First Grade, Unit: Prewriting With Persuasive Writing By: Alicia Armstrong, Kathryn Grundner, Helen Oziem

Overview of Unit:In this two-week unit, our students will explore the topic of persuasion. The goal of this unit is to strengthen students persuasive writing skills by having them form opinions and read informational texts to support their opinions with evidence from their research. By the end of this unit, the students will use their opinions to create a classroom book. They will be able to state their opinion on what animal they believe will make the best classroom pet, and give reasons why. Tools students will add to their tool belts include: 1. Identify what persuasion is 2. Identify ways we persuade 3. Differentiate between an opinion and a fact 4. Supporting opinions with facts Essential Questions to Guide Instruction and Focus on Tools in Students Tool Beltsin This Unit: How are facts and opinions different from one another?How do we use them differently in our lives? How can we support our opinion with strong facts? How can we persuade someone that our opinion is correct? What kind of facts can we use to support that? How can we organize our thoughts and opinions to create strong persuasive writing? Mentor Texts to Help Students Add Tools to Their Tool Belts in This Unit: Anchor Texts: Dear Mrs. LaRue by Mark Teague- We will use this text to help discuss the definition of persuasion and what it means to persuade someone. The story is of a dog, banished to obedience school, and begins writing persuasive letters to his owner. Red Is Best by Kathy Stinson- In this book, little Kelly plays her opinion against her mother's practical advice. Kelly loves red and her belongings that are red. She wants to wear the red mittens because they make better snowballs, and the red boots because they take bigger steps and in the red cup, she tells her mother, juice tastes better. We think that this book will help my kids begin to identify with their opinion about the simplest things like their favorite color.

First Grade, Unit: Prewriting With Persuasive Writing By: Alicia Armstrong, Kathryn Grundner, Helen Oziem

Should We Have Pets? A Persuasive Text by Sylvia Lollis- In this informational text, a second grade class presents arguments for and against pet ownership. This mentor text will help our students learn how to support their opinions with facts. Times For Kids magazine articles

Approximate Timeline for This Slice of the Unit: 2Weeks Dates CCSS Objectives: I CAN What are the enduring understandings that students will construct? What are the tools they will add to or use from their tool belts as readers/writers and critical thinkers? What are the essential questions that will guide our work? Evidence of Student Learning How will I know students have constructed understanding?What will students write, say, create, produce that will evidence their learning and allow me to provide feedback? How will students reflect on their own learning? Instruction& Materials How will I use the I/We/You model of instruction to scaffold students in constructing rich understanding? How will I break the unit down into weeks and days? What materials and resources will I use to scaffold this?

Week 1 W.1.1 Write opinion pieces in which they introduce the topic or name the book they are writing about, state an opinion, supply a reason for the opinion, and provide some sense of closure. W.1.1:I can write an opinion. Students willcontribute to the I: Introduce the topic of persuasion word web with what they noticed with the students. Discuss how one about persuasive writing in the way to do this is form an opinion. mentor text. Using one word off An opinion is our idea or how we the word web students will begin feel about something and when we to write an opinion about their want someone to agree with us. favorite foods in their writing Provide examples of ways to start journals. an opinion by picture walking through the mentor text Dear Mrs. LaRue. Stop on pages where Ike is

Mon.

First Grade, Unit: Prewriting With Persuasive Writing By: Alicia Armstrong, Kathryn Grundner, Helen Oziem

Tues.

W.1.1:I can write an opinion.

Students will continue to contribute to the word web with what they noticed about persuasive writing in the text.Also, students will verbally share an opinion, draw a picture about it, then write the opinion in their journals.

using persuasive words. WE: Begin creating a class word web, providing examples of persuasive words such as I believe, In my opinion, I love. Add some examples found in the mentor text and have students brainstorm different ideas to add to the web. YOU: Students will then choose one word off the word web and use it to write an opinion about their favorite food. For example, I love pizza! WE:Review the word web from previous day to revisit what an opinion is. WE:Revisit the mentor text Dear Mrs. LaRue. Have the students listen for words that we might have missed the day before that we could add to our word web.Once the story is complete, have the students turn and talk with a partner about other persuasive words we can add to the web. WE: Have students form a circle and tell them to think of their favorite toy in their head. Tell them not to say it out loud, but to just think about itusing words from the word web go around the circle having each student state their

First Grade, Unit: Prewriting With Persuasive Writing By: Alicia Armstrong, Kathryn Grundner, Helen Oziem

Wed.

W.1.1: I can write an opinion.

Students willidentify the authors opinion in an article from TimeFor Kids.Students will then write whether they agree or disagree with the authors opinion and why.

Thurs.

W.1.1 I can write an opinion.

Students will brainstorm ideas for what animal they believe will make the best classroom pet. They will choose one animal and write an opinion statement.

favorite toy. Teacher will participate with the students. YOU:Students will then draw a picture of their favorite toy in their writing journals. Underneath the picture students willwrite the opinion they stated when we went around the circle. I: Today we are going to discuss the ways writers share their opinions in articles in order to get their message across to readers. WE: As a class we will read an article from the Time For Kids magazine. There will be a copy of the article on the Elmo. After we read the article, we will highlight and discuss the places where we can find the authors opinion. YOU: Students will write in their journals whether they agree or disagree with the authors opinionand why. I: Tell students we are going to write a class book on what animal they think will make the best classroom pet and why. Introduce the book Should We Have Pets. Explain to students that other students wrote this book because their opinions matter. WE: Read examples from the mentor text to show students how

First Grade, Unit: Prewriting With Persuasive Writing By: Alicia Armstrong, Kathryn Grundner, Helen Oziem

Fri.

Week 2

others write opinions. YOU: In their writing journal students will begin to brainstorm ideas for what animal would make the best classroom pet. Have them choose one animal from their list and write an opinion statement. W.1.1 I can write an opinion Students will participate in class I: Begin explaining the difference aboutsomething. anchor chart and give thumbs up between fact and opinion. On for fact and thumbs down for an anchor chart write one fact and one opinion. Students will opinion such as, I like pizza participate in fact or opinion versus A tree is a plant. Discuss game. Students will write one the reasons why one is fact and one fact and one opinion on a topic is opinion. of their choice in their writing We: Continue giving examples of journals. fact versus opinion and have students give thumps up for a fact and thumbs down for an opinion. I: Put out a fact sign in one corner of the room and an opinion sign in the other. WE: Teacher will shout out either a fact or opinion statement and students must decide if its a fact or opinion and move to the correct corner. YOU: Students will write one fact and one opinion on a topic of their choice in their writing journals. W.1.1.Write opinion pieces in which they introduce the topic or name the book they are writing about, state an opinion, supply a reason for the opinion, and provide some sense of closure.

First Grade, Unit: Prewriting With Persuasive Writing By: Alicia Armstrong, Kathryn Grundner, Helen Oziem

Mon.

W.1.1: I can write an opinion about something.

Students will write one fact and one opinion and demonstrate they understand the difference by using the popsicle stick.

WE: Review difference between fact and opinion. Give each student a popsicle stick and have them write opinion on one side and fact on the other. YOU: Students will write one fact and one opinion on a separate piece of paper. WE: Teacher will read aloud some of the students statements and using the popsicle stick the students will show whether they think its fact or opinion. I: Explain to students that in order to make our opinions more powerful we need to have reasons. WE: Read aloud the story Red Is Best. Have students listen for reasons Kelly thinks red is the best color. WE: Create an anchor chart listing the reasons how the character in the story backed up her opinion. YOU: In their journals students will write an opinion of their favorite color and give one reason why. I: On the board, teacher will write topic of whether or not we should have longer recess.

Tues.

W.1.1: I can use reasons to back Students will write an opinion up my opinion when I write. about their favorite color and give one reason why.

Wed.

W.1.1: I can use reasons to back up my opinion when I write.

Students will write their opinion and give two reasons why they feel this way.

First Grade, Unit: Prewriting With Persuasive Writing By: Alicia Armstrong, Kathryn Grundner, Helen Oziem

Thurs.

W.1.1 I can use reasons to back up my opinion when I write.

Students will add to previous opinion in their writing journals, and will write reasons why they feel this way.

WE: As a class, we will begin to brainstorm pros and cons of having a longer recess. Teacher will make a T-chart with 'pros' on one side and 'cons' on the other. As a class we will come up with ideas to add to the chart. YOU: In journals students state their opinion on the topic and give two reasons why they feel this way. WE: Students will share their opinions with a partner. As a group we will then take a class vote. WE: Refer to previous anchor charts and mentor textShould We Have Pets. I: Explain to students that we will be creating a classroom book on favorite classroom pets. WE: Together as a class the teacher will model what he/she is looking for. On the board the teacher will write the word "Pig". Underneath the word, ask students to think of an opinion statement that we could write. Pick on a couple of students to share their thoughts with the class, and write them on the board. Teacher will then model to the students one reason to back up the opinion statement. Call on three or more students to share their ideas with

First Grade, Unit: Prewriting With Persuasive Writing By: Alicia Armstrong, Kathryn Grundner, Helen Oziem

Fri.

W.1.1: I can use reasons to back Students will begin writing rough up my opinion when I write. draft on what animal they believe will make the best classroom pet and why.

the class. I: Explain to students that they have already written an opinion statement on what animal they think will make the best classroom pet in their journals. Tell them they can use that opinion statement, or write another one, but they now must add reasons to their opinions. YOU: Students will refer back to previous opinion on classroom pets and begin to add reasons why in their writing journals. WE: Have the students continue to brainstorm and add reasons to their opinions. WE: Once students feel like they have a solid opinion statement, and enough reasons to back it up.Have students form groups to discuss and share their ideas and illustrations. YOU:After they have had some time to collaborate with their peers, students will begin to write their rough draft.