GENERAL INFORMATION

Subject(s)
LanguageArts(English)
TopicorUnitofStudy
Debate:ArguingCorrectly
Concept(s)
Theideaofarguingrespectfullywiththeoppositesidewillbehighlightedduringthislesson.
Essentialquestion:
Howdoesonefind"truth"fromsubjectsthattwoormorewellarguedconcepts?
Grade/Level
Grade8
TimeAllotment
1classperiods.1.25Hrs.perclass.
AssessmentofPriorKnowledge
Asthisisthegenesisofunit,thereisn'tmuchtoassessintermsofpriorknowledge;however,studentswill
usepersuasiveskillsthatwereusedin7thgradepersuasionunits.Thislessonisusedtocreateabarforuse
infuturepersuasionanddebatinglessons;thislessonislikeapretestapplicationactivity.
InstructionalMaterials
Studentswillneedlinedpaper,writingutensils,andchalk.
Resources

Materialsandresources:
OneSMARTBoard

Technologyresources:
Prezipresentationtool

Summary
Thislessonrepresentsthebeginningofthe8thgradedebate/persuasionunit.Thepurposeofthislessonis
tointroducestudentstotheideaofdebatingbyguidingstudentthroughanChalkboardDebate.Following
thedailywritingprompt,studentswillreadonearticlethateitherdefendsorcriticizestheinclusionof
mandatoryschooluniform;studentswillthenbeplacedintwoseparategroupsdependingonwhicharticle
theyweregiven.Eachgroupwillcollaborateandthenwritesupportingstatementsoneithersideofthe
board.Eachgroupwillexchangeargumentsagainstthreedifferentstatementsfromtheopposingsides.

STANDARDS AND OBJECTIVES

Standards
Display:

CollapseAll

ExpandAll

MDMarylandContentStandards

Subject:READING/ENGLISHLANGUAGEARTS
Grade:8
ContentStandard:Standard6.0Listening(Listening)
Area:A.Listening
IndicatorStatement:1.Applyanddemonstratelisteningskillsappropriatelyinavarietyofsettingsandforavarietyof
purposes

Objective:c.Determineandapplycriteriatoevaluateoralpresentations
ContentStandard:Standard7.0Speaking(Speaking)
Area:A.Speaking
IndicatorStatement:1.Demonstrateappropriateorganizationalstrategiesanddeliverytechniquestoplanforavarietyof
oralpresentationpurposes
Objective:c.Speaktopersuadebyincludingawelldefinedthesis,differentiatingfactfromopinion,andsupportarguments
withdetailedevidence,examples,reasoningandpersuasivelanguage

LessonObjective(s)
Studentswillbeabletoorganizesupportingstatementsinaguidedfashion.
Studentswilleffectivelylistentootherclassmatesandrespond/critiquetheirapproaches.
Studentswilldrawevidenceandsupportfromatext.
AffectiveObjectives:
Studentswillappreciatetheartofarguingandseekingtruththroughorganizedpersuasion.
Studentswillrespectfullyacknowledgeanopposingside'svalidandlogicalsupport.

PROCEDURES AND MODIFICATIONS

Introduction(Motivation)
AwritingpromptwillbedisplayedontheSMARTBoardwhenstudentsentertheclassroom.Thestudents
willhavetenminutestorespondtothepromptandthenwillhavetimetosharetheirresponses.Today's
promptis"Congresswantstoenactanewnationalholiday;whatshouldthisholidaybe?Shouldithonor
someoneoranevent?Explain."
Teaching/Activities
1.Thelessonwillusetwoarticlesthatfallonoppositesidesofmandatoryschooluniforms.Eachstudent
willbegivenoneofthesearticlesandwillbeaskedtodefinetheauthor'spurposeandlistthreesupporting
statementsfromhis/herarticle.
2.Followingthereading,eachsidewillbesplitbetweendefendingandcriticizingmandatoryschool
uniforms.Afterafewminutesfordeliberation,studentsfromeachsidewillwriteseveralstatementson
theircorrespondingsideoftheboard.Thesestatementswillsupporttheirauthor'sstanceontheissue.
3.Eachsidewillchooserepresentativestopickoneofthestatementsandargueagainstthatspecific
statement.EachstudentwillbegiventhirtysecondstoexplaintheirpositionwithNOoutsidenoisefrom
thecrowd.
4.Eachsidevolleysbackandforthuntilthereareeithernostatementsleftorthepermissibletimeexpires.
5.Eachstudentisaskedtorespondtothedebatebyexplainingwhichsidewonthechalkboarddebate
regardlessofwhichsidetheywereplaced.
Closure
Thestudentswillcompleteanexitticketthatexplainswhichsidewonthedebate,regardlessofwhichside
theywereplaced.Iftimeallows,studentswillbeallowedtosharetheirexittickets.
DifferentiatedInstruction
IhavetodifferentiateforBlockTwoinordertomeetstudents'IEPrequirement.Iaccomplishedthisby
providingmorescaffoldingandguidancetothesestudents.Wereadeachofthearticleasawholegroup
anddefinedeachauthor'spurposeasaclassbeforelistingsupportingstatementsindividually.Insteadof
establishingtwodifferingsides,welookedateachsidecooperatively.

ASSESSMENT / EVALUATION
Assessment/Rubrics
Thechalkboarddebateactsasaformativeassessment.
Reflections
Thechalkboarddebateactedastheintroductiontothedebateasawhole.Duringthislesson,Iwaslooking
togaugehowwellstudentscouldcomprehendinformationalarticlesandhowtheycouldapplythe
informationtoanactivitylikethechalkboarddebate.Ithoughtthechalkboardactivitywouldbeflexible

enoughfortheintroductorypurposes.Iwasinitiallyworriedabouthowwellthelessonwouldtranslateto
BlockTwo,butwasgenuinelysurprisedathowwelltheyperformed.Overall,Iwaspleasedwiththelesson
andtheworkthatensuedfromtheactivity.Studentsstayedontaskandseemmotivatedtoparticipateinthe
activity.ThechalkboardactivitywasoneIdesignedduringmypreviousplacement,butdidn'tgetthe
chancetouseit,soIwasanxioustoseehowwellitwouldworkwithmiddleschoolstudents.Iwasn'ttoo
strictabouthowwelloreloquentlystudentsspokeduringtheirtimeinfrontoftheclass,andIneed
encourageclearerspeakingandlisteningduringtheentirelesson.