GRADE 10A: Smoking Exploring persuasive texts

About this unit

This unit is designed to guide your planning and teaching of English lessons. It provides a link between the standards for English and your lesson plans. The teaching and learning activities in this unit should help you to plan the content, pace and level of difficulty of lessons. You should adapt the ideas in the unit to meet the needs of your class. You can also supplement the ideas with appropriate activities from your schools textbooks and other resources. In this unit, students evaluate persuasive texts and compose a discussion essay. They prepare and deliver a presentation on a controversial issue related to smoking and practise making and responding to polite requests.

UNIT 10A.11 8 hours

Resources
The main resources needed for this unit are: cigarette advertisements from the 1950s; reading text about the harmful effects of smoking; 34 short monologues of people giving their opinion on banning smoking in public places.

Expectations
By the end of the unit, most students will: recount peoples beliefs and opinions using reported speech; prepare and present to an audience an opinion or point of view intended to convince or persuade; speak with increasing fluency and accuracy; prepare and present an opinion or point of view to persuade an audience; plan and participate in discussions, speak at length, develop ideas, give examples; make and respond to polite requests; understand the purposes and typical language features of persuasive and discussion texts; read and understand persuasive and discussion texts identifying the purposes, content, typical language and organisational features, and express views based on evidence from the texts; write persuasive texts, and short formal discussion essays of at least 250 words, weighing arguments for and against an idea or issue; use the principal features of common word-processing software to independently plan, compose, edit and present their own writing. Students who progress further will: participate in discussions, speaking at length and developing ideas; compose a discussion essay using organisational features and formal written English typical of the styles used in discussions and debates. Students who make slower progress will: participate in discussions, responding to questions and suggestions rather than initiating ideas; compose a discussion essay using organisational features typical of the genre.

Key structures and functions

Reporting opinions and beliefs: He believes that Expressing permission and obligation: People shouldnt be allowed to smoke in public places. The government should let people decide for themselves. I think that people who smoke should be made to go outside to light up. Making and responding to polite requests: Would it be possible to ? Would you mind ? I wonder if youd mind ? Not at all. Im sorry but Id rather you didnt.

Vocabulary
Smoking: inhale, increase, reduce, damage, lung, nicotine, ban, addiction, light up, cancer, etc. Law: prohibit, illegal, prevent, criminal, allow, permit, restrict, ban, etc. Habits: to break a habit, to be/become addicted, to give up, etc. Image: glamorous, hip, sophisticated, elegant, exciting, rebellious, cool, etc. Advertising: manipulative, convince, visible, be effective, brand, etc.

137 | Qatar English scheme of work | Grade 10A | Unit 10A.11 | Smoking

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Standards for the unit

8 hours
2 hours Evaluating persuasive texts 2 hours Writing a discussion essay 10A.4.1 2 hours Making a presentation 1 hour Polite requests 1 hour Extensive reading 9.5.11 Recount what has been said by using reported speech in positive and negative statements with say and tell, with appropriate changes to tense, time phrase and demonstrative adjectives. Speak accurately, using a series of up to 10 connected, simple and complex utterances with: accurate and appropriate use of grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation, including appropriate stress and intonation; appropriate cohesive devices to link ideas within utterances and organise ideas at discourse level; a variety of subordinate clauses, linked with appropriate conjunctions; precise delivery of ideas backed by relevant examples and minimised use of redundancy. 10A.5.11 Summarise and evaluate persuasive texts: discuss merits, intentions, accuracy and effectiveness; distinguish fact from opinion and give reasons for views, drawing on evidence from the text; give feedback, seek clarification, weigh up options, state preferences; discuss alternatives in proposals for business, social and community purposes. 11A.5.9 10A.5.5

Unit 10A.11
CORE STANDARDS Grade 10A standards
10A.1.4 Continue to collect and classify speech verbs for reported speech e.g. promise, wonder. Report what people say or believe: summarise monologues, conversations and group discussions; use the correct sequence of tenses, and appropriate changes in time phrases and demonstrative adjectives.

SUPPORTING STANDARDS including Grade 9 standards

EXTENSION STANDARDS including Grade 11A standards

10A.4.8

Speak with increasing fluency: stay on the topic and maintain relevance; cooperatively develop the topic; show independence by eliciting more from the interlocutor; negotiate meaning and keep talking; take longer turns; begin to process and express more complex ideas.

11A.5.8

Prepare and present to an audience, or discuss in a simulation, a proposal that convinces or persuades: establish and develop a logical and controlled argument; consistently use common organisational structures as appropriate; include relevant and memorable evidence; use strong, positive language, short utterances for emphasis, and a friendly manner to be convincing; be prepared to address counterarguments or listener bias.

10A.5.10 Prepare and present to an audience an opinion or point of view to convince or persuade, in a series of complete utterances with appropriate use of: first and second person language; expressions to indicate degrees of certainty; connectives for reasons and consequences.

Summarise and evaluate persuasive texts and presentations, distinguishing fact from opinion, seeking clarification, giving relevant feedback, discussing merits, issues, options, preferences and proposing alternatives.

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8 hours
9.5.14

SUPPORTING STANDARDS including Grade 9 standards

Make and respond to polite, formal requests and give instructions, in face-to-face and telephone situations to: use a range of appropriate phrases for requests; 10A.5.11 Summarise and evaluate persuasive texts: discuss merits, intentions, accuracy and effectiveness; distinguish fact from opinion and give reasons for views, drawing on evidence from the text; give feedback, seek clarification, weigh up options, state preferences; discuss alternatives in proposals for business, social and community purposes. 10A.9.4

CORE STANDARDS Grade 10A standards

10A.5.13 Make and respond to very polite requests to those of higher status and/or strangers or when what is being requested is sensitive or important with Would it be possible to ..., Would you mind + ing and I wonder if youd mind + ing.

EXTENSION STANDARDS including Grade 11A standards

From Grade 9, extend writing of persuasive texts, which argue for or against a particular view on an issue of topical, or personal interest, in a variety of forms: use titles and introductory statements to capture the readers attention and win sympathy for the arguments; articulate a clear position in an introduction; provide supporting arguments (e.g. as points plus elaboration); support points using personal views, anecdotes and evidence as appropriate; conclude by reiterating or summarising; use ICT to organise and present persuasive writing to particular audiences use formatting to capture interest and emphasise key messages, structure points and paragraphs, illustrate, compare.

10A.8.2

Extend ability to plan a piece of writing in note or diagrammatic form showing the main points in sequence. Independently review and edit own writing with the needs of an identified audience in mind.

10A.9.5

Compose short essays, drawing on work in another curriculum subject or an issue of topical interest, using: organisational features typical of a discussion text to balance and weigh arguments an introduction which states issues, the arguments in favour and against plus supporting evidence or examples, a conclusion which summarises and weighs the arguments, draws a conclusion or makes a recommendation; formal written English typical of the styles used in discussions and debates the present simple, predominantly for generalisation and nonspecificity, the use of general terms and zero articles.

11A.9.5

Compose essays, drawing on work in another curriculum subject or an issue of topical interest, using: organisational features typical of a discussion text to balance and weigh arguments formal written English typical of the styles used in discussions and debates.

10A.8.5

139 | Qatar English scheme of work | Grade 10A | Unit 10A.11 | Smoking

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Activities
Objectives
2 hours Evaluating persuasive texts Students are able to: read and evaluate a variety of publicity and advertising texts noting the use of persuasive language, how facts can be manipulated and half-truths presented as facts, referring to the texts for evidence; identify features of a persuasive text.

Unit 10A.11
Possible teaching activities
Display pictures from the past that show cigarettes being advertised. Students work in groups and decide what image the advertisements are projecting about smoking. Encourage students to use dictionaries to explore new vocabulary. Elicit ideas from the groups. Record new vocabulary on board. Have students read the text accompanying the pictures. Discuss the language used, its purpose, etc. Encourage students to question the use of authoritative opinion from so-called (but unnamed) specialists, for example: It is my opinion that the ears, nose, throat and accessory organs of all participating subjects examined by me were not adversely affected in the six-months period by smoking the cigarettes provided. Students ask questions, such as: Who was the specialist? What was his or her special field? How many participating subjects were examined? How many cigarettes did participants smoke a day? Etc. In groups, students brainstorm reasons why people smoke. Feedback in a whole-class session, making notes on the board. Students read a general information text about smoking and aimed at teenagers. They identify the reasons given for smoking in the text and compare to the list they made above. Students identify the purpose of the text and understand how the arguments are organised. They distinguish between fact and opinion, referring to the text for evidence. Students complete a range of tasks focusing on grammatical structures, functions and vocabulary in the text. A useful text written for teenagers can be found at: www.kidshealth.org/teen/drug_alcohol/ tobacco/smoking.html

Notes
The following site has old pictures that were used to advertise cigarettes in the 1940s and 50s, a time when the harmful effects of smoking were not widely known. www.chickenhead.com/truth/1940s.html

School resources
This column is blank for schools to note their own resources (e.g. textbooks, worksheets).

2 hours Writing a discussion essay Students are able to: identify a speakers opinion and supporting arguments; compose a discussion text to balance and weigh arguments, and draw a conclusion:

Discuss briefly the recent moves in the UK and the US to ban smoking in public places. Play 34 short monologues of people giving their opinion either in favour of or against such a ban. Students listen and identify the speakers opinion and supporting arguments. They identify language used to give opinions. Students report the speakers opinions using a range of reporting verbs and correct sequence of tenses, making appropriate changes in time phrases and demonstrative adjectives. Highlight and practise structures used to express permission and obligation, for example: People shouldnt be allowed to smoke in public places. The government should let people decide for themselves. I think that people who smoke should be made to go outside to light up.

140 | Qatar English scheme of work | Grade 10A | Unit 10A.11 | Smoking

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Objectives

Possible teaching activities

Write this essay title on the board: Should smoking be banned in public places? Post four large pieces of poster paper headed Introduction, For, Against, Conclusion on the walls. Students work in groups of 34 to discuss the topic. After 10 minutes, they write notes on the posters under the relevant headings. Use opinions from the listening activity to demonstrate. Allow students 5 minutes to write on the posters. Ask each group to study each poster in turn and try to group similar ideas, identify main arguments and supporting arguments, prioritise ideas, etc. Orally, they draft sentences in preparation for writing the essay. Revise key structures that students may need to use in writing their essay, for example: passives; Smoking should be banned in all public places. permission. People should be allowed to The government should let people decide for themselves Individually, students draft a discussion essay, balancing and weighing arguments, and drawing their own conclusion.

Notes
This activity uses the same process for writing a discussion essay as unit 7. This time, however, students use their own ideas for the content rather than ideas provided by the teacher.

School resources

2 hours Making persuasive presentations Students are able to: speak with increasing fluency; prepare and present to an audience an opinion or point of view; prepare a persuasive text, in the form of notes to guide an oral presentation.

Students prepare a presentation on an issue related to smoking (e.g. a ban on cigarette advertising, making cigarette smoking illegal). Discuss an outline for the presentation: an introduction that captures the listeners attention, presentation of clear statements of opinion with supporting arguments, an effective conclusion. Review the following: first and second person language; In my opinion We have to consider expressions to indicate degrees of certainty; its possible that Everybody knows expressions for generalising and highlighting; in particular, this is especially important connectives for reasons and consequences; This is why , There are two reasons for this modal verbs. We cant avoid You must agree that

Criteria for assessing students performance should be discussed and agreed at the beginning of the activity.

141 | Qatar English scheme of work | Grade 10A | Unit 10A.11 | Smoking

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Objectives

Possible teaching activities

Students work in groups to prepare their presentation. Encourage them to prepare visuals to illustrate what they are saying, and to help keep the attention of the audience. They prepare their text in note form and make some prompt cards with a word or phrase to jog their memory. Allow groups time to rehearse their presentations in class. Students take turns to make their presentations Groups evaluate their own performance.

Notes

School resources

1 hour Polite requests Students are able to: make and respond to very polite requests to those of higher status and/or strangers or when what is being requested is sensitive or important.

Students listen to 45 examples of people making requests. They identify what is being requested and infer the relationship between the speakers. Students identify features of the requests. These should include: use of intonation to indicate politeness; structure (e.g. Could you , Would you mind , I wonder if youd mind , etc.) length of the request (very polite requests or sensitive requests are longer!). hesitation or tentativeness to indicate the sensitivity of the request Write examples on the board and mark stress and intonation. Point out that the language used depends both on the relationship between the speakers and the sensitivity or importance of what is being requested. Students listen again and identify responses to requests, noting structure, tone and intonation.. Students role-play making requests in different social settings. Students read a book from a range of graded or appropriately levelled readers within the 2500+ key word range. They may be given time to read their book in class and reading should be set for homework. Set a time within which students should complete a certain number of pages or chapters of the book and an activity that shows their understanding of the book. Activities will depend on the content of the book and can include: writing a book review asking for a summary and their opinion of the story and/or characters; responding to questions to show understanding of the main ideas; completing a table, graph or other diagram; language-focus work (e.g. use of tenses, use of adjectives); role-playing characters in the book; writing a letter as if from a character in the book; developing a story map and illustrations.

Requests should cover a range of social settings (formal, informal and friendly) and degrees of importance or sensitivity, for example: someone asking a stranger to open a window in a train; a mother asking a child to turn down the television; an employer asking an employee if he/she could work late; a brother asking to borrow his sisters car an employee asking his/her boss for some time off work. Prepare role-cards similar to the situations on the listening text.

1 hour Extensive reading Students are able to: read extensively from graded readers and other appropriately levelled texts in 2500 key word range, in a variety of genres and organised in paragraphs and chapters.

142 | Qatar English scheme of work | Grade 10A | Unit 10A.11 | Smoking

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Assessment
Examples of assessment tasks and questions
Listening Students listen to someone talking about why they started smoking and describing efforts to give up. They answer multiple-choice questions and/or respond to true/false questions.

Unit 10A.11
Notes
Listening carries approximately 20% of the assessment weighting for this grade. Comprehension tasks should be designed to assess the comprehension of gist and details and infer the opinion of the speaker.

School resources

Speaking Reading

In groups of 34, students discuss the image conveyed by different advertisements. Students read a text and identify the writers opinions and supporting ideas.

Speaking carries approximately 30% of the assessment weighting for this grade. Reading carries approximately 20% of the assessment weighting for this grade. Assessment scales should include both accuracy and fluency criteria.

Writing

Students write a letter to a newspaper arguing for or against a controversial issue related to smoking.

Writing carries approximately 30% of the assessment weighting for this grade.

143 | Qatar English scheme of work | Grade 10A | Unit 10A.11 | Smoking

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144 | Qatar English scheme of work | Grade 10A | Unit 10A.11 | Smoking

Education Institute 2005