Unit of Study: Writing Persuasive Feature Article
Mini Lesson: Writers prepare to write persuasive feature articles by immersing themselves in examples
of the genre and creating a list of what they notice
Materials: notebook, sample persuasive articles (TFK Homework Helper: To Drill or Not to Drill and
Brand-Name Schools), guiding questions
Connection:
Writers, you did such a wonderful job writing your content area research papers. Your published pieces were so professional
and well put-together. Now we will be moving on to a brand new unit called persuasive feature article. We will be looking
deeply into how to make our writing persuade, or convince, someone of a specific opinion.
Teaching:
Skill:
Today I will be teaching you how to prepare to write a persuasive feature article
Strategy:
We will do this by exploring examples of persuasive writing and creating a list of what we notice
Reason:
Writers do this because it helps them get their minds geared toward the kind of writing they will be doing.
Demonstration:
Let’s take a look at this first article called “To Drill or Not to Drill.” As we look it over, we can use these guiding questions to
direct our thinking:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
What is the idea that is featured in this feature article?
What do we notice about feature articles?
How is the writer trying to persuade the reader?
What features are present and how do they help the reader?
How does the article begin? How does the article end?
What types of evidence are included?
How are the paragraphs organized?
(Use the guiding questions and think aloud the answers for students)
Active Engagement:
Ok, now you try it. With your partner, take a look at the second article I gave you called “Brand-Name Schools.” Together,
explore the guiding questions as you look at the article. Discuss what you will write down for your responses.
Link:
So to recap, remember that good writers explore persuasive texts to help get them familiarized with the genre and prepare to
write a persuasive piece.
Share:
Partners share their thoughts on the purpose of persuasive writing
Assessment:
Published pieces, behavior checklist, conferences
Persuasive Writing Guiding Questions
What is the idea that is featured in this feature article?
What do we notice about feature articles?
How is the writer trying to persuade the reader?
What features are present and how do they help the reader?
How does the article begin? How does the article end?
What types of evidence are included?
How are the paragraphs organized?
Unit of Study: Persuasive Feature Article lesson 2
Mini-Lesson Title: Writers prepare to write persuasive feature articles by investigating mentor texts and marking text on the margins for
writer’s craft in this genre
Materials: sample texts (To Drill or Not to Drill & Brand-Name Schools)
Connection: (How does this connect with previous lesson or classroom work?)
Writers, yesterday we explored a couple of persuasive feature articles to examine the kind of writing we will be doing in this unit.
We took a look at several features and characteristics we noticed about this kind of writing to prepare ourselves to write in the
same way.
Teaching:
Skill: (teach you that you can)
Today I am going to teach you that writers continue to prepare to write persuasive feature articles
Strategy (by):
by continuing to investigate mentor texts and mark the text in the margins where they notice writer’s craft
Reason (because…)
We do this because examining expert writing is a great way for us to be better writers. When we explore good writing examples,
we can be sure that we have a strong understanding of that type of writing for when it comes time for us to write in that way.
Demonstration (How will you model?)
Let me show you what I mean. Let’s look back to the article we explored yesterday about drilling. Notice how there is writing in
the margins? This writing is commenting on this author’s craft, or style. It identifies the way this author wrote and why the author
wrote in that way.
Let’s take a look at some of the comments that were made. (Go over comments on the TFK HW Helper article thinking aloud the
important aspects of author’s craft and linking it to good persuasive writing.)
Active Engagement: (What can students do to practice strategy?)
Ok, Writers, now it’s time for you to try it. With your partners, please take a look at the other article from yesterday, “Brand-Name
Schools.” As you reread and discuss the article with your partner, jot down notes in the margins identifying the craft or style of
writing the author used. Do you notice any similarities to the craft used in the drilling article? Any differences? Remember to think
about what makes this good persuasive writing. Good luck!
Link: (Summary of mini-lesson and now add this strategy to your repertoire)
So remember, good writers prepare for writing persuasively by closely examining mentor texts. This allows them to truly
understand what writing in that genre means and gets them ready to write in that way as well!
Differentiation:
Strong writers:

Ask them to further compare and contrast the author’s craft in both texts examined. How do the differences and
similarities make the articles more or less persuasive? What craft strategies do they think they will use in their writing?
Why?
Struggling writers:

Encourage them to look at the notes in the first article and directly compare them to the second. Go feature by feature
(title, paragraph by paragraph) to help them identify whether the craft strategies used are the same or different.

If students are still struggling, point out specific parts in the article you want them to look at for craft to further guide
them
Share: (What did you practice/notice? What worked well?)
Have students share what craft strategies they felt had the most impact on convincing the reader of his/her opinion
Assessment
published pieces, behavior checklist
Name: ____________________________
#3-4
Objective: You will understand that great writers generate a list about issues or problems they
encounter and would like to change.
Issues at home
Opinion
Example:
Chores
I do not think I should have more chores than
my sister.
Issues at school
Example: School lunch
Issues in your
neighborhood
Example: Places to play
Issues in the world
Example: Pollution
Opinion
I think they should have healthier options at
lunch.
Opinion
I think they should clean up the park so that I
will have more places to play.
Opinion
Everyone can do their part to help clean up the
world.
Unit of Study: Persuasive Feature Article
Mini-Lesson Title: Writers choose one idea to develop by answering reflective questions
Materials: guiding questions/reflective questions sheet, notebook
Connection: (How does this connect with previous lesson or classroom work?)
Yesterday you did a great job looking at some mentor texts and answering some reflective questions based on if you
were going to be writing a persuasive feature article on that topic.
Teaching:
Skill: (teach you that you can)
Today, I am going to show you some persuasive topics you can choose from for the feature article you will be writing
Strategy (by):
After you choose your topic and which side you will be arguing, you will answer those same reflective questions you
practiced responding to yesterday.
Reason (because…)
Writers do this because it ensures us that we are making the right choice for our piece. If we are able to comfortably
answer the reflective questions, we know that we have the passion and prior knowledge on the topic to write
persuasively about it.
Demonstration (How will you model?)
Here are the topics you have to choose from. Remember, you are not only choosing one of these topics, but you are
choosing which side of the argument you will be supporting.
The topics are:

Should boys and girls learn apart?

Should students go to school year round?

Should students have homework over holiday breaks?

Should toys be banned from Happy Meals?
Take a minute or so to think about each of these topics. Here are some questions you should be asking yourself to be
sure you are choosing a topic that is right for you:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Which one of the topics do I already know the most about?
Which topic interests me the most?
Which topic to I have the most information to support?
Are the reasons I have in my head to support the argument strong reasons?
(Think aloud how to answer these questions to help you make your choice.) Do you see how I really thought about these
topics and didn’t just pick the one that sounds the coolest? Be sure you are making a choice that is right for you!
Active Engagement: (What can students do to practice strategy?)
Hand out sheet. Once you have really thought about the options and have made your choice, write it down on your
sheet. Now, answer the first question completely. I will come around to make sure you are really thinking about your
response.
Link: (Summary of mini-lesson and now add this strategy to your repertoire)
So remember, Writers, making the choice about what you will be writing about is an important one. Be sure you really
think about what is going to work best for you by answering these reflective questions. During independent writing
time, finish responding to these questions and hand them in to me. Then you may free-write for the rest of the time.
**(Collect the papers to know how many copies of the research info you should make for each topic.)
Share: (What did you practice/notice? What worked well?)
Partners share what topic they are choosing and why they are choosing it.
Assessment
Participation checklist; conferences; published pieces
Name:
Choosing Your Persuasive Topic:
Guiding Questions
Take a close look at each of the topics you have to choose from:




Should
Should
Should
Should
boys and girls learn apart?
students go to school year round?
students have homework over holiday breaks?
toys be banned from Happy Meals?
Now answer the following questions in your head to help you make your choice:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Which one of the topics do I already know the most about?
Which topic interests me the most?
Which topic to I have the most information to support?
Are the reasons I have in my head to support the argument strong reasons?
After taking some time to think about it, write your topic choice below:
The topic I chose to write persuasively about is:
I am trying to persuade my reader that:
Now flip this page over and answer the reflective questions about your chosen topic.
Name:
Choosing Your Persuasive Topic:
Reflective Questions
Why is this topic interesting to me?
Who are my readers (who am I trying to convince)?
What do I want my readers to understand about this topic? What is my purpose or big idea?
What do I want to persuade my readers to do or think differently?
If I need to, will I be able to find more information about my topic? Where?
Lesson 6 persuasive article
Connection: (How does this connect with previous lesson or classroom work?)
Yesterday, we talked about how writers choose one idea to develop by answering reflective questions.
Teaching:
Skill: (teach you that you can)
Today I want to teach you how to re read mentor texts to identity the structure of each article.
Strategy (by):
We do this by looking a t model charts
Reason (because…)
This is important because it helps to organize information if it is placed in a modeled structure.
Teach (How will you model?)
Now that we have read the Time For Kids article ”Brand Name Schools” let’s look at how to organize it in a
structured model:
Notice the structure , problem, causes, effects, and call to action that we have identified.
Structure
Problem
Causes
Effects
Call to action
What the text says
Kids pay a price when ads invade classes
-schools are making deals with big companies to bring
big name products and advertisements into schools
-distracting kids from learning
-turning classes into all day commercials
-brainwashing kids
-logos splashed throughout the school
-selling only one brand of a certain product
-schools need to find other ways to earn extra money
Active Engagement: (What can students do to practice strategy?)
Now I want you to try it on your own. (Hand out copies of the article to each student, “Goal: Ending Child
Labor” Fill in the chart attached as best you can.
(SEE ATTACHED)
Link: (Summary of mini-lesson and now add this strategy to your repertoire)
Now we have learned how to Identify information and structure it into a modeled chart. I’m sure you can try this
when you decide on your own topic to identify and organize information.
Share: (What did you practice/notice? What worked well?)
Did you find this helps to organize your thoughts and your information? Did you notice how it helped you identify
specific pieces of information you need to write an article?
Assessment:
Gather students in circle ask Students to share from their model a piece of information.
Look over how students have filled in charts using “Goal: Ending Child Labor”
Chart
(Explain the difference between global and local problems or issues)
“Ending Child Labor” Using the text identify (global problems, solution, call to action, Local
problem, solution)
Structure
What the text says
Global Problem
Solution
Call to Action
Local problem
Solution
Feature article
Connection:
We have been learning about how to write a feature article. I have noticed that many students have been
using the pro and con website. It’s a great site to use, but I have found out that many people believe that
what they read there is factual.
Today I want to teach you that it is important to recognize the difference between fact and opinion
By analyzing whether it can be checked for accuracy
Because when you are writing, you want your persuasive article to be factual in order for others to
believe you
Before Reading
1. Begin class by discussing with students the difference between factual statements and opinion
statements. Explain to students that a factual statement can be verified or proven to be true. An opinion
statement is a personal judgment or an expression of someone’s beliefs or feelings. The word “should”
can be a clue to identifying a statement of opinion.
During Reading
Divide students into groups. Ask each group to create a factual statement and an opinionstatement on
sentence strips to be posted on the board about a specific topic
Assessment: Ask each group to post their fact and opinion statements on the chalkboard for other groups
to categorize. End class by asking students to reflect in their writer's journal. Ask students to answer the
following question in their writer's journal:
Explain how understanding the difference between fact and opinion can help with writing a feature
article.
ENRICHMENT:
Ask half of the class to make a collage of factual statements from magazine clippings. Ask the other half of
the class to make a collage of opinion statements. Post the collages around the room for students to see a
visual representation of fact/opinion concepts.
Persuade through Feature Article
Persuasive Lesson 7
Charts, journals, articles
Connection: (How does this connect with previous lesson or classroom work?)
Yesterday writers we talked about how writers re-read mentor texts to identify the structure of each article.
Teaching:
Skill: (teach you that you can)
Today I want to teach you how writers plan the structure and development for their article.
Strategy (by):
We do this by thinking through the big ideas, outlining how their article will flow, and the availability of resources.
Reason (because…)
This is important because it helps the writer prove their issue.
Teach (How will you model?)
Let’s look at a model: Big Issue Hunger
Structure
What you want to say
Global Problem
Even though worldwide there’s an abundance of food,
people in many countries go hungry..
There are organizations that raise money to provide
food for those in need.
-Teach people to grow their own food in poor conditions
-Provide more equality in regards to food distribution
There are people in Robbinsville who struggle with not
having enough food to eat.
Local restaurants and residents conduct food drives to
gather leftovers and donate canned goods.
Solution
Call to action
Local Problem
Solution
I might ask myself:


What kinds of evidence will you use to prove your issue?
What do you already know about this issue?
Primary Research:
 Who will you interview or survey on your issue if need?
 How will including this person’s opinion help to prove your idea?
 What stories from your life can you use an evidence?
Outside Research:
Active Engagement: (What can students do to practice strategy?)
Using copies of Brand-Name Schools, I now I want you to try it on your own. (Hand out copies of the article to
partners, have them re-read the article and jot down the answers to the following questions:




What do I want my readers to understand about my topic?
What is my purpose or big idea?
What do I want to persuade my reader to think about or do differently?
Will I be able to find information about my topic? Where? Have students brainstorm other options for
further research on their own topics)
Hand out the chart and have them outline their thoughts using their own topic
Link: (Summary of mini-lesson and now add this strategy to your repertoire)
Now we have learned how to chose one idea and develop it by using reflective questions and being able to answer
them. This list of questions will help when you chose your own topic and begin to develop it into an essay.
Share: (What did you practice/notice? What worked well?)
Did you find the questions to help you develop the main idea?
Have a discussion with students who may have chosen not to want Brand name products advertised in their schools
And listen to opposing discussions and opinions
Assessment:
Gather students in circle ask each partnership to provide an answer to one of the questions they completed
Chart
Structure
Problem
Causes
Effects
Call to Action
What do you want to say
Catchy Title For Your Article
This is an easy way to set up your article!
Paragraph One


Set up the issue…what is the
problem?
Don’t give your opinion yet.
Paragraph Two


Explain the opposing viewpoint.
Provide evidence for this
viewpoint.
Paragraph Three


Explain your opinion.
Provide evidence for your
viewpoint.
Paragraph Four

Provide a suggestion about
solving the problem.
Unit of Study: Persuasive Feature Essay
Mini-Lesson Title: Lesson 8: Writers draft their evidence by designing interview questions to ask
specific individuals and scheduling interviews within the next 3 days at school or as part of their homework.
Materials: Charts
Connection: (How does this connect with previous lesson or classroom work?)
We’ve been talking about what we want to say in our articles.
Teaching: Skill: (teach you that you can)
Today I want to teach how to design interview questions.
Strategy (by):
We do this by asking people specific questions about their feelings on our topic.
Reason (because…)
We do this because it allows us to show that other people feel the same way we do about a topic
and their opinions can help support our thesis.
Demonstration (How will you model)
Let me show you what I mean. By using the chart we’ve developed about hunger, I can go back and
think about someone who might be able to help me answer some questions I have to support my
thinking. I would want to talk to someone who knows about my topic, so I was thinking I could talk
to someone who actually works in a food pantry. I could get some ideas about what they see on a
daily basis and find out if what they notice supports my point. It’s almost like being a newspaper
reporter! I have to make sure that my interview questions are specific; I can’t just ask, “What do
you think about this topic?” I also need to make sure I know the person’s title or position, the
organization they work for, and the correct spelling of their full name. I can’t just write “My mom”
as a reputable source!
Structure
Problem
Solution
Interviewee / Interview Questions
Robbinsville Food Pantry
-How many people on average are you providing
food for monthly?
-How has need changed in the last few years?
-Which items are you most in need of?
-Who are your biggest contributors?
Robbinsville Food Pantry
-What are some actions that can be taken to
improve hunger in Robbinsville?
-What are some things that have been successful in
meeting the needs of the community?
Answers to Interview Questions
Another way I can support my thinking is to include a personal story about the topic, about how it
has touched my life. Now, I don’t have to go to the Food Pantry as a customer for my story; I can
understand how good it feels to donate. Check this story out and see if it connects to our topic:
Mini-story: Who, what,
where, when,
On Friday afternoon, I was
sitting at my desk working
on my social studies
timeline when Mr. Deturo,
assistant principal, came on
the loudspeaker and said,
“Congratulations! Pond
How it connects to the idea
Successful food drives like the
one at Pond Road demonstrate
that if we work together, we can
make a difference in reducing
hunger.
Road Middle has raised over
3,000 lbs. of food and other
items to donate to the
Robbinsville Food Pantry
during our first Rachel’s
Challenge Event. You
should feel so proud of
yourselves for helping the
local community.” It made
me think, we could all do
more to end hunger locally
and around the world.
Active Engagement: (What can students do to practice strategy?)
Now, it’s time to practice this on your own… Using your own chart, I would like you to develop
between 3 and 5 questions to ask someone who is familiar with your topic. You will need to
interview that person and get the answers to your questions by (set a date). Also, I’d like you to
start thinking about how you can personally connect to your topic with a story that involves you
directly. That story will be due (set date).
Link: (Summary of mini-lesson and now add this strategy to your repertoire)
So, today we learned that writers interview people to get supporting opinions and sometimes write
a personal story that connects to their topic.
Share: (What did you practice/notice? What worked well?)
Regroup at this time and have your students share some of their interview questions
Assessment: Interview questions, personal story, interview
Mini-Lesson Title: Lesson 9/10: Writers draft their evidence by including information about
quotes, facts, answers from interviews, etc.
Materials: research
Connection: (How does this connect with previous lesson or classroom work?)
We’ve been working on gathering evidence for our articles.
Teaching: Skill: (teach you that you can)
Today I want to teach about using quotes, from text evidence and from your interviews.
Strategy (by):
We do this by using appropriate punctuation and specific language.
Reason (because…)
We do this because it gives us a way to support our own opinions by using evidence from
others who have helped us. Just like in our research papers, we want to make sure we
give special credit.
Demonstration (How will you model)
Let me show you what I mean. I know there are certain things I need to make sure are
accurate when I use an exact quote from either my text or from a person.
Quoting in Persuasive Articles
All quotes should include:






EXACTLY what the person said or
The EXACT fact from the text
The person’s full name
The full name of any organizations mentioned
A description of the person’s job or what the organization supports
How the quote relates to your point
Quotes can also include:



Person’s age (if that matters to the story)
Person or organization’s location (if it matters to the story)
Person’s tone when speaking (Were they happy? Angry? Upset?)
Let me show you with our example:
“The food collected by Pond Road really helped feed families in need in the Robbinsville
community during the holidays. However, we are always in need of food year round,”
stated Jane Doe, a volunteer at the Robbinsville Food Pantry. Obviously, it is important
that we continue to find ways to help others at times other than just the holidays.
Let’s check our list to see if I hit most of the points…yep. That looks like a pretty good
quote.
Active Engagement: (What can students do to practice strategy?)
Now, it’s time to practice this on your own… Using your own evidence, I would like you to
develop a quote, either from the interview or from the text, which supports either your
opinion or the other opinion. Double check your quote against our checklist to see if you
have hit most of the correct points.
Link: (Summary of mini-lesson and now add this strategy to your repertoire)
So, today we learned that writers use quotes to support their opinion on a topic.
Share: (What did you practice/notice? What worked well?)
Regroup at this time and have your students share some of their quotes.
Assessment: quotes, completed article, participation
Unit of Study: Persuasive Feature Essay
Mini-Lesson Title: Lesson 11 Writers select at least 3 text features that will support their readers in
understanding the information being presented and solicit feedback from partners
Materials: charts, notebooks, article “Brand – name Schools”
Connection: (How does this connect with previous lesson or classroom work?)
We’ve been working on gathering evidence for our articles.
Teaching: Skill: (teach you that you can)
Today I want to teach about many different types of text features that will aide you with the
format of your writing. You will also discuss your selections with your writing partner and explain
how these will be included in your persuasive writing.
Strategy (by):
We do this by using identifying three specific types of text features, and then deciding which ones
will best fit the topic we are trying to present.
Reason (because…)
We do this because it gives us a way to easily navigate the information and provides additional
information to help comprehend the article.
Demonstration (How will you model)
Let me show you what I mean. I want you to refer to your article “Brand – Name Schools. Looking at
this article and using your checklist, identify as many of the text features as you can. Also look at
the format of this persuasive article. Did the author include at least three of these text features?
Yes, I can easily see three text features. Now, let’s identify them. In this article we can see
photos, bold print, headings, and subheadings. (Use attached document for this part of the lesson )
Active Engagement: (What can students do to practice strategy?)
Now, it’s time to practice this on your own…you are going to decide which texts features you want in
your article (see attached) then you will take turns with your partner and explain your reasons.
Link: (Summary of mini-lesson and now add this strategy to your repertoire)
So, today we learned that writers use text features to provide additional information to understand
the content.
Share: (What did you practice/notice? What worked well?)
Regroup at this time and have your students share some of their text features.
Assessment: completed charts, partner work, participation.
Text Features for Persuasive Article
Feature
Helps the Reader….
Photos
Understand exactly what
something looks like
Bold Print
By signaling the word is
important and/or found in the
glossary
Understand the word is
important
Italics
Bullets
Emphasize key
points/concepts
Headings
Identify topics throughout the
book as they skim and scan
Subheadings
Navigation through sections
of text
Diagrams
Understand a more detailed
or simplified view of
information
Understand relativity
between elements
Graphs
Charts
Summarize/compare
information
Example from articles
Partner feedback for text features for persuasive writing
This is how I plan on organizing my
feature article:
What do you think will work about this
structure and my idea?
These are the features I plan on including
in my article:
How will these features help you as a
reader?
Is there any feature I am missing that
would help?
Are there any other changes I should
make to help support my idea?
Unit of Study: Writing to Persuade 11-12
Mini-Lesson Title: Writers continue to draft, rereading often and meeting with their partners at least twice while drafting. They
incorporate their partner’s comments and feedback as they continue to draft together.
Materials: paragraph graphic organizers, writer’s notebooks, completed teacher model
Connection: (How does this connect with previous lesson or classroom work?)
Ok, writer’s, we have researched and we have looked at the layout of our information. We are ready to begin drafting!
Teaching:
Skill: (teach you that you can)
Today, I will show you how we are going to draft our persuasive writing
Strategy (by): by using graphic organizers for each paragraph
Reason (because…) we do this because it helps us organize our ideas in a clear way and allows us to put our persuasive
piece together in the way we looked at in previous persuasive articles.
Demonstration (How will you model?)
Day 1: model how to draft intro paragraph using graphic organizer and meet with partner
Days 2: model how to draft body paragraphs using graphic organizer
Day 3 model how to draft closing paragraph using graphic organizer and meet with partner
Active Engagement: (What can students do to practice strategy?)
Have students turn and talk to their partners explaining the importance of each paragraph and what should be included
in it. Listen to conversations to check for understanding.
Link: (Summary of mini-lesson and now add this strategy to your repertoire)
Remember writers, it is important to be organized when drafting persuasive writing so that our information comes
across clearly to our readers. This is why we use graphic organizers for the first draft of our piece.
Day 1: Students draft intro using graphic organizer
Day 2: Students draft body paragraphs using graphic organizer
Day 3: Students draft closing paragraph using graphic organizer
Share: (What did you practice/notice? What worked well?)
Writers share their progress and any questions they have with their partners
Assessment
Participation checklist; conferences; published pieces
Graphic Organizer for Paragraph #1 (Intro)
The writer includes a title in the form of a question
Itro paragraph:


Remember, your intro should include information about your topic such as:
The writer sets up the issue
The writer briefly states the different opinions on the issue or topic.
(The information in your intro should be organized in a way that one sentence flows into the next. You should not just be
writing random sentences that do not connect to one another.)
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
Graphic Organizer for Paragraph #2
The writer explains the opposing viewpoint
Opening sentence (main idea of this paragraph):
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________
Details:
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
Closing sentence
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
Graphic Organizer for Paragraph #3
The writer explains his/her opinion
The writer provides facts to support his/her opinion
Opening sentence (main idea of this paragraph):
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
Details
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
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Closing sentence
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Graphic Organizer for Paragraph #4
The writer continues to explain his/her opinion.
The writer provides facts to support his/her opinion
Opening sentence (main idea of this paragraph):
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Details
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Closing sentence
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Graphic Organizer for Paragraph #5 (Closing)
Closing paragraph:
:
o
o
The writer provides a suggestion about how to solve the problem.
The writer ends his/her paper with an appeal to the reader to help solve the problem.
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Unit of Study: Persuasive Feature Essay
Mini-Lesson Title: Lesson 15 Writers identify craft strategies to hook the reader by investigating mentor articles.
Materials: research
Connection: (How does this connect with previous lesson or classroom work?)
We’ve been working on developing our rough draft.
Teaching: Skill: (teach you that you can)
Today I want to teach about feature article strategies that writers use.
Strategy (by):
We do this by using provocative titles and subheadings, asking rhetorical questions, and bringing in
actual voices of people connected to the topic
Reason (because…)
We do this because it gives us a way to support our opinion for our persuasive topic.
Demonstration (How will you model)
Let me show you what I mean. I know there are certain craft strategies I need to make sure are
included in my feature article writing.
Craft Strategies for Feature Articles
Refer back to article “Brand-Name Schools”
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Notice that the article has provocative titles and subheadings “Kids pay a price when ads
invade class”, and “Pepsi-Only Schools” Provocative meaning “trying to arouse a strong
emotion”
Use the intro paragraph to hook the reader. Take a moment to read the introductory
paragraph. Did the author use a strong introduction to hook you as the reader?
Also notice how the author used a rhetorical question in the subtitle. The author asks,
“What’s the cost?” to let you decide as the reader what brand names in schools are costing
the students.
The author also brings in actual voices of people connected to the topic. In the article you
can see that Dave DiGiacomo , who is a member of the school board in Jefferson County was
interviewed. This gives the article voice.
Active Engagement: (What can students do to practice strategy?)
Now, it’s time to practice this on your own… Using your own rough draft and the conferencing list of
questions, I want you to add these craft strategies to your article.
Link: (Summary of mini-lesson and now add this strategy to your repertoire)
So, today we learned that writers use craft strategies in their persuasive writing.
Share: (What did you practice/notice? What worked well?)
Regroup at this time and have your students share some of their craft strategies.
Assessment: conferencing list, rough draft, teacher observation
Of the different hooks you wrote, how
did you decide which one to use?
What do you want your rhetorical
questions to get the reader thinking
about?
How do you make the reader aware of
the big idea in your article?
Do you have enough or too many quotes?
What solution or call to action did you
offer the reader?
What do you want the reader to believe?
How did you make that clear?
UNIT: Informational Reading/Writing a Feature Article
TOPIC: Writing an Engaging Lead,
One of the ways that we persuade a reader to continue to read our articles is to write an engaging lead
that gives the reader some context or reason for reading piece.
We do this so that we hook them
by choosing a method to want them to read further
because the first impression is often the best Different Types of Leads
It is very important to have an engaging lead to capture the attention of the reader
into your piece. There are many different ways to grab a reader’s attention:
1. Dialogue
2. A scene with a character engaged in an activity
3. A startling argument
4. A contrast
5. A generalization
6. A question
7. An intriguing detail
8. An anecdote
9. A quotation
10. A “face” for an issue or an event
11. A “what-if” or “might-have-been”
12. The effect (of a cause)
Teach:
 Explain to students the importance of writing an engaging lead for the audience.
 On chart paper, share the variety of ways writers engage readers with their leads by using
 either a direct statement, quotation, statistic, an anecdote, dialogue, facts, details,
 question, etc.
 Post the feature articles around the room.
Active engagement:
Arrange students into groups of four.
 Supply each group with a folder of the 8 feature articles.
 Have group members select 2 articles each.
 Ask students to identify the type of lead used in each article. Write the title and type of
 lead on a sticky note.
 Students will read the leads to the group and post the leads to articles posted around the
 room.
 Have students, individually, generate new leads for their feature article drafts.
 Students share leads with a partner or class.
Link: Today we learned ways to hook or entice the reader to want to read more. When you go back to
your desk, check to make sure that the hook you used will help the reader and give an accurate picture of
what your article will be about.
ASSESSING THE LEARNING:
Respond to drafts of feature article
Writing a Feature Article
TOPIC: Revision Strategy - Eliminating the "Dead" W
LESSON OBJECTIVE: Students will revise their feature article by removing all the "dead
words" from their drafts.
RESOURCES AND MATERIALS:
• Chart paper
• Student model of feature article
• Highlighter pens
• Ove rhead projector
• Thesauri
You have been working hard to get your writing to be the best it can be. Many of you are nearing the end
of your persuasive writing pieces. However, I have noticed that some of your writing is a bit, say we say,
repetitive or boring
Today I want to teach you that writers revise to make sure that they do not repeat words and eliminate
“dead or overused words”
by substituting more fluent or “challenging works/mature”
They do this because the reader wants to be enticed while reading a piece
Teach:
1. Ask students the question, "What are dead words?" Discuss with students those dead words
are words used in writing that are not colorful. Dead words don't paint a picture. Dead
words make the writing uninteresting to read.
2. Have students generate a list of dead words on chart paper to hang around the room.
Some examples of dead words are - said, good, bad, happy, ugly, was, were, is, that might be found in
persuasive writing
3. Show students an example of a feature article on the overhead projector.
4. Model this revision strategy by asking students to help you look for dead words in the
article. Underline each dead word found in the article. Ask students to help you to change each
underlined word to a more interesting or active word that paints a better picture and brings their writing
alive.
5. Give each student a highlighter pen. Ask each student to highlight all the dead words in their feature
article draft.
6. Next, ask students to go back and try to change the dead words in their drafts to clearer, more active
words.
7. Show students how to use a thesaurus to find synonyms for underlined words.
Link: At the conclusion of this activity, remind students it is important not to use dead words in
their writing.
Assessment: student’s edited pieces
VOCABULARY: UNIT: Informational Reading / Writing a Feature Article
TOPIC: Choosing a Title
LESSON OBJECTIVE: Students will reflect on and evaluate what is read to choose titles
for articles.
RESOURCES AND MATERIALS:
• titles of feature articles
• examples of students' feature articles
TEACHING STRATEGIES AND TECHNIQUES:
1. Explain to students the importance of creating a title that captures the essence of the piece
and creates the reader's attention.
2. Share a variety of titles with students and discuss aloud the information titles provide.
For example, an article about computers may be titled "The Dangers of Computers,” "The
Long-term Effects of Computers,” "How Dangerous Are Computers?"
3. Put students into pairs. Ask students to read partner's article. After student reads article,
pairs begin to brainstorm titles. Every title that comes to mind should be written down.
4. After brainstorming, the author selects a title.
5. The second student gives his/her article to partner to read.
6. Pairs brainstorm for titles. All titles that come to mind should be written down.
7. Author selects a title.
TECHNOLOGY CONNECTIONS:
Create titles using word processor or a drawing program playing with the size and font. Share
titles with the class and have them to guess the topic of the article.
ASSESSING THE LEARNING:
Observe student conversations around titles.
E5reUnit of Study: Persuade through Feature Article
Mini-Lesson Title: Persuasive Lesson 16-17
Materials: Charts, journals, articles
Connection: (How does this connect with previous lesson or classroom work?)
Yesterday writers used mentor texts to
Teaching:
Skill: (teach you that you can)
Today I want to teach you how to revise your conclusions suggesting how the reader should think or
act. I will also teach you how to included transitions and edit grammar & punctuation using a checklist.
Strategy (by):
We do this by observing ways to shift the Reader’s Beliefs & actions and utilizing a checklist.
Reason (because…)
This is important because it helps guide you edit your paper for meaning and grammar.
Teach (How will you model?)
Let me show you what I mean
You can use this chart to help you edit your conclusion.
Ways to Shift the Reader’s Beliefs or Actions
Statements
What we noticed
Critics say comics are too simple for
Compared two points of view
school. But many teachers give comics using the structure of, “ Some
a good grade for getting their
people say…other people say …”
students to read.
The rest of the article supports
the writer’s opinion.
Craig believes kids can make a
Uses and expert to state a “ call
difference. He has advice for them; “ to action”, giving the reader
Write letters to companies and
something possible he/she can do
government officials. Put pressure on
to bring about change.
leaders to make changes and stop the
misuse of children.”
Active Engagement: (What can students do to practice strategy?)
Now, I want you to try it on your own. (Hand out copies of the chart)
Apply either point of view or reference the author to support your conclusion.
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-Next, you will use transition words into your paragraphs to revise your draft
According to….
On one hand…
On the other hand..
One solution…
However…
Some people say…
Others believe…
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Lastly, writers will edit their papers using a checklist ( see email for checklist).
Link: (Summary of mini-lesson and now add this strategy to your repertoire)
Now that you have edited your draft .
Share: (What did you practice/notice? What worked well?)
Have a few students share a revision they made to their conclusion or share a transition word.
Assessment:
Checklists, drafts and assessments.
Focus Lesson 9:
Purpose:
How to use transitional words and phrases in your writing
Materials:
Student copies of Young Author’s List of Transitions (“Razzle Dazzle Writing” p. 38) – see end of
lesson
Transparency of “Clean Earth”
Essential Question:
How can I make a smooth transition from one idea to another?
Connecting to Background Knowledge/Previous Lesson:
Yesterday we used a graphic organizer to help organize our writing. Today I am going to teach you to
use good transitions so that your writing will not sound choppy.
Modeling/Active Involvement:
Discuss with the kids the word transition. This will let you know if they know what the word transition
means. A transition is like a bridge between two different ideas or two different kinds of writing. Hand
out the student copies of Young Author’s List of Transitions and read over a few of them. Then
display the transparency “Clean Earth” (version 1).Discuss what they notice about the piece of
writing: good lead, uses details, but jumps from one idea to another. Ask the class “What would
happen if we added a transition paragraph?” As a class use the list of transitional words and phrases
and write a transition paragraph. Lastly look at “Clean Earth” (version 2) to see how the author wrote
their transition paragraph. Discuss how it made a difference in his/her writing.
Work Period:
Have students work independently on their persuasive piece. As you confer, check for specific areas
that need transitions in their writing.
Share Time:
Select students who did a great job on adding transitions to their writing.
Note: The chart “Young Author’s List of Transitions” comes from Razzle Dazzle Writing: Achieving
Excellence Through 50 Target Skills by Melissa Forney
Version 1:
Clean Earth
You are walking in your favorite park. Flowers are everywhere and birds are
singing. People are playing in the sparkling, clear creek. The sky is blue and the air is
clean. It is a beautiful day!
The laws in Greenville allow people to throw trash on the ground and not get
punished. Even though there are signs posted that warn people not to throw down
trash, if they do, nothing happens to them.
I think Greenville should pass laws that make it illegal to trash up our city.
We should have police officers walking around to watch to see if people follow these
laws.
If we had laws against polluting, then more people would want to get outside
to play, and if more people played outside then they’d be healthier and not so fat.
The clean air would be good for people’s lungs, unlike the polluted air in Greenville
right now.
If the parks and streets were cleaner it would be safer for animals. Many
times animals eat trash and get sick or even die. Sometimes birds get plastic bottles
or other trash stuck on their heads and then they starve to death. If we had laws
against littering then fewer animals would be hurt.
If there were laws against polluting then more people would want to come
visit Greenville. If more visitors came here then the shops and restaurants would
sell more things and we could make more money for our citizens.
I think Greenville should pass laws outlawing polluting. By having a cleaner
city we could be healthier, our animals would be safer, and we could make more
money for our town.
Version 2:
You are walking in your favorite park. Flowers are everywhere and birds are
singing. People are playing in the sparkling, clear creek. The sky is blue and the air is
clean. It is a beautiful day!
Everyone enjoys walking outside on a beautiful day. Unfortunately, our town,
Greenville, does not look like this! If you were to walk through Greenville, chances
are you’d see trash everywhere, dirty creek water, and polluted clouds in the air.
The laws in Greenville allow people to throw trash on the ground and not get
punished. Even though there are signs posted that warn people not to throw down
trash, if they do, nothing happens to them.
I think Greenville should pass laws that make it illegal to trash up our city.
We should have police officers walking around to watch to see if people follow these
laws.
If we had laws against polluting, then more people would want to get outside
to play, and if more people played outside then they’d be healthier and not so fat.
The clean air would be good for people’s lungs, unlike the polluted air in Greenville
right now.
Also, if the parks and streets were cleaner it would be safer for animals. Many
times animals eat trash and get sick or even die. Sometimes birds get plastic bottles
or other trash stuck on their heads and then they starve to death. If we had laws
against littering then fewer animals would be hurt.
Finally, if there were laws against polluting then more people would want to
come visit Greenville. If more visitors came here then the shops and restaurants
would sell more things and we could make more money for our citizens.
In conclusion, I think Greenville should pass laws outlawing polluting. By
having a cleaner city we could be healthier, our animals would be safer, and we
could make more money for our town.
Purpose:
Writing Effective Conclusions
Materials:
Previously used editorials or mentor texts for persuasive writing
Chart paper
Writer’s notebooks
Essential Question:
How can I use mentor texts to craft effective conclusions?
Connecting to Background Knowledge/Previous Lesson:
Yesterday we worked on making the leads to our persuasive writing interesting and inviting. Today I
am going to teach you how to write a conclusion using mentor texts.
Modeling/Active Involvement:
Using previously read mentor texts and editorials, examine and review different types of conclusions.
You may want to make an anchor chart (this can be made ahead of time) to display the different
types for persuasive writing (see end of lesson). The students can copy this ahead of time in their
writer’s notebook. After reviewing the types of conclusions, examine the mentor texts for the best
conclusions. Think Aloud to the class “What makes this conclusion interesting, effective, or
memorable?” The students can turn and talk with their partner. Also during this time ask students
these questions:
 “What seems to be the purpose of conclusions in the mentor texts?”
 “What did each author do to make the conclusion memorable?”
 “Which ones might work well for your editorials?”
Model for the students 3 different ways you would conclude your persuasive writing referring back to
the anchor chart.
“Today during our independent writing time you and your partner will try 3 different types of
conclusions for your persuasive piece. You will decide which one is the best choice.”
Work Period:
Have students work with their partner and write 3 different conclusions based on the anchor chart the
students copied down in their writer’s notebook. Students can also continue writing independently.
Share Time:
Select students to share their 3 different conclusions and ask which one they chose and why.
Note
Anchor chart for conclusions
Types of Conclusions for Persuasive Writing
 Restate your lead sentence
 Call to action
 Create a positive or memorable image
 Summarize and connect to central message
 Clever or thought provoking comment
Purpose
To use the state rubric for persuasive writing to help students revise their rough drafts
Materials
 Persuasive Writing state rubric, including individual
 copies of the rubric for each student
 Overhead of teacher’s rough draft
 Blank overhead to write revision ideas
 Students’ rough drafts
Essential Question:
How do I use the persuasive writing rubric to improve my rough draft?
Connecting to Background Knowledge/Previous Lesson
“Over the past couple of weeks you’ve been working on many different persuasive writing pieces. Now it’s time
to choose one piece to publish. We are going to take a closer look at our rough drafts and see what areas we
can revise to make them even better. The rubric will help us reflect on how well we did on the writing so far
and what we might be able to improve upon.”
Modeling/Active Involvement
Display the overhead of your own rough draft and read it aloud once. Model looking the rubric category for
“ideas” and “organization”. Tell how you would score yourself and why. (Leave some room for improvement).
Think aloud about how the rubric shows you what you can do to strengthen parts of your draft. On your
persuasive writing, make revisions in the margins or use large sticky notes in places that need more significant
change or elaboration.
Ask the students to talk to their partner about how they think you did regarding the “style” section of the
rubric. As they make suggestions for changes you can make, record these on the margins or on sticky notes.
Explicitly show them how you might add larger sections of text using sticky notes. (This part of revision is very
difficult for some students – if they don’t see an “easy” way to add text, they will simply choose not to. It’s
important for us to provide them with solutions that make revision an easier process).
Repeat this with the “conventions” section of the rubric.
Work Period Ask students to work with partners and look at one rubric category you specify and have them
reread parts of their editorial drafts. Students talk with their partners about how they would score themselves
and how they could improve their writing in that rubric category.
Some questions to consider:
1) Does your lead grab your writer’s attention?
2) Does your draft offer evidence to support your position?
3) Did you use transition sentences to make your position clearer and more convincing?
4) Did you restate your ideas in your conclusion (in a different way than before)?
5) Does your conclusion wrap it up or does it leave more questions?
Tell students to revise their drafts using the rubric and suggestions discussed. Remind them to make
corrections and suggestions in the margins or with sticky notes.
The teacher should use this time to confer with students about their writing or bring small groups of
students together who need more support or specific instruction.
Some students may need more time to choose the piece they will publish and may not be ready to begin
revision. There needs to be flexibility to allow students to complete the assignment at their own pace.
Everyone will not be at the same point in their own writing.
Share Time
Students can share with their “Turn and Talk” partners about one area they chose to revise. Select a few
students to share out to the whole group.
SWDAT vary sentence structure within the persuasive writing
Materials
Teacher’s rough draft (either on chart paper or
overhead transparency)
Anchor chart on varying sentence structure (if
one has been created previously)
Optional: “Razzle Dazzle Writing” (Melissa Forney)
p. 132 – Sentence Variety
Essential Question:
How do I make sure that my sentences are constructed in different ways that will give my writing
interest and rhythm?
Connecting to Background Knowledge/Previous Lesson
“As we’ve been working on our persuasive writings, we’ve learned different ways to make sure our
writing is the best it can be. We’ve looked at our details to make sure they are convincing. We’ve
looked at our word choice to make sure we’ve chosen words that exactly express our meanings.
Today we’re going to look at our sentence structure and make sure that all of our sentences are not
beginning the same. We need to make sure our writing isn’t choppy or monotonous.”
Modeling/Active Involvement
The teacher writes an example sentence on chart paper: “Hershey Kisses are the best candy.” Then
she writes underneath: “Sweet, creamy Hershey Kisses are the best candy.” Discuss how the second
sentence is structured differently with adjectives first. This is only one way that a sentence can be
changed. Have students look at their own rough draft and choose a sentence that they believe they
can change to perhaps include an adjective or two at the beginning. This is an easy way to vary
sentence structure. Depending on your class, you can model changing another sentence – but this
time maybe choose two short sentences and combine them to make a compound sentence.
Whatever is modeled, the students will need to practice the strategy in their own writings.
Active engagement:
Students continue to work on revising their rough drafts. They are encouraged to look specifically at
sentence structure today to improve the quality of their writing. Teacher continues to conference or
work with small groups.
Share Time
Select students to share how they improved their sentence structure. They can read the “before” and
“after” with students contributing ideas of how the sentence