ARGUMENTATIVE WRITING UNIT

Day 3, Thursday, 3/1/17, 90 minutes

Teacher: Miriam Gueck

Subject Area: U.S. Literature Grade Level: 11 School: Fort Collins High School
Unit Title: Argumentative Writing Unit
Lesson Title: Collect Issue Proposals, Research Resources, Argumentative Essay Breakdown 1 and 2,
Practice Composing and Developing Hooks and Introductions

Standards:
1.2.a. Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in
groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grades 1112 topics, texts, and issues, building on
others ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively. (CCSS: SL.11-12.1)
2.2.a. Use Key Ideas and Details to:
Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well
as inferences drawn from the text, including determining where the text leaves matters uncertain.
(CCSS: RI.11-12.1)
2.2.a.v. Predict the impact an informational text will have on an audience and justify the prediction
2.3.d. Acquire and use accurately general academic and domain-specific words and phrases, sufficient
for reading, writing, speaking, and listening at the college and career readiness level; demonstrate
independence in gathering vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to
comprehension or expression. (CCSS: L.11-12.6)
3.2.a. Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid
reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence. (CCSS: W.11-12.1)
3.2.b. Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas, concepts, and
information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of
content. (CCSS: W.11-12.2)
3.3.a. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when
writing or speaking. (CCSS: L.11-12.1)
4.1.a. Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects to answer a question (including a
self-generated question) or solve a problem; narrow or broaden the inquiry when appropriate;
synthesize multiple sources on the subject, demonstrating understanding of the subject under
investigation. (CCSS: W.11-12.7)
4.1.c. Evaluate and revise research questions for precision and clarity
4.1.d. Evaluate quality, accuracy, and completeness of information and the bias, credibility and
reliability of the sources
4.1.e. Document sources of quotations, paraphrases, and other information, using a style sheet, such
as that of the Modern Language Association (MLA) or the American Psychological Association (APA)
4.1.f. Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
(CCSS: W.11-12.9)
4.3.a. Analyze the purpose, question at issue, information, points of view, implications and
consequences, inferences, assumptions, and concepts inherent in thinking
4.3.b. Assess strengths and weaknesses of thinking and thinking of others by using criteria including
relevance, clarity, accuracy, fairness, significance, depth, breadth, logic, and precision
4.3.d. Evaluate the reasoning of self and others for quality, strong-sense thinking

Learning Target:
Students will identify/select an issue for their argumentative essay. Students will also learn about the
overall argumentative essay with a close look at the introduction. Finally, students will practice
writing hooks and introductions.
ARGUMENTATIVE WRITING UNIT
Day 3, Thursday, 3/1/17, 90 minutes

Success Criteria:
Students will submit their Issue Proposals. Students will take notes in their Argumentative Essay
notetakers 1 and 2, and practice composing/developing a hook and introduction.

Materials Needed (include page numbers, supplies, resources):

Issue Proposal form
Argumentative Essay notetakers 1 and 2
Laptop
Smart Board
Something to write with

Anticipatory Set (optional):

I will collect Issue Proposals at the very beginning of class. I will emphasize the importance of staying
on track with our work for this unit. There will be work time towards the end. I will get back as many
of the Issue Proposals as I can to students this day. Those students who turned it in at the beginning
of class may continue their research. Students who did not will work on completion of their IPs; it is
their exit ticket. I will preview the main topics of todays lesson: breaking down the argumentative
essay parts 1 and 2, the importance of these notes, research resources, how to know if a website is
reliable, and practice composition/development of hooks/introductions.
(5 min)

Procedure (step by step through the lesson activities):

We will begin with our Argumentative Essay notes 1 and notes 2. Students will have a
notetaker/graphic organizer to fill in while I discuss the answers and elaborate upon them. These first
two organizers breakdown the overall essay, the introduction, the hook, types of hooks, types of
evidence, and strategies for credibility.
(15 min)
We will go over how to know if a website is reliable or not. I have a resource that I posted to our
classroom page in edmodo called Is it crap or is it CRAAP. CRAAP stands for Currency, Relevance,
Authority, Accuracy, and Purpose. I will also show students specific places that are good for research,
including Fort Collins High Schools very own databases.
(5 min)
As this class is 90 minutes long I will encourage students to get up and take a break and come back in
a few minutes.
(5 min)
While the lesson is fresh, we will practice writing hooks and introductions. We will return to the topic
we utilized for practice on Tuesday, Dolezals choice to be black. On Tuesday, we watched one news
account/documentary by abcnews.com. To review that, I will begin this portion of our lesson by
giving students 5 minutes to read the article about Dolezal posted in edmodo. While they are reading
the article, they should be taking notes on the same organizer from Tuesday and elaborate on the
main argument/opposing argument, and jot down anything that would help them form a hook. They
should also keep in mind that they will need to know enough to provide background information to
set up the reader properly to understand the situation before the thesis/main argument is stated in
ARGUMENTATIVE WRITING UNIT
Day 3, Thursday, 3/1/17, 90 minutes

the introduction. I will model composition/development of a hook and introduction for this topic for
both sides of the debate on the smart board, garnering student input. After successful modeling of
both sides, students will either continue their research or complete their Issue Proposal.

Closure (optional):
Show me where youre at with understanding hooks and introductions (Ill show them with my hand -
thumbs up, thumbs down, or somewhere in the middle)...
(2 min)

Evaluation/Assessment:
Students participation during the modeling process will be a good indicator of their understanding.
Submitted issue proposals will also be very telling. And finally, the notetakers will show who was
paying attention. Students will be encouraged to check their answers with the people in their pods
before passing those forward, to ensure that everyone got all the answers right.