Name: Kim Russo Date: 3/11/14

Cooperating Teacher: Rebecca Burns

Grade Level: 6A Language Arts

Argument Writing: Should We Live Forever?
Essential Questions
1. How can I effectively convince my audience to take the course of action I am
recommending?
2. How does evidence support an argument?

Common Core State Standards
1. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.6.1.B Support claim(s) with clear reasons and
relevant evidence, using credible sources and demonstrating an understanding of
the topic or text.
2. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.6.1 Engage effectively in a range of collaborative
discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on
grade 6 topics, texts, and issues, building on others ideas and expressing their
own clearly.
3. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.6.1 Cite textual evidence to support analysis of what the
text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
4. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.6.8 Trace and evaluate the argument and specific claims
in a text, distinguishing claims that are supported by reasons and evidence from
claims that are not.

Student Objectives
1. Students will understand the steps to take to choose a side for an argument essay
2. Students will understand how to create a T-chart and an I-chart
3. Students will be able to understand what a claim is
4. Students will be able to understand what a counterclaim is
Prior Knowledge
Students will understand what argument writing is. Students will have had a lesson that
helped them identify the difference between a reason and supporting evidence. Most
students should be familiar with claims as they did them for their open-ended response.

Materials
1. Post-it notes for each student
2. Chart paper for each group
3. Should We Live Forever? for each student
4. T Chart handout for Should We Live Forever? article
5. I chart Handout for Should We Live Forever? article
6. I chart Graphic Organizer with Definitions
7. Should School Start Later? article
8. Pen/Highlighter for each student
9. Examples of Counterclaims

Instructional Plan
1. Motivational Beginning: The students will arrive in the classroom and complete
the Do Now activity written on the board, which will direct them to copy down
the nights homework, take out their homework from the night before and grab a
post-it note. (5 minutes)
2. Body of Lesson:
a. The students are to share out the reasons they came up with for homework
to the question written on the board, Should We Live Forever?
b. The teacher will then pass out chart paper and direct the students to draw a
T chart on the paper. She will explain that the students are to write down
the 2 or 3 best reasons from the group and then try to come up with
supporting evidence for those reasons. (10 min)
c. After students have completed this, the groups will rotate, looking at what
other groups came up with. She will have a couple groups share out (5
min)
d. The teacher will explain that they will read a text that pertains to the
question on the board to come up with text based reasons and evidence.
She will take the class through the Choosing a Side steps paper on the
cabinet. She will let them know that this is the first step in argument
writing (5 min)
e. As a class, they will then go through the article Should We Live
Forever?. The teacher will take volunteers to read the article aloud. The
teacher will stop after crucial points in the article to discuss the reasons
that support either side of the argument that are evident in the article. The
teacher will circle the reasons in the text, labeling each as either a yes or
no, showing this on the document camera. The teacher will create a T
chart with the reasons as the class works through the article. (20 min)
f. After the article has been read and the reasons have been generated, the
teacher will choose a side, explaining that students should choose the side
that has the more compelling reasons and create an I-chart which includes
the claim, the reasons, the evidence, and the counterargument. She will
ask students what the difference is between reasons and evidence
revisiting what they did yesterday. The teacher will go back to the text
and underline/highlight the evidence that matches with the reasons. (15
min)
g. After she has done this, she will explain to students that they are now
ready to make their I-charts. She will pass out the I-chart graphic
organizer and examples of counterclaims. She will ask students what they
remember about claims. She will then ask if any students have ever
written a counterclaim. Based on what they say, she will take the students
through her claim example and counter example and the additional
counterclaims. (10 min)
h. She will then write out the claim for the article; she will transfer the
reasons over to the chart and write the corresponding evidence that
supports the reasons. She will then write out the counterargument.
Students will write out this information on their own chart as the teacher
models. (10 min)
i. The students will then begin generating reasons, individually, that they can
think of regarding the question Should Schools Start Later?. They will
create a T chart with these reasons. (5 min)
3. Closure: The teacher will explain that tomorrow they will look at an article that
addresses this issue and as groups they will complete a T chart and I chart for that
article. (5 min)

Assessment
1. The students will be informally assessed on their ability to participate and
contribute during class discussions.

Homework
1. The students will finish coming up with reasons regarding the question, Should
Schools Start Later?

Adaptations for Students with Special Needs
1. Students will receive extra time for assignments
2. Teacher will read the directions to those specific students
3. Teacher will color code assignments/assessments, when necessary and applicable
4. Teacher will provide graphic organizers with definitions of key terms for these
students