Name of Lesson: Persuasive Essay Outline

Grade Level: 8 Subject: Language Arts Prepared by: Brandon Workentin Overview and Purpose: The purpose of this lesson is to help students to organize their ideas in preparation of writing a persuasive essay. Background Knowledge: This is in a unit on writing a persuasive essay. By this lesson, it is asssumed that the students know what the parts of a persuasive essay is. The purpose of this lesson is to put all the parts together, and write an outline for a persuasive essay which the students will write. Educational Standards Common Core State Standards addressed in this lesson: 8.W.1 Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence. a. Introduce claim(s), acknowledge and distinguish the claim(s) from alternate or opposing claims, and organize the reasons and evidence logically. b. Support claim(s) with logical reasoning and relevant evidence, using accurate, credible sources and demonstrating an understanding of the topic or text. e. Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the argument presented. 8.W.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (Grade-specific expectations for writing types are defined in standards 13 above.) 8.W.5 With some guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on how well purpose and audience have been addressed. (Editing for conventions should demonstrate command of Language standards 13 up to and including grade 8.) 8.W.6 Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and present the relationships between information and ideas efficiently as well as to interact and collaborate with others. Objectives: Specify skills/information that will be learned The learner will be able to (TLWBAT) organize a persuasive essay using an online organizational tool. TLWBAT write three reasons in support of a thesis. TLWBAT write three facts or examples to support reasons in their argument. TLWBAT write an idea for a conclusion to their persuasive essay.

Materials Needed: computers (1 per student) digital projector (1) Other Resources: (websites, videos, books, etc.) Persuasion Map Creator provided by ReadWriteThink.org, available at http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/interactives/persuasion_map/ Input: Give and/or demonstration necessary information

1. Have the Persuasive Essay Map page open on projector (http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/student-interactives/persuasion30034.html?tab=5#tabs). Tell the students that we will will creating an outline for a persuasive essay, using this online tool. 2. Ask for ideas that students could write a persuasive paper about. Typical responses students give are school uniforms, allowances, or curfews/bedtimes. 3. Pick an idea, and enter your name and a title in the provided boxes, and click the Get Started button. 4. Ask for an idea for a thesis statement. When one is provided, check to make sure it is a good thesis statement: a. Does it give an opinion, or just a statement of fact? b. Is it arguable? Could different people have different reasonable opinions about it? c. Does it use the words I or me? 5. Write the thesis statement in provided box. Use the arrows to go down a to the next level in the outline. Make a point to show the students how to navigate the screen. Ask for a reason to support the thesis. Check to make sure it is a good reason for the paper. a. Is it true? b. Will it convince the intended audience? c. Can you come up with examples or reasons to support it? 6. Remind the students that the reason should be a complete sentence, and ask for a student to give the final wording for that reason. Then, show the students how to navigate down to the support or examples page, using the down arrow. 7. Ask the students to give some examples or support for that reason. Remind them that these should be complete sentences. Come up with three examples for this first reason. 8. Show the students how to navigate up and over to the other main reasons. Tell them that for this example, we are not going to fill them out, but for their own paper, they will be.

9. Navigate to the Conclusion section of the essay map. Ask the students to come up with an idea for the conclusion. Write the conclusion in the provided box. 10. Show the students how to email their outline. It is built into the ReadWriteThink program to be able to share the finished product via email.
Guided Practice: Steps to check for student understanding

1. Have students get in groups of 2-3. Give them 2-3 topics to choose from (Ideas: People should switch to using electric cars, Video games should not be outlawed, The driving age should be raised to 18 years old.). I like to give them ideas that will stretch their thinking or be the opposite of what most kids would write, so I dont have to worry about them just using them for their own paper instead of thinking of their own reasons. 2. In their group, the students need to fill out a Map with a Thesis Statement, reasons, and a conclusion. For this part, I would require 3 main reasons, but only 1 supporting fact under each main reason. Remind students that everything should be written in complete sentences. 3. Have each group print their map when they are done. Use a document camera to review each map with the class. Take this opportunity to point out to the students that if they write with complete sentences, they have a thesis statement, topic sentences for each paragraph, supporting sentences in each paragraph, and an idea for a conclusion. All they need to do to write their essay now is fill in the missing transitions, and finish the introduction and conclusion.
Independent Practice: Describe activity that will reinforce the lesson

1. Homework: Come up with a topic for their persuasive essay (or have one already in mind, if youve done that already in this unit). 2. Fill out and email to teacher a map for their topic. Requirements-Everything is in complete sentences. Introduction is in complete sentences and includes thesis statement. Three reasons to support thesis statement. Three supporting details for each reason. Conclusion written in complete sentences

Notes

ReadWriteThink.org also provides online maps for expository and narrative writing. Students will be able to use a similar online tool for organizing and planning those types of writings, without having to be taught a different system.