the purpose of your essay. Take a look at the Do column, then, look back the essay we just read. Can you identify if this writer used any of these strategies? Which one (s)? Now, I have your backpack essays printed. I want you to look at your conclusion that you wrote. Did you use some of the strategies in the Do column? If so, which ones? Did you use any Donts? If so, which ones? Re-write your conclusion paragraph(s), attempting to use only the strategies in the Do column and eliminating any of the Donts Write your new conclusions underneath your original conclusion. With a partner, first read your 1st draft conclusions out loud, then immediately after, read your second draft that you just completed. Which conclusion sounds better/more sophisticated? What strategies did your partner use? At the end of the hour, students will have time to work on pre-writing, Choosing a Topic. I will walk around to see how students are coming along and to assist any students who are stuck and need ideas to write about.

Checks for Understanding: 1. Formative Assessment through class discussions 2. Students will hand in revision of conclusion paragraphs Guided Practice: 1. Revision of backpack paragraphs Closure: Remind students that their Choosing a Topic is due tomorrow. Be sure youve done enough research or know enough about your topic to write a full essay! Extended Practice: HW: pre-writing activity/Choosing a Topic is due Thursday at the beginning of the hour. Students have had time to brainstorm in class, so any further work needs to be completed outside of class.

Argumentative Writing Rubric

Name Opinion Essay
RAW SCORE (1-6 points) Ideas Organization Voice Word Choice Sentences Conventions x2 GRADE (weighted) x3 x2 ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ Total (60) ______

GRADE SCALE 45-48 B+ 33-36 C+ 21-24 D+

53-60 41-44 29-32 17-20

A B C D

49-52 37-40 25-28 13-16

ABCD-