QUARTER 2
Essay Writing:
Voices of Native Youth
Quarter Two Overall Objectives
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The students will learn to use their voices in their writing.
The students will learn about informative and persuasive writing.
The students will learn how to do a newspaper layout.
The students will create a newspaper.
The students will focus their writing on Native American people,
places, events, and issues.
 The students will work successfully in groups.
Notes on Procedures of Lessons
Each week should focus on a different assignment. Two days should be
planned for the computer lab and the rest of the week should take place
in the classroom. Students should know that they are expected to do
some of the work at home, including the reading. The final essays
should always be due during the following week so that students have
time to revise before turning in the essay.
Lesson #1: Outline of the Assignments [1 class hour]
Objectives
1 The students will receive the writing assignments for the quarter so that they
can prepare ahead of time.
2 The students will assist in determining the due dates of the assignments.
Process
1.
2.
3.
During this quarter the students are going to create a newspaper. Each
student will have seven assignments. There is a very strict schedule for
these assignments. Students will receive two days in the computer lab
each week which they can use for researching and typing. The classroom
days can be used for editing, revising, reading, and working on the word
study.
Handout the assignment list. Go over due dates and the assignments.
Students pick out the book they intend to read for the quarter.
Voice of Native Youth
Class Assignments
1.
Informative article about an important geographical location in
the Native American community.
Due on __________.
2.
Informative article about an important issue that Native
Americans are dealing with today.
Due on __________.
3.
Profile article about a successful Native American.
Due on __________.
4.
Opinion article about an important issue that Native Americans
are dealing with today. This is a different issue from the
informative article and will provide a couple of suggested
solutions.
Due on __________.
5.
Words that have affected Native Americans. This is ten words
with a complete word study.
Due on __________.
6.
A comic or word puzzle that is centered on Native Americans.
Due on __________.
7.
A book review on a Native American book.
Due on __________.
Lesson #2: Word Study [1 class hour]
Objectives
1 The students will read and understand unfamiliar words using cueing
systems, phonetic analysis, structural analysis, context clues, word history,
Greek and Latin roots, prefixes, and suffixes.
2 The students will recognize and interpret words with multiple meanings.
3 The students will determine pronunciation, meanings, and alternate word
choices through the use of dictionaries, thesauruses, and electronic tools.
4 The students will demonstrate word meanings through the use of definition,
restatement, example, and comparison/contrast.
Process
1.
2.
As a class discuss the assignment and make a list of words that are
important to the Native American community. Make sure students
understand that they could find new words while doing their research.
There are no duplicate words allowed, so students should sign up with
the teacher as soon as they decide on the words they will be doing.
Additional words are extra credit.
All ten words must be typed and saved into the same folder so that it will
be easier to consolidate the words for the final newspaper.
Lesson #3: Informative Writing [5 class hours]
Objectives
1 The students will learn how to write informative essays.
2 The students will write, type, edit, and revise an informative essay about a
geographical area that is important to the Native American community or
history.
Process
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Mini-lesson about informative writing.
Go to the computer lab to research and choose an important geographical
area in the Native Community. Do not allow doubling of geographical
areas.
Students report to the teacher what geographical area they choose, then
use the hour finding information they can use in their essay.
Students write and type the essay.
In groups, the students edit each other’s essays.
Before turning in the final essay, students will retype the essay. When
turning in the final essay students should turn in all pre-writing and notes.
Lesson #4: Native American Issues [5 class hours]
Objectives
5 The students will write an informative essay on an issue that is specific to
the Native American community.
Process
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
As a class, create a list of issues that are prominent in the Native
American community. If needed, an additional day in the computer lab
should be planned. Students can research for issues the first part of class
and then discuss their findings the second part of class.
Go to the computer lab to research and choose an important issue in the
Native Community. Do not allow doubling of issues.
Students report to the teacher what issue they choose, then use the hour
finding information they can use in their essay.
Students write and type the essay.
In groups, the students edit each other’s essays.
Before turning in the final essay, students will retype the essay. When
turning in the final essay students should turn in all pre-writing and notes.
Lesson #4: Profile Writing [5 class hours]
Objectives
1 The students will learn how to write a profile article.
2 The students will write about a successful Native American.
Process
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Mini-lesson about profile articles. Discuss the small differences between
informative essays. As a class, define what success means. Create a list
of successful Native American people.
Go to the computer lab to research and choose a successful Native
American person.
Students report to the teacher which person they choose, then use the
hour finding information they can use in their essay. Some students may
not be able to find their information on the computer and may require
doing some interviewing. They can spend the hour preparing questions
for their interview.
Students write and type the essay.
In groups, the students edit each other’s essays.
Before turning in the final essay, students will retype the essay. When
turning in the final essay students should turn in all pre-writing and notes.
Lesson #5: Persuasive Writing [7 class hours]
Objectives
3 The students will learn about and write a persuasive essay focusing on an
issue Native Americans deal with and offer solutions.
Process
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Mini-lesson about persuasive writing.
As a class, create a list of issues in the Native American community.
Students will choose three issues that they are interested in and write
down everything they know about the issue and what they think should
be done about it.
Teacher-student conference about the three issues they wrote about and
discuss which of the issues seems to be the student’s strongest.
Go to the computer lab to research the topic that was settled on in the
conference.
Students write and type the essay. The essay should contain at least three
solutions: one that society (beyond the Native American community) can
do, one that the Native America community can do, and one that the
youth can do.
In groups, the students edit each other’s essays.
Before turning in the final essay, students will retype the essay. When
turning in the final essay students should turn in all pre-writing and notes.
Lesson #6: Writing a Book Review [3 class hours]
Objectives
1 The students will learn how to write a book review and will write one on a
Native American book.
2 The students will have read a Native American book.
Process
1.
2.
3.
4.
Mini-lesson about book reviews.
Students write and type the book review.
In groups, the students edit each other’s essays.
Before turning in the final essay, students will retype the essay. When
turning in the final essay students should turn in all pre-writing and notes.
Lesson #7: Comics/Word Puzzles [4 class hours]
Objectives
3 The students will create a comic.
4 The students will create a word puzzle.
Process
1.
2.
3.
4.
Discuss the two options students have: comics and word puzzles. Give
examples of words puzzles students can do: crosswords, word finds,
cryptograms, and even quizzes.
Students decide which assignment they will do.
Students will go to the computer lab for the regular allotted two days
which they will spend doing any typing they need for this assignment or
other assignments.
Students will finish their assignment and turn it in to the teacher.
Lesson #8: Putting It All Together [5 class hours]
Objectives
5 The students will how to and do a layout of a newspaper.
6 The students will determine additional information needed and provide it.
Process
1.
2.
3.
Handout copies of each of the articles written. The students read each of
the articles and determine what they think is front page material. Those
articles are set aside. Students then determine what goes on the second
page, and so forth.
Each group will be assigned a page. Each group will take the articles
determined for that page and resize it (this will require computer days)
and make the articles fit together nicely. This includes any borders or
pictures that may be needed.
Students may do the layout by hand or use the computer, depending on
the materials available.
Lesson #9: Publication and Evaluation [3 class hours]
Objectives
7 The students will publish and assemble the newspaper.
8 The students will evaluate the work they have done.
Process
1.
2.
3.
Either the whole class or just the teacher will make copies of each of the
pages.
The class will assemble the pages together, bind properly if needed, and
distribute the newspaper.
The class will fill out an evaluation form on the paper.