Direct Instruction Lesson Plan

I. Describe the Class

9th Grade ELA class of 45 students, with 25% of them being special needs.

II. Subject/Skill:

Pre-writing an effective argumentative essay.

III. Objective(s)
Students will be able outline an argumentative essay.

IV. Procedures
1. Orientation – This is an introduction to argumentative essay writing. In
this lesson students will begin the pre-writing process by organizing their
thoughts on the provided worksheets. We will focus on effective ways to
build an argument. Being able to persuade is a valuable skill set in
navigating our everyday world. Persuasion is not manipulation, it is being
the ability to give a point of view AND back up your opinions with facts.
Understanding persuasion also helps you recognize when someone is
trying to persuade you, so you can make better decisions. Students will be
expected to clearly state their opinion in a matter and provide three
supporting facts.
2. Presentation –
a. Explain the key pieces of an effective essay using WWH (What is
happening? , What should happen?, and How will we solve it?)
i. Identify the issue. This should answer the question “What
is happening?”
ii. Clearly state your opinion. Demonstrate by using
persuasive essay sentence stems (I believe, In my Opinon,
I’m sure, It is clear, etc.) with an opinion (car companies
should stop making gas powered cars). This section
answers the questions “What should happen?” and is you
claim.
iii. Main Arguments. This makes up the next three paragraphs.
Each paragraph answers the questions How will we solve
it? Each main argument needs to have at least three pieces
of supporting evidence or examples.
iv. Conclusion -
3. Structured Practice
a. The class will listen a TED talk. Talk will be paused at key point
that address the issue, main points and evidence to discuss with the
class.
b. Together the teacher and student will fill out the Argumentative
Essay Worksheet based on the TED Talk. We will identify the
 issue, identity the authors opinion, and identify the first main point
and it’ supporting evidence.

4. Guided Practice – students will complete the remainder of the worksheet,

identify the last two main point and their supporting evidence. They will
also look for the correlation between the evidence and claim. They will
decide if the evidence supports the claim.
5. Independent Practice – Students will select an essay topic from a list
provided and complete the Argumentative Essay Outline.

V. Materials
a. TED Talk – “Inside the Mind of a Master Procrastinator”
b. Argumentative Essay Worksheet (see photo 1 below)
c. Argumentative Essay Outline (see photo 2 below)
d. Pre-selected essay topics.

VI. Grouping Structures

This is a whole class activity.

VII. Modifications
a. Students will be provided with a worksheet that allows them to draw or
bubble outline their argumentative essays
b. Students will be provided a transcript of the TED talk
c. Students will be asked for an additional piece of argumentative essay, to
address counter points of the argument

VIII. Assessment
a. Completion of Argumentative Essay Outline on a topic of their choosing
with at least 80% accuracy (clearly stated issue, main points are supported
by at least two pieces of evidence).
Photo 1
Photo 2