Concept Unit Lesson Plan

Unit Title: Your Voice in Writing

Subject: English Language Arts
Grade: 6th
Time Frame: Three Weeks
Concept: Asserting Ones Voice
Unit Primary Skill Focus:
Week: 1
Plan: Full Detail
Content Requirement Satisfied:
- Writing Instruction
We began our unit on asserting your voice in a community of people. We read Thank You
Maam By Langston Hughes in the previous class which is what this writing day is set up
around. This is a class is made up of students with a mixture of Lexile levels who perform at
different academic levels. We read the short story in small groups and did group activities to
ensure student comprehension of the text. Today, students will be working with the reading to
write a letter to a young relative who needs guidance.

Unit Learning Objectives:

1. Students will understand that artists use literature as a medium of expression to be able to
identify themselves within their community.
3. Students will understand that differences are what create variety in literature.
5. Students will be able to empathize with the different experiences lived by various social
groups in a society.
6. Student will begin to develop a feeling of responsibility and connectedness for the
community and its inhabitants.
8. Students will report on their community, creating connections with the classroom
literature and other texts.

Lesson Learning Objectives:

Cognitive:
a. Students will understand that individuals hold different perspectives based on past
experiences.
b. Students will know the differences between voice and perspective

Affective:
c. Students will be able to value the act of giving back to the community by reaching
out to a younger generation of voices.
Performance:
d. Students will utilize their knowledge of a character in a narrative and their
knowledge of perspective to write a letter forewarning an upcoming generation.

SOLs:
6.7 The student will write narration, description, exposition, and persuasion.
c) Organize writing structure to fit mode or topic.

COMMON CORE:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.6.3
Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique,
relevant descriptive details, and well-structured event sequences.

Method of Assessment:
Diagnostic
In the previous class, students
read Thank you Maam by process. They will complete a
Langston Hughes and
completed a story map and a
character choice assignment
which they turned in. I reviewed
their submissions to determine
if they understood the text and
if they were prepared to begin
writing, using the text as a
mentor.
Formative Summative
Students will begin the writing Students will publish their letters
in the newspapers they will create
brainstorming activity, and begin to submit as their final assignment
writing their letters. They will for the unit.
submit a draft of their final
writing assignment at the end of
the class period.

Procedures/Instructional Strategies

Beginning Room Arrangement: As students come to class, they will sit in their assigned seat.
The class is set up in a double U shape with one inner U and an outer U. In this arrangement,
students have do a lot of work with elbow partners and the person or people sitting behind them
for group work.

[8 Min.] Bridge/Hook/Opening to Lesson:

When students walk into class, they will be in structed to clear everything off of their desks
except for a pencil.

Hello Everyone! I hope everyone is having a fantastic day! I really enjoyed listening to
everyones conversations last class about Thank you Maam by Langston Hughes. You all had
some interesting opinions about their character choice and what you would do in their place.

Today, we are going to be doing a little writing, but dont worry, it will be fun! When you all
came in this morning, I asked you to clear off your desks except for a pencil. I want you all to
look at your right elbow partner, smile, and say hello. The people at the end, please work with
the person behind you.
Once you have said hello, please I am going to pass out a sheet of notebook paper to the group
member who is closest to the window. I am also going to give that person a small folded up piece
of paper with a question on it. I want the person to rewrite what they say on the folded piece of
paper and pass the sheet to their partner, for the next 5 minutes, I am going to let you and your
partner pass notes to each other. Dont worry, I wont be collecting it, but I will be walking
around so stay on task please. As you pass notes, please try and do the following:
1. You both have to provide an answer to the question
2. Give some sort of advice or try to persuade your partner to believe something about your
topic.

You guys were passing notes so were not going to share the secrets you shared. If you want to,
you can share them with each other at a later time.

The purpose of this assignment is to have students interact with each other and continue to build
a positive classroom community. Students will also be giving advice to the peer. This is a small
introduction to what they will be doing in writing their letters today.

[25 Min.] Persuasion Mini Lesson

I hope you guys enjoyed passing notes with each other, I had fun watching all of your faces react
and change as you and your partner were passing notes. So now I have a question for you guys.
By a show of hands, how many of you guys argue with your brothers or sisters. How about your
parents. What sort of things do you argue about? Please raise your hand if you would like to
share. [Students will be given a chance to share with the class.]

Okay great! Now think about who normally wins the argument. whether it is you or the other
person, ask yourself what kind of things are said to win the argument.

Discussion will ensue with students on the concept and purpose of persuasive writing. This
discussion will clarify to students that in order to have a persuasive argument, there should be a
specific audience, a clear purpose, supporting reasons, and persuasive word choices. We will
discuss how the same applies for writing a persuasive text.

Do you guys know what I hate! I hate when I am trying to watch a show or a music video on
YouTube and I have to sit there and watch commercials. The worst part is, sometimes when I
watch them, I get compelled to by what is being advertised. Today we are going to look at a few
advertisements and talk about what makes them persuasive.

We will then be watching a series of persuasive advertisements, as a class, we will complete the
worksheet on what makes an advertisement persuasive.

[15 Min.] Circle Map Brainstorming

Okay everyone, now that we have some exposure to what it means to persuade your audience, I
want to introduce you to todays writing assignment.

[Pass out circle map brainstorming activity]

Look up if I have your attention. Okay great! This is your writing assignment, it is also on your
brainstorming sheet. Imagine that you are Roger from Thank You Maam and it is twenty
years later. Write a short letter to a young relative who needs guidance. Explain how meeting
Mrs. Jones has changed your life.

Before we begin writing, you will spend some time brainstorming. In the circle, identify who you
are writing to. Then I want you to imagine what Roger is like and what he has done with his life
in the past twenty years. In the outer circle, brainstorm as many points of advice as you can
think of to give. Once you have done this, circle three or four that are most important to you.

[These steps have been listed on the whiteboard.]

Before you start writing your letter, come meet with me so I know you are headed in the right
direction.

[35 Min.] Writtng their letters

Once you have finished brainstorming, you can begin drafting your letter. Remember to do the
following in your letter:
1. Address your reader (ex. Dear Tim)
2. Say hello and ask how they are doing.
3. Organize your advice in different paragraphs.
a. Provide examples from the text for your advice.
b. You should have at least three paragraphs
4. End with a goodbye

[These steps have been listed on the whiteboard.]

Students will spend the rest of class writing their letters. They will submit a draft at the end of
the day.

[3 min] Closing:

Thank you for all of your hard work everyone! If you havent submitted your drafts, please come
hand them to me now. Even if you are not done, I want to see what progress you have made.
Please pack up, push in your chair, and get ready for the bell to ring.

Differentiated Instruction to accommodate one or more of my profiled students:

Charnee likes to write about heavy political topics like the Black Lives Matter Movement.
Having spoken to her. She informed me that she sometimes she feels embarrassed to do so
because she doesnt want to come off as militant. I will meet with her to encourage her to express
her opinions in her letter of advice. We will brainstorm ways in which she can also draw in
another racial perspective in a positive light. I will encourage her to juxtapose two communities,
saying both a positive and area of improvement for both.

Materials Needed (list):

- Appendices
- Computer
Materials Appendix: (e.g., supplementary texts, Ppts, overheads, graphic organizers,
handouts, etc.)
- Appendix A
- Appendix B
- Appendix C

Appendix A

Hook Activity: Passing Notes

 What do you like reading about?

Which do you prefer - reading a book or watching the film?

Why should people speak English?

Which do you prefer - city life or country life?

Success changes people - what do you think?

How can you save the environment?

What do you think about fashion?

Appendix B
Persuasion

Name _________________________________________________ Date__________________

Audience Purpose Support Word

(visuals) Choice

Video 1

Video 2

Video 3
Appendix C
Circle Map Brainstorming
Name _________________________________________________ Date__________________

Imagine that you are Roger from Thank You Maam and it is twenty years later. Write a short
letter to a young relative who needs guidance. Explain how meeting Mrs. Jones has changed
your life.