Argumentative LETTER Unit:
In this unit, students will compose an argumentative letter. Students will analyze the foundational elements of arguments—debatable claim, evidence, and commentary— and examine evidence to develop their own debatable claim. They will research and locate multiple evidence types to support their argument, including two pieces of evidence from a secondary source. They will draft a claim, evidence, and commentary, as well as experiment to find the most effective structure for their letter, and craft transitions within and between sentences to improve logic and flow. After completing a draft, students will revise their letters. The final editing step asks students to fix incorrect uses of commas. To wrap up this unit, students will reflect on their writing choices, publish their work, and celebrate the writing process. (Adapted from the 8th Grade ELA MAISA Units)
Unit Learning Targets:
SESSION 1: I can define and identify the essential parts of argumentative writing: claim, evidence, commentary, counterclaim, and rebuttal.
SESSION 2: I can evaluate the credibility of online resources.
SESSION 3: I can correctly use in-text citations and create a works cited page of my sources.
SESSION 4: I can use both factual and anecdotal evidence to support my claim.
SESSION 5: I can write a thesis statement that includes a debatable claim and a summary of my evidence.
SESSION 6: I can write an introductory paragraph that provides background information on my topic and presents my thesis statement.
SESSION 7: I can write commentary of my evidence that explains to my reader why it's important and how it supports my claim.
SESSION 8: I can write two body paragraphs with evidence and commentary that support my claim.
SESSION 9: I can write an opposing argument that includes both a counterclaim and a rebuttal.
SESSION 10: I can write a concluding paragraph summarizing the main points of my letter.
SESSION 11: I can use transition words and phrases to connect ideas in my writing.
SESSION 12: I can accurately use commas in my writing.
SESSION 2: I can evaluate the credibility of online resources.
SESSION 3: I can correctly use in-text citations and create a works cited page of my sources.
SESSION 4: I can use both factual and anecdotal evidence to support my claim.
SESSION 5: I can write a thesis statement that includes a debatable claim and a summary of my evidence.
SESSION 6: I can write an introductory paragraph that provides background information on my topic and presents my thesis statement.
SESSION 7: I can write commentary of my evidence that explains to my reader why it's important and how it supports my claim.
SESSION 8: I can write two body paragraphs with evidence and commentary that support my claim.
SESSION 9: I can write an opposing argument that includes both a counterclaim and a rebuttal.
SESSION 10: I can write a concluding paragraph summarizing the main points of my letter.
SESSION 11: I can use transition words and phrases to connect ideas in my writing.
SESSION 12: I can accurately use commas in my writing.
Pre-Unit Activities:
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