Mara Brandli Describe the context: (Students, grade level, geographic location, community and school population, socioeconomic

profile, school culture, availability of technology, content, learning styles, ethnic breakdown, special needs, . . . Be detailed)

Lesson Plan #4: Convincing Abuelita

This semester I am completing my third observation at Notre Dame Middle School which is located on Milwaukees south side. I am observing a class of 19 female students who come from a Hispanic background. Milwaukees south side is known to be the home to the citys Hispanic population, along with people of other backgrounds who also populate the area. Perhaps more noticeable than the ethnicity of the community is the socioeconomic status. The majority of the neighborhoods between National Avenue and Lincoln Avenue (from North to South) and 2nd Street to 43rd Street (from East to West) experience the effects of urban poverty. Working with this community as a youth retreat coordinator and as a high school teacher for five years, I knew coming into this observation site that children in this neighborhood face incredible challenges. The word incredible applies to this situation most accurately when it is understood as hard to give credit to the truth. The truth is that many of these students come from homes where parents work one, two, or maybe even three jobs at any hour of the day. The truth is that many of these students come from homes where depression has marred any sense of control, and alcoholism or drug abuse has entered in the place of values judged as idealistic or as some might think: the values of the white middle class. The truth is that violence permeates social interactions in words and action. As challenging as each of these truths is to internalize, perhaps the factor that leaves the greatest wake in this community, connecting its norms and values with those of almost all other communities that I have been a part of during my lifetime, is gender. The Hispanic culture is known for machismo, the domination of men over women. Recognizing all of these realities, Notre Dame Middle School seeks to empower its female students. The school culture is mission-driven; that is, the school is grounded by a vision that goes beyond rote mathematics or historical timelines. The schools leadership hopes that students and faculty alike enter this school with a desire to grow in knowledge as well as in character. The content follows state and national standards as well as the Archdiocese of Milwaukee; in addition to Math, Science, Literacy, and Social Studies, students also take a Religion class. Technology is available in the classroom in the form of a teachers computer and a projector. A computer lab is also available to the students. I observed a few classes when the technology was used to project small video clips or images. Another time the teacher allowed a small group of students to go to the computer lab so that they could search for images that would be visual aids during a performance assessment (students are being assessed through their performance in a small group play). Last week technology was used to support students during the revision stage of the writing process. Students went to the computer lab to revise pen pal letters before printing and sending to correspondence. I am observing the Advanced literacy group for 6th grade at NDMS. As a result of different forms of evidence, these students demonstrated in previous years at NDMS that they have high ability in literacy. Most of the students are English Language Learners, and some of their literacy skills are influenced by their exposure to more than one language. Thus, for this context, styles of learning expand beyond linguistic learning to include visual and kinesthetic, among others.

Mara Brandli Learning Goals/ Objectives Content Standards (CCSS) Affective Objectives: (related to student attitudes and values; think dispositions) Cognitive: (related to the mastery of knowledge: think Bloom) For help please go to Blooms Taxonomy of Learning Domains

Lesson Plan #4: Convincing Abuelita

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.6.1b Support claim(s) with clear reasons and relevant evidence, using credible sources and demonstrating an understanding of the topic or text.

Students will be able to:

Justify the idea that writing letters can be an effective way to persuade someone (in literature and in life). Imagine a characters line of reasoning that might be used to persuade. Writes an argumentative letter from a characters perspective.

Mara Brandli Pre-Assessment:

Assessment (Criteria / Look Fors; How will you assess learning? What will you do to know if the students have met the objectives?)

Lesson Plan #4: Convincing Abuelita Admit slip (pre-assessment): 1. Admit slip before beginning Las Papas chapter in Esperanza Rising: What challenge caused Esperanzas mother to become ill? Where did Esperanzas mother go in Las Papas? What holiday is discussed in this chapter?

What Rubrics or other scoring scales Rubric: A 1-3 point scale for the following five pieces of criteria. A will be used? score of 1 means the student did not attempt to use RAFTS strategy; 2

To assess learning, I will observe students reactions to the activity. Do students truly value a letter as a form of sound communication when trying to persuade someone? Do students embrace modeling activity and then practice skills independently? I will look to see that students are on task (not talking with a neighbor) and are motivated (sitting up straight, pencil in hand) to complete assignment and to learn.

means the student attempted RAFTS but may have incorrectly/ Students Self- insufficiently covered the role, audience, format, topic, or strong verb; Assessment 3 means that the student proficiently used RAFTS to write a convincing letter. Criteria: 1. Student writes a letter as Esperanza (R) 2. Student writes a letter with the audience (Abuelita) in mind (A) 3. Student writes a letter in the format of a letter using Dear and Sincerely to begin and to conclude (F) 4. Student writes a letter that focuses on persuading abuelita to come to California (T) 5. Student writes a letter that uses persuades/convinces when addressing abuelita (S) Students will self-assess this letter by using the above rubric.

Essential Question

-How can writing influence peoples decisions?

Mara Brandli Instructional Procedures Learning Strategies: (Be sure to include specific strategies to develop literacy of content)

Lesson Plan #4: Convincing Abuelita

1. Admit slip before beginning Las Papas chapter in Esperanza

Rising (Students were assigned to read Las Papas the night before as homework, anticipating a writing activity): What challenge caused Esperanzas mother to become ill? Where did Esperanzas mother go in Las Papas? What holiday is discussed in this chapter? *Review chapter as necessary based on admit slip. Bring up admit slip and receive a letter to read.

Introduction Pre (How will you 2. Demonstration: Writing Strategy - RAFTS (Role, Audience, Format, motivate, activate prior Topic, Strong verb). Begin by referencing the example letter that Ms. knowledge, what will Brandli wrote to her grandma convincing grandma to come to be your hook? . . .) Milwaukee for Christmas. Ask students to identify RAFTS for the letter. During Demonstration
3. Participation: Teacher reads a second letter aloud. Students are asked

to write down RAFTS on a sheet of paper, then share with a partner.

4. Practice: Students will practice argumentative writing (including a

Participation

position and reasons) by composing a letter. Students will imagine that that they are Esperanza writing a letter to Esperanzas abuelita persuading her to come visit mother. (Look at p. 164) (15-20 minutes)
5. Self-assessment: Use rubric to grade your own letter.

Practice

Closure Post Extension Time (Total and Specific) 35-40 minutes

Student Accommodations Differentiation/ Planning for Individual Needs (IEP goals if known; RtI; learning styles):

In conversations with my cooperating teacher, I have learned that this reading group is already differentiated from the entire 6th grade class. This reading group is advanced, and there is not a student with an IEP. As students are completing the RAFTS activity, I will walk around and monitor the room to see if I need to differentiate the strategy or adapt the original criteria depending on individual progress during the writing activity.

Mara Brandli Resources and Materials: (Include technology where applicable/available/ appropriate)

Lesson Plan #4: Convincing Abuelita Writing utensil, loose-leaf paper, Esperanza Rising, worksheet

Reflection (What theory/theorists are you using to guide your practice/ planning of this lesson?)

Leo Vygotskys theory of the zone of proximal development and the Gradual Release Model guided my planning of the RAFTS strategy. I know that if I am going to hold high expectations for student writing (especially in regard to organization, purpose, and audience), then I need to model what proficient or advanced writing looks like. In other words, before students can practice writing in an organized and reflective fashion on their own, the teacher must model through demonstrations and examples of a sound writing process.