Writing- Expositions

Weekly Planner
Level: 2/3/3 Pre-Service Teacher: Jessica Board Mentor Teacher: Robyn Roulston
AusVELS links
English
- Rehearse and deliver short presentations on familiar and new topics (ACELY1667) (Year 2)
- Use interaction skills including initiating topics, making positive statements and voicing disagreement in an appropriate manner, speaking clearly and varying tone, volume and pace
appropriately (ACELY1789) (Year 2)
- Understand that social interactions influence the way people engage with ideas and respond to others for example when exploring and clarifying the ideas of others, summarising their own
views and reporting them to a larger group (ACELA1488) (Year 4)
- Understand differences between the language of opinion and feeling and the language of factual reporting or recording (ACELA1489) (Year 4)
- Identify the audience and purpose of imaginative, informative and persuasive texts (ACELY1678) (Year 3)
Interpersonal development
- Working in teams, contributing to collaborative activities within assigned roles (Years 2, 3 and 4)
Resources
Traffic light cut-outs, cones, favourite flavour of ice-cream writing templates (A3 for Grade Twos and A4 for Grade Threes and Fours), Big Bad Wolf Court Case evidence (photos from crime
scene- scanned from The True Story Of The 3 Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka, sugar cup, Strepsils, Vicks cream, tissues, Cookery the Australian Wolf Way).
Modelled
vocabulary
Expository, style, purpose, opinion, argument, reason, evidence, point of view, introduction, persuasive, for, against, support, disagree.
Tuesday- Lesson One Wednesday- Lesson Two Thursday- Lesson Three Friday- Lesson Four
Learning goal
Students will align themselves to a particular
point of view, in support or against a variety of
statements
Students will align themselves to a
particular point of view and begin backing
up their opinion with arguments
Students will state their opinion and
supporting arguments in a draft plan for a
persuasive text
Students will collaboratively present a small
oral presentation to their peers, stating their
opinion with supporting arguments.
Introduction
Revise concept of an opinion introduced
briefly yesterday, asking students to
brainstorm ideas of what an opinion is and
discuss examples of what it means to have a
point of view.

Revise concept of an opinion, and
importance of arguments.
Group students and give them five minutes
to discuss their favourite flavour of ice-
cream, and one reason why.*
Model writing of a plan for a persuasive
text featuring my opinion of the best ice-
cream flavour (from previous lesson), with
supporting arguments. Model thinking
behind:
I think is the best flavour of ice-cream
(Opinion), and It tastes like, it smells
like, it reminds me of, It looks
like (Arguments)
Students will participate in the trial of the Big
Bad Wolf, deciding whether the Wolf should
go to jail. Students to be grouped* and
randomly allocated them to a side of the
debate (for or against the Wolf). The focus of
the activity is to think about other sides of the
debate and effective arguments to ensure the
jury (whole class) has both sides to base their
decision on.
Small
group/whole
class activity
Use cones with red and green lights to create
classroom debating zones in
support/disagreement with statements.
Present the class with a variety of statements
requiring them to move according to their
opinion. Begin with simple statements such as
Essendon is the best AFL team, before
moving onto more complex statements such
as Animals should not be allowed to be kept
in zoos.
Come back together as a class and
brainstorm commonly favoured flavours.
Group students according to favour and get
them to brainstorm 3 arguments supporting
their flavour as best.
Each flavour group to present their opinion
and arguments to try and convince class
that their flavour is the best.
NA Students given 5 minutes to examine evidence
from the Wolfs house, and consider how it
might support their arguments.
Students given 15 minutes to brainstorm
arguments in support or against the Wolf to
convince the jurys decision.
For 15 minutes groups to present their
arguments either for or against the Wolf
being sent to jail.
Independent
work
NA NA Students to fill in their planning template
stating their opinion, and three
arguments. Grade Fours expected to
NA
elaborate on their arguments, including
adjectives (word focus from last week) to
describe their flavour.
Conclusion
Share time- Was it easy to form an opinion
and take a side? Why/why not?
Share time- why are arguments important?
Who changed their mind about the best
flavour? Why/why not?
Share time: choose four students to share
their plan- their opinion and supporting
arguments? What were the good things
about their writing? How might it become
more persuasive?
Finish with a thumbs up/thumbs down
evaluation of lesson difficulty and
interest.
Finish a line debate asking the class Should
the Big Bad Wolf be sent to jail. Students to
choose either the green traffic light (yes) or
red traffic light (no). Share time: ask students
whether or not their opinion had changed, and
why.


Grouping
Group One- Cadyne, Melinda, Kaci-Lee
Group Two- Riley H, Ellie, Lucas
Group Three- Riley E, Beau, Chantelle
Group Four- Daniel, Conner, Diesel
Group Five- Kate, Joe, Keely

Against the Wolf going to jail:
1. Kate, Joe, Keely
2. Cadyne, Melinda, Kaci-Lee 3. Riley H, Ellie,
Lucas
For the Wolf going to jail:
1. Daniel, Conner, Diesel
2. Chantelle, Beau, Riley E
Assessment
Informal assessment for learning through
observations of student responses and oral
presentation techniques.

Informal assessment for learning through
observations of student responses and oral
presentation techniques.

Students plans as writing samples and
informal assessment for learning.

Informal assessment for learning through
observations of student responses and oral
presentation techniques.