Name: Kim Russo Date: 3/12/14

Cooperating Teacher: Rebecca Burns

Grade Level: 6A Language Arts

Argument Writing: Should Schools Start Later?
Essential Questions
1. How can I effectively convince my audience to take the course of action I am
recommending?
2. How does evidence support an argument?

Common Core State Standards
1. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.6.1.B Support claim(s) with clear reasons and
relevant evidence, using credible sources and demonstrating an understanding of
the topic or text.
2. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.6.1 Engage effectively in a range of collaborative
discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on
grade 6 topics, texts, and issues, building on others ideas and expressing their
own clearly.
3. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.6.1 Cite textual evidence to support analysis of what the
text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
4. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.6.8 Trace and evaluate the argument and specific claims
in a text, distinguishing claims that are supported by reasons and evidence from
claims that are not.

Student Objectives
1. Students will be able to identify the reasons that support both sides of an
argument
2. Students will be able to identify evidence that supports their reasoning
3. Students will be able to write a claim
4. Students will be able to write a counterargument
Prior Knowledge
Students will have been re-introduced to argument writing. The teacher will have
modeled an article for the students in terms of how to pick out the reasons and the
evidence from the article to support the argument.

Materials
1. Should Schools Start Later? article
2. I chart Handout for Should Schools Start Later? article
3. T-Chart for Should Schools Start Later?
4. Steps to Choosing a Side Argument Writing
5. Student-generated reasons
6. Music from an Iphone
7. Pen/Highlighter for each student

Instructional Plan
1. Motivational Beginning: The students will arrive in the classroom and complete
the Do Now activity written on the board, which will direct them to copy down
the nights homework, take out their homework from the night, and grab a
handout on the front table entitled Steps for Choosing a Side Argument
Writing. (5 minutes)
2. Body of Lesson:
a. While checking the homework, students should be filling out what they
remember from the steps on how to choose a side.
b. The teacher will first go over the DO NOW. The teacher will review what
was discussed yesterday, asking students what they remember from
yesterday in terms of some of the vocabulary discussed. (5 min)
c. The teacher will then review the homework by having students share some
of the reasons they will do a walk around. The teacher will play
music, the students will walk around and will stop when the music stops.
They will then turn to the person next to them and share out what they
have. They will complete this one more time and then have the students
sit down. After this is completed, the teacher will have some students
share out to the class. (8 min)
d. The teacher will explain that they are going to be looking at the article,
Should School Start Later? and will be working in groups. She will then
hand out the article Should Schools Start Later?. She will explain that
students are to read through once and then re-read a second time. During
the second reading, they are to circle the reasons, labeling the reasons with
a yes or no to determine the side. As a group, they will discuss what they
have found and then record the reasons on their T chart they are to find
only the reasons during this time. (20 min)
e. After 20 minutes, the teacher will start going over this even if students
have not completed it. The teacher will take it paragraph by paragraph
asking students what they believe the reasons are, having a discussion with
them about the reason they chose. This will ensure that all students are on
the same page prior to starting their I-charts (15 min)
f. As a group, the students will then choose a side for which they would like
to find evidence. After they have chosen their side, they will go back to
the article and highlight the evidence. They will then create their I chart
for their side, writing out the claim, evidence, and counterclaim. (20 min)
g. After all students have completed, the teacher will have one group share
out their I-chart for the No side and another group share out their I-chart
for the yes side. Students will put their charts on the document camera.
The teacher will then go back to the article and circle the correct evidence
for each side (15 min)
3. Closure: The teacher will explain their homework and that the students will be
doing one more day of group work tomorrow before they do this individually.
The teacher will take any questions the students have thus far in the process. (2
min)
Assessment
1. The students will be informally assessed on their ability to participate and
contribute during their group work.

Homework
1. Finish coming up with reasons regarding the question, Should NASA Send
Humans to Mars?