Grade 3 Writing

Unit Outline Title: Persuasive Writing
Name of Lesson: Writing to Persuade
Topic: Organizational Structure,Unit Vocabulary
Lesson: 1
Time: 5-6 (30 minute sessions)
Standards: ELA3W1.a,b,c, d, i, j, k, l, m, n
Essential Question(s)
Unit: How do I write to convince or persuade?
Lessons:
  • What does it mean to persuade someone?
  • Where do I get information needed to persuade someone?
  • Should my information be accurate/relevant or can it just be opinion?
  • Should my opinions be based on fact?
  • Is there a pattern to follow when writing to persuade?

Assessment Description/Performance Task:
Constructed response Informal assessment
Performance task Selected response
Brief Description:
  • Constructed Response: The student will write a persuasive paragraph.
  • Performance Task: The student will present “Kill The Ant” or “Let The Ant Live” posters and convincing arguments to the class.
  • Informal Assessment: The teacher will observe and monitor student conversation about the text and their opinions and reasons for forming an opinion.

Instructional Methods:
Session 1:
  • Read the book “Hey Little Ant”
  • Also have at least one good informational text on ants available for student research and the gathering of supportive and/or relevant details.
  • Tell students that at the end of the text the ant asked, “If you were me and I were you, what wouldyou want me to do?”
  • Tell the students that the ant’s question calls for a response from the listener/reader – an opinion of what the boy should do…step on and kill the ant or let it go free. How would you convince someone that stepping on and killing the ant is the right thing to do? How would you convince someone that letting the ant go free is the right thing to do?
  • Tell students that writing to persuade is writing which is meant to change the way someone thinks or acts and/or to convince them to believe you…that you are right - that your opinion is correct.
  • We all have opinions that we think are right, but how do you persuade others to see things your way?
  • One way is to write a persuasive paragraph that includes reasons and examples to convince the reader to agree with your opinion.
  • It is best to organize your thinking before you speak or write to make your point.
  • There is an organizational pattern involved in writing to persuade. The organizational pattern helps to plan for writing and includes the following:
1. Stating your opinion
2. Giving reasons for your opinion (staying focused on the topic) being
careful not to become sidetracked and begin discussing personal
experiences and stories, etc.
3. Naming examples that support each of your reasons.
  • The teacher models theorganizational pattern for persuasive paragraph writing, using the visual organizer below to state his/her opinion. Next, list three reasons and three convincing and relevant examples to support the opinion. State that after we have used the visual organizer to plan our thoughts, we can use the information to write a persuasive paragraph.
(Visual Organizer appears again in Session 2 lesson)

Session 2:
  • Model using the information from the visual organizer to write the paragraph following the “Write It Down: Getting the paragraph written” order below.
  • Teacher states that sometimes we don’t have enough relevant prior knowledge on a topic to write about without doing some reading or research.
  • Model the use of the informational ant text to gatherseveral convincing and relevant reasons/facts to support your opinion.
Example of a persuasive paragraph visual organizer:
Opinion:______
______
______
Reasons: Examples:
1. ______1.______
2. ______2.______
3. ______3.______
Ask students to form an opinion as to what they think the boy should do.
Next, students use the visual organizer to begin writing down their opinion, reasons, and examples for why they think the boy should kill the ant or let it go free.
Session 3:
  • Write It Down:Getting the paragraph written:
  • Use the information from the visual organizer to write a persuasive paragraph.
  • Write your opinion in the first sentence. (Topic Sentence)
  • Give threeor more reasons for your opinion saving your strongest reason for last.
  • Back up each of your reasons with examples that will helpa reader to understand your thinking.
  • Then, sum up your opinion in a closing sentence. This is the place that you may ask the reader or listener to agree with you or suggest that they do something about the issue. After students write, the teacher leads the students through the following evaluative and reflective process using think aloud and adding explanations as needed.
  • Reread your paragraph to yourself:
  • As you reread your paragraph, reflect upon/think about what you have written. Think about the following things:
  • Evaluate your reasons and examples.
  • Did you cite relevant or credible reasons and examples to back your opinionand make your position clear? Are you convincing?
  • Are the reasons you cited/used accurate?
  • Did you write a topic sentence that will quickly engage the reader?
  • Are the words that you used clear and understandable so that they will convince the listener/reader or do you need to use other words to clarify?
  • Will the reader be able to interpret the reasons and examples you have written to understand how you formed your opinion?
  • Do you need to add a supportive convention such as an illustration or diagram showing the value of ants or the destruction caused by ants that would help you to convince the reader that your thinking is correct?
Session 4:
  • Read your paragraph to a small group:
  • Read your paragraph to a small group of students.
  • Which reasons do your classmates think are best?
  • Did your paragraph change anyone’s mind?
  • Did you give readers and/or listeners good reasons and examples to agree with you?
  • Could you use or add examples that would be more convincing?
  • *If you need more convincing reasons and examples, check out books to read and learn more specific information about the topic that you can use to make your opinion more convincing.
Session 5:
  • Following the reading of informational ant texts and student opportunities to reread the “Hey Little Ant” text, the teacher makes a T Chart (cut a large poster board upper case T)to provide a quick visual of students’ opinions. On the top portion of the T, write the following question? Should the boy kill the ant?
  • On the left side of the top of the T….write yes.
  • On the right side of the top of the T…write no.
  • Students put a clothespin on the left side of the T to indicate that it is their opinion that the boy should kill the ant (yes), or place a clothespin on the right side to indicate that the boy should let the ant go free (no – do not kill the ant)
  • Divide the class into the two groups, one group of students that thought the boy should kill the ant, and one group of students that thought the boy should not kill the ant. Give each group informational texts on ants, and have each side prepare a presentation to convince the other that their opinion is correct.
  • Have each group prepare a large sign (mounted on a paint stick, etc. – similar to an “On Strike” poster). The posters should be titled…Kill The Ant! or, Let The Ant Live!
  • Each group will also prepare a list of relevant reasons to support their opinion and to launch their campaign in front of the class.
  • Allow students to change their opinions, and move their clothespins if they were convinced to change theiropinions. If anyone changes their opinion, ask them to share the reason or example that was given that caused them to do so.

Differentiation:
  • Play the tape, “Hey Little Ant”. (Recording of the text)
  • Have students use informational ant texts to illustrate and label the parts of an ant hill.
  • Let students make an ant from PlayDoh, label the parts of the ant using toothpicks and flags, let it dry and display the model.
  • Then, work in pairs to list or bullet reasons that ants are helpful to us and to nature.
  • Students present their projects to the class.

For this Lesson:
  • Text “Hey Little Ant,” chart paper, T chart, poster board, markers, prepared visual organizer for writing a persuasive paragraph.
  • Optional materials for extension sessions: construction paper, glue sticks, paint stirring sticks, PlayDoh, toothpicks, small pieces of paper to be used as labeling flags, audio tape of “Hey Little Ant”

Vocabulary:
  • relevant/credible
  • facts/details
  • organizational pattern
  • persuade
  • engage
  • position
  • interpret
  • reflect
  • cite
  • clarify
  • evaluate

CCSD Version Date: January 19, 2006