Process Writing Lesson in a Content Area
This lesson is a part of a geography unit that investigates national landmarks, shipwrecks, and their role in preserving our history and culture. Students will be asked to complete a final writing project that demonstrates their knowledge and understanding of the content in this unit.
Lesson Title: Exploring Maritime History (Thinkfinity lesson) http://www.nationalgeographic.com/xpeditions/lessons/17/g68/noaashipwrecks2.html
Essential Question: How do the criteria designed by the National Park Service for national landmark status help preserve our history and culture?
Sponge Activity: (10 minutes) Journal: How would you convince your teacher to not give homework for tomorrow?
Activating Prior Knowledge (Hook): (15 minutes) Each group of students has chosen a shipwreck from their study. They have also reviewed the National Park Service criteria for a landmark to be named a “national landmark.” Have each group compare the strategies that they used in the sponge activity to ones they might use to convince a national board of the merits of their chosen wreck as a national landmark. Use the attached graphic organizer.
Vocabulary Development (10 minutes): Review the terms and definitions of prewriting, drafting, revising, editing and publishing. Using the information on the Process
Writing chart, have students do a sort of the tools that can be used for each stage.
Skill Lesson through direct instruction and modeling (30 minutes):
1. RAFT: Tell students that they have just left college and have landed their first job with the National Marine Sanctuary Program. It is their job to convince others that the shipwreck they evaluated in the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary should become a national landmark and national monument due to its historical and cultural significance. In the persuasive argument, students should not only refer to the National Park Service criteria, but also to #12 and #18 on the
Frequently Asked Questions webpage to highlight the benefits, both to the vessel and to the public, of designation. Also, students should include information about why shipwrecks are historically significant and what people can learn by preserving them. Students will create essays to present their ideas. Remind

students to keep the criteria in mind. Also, remind students that they are trying to persuade the selection committee to select that particular shipwreck.
2. Show students samples of persuasive essays with their rubrics and discuss the techniques of persuasion.
3. Model a persuasive essay using another topic as an entire class activity.
Active Literacy (This part of the lesson will last for the duration of the unit assignment —could be two or three weeks)
1.
Students write rough drafts using information gained during research phase.
2.
Students conference with a peer using the rubric for the essay and
Praise, Question, Polish
3.
Turn in rough drafts for conference with teacher
4.
Students rewrite based on conferences
5.
Students edit using CUPS
Post Literacy (45 minutes): Students share their persuasive arguments with the class.
Reflection (Suggested time 5 minutes): How can you use persuasive techniques in your daily life?
Materials Needed: Attached handouts
1. Compare Contrast Graphic Organizer
2. Process Writing Chart