Dobey

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 Crayons letter to Duncan, students will do a
Think-Pair-Share in partners what the Red Crayons purpose was in writing
the letter. Following this, they will Think-Pair-Share and share what the
crayons 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 crayons 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
Students Writers 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 Writers 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 theyre
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
Writers Notebooks
Writing Utensils

Teacher Actions:
Provide Time for Kids: Persuasive Essay Sample Paper to students
Lead students to analyze and highlight the topic, the authors 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 shouldnt 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

How clear and well-thought out do you believe your arguments are to sell
your cookie?
1

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 didnt 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
McDonalds 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 McDonalds 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, its 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 its 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 persons 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 ELLs 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 didnt 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

Conventions

Organization

Content

Developing

Partially
Proficient
The writing
The writing
contains
contains
numerous
several
mechanical
mechanical
errors making errors
it very
making some
difficult to
parts of the
read
writing
confusing
The structure The structure
of the writing of the writing
not logical or has some
sequential
areas of
making it very weaknesses
difficult to
in structure
follow
and flow
making it
mostly
unclear
The writing
The writing
does not
contains few
contain an
of the
introductory
components
paragraph,
of a
three body
persuasive
paragraphs,
essay, but
and a
does not
conclusion
make
effective
arguments in
persuading
the reader

Proficient

Advanced

The writing
contains few
mechanical
errors, but is
understandable
to read

There are no
errors with
conventions/
mechanics in
the writing

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

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