PLAN INDEPENDENT ARGUMENT ESSAY

A. Engage the Learner - W.8.1a (5 minutes)

• Tell students that they will now plan their independent argument essays. These will be written in the following lesson, during the End of Unit 2 Assessment.

• Display the prompt for the independent argument essays: Choose a significant idea from the text Farewell to Manzanar. How effectively does the film Farewell to Manzanar convey this significant idea?

• Turn and Talk:

"How is this prompt similar to the prompts of the model and practice essays? How is it different?" (All three prompts have the same core question, though all focus on a different significant idea. The model and practice essays had the significant idea chosen ahead of time; the independent essays allow students to choose the significant idea they wish to focus on.)

• Direct students to retrieve their Compare Text to Film: Farewell to Manzanar note-catchers. Focus their attention on the third question of the tables' right-hand columns: "How do these moments help convey a significant idea in the text?" Refer to Compare Text to Film: Farewell to Manzanar note-catchers (example for teacher reference) as needed.

• Say:

"Review your answers to this question across your note-catcher. Note the significant ideas from the text that have been conveyed in the film. Which one of these significant ideas will inform the most meaningful independent argument essay? Remember that your goal is to make an argument about how effectively a significant idea is conveyed in the film. You may wish to focus on a significant idea that you see conveyed very effectively in the film; alternatively, you may wish to focus on a significant idea that you see conveyed less effectively. Whatever you decide, remember you have to use evidence from the text and film to support your claim."

• Give students a few minutes to select the significant idea that will serve as the focus of their independent argument essays. They may also wish to refer to the Significant Ideas anchor chart. Remind them that they cannot work with the significant ideas of the model or practice essays: Jeanne's youth impacts her understanding of events in the text and Papa feels deeply conflicted loyalties, both to Japan and to America. However, they can use their model and practice essays for guidance with structure on this essay.

• Students can use their notes and selections to draft the main claim. As time allows, invite students to turn to an elbow partner to share their claims.

• 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.

A. Plan an Argument Essay - RL.8.7, W.8.1, W.8.4 (35 minutes)

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

"I can plan an argument to support a claim with clear reasons and relevant evidence."

• Distribute the Argument Essay Writing Plan graphic organizer. Tell students that will plan their essay on their graphic organizer and then use it to help them draft their essays in the following lesson.

MEETING STUDENTS' NEEDS

During Work Time A, encourage students who need lighter support to revisit and polish the sentences they produced during the Practice sections of the Language Dives and Mini Language Dives of Lessons 12, 15, and 16. Encourage students to incorporate these sentences into their planners for use in the independent argument essays that they write during the End of Unit 2 Assessment in the following lessons.

• Display the Characteristics of Argument Writing anchor chart. Remind students to refer to the anchor chart as they are planning their argument essays to ensure they are meeting the criteria.

• Remind students that because these planners are meant to support students as they write independent essays in the following lesson, students should complete their planners independently and in silence.

• Focus students on the Work to Become Effective Learners anchor chart, and review perseverance and what it looks and sounds like. Remind students that as they examine the evidence they have collected and plan their essays, they may need to practice perseverance.

MEETING STUDENTS' NEEDS

During Work Time A, work with students who need heavier support to help them revise the sentences they produced during the Practice sections of the Language Dives and Mini Language Dives of Lessons 12, 15, and 16. Encourage students to use these sentences as "checkpoints" around which the remainder of their essay can be built.

After Work Time A, if students participated in individual writing check-ins to discuss their informative essays in Unit 2, Lesson 11, host follow-up sessions as time allows. During these meetings, work with students to reflect on the strengths and areas of possible growth that they identified earlier in the module. Help students refine action plans for writing the End of Unit 2 Assessment essay. This process supports a growth mindset for developing writers and facilitates opportunities for students to take charge of their own learning.

• Invite students to retrieve the following materials to support their planning and writing:

  • Compare Text to Film: Farewell to Manzanar note-catcher

  • Connections and Distinctions: Farewell to Manzanar note-catcher

  • Argument Writing checklist

  • Model Argument Essay: "How Farewell to Manzanar Conveys Jeanne's Youth"

• Students should also refer to Significant Ideas anchor chart as needed as they plan their essays. They may also find it useful to revisit their Practice Argument Essay Writing Plan graphic organizers from Lesson 10 to remind themselves of how to most effectively fill out the graphic organizers.

• Circulate to support students as they plan. If necessary, deepen students' thinking by asking questions such as the following:

"What evidence do you have for this point?"

"How does that evidence support your point?"

"How does that point support your claim?"

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

A. Debrief: Argument Writing Checklist - W.8.1c, L.8.6 (5 minutes)

• Invite students to retrieve their copy of the Argument Writing checklist. Point out the following characteristic on the checklist:

  • "W.8.1c, L.8.6: I use words and phrases that show how my claim, counterclaims, reasons, and evidence are related."

• Think-Pair-Share:

"What words and phrases might be useful for showing the relationships between claims and reasons? Claims and counterclaims? Reasons and evidence?"

• Give students a few moments to add these words and phrases to their planners.

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