LESSONPLANTEMPLATE

YourName:RaychelFleming
TitleofLesson:SolarEnergyPersuasiveLetter
Grade:7thgrade
STANDARDS
(7.W.1):Writeargumentstosupportclaimswithclearreasonsandrelevantevidence
(MSESS34):Constructanargumentsupportedbyevidenceforhowincreasesinhumanpopulationandper
capitaconsumptionofnaturalresourcesimpactEarthssystems
LESSONSUMMARY/OVERVIEW
Afterspendingtheweeklearningaboutrenewableenergysources,withanemphasisonsolarenergy,the
studentswillspendtimeconstructingapersuasivelettertothemayoroftheirtown.Intheletterstudentswill
persuadethemayortoinvestinsolarenergyforthetown.Theywillusetheinformationtheyhavelearned
duringtheweektowriteargumentsthatsupporttheirclaims,i.e.solarenergyismorebeneficialforthetown
thannonrenewableenergysources.Thistopicandlessonisrelevantforaunitofsustainabilitybecausenon
renewableenergysourceslikecoal,oil,andnaturalgasescanpolluteourairandproduceCO2,whichare
harmfultoourenvironmentandozone.Ifmoretownscouldmaketheswitchtorenewableenergysources
thentheamountofCO2andotherairpollutantsthatareinouratmospherewoulddecrease.

OBJECTIVES
Students will be able to construct a persuasive letter that incorporates all the elements of a
persuasivelettertothemayoroftheircitypersuadinghim/hertoinvestinsolarenergyforthecity
Studentswillbeabletoexpresstheirclaimswithclearreasonsandevidence
Studentswillbeabletoexplainthebenefitsofusingrenewableenergysourcesovernonrenewable
energysources

ASSESSMENT/EVALUATION
Studentswillconstructa4paragraphpersuasivelettertothemayoroftheircitypersuadinghim/hertoinvest
insolarenergyforthecity.Eachparagraphmusthave45sentencestogetfullcredit,andmusthaveatleast
3supportingevidencesand1counterexamplewithcontrastingevidence.
Paragraph1:Introduction(Clearlystatesclaimwiththesis)
Paragraph2and3:Body(Hasatleast3supportingevidencesand1counterexamplewithcontrasting
evidence)
Paragraph4:Closing(Restatepositionandevidenceswithreasons)
PREREQUISITEKNOWLEDGE
Priortothislessonstudentswillneedtoknowhowtoconstructapersuasiveletterandforthosestudentswho
needarefresher,alittletimewillbegiventogoovertheelementsofapersuasiveletter.Studentswillalso
needtoknowthedifferencebetweenrenewableandnonrenewablesourcesandhaveagoodunderstandingof
thebenefitsofusingsolarenergy.

MATERIALS
Notesfromtheweekslessononsolarenergy
Paper
Pencil/Pen
Graphicorganizer
Mayorsofficeaddress

Computer
VOCABULARY/KEYWORDS
Nonrenewableenergysources:aresourceofeconomicvaluethatcannotbereadilyreplacedby
naturalmeansonalevelequaltoitsconsumption.
Renewableenergysources:isanorganicnaturalresource,whichcanreplenishtoovercomeusage
andconsumption,eitherthroughbiologicalreproductionorothernaturallyrecurringprocesses
Solarenergy:isradiantlightandheatfromtheSunharnessedusingarangeofeverevolving
technologiessuchassolarheating,photovoltaic,solarthermalenergy,solararchitectureand
artificialphotosynthesis.
Sustainability:improvinghumanwellbeingandensuringsocialequityforpresentandfuture
generationswhilesafeguardingtheplanetslifesupportingecosystems.

TEACHINGPROCEDURES
Togetthestudentsreadyforthedayslesson,Iwillcallonstudentstogivetheclassasummaryor
refresherofwhatsolarenergyis,andwhyitisimportant,aswellasanyotherinformationthey
foundvaluableduringtheweekslessononsolarenergy.
2. Iwillthenaskthestudentsiftheyknowwhatapersuasiveletteris,andiftheyknowtheelementsof
one.Ifstudentsareunsure,aminilessonwillbetaughtontheelementsofapersuasiveletter.
3. Iwillthenintroducetheassignmenttostudents;explainingthatwiththeknowledgetheyhavegained
aboutsolarenergyovertheweektheywillconstructapersuasivelettertothemayorofourcityto
convincehim/hertoinvestinsolarenergyforthecity.
4. Iwillexplaintostudentswhattheirrequirementsarefortheletter:
a. 4paragraphs(45sentences/paragraph)
b. 3supportingclaims/evidence
c. 1counterexamplewithcontrastingevidence
5. Handoutgraphicorganizersforstudentswhoneedthemtoorganizetheirideas/claims/evidences
a. Iwillassiststudentswhoneedhelpwiththeorganizers
6. Allowstudentstowriteoutaroughdraftoftheirletteronapieceofpaper,givingittoapeerto
reviewwhentheyarefinished.Thatwaythedraftissuretobeclearofanygrammarandspelling
mistakesandissuretohavealltherequirementspresent
7. WhenthestudentshavefinishedtheirdraftsandtookitthroughthepeerreviewprocessIwillthen
takestudentstothecomputerlabandhavethemwriteouttheirletters
8. Studentswillworkontheirlettersuntiltheendoftheclass,andiftheyarenotfinishedtheywill
havetotakeithomeandfinishitforhomework.
9. Iwillbelookingfor4thoroughparagraphsthateachhas45sentences.Iwillalsobelookingtomake
surestudentshaveatleast3supportingevidencesaswellas1counterexamplewithcontrasting
evidencewhenIgotogradethem.
10. AfterallthelettersarecollectedIwillbesendingthemofftothemayorsoffice.
1.

N/A

RESOURCES

WAYSOFTHINKINGCONNECTION
Allofthewaysofthinkingcouldbeconnectedtothislesson,buttonarrowitdownfuturesthinkingwouldbe
thebestfit.Futuresthinkingisthinkingabouthowthepastandpresentwillaffectthefuture.Howthe
choiceswevemadeinthepast,andthechoiceswearemakingnowaffectthekindoffuturewewilllivein.
Thislessonplancanbethoughtaboutwithfuturesthinkinginmindbecauseitisaskingstudentstopersuade
themayoroftheircitytoinvestinsolarenergyforthecitybecauseofitsmanybenefits.Theywillbe

responsibleforexplaininghowfossilfuelsareeffectingtheenvironmentnow,andhowmakingtheswitchto
solarenergywillbeveryvaluableforthecityinthefuture.Theyareattemptingtopersuadethemayortouse
futuresthinkingaswellbecausemakingtheswitchornotwillbeadecisionthatwillaffectthefuture
populationofthecity.Itisimportanttousefuturesthinkingbecausestudentsshouldlearnearlyonthatthe
decisionsandchoicestheymaketodaycanandwillaffectwhathappenstomorrow.Thisteachesthemto
alwaysbeconsciousofthechoicestheymake,andhowitwillaffecttheirownfuture.