I. Curricular Framework

Concept:

Persuasion

Essential Question:

How is the use of elaboration and details connected to persuasive writing?

Bridge:

Loneliness Reflections

Content:

Effective Workplace Environments

Outcomes:

II. Standards Aligned

III. Instruction and Assessment

1. Connect: Connecting to the Concept Experientially

Objective: To provide students with an experience in which they use their five senses.

Activity: Have soft music playing. Teacher takes students on a guided imagery. Take them to a time when they felt lonely. Elicit details by using the five senses. For example, ask "What did you see, smell, touch, taste, hear?"

Assessment: Involvement of students in guided imagery.

2. Attend: Attending to the Connection

Objective: To discuss and analyze how they felt in "lonely" experience.

Activity: Teacher asks students for words that come to their minds to describe their feelings of loneliness. Jot on board and leave up all week.

Assessment: Quality of words and participation of individual students.

Assessment, Phase One, Level of Engagement, Fascination:

3. Image: Creating a Mental Picture

Objective: To integrate "loneliness" into students' experience.

Activity: Students draw an analog on loneliness. Post on bulletin board.

Assessment: Involvement in drawing.

Assessment, Phase Two, Seeing the Big Picture:

4. Inform: Receiving Facts & Knowledge

Objective: To teach concept of using elaboration and details in persuasive writing.

Activity: 1) Read textbook section on using elaboration and details in persuasive writing. 2) Read short story "The Mortgaged Heart" by Carson McCullers (theme is loneliness).

Assessment: Student note taking and teacher questioning for student understanding.

Assessment, Phase Three, Success with Acquiring Knowledge:

5. Practice: Developing Skills

Objective: To reinforce adding elaboration and details to persuasive essays.

Activity: Students outline short story read in 2L. In this way, they will list elaboration and details of major points of story.

Assessment: Quality of outline.

Assessment, Phase Four, Success with Acquiring Skills:

6. Extend: Extending Learning to the Outside World

Objective: To expand what has been learned.

Activity: Students write the rough draft of a persuasive essay using extensive elaboration and details. Brainstorm with classmates on how you might argue against the position on the nature of loneliness taken by Carson McCullers. Then write an essay in which you disagree with McCullers' argument. Use ideas from the words you brainstormed (and are still written on the board) to add elaboration and details.

Assessment: Students' on-task behavior.

7. Refine: Refining the Extension

Objective: To evaluate rough draft of essay.

Activity: Give students three different colors of pens or pencils. Ask them to underline their thesis statement, elaboration and details in different colors. Then in small groups, read aloud each paper and let each group member make suggestions for stronger elaboration and details. Finally, students rewrite final draft and hand in for teacher evaluation.

Assessment: Student participation; quality of essay. More: Students use different color pens to mark thesis statement, elaboration and details. Small groups critique, then final draft handed to teacher for evaluation.

8. Perform: Creative Manifestation of Material Learned

Objective: To share essays with all.

Activity: Display best papers. Elaboration and details are highlighted.

Assessment: Quality of student efforts.

Assessment, Phase Five,Performance, Creative Use of Material Learned: