Curriculum Plan Master of Arts Capstone Project Sabine Olsen

Microsoft Word - MAT Capstone for ID .docxSabine Olsen
LEARNING OBJECTIVES ERROR! BOOKMARK NOT DEFINED.
LESSON PLAN #1 5 CENSORSHIP AND FIRST AMENDMENT VOCABULARY 8 CENSORSHIP UNIT DIALECTICAL JOURNALS 9
LESSON PLAN #2 10 RHETORICAL APPEALS POWERPOINT 13 RHETORICAL APPEALS GUIDED NOTES 21 ANALYZING THE APPEALS 23 CENSORSHIP UNIT DIALECTICAL JOURNALS 24 IDENTIFYING THE RELEVANCE 25
LESSON PLAN #3 26 SOCRATIC SEMINAR – FISHBOWL POWERPOINT 29 SOCRATIC SEMINAR GUIDED NOTES 34 CENSORSHIP SOCRATIC SEMINAR RUBRIC 35
LESSON PLAN #4 37 CENSORSHIP SOCRATIC SEMINAR ENTRY TICKET 40 CENSORSHIP SOCRATIC SEMINAR EXIT TICKET 42 SOCRATIC SEMINAR SENTENCE STEMS 43 CENSORSHIP SOCRATIC SEMINAR - OUTER CIRCLE FEEDBACK CHART 44
LESSON PLAN #5 46 THESIS STATEMENT POWERPOINT 49 THESIS STATEMENT GUIDED NOTES 53 THESIS BRAINSTORM AND PRACTICE ASSESSMENT 54
LESSON PLAN #6 56 CENSORSHIP ARGUMENT ESSAY PROMPT 59 CENSORSHIP ARGUMENT ESSAY RUBRIC 60
LESSON PLAN #7 64 FINDING AND EXPLAINING EVIDENCE FOR SUBTOPICS 67
LESSON PLAN #8 72 ARGUMENT ESSAY OUTLINE – BODY PARAGRAPHS 75 SAMPLE BODY PARAGRAPH 79 COLOR CODING CHART 80
LESSON PLAN #9 81 SAMPLE INTRODUCTION AND CONCLUSION PARAGRAPHS 85 COLOR CODING CHART 86 STUDENT SAMPLE #1 87 STUDENT SAMPLE #2 88 STUDENT SAMPLE #3 89
LESSON PLAN #10 90
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COLOR CODING CHART 93 ARGUMENT ESSAY RUBRIC 94 SHORTENED SAMPLE ESSAY 96 REFERENCES 98
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Learning Objectives
Writing is intuitive for me and is thus one of the hardest skills for me to teach. Based on conversations I
have had with colleagues, my hunch is that I’m not alone. Grading essays can be tedious and frustrating. I have
spent many nights grading essays I thought were scaffolded well, only to have the assessment results indicate
otherwise.
This project aims to help teachers explore strategies and use resources to help tenth grade ELA students
unpack the various elements of developing an argument and then to provide students the materials, structure,
and skills they need to create a strong essay. The materials are first designed to create content knowledge so that
all learners have equal access to the curriculum and then leading instructors and learners through instructing and
creating writing, respectively. The topic of this particular project is censorship, as my plan was to complete this
unit using Fahrenheit 451 as a complementary text. The content-centric essential questions are: To what extent
does censorship impact our social and technological interactions in our 21st century world? Why should
students care about censorship? The pedagogical guiding summative questions assess students’ abilities to
apply, evaluate, and create unique works. The supporting lessons documented below utilize formative
assessments to ensure that students first demonstrate remembering and understanding prior to moving into the
higher-level phases.
activities would be most beneficial in ensuring students construct a well-written and thoughtful
argument?
2) How can I teach students to analyze language, including the appeals, in a relevant and engaging
manner?
3) After empowering students to analyze argumentation and usage of language, how do I enable students
to utilize precise language when creating their own written argument?
While the unit was designed with Fahrenheit 451 in mind, the unit may be tailored for any text relating
to civil disobedience or the right to freedom of speech. The last five lesson plans, those that focus on writing,
could be isolated and modified to teach other skills such as synthesis.
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LESSON PLAN #1 Learning Segment Focus or “Big Idea”: Students will deconstruct the main idea of 4 various texts as well as agree or disagree with the claims made. Students do so in preparation for a Socratic Seminar and essay on the topic of censorship. The focus of this unit lies in these guiding questions: To what extent does censorship affect social, educational, and technological interactions in our 21st century world? Why should you, as students, care about censorship? (Ideally, these questions should be posted on board somewhere students can see at any time during class). Grade: sophomores Content Area: English Time Allotted: 78 min Classroom organization: “pods” – desks clustered in 4, designed to be
easily turned around to create a table. Resources and materials: Butcher Paper (3 sheets) 1 labeled “school” 1 labeled “society” 1 labeled “technology” Permanent Markers – ideally one marker per student. Tape or tacks to hang butcher paper on walls A timer (an online timer works for this activity) Guided Notes Handout (for each student) Overhead/Document Camera Print outs of articles for students (a class set is okay) Links to Articles: https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/first_amendment (Article #1) http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/jurisprudence/2013/12/when_you_censor_student_speech_you _re_mostly_teaching_kids_to_live_with.html (Article #2) Censorship Dialectical Journals (one copy to put under overhead) Content Standard(s): CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.9-10.2 Determine a central idea of a text. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.9-10.8 Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is valid and the evidence is relevant and sufficient Specific Academic Learning Objectives:
• Students will be able to identify the argument an author makes and then will agree or disagree with the claims, providing substantiation for their reasoning.
Prerequisites: • Students will need to have basic knowledge identifying an author’s argument. As our site, this is
Saint Mary’s College of California P.O. Box 4350, Moraga, CA 94575-4350
tel. 925.631.4700 fax 925.376.8379
www.stmarys-ca.edu/soe
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generally extensively taught in freshman English and then reviewed quarter 1 of English 2. I have reviewed this with my students and about 80% understand this task. For each site though, it is different and some teachers may find the need to review more extensively.
Key ELD Standard(s): Academic language demands:
• Argument, agree/disagree, provide evidence, censor/censorship. Vocab words to define: redress, litigation, interference, afford, grievances
• The language demands of this task will be both productive, as students must define the above vocab words (bolded) and engage with the text to decipher the argument and then take a stance on the issue, providing evidence/reasoning to support their side.
Accommodations (to ensure all students have access to the curriculum): • How will you make the academic language accessible to all students? For reading, instructions are on the board and the first text, the First Amendment, will be completed as a class, thus guiding students through the process. For the Rhetorical Appeals notes, examples are provided, as are guided notes. • How will address the specific needs of your English learners? Dictionaries are provided and students are encouraged to highlight/underline words they do not understand and then use the dictionaries to define the word. Examples are provided where relevant. • How will you address the specific needs of your students with special needs? Amount of texts to be read may need be modified to meet the needs of each individual student. Review individual IEPs for guidance.
Assessment: • Evidence of student learning will come from discussions at the end of class when students explain their
thoughts on the articles. A more substantive assessment will be at the end of lesson plan #3 when students then pick an article we read and explain the article’s relevance to their every day life.
• How will you use this evidence? It will allow me to identify how well they understood the concepts of censorship discussed, the role of the rhetorical appeals, and will help me identify any other areas students struggle with.
• What criteria will you use to interpret the evidence? Clear assertion of the authors’ arguments, identification and analysis of the appeals, and then clear explanation of why the chosen article is relevant to their every day life (see closing activity lesson plan #3).
• How will the evidence affect your next steps in teaching? I will either review/reteach key concepts or continue to build off the information.
Instructional Sequence:
Time 15 min
Set or introduction: Begin class by pointing students to the definition of “censorship” on the whiteboard. On a sheet of paper, write the world “censorship” inside of a circle. Ask students what comes to mind when they hear the word “censorship.” In a word web-style arrangement, write the words that they share around the word “censorship” Point students to the 3 various pieces of butcher paper on the wall. Tell students that they will have 5 minutes to write one idea/phrase that comes to mind relating censorship to the topic on the sheet of butcher paper. Each student needs to write their idea and sign their initials next to their idea. If time allows, require each student to write one idea per topic. Place timer in a place where students can see so that they can visualize how much time they have left. After time in up, have students return to tables and share what they wrote down for the three subtopics. Use that discussion as a segue into reading/annotation of the First Amendment.
60 min
Developing Content/Body of Lesson: 1) Write Guiding Questions (see bolded statement in Big Idea box) on board and explain to
students that this is the question that the class will be focusing on answering over the duration of the unit. Ask students how they think censorship affects their daily lives? Have a brief class
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discussion on the topic. 2) Have students define the words on the handout First Amendment Vocabulary. This
vocabulary is just to help student understand the First Amendment. 3) Transition into reading the First Amendment out loud with class. As you read, pause and have
students summarize the arguments of each individual paragraph. They can do this verbally with their elbow partners. Call on students to share their responses with the class.
4) After reading the piece, explain the Dialectical Journals. Use the exemplar and explain that the first phrase, “This quote grabbed my attention because it explains the impact of censoring students – it suggests that students have valuable ideas to contribute yet they are often not allowed to share them” addresses why the quote grabbed my attention. The latter part, “Students are often censored in schools, prevented from sharing their ideas with their classmates or from expressing themselves. Since students are often not allowed to share their ideas, could one not argue that students are being robbed of their right to freedom of expression? If so, why is that?” first addresses how this quotation relates back to censorship, then explains why it matters.
5) Keep the exemplar up on the board. Have students complete entries for the First Amendment on a separate sheet of paper (my students have a reader/writer notebook, so their journals will go in there).
6) After students are finished, ask students whether or not they have seen their First Amendment rights infringed upon. Engage in a brief discussion with class.
7) Transition into Slate.com article, “Censorship 101”. Have students read this piece quietly to themselves while completing 4 dialectical journal entries for “Censorship 101”. Keep the exemplar up on the board for students to reference.
Checks for Understanding / On-going informal assessment:
Use equity sticks or 5 Hands to call on students for discussion elements of the lesson. When students are reading quietly, walk around and observe their annotations. Also use this time to individually work with struggling students.
3 min Closure: Use equity cards/5 hands to call on students and have them share one thing they learned from the readings on censorship today.
Extending the Lesson/Homework (optional): Finish annotating/analyzing Slate.com article if necessary.
Reflection, Next Steps:
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.9-10.2 Determine a central idea of a text. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.9-10.8 Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is valid and the evidence is relevant and sufficient
Censorship and First Amendment Vocabulary Using a dictionary, define the following words: Censor (v): Censorship: Suppress: Objectionable: Redress: Litigation: Interference: Afford: Grievance:
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Censorship Unit Dialectical Journals For Lesson Plan #1 and Lesson Plan #2
For each of the articles we read, complete the predesignated amount of entries.
• For the First Amendment, complete two entries into the dialectical journal. • For “Censorship 101” complete four entries into the dialectical journal. • For “Do Students Still Have Free Speech in School?” complete four entries into the • For “Wikileaks and Diplomatic Secrets” complete two entries into the dialectical journal. • The structure for each entry will look like this:
Quote Analysis
Write out the quote that you picked in this box here. Include the proper MLA parenthetical citation.
Explain why this quote stood out to you, how this quote relates to censorship, and why it relates; provide specific details in your explanation. Your response should be at least 30 words in length.
Example Quote Example Analysis
“Punishing students for their speech robs our public debate of needed voices” (West).
This quote grabbed my attention because it explains the impact of censoring students – it suggests that students have valuable ideas to contribute yet they are often not allowed to share them. Students are often censored in schools, prevented from sharing their ideas with their classmates or from expressing themselves. Since students are often not allowed to share their ideas, could one not argue that students are being robbed of their right to freedom of expression? If so, why is that?
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LESSON PLAN #2 Learning Segment Focus or “Big Idea”: Students will deconstruct the main idea of 4 various texts as well as agree or disagree with the claims made. Students do so in preparation for a Socratic Seminar and essay on the topic of censorship. Grade: sophomores Content Area: English Time Allotted: 88 min Classroom organization: “pods” – desks clustered in 4, designed to be
easily turned around to create a table. Resources and materials: Print outs of The Atlantic article for students to read class set okay) Computers (for all students) or tablets. Document Camera/Overhead Censorship Unit Dialectical Journal Handout Analyzing the Appeals Handout Identifying the Relevance Rhetorical Appeals Guided Notes (copies for all students) Link to YouTube clip pre-loaded Links to Articles/Blogs: http://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2014/04/do-students-still-have-free-speech-in-school/360266/ (Article #3) http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/11/29/wikileaks-and-diplomatic-secrets/ (Article #4) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dbpFpjLVabA (Snickers Commercial for The Appeals PPT) Content Standard(s): CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.9-10.8 Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is valid and the evidence is relevant and sufficient CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.9-10.6 Determine an author's point of view or purpose in a text and analyze how an author uses rhetoric to advance that point of view or purpose. Specific Academic Learning Objectives:
• Students will be able to identify the argument an author makes and then will agree or disagree with the claims, providing substantiation for their reasoning.
Prerequisites: • Students will need to have basic knowledge identifying an author’s argument. As our site, this is
generally extensively taught in freshman English and then reviewed quarter 1 of English 2. I have reviewed this with my students and about 80% understand this task. For each site though, it is different and some teachers may find the need to review more extensively.
tel. 925.631.4700 fax 925.376.8379
Academic language demands: • Argument, agree/disagree, provide evidence, censor/censorship, logos, ethos, pathos • The language demands of this task will be both productive, as students much engage with the text to
decipher the argument and then take a stance on the issue, providing evidence/reasoning to support their side.
Accommodations (to ensure all students have access to the curriculum): • How will you make the academic language accessible to all students? Instructions are on the overhead and the process was modeled last class (see lesson plan #2) when we read and analyzed the First Amendment together as a class. • How will address the specific needs of your English learners? Dictionaries are provided and students are encouraged to highlight/underline words they do not understand and then use the dictionaries to define the word. Examples are provided where relevant. • How will you address the specific needs of your students with special needs? Amount of texts to be read may need to be modified to meet the needs of each individual student. Review individual IEPs for guidance.
Assessment: • Evidence of student learning will come from discussions at the end of class when students explain their
thoughts on the articles. A more substantive assessment will be at the end of this lesson when students then pick an article we read and explain the article’s relevance to their every day life.
• How will you use this evidence? ? It will allow me to identify how well they understood the concepts of censorship discussed, the role of the rhetorical appeals, and will help me identify any other areas students struggle with.
• What criteria will you use to interpret the evidence? Clear assertion of the authors’ arguments, identification and analysis of the appeals, and then clear explanation of why the chosen article is relevant to their every day life (see closing activity for today)
• How will the evidence affect your next steps in teaching? I will either review/reteach key concepts or continue to build off the information.
Instructional Sequence: Time 3-5 min
Set or introduction: Begin class by asking students what they learned about censorship yesterday. Have students do a Think-Pair-Share, that is, share their answers with their partners, then out to the larger group. Ask students what questions they still have about censorship. Write (or have a student scribe) write down the questions on the whiteboard.
70 min
Developing Content/Body of Lesson: 8) Introduce logos/ethos/pathos with PPT. Have students take guided notes and discuss example with
students. 9) Place instructions and exemplar for Analyzing the Appeals up on the board. This assignment is
three fold. First students will identify the rhetorical appeal used. Then, students will explain how it is used. Last, they will explain why it makes the argument more persuasive/effective. Review exemplar from Analyzing the Appeals handout with students. Show students that the first part of the exemplar explanation, “The quote establishes pathos, using emotionally charged words like “robs” and “needed” to suggest to the audience that students are being treated unfairly” explains why and how the device is used. The writer asserts that the author “establishes pathos” by using negatively connoted words such as “robs” and “needed” to suggest students are being treated “unfairly.” The last part of the exemplar explanation, starting with “In turn, the author hopes the audience will feel the desire to provide students equality of speech…” shows why the quotation appeals to pathos – the author wants to pull on the desire of the readers to support the students.
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The usage of the words “robs” and “needed” suggest to the audience that they need to support the students because the students are the future of the society. 10) Re-read Slate.com article, “Censorship 101” and have students complete the Analyzing Appeals
process on a separate sheet of paper (again, mine have their reader/writer notebook, so their entries will go in there). For “Censorship 101,” students will analyze four appeals.
11) After students are finished, ask students for examples of the appeals and have them share how they felt the appeals supported the argument.
12) Transition into The Atlantic article (Article #3). Have students read the article out loud with their tablemates and first complete Censorship Unit dialectical journal entries.
13) After students are finished reading and completing their dialectical journal entries, ask students what the main argument of the article is? Have students give examples of evidence the author uses to support the argument.
14) Transition back to analysis of the appeals. Have students re-read “Do Students Still Have…” and identify/analyze logos/ethos/pathos in the article (Analyzing the Appeals handout)
15) Again, after students have finished, call on various students to identify passages they analyze. Have students identify the appeal used and then explain what effect the logos/ethos/pathos has on the persuasiveness of the text.
16) Transition into Wikileaks. Ask students what they know about Wikileaks (note, they may not know anything). Explain to students that they will be using a New York Times blog to research Wikileaks and that the end goal is for them to be able to explain the role censorship plays in society today.
17) Have all students navigate to this link http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/11/29/wikileaks-and- diplomatic-secrets/
18) Working with their table partners, have students answer the questions posed on the original link (above) on a separate sheet of paper. Note, documents and graphics needed to answer the questions are included as hyperlinks in the above link.
Use equity sticks or 5 Hands to call on students for discussion elements of the lesson. When students are reading quietly/researching, walk around and observe their annotations and discussions. Also use this time to individually work with struggling students.
15 min
Closure: Have students select one article and complete the Identifying the Relevance handout.
Extending the Lesson/Homework (optional): Have students complete dialectical journal entries for the Wikileaks article. Have students turn in both the Censorship Unit dialectical journals and the Analyzing the Appeals dialectical journals next class.
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By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.9-10.8 Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is valid and the evidence is relevant and sufficient
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.9-10.6 Determine an author's point of view or purpose in a text and analyze how an author uses rhetoric to advance that point of view or purpose.
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Ask students, have you ever watched a commercial like this and afterwards, without even really thinking about it, thought “A Snickers bar sounds really good right now? – Give students time to respond, then ask students why they think that is.
https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=dbpFpjLVabA
Rhetorical Appeals Rhetorical devices (in
language) that represent how someone or something convinces or persuades an audience.
There are three appeals: logos, ethos, and pathos.
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Sample answers for question of why the above is logos: the example (which is fictitious by the way) emphasizes the importance of getting good grades by citing statistics that back up why good grades matter.
Logos Logos is when an author or speaker uses
logic to persuade his/her audience. He/she uses facts, statistics, or concrete
evidence to show that he/she is credible as a speaker.
This can be something like “You need to get good grades - 95% of teenagers who have a GPA of 3.5 or above graduate and go to college”
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Sample answer to why the above is ethos: the person is emphasizing their credibility by asserting their experience and how their experience benefits the audience at hand. By using “we” in the last example, the speaker is also showing that they are united with the audience.
Ethos Ethos is when an author or speaker uses
credibility to persuade his/her audience. In other words, they say why the audience
should trust them. This can be saying things like:
“You can trust me, I am a successful lawyer who will always represent my clients’ best interests.”
“I graduated from Harvard Medical School, top of my class.”
“We are in this together.”
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Sample answer to why this is pathos: It pulls on the sympathy because every parent/guardian wants what is best for his/her child, and so they don’t want their child to feel left out. The child knows this and pulls on the emotions to persuade his/her parents.
Pathos Pathos is when an author or speaker uses
emotion to persuade his/her audience to do what the speaker wants the audience to do.
This can be saying something like “It is so unfair that I can’t go out to the movies with my friends. Everyone else is going to go and I will be left out. You don’t want me to feel left out.”
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Which appeals does the Snickers commercial use?
Based on the appeals used, what do you think Snickers wants you to do? How do you know?
Are the appeals successful at convincing you (the audience)? Why or why not?
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Rhetorical Appeals Guided Notes Rhetorical appeals are _____________ (in language) that represent how someone or something
convinces or __________________ an audience.
There are three appeals - ____________, ____________________, and _________________.
Logos is when an author or _____________________ uses ____________ to persuade his/her audience.
He/she uses __________________ , __________________, or __________________to show that he/she is credible
as a speaker.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________ is when an author or speaker uses _____________________ to persuade his/her
audience.
In other words, they say why the audience should ______________ them.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Pathos is when an author or speaker uses _________________ to _______________ his/her audience to do
what the speaker _____________ the audience to do.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
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_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
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CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.9-10.8 Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is valid and the evidence is relevant and sufficient CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.9-10.6 Determine an author's point of view or purpose in a text and analyze how an author uses rhetoric to advance that point of view or purpose.
Analyzing the Appeals Identify usage of logos, ethos, and pathos.
• For “Censorship 101” identify and analyze two pieces of evidence the author uses to support his/her argument: For each instance, complete the following entry:
• For “Do Students Still Have Free Speech”, identify and analyze two pieces of evidence the author uses to support his/her argument: For each instance, complete the following entry:
Entry Structure
Quote Analysis
Identify a passage where one of the appeals is used. Write out the quote that you picked in this box here. Include the proper MLA parenthetical citation.
Explain which appeal the evidence uses. Explain how the appeal is used. Explain why the use of the appeal supports the author in his/her argument. Provide specific details in your explanation. Minimum 40 words.
Example Quote Example Analysis “Punishing students for their speech robs our public debate of needed voices” (West).
The quote establishes pathos, using emotionally charged words like “robs” and “needed” to suggest to the audience that students are being treated unfairly. In turn, the author hopes the audience will feel the desire to provide students equality of speech. This equality of speech is “needed” because, as the author implies, students are the future lawmakers and leaders and they will not learn how to express themselves appropriately if they are robbed of their free speech.
Optional Rubric
Exceeds Standards 3
Meets Standards 2
Approaching Standards 1
Does Not Meet Standards Student clearly determines an author's purpose in a text and effectively analyzes how an author uses rhetoric to advance that point of view or purpose.
Student determines an
how an author uses rhetoric to advance that
point of view or purpose.
Student attempts to
that point of view or purpose.
While student may
identify the rhetorical appeal used, student does
not attempt to explain how author uses rhetoric to advance point-of-view
or purpose.
Censorship Unit Dialectical Journals For Lesson Plan #1 and Lesson Plan #2
For each of the articles we read, complete the predesignated amount of entries.
• For the First Amendment, complete two entries into the dialectical journal. • For “Censorship 101” complete four entries into the dialectical journal. • For “Do Students Still Have Free Speech in School?” complete four entries into the • For “Wikileaks and Diplomatic Secrets” complete two entries into the dialectical journal. The structure for each entry will look like this:
Example Quote Example Analysis
“Punishing students for their speech robs our public debate of needed voices” (West).
This quote grabbed my attention because it explains the impact of censoring students – it suggests that students have valuable ideas to contribute yet they are often not allowed to share them. Students are often censored in schools, prevented from sharing their ideas with their classmates or from expressing themselves. Since students are often not allowed to share their ideas, could one not argue that students are being robbed of their right to freedom of expression? If so, why is that?
Quote Analysis
Write out the quote that you picked in this box here. Include the proper MLA parenthetical citation.
Explain why this quote stood out to you, how this quote relates to censorship, and why it relates; provide specific details in your explanation. Your response should be at least 30 words in length.
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Identifying the Relevance
Of the articles we have read, pick one and answer the following questions on a separate sheet of paper:
1. Does the information presented in this article relate to censorship at school, in society, or in technology?
2. What is the main argument the author is making? 3. On a whole, do you agree or disagree with the argument? Provide evidence in your response and explain why/how the evidence supports your answer.
4. Draw a connection between one thing mentioned in the article and something you have seen or experienced in your own life. Explain how and why the two ideas connect.
5. What new questions did the article provoke? What information would you need in order to answer the questions?
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LESSON PLAN #3 Learning Segment Focus or “Big Idea”: Students will be able to identify and explain the function of a Socratic Seminar. Grade: sophomores Content Area: English Time Allotted: 45 min *note, this is a short lesson, if need be, remaining lesson time this day can be used as a remediation or catch-up day, depending on needs of students.
Classroom organization: “pods” – desks clustered in 4, designed to be easily turned around to create a table.
Resources and materials: Overhead projector for PPT presentation Copy of guided notes for all students (if desired) Copy of rubric, one for each student Sticky notes (one for each student) Content Standard(s): CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.9-10.6 Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, demonstrating command of formal English when indicated or appropriate. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.9-10.1 Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher- led) with diverse partners on grades 9-10 topics, texts, and issues, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively. Specific Academic Learning Objectives:
• Students will be able to identify the core function and structure of a Socratic Seminar. They do so in preparation for their first Socratic Seminar of the year.
Prerequisites: • For this particular segment of the unit, there is no prerequisite knowledge needed. That said, students
will need to have read and analyzed the four texts/sources on censorship prior to engaging in the Socratic Seminar next class.
Key ELD Standard(s): Academic language demands:
• Collaborative, discuss, knowledge of what it means to provide evidence and explanation, • The language demands of this task will be both first receptive, as students will be taking notes on key
instructions and concepts, then productive as students reiterate key purposes of the Socratic Seminar in their review quiz.
Accommodations (to ensure all students have access to the curriculum): • How will you make the academic language accessible to all students? When reviewing terms that might prove problematic to ELL or SPED students (collaborate, provide evidence, etc), verbally reiterate or define terms for students. Encourage them to write down the alternate definition. • How will address the specific needs of your English learners? See above. • How will you address the specific needs of your students with special needs? The use of guided notes
tel. 925.631.4700 fax 925.376.8379
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helps to cut down on the information needed; review of key academic terms (see above) will provide students with an understanding of expectations.
Assessment: • Evidence of student learning will come from discussion of answers to the quiz. The discussion is a
formative assessment and allows teachers to assess how much of the information students internalized. Alternatively, assessment could be given as a warm up to the next class, to see how much of the information was retained in longer-term memory.
• How will you use this evidence? Student performance on this task will allow teachers to see if there are any key concepts that need to be reviewed before the class enters into the seminar.
• What criteria will you use to interpret the evidence? Clear and specific answers to the quiz questions on the PPT are the criteria teachers should use to assess student learning.
• How will the evidence affect your next steps in teaching? If students need to be retaught before moving on, 3reteach the information.
Instructional Sequence: * Note that the lesson plan is shorter today (my school has a block schedule, so class periods are normally 88 minutes). If extra time was needed on the other lessons, today would be a good time to have students finish/make up any of the assignments. Time 10 min
Set or introduction: Begin lecture by asking students to identify what Socrates means by the quote “The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing”. Ask students what they think it means to have a Socratic Seminar? Ask them if they have any ideas on how a Socratic Seminar works. (some students may have ideas – allow them to share their answers) Depending on the class dynamic and/or personal preference, you could ask for a volunteer to demonstrate the Socratic method (asking why continuously, as a means by which to get to the root of a problem). I always ask something simple such as “how is your day so far” and use that as a basis for asking “why.” I then, based on the students responses, explain to the class that I found out something deeper about the student, just by asking the question “why”. I explain Socrates believed the same thing and was infamous for asking his students “why” as a means by which to help them uncover deeper meanings of concepts.
30 min
Developing Content/Body of Lesson: 1) Pass out guided notes to students and explain that they will be taking notes on what it means to
have a Socratic Seminar, with the purpose of holding their own on censorship next class. 2) Move through lecture slides, emphasize that the purpose of a Socratic Seminar is to
collaboratively learn from each other. 3) When on the “What a Socratic Seminar is Not” slide, give examples of debate language versus
collaborative language. (i.e. debate language is: “you’re wrong because…”, collaborative language: “While I see your point, I disagree because…”
4) When on the “Rules” slide, remind students that while some are really comfortable speaking out loud, others have a hard time speaking up. I give an anecdote about my struggles as a student when I had Socratic Seminars. I emphasize that, while I had things to say, I often had a hard time “jumping in” and as a result, sometimes did not add anything to the conversation. Encourage students to, during the seminar, invite their classmates in. If for example, student A notices student B hasn’t said anything, student A could say “student B, we would love to hear your input on the conversation”
5) After you have finished with the presentation, have students take the quiz. Encourage them to avoid using the notes for reference, just to see how much they actually understood.
6) Using equity sticks, call on students to share their answers. As students discuss, emphasize that the purpose of a Socratic Seminar is to learn collaboratively from each other. It is not a competition of right versus wrong.
7) Pass out rubric and sticky notes. Place rubric under overhead as well. Go over rubric with
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students. Have various students read the different elements. 8) As the class reads, have students highlight/underline information they think is important. 9) Have students write down any questions about grading for the seminar on the sticky note, then
have students stick it on the board prior to exiting class. Note to teacher: use these questions as a springboard into the seminar next class. Address any prominent questions or questions that you think are relevant to the discussion.
10) With any extra time, allow students to finish up any assignments they haven’t yet completed. Checks for Understanding / On-going informal assessment:
Use equity sticks or 5 Hands to call on students for discussion elements of the lesson. 3 min Closure:
Asking questions about grading for seminar is closure. Have students post sticky notes on board before exiting.
Extending the Lesson/Homework (optional): Remind students to bring Socratic Seminar Assessment Rubric next class, as you will be collecting this from them and grading them using this rubric.
Socratic Seminar - Fishbowl
By the end of this lesson, students will be able to: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.9-10.6
Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, demonstrating command of formal English when indicated or appropriate.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.9-10.1 Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grades 9-10 topics, texts, and issues, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.
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“The only true wisdom is in knowing that you know
nothing” - Socrates
(Bartlett & Kaplan, 2002)
What is a Socratic Seminar? A Socratic Seminar is a student-lead
seminar in which students discuss their ideas, questions, or thoughts relating to a particular topic with the goal of more deeply understanding the topic.
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What a Socratic Seminar is NOT A Socratic Seminar is not a debate. There
is not a right side and a wrong side, the focus of the seminar is to collaboratively discuss ideas and learn from each other.
It is incredibly important to listen and value all peoples’ opinions, even if they differ from your own.
Socratic Seminar Rules One person talks at a time There is no raising hands, students just
“jump in” when they want to say something.
All participants need to share at least twice
It is the job of all students to make sure that no single person or group dominates the conversation.
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How is it graded? There are two grades. One grade is based
on what you said when you talked, and whether you met the requirement to talk twice.
The second grade is based upon the specificity of constructive feedback given while in the outer circle.
How it is structured There is an inner circle and an outer circle. The students in the outer circle each have
a person on the inner circle assigned to them. The job of those in the outer circle is to provide constructive feedback for their person in the inner circle.
After 15 minutes, the roles will then switch and the inner circle will move to the outer circle.
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Review Quiz 1. What is the purpose of a Socratic
Seminar? 2. Who leads the Socratic Seminar? 3. What is a Socratic Seminar not? 4. How many people talk at a time? 5. How many times does each student
need to talk? 6. In your own words, explain how you will
be graded.
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CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.9-10.6 Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, demonstrating command of formal English when indicated or appropriate. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.9-10.1 Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher- led) with diverse partners on grades 9-10 topics, texts, and issues, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.
Socratic Seminar Guided Notes What is a Socratic Seminar?
A Socratic Seminar is a student-lead seminar in which students ________________________________, ___________________________________, or ____________________________________ relating to a particular topic with the goal of more __________________________________________________________________________
What a Socratic Seminar is not:
A Socratic Seminar is not a _________________________ . There is not a ___________________ and a _______________________ , the focus of the seminar is to __________________________ discuss ideas and ______________________ from _________________________ .
It is incredibly important to ___________________ and _______________all peoples’ opinions, even if they _______________ from your own.
Socratic Seminar Rules _________________ person talks at a time There is no ___________________, students just “jump in” when they want to say something. _____________ participants need to share at least ______________ It is the ____________ of ______________ students to make sure that no single _____________ or ____________
_____________________the conversation.
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Censorship Socratic Seminar Rubric
Score 4 3 2 1 Comment #1 Student
demonstrates extended critical thinking in their comment: he/she makes a clear argument or detailed
explanation and ties the argument back to one or more of the texts read. He/she also
thoroughly explains why this concept relates
back to censorship and why it matters.
Student creates an argument or detailed
explanation, citing evidence back to one or more of
texts read. He/she explains why this concept relates
back to censorship, but needs to explain why it matters.
Student makes observations and
Student may cite one text, either directly or
indirectly, but does not explain why it matters and/or does not relate back to censorship.
Student repeats a quotation from a text that was read, but does not relate back to censorship, nor explain why it
matters.
Comment #2 Student demonstrates extended critical thinking in their comment: he/she makes a clear argument or detailed
explanation and ties the argument back to one or more of the texts read. He/she also
thoroughly explains why this concept relates
back to censorship and why it
Student creates an argument or detailed
explanation, citing evidence back to one or more of
texts read. He/she explains why this concept relates
back to censorship, but needs to explain why it matters.
Student makes observations and
Student may cite one text, either directly or
indirectly, but does not explain why it matters and/or does not relate back to censorship.
Student repeats a quotation from a text that was read, but does not relate back to censorship, nor explain why it
matters.
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matters. Outer Circle Feedback
Student thoroughly explains what partner student did well and what they need to work on. Provides
concrete evidence to support grading and provides
tangible areas for student
improvement.
Student explains what partner student did well and what they need to work on, though detail is lacking. Student does not provide concrete evidence to support grading nor tangible areas
for student improvement.
Student superficially explains what partner student did well but some comments may be vague. Answers may or may not be
written in complete
sentences. Student does not provide concrete evidence to support grading nor tangible areas
for student improvement.
feedback. Comments are
lacking. Feedback is not of any
benefit to inner circle student.
* Rubric inspired by Depth of Knowledge (DOK) chart provided to teachers by our school admin. A similar handout can be found at this URL: http://www.lake.k12.fl.us/cms/lib05/FL01000799/Centricity/Domain/17/DOK Chart.PNG
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LESSON PLAN #4 Learning Segment Focus or “Big Idea”: Students will, through verbal discussion, identify and explain the extent to which censorship impacts society and why censorship is significant. Guiding Questions (these should be posted on the board for the duration of the unit, but use these questions as a platform for the Socratic Seminar): To what extent does censorship impact our social and technological interactions in our 21st century world? Why should you, as students, care about censorship? Grade: sophomores Content Area: English Time Allotted: 80 min Classroom organization: desks arranged in circles – an inner circle and an
outer circle. Resources and materials: Sticky notes (one for each student) Socratic Seminar Assessment Rubric (from last class) – collect from students and use this to grade student participation Socratic Seminar Sentence Stems Censorship Socratic Seminar Outer Circle Feedback Chart Socratic Seminar Entry and Exit Ticket (together as one packet) Have student partners for inner and outer circles pre-assigned. Overhead timer Content Standard(s): CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.9-10.6 Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, demonstrating command of formal English when indicated or appropriate. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.9-10.1 Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher- led) with diverse partners on grades 9-10 topics, texts, and issues, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively. Specific Academic Learning Objectives:
• Students will be able to collaboratively discuss the significance of and extent to which censorship impacts society today.
Prerequisites: • Students will need to have reviewed the Seminar Assessment Rubric, and have completed the four
assigned readings. Key ELD Standard(s):
tel. 925.631.4700 fax 925.376.8379
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Academic language demands: • Collaborative, probe, main idea, agree/disagree, • The language demands of this task will be primarily productive. All students are required to complete
the entry ticket prior to engaging in the seminar. Students in the inner circle will engage in the conversation surrounding censorship, while students in the outer circle will monitor their partner’s contribution and give them construction feedback.
Accommodations (to ensure all students have access to the curriculum): • How will you make the academic language accessible to all students? Review seminar sentence stems ahead of time to give students some time to familiarize themselves with the terms. Depending on the level of students in the class, it might also be helpful to have students use the sentence stems to jot down notes on what types of questions they want to ask. • How will address the specific needs of your English learners? See above. • How will you address the specific needs of your students with special needs? SPED students might need modifications on the amount of times they need to speak or on the depth of detail when they speak. Each IEP is different, so review the information prior to having students participate. At our site, some students have, in their IEP’s, exemption from large discussions. Should this be the case, having students complete a short essay on the topic might also prove a suitable substitute.
Assessment: • Evidence of student learning will come from the levels of questions asked, evidence provided, and
suitable explanation of the significance of censorship. • How will you use this evidence? Student performance on this task will allow teachers to see if there are
any key concepts that need to be reviewed before the class moves into the essay writing process. • What criteria will you use to interpret the evidence? Clear, detailed, well thought out responses to
seminar questions, citation of evidence, and explanation of evidence. • How will the evidence affect your next steps in teaching? If students need review on the key ideas
presented in the article, or need more scaffolding on why censorship and discussion there of is significant, then do so before moving into the essay.
Time 10 min
Set or introduction: Use sticky note questions students left last class as their exit ticket to re-explain or clarify grading procedures for seminar. Give each student another sticky note; have them write down two questions that come to mind when they think of censorship. Have students post these sticky notes on a designated portion of the whiteboard. You’re going to use these again later.
60 min
Developing Content/Body of Lesson: 1) Pass entry ticket out to students. Explain that the entry ticket helps them organize their thoughts
for the seminar. Remind students of the focus questions for the unit: To what extent does censorship impact our social and technological interactions in our 21st century world? Why should you, as students, care about censorship? 2) Encourage students to use their Censorship Unit dialectical journals and the Analyzing Appeals dialectical journals to help them answer the questions. Encourage students to take their time answering the entry ticket. As students are answering the entry ticket, go around and collect Socratic Seminar Assessment Rubrics (passed out last class) 3) Place sentence stems handout under overhead document camera. Explain to student they’re going to jot down a few questions as preparation for the seminar. Give students an example of how to phrase a question (i.e. In Censorship 101, what do you think the most important phrase or paragraph is? Why?).
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Give students some time to jot down their questions. 4) Let students know of their inner/outer circle partner assignment. (It would be best to have this predetermined) 5) If circles are not already arranged, have students arrange desks to form an inner circle and outer circle. Student in the outer circle sits directly behind his/her partner. 6) Pass out outer circle note taking sheet. Explain to outer circle that their job is not to criticize, but to help their partner get better at discussion. Thus, all feedback should be voiced positively, giving student room to grow (i.e. students should not say “speak more”, but rather “I noticed you didn’t say much, here are some ideas on what you can say next time…”) 7) Set timer to 15 minutes but don’t start yet. 8) Have students go in a circle and read their preliminary claims (this serves as an ice breaker). As students are doing this, randomly provide one sticky note (from the board) to each student. If students are stuck and they need a springboard from which to enter the conversation, they will use one of the questions posed on the sticky note they received. 9) Have each student go around the inner circle and read their claim to their group. 10) Instruct students that they now have 15 minutes to discuss how censorship affects society. Remind each student they need to speak twice, and that their comments are graded more heavily on content than how much they say. 11) Allow students 15 minutes to discuss. Observe conversation. Try to maintain a hands-off approach, but if conversation gets off track, redirect if necessary. 12) Call time and switch inner and outer circle. Have students leave sticky notes on desk. The new inner circle will use the same sticky note as a springboard if needed. Repeat steps 4-9
Checks for Understanding / On-going informal assessment: Student discussion allows teacher to observe engagement and knowledge of all participating students.
10 min
Closure: Spend about 3 minutes as an open forum, asking students what they thought went well, what needs to be improved upon. Have students then complete the Socratic Seminar Exit ticket and collect. As students are doing this, collect their dialectical journal entries, both for the Censorship Unit and for Analyzing the Appeals.
Extending the Lesson/Homework (optional):
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Censorship Socratic Seminar
Entry Ticket
From the four articles/blogs we read in class, list three things that stood out to you and explain why they stood out to you. Include textual evidence. 1. 2. 3. Draw some connections between what we read in the texts and experiences you have had or heard about in our world. Explain why the text relates to your experience. 1.
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What from the articles we read did you find yourself either agreeing with or disagreeing with? Cite evidence from the article and explain why you agreed or disagreed. 1. Your final assessment will be writing an essay based upon the topic of censorship. For now, draft a claim (thesis) answering the following prompt:
We have explored the effects of censorship on various realms in society. Taking into consideration the world in which we live, explore the concept of censorship. Then, develop an essay that explains your position on the role of censorship in society. Include all four of the sources that we read to support your argument. Be sure to address the counterargument.
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Exit Ticket
Upon “exiting” the seminar, of what concepts/themes/ideas relating to censorship do you have a more complete grasp of now than when you entered the seminar? What further questions did this seminar spark? Has your claim on the role censorship plays in society changed? If so, write your modified claim below.
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Socratic Seminar Sentence Stems
Socratic Seminar Sentence Stems inspired by the following websites:
Socratic Seminar Handout provided by Northwest Association for Biomedical Research (NWABR)
Handout: Probing and Clarifying Questions provided by Indiana University
Sample questions to ask about main idea or to interpret the text:
• What is the main idea of the text? • What is the author’s purpose or perspective about
the topic of ...? • What does (a particular phrase) mean? • What is the most important
word/sentence/paragraph? Why?
Sample questions to move the discussion along: • Who has a different perspective? • Adding to what … said … • The author’s claim that … is interesting
because… • Who has not yet had a chance to speak? • Where do you find evidence from that in the
text? • Can you clarify what you mean by that/ • How does that relate to what (someone else)
said? • Is there something in the text that is unclear to
you? Has anyone changed their mind?
Sample questions to use to probe reasoning: • Why do you think this is the case? • What do you think would happen if…? • What sort of impact do you think…? • How did you decide? • How did you determine? • What is the connection between … and …?
Sample questions to use to agree/disagree: • I agree with … because… • …’s point about … is important because… • Despite disagreeing with … about …, I agree
that … • I see … differently because… • I agree with … but we also have to consider …
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Censorship Socratic Seminar
Outer Circle Feedback Chart
Summarize and briefly explain the two points that your inner circle partner made. 1. 2. How would you score comments #1 and #2. Score each individually. Score 4 3 2 1 Comment #1 Student
demonstrates extended critical thinking in their comment. He/she makes a clear argument or detailed explanation and ties the argument back to one or more of the texts read. He/she also thoroughly explains why this concept relates back to censorship and why it matters.
Student creates an argument or detailed explanation, citing evidence back to one or more of texts read. He/she explains why this concept relates back to censorship, but needs to explain why it matters.
Student makes observations and identifies cause/effect and explains information. Student may cite one text, either directly or indirectly, but does not explain why it matters and/or does not relate back to censorship.
Student repeats a quotation from a text that was read, but does not relate back to censorship, nor explain why it matters.
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Why did you score comment #1 as you did? Provide a detailed explanation. Why did you score comment #2 as you did? Provide a detailed explanation. Identify one thing your partner did well. How did they do this well? Identify one thing they need to work on. What would you suggest they do to improve?
Comment #2 Student demonstrates extended critical thinking in their comment. He/she makes a clear argument and ties the argument back to one or more of the texts read. He/she also thoroughly explains why this concept relates back to censorship and why it matters.
Student creates an argument or detailed explanation, citing evidence back to one or more of texts read. He/she explains why this concept relates back to censorship, but needs to explain why it matters.
Student makes observations and identifies cause/effect and explains information. Student may cite one text, either directly or indirectly, but does not explain why it matters and/or does not relate back to censorship.
Student repeats a quotation from a text that was read, but does not relate back to censorship, nor explain why it matters.
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LESSON PLAN #5 Learning Segment Focus or “Big Idea”: Students will be able to construct thesis statements in which they address counterclaims as well as their claims. Grade: sophomores Content Area: English Time Allotted: 52 min Classroom organization: “pods” – desks clustered in 4, designed to be
easily turned around to create a table. Resources and materials: Lecture #1 (Thesis Statements) Guided Notes for Thesis Statements for all students + 1 blank copy per class period taught. Thesis Statement Practice Worksheet Content Standard(s): CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.9-10.1.a Introduce precise claim(s), distinguish the claim(s) from alternate or opposing claims. Specific Academic Learning Objectives:
• Students will be able to construct thesis statements in which they address possible counterclaims as well as assert their own claims.
Prerequisites: • Students will need to have basic knowledge of what a counterargument/counterclaim means.
Academic language demands: • Thesis statement, claim, argument, counterargument • The language demands of this task will be both receptive and productive, as students will taking notes
and then using the information provided in the notes to produce their own answers to questions/prompts. 3
Accommodations (to ensure all students have access to the curriculum): • How will you make the academic language accessible to all students? The necessary terms will be defined for students. • How will address the specific needs of your English learners? Definitions will be provided, examples of terms will also be provided throughout the lecture. • How will you address the specific needs of your students with special needs? Definitions will be provided, examples of terms will also be provided throughout the lecture. Guided notes also focus SPED students on the important elements of the lesson.
Assessment: • Evidence of student learning will come from their shared answers on the activities embedded in the PPT
as well as the formative assessment designed to go with the ppt. • How will you use this evidence? It will allow me to identify how well they understood the concept and
help me identify any weak areas prior to the summative assessment. • What criteria will you use to interpret the evidence? Clear assertion of claim/thesis in proper academic
voice as well as clear address of the counterargument. • How will the evidence affect your next steps in teaching? Either review/reteach key concepts or continue
to build off the information. Instructional Sequence:
tel. 925.631.4700 fax 925.376.8379
Time 2 min
Set or introduction: Begin by asking students what they know about the terms thesis/claim and counterargument. Have students do think pair share before sharing out with class. Use equity sticks to ensure equal checking for understanding. Pose this argument to students: School uniforms should be required. Ask students what the counterargument to this argument would be.
40 min
Developing Content/Body of Lesson: 19) Review the definition of thesis with students. (Slide 3) 20) Have students read this thesis - Since eighteen is the minimum requirement to vote and to enlist
in the army, young adults should also be allowed to purchase alcohol at eighteen. – and identify the core argument. Students answers should be along the lines of “people should be allowed to purchase alcohol at 18 since they are otherwise given adult responsibilities at 18.” (Slide 3)
21) Review tips for a good thesis statement (Slide 4) and ask students to discuss what is wrong with the thesis statement on the slide. Answers may vary but should include that the thesis uses definitive, which weakens credibility, but then also uses the word “maybe” which does not allow a definitive argument to develop.
22) Go over what a counterargument is and why it matters. Have students identify the counterargument in the thesis statement on slide 5.
23) Review where a thesis statement goes. 24) For practice #1 (slide 7), have students rewrite the thesis statements to be stronger. Thesis
statements should include a counterargument (i.e. I believe the death penalty should be revoked à While some may argue the death penalty brings justice to those who deserve it, the death penalty should be revoked because it is unconstitutional.) Give students some time to develop their thesis statements, then use equity cards to call on various students to share their revised statements.
25) For slide 8, make sure students know what animal testing is, then have students develop and defend a position. Again, call on some students to share their responses.
26) Transition in Thesis Statement Brainstorm (Handout). Have students complete this on their own using their notes as a guide but tell students that you will be calling on them to share their thesis statements with the class. Give students about 15 minutes to complete this portion of the lesson – but be flexible with time, as some classes might move through this more quickly than others. Before moving on, have students spend about 3 minutes sharing their thesis statements with their elbow partner.
27) Using a blank Thesis Statement Brainstorm worksheet as a visual guide, call on three different students to share their answers with the class. Write in the answers on the blank sheet, sharing under the document camera for the whole class to see.
28) Pass out Thesis Statement Practice Assessment Rubric. Walk students through scoring, break down why the sample thesis scored high, and have students score themselves on their thesis statements.
29) Have students choose one thesis statement (of the three) that they feel was best. Have them highlight/circle the thesis statement.
30) Have students engage in peer editing. Have each student review three thesis statements from a partner (in my class, they just rotate the papers in a square through their table). Have students review their peers theses and write whether they agree/disagree with how their peer scored him/herself. Have students write their response/reasoning next to the thesis statement they are reviewing.
Use equity sticks or 5 Hands to call on students. (5 hands is where 5 students have to raise their hand to volunteer the answer before the teacher calls on anybody). Sharing of thesis statements and turning in work at end are also checking for understanding activities.
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10 min
Closure: 1) Have students review the comments their peers left them and then, with that feedback in mind,
make corrections where appropriate. Have students turn in Thesis Statement Worksheet – grade the one that they highlighted/circled.
No HW. Reflection, Next Steps:
Note to teachers: provide students formative feedback on the thesis statement they asked you to review. This is not intended to be a grade, but simply to allow students to share their work with you and for you to check for understanding.
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Thesis Statements English 2
By the end of this lesson, students will be able to Introduce precise claim(s) and distinguish
the claim(s) from alternate or opposing claims (CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.9-10.1.a)
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What is a thesis statement? A thesis statement is one sentence,
maximum two, that explains to your reader what the central focus or argument of your paper is.
Since eighteen is the minimum requirement
to vote and to enlist in the army, young adults should also be allowed to purchase alcohol at eighteen.
What is the central focus of the above
thesis statement?
Tips for a good thesis statement Avoid first and second person – no I, me, my, us,
we, you, yours, etc. Clearly word the argument, avoiding words such
as maybe, sometimes, kind of – they make the argument sound uncertain.
Also avoid words such as never, always, every time – they make the argument sound less credible.
The drinking age should maybe be changed to eighteen because teenagers will never get in trouble with the law if they are legally allowed to purchase alcohol at eighteen.
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Tips for a good thesis statement continued
Address the counterargument in the thesis statement.
A counterargument acknowledges the opposing side and shows you have thought through both sides of the issue.
Though some may argue that eighteen year olds are not mature enough to handle the responsibilities that come with purchasing or drinking alcohol since eighteen is the minimum requirement to vote and to enlist in the army, young adults should also be allowed to purchase alcohol at eighteen.
Where does a thesis statement go?
A thesis statement should always be the last sentence in your introduction paragraph.
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Practice #1 Reword the following statements to make them strong thesis statements. a. I believe the death penalty should be
revoked. b. People should never be allowed to carry
handguns. c. A college education is worth the cost.
Practice #2 Construct a thesis statement explaining and defending your position on the following topic: Develop and defend a position on animal testing.
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Thesis Statement Guided Notes What is a thesis statement?
A thesis statement is _______________________________________________________________________ that explains
to your reader what the _______________________________________________________________________________ of your paper is.
What is the central focus or argument of the paper for which the prompt on the board is written? _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________ Tips for a good thesis statement
Avoid and person – no ______________________________________________________________________________________________________.
Clearly word the , avoiding words such as ___________________________________________________________________________________they make the argument sound ______________________________________________
Also avoid words such as _________________________________________________________ – they make the argument sound less _________________________________________________
What is wrong with the sentence on the board? Why is it wrong? _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________
Address the _____________________________ the thesis statement. The counterargument __________________________________ the opposing side and shows you have
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________
A _____________________________ statement should ________________________ be the ____________ sentence in your __________________________ paragraph.
Practice: Below, write your answers to the questions/statements on the board #1: a. b.
c. #2
Name:________________________________________________ Date:__________ Period:__________
Thesis Brainstorm and Practice Assessment For the following prompts, identify what the prompt is asking you to do, then establish your claim and identify a possible counterargument. Then, using your notes on thesis statements, construct a thesis that clearly states the counterargument and asserts your position. 1. Construct an argument essay in which you establish and defend your position on standardized testing. A possible counterargument: Your claim: Thesis: 2. Construct argument essay in which you establish and defend your position on school uniforms. Your claim: A possible counterargument: Thesis: 3. Construct an argument essay in which you establish and defend your position on cell phones in class.
Subtopics for body paragraphs A possible counterargument: Your claim: Thesis:
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Thesis Statement Rubric (Practice Assessment)
High scoring sample thesis for the following prompt: Construct an argumentation essay in which you establish and defend your position on standardized testing. While supporters of standardized testing argue that standardized tests allow teachers and districts to ensure that most or all students are meeting the standards, standardized testing actually inhibits student learning because it causes teachers to focus on teaching to the test rather than teaching to best meet the needs of students. Reasoning: This thesis would score a 4 because it addresses the counterargument clearly and concisely, but then refutes the counterargument and clearly states the claim. The word “actually” fluidly indicates a shift in thought and serves to differentiate the counterargument from the claim. The position is clear and concrete: standardized testing inhibits students because it forces teachers to focus on teaching to the test rather than considering the needs of the students.
Assessing Yourself How would you grade yourself for the thesis statements you wrote on the thesis statement brainstorm? Use the above rubric to score your work and provide a detailed explanation as to why you scored yourself the way you did. Thesis Statement #1
Score: Reasoning:
Thesis Statement #3
CCSS.ELA- Literacy.W.9- 10.1.a Introduce precise claim(s), distinguish the claim(s) from alternate or opposing claims.
Using proper academic voice, student clearly and fluidly introduces claim/thesis while fluidly integrating the counterargument into the thesis.
Student clearly introduces claim/thesis while integrating the counterargument into the thesis. Student may not, however, use academic voice.
Student attempts to introduce claim/thesis. Counterargument may not be addressed in the thesis. Transition between ideas may be choppy. Academic voice is not used.
Student does not have claim/thesis.
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LESSON PLAN #6 Learning Segment Focus or “Big Idea”: Students will outline the structure of their argument, identifying the focus of their body paragraphs including the counterargument, and drafting the thesis. Grade: sophomores Content Area: English Time Allotted: 65 min Classroom organization: “pods” – desks clustered in 4, designed to be
easily turned around to create a table. Resources and materials: Overhead document camera or projector attached to computer Subtopic Graphic Organizer Student Edition (enough copies made for each student) Notes on Subtopic Graphic Organizer Argument Prompt Argument Essay Rubric Content Standard(s): CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.1.A Introduce precise claim(s) and distinguish the claim(s) from alternate or opposing claims. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.1 Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. Specific Academic Learning Objectives:
• Students will be able to outline their essay, identifying focuses for body paragraphs and drafting a thesis statement.
Prerequisites: • Students will need to have been present for or caught up on all unit work up until this point, including
participation in the Socratic Seminar or completion of an alternate assignment. Key ELD Standard(s): Academic language demands:
• Theme(s), thesis, counterargument • The language demands of this task will be primarily productive, all students are required to brainstorm
focuses for their body paragraphs on the essay, as well as construct a draft of a thesis statement.
Accommodations (to ensure all students have access to the curriculum): • How will you make the academic language accessible to all students? Review the teacher sample with students and have them take notes on the “note” side of the handout. If you have already covered the academic terms with your classes (as is the case with me), then this should just be review. Regardless, students will benefit from having a visual of what is expected of them.
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• How will address the specific needs of your English learners? See above. • How will you address the specific needs of your students with special needs? SPED students might need modifications on the amount of body paragraphs they need to write. Review IEPs and adjust requirements accordingly.
Assessment: • Evidence of student learning will come from accurate completion of the Subtopic Graphic Organizer,
including adequately focused body paragraphs, a well thought out counterargument, and a thesis that clearly introduces the claim.
• How will you use this evidence? Student performance on this task will allow teachers to see if there are any key concepts that need to be reviewed before the class moves into the researching evidence and drafting process.
• What criteria will you use to interpret the evidence? Clear, detailed, well thought out body paragraphs, well constructed counterargument, thoughtful thesis.
• How will the evidence affect your next steps in teaching? Reteach structure or work with individual students if necessary.
Time 10 min
Set or introduction: Ask students to review what they learned about thesis statements last class. Give student this prompt: Develop and defend a position on the role of censorship in society today. Have students jot down a thesis statement asserting their position on this prompt. Call on a handful of students to share their thesis statements with the class.
50 min
Developing Content/Body of Lesson: 1) Explain to students that they are going to use their knowledge of censorship to construct an argument about censorship in society. 2) Hand out argument prompt and assessment rubric to students. Give them a few moments to read over quietly to themselves. 3) Call on a volunteer to read the prompt. Have students break down what the prompt is asking by answering the following questions (they may work with their partners for this): - What is the focus/topic of the essay? - Does the prompt give you any hints on where to focus your response? - What does it mean to “explore” - What evidence do you use to support your argument? 2) Use equity sticks to call on students to share their responses. 3) Call on students to read the 4 sections of the rubric. Ask students to, in their own words, break down what is expected of a perfect essay. Have students share responses with class. 4) Have students refer back to the thesis they wrote at the beginning of class. Ask students whether their thesis statement includes everything needed to answer the prompt. Call on various students to share their response to this question. (Ideally: student thesis statements should fit the prompt. If not, review needed areas with students before moving on) 5) Explain to students that they are going to use their readings, dialectical journal entries, and analysis of the appeals to identify and explain evidence to support their thesis statement). 6) Have students get dialectical journals (Censorship Unit and Analyzing the Appeals) out. Ask students, to flip through their journals to identify broad themes from the articles that correlate with the thesis statement. Call on students to share themes they identified to support their thesis. Sample answers may vary but should include things like “Censorship takes place in schools and prevents students from freely expressing themselves” etc. 7) Introduce Subtopic Graphic Organizer. Basically, this is a visual for students to help them structure their essay. Have students flip to the notes side of the paper. Walk them through what each box holds, including the thesis. Note: Subtopics 1-3 have the same definition, so it’s only written for the Subtopic
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#1 box. Explain to students that each subtopic represents a body paragraph. Subtopics 1-3 are body paragraphs that support the argument. Subtopic #4 requires students to address the counterargument and then refute it. Refutation is where students address the counterargument, but then provide and explain evidence to support their argument. In other words, address why the counterargument is weaker than their own argument. As students take notes, pause where necessary to give students time to jot down the notes and/or ask questions. 8) Have students now use these notes to complete the other side of the graphic organizer (the side where they fill in the focus to their body paragraphs). Example focus areas for students are censorship in schools, in technology, in society. Remind students to use their dialectical journals to help with the process. You may also want to pass out the copies of the articles read and/or give students access to the computers to access the articles. *Teacher note: the examples provided are not necessarily applicable to the class, since we did not read about Nazi Germany, Stalin-era Russia, etc. This is intentional so that the students don’t just copy ideas from the notes.
Checks for Understanding / On-going informal assessment: As students are working on their side of the notes, walk around and observe students – if some are having difficulty, or you notice a common question a few times, address this question with the whole class. Do, however, encourage students to struggle through this a bit. Writing is a process and holding their hand through it will not be of ultimate benefit to them. That said, do use the closure activity to assess where students might need help next class.
5 min Closure: Have students, on a sticky note or half sheet of paper, write what they understood most today, and what they struggled with most. Collect this from student and review. This will allow the students normally too shy to ask for help to do just that, and it’ll give you a sense of what, if anything, needs re-teaching or reviewing.
Reflection, Next Steps: **please note, if MLA formatting is something that you have not yet covered with your students, a colleague of mine gave me permission to include her materials used to teach in-text and works cited guidelines. Her materials can be found in the Supplemental Materials folder of this GoogleDrive folder.
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CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.1.A Introduce precise claim(s) and distinguish the claim(s) from alternate or opposing claims. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.1 Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
Censorship Argument Essay Prompt
We have explored the effects of censorship on various realms in society. Taking into consideration the world in which we live, explore the concept of censorship. Then, develop an MLA formatted essay that explains your position on the role of censorship in society. Include all four of the sources that we read to support your argument. Be sure to address the counterargument.
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CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.1.A Introduce precise claim(s) and distinguish the claim(s) from alternate or opposing claims. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.1 Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
Censorship Argument Essay Rubric 4
Exceed Standards 3 Meets Standards
2 Approaching Standards
Introduce precise claim(s), distinguish the claim(s) from alternate or opposing claims,
Student clearly and fluidly introduces claim/thesis . Student thoroughly addresses the claim while also

Documents

Curriculum Plan Master of Arts Capstone Project Sabine Olsen