Intel Teach Program

Essentials Course

Unit Plan Template

Option A- Enhance Previous TT Unit
Unit Author
First and Last Name

Sarah Combs Enhanced

District or Organization

Webb City R7 School District

School or Location Name

Eugene Field Elementary

City, State

Webb City, MO

Unit Overview
Unit Title
Persuasive Writing
Unit Summary
Students will learn to write persuasive letters using the 5 parts of a friendly letter. Persuasive writing
will include a personal opinion statement, three reasons with supporting details, and a strong
conclusion statement that calls the reader to action. To assess student learning and understanding of
persuasive writing, at the end of the unit, students will create a persuasive article or commercial to
persuade others to purchase their Business Day product.
Assessment Process:
Purpose: The purpose of the persuasive writing unit Business Day assessment is to show student
understanding of correct language used during persuasian, how to target a specific audience, and to
assess the ability to provide various reasons and arguments towards a specific point of view.
Process: Students will show their knowledge through pre-assessments that directly link to persuasive
writing. As the lesson continues students will complete formative assessments in order to guide the
instruction. At the end of the unit students will complete a summative writing assessment using the
district rubric to show mastery of the persuasive writing concept.
Content: Students will use writing pieces, blogging, persuasive articles, learn zillion videos, and more
in order to learn the content needed in order to successfully produce a persuasive writing piece.
Subject Area
ELA-Writing
Grade Level or Target Audience
3rd Grade
Approximate Time Needed
8 weeks of 40 min. daily lessons
Unit Foundation
Targeted Content Standards and Benchmarks (Training/Organizational Benchmarks)
3.W.01- Write opinion/persuasive pieces on topics, supporting point of view with reasons
3.W.01a- Introduce the topic, state an opinion, and create an organizational structure
3.W.01b- Provide reasons to support opinion
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3.W.01c- Use linking words and phrases to connect opinion and reasons
3.W.01d- Provide a conclusing statement or section
Student/Learner Objectives (Learning Outcomes)
Students will know the five basic parts of a letter: heading, greeting, body, closing, and signature.
Students will know persuasive writing convinces the audience to think a certain way.
Students will know how to use the writing process to construct a persuasive letter.
Students will know how to use persuasive language and techniques to persuade.
Curriculum-Framing Questions
Essential
Question
Unit
Questions

How do writers use different techniques to persuade?

How do we build a strong argument to justify our stance?
What is persuasive writing and where do we find it?
How is the appearance of a product persuasive?
What do writers use to support their argument?
Is this article meant to persuade students, parents, or teachers?
Did the writer sway your opinion or confirm your opinion? How so?

Content
Questions

Why do we use hooks at the beginning of our writing?

How is your language different when writing to your friend, than when you
write to your teacher?
How do our closings and signatures differ between the audience we are writing
to?

Assessment Plan
Assessment Timeline

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Before unit work begins

PreAssessment

Discussion

Students work on projects,

learning activities, and
complete tasks
Blog Posts and
Responses

Classroom
Activities

Student
Students
How

Group
s will be
will participate
does your
writing prompt
assessed on
in discussion
language
cardstheir ability to
on:
differ when
Students will
create a
persuading
state their

What
persuasive
your
friend
as
opinion and 1
does persuade
writing piece
opposed
to
example with
mean?
without prior
your teacher?
a supporting

What
instruction.
detail to their
Do you
types of people
group

Student
think students
use
members.
s will be
should go to
persuasion?
Student
assessed on
school all year

What
their prior
round?
s will read
techniques do
knowledge of
various

Do you
they use to
the five basic
persuasive
think
students
persuade
parts of a
texts through
should wear
others?
letter.
StoryWorks
uniforms to
and work
school?
together to
Accomodations
Accomodatio

Create
find the
for
ns for
a blog post
supporting
Assessments
Assessment
with an
details for
and
and
opinion
each opinion.
Differentiation
:
Differentiatio
question for

Provide
*Students will be
n:
your peers.
students
with
able
to
partcipate
Respond to at
*Students will
real-world
in
discussions
on
least
2
posts.
be able to see
scenarios to
Todays Meet,
a letter
write
Kidblog,
and
formatted
persuasive
other
forms
of
onto a Google
pieces.
backchannels in
Doc and be
the
classroom.
able to
This will allow all
highlight and
students to
label each
participate, the
part of the
teacher to assess
letter as
all students in
needed.
real-time, and
*Students
allow for
could
students to see
participate in
the ideas of
a Kahoot
others.
assessment
game in order
to see how
many
students know
the different
parts of the

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After project work /

learning activities are
completed
District
Writing
Assessment

Article or
Commercial

Student
Students
s will create a
will create an
persuasive
article or
writing piece
commercial that
that includes a
persuades
personal
others to
opinion
purchase their
statement,
product at the
three
3rd Grade
examples with
Business Day.
supporting

Students
details, and a
conclusion
will use visuals,
statement that
audio, and
calls the
video
reader to
enhancements
action.
in addition to

Accomodation
s for
Assessments
and
Differentiation
:
*Students who
cannot write
about the
presented topic
will be allowed
to choose a
topic they wish
to write about.
*Students who
cannot write
effectively will
be able to use
the iPad for
Google Docs or
Word.

the formative
writing piece.
Accomodations
for
Assessments
and
Differentiation:

*Students will be
able to choose
their business
day product,
their audience,
and type of
media used in
order to create
their article and
commericial.

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Assessment Summary
At the beginning of the unit, I will give students the pre-assessment over persuasive writing in order
to guage where they are with the persuasive writing process and the five parts of a letter. I will
monitor student discussion with regards to opinion questions and topic choice. Students will answer
discussion questions posted within KidBlog and collaborate with one another. I will provide feedback
for students on a whole group and individual basis. We will discuss how what they are learning relates
to the unit and our end result.I will use informal and formative observations of students in discussion
groups and through text reading. Students will reflect on their learning by responding to journal/blog
prompts throughout the unit. At the end of the unit, students will be assessed using the district
persuasive writing rubric.
Students will be responsible for using techniques in persuasive writing to create an article of
commercial at the end of the unit that will persuade students to purchase their product during the 3rd
Grade Business Day. Students will reflect on how well the techniques they used worked, and what
they could have done to improve sales.
Unit Details
Prerequisite Skills
Students will need to have a sense of what persuasion is and how it is used in their everyday life.
Students will need to have basic technology skils in order to post blog responses, word process their
formative writing, and create a multimedia project.
Instructional Procedures
Analyze Learner:
First, I will identify how students like to learn and incorporate those ideas into my lessons. Next, I
will give students the pre-assessment for persuasive writing in order to guide me in where to start
the unit and how to address needed material with those who are behind. Finally, I will begin a
discussion on what persuasive writing is in order to gauge what my students know on the topic.
These steps will allow me to create the best lessons possible for the students I have and the
background knowledge they have.
State Objectives:
At the beginning of the unit, I will state the following student objectives so all students will
understand what will be expected of them throughout the instruction:
Students will know the five basic parts of a letter: heading, greeting, body, closing, and signature.
Students will know persuasive writing convinces the audience to think a certain way.
Students will know how to use the writing process to construct a persuasive letter.
Students will know how to use persuasive language and techniques to persuade.
Select Stategies, Technology, Media, & Materials; Utilize Technology, Media, & Materials; Require
Learner Participation:
Lesson 1 (1 day)
Students will hear the story, I Wanna Iguana by Karen Kaufman Orloff. Students will take part in a
discussion about the different techniques that were used in the story to persuade the childs parent to
buy him/her an iguana. Students will then be placed within groups of 3-4 in order to discuss
persuasive writing prompts. Students will read the prompt, give their opinion and one example. The
other students within the group will then have to give their personal opinion along with an example.
Each students example must differ from examples already expressed within the group.
Lesson enhancement for the day: Students will be spread out around the room and given
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instructions on how Mix-Pair-Share is to be conducted. Students will know they are not to run, not to
go to the same partner twice, and how they are meant to answer the opinion question. Students will
be expected to state their opinion, and give one example as to why they think that way. Students will
be introduced to the buzzer sound and practice moving around the room. Half of the students will be
given a talk stick and the activity will begin. Students will begin to move around the room at a
walking pace. The buzzer will go off to signal that a partner should be found. The teacher will read
an opinion question such as, Do dogs or cats make the best pet? The student with the talking stick
will have 30 seconds to answer the question. At the end of the 30 seconds students will high-five and
the partner will take the talking stick to start their own 30 seconds to answer the question. At the
end the students will high-five again, or give an encouragement, and begin walking around the room
again. After a few rounds, the teacher will read the question and give her opinion. The students will
then each give a supporting example as to why the teacher might have that opinion. This will allow
students to gain a better understanding as to how to support the same opinion with a different
example.
Formative Assessment: Once students have completed the activity, each student must pick one
writing prompt card to write a blog post with the prompt, their personal opinion, and examples of
why. This will allow the teacher to gauge the understanding of students on the material that was
presented for the day.
Lesson 2 (1 day)
Students will be presented with the question, Should we learn cursive writing in 3rd grade? Each
student will present their opinion with examples if any. Using the StoryWorks article, Should Cursive
Writing Still Be Taught In School? students will find pros and cons listed within the text. Students will
highlight the evidence used in the text to support each opinion and complete the Yes/No anchor chart
as a small group. Based on the text and evidence given, students will create a blog post with their
final opinion and examples that helped them make the decision. Students will then comment on two
other student posts and add supporting argument and one opposing argument to the students
stance. This will allow students to gain interpersonal skills and address others in a respectful tone
whether agreeing or disagreeing with their opinion.
Formative Assessment: Students will complete a Socrative quiz over opinions and examples that
match. Students will have multiple choice questions that give an opinion, and answers that support
or do not support the opinion. Students will choose the correct option to show understanding.
Students will also have short answer questions in order to given their own examples to show mastery
in the understanding of supporting an opinion.
Lesson 3 (1 day)
Using the cursive writing article, students will work in groups of 3-4 to find techniques used within
the article to persuade individuals to think a certain way. They will participate in discussions by
answering the following questions:
Is this article meant to persuade students, parents, or teachers that cursive writing should or should
not be taught in school?
What language did the writer use that would persuade reader to want or not want cursive writing
taught in school?
Did the writer sway your opinion or confirm your opinion?
Formative Assessment: Students will participate in a Todays Meet after answering the question on
their own. This will allow the teacher to see the understanding of students, for students to see others
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take on the instruction, and for students to offer additional questions or comments for other
students. This type of assessment will allow the teacher to gauge where students are and focus the
instruction on the students individual needs.
Lesson 4 (1-2 days)
Students will view the Learn Zillion instructional video: How To Brainstorm Topics For Opinion Letters.
This video will give students examples of how to choose a topic that best relates to their everyday
life. After viewing, students will complete the Brainstorming Workpage. The graphic organizer will
have students create a list of their day, choose the parts of the day that make them happy or sad,
and then star the parts of the day they can change. Students will then meet in a small group with the
teacher to go over the graphic organizer and fix any mistakes made, or to move on to the next
concept.
Formative Assessment: Students will use the concept mapping tool MindMap to form a graphic
organizer for their writing. This will allow students to change things as they need, make the
organization of their writing more unique to them, and allow them to share it with the teacher and
other students if needed.
Lesson 5 (1 Day)
Students will view the Learn Zillion instructional video: Write a Thesis Statement For An Opinion
Letter. Students will then look back at their Brainstorming Workpage and create a thesis statement
for the part of their day they wish they could change. Students will then type their thesis statement
into a Google Drive document for teacher feddback and future use.
Lesson 6 (1 Day)
After learning how to write a hook from previous writing units, students will practice writing a hook
statement for their persuasive writing unit. Students will review the thesis statement they wrote the
day before, and turn the statement into a hook for readers. Students can do this by using dialog,
asking a question, or by telling a story. Students will then write an opening paragraph for their
persuasive writing piece. Students will type this paragraph into their Google Document for teacher
feedback and future use.
Following Lessons In Unit
Students will complete their first persuasive writing by developing examples and supporting details
and a conclusion statement. Students will type all writing pieces on Google Docs.
Students will go back into their original writing an highlight examples and details that are highly
persuasive. Students will rework other examples in order to make them more persuasive. Students
will also create a conclusion statement that calls the reader to action.
Students will write at least 3 persuasive writing pieces by the end of the unit. The last writing piece
written will be a letter to the teacher on why their Business Day product would be the best product to
purchase. This letter will be the students formative assessment and be graded using the district
persuasive writing rubric. Students will then use this letter to help them create a commerical or
article for their product for Business Day.
Students will work in groups of 3-4 to create their own business as a final project. This type of
nondirective teaching will allow students to create their own arguments to persuade others to create
the business they want, will allow students to compromise and work through problems with others,
and will allow students to use their own creative thinking.

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Summative Assessment: Students will complete a persuasive writing essay that directly links to
the content standards. Students will be able to complete this activity on Google Docs, or on a written
piece of paper. Students will be assessed on their ability to persuade, reason, and provide a
conclusion.
Evaluate & Revise
Post-assessment persuasive writing rubric, blog posts, and student discussion will allow me to
evaluate the effectiveness of the Learn Zillion videos, StoryWorks articles, and my lessons throughout
the unit and overall at the end. This will allow me to revise and retest students as needed. This type
of assessment will also let me know what I need to change in my instruction for the next group of
students. What worked and what didnt work? If it didnt work, why so? How can I make this better
for my students and overall more effective? Did I relate the material to their everyday life effectively?
Accommodations for Differentiated Instruction

Special Needs
Students

Nonnative
Speakers

Gifted/Talented
Students

Students will be allowed to have multiple opportunities to be involved in

partner and group work. I will provide small group instruction when
needed. I will provide lower levels of text for the StoryWorks pieces to
those in need. I will highlight important information for those who
struggle with the text. Students will have extended time to complete
assignments when needed.
I will provide small group instruction when needed, and multiple visuals for
vocabulary development through the unit. ESL students will have the option of
one-on-one discussion with me to prove mastery if needed. Students will
partcipate in group work and have extended time when needed.
Students will be called upon to help other students who are struggling with
mastery of persuasive writing. Students will be able to create additional
multimedia presentations over persuasive writing pieces they complete
throughout the unit. Students will be able to create additional blog posts that
follow the unit.

Materials and Resources Required For Unit

Technology Hardware (Click boxes of all equipment needed)
Smart Phone

Digital Camera

Response Devices

Computer(s)

Printer

Video Camera

Mobile Devices

Projection System

Video Conferencing Equip.

Chromebook/Laptop

Scanner

DVD Player

Internet Connection

Audio Tools
(microphone, headsets,
etc.)

Other

Technology Software (Click boxes of all software needed.)

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Database/Spreadsheet

Video Tools

Web Page Development

Desktop Publishing

Internet Web Browser

Word Processing

E-mail Software

Multimedia

Presentation Software

Web 2.0 Tools

Image Editing

Audio Editing

Web 3.0 Tools

Other Online Tools

Computer Operating
System Required

Mobile Device OS Required

Compatible Web Browsers

Other
On their individual iPads students will view Learn Zillion Instructional Videos
introduce the writing process of persuasive writing. The teacher will use the
overhead projector to model writing or display examples of student work.
Students will use the Internet web browswer version of StoryWorks when
needed, and create their own graphic organizers through MindMap Google
Application. At the end of the unit, students will use multimedia presentation
tools to create an article or commercial to persuade others.
Technology
Integration

Students will use blogging, google docs, and other multimedia apps in order
to complete multiple pieces of writing to be assessed by the educator.
Students will be able to respond and leave feedback, the teacher will be able
to assess the students understanding, and the student will be able to receive
constructive critism in order to enhance their writing.
The teacher will be able to create small formative assessments using Google
forms or Socrative in order to gauge where students are at various points
throughout the unit by using short answer, multiple choice, or fill in the blank
testing questions.
Persuasive Writing Prompts
-Should students be allowed to use cell phones in school?
-Should students have to sit in desks at school?

Printed Materials

-Should students have homework?

Brainstorming Workpage
StoryWorks Articles
Graphic Organizers
Writing Assessment Rubric
Chart Paper (model writing)

Supplies

Hard Copy of the online StoryWorks articles if needed

Post-it Notes
Hard copy of I Wanna Iguana by Karen Kaufman Orloff

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Learn Zillion Videos

https://learnzillion.com/lessonsets/131-4th-grade-opinion-writing-writing-apersuasive-letter
These videos allow students to brainstorm topics for opinion writing, writing
a these statement for an opinion letter, and use supporting phrases in an
opinion letter. Having each of these topics on a video will allow students to
go back as needed in order to gain a better understanding of concepts.
I Wanna Iguana by Karen Kaufman Orloff
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ethKslAQvo4&feature=youtu.be

Internet Resources
/ Online Tools /
Mobile Apps
/Specific Software
Needed

This online video reads the book I Wanna Iguana which shows students how
to write persuasive letters and give supporting details in order to gain
something they want. This is a great way to start the discussion of
persuasive writing.
MindMap Google App
After using the printed graphic organizer for the first piece of writing,
students will be able to use MindMap in order to create their own graphic
organizer. They will also be able to use this graphic organizer tool when
creating their commercial or article.
Kid Blog App
Students will use this blog tool in order to respond to teacher posts to show
mastery of a concept presented, or to post their own blog posts for others to
respond to. This will allow the teacher to evaluate student understanding
throughout the unit.
Shadow Puppet App
Students will use Shadow Puppet or other multimedia apps in order to create
their article or commercial for their product.

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Markers, Highlighters, and Paper.

Additional Instructional Support Materials:
Writing Simulation: Quandary
http://www.quandarygame.org/
Quandary allows students to create a colony in space. Within the colony
students will settle disputes and solve problems based on the arguments
they write for one side or another. There are no right or wrong arguments
given, but students will be trying to make the best decision for the citizens of
their colony based on what they know. This type of simulation will build on
the objectives learned in the classroom and keep students engaged in the
material.
Debate Games for Kids
http://www.funenglishgames.com/writinggames/debate.html
Other Resources

Students will choose a topic given and then try to argue their point against
an opponents point of view. This will allow students to see the arguments
others give, and help them build their own knowledge of how to create a
solid argument. This game will keep students engaged in the learning
material and give them independent time to form their own opinions away
from classmates.
Convince Me! (A game for home)
Allowing students to practice their own writing away from school and away
from the fear of a good grade will promote critical thinking and engagement
in the concept. Students will work with parents to form arguments on things
they can change around their home. This will allow students to form
arguments with their parents in order to persuade them to change the things
they disagree with. This activity will also teach students how to form
arguments for a specific audience. The types of arguments that you form for
your parents are much different than the types of arguments you form for
your teachers or friends.

Additional Unit Information

(Added information at the end)
The instructional design model I chose to follow for my unit plan is the ASSURE
instructional model. I chose this six-step model because it was easy to incorporate into my
unit plan, and my plan seemed to already follow the steps very well. This model
incorporates analyzing the learner, incorporating technology, and evaluating and revising
your instruction to better fit your needs in the future. These are steps I find very important,
and made the decision to use this model an easy one.
The first step of the ASSURE model is to analyze your learners. This step is one that
I feel I do already, but had not taken the time to write it into my current lesson plans. This
step is very important in order for me to find my students strengths and weaknesses of the
unit, along with their likes and dislikes in general. In order to create the best lessons for my
students, meet them on their level of learning, and make each lesson engaging I must first
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know exactly where my students are in each unit before it begins. In this unit, my students
will complete a pre-assessment over persuasive writing to see how well they can persuade
a reader to think the way they do. Can they create a hooking sentence? Do they know what
the term persuade means? Can they use strong language to persuade or other techniques?
After students have completed the pre-assessment they will participate in a discussion on
persuasive writing. What is persuasive writing? Who uses persuasion? Why would someone
need to use persuasion? These are all things I must know about my students knowledge in
order to create the most effective lessons for my students. Knowing the answers to these
questions and how much background knowledge students already have on the subject of
persuasive writing will allow me to create effective small groups and place students within
flexible groupings in order for them to get the help or the push they need to succeed at
their individual level.
Once students have been analyzed, the next step is to state the standards and
objectives. This is important for students to know at the beginning of each lesson and unit
in order for them to be able to set goals to reach throughout the instruction. Students need
a path or a roadmap to follow in order to know where they need to be at the end of the
unit. Giving students to daily or weekly objectives that must be met will guide their
learning and ensure that students know what is expected of them and what they will be
assessed upon at the end of the unit.
The third step in the ASSURE model is to select strategies, technology, media, and
materials to be used within the lesson. Selecting strategies, technology, and materials to be
used becomes easier once you have analyzed your class and chosen the objectives that
must be met throughout the unit. Choosing effective strategies and materials will allow you
to create the most effective lessons and get the most engagement from your students.
Within my unit, I plan to use the following strategies, technology, media, and materials:
Cooperative learning groups, teacher guided small groups, flipped learning, Google Docs,
MinMap, graphic organizers, StoryWorks magazine, Kidblog discussions, and Shadow
Puppet. These materials may changed based on the instructional level of my students and
the background knowledge they already have before starting the unit.
Once you have chosen the technology, media, and materials to use within your unit,
the next step Is to implement it effectively. Choosing the correct technology is important,
but the implementation of the technology and materials is what will keep students
motivated and engaged within the lessons. Educators must be aware that technology and
materials can change depending on the group of students you have. If a piece of
technology or materials that you have chose is not working for your students, or is not as
effective as you first thought, change it. Do not stick with a piece of technology that is
ineffective in your teaching.
The fifth step of the ASSURE model is requiring learner participation. In this step,
students are required to actively participate in the lessons. Through my unit I am using
student discussions, blog posts, and small groups in order to get all students participating
in all lessons. This participation will allow every student to have a voice and opinion, while
also allowing me to see their strengths and weaknesses. I can base future small groups on
what I am seeing daily within the classroom through student participation. Through blogs
and comments I can provide students with effective feedback as needed. The important
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part of this step is to provide multiple ways for all students to have a voice within the unit,
and I believe that I have effectively done that.
The last step within the ASSURE model is evaluation and revision. In this step the
teacher not only evulates the student performance for the mastery of concepts, but also
revises any necessary parts of the unit in order to make it more effective for future
students. This would also be the time that teachers would reteach concepts to students
who did not master the standards the first time. This type of evaluation and revision not
only allows for the teacher to create the best lessons possible for students and ensures that
future students receive the most effective instruction, but also provides the teacher with a
peronsal look at their own effectiveness as an instructor.
Overall, I feel that I effectively incorporated this instructional model into my
persuasive writing unit. The ASSURE instructional design model helped me to create an
effective unit plan, and gives me additional insight into how I can change my instructional
in order to become a better educator. This is a model that I will use for additional unit plans
and take back to my collegues.

Instructional Strategies Summary

There are many instructional strategies that can be used within the unit plan that I
have created. Cooperative Learning, Mastery Learning, Simulation, Gaming, and Indirective
Teaching at the ones that I have chosen to directly implement into this lesson, with some
already implemented into the actual days of lesson planning.
Cooperative learning is a great strategy to use with students. Cooperative learning
allows for students to work with others to learn interpersonal skills, allows students gain a
better understanding of the material through others, and allows the teacher to implement
many different learning styles into one lesson. The cooperative learning technique that I
chose to implement into my lesson was the Mix-Pair-Share strategy as described during the
first day of the unit.
Mastery learning is a strategy that I feel very strongly about. I believe that all
students should be given the chance to learn and master different standards at their own
pace and to the fullest of understanding. By allowing students the chance to go back and
complete their work again to show better understanding can allow the student to get the
same outcome as another who didnt actually need the extra practice and was able to move
onto an activity. Students will be able to go back during any parts of the lesson to review
the videos, to fix parts of the writing process that they are finally understanding, or to
submit an additional writing piece at the end to show they now understand. By allowing
these students to go back and try again you are giving them the confidence they can do it,
and you are making sure they are not missing a vital part of instruction that may be
needed later in your classroom, or later in their educational life.
Simulation strategy allows for students to participate in real world situations through
online activities. These simulations take what the student is learning in the classroom and
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allows them to apply it in a way that is fun and engaging. I use the simulation strategy in
my Additional Materials section of my unit plan through the simulation Quandary. Through
Quandary students are able to create a colony in space. Here they will use the skills they
are learning to problem-solve, create arguments, and persuade the citizens in their game
to live the way that the students sees best. There are no right or wrong answers, but
students learn how to provide a better argument to persuade others to their opinion.
Gaming is much like simulation, but usually requires a right answer and does not
take students through real-world problems. Gaming can be fun and engaging for students
while still allowing them to learn. Gaming can be used to reinforce what is being learned in
the classroom, or can be used to introduce a concept that is getting ready to be taught.
Within my unit I use gaming in the Additional Materials section to reinforce the concepts
the students are learning in the classroom. This will allow students who are moving at an
above average pace to have additional instruction, but will also allow students who need
extra practice to get it in a fun way, not just reiteration from the teacher.
Indirective teaching allows for students to problem-solve, gain interpersonal skills,
and learn in a whole new way without the teachers direct guidance. In my unit plan I do
this through the Business Day activity. Students will create a business with 3-4 peers and
try to sell their product to the other students in the building. Students will design the entire
business layout, the product they are going to sell, how they will market their business,
what the asking price will be, and much more. This will require students to compromise,
work through disagreements, and take others feelings into account. The teacher can step in
at any time to talk through disagreements with students to help them create lists of things
they could do to fix the problem, and then allow the students to do what they feel is the
best solution.

Blended Learning
Blended learning can be explained as giving students online videos of the instructor
or lesson in which you want to teach for viewing at home, while using instructional timeat
school to provide additional activities and support. When thinking of third grade students it
seems impossible to implement this type of strategy due to immaturity in control of their
learning, internet access at home, and parents controlling their after school time. One way
to implement this type of learning with this level of students is to do an adapted version
inside this classroom.
In order to implement blended learning into my unit I added Learn Zillion
instructional writing videos to view at different stages of the writing process. Students will
be divided into 4 groups- Read To Self, Guided Reading, Independent, and Guided Writing.
Students will view the instructional Learn Zillion videos and start the writing activitiy in the
Independent station. This allows students to take control of their learning and to move at
their own speed within the group. Once the Independent station is over, students will move
onto Guided Writing. Here, the teacher can review the material that was learned on the
video, make any corrections that are needed, and be sure that all students understand the
process. This type of blended learning will allow the teacher at Guided Writing to expand on
their thinking and move onto a deeper understanding activity for the lesson.
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The Importance of Assessment Choices

Persuasive writing gives a great deal of assessment choices for students. For each piece of
writing students complete they can choose their topic, their choice of medium, and the
audience in which they direct their writing to. Students can choose to write about a place to
vacation, a game to play, a pet to get, or a movie to watch. When writing students can
choose to use paper, google docs, or blogging, and can choose to write to their teacher,
parents, a peer, the president, or some other person they know. This allows for students to
become engaged at a higher level, and also allows students to take more ownership over
their assessment piece.
By adding the Business Day article and video to the ending assessment piece students will
be able to have a variety of choices in the terms of design, apps used, audience, additions
of graphics or music, and much more. This will allow students to showcase their creativity
but still complete the required assessment in a way that will show their understanding for
the teacher. Students will also be able to choose the type of business they create with their
group. This is one of the best parts of the assessment that give students free choice and
really helps them to buy-in to the assignment. Students will learn a great deal, show a
great understanding of the material, and showcase their creativity for their peers and
teachers to see.
In order to successfully gauge students understanding throughout the unit students will
complete various blogs, participate in a Todays Meet, use Google Docs to share their
progress with their teacher and peers, and complete various Socrative quizzes to show
understanding of specific knowledge-based content. These types of formative assessments
will engaged students and enhance the unit through the use of technology. The use of
technology will allow the teacher to be more effective and produce better developed lessons
that directly relate to the needs of the students.
The summative writing assessment that utilizes Google Docs will allow the teacher to
directly assess the mastery of the students ability to write a persuasive piece. Students will
be able to share their piece with teachers, peers, and parents in order to showcase their
creativity and mastery of the content. Using this type of summative assessment will allow
the student to have more creativity in how their piece is formatted and presented to others.
This will give students a type of choice in their summative that is not usually seen when
using a simple paper pencil writing assessment.

Programs of the Intel Education Initiative are funded by the Intel Foundation and Intel Corporation.
Copyright 2007, Intel Corporation. All rights reserved. Intel, the Intel logo, Intel Education Initiative, and Intel Teach Program are trademarks
of Intel Corporation in the U.S. and other countries. *Other names and brands may be claimed as the property of others.

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Revised for WWU MED T&T Revised 10/23/2013

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