Rationale: Students need to learn the effective ways in which to write persuasively in order to highlight the strong points of their argument and avoid repetition or irrelevant details.
Learning Goal:
Today we are learning how to write a persuasive essay in order to help us recognize our audience, present strong arguments and support our beliefs with sufficient detail.
Materials:
An H-Chart graphic organizers, access to books on the Civil Rights Movement and Martin Luther King Jr.
Procedure:
1) Present the H-Chart graphic organizer to the class with the central question in the middle:
2) Explain the importance of exploring both sides of the argument in order to address the differing opinions of those who might disagree.
3) Have the children fill out the graphic organizer with three arguments in favor of equality for all and three arguments against equality. Remind students that they must include information about peaceful protest as a part of their argument.
4) Have students use the following graphic organizer, which will require them to think more deeply and research examples for each of their reasons.
Reasons For Equality Examples from the Civil Right Movement
5) Once students have given sufficient examples for each of their reasons discuss how they will put their information together cohesively and skillfully.
a) Model how a 'hook' draws the reader in to the essay and the topic sentence states the opinion clearly.
b) Review how each of the three body paragraphs should have 3-5 sentences with transition words and specific examples to support each argument.
c) Discuss the conclusion paragraph and its function in reiterating the opinion without sounding repetitious.
6) As students finish their rough draft, pair them up to read their essays to each other and provide feedback to one another.
7) Confer with each child and assist them in revising and editing their work. Those who are waiting to confer can begin their peaceful protest poster, which must include a symbol of the time it comes from, a message of peace and illustration of what equality might look like.
8) Allow the students to type out their final drafts and present them to the class.
9) A chosen few, whose arguments are the most persuasive, will be chosen to present at the Brotherhood Assembly in front of the whole school along with any peaceful protest posters.
Evaluation/Assessment:
We will know we got it when we have brought our persuasive essays through the writing process from pre-writing, to drafting to revising and editing to publication and presentation.
