Day 1

Date: 11-3-16
Daily Objective:
ELA: Students will learn about brainstorming as well as about opinion writing. They will understand what it me
to form an opinion and persuade an audience (the next president of the United States) to make a change. They w
begin to write down their ideas and think about what they would change in the USA if they were president. Stud
will begin to use a graphic organizer to organize their thoughts for the narrative piece.

SS: Students will learn about the election. They will learn that in the USA, there are different parties, typically t
each president is from one of the main partiesDemocratic and Republican. They will learn that each of these
parties holds values and beliefs and all want to make changes to better our country.

Mini-Lesson Focus:
A. Introduction to topic: If I were President. Brainstorming ideas about the values they have.
A. Change in mentor text, mini lesson focus will be on persuasive writing, Grace for President will be the new
mentor text.
B. Helping students to brainstorm ideas of what they would change and thinking about why.

Mentor Text:
If I were President by Catherine Stier.
Grace for President
Instruction: 9:45-10:30

A. Begin instruction by reading Grace for President (mentor text, see above).
5 minutes
B. Show video. This video is intended to generate student thinking about what they would do to make our count
and our world better. It is intended to help them brainstorm.
5 minutes
C. Begin mini-lesson, and write down a list of things that you would do if elected president. Make them persona
you and emphasize that each student may have something different and that that is okay. Discuss opinion writin
why is important to have opinions? Talk about backing up their opinions with reasons, why would you want to
change this?
5 minutes
D. Have students write down different things that they would change if they were elected president. This is to be
done individually.
10 minutes
E. Start a T-Chart with student generated ideas about what they would do to make our country better if they wer
elected president. Have the students share what they came up with, with the class.
10 minutes.
F. Have students circle on their paper the three most important things that they would change if they were to be
elected the president of the United States.
Planning for Conferring:
-Walking around the room seeing what ideas students are putting into their graphic organizer about what they w
change if they were president.
Assessment:
Check for understanding:
Fingers
End of lesson check-in:
How do you feel chart (each student is assigned a number; their own personal number that no one else will
know. The students will write their number at the top of the paper and then a 1-4 on how confident they feel
about what they are learning. I will do every day. The students will have a sheet with each thing they learned
day listed and will put the 1 through 4 on the line next to it.
Teaching Notes:
-Direct the discussion away from the presidential candidates and more towards the idea of they themselves bein
president of the USA.
-Students will need support with brainstorming values and issues in our country that they would work to change
Use a T-Chart for these ideas.

Resources:
1. Post-It Giant Paper for T-Chart
2. Mentor text If I Were President
3. Paper for the students to write their brainstorming ideas