6th Graders Argue About Animal Rights! Acquisition Lesson #2 Learning to WRI ! Li"e a R!A#!

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$sing te%t&based e'idence to de'elo( an argument) Students will develop their position about a topic through research (viewing, listening to/reading a text), identifying a position, using text to identify information that would support that position (claims). Lesson ime) Approximately 2 days
*rerequisite(s) !n addition to those prere"uisites stated in Ac"uisition #esson $% Students &now the authors' purposes for writing informational texts Students also &now and have experience with basic paragraph structure (topic sentence, supporting details, concluding sentence)

+ommon +ore ,tandard-s.) Reading: Informational Text Standards

6RI/ (ite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text. 6RI0 )race and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, distinguishing claims that are supported by reasons and evidence from claims that are not.

!ssential 1uestion)
*ow do readers recogni+e the claims of the author and, when appropriate, counterclaims found in informational text, *ow do writers develop claims and counterclaims evidence to support a position, -hat do students need to learn to be able to answer the !ssential 1uestion, Assessment *rom(t #/ . !dentify the information from an informational text that will support a pro position and information that will support a con position on an issue. Assessment *rom(t #2 . !dentify relevant information from an informational text to create claims that support a position. Assessment *rom(t #2 / -rite a paragraph stating a clear position on the topic of a"uariums, including three supporting claims, and a concluding sentence.

Acti'ating ,trateg3)
)o engage students in a more serious analysis of an animal issue, have students watch the video 0-orld of 1ature 2light of the Asian 3lephant4. 5uring the activating strategy, they will use the 6enn diagram to compare and contrast (Attachment 7 (ompare and (ontrast) the way elephants are treated in Asian and Africa with the way elephants are treated in the 8.S.

4e3 5ocabular3 to *re'ie6) Academic Vocabulary

Activists (onfinement 3xotic 9oats :ealistic Species ;oological

Standards-based Vocabulary:
(laims and counterclaims 2ro and con (ontroversial

eaching ,trategies) )hin&/2air/Share, )hin& Aloud, 9odeling, 5ifferentiated use of <raphic =rgani+ers, 5irectional 1eighbors, Appendix <raphic =rgani+ers (6enn, 2ro/(on, (laims/(ounterclaims) Instructional +hun" #/) *osition and ,u((ort -*ro7+on.
%. #ebrie8 the Acti'ating ,trateg3 !n pairs, the students will share their responses from the video with one another for > minutes. )hen as a class, discuss the treatment of animals in the two different countries in the video (Africa and Asia). As students share their responses, the teacher will record them on the Smart ?oard. )eacher will lead a discussion generali+ing on how animals (not @ust elephants) are treated in the 8.S. versus how there are laws to protect animals in the 8.S., e.g., 9ichael 6ic&A cows are food here, but sacred in !ndiaA dogs are pets in the 8.S. but are food in AsiaA etc. eacher note) )he purpose of this is to help students see that animal rights issues do not always have clear/cut positions. -hile most students will agree that torturing animals is 0wrong,4 the definition of 0torture4 is not always clear/cut (e.g., chic&en fights). 9(tional) Re'ie6 erms *ro7+on )eacher will clarify (review) the terms pro (B=:) and con (A<A!1S)) with the students by as&ing them to stand up at their seat and say, 0-e are going to do a 0#iving 2oll.4 Cou are going to physically line up so that your position on an issue is reflected by where you physically stand. 5o you agree with the way the elephants were treated Dgive one example from the video, such as 0in !ndia4E. !f students agree, they need to go to the left side of the room with a giant sign that is titled 02:=S4, because they are B=: the treatment of elephants as shown in the video. !f students disagree with how they were treated, they need to move to the right side of the room with a sign mar&ed 0(=1S4, because they are A<A!1S) the treatment of elephants as shown in the video. After students move to the side of their choice, they will be as&ed to ta&e the next F minutes to list all the good ways the elephants were treated if they moved to the 02:=4 side and list all the bad or negative ways the elephants were treated if they moved to the 0(=14 side. ( eacher note) !B students are unevenly splitGor, more li&ely, all say the animals were not treated properlyGthen the teacher needs to offer some positives about the treatment of elephants.) After the time is up, the teacher will direct the students to move bac& to their seats. )he teacher will as& one student from each side to read the positives from the video that support the pros or negatives from the video that support the con position. )hen the teacher needs to revisit with students how animals are viewed in the 8S by @ust reading over some of the previous notes from the video in the activating strategy. Re'ie6 and +om(lete Gra(hic 9rgani:er At this time, students will be handed a graphic organi+er titled, 02ros H (ons 5efined4 (Attachment I 2ros H (ons 5efined) and the article titled, 03lephant 5ebate #ive in ;oo or :oam Bree4 (USA Today) http //usatoday>J.usatoday.com/tech/science/2JJK/%J/>%/elephants/ +oosLx.htm ( eacher note )eachers can use the article 0;oos . <ood or ?ad,4 by Sara Berguson at this stage.) :emind students that their 0living poll4 as&ed them to ta&e a position @ust based on viewing a video, but that they will remember that they should have more information in order to craft a true 0argument4 for or against the treatment of elephants. 3xplain that they are going to read an article that will help them gather more information they can use to generate claims that will support their position.

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+lari83 de8inition of 2ro (definition information B=: a particular position or belief) and write the definition of a (=1 (definition information that can be used A<A!1S) a particular position or belief). ( eacher note pros and cons are not value/laden terms. )hey are not inherently good or bad. )hey @ust support or oppose a position/stance.) As the teacher gives the students the definition, she will as& the students to write an example for each on their graphic organi+er. )eacher will as& for a few students to share their examples and then will be as&ed to ta&e out two different highlighters (a blue and a yellow). 0)he blue highlighter4 the teacher will say, 0is going to be used to highlight the 2ros (information that would support the position that +oos are a good place for elephants), and the yellow is going to be used to highlight the cons (information that would support the position that +oos are 1=) a good place for elephants) from our article.4 eacher note As students are reading, the teacher can encourage them to use stic&y notes and/or any other good reader strategies that would assist them with comprehending the text. (Some things that students could possibly record for understanding are unfamiliar vocabulary, connections, and other interesting facts).

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Guided Reading )eacher will read the article with the students and will stop after each paragraph to highlight and review the pros (0for +oos4) and cons (0against +oos4) that were read or the teacher reads and models via thin&/aloud the first couple of paragraphs, and then 0invites4 students to thin&/aloud and annotate certain paragraphs. After reading the ma@ority of the article, the teacher will then as& the students to read the remainder of the article independently (or in pairs) and highlight the pros and cons they read. #i88erentiation )eachers can pre/record articles for students who need that accommodation. Assessment *rom(t #/) !dentify the pros (information that says +oos are a good place for elephants) and cons (information that could be used to argue that +oos are not good for elephants) in an article, highlighting the pros in blue and the cons in yellow. (See teacher note in $M above).

Instructional +hun" #2) Identi83ing +laims

%. Re'ie6 +laims7+ounterclaims (from Ac"uisition #esson $%) )eacher returns highlighted article (03lephant 5ebate4 of Berguson article) along with the (laims and (ounterclaims =rgani+er (Attachment # (laims and (ounterclaims =rgani+er). )he teacher will state, 0-hen we were debating, we have already tal&ed about claims in a text that support the author's position and the reasons and evidence to bac& up those claims. 1ow we are going to apply those same s&ills to a written argument. Cesterday you loo&ed at the pros and cons for &eeping elephants in +oos. 8sing this article, let's identify some of the claims the author ma&es about +oos. -hat are the claims for &eeping +oos, -e have already highlighted the things the author says about +oos. Some of you, for example, underlined or highlighted, N;oos are wor&ing hard to prevent problems such as arthritisOreplacing hard floorsOmay be easier on elephant feet.' =n our <raphic =rgani+er, we would list this information on the side of the claim (information that supports &eeping +oos).4 )eacher models one (or two) claims for outlawing +oos, which become counterclaims, such as 0hard floors are not good for elephants.4 )eacher will model (via thin&/aloud) the one (or two) claims and counterclaims for &eeping +oos by listing it/them on the Smart ?oard. 8sing their highlighted articles, students then fill in claim $ > (and possibly $2) for both the claim (0for +oos4) and counterclaim (0against +oos4) side of &eeping elephants in the +oo <raphic =rgani+er (part of Assessment 2rompt 2, below). ,tating a *osition 9odel how students can prioriti+e the claimsGevaluate which are the most powerful or important claims. Stress that students will disagree on these, which is o&ay. )ell students this prioriti+ation will help them decide on a position, and then model crafting a position statement. *ave the students fill in the section that as&s for their opinion and the reason for them having that opinion. ?e sure students understand that they do not need to stic& to the position they selected on the previous day.

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Assessment *rom(t 2) !dentify relevant information from an informational text to create claims that support a position. D)eacher will chec& all students' responses on Attachment # (laims and (ounterclaims =rgani+er to be sure they have completed them appropriately.E >. ,hare *osition ,tatements) After completing Assessment 2rompt 2, above, the teacher can select a few random students in the class to share their position on +oos and how elephants are treated, referring to the one piece of evidence students felt was most important to support their position. ;odeling argumentati'e (aragra(h) )eacher models ta&ing the information from the <raphic =rgani+er and using it to write an argument paragraph. )eacher can select pro or con position, or have students vote. )he teacher 0thin&s/aloud4 the process of deciding to select either the claims/pros or the cons/counterclaims reasons to support a position. )eacher continues to model using the position statements as the topic sentence of the paragraph. )eacher continues to model transferring the information in the claims (or counterclaims) column to the 0support4 for the paragraph. )eacher can 9=53# by example and thin&/aloud inserting 0claims4 that are 0opinion4 and not text/based. Students need to be reminded that argument is evidence/based and not opinion/based. =ptional Add transition words between supporting claims. =ptional :emind students that closing statements should go beyond repetition of the position statement. +ollaborati'e *aragra(h !n pairs, students complete paragraph arguing the opposite position (if teacher modeled with 0pro +oos,4 students write a 0against +oos4 paragraph) with a clear position, three claims, and a conclusion. #i88erentiation Bor students needing additional support, scaffold sentences with modified clo+e (e.g., ;oos should be LLLLLLLLLL because LLLLL, etc.). Bor students needing a challenge, encourage them to find alternative word choices to 0outlawed4 or other words directly stated on the <raphic =rgani+er.

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A((l3ing 4no6ledge o8 +laims and *ositions in Argumentation )ell students that, in order to transfer understanding of positions and claims to a new tas&, they will be using the same procedures and claims outline for the topic of a"uariums. 7. Read e%t) <ive students a copy of text on the pros and cons of a"uariums and marine par&s 9enard, 9. H ='(onnor, 7. (9onday, April 2F, 2J%%). 2ro H (on 5oes <eorgia A"uarium dolphin show serve learning, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Accessed 7uly >%, 2J%2 http //www.a@c.com/news/news/opinion/pro/con/ does/georgia/a"uarium/dolphin/show/serve/l/nPsxS/. eacher note) )he text provides very specific and detailed information for both sides of the issue. )he teacher will li&ely need to guide students through this text. Alternate texts can be provided (see Attachment 6 Bact Sheet for additional information and sources). Bollow normal classroom protocols for reading the text aloud or silently or in other configurations (2A#S, :eciprocal )eaching, etc.). Q. Identi83 *ros and +ons In8ormation After reading the text, have students identify (via highlight, underline, or note ta&ing) the pros and cons of &eeping a"uatic animals in commercial a"uariums (the pros and cons are listed as such, but students can still identify and evaluate the strength of the claims for both sides). R. *ro7+on&+laim) )eacher will next direct students to select pros/cons and transfer them to Attachment # (laims and (ounterclaims =rgani+er. )hen students prioriti+e claims and write a position statement. %J. Write Argument *aragra(h) Students write an argumentative paragraph as modeled and practiced in items M and F above. Students should do part or all of this assignment independently or with a partner (teacher choice, based on student needs). Students will end by sharing their argument paragraphs aloud. Assessment *rom(t 2) Analy+e a text (02ro H (on 5oes <eorgia A"uarium dolphin show serve learning,4) and write a paragraph using the same format as modeled with +oo paragraph state a clear position supported by three text/based claims and a conclusion. ()eacher will then collect the paragraphs to see how students constructed their response and see if more instruction and modeling is neededGdepends on prior instruction and students' needs. !t is important that students have success with this activity before going on to next lesson series.) #i88erentiation 6arious alternative articles and videos could be used for the independent part of the module. =ther sub@ects such as circuses or other 0nature exhibits4 could also be used in lieu of a"uariums. Students can use text/to/speech software, oral presentation, bulleted list, etc.

6th Graders Argue About Animal Rights! Acquisition Lesson #2 WRI ! Li"e a R!A#!R
Acquisition Lesson *lan +once(t) Synthesi+e information from reading and print/audio/video materials to develop a convincing argumentative essay. Lesson ime) > days *rerequisites)
!n addition to those prere"uisites stated in Ac"uisition #essons % and 2 Students are familiar with transition phrases and how to transition to a new paragraph. Students are familiar with basic essay components including introductions, and body/support paragraphs.

+ommon +ore ,tandard-s. !%(licitl3 aught) Writing Standards

6W/ -rite arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence. 6W/a . !ntroduce claim(s) and organi+e the reasons and evidence clearly. 6W/b . Support claim(s) with clear reasons and relevant evidence, using credible sources and demonstrating an understanding of the topic or text. 6W/c . 8se words, phrases, and clauses to clarify the relationships among claim(s) and reasons. 6W/d . 3stablish and maintain a formal style. 6W< . 2roduce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organi+ation, and style are appropriate to tas&, purpose, and audience. 6W= . 5raw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research. 6W=b . Apply grade K :eading standards to literary nonfiction (e.g., 0)race and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, distinguishing claims that are supported by reasons and evidence from claims that are not4).

!ssential 1uestion)
*ow do writers craft an argument, demonstrating an understanding of the topic by supporting a position with clear claims bac&ed up by logical reasons and relevant evidence, -hat do students need to learn to be able to answer the !ssential 1uestion, Assessment *rom(t #/) !dentify specific phrases from the model essay and explain why these phrases meet the criteria of a 0M4 on the writing rubric. Assessment *rom(t #2 5raft the introduction for an argumentative essay for or against a"uariums. ?e sure the introduction includes a clear position and clear claims to support that position. Assessment *rom(t #2) 5raft one body paragraph for the essay for or against a"uariums, including a claim bac&ed by reasons and evidence for that claim.

Acti'ation ,trateg3)
:efer students bac& to the previous reading activity, which focused on the pros and cons of +oos or a"uariums (the +oo pros and cons should be on giant signs). -ith a partner, students will write a simile comparing a +oo or a"uarium to something positive or negative. ()eacher can provide sentence frames such as 0#iving in a +oo is li&e LLLLLLLLLLLL4 =: 0#iving in an a"uarium is li&e LLLLLLLLLLL4). After creating similes, students will pair/ shareGteacher will select several students to share aloud.

5ocabular3 to Re'ie6) Standards-based vocabulary:

:easons 3vidence (laims Argumentation

eaching ,trategies)
<raphic organi+ers and sentence frames

Instructional +hun" #/)

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e%t&>ased Writing

Introduce the tas" After the activating strategy is complete, F minutes, the teacher will introduce the tas& ahead. Students will learn about the process of ta&ing an argumentative paragraph and expanding it into an

argumentative essayGadding evidence to bac& the claims that support a position for or against marine a"uariums or marine par&s. )he students will learn about this process by 0helping4 the teacher expand a paragraph on +oos from #esson 2 before students will create their own paragraphs on a"uariums into an argumentative essay. You have been invited to submit an essay for publication in the school ne spaper! defending your position on the follo ing "uestion# Do you thin !e should have a"uariums or do you thin !e should outla! a"uariums and marine #ar s$ Your $ob is to convince the readers that your position is valid and orthy of their agreement based on reasons and evidence from reliable sources provided. 2. Introduce the rubric) Attachment 9 Argumentation/=pinion )ext/?ased -riting :ubric . As& the students to assist you in highlighting the 0focus4 words in the rubric score of M category that will help them as they prepare to write an argumentative essayGexamples effective, s&illfully, relevant, sufficient, supports, claims, reasons, evidence, organi+ed, clarify relationships, concluding statement, argument, and exemplary. (larify any necessary definitions. <ive students (or pro@ect) a copy of Appendix 1 2ro ;oos 9odel. ( eacher note) )his is a teacher/created sample and can be modified to fit the needs of your students.) )eacher can model assessment prompt activity with the first body paragraph, if appropriate).

Assessment *rom(t #/) !dentify (highlight or underline) specific phrases from the model 0for +oos4 essay, Appendix 1 2ro ;oos 9odel, and then in the column, explain why those highlighted phrases should get a score of 0M4 on the writing rubric. ?e sure to use specific rubric language in your explanation.

Instructional +hun" #2) Introductions Activating Strategy %if needed&

Show students the Attachment = -ord (loud (from www.tagxedo.com). As& students to identify the 0theme4 of the word cloud or create a word splash on www.wordle.net or www.-ordsift.org using words from the writing rubric that address effective argument. Answers will varyA however, an example might be 0-ords that clarify your claim and support your position4 or 0!mportant concepts for an argument to be effective.4 eacher note) 9any students have difficulty reading words that are not hori+ontal. !f appropriate, cue the wordsift or wordle site to standardi+e direction of words. %. Introduce Gra(hic 9rgani:ers Attachment 2 Argumentation )ext/?ased -riting =rgani+er . )ell students that the first organi+er is an outline that shows 0the big picture4Ghow the essay is organi+ed in its entirety. ?ut then tell them that they will be composing their essays bit by bit, completing the introduction first, then the body paragraphs, and finally the conclusion. )herefore, they will also be using a separate <raphic =rgani+er for each section. *lanning -9utlining. the Introduction) <ive students the <raphic =rgani+er for the introductionG Attachment P Argumentation )ext/?ased =rgani+er. 9odel via thin&/aloud how to state a position and 0list4 claims, using the claims/counterclaims statements from the previous lesson (Appendix # (laims and (ounterclaims =rgani+er) and the paragraph for 0against +oos4 also completed in the previous lesson. )he teacher should thin&/aloud composing this introduction on the Smart ?oard, 3lmo, or pro@ector so class can follow. ( eacher note !n essence, the original argumentative paragraph from the previous lesson now becomes the introduction for the essay. Students need to see how the position with claims is all that is needed in the introduction.) 5epending on the level and experience of the students, the teacher can spend time on 0hoo&ing the audience4 and/or providing additional bac&ground information (return to model Appendix 1 2ro ;oos 9odel as an example). )eacher models completing the graphic organi+er for an essay against +oos. #i88erentiation) )he <raphic =rgani+ers used suggest three claims to support a position. )eachers may alter this number as appropriate. >. eacher ;odels #ra8ting the Introduction) )eacher can solicit student ideas to 0help4 him or her transfer the information from the <raphic =rgani+er to a written paragraph (pro@ected on Smart ?oard, 3lmo, etc.). :evisit the prompt instructions as needed. M. Re'ie6 Identi83ing +laims and !'idence -o(tional.) -hen the model 0against +oos4 introduction is completed, the teacher has students highlight the position in one color and the claims in another (use a third color for the 0hoo&,4 if appropriate). F. Inde(endent Writing o8 Introduction) Students will write the introduction paragraph for their own essays for or against a"uariums and marine par&s. K. *eer Re'ie67Re'ision) Students will pair/share their drafts of their introduction giving feedbac& regarding the strength and clarity of the hoo&, introduction of the issue, and clear position in the introduction, using the rubric as the basis for feedbac&. ( eacher note) teachers should decide whether to pair students with a partner whose position matches or opposes his/her own.) Students will revise their drafts of the introduction paragraph. Assessment *rom(t #2) 5raft the introduction for an argumentative essay for or against a"uariums. ?e sure the introduction includes a clear position and clear claims to support that position. )eacher collects drafts as evidence of understanding of introducing an argumentative essay. #i88erentiation utili+ing speech/to/text software and/or dictation, etc.

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Instructional +hun" #2) Argumentati'e !ssa3 ,u((ort *aragra(hs

Acti'ating ,trateg3 (9(tional)) !f appropriate, return to the #abradoodle paragraphs from Ac"uisition #esson $% to remind students of the difference between verifiable evidence that bac&s a claim and claims that are not bac&ed by verifiable, text/based evidence or are bac&ed by personal experience alone. %. Re'ie6ing !'idence) )eacher may need to return to Ac"uisition #esson $% (the debate) to remind students about what evidence is and is not. )eacher should pro@ect model essay, Appendix 1 2ro ;oos 9odel, as sample for 0evidence.4 *lanning -9utlining. the ,u((ort) <ive students the <raphic =rgani+er, Attachment : Argumentation )ext/?ased -riting =rgani+er . ?ody. 9odel completing the graphic organi+er using the claims listed in the now/completed introductory paragraph 0against +oos.4 !n the previous lesson, consideration was given to identifying claimsGreasons that would support the position pro or con +oos or a"uariums. Students will now need to locate information 0evidence4 that will bac& up the claims. )eacher will model using informational text(s) on +oos from previous Ac"uisition #esson to locate evidence. !n selecting evidence, teacher should model considering evidence that is verifiable that will support the 0against +oos4 position. Again, teacher will need to pro@ect the graphic organi+er. )he teacher should model selecting both examples of evidence that are based on the text and examples of evidence that are not based on evidence as a caution, and then model re@ecting evidence that 5oes not support the position (against +oos)A 5oes not bac& the claimA or !s not strong enough to really prove the claim. )he teacher might also give a reminder that emotions and personal opinions do not belong in the body of the argument. )hey are not verifiable evidence to bac& up claims. ()eacher can console students by telling them that they will get to add their personal experiences/beliefs when it comes time to write their conclusions). >. #ra8ting ;odel >od3 *aragra(h After completing <raphic =rgani+er, Attachment : Argumentation )ext/?ased -riting =rgani+er . ?ody, for three (more or less) claims, the teacher models transferring the information for (laim % to the first body paragraph. Again, the teacher models via thin&/aloud how (s)he would write the paragraphGstating the claim, ordering the evidence, and adding necessary words, including transition words. )he teacher then as&s students to suggest how to write the second body paragraph, collaboratively drafting the second paragraph. )he teacher then as&s students to wor& in small groups to draft a possible third body paragraph for the essay. =ne student from each group will read aloud (or pro@ect) the group's paragraph, and the teacher will select one, or a combination of several, paragraphs as the final supporting paragraph for the essay against +oos. Re'ie6 Identi83ing +laims and !'idence (=(tional) As an additional chec& to be sure students understand claims/evidence, teacher has students highlight claims and evidence in different colors for the three body/support paragraphs of the model 0against +oos4 essay. Re'ie6 Rubric Language (9(tional) !f appropriate, return to Appendix 1 2ro ;oos 9odel used for Assessment 2rompt $%, revisiting the connection between claims/evidence and rubric language. ransition Words) :emind students that transition or signal words/phrases help readers see the relationships between claims and evidence. :efer bac& to 0-ords that ma&e an opinion easier to support4 from the first lesson.

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Inde(endent Writing o8 ,u((ort *aragra(hs) 8sing informative text (0#ife in a Bishbowl4 and additional resources on A"uariums and 9arine 2ar&s), students identify evidence and complete the <raphic =rgani+er, Attachment : Argumentation )ext/?ased -riting =rgani+er . ?ody, for the first body paragraph of their independent writing. (=ptional teacher chec& here.) Students then draft their first support paragraph. )eacher will need to circulate and chec& for understanding before students proceed to claim/evidence to support paragraphs 2 and > (or however many).

Assessment *rom(t #2) 5raft one body paragraph of the essay for or against a"uariums, including a claim bac&ed by reasons and evidence for that claim. ()eacher chec&s to be sure paragraphs are ade"uate and students 0get it4 be8ore going on to compose subse"uent support paragraphs.)