A. Engage the Learner  (5 minutes)

• Repeated routine: Students respond to questions on Entrance Ticket: Unit 2, Lessons 15-16.

• Once students have completed their entrance tickets, use a total participation technique to review their responses. Ask students:

"Which academic mindsets are required to provide feedback, and why?" (To provide feedback, you must feel that the work has value for you; otherwise, the feedback you give won't be very strong.)

"Which character traits are required to provide feedback, and why?" (To provide valuable feedback, you must be able to collaborate and have empathy and compassion, because you need to work well with others to give and take feedback and be aware and considerate of the feelings of those receiving the feedback.)

"Which academic mindsets are required to receive feedback, and why?" (To be able to take feedback and use it to improve your work, you must feel that your ability and competence grow through effort.)

"Which character traits are required to receive feedback, and why?" (To receive feedback, you must be able to persevere so that you keep working to improve your writing.)

• Repeated routine: Follow the same routine as with the previous lessons to review learning targets and the purpose of the lesson, reminding students of any learning targets that are similar or the same as in previous lessons.

MEETING STUDENTS' NEEDS 

During Opening A, students may find the amount of text on Entrance Ticket: Unit 2, Lessons 15-16 overwhelming. Allow students to work in pairs to complete the task, possibly discussing each item or dividing the items with their partner. Doing so will lighten the cognitive load and also allow students to practice their discussion skills.

During Opening A, students may find the amount of text on Entrance Ticket: Unit 2, Lessons 15-16 overwhelming. Allow students to work in pairs to complete the task. Also, assign each category to a pair of students, so they only respond to one category. Then as you review the entrance ticket, students can record possible responses for all the categories.

A. Analyze a Model - L.7.1 (10 minutes)

• Review the appropriate learning target relevant to the work to be completed in this section of the lesson:

"I can offer kind, helpful, and specific feedback to my peers, focusing on the effective use of different kinds of phrases, clauses, and sentences in their essays."

• Display the Model Argument Essay. Explain to students that in this lesson they are going to analyze this model for phrases, clauses, and sentences.

• Explain that this model essay illustrates a variety of phrases, clauses, and sentences that show the relationship between ideas.

• Invite students to Think-Pair-Share:

"Why do writers use different types of phrases, clauses, and sentences?" (to show the relationship of ideas to each other; to vary their writing; to make it more interesting)

• Ask students to retrieve their copies of the Model Argument Essay. Invite students to text code the first Proof Paragraph of the model essay as follows:

  • S = Simple sentence

  • C = Compound sentence

  • CX = Complex sentence

  • CC = Compound-Complex sentence

• Invite students to share their responses. For each example, note how the phrase or clause shows the relationship between information.

• Ask students:

"How can you make sure that you use a variety of phrases, clauses, and sentences in your own writing?" (I can text code for the kinds of phrases, clauses, and sentences that I'm using, notice the ones I'm missing, and add those to my writing.)

• If productive, cue students to listen carefully and seek to understand:

"Who can tell us what your classmate said in your own words?" (Responses will vary.)

• Repeated routine: Invite students to reflect on their progress toward the relevant learning target.

B. Tuning Protocol - W.7.5 (30 minutes)

• Review the appropriate learning target relevant to the work to be completed in this section of the lesson:

"I can offer kind, helpful, and specific feedback to my peers, focusing on the effective use of different kinds of phrases, clauses, and sentences in their essays."

• Display and invite students to take out their copy of the Argument Essay Writing checklist.

• Focus students on this criterion:

  • W.7.1c: I use words and phrases to show the relationship between my points, reasons, and evidence.

• Invite students to mark or highlight this criterion, as it will be the focus of the critique, and to turn to an elbow partner to explain it in their own words.

• Move students into pairs, and invite them to label themselves A and B.

• Distribute sticky notes.

• Focus students on the Work to Contribute to a Better World anchor chart, specifically: "I use my strengths." Remind students that as they work to critique their partner's work, they will need to use their strengths.

• Suggest that students provide their partner with kind, specific, and helpful feedback as noted in the criterion.

• Direct students' attention to the Peer Critique anchor chart, reminding them what peer critique looks and sounds like.

• Display and distribute Directions for a Tuning Protocol and End of Unit 2 Assessment, Part II: Revise and Edit and read them aloud. Invite students to ask questions to ensure that they understand what to do. Explain that for this tuning protocol, they will not examine the whole essay but just the evidence and elaboration in the first Proof Paragraph. Students who have time can also give feedback on the evidence and elaboration in the second Proof Paragraph.

• Invite students to retrieve their writing, and encourage them to provide feedback to their partner based on the Argument Writing checklist.

• Circulate to support students as they work to give feedback. Emphasize that students are not to make revisions yet, as they will do later in the lesson.

• Repeated routine: Invite students to reflect on their progress toward the relevant learning target.

MEETING STUDENTS' NEEDS 

During Work Time B, students may be reluctant to share their essays with classmates who are more proficient in English. Utilize careful strategic partnerships in which students will feel comfortable and still gain insights into how they may improve their work. Students may benefit from working with a friend or with someone on or just below their level of proficiency.

During Work Time B, students may benefit from both listening to and reading their classmates' essay. If possible, provide copies of peers' essays to each student, so that they may follow along as their peer reads aloud. Students may also benefit from time to read the essay once through, then listen to it read as they follow along. Allowing several readings in both modalities will ensure students understand the essay and can give quality feedback.

During Work Time B, students may be reluctant to share their essays with classmates who are more proficient in English. Utilize careful strategic partnerships in which students will feel comfortable and still gain insights into how they may improve their work. Students may benefit from working with a friend or with someone on or just below their level of proficiency.

During Work Time B, students may benefit from both listening to and reading their classmates' essay. If possible, provide copies of peers' essays to each student, so that they may follow along as their peer reads aloud. Students may also benefit from time to read the essay once through, then listen to it read as they follow along. Allowing several readings in both modalities will ensure students understand the essay and can give quality feedback.

C. End of Unit 2 Assessment, Part II: Revise and Edit (30 minutes)

• Review the appropriate learning target relevant to the work to be completed in this section of the lesson:

"I can revise my essay, focusing on effectively expressing my ideas using different kinds of phrases, clauses, and sentences."

• Tell students they will begin revising their drafts for the effective use of different kinds of phrases, clauses, and sentences. Remind them that they should refer to the criterion just reviewed on the Argument Essay Writing checklist, the feedback from their peer during the tuning protocol, and their analysis of the Model Argument Essay as they revise. So that their revisions can be easily assessed, ensure that students choose a pen or pencil of a different color from the one they used to draft their essay.

• Focus students on the Work to Become Effective Learners anchor chart, specifically: "I take responsibility." Remind students that since they will be assessing and revising their own work, they will need to take ownership of their writing and think about how to change or improve it.

• Emphasize that they should revise only where it is necessary (e.g., adding different kinds of phrases, clauses, and sentences).

• Invite students to begin making revisions.

• Circulate to support students as they work. Ask questions to guide their thinking:

"Which types of sentences do you have in your essay?"

"Do you have a variety of sentences in your essay?"

"Do your sentences show how information is related?"

"Are your sentences complete and grammatically correct?"

• Invite students to record Y for yes and the date in the final column of their Argument Writing checklist if they feel they have achieved in their writing for this lesson the criteria marked on their checklists. Collect the revised essays and use the Revision Rubric (for teacher reference) to assess students' ability to strengthen their writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach.

• In addition to the above revision assessment, use an optional assessment, End of Unit 2, Part III: Types of Sentences, Phrases, and Clauses, to more formally assess language standards. Distribute the assessment and read the directions aloud as students follow along, reading silently. Answer clarifying questions.

• Remind students that because this is an assessment, that as they will be working independently for the assessment, they will practice perseverance and integrity.

• Invite students to begin the assessment.

• While students are taking the assessment, circulate to monitor and document their test-taking skills.

• Repeated routine: Invite students to reflect on their progress toward the relevant learning target.

MEETING STUDENTS' NEEDS 

In Work Time C, before students begin their revisions, remind them that they should focus on using different types of phrases, clauses, and sentences. If students are ready for more comprehensive revisions, ask them to review the Argument Writing checklist and choose one or two criteria that they will revise for. Focusing on a limited number of criteria will ensure students don't feel overwhelmed and can fully address one or two areas in need of revision.

In Work Time C, before students begin their revisions, remind them that they should focus on using different types of phrases, clauses, and sentences. If students are ready for more comprehensive revisions, ask them to review the Argument Writing checklist and choose one or two criteria that they will revise for. Focusing on a limited number of criteria will ensure students don't feel overwhelmed and can fully address one or two areas in need of revision. If students don't have a sense of which criteria to focus on, recommend they consider their peer's feedback or spend a few minutes skimming their essay and make recommendations.

A. Independent Research Reading Share - RI.7.10 (15 minutes)

• Repeated routine: Follow the same routine as with the previous lessons to guide students to share their independent research reading, reminding students that the purpose of research reading is to build their content knowledge, domain-specific vocabulary, and achievement on reading complex texts. 

• Refer to the Independent Reading Sample Plans to guide students through a research reading share or use another routine.

• Before students leave class, ensure that each has a copy of their conclusion paragraph from their pair argument essay.

• Invite students to reflect on the habits of character focus in this lesson, discussing what went well and what could be improved next time.