Name:

Rebecca Brody

Unit Name: Persuasive Writing

Subject/Grade: 8th Grade

English Language Arts

Date:

Theme: Belief
Essential Question for Unit: What is persuasion? Why do we argue?
Topical Question for Lesson: What is an argument? How can you prove/support your point?
Standards for Lesson Plan: W.8.1-Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and
relevant evidence.
Lesson Objective (Turn topical question into a statement)
Students will understand/know/will be able to
Students will know what an argument and its supporting evidence are.
Students will understand authors purpose.
Students will be able to identify authors purpose when given a piece of text.
Students will be able to highlight an authors argument and supporting evidence when given a
piece of text.
Students will be able to create an argument and support it with reasoning and evidence in essay
form.
Assessment
How will students demonstrate that they have learned the skill or content?

Informative: double-entry journal

-I will collect and use these to ensure that students understand the concepts of argument and
supporting evidence. This will allow me to add instructional time to address these concepts if
students do not grasp it before moving on to students writing their own arguments with
supporting evidence.

Formative: I Believe - Persuasive Essay
Hook
How will you engage students in todays lesson?
Video Clip: Saved By the Bell- The Power of Zachs Persuasion and Subliminal Messaging
Purpose: Engage students and show how persuasion can be used in a real world situation in an
entertaining fashion.

I Do (BEFORE/Prereading)
Review content/skill or preview todays content/skill
Activate Background Knowledge
Model

Day 1: Authors Purpose- Whole Group

Purpose: This activity is designed to give students the knowledge necessary to move forward
with the lesson through a class discussion and a vocabulary introduction.

Introduction
Today we are going to discuss why authors write or their purpose for writing. Specifically we
are going to talk about the 3 most common purposes.
-Can someone raise their hand and tell me why you think an author chooses to write?

To Inform: the author's goal is to enlighten the reader about real world topics by providing
facts. The facts are presented in order to teach the reader, not to persuade. Examples of texts
Lesson Plan Structure RE 3150 AMWilson

Adopted with permission from Diana Smith and Ethan Mitnick (07/08)

written to inform include textbooks, cookbooks, newspapers, and encyclopedias.

To Persuade: the author's goal is to convince the reader to agree with the author. This type of
writing is extremely common. Any piece which pushes a certain opinion or asks for some sort of
call for action is persuasive writing.
To Entertain: Authors who write to entertain have the goal of telling a story or describing real
or imaginary characters, places and events. This includes all pieces of fiction.

-Does anyone have any questions about writing to inform, to persuade, or to entertain?

Activity
We are going to take the 3 authors purposes that we just learned about and use them to
identify the authors purpose in several different short passages. I will read the passage aloud
and you will write down whether the purpose is to inform, to persuade, or to entertain. We will
do the first one together.

HAMSTERS FOR SALE: Humble Pet Store, in the mall: We have a large selection of hamsters for
sale this week. They are interesting pets, and you will enjoy having one! They are only $17.99
this week!! Come and buy yours today!
-What is the author's purpose?

In this passage, the author is trying to persuade us, the readers, to buy hamsters. We can tell
that the purpose is to persuade because phrases like they are interesting pets and you will
enjoy having one are you used. As I read the rest of the passages, identify the authors purpose
and underline or highlight phrases that tell you the authors purpose.

Continue with worksheet and discuss the student answers as a class to ensure that all students
understand the 3 purposes.

Tomorrow we will be working with some sample writing to look closer at persuasive writing.
We Do (DURING/during reading)
What new information will the students learn today?
How will the students practice their learning?

Day Two: Arguments and Supporting Evidence- Small Group

Purpose: Students will explore the important parts of a persuasive passage, the argument and
the supporting evidence and learn to identify them in pieces of writing.

Introduction
Yesterday we talked about the purposes that authors write.
-Raise your hand and give me 1 of 3 purposes?
Good (review if necessary and remind students of in class example passages)

Today we are going to look at some persuasive writing samples and identify 2 significant pieces
that every persuasive piece must include; arguments and supporting evidence.
-What if I told you that each and every one of you should join the army?
-Would you do it? Have I convinced you?
-What if instead I told you that you should join the army because it builds confidence, increases
Lesson Plan Structure RE 3150 AMWilson

Adopted with permission from Diana Smith and Ethan Mitnick (07/08)

physical strength, and allows you to get a free education?

-Which is more persuasive? Why?

The reason the second one is more persuasive is because I provided 3 pieces of supporting
evidence: the army builds confidence, increases physical strength, and allows you to get a free
education. Whenever you are presenting an argument to someone, or trying to persuade them of
something, always give supporting evidence, like I did in the army example. Youre more likely
to get what you want!

Activity
Now that we have talked about arguments and supporting evidence, you are going to work
with a partner to identify both of those things in a few sample essays. I will split you into pairs
and give each of you 3-4 essays to read. Once you have finished reading an essay I want you to
turn to a new page in your notebook and create a double-entry journal. Label the left-hand
column Argument and the right-hand column Evidence. Fill in both columns for each essay.
You should have more than one example of supporting evidence for each argument that you
find.

*Adopting a Pet from the Pound
http://www.thewritesource.com/studentmodels/we-adptpet.htm
Leveled for grade 4
*Letter to the Editor
http://www.thewritesource.com/studentmodels/we-tchrdiff.htm
Level for grade 5
*Summer: 15 Days of 2 Months?
http://www.thewritesource.com/studentmodels/ws2k-summer.htm
Leveled for grade 7
*Mosquito Madness
http://www.thewritesource.com/studentmodels/wi-petpeeve.htm
Leveled for grade 9

When you have finished your journal entries for all of the assigned essays, speak with your
partner and decide which argument you found most persuasive. You will be sharing that
argument and supporting evidence with the class.

*Teacher moves around the room to help struggling students, answer any questions, and keep
pairs on task.

Now that you have all finished your journal entries, share the most persuasive argument that
you found.

Scaffolding
The sample articles listed above are leveled and students will be given appropriate texts to work
with.

Lesson Plan Structure RE 3150 AMWilson

Adopted with permission from Diana Smith and Ethan Mitnick (07/08)

You do (AFTER/Postreading)
How will you wrap up todays lesson?
What are students doing to demonstrate their learning?

Day 3: Writing Persuasive Essays- Individual

Purpose: Students will construct their own arguments in the form of an essay and persuade
their peers of their opinion.

Introduction
Since we learned all about arguments and supporting evidence yesterday, today we are going
to write our own persuasive essays. You will begin by filling out a graphic organizer to get your
thoughts organized. Once you have identified your argument and supporting evidence, you will
begin constructing your essay.

Activity
The theme for your persuasive essay will be I Believe
You will write about something that you believe in and try to persuade your peers and myself to
believe the same thing that you do.

For example: Lets say that I believe the tooth fairy is actually a man named Sir Wilfred
Frederling. In my essay, I will be trying to persuade you that a man name Sir Wilfred Frederling
brings money in the middle of the night for all of the little children that loose their teeth.

I know my example was kind of silly but I want your argument to be something that you truly
believe in. It could be about your religion, your values, or even a very strong opinion that you
have. While you are writing, Im also going to be writing my own persuasive essay. If you have a
question, raise your hand but only after you have tried to work through it on your own.
-Does anyone have any questions before we get started?

Scaffolding
Students will be given a familiar graphic organizer to complete their pre-writing and
brainstorming work. If necessary, students will be allowed to work in pairs to complete a peer
review process. There will also be plenty of examples and models posted around the classroom
and introduced throughout the lesson.
Supplies
Notes about lesson
What materials do you need for this lesson?
What went well? What could be improved? Do you need
to follow up with any students?

Saved By the Bell video clip

Authors Purpose Worksheet
Sample essays listed under Day 2 Activity
Graphic Organizer
Double-Entry Journal

Lesson Plan Structure RE 3150 AMWilson

Adopted with permission from Diana Smith and Ethan Mitnick (07/08)