Unit Plan for Persuasion Wars

Overarching Concept: How can the right words at the right time spark change?
Day 1
Class: 8th grade general English
Unit: Persuasion Wars
Teacher: Benjamin Swall-Yarrington
Objectives: Students will be able to interpret the metaphors in Martin Luther
Kings I Have a Dream speech
Standards: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.8.1
Cite the textual evidence that most strongly supports an analysis of what the text
says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.6-8.1.a
Introduce claim(s) about a topic or issue, acknowledge and distinguish the
claim(s) from alternate or opposing claims, and organize the reasons and
evidence logically.
Materials: I Have a Dream speech, Writers Notebook, It Says/I Say rubric to be
given electronically
Duration: 87 minutes
Anticipatory Set
1-10: In their writers notebook, students will respond to the following prompt that
will get them thinking metaphorically: Write as many sentences as you can that
fill in the following sentence: I lost __________ in _________ and make them as
nonsensical as you can, like I found a universe in a bagels ear Then, at two
minutes and thirty seconds, I will tell students to start writing sentences that go I
found ___ in ___ At the five minute mark, they will stop and we will share.
10-15: Teacher refreshes metaphor with students. Teacher explains the
importance of knowing the context in which the metaphor is made to understand
its figurative meaning. After the teacher hands out copies of I Have a Dream
speech to each students, he tells them to underline or highlight every metaphor
that they see.
15-25: Individual students will read sections of the speech out loud to the class.
They will popcorn read. Thirty seconds will be allotted in between time for
students to underline more metaphors and record what they believe to be the
figurative meaning of a chosen metaphor. We will read the first four paragraphs of
the speech.
Teaching
25-30: Teacher will model filling out the It says-I say template for the class.
Students will then write on the reading guide portion what a chosen metaphor
says and what they think it means, and why they think it means that.
30-40: Students fill out their sets. Teacher will hover around the room to check for
understanding and conference with students.
40-45: Break. I will call students in four minutes into break.
45-60: Teacher will ask students to gather into groups of three-five of people who
had the same metaphor. Students draw the metaphor in the middle of the chart.

Then, they will write down the multiple different meanings that people in the
group came up with around the chart.
60-70: Students share with the class what they think their metaphor is and the
reasoning behind it.
70-72: I will ask students rearrange their statements in their computer so that the
And So statement comes first.
72-77: Students will share their statements with their group. I will listen in on
groups and choose an exemplary student example to share with the whole class.
Closure (77-87): Teacher will explain how students have made their first
argumentative claim. Using a students work as an example, teacher will highlight
how each part of the paragraph is a claim, data, and warrant. He will then explain
that the claim is the central argumentative statement summarizing what you
believe, the data is the real life evidence that backs up your claim, and the
warrant is explaining how the two connect to each other. I will then show how
Martin Luther King follows this platform in his speech.

Modified Version of Day 1

Class: 8th grade general English
Unit: Persuasion Wars
Teacher: Benjamin Swall-Yarrington
Objectives: Students will be able to interpret the metaphors in Martin Luther
Kings I Have a Dream speech
StandardsCCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.8.1
Cite the textual evidence that most strongly supports an analysis of what the text
says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.6-8.1.a
Introduce claim(s) about a topic or issue, acknowledge and distinguish the
claim(s) from alternate or opposing claims, and organize the reasons and
evidence logically.
Materials
Duration: 50 minutes
Anticipatory Set
1-10: In their writers notebook, students will respond to the following prompt that
will get them thinking metaphorically: Write as many sentences as you can that
fill in the following sentence: I lost __________ in _________ and make them as
nonsensical as you can, like I found a universe in a bagels ear Then, at two
minutes and thirty seconds, I will tell students to start writing sentences that go I
found ___ in ___ At the five minute mark, they will stop and we will share.
10-15: Teacher refreshes metaphor with students. Teacher explains the
importance of knowing the context in which the metaphor is made to understand
its figurative meaning. After the teacher hands out copies of I Have a Dream
speech to each students, he tells them to underline or highlight every metaphor
that they see.
15-25: Individual students will read sections of the speech out loud to the class.

They will popcorn read. Thirty seconds will be allotted in between time for
students to underline more metaphors and record what they believe to be the
figurative meaning of a chosen metaphor. We will read the first four paragraphs of
the speech.
Teaching
25-30: Teacher will model filling out the It says-I say template for the class.
Students will then write on the reading guide portion what a chosen metaphor
says and what they think it means, and why they think it means that.
30-40: Students fill out their sets. Teacher will hover around the room to check for
understanding and conference with students.
40-45: The fire alarm rings. I will take the packet out the fire drill packet and
instruct students to line up at the door. I will ensure that we have every student in
our room.
45-50: We will make our way outside in an orderly fashion.
50-60: We will stay outside until we are instructed to make our way back inside.
60-65: I will ensure that we have all of our students and lead them back inside
65-67: I will give students a chance to settle down and make their way back to
their seats and instruct them to reopen their packets on their computers.
67-70: I will cold call on students to share out their It Says/I Say chart. I will
validate students claims and say exactly what I like about them.
70-72: I will ask students rearrange their statements in their computer so that the
And So statement comes first.
72-77: Students will share their statements with their group. I will listen in on
groups and choose an exemplary student example to share with the whole class.
Closure (77-87): Teacher will explain how students have made their first
argumentative claim. Using a students work as an example, teacher will highlight
how each part of the paragraph is a claim, data, and warrant. He will then explain
that the claim is the central argumentative statement summarizing what you
believe, the data is the real life evidence that backs up your claim, and the
warrant is explaining how the two connect to each other. I will then show how
Martin Luther King follows this platform in his speech.

Day 2
Content Standards
Understandings: Ethos, Logos, and Pathos
Inquiry Questions: What are the different types of appeals you can make to an
audience in an argumentative paper? Why are each of these important?
Evidence Outcomes
Every student will be able to identify Ethos, Logos, and Pathos in advertisements
and, in small groups, create an advertisement utilizing either one of these types of
appeals

I can: Create an advertisement using Ethos, Logos, or Pathos.

This means: I can use images and words to appeal to ethics, logic, or emotions.
List of Assessments

Completion of note taking guide

Kahoot quiz on Ethos, Logos, and Pathos
An advertisement

Standards: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.6-8.1
Write arguments focused on discipline-specific content.
Name and
Purpose

Time and
Materials

Anticipatory Set

Time
1-5

5-10

Appealing through Advertisements: The purpose of this lesson

is to learn the three common different types of appeals and
demonstrate that knowledge by creating a visual
advertisement that utilizes one of the three appeals.
87 minutes. A personal computer for every student, access to
the internet, a digital document of the note takers,
construction paper, markers, colored pencils, other arts and
crafts supplies.
The class begins with a power point presentation, but not in
the typical sense. After students pull up the notetaking guide
for the mini lecture, I will ask them to write down what the
following video makes them feel. I will then play the tried and
true video advertisement for the dog rescue in which Sarah
McGloclin sings Arms of an Angel.

Teacher Actions
Teacher will inform students to
open their computers and open the
notetaking guide from the class
page. He will ask students to
record down the emotions that the
following video evokes. Teacher
plays the Dog Rescue
advertisement.
Teacher will say that he expects all
students to record what others say
in this time. This means seeing
fingers typing on keyboards. He
will write on his screen as well.
Teacher will highlight this behavior
when he sees it to encourage all
students to do the same. Teacher
will call on students to say what

Student Actions
Students make their way to their
seats and pull up the notetaking
document. They record their own
emotions and what they think the
video wants to make them feel in
the marked column as they watch
the video
Students will raise their hands to
comment or comment when cold
called on by the teacher. When they
are not talking, they are typing what
other students say under the I Feel
and What it wants me to feel
columns of their notes.

10-12

12-14

14-17

17-22

22-25

kind of emotions that they felt. He

will respond to their comments and
ask them to consider why the
advertisement made them feel this
way. I will also ask them what the
video wants them to feel and how
they know.
Teacher pulls up Pathos slide on
the Power Point. So what Im
hearing is that this advertisement
is trying to get you to feel_____ and
_____ to make you want to rescue a
dog. This tactic of appealing to
your emotions is called Pathos.
Record the following definition
down in your notes: Pathos is
evoking emotion to convince your
audience of your claim.
Teacher shows a few magazine
advertisements that reveal the
different types of emotion
advertisements elicit: hope, rage,
calmness, etc. He will ask students
to say what they think the
company wants the audience to
feel.
Teacher: Now lets shift gears. For
this next advertisement, instead of
thinking about how it elicits
emotions, but whether or not you
think that what it portrays is moral.
Think about what type of ethics
that it is appealing to and record
them under the columns I Feel and
What It Wants Me to Feel. The
teacher then plays a video that
appeals to Ethos.
Teacher asks students to comment
on what ethics they think that the
video appeals to and to record
others comments. He adds his
own insights and asks students to
explore why they chose their
answer.
Teacher will show the Ethos slide
and ask students to copy down the
definition of Ethos: A type of

Students will copy down the

definition of Pathos in their guided
notes and ask any questions for
clarification

Students will comment on how the

magazine advertisements appeal to
certain types of emotion.

Students will take notes in the

aforementioned categories.

Students will share their thoughts

and record others thoughts.

Students will write down the

definition and comment on the use
of Ethos in slides.

25-28

28-31
31-34

34-45

45-50

50-65

65-87

rhetorical strategy that appeals to

someones ethics or emphasizes
the credibility of the persuader.
The teacher will then show a
variety of magazine
advertisements that incorporate
Ethos and ask students what type
of ethics that they appeal to.
Teacher: For this video, write down
what data the advertisement uses
to convince you to buy their
product. Teacher plays the video
that utilizes logic.
Teacher asks students to share the
answers that they had.
Teacher asks students to copy
down the definition of Logos (an
appeal that uses logic and
evidence to convince their
audience) and shows students
other types of advertisements that
appeal to logos.
Teacher will lead students in a
Kahoot quiz. Teacher sets up the
Kahoot quiz. After each question,
the teacher will explain why the
quote in the question represented
either ethos, logos, or pathos.
Teacher will present the
advertisement project to students.
Each group must choose an object
from a box and create a
performance that uses one type of
appeal. The teacher will assign
which type of appeal each group
will utilize.
Teacher will tell students that they
must use this time to brainstorm
what their product does, how much
it costs, and how they will use their
assigned appeal to sell their
product. Teacher will conference
with each group as they decide
and ensure that they are using
their appeals correctly.
Teacher will tell students to write a
script that they will use to perform

Students record what sorts of data

the video ad utilizes.

Students discuss how the video used

data to make a strong argument
Students copy down information.

Students will log into Kahoot and

answer the questions. They can
collaborate with each other.

Students find an object to advertise

and listen to the teacher.

Students will collaborate to

brainstorm what their product is,
how much it will cost, and how they
will sell it.

Students will write a script that they

will use to perform their ad with.

the ad with.
Day 3
8th Grade General English Kinard Middle School
Unit: Persuasion Wars
Teacher: Benjamin Swall-Yarrington
Objectives: Understand the differences between an informative and persuasive
piece of writing.
Standards: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.8.6
Determine an author's point of view or purpose in a text and analyze how the
author acknowledges and responds to conflicting evidence or viewpoints.
Materials: Guiding Questions in their Persuasion Wars Packet, electronic copies of
both Cesar Chavezs speech The Wrath of Grapes Boycott and an informational
text, writers notebook (students may have a physical notebook or keep it in a
word document).
Anticipatory Set:
(Minutes: 1-10) For their writers notebook, I will ask them to write both a
summary of their favorite movie At five minutes, I will ask students to finish their
summaries (its okay if they have not described everything) and to them to
assume that I have never seen this movie and tell me why I should see it.
10-15: Before a volunteer reads their writers notebook response I will ask
students to consider the differences between the two paragraphs. As students
comment on the differences, I will write their ideas on the board. I will look for
students to comment on how one describes what happens in the film and the
other one describes the qualities of the film. We will use these comments as a
jumping off point for examining the differences between informational and
persuasive pieces of writing.
15-18: I will explain the difference between informative writing and persuasive
writing. An informational piece about a hot topic or issue merely informs the
reader of stances that other people have taken. I will explain that the writer of an
informative piece will not express his or her own opinions. In a persuasive piece
the writer not only sates their opinion but gives explicit reasons as to why you
should take their point of view. I will explain to the students that they have written
an informational piece in their previous unit, and now they will write a paper in
which they present their position on the issue that they wrote about and persuade
their reader to take that position
18-21: I will direct students attention to the part of their packet that has both a
persuasive and informative text on the rights of migrant workers in California in
the 1970s. The document will not specify which is which and I will tell students
that they will have look for clues of informative and persuasive writing listed in
their packet. Refer to the packet for the explicit clues. Students will read each of
the texts out loud in their groups. I will specify that as I walk around, I should see
a person reading in each group and peoples eyes following along in the prompt.
21-26: Students will read aloud and I will hover around the room to ensure that
every student is following along in their computers. I will be prepared to refocus
students attention if they are looking at something else.

26-33: I will first ask students if they need more time to finish reading the texts
and give them at least two more minutes if they need it. Then, I will instruct
students to examine the texts for clues of informative and persuasive texts. I
should see students sharing ideas with each other and underlining examples of
clues and writing the corresponding clues in the margins. I will give students two
minutes to look for the clues on their own and help those who raise their hands,
then I will actually ask each group which text is informative and which text is
persuasive and why. If multiple groups are not identifying the concepts or
misunderstanding the same concepts, I will perform a Catch and Release
strategy in which I bring the classs attention to the front of the room and explain
a concept in deeper detail before releasing them back to complete their work. As
they complete the work, I will set up the doc cam and get both texts ready to
show students.
33-40: I will first ask groups to go around and say which texts that they thought
were informative and persuasive and why. I will underline sections that they
mention and write what function that sentence perform. I will look for students to
say that the informative texts explain the events in an objective matter while the
persuasive text makes specific appeals to an audience and makes opinion based
statements.
40-45: Students and teacher will take a class break. I will set five minutes on a
timer and call for students to make their way back to the classroom at four
minutes.
46-48: I will ask students to put their heads on their desk and give a thumbs up,
thumbs to the side, or thumbs down to represent their understanding of the
difference between an informative and persuasive text. I will discreetly mark
which students are either confused or have no understanding of the concept.
48-53: Students will scroll down in their laptops to examine the following writing
prompt. This prompt essentially guides them in writing their introductory
paragraph but has language that they should recognize and comprehend. I will
explain how in their previous compare and contrast essay, they had to essentially
summarize the main points of their essay. The introduction of a persuasive essay
should be less focused on summarizing their speech and more focused on
drawing the audience into your writing with a hook. The hooks that are often used
include a moving story that relates to your argument, or making appeals to their
audiences values. We will then read the introductions to the following speeches:
Wrath of Grapes Boycott by Cesar Chavez, I Have a Dream by Martin Luther King
Jr., and A More Perfect Union by President Barack Obama. I will ask a student to
start reading the introduction to Wrath of Grapes Boycott.
53-63: I will call on a different student to read each one and then point out the
type of hook that they use. Students will copy this down in their notes. I will point
out how Chavez appeals to his audience by expressing his faith in the American
people to be the greatest court, the court of last resort (and remind students
that this is a use of Pathos to evoke pride in his audience), how Obama arouses a
sense of unity and national pride by referencing the different classes of people
who drafted the Declaration of Independence, and how MLK evokes a feeling of
hope by referencing the emancipation proclamation. Before I explain my

interpretations of the speeches, I will ask students to tell the class what emotions
the introductions evoked within them.
63-75: I will ask students to write an introduction that uses one of the several
types of hooks and end it with a statement of the central claim of their argument.
I will remind students that their claim is the central idea or statement of what
they believe. During this time, the only talking that I should hear as I hover is
people consulting with each other about the introduction. In ten minutes, I will ask
students to trade their papers and give one positive piece of feedback and one
constructive piece of feedback. 75-80: I will instruct students to trade papers,
read them silently and then give positive and constructive feedback.
Closure
80-87: I will ask students to share the positive things that they saw in each
others papers. After we share, I will remind students that the persuasive writing
in general and the introduction give them an opportunity to be creative and think
outside the box in terms of what they can and cant write about.
Independent Practice: This occurs in between minutes 63 and 75 when they draft
their own introductions.
Day Four

Class: 8th Grade General English

Unit: Persuasion Wars
Teacher: Benjamin Swall-Yarrington
Objectives: Students will be able to understand how telling a moving story can
support their argument. Students will then write a story, either personal or not,
that both connects to their argument and moves the reader.
Standards: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.6-8.1
Write arguments focused on discipline-specific content.
Materials: Projector or screen upon which to view Obamas Speech, a computer
with a connection to the internet for every student
Anticipatory Set
(Minutes 1-7): In their writers notebooks, students will respond to the prompt,
Appealing to your parents emotions, such as pity, to buy you something.
(7-13): Students will volunteer to share their pieces of writing with the class.
Teaching
(13-18): I will refresh Pathos with students and ask them for the multiple ways
that an argument can appeal to the readers or listeners sensibilities. If they
dont mention story as a way to evoke Pathos, I will mention it for them.
(18-21): I will explain that though we have already examined Barack Obamas
speech A More Perfect Union to examine how he refutes certain arguments, we
will look at how he uses a story at the end of his speech to evoke emotion. I will
walk students through the guided notetaking that they have in their Persuasion

Wars packet. As they watch the portion of Obamas speech, they will answer the
questions, What emotions does he evoke with his story? How does he connect
the story back to his overarching argument? Why do you think he ended the
speech with this particular story?
(21-26): Students will watch the section of Obamas speech. I will pause it right
before he begins his story and prompt students to reexamine the questions and
pay close attention to the story hes about to tell.
(26-28): I will give students two minutes to finish answering their questions.
During this time, I will also set up the doc cam with a blank notetaking sheet.
(28-38): I will draw name sticks for students to share their answers and write
them on the sheet of paper under the doc cam. I will expand on their answers, ask
them to clarify, etc., and ask students to expand on their classmates answers or
give a different or complimentary answer.
(38-41): I will instruct students to brainstorm ideas for a moving story that relates
to their argument. I will emphasize that they must make an explicit connection
between the story and their over arching argument, referring back to Obamas
connection in the final paragraph of his speech. I will leave time for questions. If
there are no questions, I will cold call on a student for them to explain what they
are supposed to do.
(41-45): Students will brainstorm ideas. I will hover and comment on students
ideas, help students if they need help.
(45-50): Students and teacher will take a class break. I will set five minutes on a
timer and call for students to make their way back to the classroom at four
minutes.
(50-53): I will ask students to put their heads on their desks. I will then ask
students to raise their hands if they feel like they have enough ideas to draft a
brief, anecdotal story similar to Obamas. Then, Ill ask students to raise their
hand if they dont have ideas or need more time. Students will take their heads off
their desks. The students who had an idea of a story that they could tell, they will
take the next fifteen minutes to write a draft of that story. For the students who
couldnt come up with one, I will ask them to take the time to research
information for a story.*
(53-70): Students will draft a story a story or research. I will hover, helping
students, asking struggling students if they understand or need clarifying on their
assignments. During the last five minutes, I will check in with certain students to
ask if they would like to share their story for constructive criticism. I may only
have time to show one, but Ill get at least two people to share. They will share
their work on a Google Doc. During the last minute, I will ask students if they
need a few more minutes to finish their stories. Ill give them two more minutes,
during which time I will pull up the documents of the students who want to share.
I will briefly read over them to get a sense of their strengths and weaknesses.
(70-84): Before reading the student example I will ask students to remind me
what qualities we are looking for (evoking emotion and relating it back to their
argument). I will read the anecdotal story and then ask students to comment on
how they achieved the goals. I will share my own as well. Then, we will comment
on things that they can work on.

* I need to be more specific about how they will research for a story. Or, I can ask
students to examine the other ways that he uses pathos and they can mimic
those.
Closure
(84-87): Reiterate with students how stories can give their audience an emotional
connection to their argument, even if it does not make a logical argument. I will
remind students to finish writing their paragraph for homework if they did not
already.
Independent Practice: Independent Practice will occur near the end of class when
students are writing a draft of their Pathos paragraph.
Day 5
8th Grade General English
Unit: Persuasion Wars
Teacher: Benjamin Swall-Yarrington
Objectives: Students will understand how Al Gores use of statistics appeals to
audiences logic and strengthens his argument.
Standards: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.6-8.1.b
Support claim(s) with logical reasoning and relevant, accurate data and evidence
that demonstrate an understanding of the topic or text, using credible sources.
Materials: Power Point, a computer for every single student,
1-10: Students will respond to the writing prompt in their notebooks. For this
prompt, they will make a statement that they believe to be true and answer the
question Why? seven times, or more. Students will then voluntarily share what
they have written. This gears their minds for what is to come.
10-15: The teacher will explain to the students that they will watch a section of Al
Gore persuading people of the human effects on climate change. I will ask
students to record down three examples of how Al Gore uses graphs and
information for his speech, and to notice the specific examples he uses. They
cant just say what the general facts are that he states. I will then tell the
students to ask the same question we asked during our writing prompt: Why?
Why are the things what hes saying happening? Students will need to pick a
specific statement he makes and ask that Why question and we will discuss if he
answers it or not.
15-25: We will watch the video. I will hover around the room and ensure that
students are taking notes.
25-35: We will discuss which questions that students still have about global
warming and discuss if he has answered them. I will have watched this video
several times so I will know if he answered something or if he did not answer
something as in depth as he could. Near the end of the discussion, at the 33
minute mark, I will halt discussion and explain to students that when they are
writing their Logos section, they must assume that their audience is going to
constantly ask the question why to whatever statement or claim that they make
and that they must use empirical evidence that they find on the web to support
their claims.
35-40: Students will take a break. I will call the students in with one minute left.

40-50: I will show students how to research for statistics, modeling on the
overhead projector. I will show them Boolian models, and show how those models
can narrow down searches so that they dont have to scavenge Google for the
information that they want.
50-55: I will ask students to take a statement from their prospective essay and
ask why and tehn use our search engine to find information to justify the claim.
55-75: Students will do their research. I will hover around the room and ensure
that students are using their search engines to the fullest and writing well.
75-83: I will ask students to stand up and find someone on the other side of the
room and read what they have. The other student will then tell the person the
questions they have about what they are saying and students will take note of it.
Closure (83-87): I will ask students what their frustrations were. If they say that
they were frustrated, I will tell them that its okay because they dont have to go
down to the minutest detail, but explain just a little bit more than they think that
they should.
Time for work: minutes 55-75
Day 6
Title of Unit: Persuasion Wars
Curriculum Area: Persuassive Writing
Developed by: Benjamin Swall-Yarrington
Grade Level: Eighth
Time Frame: 87 minutes
Essential Questions
Overarching: How do words spark change?
Topical: How does Barack Obama address his opposition? Does he treat them
respectfully? How does this strengthen his Ethos?
Understandings: Addressing your opponents arguments so that you can respectfully
refute them in a respectful manner.
Overarching Understandings: Making a convincing argument to create change.
Related Misconceptions: You dont need to directly address your opposition in your
argument. You should shame the opposition and attack them viciously when making
an argument. You cannot agree with your opposition in any way, shape, or form.
Knowledge: Students will understand how Obama strengthens his Ethos through
acknowledging his opponents claim and finding common ground.
Skills: Students will be able to acknowledge their opponents claim and refute it in a
respectful manner, while finding common ground with their opponent if possible.

Goal: Students will write and workshop an acknowledgement of their opponents

claim while refuting it in a respectful manner, while finding common ground if
possible.
Role: Rhetoricians
Audience: Someone who disagrees with them.
Situation: Persuading someone who disagrees with you to take their stance.
Product/Performance: A claim supported by data and warrant.
Standards: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.8.1.B
Support claim(s) with logical reasoning and relevant evidence, using accurate,
credible sources and demonstrating an understanding of the topic or text.
Stage Three

Where are your students headed? Where have they been? How will
your make sure the students know where theyre going? Students
have already drafted paragraphs of their persuasive essays using Ethos,
Logos, and Pathos. Now they are strengthening their claims by directly
addressing their oppositions arguments and refuting it.
How will you hook students at the beginning of the unit? I will hook
students with a writing prompt: Consider an argument of your opponent in
your essay and explain why they are wrong and you are right.
What events will help students experience and explore the big idea
of the unit? How will you equip them with needed skills and
knowledge? Through this lesson, not only will we explore how to strengthen
our arguments through acknowledging our opponents claims, but we will
review Ethos through showing how acknowledging your opponents claim and
finding common ground strengthens Ethos. It strengthens it because it makes
you seem like a credible source to your opposition and shows that you share
certain values with the opposition.
How will you cause students to reflect and rethink? How will you
guide them in rehearsing, revising and refining their work? Students
reflect and rethink by participating in a quick workshop of their drafts at the
end of class. I will remind students that constructive criticism looks and
sounds like students explaining how the other one can improve instead of
tearing apart their work, and explain that they are responding specifically to
how the other student establishes their opponents claim and refutes it.
How will you help students to exhibit and self evaluate their growing
skills, knowledge, and understanding throughout the unit? Students
will take time near the end of class to briefly revise what they wrote based
on the feedback that they received.
How will you tailor and otherwise personalize the learning plan to
optimize the engagement and effectiveness of all students without
compromising the goals of the unit? I will conference with students I

know to be struggling during drafting and revision, understand where they

are confused, and re-explain the concept based on their misunderstandings.
How will you organize and sequence the learning activities to
optimize the engagement and achievement of all students? I
sequence the lesson through beginning with a deep analysis of how Obama
addresses and refutes his opponents claim so that they can understand how
to do just that for the second half of the lesson. I then give students the
opportunity to deepen their understanding even further by giving them a
chance to workshop and revise their in class work.

Play-by-play
Opening (1-10): Students will write in their writers notebook an opposing argument
to the argument for their essay and give evidence as to why that argument is
wrong. This will prepare the,m for the following lesson for the day.
10-15: I will remind students that they have read the Barack Obama speech A
Morew Perfect Union and say that we will reread it and focusing on the arguments
that he addresses from an opposing side and how he gives counter arguments. I will
direct them to the worksheet for the day which has the very specific portion in
which Obama takes apart the arguments that have been made against him. I will
ask students to underline the moments in which Obama says an argument that has
been made against hm and list in the margins the type of appeal that he uses to
refute those claims.
15-25: Students will work on it and I will hover around to ensure that students are
working correctly and I will answer questions that need to be answered. I will take
note of common mistakes that students are making or common questions that
students have. I will occasionally ask students why they chose a certain type of
appeal and see if they can justify it.
25-35: We will share with each other the findings that we have found. I will either
comment on students findings and ask them to expand on their answers. I will
check for the ability for students to back up their answers using the language of
each appeal that I taught them. If they do not use the correct language when
describing the rhetorical appeals that they see I will remind them that Pathos is
appeals to emotions, Logos to logic, and Ethos to ethics.
35-40: I will explicitly ask students if they saw any examples of Barack Obama
attacking the other side with viscious language. Then I will explain that the
President remains respectful through merely stating his opponents arguments in an
objective manner. I will then point out the parts of the speech in which he even
agrees with his detractors, saying that yes, Jeramiah Wrights remarks were
inflammatory. I will ask students which appeal you use when you express the same
beliefs as your audience? (the answer is Ethos). I will make the point that in
remaining respectful of his audience, Barack Obama is inviting his critics to listen to
his speech and not turning them off.
40-45: Break.

45-50: As students settle back in from their break, I will set up the specific
paragraph in Obamas speech with which I want to show how he connects his
refutation of his critics arguments to his own argument. I will ask students to take
one of their paragraphs that they have already drafted and specifically address the
oppositions argument at the beginning of the paragraph. Then, they must relate
that specifically to their argument. I will highlight on the overhead how Obama does
this in his argument.
50-60: Students will write their drafts. I will conference with students individually,
whether or not they raise their hand for help.
60-65: I will ask students to walk across the room and find someone with whom to
review with. Before they get up and move, I will remind them that constructive
criticism looks like: telling people what they can improve on and suggesting how
they can improve. Here, I will remind them that they are looking specifically for how
well they connect their opponents argument to their own argument. Then students
will move up and find a partner.
65-75: Students will revise together. I will hover and insure that students are giving
productive feedback and intervene if I have to.
75-85: I will instruct students to return to their seats and use the last ten minutes of
class to apply the feedback to their writing and write those opposing arguments to
their other paragraphs.
Closure: I will remind students of the importance of respecting their audiences
opposing viewpoints.
Day Seven
8th Grade General English
Unit: Persuasive Wars
Objectives: Students will be able to use compound and complex sentences
elegantly in their essays.
Standards: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.6-8.1.c
Use words, phrases, and clauses to create cohesion and clarify the relationships
among claim(s), counterclaims, reasons, and evidence.
Teacher: Benjamin Swall-Yarrington
Materials: computers and students documents of what they have of their essays
so far
1-10: I will teach the mini lesson on compound and complex sentences that is
below.
10-45: I will put students into groups based on their area of weakness that I have
identified in their papers. Students will take this time to read every persons draft
in their group, or as many as they can, and give feedback.
45-55: Break
55-85: Students will work on their drafts based on peoples feedback.
Closure: I will tell students that they have will have to turn in their project the next
day

Compound Sentences Mini Lesson

Mini Lesson Topic
Materials
Connection

Explicit Instruction

Guided Practice

Independent

Using Compound and Complex sentences in persuasive

writing
Writers notebook and a writing utensil
We have already gathered opposing points for each part of
our argument. Now we will learn how to acknowledge and
refute their points without interrupting the flow of our
essays.
In both compound and complex sentences, two opposing
ideas can come together. For example, here are two
opposing ideas on their own: Many say that Han Solo and
Chewbacca are the funniest dynamic duo of all time. Surveys
suggest that Groot and Rocket Raccoon generate more
laughs. Now, if you were to read that in an essay, it would
feel very awkward and wooden. But by joining them into a
compound sentence they can feel smoother as we read
them. Now your worksheet says that a complex sentence
needs two ingredients. Those two ingredients are a
subordinate clause and an independent clause connected by
a coma Who can remind me what an independent clause is?
Thats right. Its a complete thought or sentence. Do we have
an independent clause? We do. Perfect. We need a
subordinate clause. So if an independent clause is a
complete sentence, whats a subordinate clause? Thats
right! Subordinating conjunctions. A subordinating
conjunction is a conjunction you put at the front of a
sentence and it becomes a subordinate, or dependent,
clause. Shout out any conjunction that you know. Okay, lets
try it out. Though many say that Han Solo and Chewbacca
are the funniest dynamic duo. Does that sound like a
complete sentence? Lets put a tag at the end of it: Though
many say that Han Solo and Chewbacca are the funniest
dynamic duo, right? That makes no sense. But lets connect
it to the other sentence with a comma. Though many say
that Han Solo and Chewbacca are the funniest dynamic duo,
surveys suggest that Groot and Rocket Raccoon generate
more laughs.
Now I want you to choose a claim for your issue and a claim
against that issue. Dont write the claims as an opinion, like
Han Solo and Chewbacca are the funniest dynamic duo.
Preface it with a word that makes it a factual statement, like
Many believe that or It is common belief that Once you
do that, I will call on someone to write their two independent
clauses on the board. I will call on one person at a time to
help make these two sentences into a complex sentence.
Now work on your own sentences. Write at least three, each

Practice
Wrap Up

one about a different claim and counter claim.

So do you guys like the way a complex sentence sounds
better than just having two sentences side by side?
Awesome.