Establishing a Claim through Social Identities for a Proposal

Name: Connar Kelley

Subject: English

Date: October 9, 2015

Grade Level: 12

Common Core Standard:

Develop claim(s) and counterclaims fairly and thoroughly, supplying the most relevant
evidence for each while pointing out the strengths and limitations of both in a manner
that anticipates the audience's knowledge level, concerns, values, and possible biases.
(CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.11-12.1.B)
Focus: In order for the students to generate an idea for a proposal paper, we will
brainstorm how social identities can be used to make claims regarding controversial
issues.
Objectives:
The students will be able to:
Identify social identities that pertain to them
Brainstorm controversial issues that arise from ones own social identity
Develop a claim that is rooted in their social identity
Materials:
Abstract from Promoting The Role Of The Personal Narrative In
Teaching Controversial Socio-Scientific Issues. (see below)
Social Identity Wheel (see below)
Daybooks
Smartphones or laptops
Activities and Procedures:
1. Introduce the activity as being important in terms of implementing a personal
position in an argumentative claim.
2. Have a student read aloud Abstract from Promoting The Role Of The Personal
Narrative In Teaching Controversial Socio-Scientific Issues.
3. Ask a student to summarize what was just read to ensure the class grasps the
importance of using a personal position in context with a controversial issue.
Discuss a claim made in the abstract. This should take about three minutes
overall.
4. Have students take two minutes to write as many social identities as they can
think of. Have them look at the Social Identity Wheel to stimulate some
categories of personal identity.
5. Have students read their list of social identities to a partner. Encourage partners to
ask any questions about the social identities (What is the most controversial social
identity on the list? What is the most intriguing social identity?) This should only
take two minutes.
6. Have students return to their own lists and individually choose one social identity
that appeals to them in regards to writing on controversial issues that arise from
this identity.

7. Encourage students to free write a short list of issues that arise from this identity.
After a minute of this, allow them to get out their phones or laptops and explore
issues on the Internet. This should only take an additional two minutes.
8. After generating a short list of issues, have students pick one issue to make a
claim that is rooted from their chosen social identity. Provide an example. (As a
teacher, I feel that standardized testing is detrimental to the way in which teachers
implement writing in the classroom.)
9. Take one minute to have students share their claim with a partner. Ask for
volunteers to share their identity-driven claim with the class.
10. Wrap-up the lesson by explaining how such claims will transcribe to a researchbased proposal.
Evaluation and Assessment: By generating a claim that is rooted in a students social
identity, we can evaluate if the students understand the concept of making claims of
value. The final evaluation of this will be assessed in how the students are able to use this
identity-driven claim to propose solutions to the controversial issues that arise in from
their social identity.
Mini-Lesson Rationale
Although my plan is not to have students write a personal narrative, I do want my
students to impose their own personal views in argument style writing. One researcher
backs my intent as he claims, In the context of controversy, personal narratives help
contending parties to see events in the light of those who do not share their views
(Levinson). The claim is made that, by incorporating personal experience and/or a
personal stance in a controversial claim, the claim becomes stronger and helps negate the
counterclaims of the audience. I have my students self-reflect before writing a claim so
they are able to individually view themselves within society. This will encourage a broad
outlook on how others perceive their issues with the social identities. Again, this will help
students analyze the strengths and limitations of both in a manner that anticipates the
audience's knowledge level, concerns, values, and possible biases (CCSS.ELALITERACY.W.11-12.1.B). Some may say that an argument paper should be completely
objective; however, as my students are reaching the age in which they are melding into
the greater society, it is important for them to view themselves in the context of issues at
hand. This incorporation of a social identity lesson and the active participation in
augmenting controversial issues will promote student interaction with the community
they are apart of. As they reach such claims that promote this interaction, I will have them
share with the class in order for all students can recognize the importance of active
citizenship.
Levinson, Ralph. "Promoting The Role Of The Personal Narrative In Teaching
Controversial Socio-Scientific Issues." Science & Education 17.8/9 (2008): 855-871.
Education Source. Web. 20 Sept. 2015.

Formative and Summative Assessments

Because we have just introduced the concepts of making claims through ones
personal identity, I do not expect the students claim on their issue to be error free.
However, I can assess their claims in regards to their social identity by seeing if they have
used their own experiences to generate a claim regarding an issue they identify with. A
summative assessment of the concept of developing claims with relevant values to the
students will be seen through the students research-based proposal. I will evaluate them
on how they implement their own identity-driven claims and provide proposals on how
best to solve the controversial issues they deem detrimental to their identity.

Abstract from "Promoting The Role Of The Personal Narrative In Teaching

Controversial Socio-Scientific Issues."
Citizens participating in contemporary socio-scientific issues (SSI) need to draw on
local knowledge and personal experience. If curricular developments in the teaching of
controversial SSI are to reflect contemporary notions of citizenship then the personal
narrative is an indispensable instrument in bridging the gap between the local/personal
and the emergent science. In the context of controversy personal narratives help
contending parties to see events in the light of those who do not share their views. A goaloriented protagonist is the narrator in the personal narrative, which consists of three
components - situation-event-reactionthe reaction being an evaluation of the event.
Levinson, Ralph. "Promoting The Role Of The Personal Narrative In Teaching
Controversial Socio-Scientific Issues." Science & Education 17.8/9 (2008): 855-871.
Education Source. Web. 20 Sept. 2015.
Summary?
Claim?

Social Identity Wheel