Elementary Language Arts & Social Studies Integrated Model Unit
Teacher:Grade & Genre: 5th Grade, Persuasive Texts
Lesson/Unit (listed on ARRC):
Language Arts - Persuasion and Media Literacy, Unit 9
Social Studies - 2nd & 3rd Nine Weeks U.S. Bill of Rights
Amount of Time: 2+ Weeks
TEKS and SEs:
Language Arts
· KSS – 5.12 analyze, make inferences and draw conclusions about persuasive text and provide evidence from text to support their analysis
· Fig. 19(D) make inferences about text and use textual evidence to support understanding
· 5.12(A) identify the author’s viewpoint or position and explain the basic relationships among ideas (e.g., parallelism, comparison, causality) in the argument
· 5.12(B) recognize exaggerated, contradictory, or misleading statements in text
· 5.19(A) write persuasive essays for appropriate audiences that establish a position and include sound reasoning, detailed and relevant evidence, and consideration of alternatives
Social Studies
· 5.21A summarize reasons for the Bill of Rights
· 5.25 Applies critical-thinking skills
(A) differentiate between, locate, and use primary and secondary sources;
(B) analyze information by sequencing, categorizing, identifying cause-and-effect relationships, comparing, contrasting, finding the main idea, summarizing, making generalizations and predictions, and drawing inferences and conclusions;
(D) identify different points of view about an issue or topic;
(E) identify the elements of frame of reference that influenced the participants in an event;
· 5.26 Communicates in written, oral, and visual forms
(B) incorporate main and supporting ideas in verbal and written communication;
(E) use standard grammar, spelling, sentence structure, and punctuation.
Student Learning Objective:
The student will be able to write a persuasive essay that establishes a position and includes sound reasoning, detailed and relevant evidence, and consideration of alternatives.
Assessment For Learning (Summative Or Formative):
The teacher should formatively assess student progress throughout the unit to provide the scaffolding necessary for students to be successful on the summative task.
Characteristics of the Exemplary Work Product:
Final Product: National Heritage Essay Contest (see below)
Criteria / 5 / 3 / 1
Deep Understanding
of Topic
Recognizes the importance of the U.S. Bill or Rights to Americans and can support it with factual information / · Includes a clear controlling idea or thesis statement about the importance of the U.S. Bill of Rights and supports it with factual relevant information
· Accurately uses effective social studies vocabulary / · Includes a somewhat clear controlling idea or thesis statement about the importance of the U.S. Bill of Rights supporting it with some factual information
· Uses appropriate social studies vocabulary / · Includes a somewhat clear controlling idea or thesis statement about the importance of the U.S. Bill of Rights supporting it in a limited and unclear manner
· Uses some appropriate social studies vocabulary
Personal Connections
Identifies the significance
of the right to self and others / · Makes insightful connections between the U.S. Bill of Rights and supporting factual events with a high degree of idea development
· Makes fresh and original observations
· Demonstrates a deep understanding of the U.S. Bill of Rights / · Recognizes connections between the U.S. Bill of Rights and supporting factual events
· Makes general observations
· Demonstrates knowledge of the importance of the U.S. Bill of Rights / · Makes few or general connections between the U.S. Bill of Rights and supporting factual events
· Makes simple statements
· Makes predictable observations
Persuasiveness
Communicates ideas well and creates a persuasive argument / · Persuades reader and leaves them with a sense of closure and resolution
· Communicates complex ideas through sophisticated forms of expression, using effective social studies vocabulary
· Demonstrates consistent command of spelling, capitalizations, punctuation, grammar, usage, and sentence structure / · Persuades reader to some degree but structure does not add to the content
· Communicates general ideas using appropriate social studies vocabulary with little evidence of depth of thinking / · Attempts to develop composition by listing ideas or briefly explaining them
· Communicates limited or unclear information
· Provide little to no persuasive argument
Key/Essential Questions:
· How can readers evaluate persuasive texts and/or media for accuracy?
· What elements make a persuasive text powerful?
· What persuasive techniques can be used to influence the attitudes or actions of your audience?
Key/Academic Vocabulary:
Causality
The relationship between a cause and its effect or between regularly correlated events or phenomena
Context
The background or circumstances of various settings and/or time periods in literary texts.
Digital media
Electronic media that work on digital codes (as opposed to analog media). Examples include e-mail, digital video, e-book, Internet, video game, and interactive media.
Parallelism
Repeated sentences structures or patterns introduced for rhetorical effect
Transitional words and phrases
Words or phrases that help to sustain a thought or idea through the writing. They link sentences and paragraphs together smoothly so that there are no abrupt jumps or breaks between ideas.
Materials/Items Needed:
For Students
· My Brother Dan’s Delicious by Steven Layne (3, iBistro)
· My Name is Jorge, On Both Sides of the River by Jane Median (8, iBistro)
· Earrings by Judith Viorst (22, iBistro)
· Dear Mr. LaRue: Letters from Obedience School by Mark Teague (28, iBistro)
· Glasses: Who Needs ‘Em? by Jon Scieszka (23, iBistro)
· The Secret Knowledge of Grown-Ups by David Wisniewski (28, iBistro)
· Otto Runs for President by Rosemary Wells (12, iBistro)
· Emily’s Run-Away Imagination by Beverly Cleary (10, iBistro)
· Click, Clack, Moo: Cows that Type by Dorren Cronin (40 copies, iBistro)
· Collection of relevant speeches, advertisements, editorial letters, etc. tailored to the interests of your class—many examples of these types of persuasive text can be found in newspapers and magazines.
· Class set of “Is Reality TV Making You Stupid?” (or similar article)
· Class set of National Heritage Essay Contest guidelines and rubric
· Highlighters—two separate colors per student
· Persuasive Strategies Powerpoint
· Political Cartoon Archive – Election of 1912
· Clifford K. Berryman Political Cartoon Archive
· Cartoon Analysis Document from National Archives
Professional Literature
· Why We Must Run with Scissors: Voice Lessons in Persuasive Writing 3-12 by Barry Lane (20 copies, iBistro)
· Strategy Guide to Persuasive Writing
Hook/Engage:
1. Directions to students: We are going to watch a short political campaign advertisement. While you are watching, jot down any notes, thoughts, and reactions you have to the video. You can also write down any special techniques that are used to create the advertisement that stand out to you.
2. Play video clip from The Living Room Candidate. Students jot down thoughts, notes, and reactions to the video.
3. Students share their reactions with a small group and discuss “noticings.”
Instructional Plan/Activities:
Ø Book Flood: Provide time for students explore a variety of mentor texts that exemplify persuasive writing. Model how to “notice” particular styles or techniques used by authors. As students pairs read, have them generate characteristics of persuasive texts. Bring students together to share student-generated lists of characteristics of persuasive texts. Create a class anchor chart that brings all ideas together and categorizes the characteristics.
Directions to students: Over the next few days, you are going to be reading a selection of persuasive texts. As you are reading with your partner, jot down characteristics of the genre that stand out to you. We will use your list of characteristics to build a class chart to help us think about persuasive writing.
Teaching Points to Emphasize through Mini-Lessons
Ø Persuasive writing is an essential tool; every time we write a letter of complaint, make a request, or share a passionate opinion, we are engaging in persuasive writing. Other examples include editorials found in newspapers or magazines, advertisements, debates, court arguments, and political views. Additional examples of persuasive writing:
· Advertisements
· Applications
· Blurbs: TV lists/book covers
· Brochures
· Bumper stickers
· Commentaries
· Commercials
· Consumer guide or report
· Debate outlines/notes
· Declarations
· Editorials
· Graffiti
· Journal entries
· Letters: advice, application / § Letters, persuasive: to public officials, to the editor, recommendations
§ Messages to/from the past/future
§ Monologue
§ News Stories - paper/radio/TV
§ Orations
§ Prophecies and predictions
§ Proposals
§ Public notices
§ Requests
§ Skits
§ Undercover reports
Ø One key understanding that writers need before they can write a well-written persuasive text is the difference between fact and opinion. When you read examples of persuasive writing, pay careful attention to how the author uses opinions and facts to influence the reader.
Ø The best persuasive writing offers arguments, addresses differing opinions by either disproving them or showing their weaknesses. Persuasive Strategies Powerpoint
Ø Author’s craft – Persuasion
· Parallelism (“Yes, we can” – President Obama)
· Comparison
· Causality
· Exaggerated, contradictory, or misleading statements
· Sound reasoning
· Detailed and relevant evidence
· Consideration of alternatives
Ø Persuasive writing generally has three sections:
· An introduction, which provides an opinion and gets the reader involved or interested in the argument
· A body, which contains facts and reasons to support the opinion
· A conclusion, which restates the opinion and urges the reader to take action
Ø Provide students copies of “Is Reality TV Making You Stupid?” (or similar article). Model how to identify specific stylistic techniques in persuasive texts. Student pairs read the article multiple times to:
· Mark opinions and facts with two different colors of highlighter
· Notate elements of persuasive writer’s craft they can find, including:
- Parallelism (“Yes, we can” – President Obama)
- Comparison
- Causality
- Exaggerated, contradictory, or misleading statements
- Sound reasoning
- Detailed and relevant evidence
- Consideration of alternatives
· Debrief as a class.
Ø Provide time for students to explore historical and modern political advertisements, campaigns, cartoons, etc.
- Guiding question: How have public officials used persuasion to sway the public?
- Review the collection of political materials and identify persuasive techniques used to influence the audience.
- Select one exemplar to analyze for effectiveness.
- Teachers may want to provide Cartoon Analysis Document from National Archives for students who need additional support.
Evaluate:
Note: Teachers may want to adapt the writing task to the level of proficiency of their students and/or provide student choice in writing topics. The optional essay contest noted may be used with some or all students.
Student submit a persuasive writing to the National Heritage Essay Contest – Sponsored by the Round Rock Sertoma Club. **See full judging guidelines below.
Introducing the summative task to students:
In Language Arts, we have talked about how persuasion is used to influence the public. In Social Studies, we have been learning about the U.S. Bill of Rights and its key amendments. Let’s brainstorm a few ideas about why the Bill of Rights is important.
[Teacher records a few student ideas on whiteboard or chart.]
You all have a lot of great ideas about why the Bill of Rights is important. Here is your challenge: Write an essay explaining why the U.S. Bill of Rights is important to Americans. You will want to take your essay through the full writing process—you’ll want to plan, draft, revise, and edit your piece, plus have conferences with your classmates and with me. We will be submitting your writing to the National Heritage Essay Contest for publication and you will be sharing your piece in a class sharing day at the end of January—make sure you do your best and have fun!
Teachers should refer to the full judging guidelines to ensure that students’ submissions fit with the theme and guidelines of the contest. (See enclosed guidelines.)
Criteria
1) The essay must address why the U.S. Bill of Rights is important to Americans. Their essay should include:
· A statement explaining why the U.S. Bill of Rights is important to Americans
· Support your statement with one or two factual examples to support your position
2) A rubric is provided to the student outlining judging criteria.
3) Essays should be one to two hand-written or typed (double-spaced) pages.
4) Students must do their own work but may consult librarians, teachers, or parents on reference questions.
Extensions:
· Literary Characters on Trial: Combining Persuasion and Literary Analysis
· Exploring Free Speech and Persuasion with Nothing but the Truth
Differentiation Notes: / Technology Integration
The following graphic organizers may be useful in “dissecting” mentor texts and for planning persuasive writing:
· Persuasion Map
· Planning Chart
· Interactive Persuasive Map
· Persuasive Map
Special Education
Have students work in small groups to generate their ideas and do the research.
Offer various suggestions for how students can share their argument: e.g., a debate format, a "soapbox" in the classroom, or letters to the editor of the newspaper.
List of Persuasive Words and Phrases / Highlight desired bullets and change to check mark
ÿ Word Processing
ü Power Point
ü Internet Resources
ü Graphics/Charts
ÿ Internet Research
ÿ Web Cam
ü Interactive whiteboard
ÿ Other:
504
TAG
Offer choice in student products and presentation for how students can share their argument: e.g., a debate format, a "soapbox" in the classroom, or letters to the editor of the newspaper.
ELL
· Graphic organizers
· Visuals/video
· Conversation stems
· List of Persuasive Words and Phrases
Teacher Strategies - Best Practices
(Highlight the row you want to select and change that bullet to a check-mark bullet.)
ÿ Student choice
ü Modeling reading strategies
ü Modeling writing strategies or the writing process
ü Cooperative learning
ü Reading aloud
ÿ Independent Reading
ÿ Writing before and after reading
ü Implementing pre, post, or during reading activities
ü Teaching metacognitive strategies/reading strategies
ÿ Hands-on learning/manipulatives utilized
ü Small group
ÿ Higher-ordering thinking skills
ÿ Real-world connections
ÿ Criteria charts created (student-driven; supports learning by defining and clarifying a task )
ÿ Rubrics created (student-centered)
ü Mentor texts
ü Anchor charts (a reference tool that “anchors” new and ongoing learning to key concepts previously introduced)
ÿ Research/research materials
ü Evidence of assessment for learning (teacher modifies instruction based on students’ understanding)
ÿ Classroom/Literacy library
ü Writing workshop time
ÿ Teaching grammar and mechanics in context
ü Conferencing
NATIONAL HERITAGE ESSAY CONTEST