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Argumentative Writing Unit Plan Overarching Questions

This document provides a unit plan for teaching argumentative writing. The plan spans 26 days and focuses on developing skills for crafting well-structured arguments with claims, evidence, and reasoning. Students will analyze argumentative texts and examples, learn academic vocabulary, and practice writing different components of an argument essay including introductions, body paragraphs, counterarguments, and conclusions. Formative assessments include quickwrites, discussions, and short writing assignments. The summative assessment is a full argumentative essay with a graphic organizer on whether texting while driving should be illegal.

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57 views5 pages

Argumentative Writing Unit Plan Overarching Questions

This document provides a unit plan for teaching argumentative writing. The plan spans 26 days and focuses on developing skills for crafting well-structured arguments with claims, evidence, and reasoning. Students will analyze argumentative texts and examples, learn academic vocabulary, and practice writing different components of an argument essay including introductions, body paragraphs, counterarguments, and conclusions. Formative assessments include quickwrites, discussions, and short writing assignments. The summative assessment is a full argumentative essay with a graphic organizer on whether texting while driving should be illegal.

Uploaded by

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Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Argumentative Writing Unit Plan

Overarching Questions:
-How can we write compelling, structured, and well-crafted essays with an effective argument?
-What are the components of a well-crafted argumentative essay and speech?
Standards:
W.7.1: Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence.
W.7.10: Write routinely over extended time frames and shorter time frames for a range of
discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.
RL.7.8: Trace and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing whether the
reasoning is sound and the evidence is relevant and sufficient to support the claims.
Academic Vocabulary:
Argument: expressing a point of view on a subject and supporting it with evidence. A topic for
argument is current, debatable, and controversial.
Audience: the readers; the people who read the text
Authors Purposes: 1) to entertain, 2) to inform, 3) to persuade
Claim: the point a writer makes in argumentative writing
Counter Argument: a viewpoint that opposes, or goes against, the argument a writer is making
Details: a piece of information that supports an idea
Essay: a written composition on one subject
Evidence: information that shows your view is correct (i.e. a quote from the text)
Fact: information that is known to be true.
Imagery: using figurative language to represent objects or ideas in a way that appeals to our
physical senses.
Issue: a subject or a topic
Logos: the use of logic to persuade an audience.
Opinion: a belief or conclusion that is not proven as true
Pathos: the use of emotional appeal to persuade an audience
Persuade: to convince, or change someones mind
Position statement: tells the reader what the writers stance is on an issue
Propaganda: information or ideas purposely spread widely to help or harm someone or
something.
Reasons: a basis or cause for an action, opinion, fact, or event
Repetition: to repeat something for emphasis or to create rhythm
Restate Position: the writer states his or her position again to make it clear for the reader
Support: fact, description, or example used to back up evidence or explain an idea
Voice: the authors style in writing
Given Texts:
Even I Do it Student Sample
All Together Now by Barbara Jordan
Aint I a Woman by Sojourner Truth

Additional Texts:
The Sneetches by Dr. Seuss
Slip or Trip Hillocks assignment

Formative Assessments:
-Pair-share
-Quickwrite
-Whole class and small group discussions followed by charting of responses
-Short writing assignments designed to increase understanding of the parts of the
argumentative essay. For example, writing an introduction paragraph, writing a body paragraph,
etc.
Summative Assessments:
-Argumentative Essay with Graphic Organizer (Should texting while driving be illegal in the state
of Michigan?)
-Parts of an argumentative essay poster

Goals:
-Define argument
-Create a strong claim, and organize evidence to support it
-Include relevant evidence from credible sources
-Use a formal style, including the use of transitions and a concluding statement
*Remember: Making/identifying a claim/theme, supporting it with evidence, and explaining how
the evidence supports the claim/theme is a running concept throughout the year

Day 1: Pre-test and introduce vocabulary


-Give the 7.4 Pre-test, then distribute unit plans.
-Vocabulary: argument, claim, counter argument, evidence, fact, logos, pathos,
persuade.
-Create flipbook for new words. (Go through at least one new word a day until flipbook is
filled out).
Day 2: Introduction to argument writing
-Hillocks argument activity: claim, evidence, explanation
Day 3: Introduction to argument writing
-Finish Hillocks activity if necessary
-Identify a claim T-chart activity (see argumentative lesson #1).
Day 4: Even I Do it (2/23)

-Pair-share: what is an argument (goal), evidence, support (fact/example)? Chart


responses
-Identify these parts in the student sample. (Underline goal, highlight reasons yellow,
highlight facts/examples pink)
Day 5: Even I Do it ctd. (3/3)
-Continue working through the student sample, identifying argument, evidence, and
explanation.
-Pair-share: What was the authors goal in writing this essay? (argument) How do you
know? (evidence)
-RWN: What was the authors goal in writing this essay? How do you know? (reasons)
-Highlight/identify part 1 as argument, and highlight part 2 as evidence in notebook.

Day 7: Even I Do it ctd. (3/5)


-Fill out graphic organizer using goals, reasons, and facts/examples from the student
sample.
-Have students identify the parts of the student sample essay using the vocabulary they
have learned. (Identify introduction paragraph, body paragraphs, counter-argument, and
conclusion).
Day 8: Quiz and The Sneetches
-Take formative quiz: What is an argument? What is a claim? What is evidence?
-Read The Sneetches by Dr. Seuss.
-Pair-share: What is the authors goal for writing this book? How do you know?
-RWN: What is the authors goal for writing this book? How do you know?
Day 9: All Together Now
-Building background for Barbara Jordan
-Watch All Together Now speech by Barbara Jordan
-GHR for the text of the speech
Day 10: All Together Now ctd.
-Read through the text once more.
-Pair-share and charting: What are Jordans goal for giving this speech?
-Highlight sentences that support this/these goals.
Day 11: All Together Now ctd.
-Vocabulary formative quiz
-Annotate the text using annotation key. The purpose of this activity is to make note of
rhetoric that makes the argument more effective/powerful.
-RWN: What words, phrases, or sentences in All Together Now made the argument
more effective? Pair-share and/or chart responses.

Day 12: Aint I a Woman?


-Building background for Sojourner Truth
-GHR for Aint I a Woman
Day 13: Aint I a Woman ctd.
-Read through text once more. Highlight sentences or phrases that support Sojourner
Truths goals in this text.
-Pair-share and charting: What are Sojourner Truths goals in this text?
-RWN along with charting: What are Sojourner Truths goals in this text?
Day 14: Aint I a Woman ctd.
-Use mini-task #3 (Option 1). Run activity as written up to RWN responses.
-Have students give 3 supporting ideas for their chosen response in RWN.
Day 15: Begin Argument Writing: Introduction
-Use mini-task #3 (Option 2).
-Provide sample introductory paragraph sheet to students.
-Students identify the thesis statement or opinion of the paragraph by highlighting. Pairshare responses.
-Circle sentences that grab the readers attention. Pair-share responses.
- RWN or chart: teacher provides an argument for a current topic; students offer
opposing views on the opposite side of the chart. Use the texting while driving topic.
Day 16: Writing an introduction
-Students choose one of the views from the T-chart and fill out a bubble map for ideas
that support that view.
-Teacher explains the process of writing an introductory paragraph. (For example, first
sentence will begin with Imagine), and students will write an introductory paragraph
for their chosen view.
-Turn in introductory paragraphs.

Day 17: Analyzing intro. paragraphs.


-Teacher will display student introductory paragraphs (anonymously). Students will pairshare and use their RWN to make note of the elements of each intro. What is effective? What
can be improved? Use at least 3 different paragraphs.

Day 18: Writing body paragraphs


-Use mini-task #4/#5 in binder to get supporting ideas from both views of the topic for the
class to copy into their RWN.

-Using one of the supporting ideas, write the opening sentence of a body paragraph. On
a sheet of notebook paper, students will finish the body paragraph using a template provided by
the teacher.
-Continue this process so students have a body paragraph for each of the 3 supporting
ideas.
-Students will turn in at least one body paragraph.
Day 19: Analyzing body paragraphs
-Repeat process from day 17.
Day 20: Addressing the counter-argument
-Pair-share: What is your view on the argument provided? What is the opposite view
from yours?
RWN: I believe that (students chosen view), but some people believe that (counterargument)
-Pair-share: Why is the counter-argument wrong or not a good argument?
-Write a counter-argument paragraph on a separate sheet of paper using the opening
sentence students wrote previously, and expand upon it using a template provided.
-Turn in these paragraphs.
Day 21: Analyzing counter-arguments
-Repeat process from days 17 and 19.
Day 22: Writing a conclusion
-Pair-share: What are the 3 supporting ideas for your view on this argument?
Day 23: Analyzing conclusions
-Repeat process from days 17,19, and 21.
Day 24/25: Putting it all together
-Students work on the parts of an argumentative essay poster. These will be turned in
as a summative assessment.

Day 26: Using research in argument

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