Candidate name: Desi Lyman

Date: 4/12/16
Setting: 8th Grade English
NYS or other learning
standard
SL.8.4 Present claims and
findings, emphasizing
salient points in a focused,
coherent manner with
relevant evidence, sound
valid reasoning, and wellchosen details; use
appropriate eye contact,
adequate volume, and
clear pronunciation.
W.8.1 Write arguments to
support claims with clear
reasons and relevant
evidence

Learning objective

Assessment

Students will present a

claim in support of or
against competitive sports
in a verbal debate where
they will provide relevant
evidence and sound
reasoning to convince the
opposing side that their
claim is more sufficient.

During the debates,

students must present
their initial argument with
relevant evidence and
reasons in order to
convince a peer that their
view is the best.

Students will write a claim

supporting one side of the
competitive sport
argument while providing
relevant evidence and
reasoning skills to support
their claim.

Student must write a

claim and provide
evidence that helps
support what claim they
chose to write about.

Foundations: The needs of the gifted learners have been considered in the following
lesson plan because the activity is tiered by outcome. According to the 8 th grade
Common Core standards, students need to verbally express their claims, findings,
and relevant evidence with reasoning (SL.8.4) and write an argument to support
their claim with relevant evidence and reasoning. All students must present a claim
and a counterclaim as the unit continues, but the gifted and other advanced
students have already succeeded at writing counterclaims in a previous writing unit.
Their challenge will come into play when they have to eventually discuss the
strengths and limitations of evidence and reasons given in a controversial topic.
During this lesson, they will begin thinking about a limitation of an opposing view.
4 of the 5 possible gifted learners in this group are already placed in the advanced
math class, and the reason that some of them are not in an advanced English class
is because there isnt one available. Every student in this group scored in the top 7
of the 8th grade according to I-Ready Reading Diagnostic. For the most part, each of
these students enjoys reading and learning. All of these students excel at writing
claims and providing evidence to support their claims, but now they will focus on
evaluating whether the evidence given for an opposing claim is strong or weak in
order to make their own argument stronger.

These students feel comfortable working with each other because they have done it
many times before. The goal of these students will be to go to college and in
college they will have make their own claims and arguments while considering
whether an opposing claim is more sufficient than their own depending on the
evidence and reasons given. This will push them to the 9 th grade standard: W.910.1b Develop claims 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. This will push their understanding of the
arguments because they will learn to listen and address opposing viewpoints with
respect and attention to detail.
Lesson introduction (anticipatory set): (10 min)

Bell work: Students will take out the two articles they have read prior to the
lesson, Listening to Wisdom from a 10-Year-Old Son about His Head Injury
by Adam Buckley Cohen and The Benefits of Competitive Athletic Sports
Participation in Today's Sports Climate Kirk Mango.
Today students will debate about competitive sports, so they will be given
Tips for Being a Great Debater: Moves that Always Pay Off in Arguments.
Students will watch some of these tips in action when they watch a video with
a panel of students debating about a different controversial topic: dress
code/uniforms in school.
o https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6zuLlii2jQ Stop at 5:25

Procedure: (20 min)

1. Set the scene: After recent student injuries, the board of education is
considering whether to keep or ban competitive sports after school hours. (10
min)
a. Students will be put on two teams to create a list of the top 5 salient
points to argue for their position.
b. Students should discuss why these points should be brought up against
their opponents and have a logical reasoning to argue their claim.
2. Since this is the beginning of the Argumentative Writers Workshop, students
will first write their initial argument in their journals for 5 minutes to help
organize their thoughts. (5 min)
3. Students will sit across from a student from the opposing team and make
their initial argument one-on-one. (5 min)
a. They will each have 90 seconds to get their initial point across.
b. After each member verbalizes his/her argument, the other member
must jot down the opposing members viewpoints.
4. Students will then be given their own individual task to prove they have
evaluated relevant evidence from both sides of an argument. (12 min)
Differentiation: Outcome- All students will be reading the same materials in order to
gauge in a fair debate, but will be given a different task to wrap up what they know

and learned by the end of class. The basic task (below level) will involve students
going back through their articles and finding 2 more pieces of evidence that is in
support or against competitive sports. The grade-level task will involve students
writing a speech to the board where they will have to convince the members to
keep or get rid of competitive sports at the school. As an 8 th grader, they will have
to focus on presenting their argument in a formal manner that is respectful to
others points of view. At this level, they will need to present their claim and be
able to back it up with relevant evidence and logical reasoning in order for someone
to understand their points of view. At the advanced level, students already know
how to write a counterclaim, but they have yet to point out the limitations to an
opposing view points argument.

Basic Task: Reread and collect 2 additional cons and 2 additional pros for
adolescents participating in competitive sports. This task allows students to
evaluate and consider which evidence in the article is supportive or against
competitive sports. Write a claim for or against competitive sports based on
the evidence you have collected. Go back and star the evidence that
supports your claim.
Grade-level Task: Write a speech to convince the board why your viewpoint
on competitive sports is the best. Create a claim and support your claim with
2-3 pieces of evidence and logical reasoning.
Advanced Task: Create a poster convincing the school board that your view
on competitive sports is the better than your oppositions view. Provide 2-3
reasons to why your view is better and discuss one limitation to counteract
your opponents main reason.

Acceleration or enrichment for gifted learners: According to the Common Core

standards, 9th and 10th grade students must point out the strengths and limitations
of both arguments in a manner that anticipates the audiences knowledge level and
concerns, so as a gifted 8th grader he/she will be challenged to not only support
his/her claim and discuss why it is best, but the student must also discuss the
limitations of the opponents evidence and reasoning.
Technology used: The smartboard will be used briefly to show students how a talk
show will be set up.
Closure: One student from each of the outcome levels will be asked to share what
they did in his/her task. (3 min)