Unit 1, Week 5
Argument Writing and Debate
Argument Writing: Revising, Editing and Final Drafts
Learning Objectives:
Students will...
● cite evidence to support analysis of inferences
● with some guidance and support from peers and adults, develop writing as needed by planning.
● delineate a speaker’s argument and specific claims.
● distinguish claims that are supported by reasons and evidence from claims that are not.
● write routinely over shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.
● use Standard English conventions when speaking and writing.
● delineate an argument and claims, engage in collaborative discussions
Reading/Speaking Activities:
During the final week, students will finish reading The Giver, Chapters 20-22.
Guiding questions for the end of the text:
● What plan did Jonas and the Giver propose? What obstacles stand in their way?
● How do you predict the story will end?
● What do you think happened to Jonas? Why?
● Why do you think the author ended this way?
Following the end of the text, students will be introduced to the notion of debate. T will discuss and model norms of debating. Students will break into groups (by choice) based on the characters in the text: Jonas, The Giver, the Elders, and the members of the community. Students will create claims and gather support from the text in response to the writing prompt, yet from that character’s point of view. Students will meet for at least two 40 minute periods to determine claims and gather support and rehearse debate. They should also think about the counterclaims they will hear from other groups and prepare rebuttals to refute them.
Students will have a debate between the 4 groups, identifying and utilizing counterclaims.
Culminating activity to be graded based on speaking/argumentative/reading rubric.
Students will complete debate reflections, which helps them to identify what they heard, how they contributed, and anything they want to add to their own argumentative writing. Students should be encouraged to go back to their graphic organizers to add any ideas they came up with in debate, or that they heard from others, that might strengthen their arguments.
By the end of the week, students should:
● Meet with a peer or small group to revise drafts, using checklist.
● Meet with a peer or small group to edit drafts, using checklist.
● Meet with the teacher for a brief period for a conference.
Write the final draft.
Learning Objectives:
Students will...
● cite evidence to support analysis of inferences
● with some guidance and support from peers and adults, develop writing as needed by planning.
● delineate a speaker’s argument and specific claims.
● distinguish claims that are supported by reasons and evidence from claims that are not.
● write routinely over shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.
● use Standard English conventions when speaking and writing.
● delineate an argument and claims, engage in collaborative discussions
Reading/Speaking Activities:
During the final week, students will finish reading The Giver, Chapters 20-22.
Guiding questions for the end of the text:
● What plan did Jonas and the Giver propose? What obstacles stand in their way?
● How do you predict the story will end?
● What do you think happened to Jonas? Why?
● Why do you think the author ended this way?
Following the end of the text, students will be introduced to the notion of debate. T will discuss and model norms of debating. Students will break into groups (by choice) based on the characters in the text: Jonas, The Giver, the Elders, and the members of the community. Students will create claims and gather support from the text in response to the writing prompt, yet from that character’s point of view. Students will meet for at least two 40 minute periods to determine claims and gather support and rehearse debate. They should also think about the counterclaims they will hear from other groups and prepare rebuttals to refute them.
Students will have a debate between the 4 groups, identifying and utilizing counterclaims.
Culminating activity to be graded based on speaking/argumentative/reading rubric.
Students will complete debate reflections, which helps them to identify what they heard, how they contributed, and anything they want to add to their own argumentative writing. Students should be encouraged to go back to their graphic organizers to add any ideas they came up with in debate, or that they heard from others, that might strengthen their arguments.
By the end of the week, students should:
● Meet with a peer or small group to revise drafts, using checklist.
● Meet with a peer or small group to edit drafts, using checklist.
● Meet with the teacher for a brief period for a conference.
Write the final draft.