ARGUMENTATIVE WRITING UNIT

Day 1, Monday, 2/27/17, 50 minutes

Teacher: Miriam Gueck

Subject Area: U.S. Literature Grade Level: 11 School: Fort Collins High School
Unit Title: Argumentative Writing Unit

Lesson Title: Roundtable: Crucible Pixton Project; Argumentative Writing Unit Introduction - Would You
Rather?, Claims and Counterclaims

Standards:
1.2.a. Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and
teacher-led) with diverse partners on grades 1112 topics, texts, and issues, building on others ideas and
expressing their own clearly and persuasively. (CCSS: SL.11-12.1)
2.2.a.iv. Designate a purpose for reading expository texts and use new learning to complete a specific task
(such as convince an audience, shape a personal opinion or decision, or perform an activity)
3.3.d. D evelop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying
a new approach, focusing on addressing what is most significant for a specific purpose and
audience. (CCSS: W.11-12.5)
4.3.a. Analyze the purpose, question at issue, information, points of view, implications and
consequences, inferences, assumptions, and concepts inherent in thinking
4.3.d. Evaluate the reasoning of self and others for quality, strong-sense thinking

Learning Target:
for The Crucible unit, share it with the rest of the class, and review
Turn in the final assessment
classmates creations
Begin Argumentative Writing Unit

Success Criteria:
Students will submit their Pixton Project in our classroom group on Pixton, prepare their Pixton
Project for viewing on their laptop for Roundtable sharing, and review at least 5 of their classmates
creations
Students will participate in an introductory activity to jumpstart thinking about Claims and
Counterclaims

Materials Needed (include page numbers, supplies, resources):

Students laptops
Smart board
Teachers computer
Beyonces Lemonade as an A+ Essay by Guy Dixon, The Globe and Mail
Would You Rather sheets for 4 groups
4 pencils
Homework assignment sheets

Anticipatory Set:
As students walk in, Smart Board will show:
DO NOW
Submit your Crucible Pixton Project in Pixton
Submit MLA Works Cited page in Edmodo
If you have not yet submitted Fridays SAT Practice Test, do so now
Have your Crucible Pixton Project ready for viewing on your laptop
After greeting students when the bell rings I will point out the instructions for their Do Now and take
ARGUMENTATIVE WRITING UNIT
Day 1, Monday, 2/27/17, 50 minutes

attendance while they take care of those items. After taking attendance, I will introduce this weeks extra
credit Article of the Week, Beyonces Lemonade as an A+ Essay. This article is a little old; it was written this
past October. However, it is extremely applicable because we are beginning our argumentative writing unit
today.
(5 min)

Procedure (step by step through the lesson activities):

We will proceed with our Roundtable presentation. Students will have their final assessment from the
previous unit, a creative expository writing project through Pixton, on display on their laptops. In this project,
students connected four topics (conformity, mindlessly taking small steps, toleration of evil, and
dehumanization) to The Crucible, McCarthyism, and to a current event. Students will have five to ten minutes
to look at their classmates creations; the length of time will depend on their engagement. They will be
encouraged to closely review at least 5 projects.
(10 min)

I will divide them into four groups for the next portion of our class, which will be our introductory activity for
our new unit, Argumentative Writing. I will do so by having them cross their arms; left arms on top go to the
back, right arms on top go to the front. From those two groups, we will raise our hands, clasp them together
and lower them to check our thumbs; left thumbs on top go to the left, right thumbs on top go to the right.
That should divide the students pretty evenly; if not, I will add students to groups that are too small. From
there, I will explain the activity. Each group will need to select a leader and a recorder. I will explain these
roles. The leaders responsibility is to ensure the participation of each member of their group. The leader will
read their groups question, and collect an answer from each participant. The recorder will write down the
answers in the appropriate columns, and record the names of the group members on the back. I will then
give the activity papers and pencils to the groups. Each group will receive one question. Here are the four
questions:
Would you rather be able to pause the world around you or to
silence it?
Would you rather be able to fast forward life or to rewind it?
Would you rather live in a world without cell phones or a world
without computers?
Would you rather spend a five-hour car ride with Bill Gates or
with Kim Kardashian?
(20 min)

Closure (optional):
Staying in their groups, I will ask for their responses. I will then connect the activity to the process of making
claims and counterclaims, and how we will use those in our argumentative essay.
(15 min)

Evaluation/Assessment:
I will collect the group papers for participation