Developing Common Core Standards for Essay Writing In 11th and 12th Grade Students

Zacharia Drouni

11-12 Grade Language Arts

Common Core Standards:

Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and
relevant and sufficient evidence.

a. Establish a clear and thorough thesis to present a complex argument.

b. Introduce precise, knowledgeable claim(s), establish the significance of the claim(s), distinguish the
claim(s) from alternate or opposing claims, and create an organization that logically sequences claim(s),
counterclaims, reasons, and evidence.

c. Develop claim(s) and counterclaims fairly and thoroughly, supplying the most relevant evidence for each
while pointing out the strengths and limitations of both in a manner that anticipates the audience's
knowledge level, concerns, values, and possible biases.

d. Use words, phrases, and clauses as well as varied syntax to link the major sections of the text, create
cohesion, and clarify the relationships between claim(s) and reasons, between reasons and evidence, and
between claim(s) and counterclaims.

e. Establish and maintain a formal style and objective tone while attending to the norms and conventions of
the discipline in which they are writing.

f. Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the argument presented.

Lesson Summary:

This lesson will allow 11th and 12th grade students to build upon the common core standards (CCS) they
needed to write argumentative essays in the 9th and 10th grade levels. They will then have the readiness
required for either collegiate level writing or expressing their ideas in society with respect to other’s
opinions. The additions to the 9th and 10th grade CCS requirements are the following:
- Students will present a complex argument instead of a basic argument
- Students will present knowledgeable claims, explain the significance of said claims, and then
logically sequence the claims, counterclaims, reasons, and evidence
- Thoroughly develop claims and counterclaims, use the most relevant information for support, and
recognize the audience’s values and possible biases
- Utilize varied syntax to link major sections of text and clarify the relationship between reasons and
 evidence

Estimated Duration:

The estimated duration of this lesson will be 200 minutes (4 days of 50-minute-long lessons)

Commentary:

I will have a week-long workshop of essay writing in order for students to understand the differences
between what they had learned in the 9th and 10th grade and what is required for them to learn in the 11th and
12th grade standards. The understanding of these concepts would be helpful, I believe, with students
implementing them into their work. I will have the students pick a basic argument and we will work on
together. I hope that this will engage them in the lesson.

Instructional Procedures:

Day 1:
- First 15 minutes: This is reserved for lecture. I will review what the basics of essay writing the
students had learned in the previous grades are.
- 15-20 minutes: I will provide students with time to decide a basic topic we can use to work on. I will
have them be in groups of about 4 or 5 so that they may work together to synthesize parts of their
essay. I do not necessarily care what it is they choose, so long as it is not insensitive or a touchy
topic.
- 20-30: Pre-assessment described below on their technology
- 30-50 minutes: Students will share their topics with me, and we will discuss what they may use as
potential basic theses. This will take place with the whole class so that I may gauge where my class is
concerning essay writing.

Day 2:
- First 15 minutes: I will lecture the students on the differences between the standards they must utilize
and what we discussed in the previous lecture that they already know.
- 15-30 minutes: Students will be called upon to discuss the first set of novel topics, of which the
distinction between a basic argument and a complex argument is included.
- 30-50 minutes: Students will be in groups discussing how they may develop a complex argument and
begin their outline on Google Documents. I will be walking around the class and provide feedback
wherever applicable

Day 3:
 - First 30 minutes: I will lecture longer today so that the students can recognize how to demonstrate
knowledge on their claims, explain the significance of their claims, and then logically sequence the
claims, reasons, and evidence. I will also discuss how they can use syntax to transition their ideas
well. They will be notetaking and then use those notes in the latter half of class
- Final 20 minutes: Students will, in their groups and on their outline on Google Documents, discuss
what points may be made to develop these requirements.

Day 4:
- First 15 minutes: This day will focus upon counter claims and how to develop a respectful position
against their own argument and explain both what room it has in their essay pertaining to its validity.
- 15-25 minutes: Student will develop counterclaims in their group’s Document
- 25-40 minutes: Students will share with the class their counterclaims and I will explain what may be
done to strengthen them if need be
- 40-50 minutes: Students will develop a rebuttal to their group’s counterclaim on their Document

Day 5:
- First 10 minutes: students will share counterclaims and rebuttals with the class and input will be
provided.
- 10-25 minutes: I will lecture on how students can understand their audience well, including
determining which supporting information is most relevant and recognizing their audience’s values
and possible biases.
- 25-40 minutes: I will discuss how the students can implement these ideas in their topics.
- 40-50 minutes: I will then assign the argumentative essay and my next lecture plan would concern
writing the essay and students will email their group’s outline to me.

Pre-Assessment:

I can qualitatively assess student’s knowledge by using the class after the first day of this lesson plan’s
implementation that concerns what they were already taught.

Scoring Guidelines:
I will see what the class can tell me they believe makes their current grade level’s CCS different by using a
Google Form with the question: “What differentiates the essay rubrics from your underclassman years from
that of an upperclassman’s writing course?”
Post-Assessment:
I will evaluate the work the groups had done when they submit their outlines to me online

Scoring Guidelines:
The scoring will, honestly, be quite easy on the students. This is because I want them to use their
example outline they created in their groups while they work on their topics for their individual
essays.
Differentiated Instructional Support
I can construct the groups so that they have a wide variety of students. This will allow for students with
learning disabilities to have help in understanding the topic from the accelerated students. I

Extension
http://education.ohio.gov/getattachment/Topics/Learning-in-Ohio/English-Language-Art/English-Language-
Arts-Standards/508-ELA-W-Vertical-Alignment.pdf.aspx?lang=en-US
This is Ohio’s CCS that is discussed through “Vertical Alignments,” or discussing how each grade level
differentiates from both the former and latter grade levels, if applicable. This will be a great refresher of
everything I discussed in my lecture.

Homework Options and Home Connections

I would like for students to also make an outline of their essay that I will assign the next week, however, this
would not occur until the final day of the lesson plan. I hope this would be a Friday so that they have a
longer time to work on it, rather than only one night. I also want this to be submitted by 5 p.m. on Sunday so
that I may evaluate their work and have criticism for them by class on Monday.

Interdisciplinary Connections
I can include psychology in areas of understanding and appealing to an audience, as well as history by
discussing how argumentation has evolved into what it is today from Aristotle’s teachings in ancient Greece

Materials and Resources:

For teachers I will need a computer and an iPad and smartboard would be preferable for this
assignment.

For students I hope that they would have iPads. If not, any device that can access Google
Documents is fine. However, I would prefer that they do not use smartphones, as they
could do many things that are unrelated to the course work.
Key Vocabulary

Complex argument, claim, counterclaims, evidence, bias, syntax

Additional Notes

None