Year 9 Persuasive Writing Unit – World Cup Focus
Lesson Pre-Planning
NOTE: a lesson may be 40 minutes, 60 minutes, 120 minutes. Before you plan, think about the time frame for the "lesson".
Topic:
1. What are the success criteria for this lesson?
By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:
Consider an important issue surrounding current events (World Cup)
Take part in a debate presenting one point of view.
Write a piece of persuasive writing in the form of a letter.
Use formal writing and persuasive techniques
2. What are the main teaching practices for this lesson? (Refer to p34-35 NZC)
EG
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I will create a supportive learning environment by encouraging the sharing and consideration of different ideas (even if you don’t agree with the point of view)
I will encourage reflective student thought and action by
I will enhance the relevance of new learning by
I will facilitate shared learning by
I will make connections to prior learning by
I will provide sufficient opportunities to learn by
I will inquire into student learning when I
3. How will you see the key competencies occurring within this lesson? How will you make explicit their relevance for the
students’ future? (Refer to p12-13 NZC)
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Students will be thinking when they actively engage in a debate
Students will be using language, symbols and text when they write a letter
Students will demonstrate management of self when they plan their letter carefully and use time at home to find more information about their topic
Students will relate to others when they discuss their point of view with other members of the group (for their debate)
Students will participate and contribute when they take part in a debate
UNIT PLAN
TITLE: Writing Letters
J.Pope 2009
SUBJECT:
English
YEAR: 9
CROSS-CURRICULAR LINKS:
TOPIC: Persuasive Writing
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------VISION: What do you want for your learners in relation to this unit? WHAT IS IMPORTANT AND THEREFORE WORTH SPENDING TIME ON
To debate and write persuasively – focussing on debating and persuasive writing techniques
PRINCIPLE/BIG IDEA: What are the large issues underpinning your unit? What is important and worth spending time on?
To consider different points of view relating to issues surrounding the soccer world cup
VALUES: What values do you want modelled in your classroom as your students engage in this unit of work? What values do you want your students to appreciate in the wider community?
innovation, inquiry, and curiosity, by thinking critically, creatively, and reflectively
diversity, as found in our different cultures, languages, and heritages
equity, through fairness and social justice
ACTION: What is the overall activity for this unit- what will be the product?
Writing a piece of persuasive writing
J.Pope 2009
CONTEXT: Football World Cup in South Africa
TIME FRAME:
weeks 8 – 10.
RESOURCES NEEDED:
newspapers for SSR
COMMUNITY LINKS:
Discussion with parents about ideas (especially if are receiving the Herald at home for free)
SKILLS:
Reflection; identifying and responding to issues; asking questions – the 5 Ws and the H; SSR; letter writing skills
COMPETENCIES STUDENTS WILL NEED:
Managing self, relating to others, thinking
FUTURE FOCUS:
Help prepare for speaking (speeches) and essay writing
ASSESSMENT OF LEARNING: Did the intended learning take place? How will you find this out?
Peer evaluation, discussion after debating, teacher feed-forward on letter writing
J.Pope 2009
LESSON PLAN
DO NOW
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SSR – reading letters from the editor and other articles from the Herald about the soccer world cup.
LESSONS
Will involve:
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Discussion and debate of issues around the world cup soccer that have been brought up in SSR as well as teacher initiated ideas.
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Thinking skills e.g. Plus/Minus/Interesting; Y-charts; 5W’s and H etc.
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Teaching of debating.
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Teaching of how to write a letter to the editor (structure, vocabulary, formality etc)
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Formative assessment of letter writing in pairs, groups, individually with peer evaluation and teacher feed-back / forward.
SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT
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J.Pope 2009
Writing a letter to the editor of the NZ Herald on a topic in relation to the soccer world cup..
WEEK 1
KC – managing self
Lesson 1
Have I set myself an
achievable goal?
Introduce Unit – persuasive writing.
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Go over vision of learning: to present an opinion / argument and how to express this opinion convince others to
agree with you in verbal and written forms (debating and writing letters).
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Discussion and understanding of success criteria for summative assessment – what they must do by the end of
the unit.
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Teachers to go over Asstle writing results to help students understand what it means and each student to make 1
goal for themselves to achieve by the end of the unit in terms of writing.
Lesson 2,3,4
KC – thinking, using
language symbols and
What is a letter to the editor?
text
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DO NOW – reading of letters to the editor first 10 minutes of lesson.
Can I recognise
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Students to explore language, structure, persuasive writing techniques, build word banks, salutations,
persuasive language?
connectives.
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Use cloze exercises, word finds, quizzes, crosswords, starter sentences, letter scaffolds etc.
WEEK 2
KC – thinking, managing
Lesson 5
self
What do I think about
Theme focus – World Cup Soccer
what I am reading?
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Introduce World Cup Soccer (view you tube news clips, read newspaper articles)
What have I found about
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Complete 5 W’s and H / Y-chart activities to start students thinking about this event.
this topic in my own time?
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Homework – research Soccer World Cup
J.Pope 2009
Lesson 6, 7, 8, WEEK 3 – Lesson 9
KC – thinking, using
language, symbols and
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DO NOW – reading of letters to the editor (1 each day=4) for first 10 minutes of lesson and complete an activity on
text, relating to others,
punctuation or verb tense or grammar based on this letter (to help with accuracy).
managing self
Scaffolded discussion of ideas from letter. Use PMI’s, 3 level guide, think pair share, answering comprehension
What do I think about
questions etc activities to get students thinking about ideas about World Cup.
what I am reading?
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Identification of persuasive writing techniques, vocabulary learned in Week 1.
Can I recognise and use
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Use scaffolded structure of letters for students to write individual, pair or group responses to discussed ideas.
persuasive language?
Responses must develop over the week into at least 1 formative letter to the editor.
What have I found about
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Opportunity at end of this time period for peer evaluation of writing.
my topic in my own time?
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Homework – research more information about discussed ideas.
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Lesson 10
KC – managing self
Have I used my time
Research
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Linked to last week’s homework – time to research in library or computer lab about Soccer World Cup Issues
Lesson 11, 12
wisely to find enough
information?
KC – thinking, using
language, symbols and
Debating
text, participating and
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DO NOW – continue with punctuation, verb tense or grammar based activities.
contributing
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Go over basic debating rules and give students time to prepare for or against ideas from last week.
Am I thinking about what I
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Have a go with some of these debates ensuring at least 3 points are presented for each side and students are
say?
using persuasive language.
Have I used persuasive
(These points could be used to develop letters to the editor.
language?
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Have I had a go?
J.Pope 2009
WEEK 4
KC – thinking, managing
Lesson 13,14,15,16
self, relating to others,
using language symbols
Writing your letter
and text
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DO NOW – revision of letter to the editor writing skills
Am I thinking carefully
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From previous debates or discussions about ideas students must choose an issue / idea about the World Cup
about what I am writing?
they want to write about.
Am I putting my best work
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Planning and researching support and details of their argument.
forward?
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Drafting of letter.
How could I improve what
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Peer evaluation / teacher checking.
I have done?
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Publication of letters (in class or in computer labs)
Have I helped someone
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Editing (using checklist – especially punctuation, verb tenses, grammar)
else in my class?
Have I used persuasive
language?
WEEK 5
KC – managing self
Am I finding appropriate
Reading Logs
material to read?
NOTES
 This unit aims to start in Week 7 – 1 week before the World Cup Starts and run until Week 11 (end of Term 2)
 Teachers will create their own specific lesson plans for each lesson.
 Resources are not available yet. Teachers will share resources they find – everyone will contribute at least 1 article to a pool of relevant
articles, interesting you tube news items or clips of games etc to make life easier for all of us!
J.Pope 2009
OUTLINE
WEEK 1
Introduce topic / task / make goal
How to write a letter to the editor
How to write a letter to the editor
How to write a letter to the editor
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SSR
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SSR
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SSR
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Persuasive writing techniques
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Persuasive writing techniques
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Persuasive writing techniques
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Structure
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Structure
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Structure
WEEK 2
Introduce theme
Reading World Cup letters
Reading World Cup letters
Reading World Cup letters
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SSR – letter 1
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SSR – letter 2
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SSR – letter 3
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Punctuation / verb tense
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Punctuation / verb tense
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Punctuation / verb tense
practise
practise
practise
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Thinking skills / analysing ideas
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Thinking skills / analysing ideas
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Thinking skills / analysing ideas
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Structured writing
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Structured writing
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Structured writing
WEEK 3
Reading World Cup letters
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SSR – letter 4
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Punctuation / verb tense
Research
Debating
Debating
Writing your own letter
Writing your own letter
Writing your own letter
practise
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Thinking skills / analysing ideas
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Structured writing
WEEK 4
Writing your own letter
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J.Pope 2009
Drafting
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Drafting
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Peer evaluation
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Editing
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Publication