Berenberg,+Melissa-chapter

Writing Flex Book Open Source Material Author: Melissa Berenberg Chapter: Persuasive Writing Grade 4 __ Established Goal __ __ Understanding __ Students will be able to understand that… __ Essential Questions __ Students will know…
 * Writing W-4-8.2 Including facts and details relevant to focus/controlling idea
 * Writing W-4-8.3 Including sufficient details or facts for appropriate depth of information
 * Writing W-4-10 Students use prewriting, drafting, revising, editing, and critiquing to produce final drafts of written products
 * The power of persuasion is very influential
 * Literature is a medium for persuasion
 * What personal decisions have been made from persuasion?
 * How do authors persuade their audience through literature?
 * How to persuade an audience with powerful, supporting statements
 * How voice plays a different role in a variety of writing

Students will be able to…
 * Write a well-supported persuasive piece for a targeted audience
 * Recognize the effect of persuasion in society
 * Apply the writing process to produce a persuasive piece

All of your activities will be posted to the class wiki [|www.persuasivewriters.wikispaces.com].

Keep these essential questions in mind during the learning process. It is always important to create and sustain a purpose when reading and writing.

Essential Questions: What personal decisions have been made from persuasion? How do authors persuade their audience through literature?

At the end of this persuasive writing chapter, you will be able to write a well-supported persuasive piece for a targeted audience, recognize the effect of persuasion on society, and apply the writing process to produce your persuasive piece.

To get started, I want to see what your background knowledge in this area is, and then I will be able to create lessons based on individual needs.

Here we go… __ Pre-assessment activity __ Directions: Complete the chart to show what you know about persuasion. Write as much as you can. PERSUASION
 * Definition

|| Personal Experience ||
 * Techniques

|| Examples ||

WEB RESOURCES: [|www.readwritethink.org] Introduction Activity: View the Persuasive Strategy PowerPoint Presentation

Unit Vocabulary: Read the vocabulary page on the class wiki.

Now you should have a brief overview on what persuasive writing is and the vocabulary that is associated with this chapter.

Any questions that you have, feel free to post them on the wiki. As in class, I encourage you to respond to classmate’s questions and responses.

Read the text: Earrings by Judith Viorst

What techniques did the character in the story use to get what she wanted? (bargaining, begging, reasoning, etc.)

Think-Pair-Share: Share with your partner a time in your life that you used persuasion. Did you get what you wanted? If you did, what technique/s worked well? Record findings on the class wiki.

__ Assignment #1 __ Choose one activity from the RAFT. Remember that author’s use a lot of voice with persuasion. Earrings by Judith Viorst RAFT Role: Audience: Format: Topic:

Girl Herself Personal Journal Entry Convincing Parents

Mom Dad Create a script Debating what to do

Dad Girl Letter Letter of refusal

View another classmate’s activity that is different from the one you chose. Write a positive comment on how he/she used persuasion and/or author’s voice. Post response to class wiki.

Assignment #2: Stage a debate based on the book “The Gingerbread Man”. Assume the role of the gingerbread man and persuade the wolf not to eat you. This book is available as a hard copy in the classroom or online ( [|www.raz-kids.com] ). You can listen along to the story and/or read the text.

Read a variety of texts displaying voice. (Alexander, Who’s Not Going to Move, Lily’s Perfect Purple Purse, Piggy Pie, Miss Rumphius, The True Story of the Little Pigs, Soldier’s Heart, When I was Young in the Mountains) Listen to voice through music (Willie Nelson, Mozart, Beethoven, Aretha Franklin) www.listen.grooveshark.com. Post a response on author’s voice. Comment on how your thoughts are changing as you are learning more from this chapter.

Read multiple online texts (newspaper articles, advertisements, texts, video clips) [|www.Flickr.com] and [|www.youtube.com]. Write how author’s persuade their audience through writing and cite references from text. Post responses on the class wiki.

Assignment #3 Persuasive Essay Prompt: You have just been hired as a chef in a popular restaurant. You have to put together a menu for tonight’s dinner. Persuade the owner of the restaurant to choose your menu over the other chef’s.

Research sample menus ( [|www.google.com] ). Suggestion: type in the name of your favorite restaurants and take notes on the menu.

Begin Writing Process __FOCUSED TOPICS__ ** Level One ** : Brainstorm ideas for the persuasive writing topic Complete graphic organizers and or/an interactive online graphic organizer on your focus statement (www. readwritethink.org/materials/persuasion_map/) Use the writing process to write your persuasive essay. You need to compose a rough draft, go through the editing process, and then publish your writing. Post rough draft and final copy to the class wiki.
 * Level Two ** : Choose one topic to write about and put it through the funnel to create a smaller, focused idea.
 * Level Three ** : Begin with topic. Now, “funnel” your topic through four levels, trying each time to make it smaller and more manageable. End (level 4) with a statement about your topic, a statement that can be supported, defended, or expanded.

Assess your piece of persuasive writing and complete a 3-2-1 Summarizer:

3- Three ways to improve the writing piece 2- Edit two words to enrich the word choice 1- One way to enhance the author’s voice Partner Activity: On the class wiki, use the 3-2-1 Summarizer to assess a classmate’s writing piece.

Assignment #4: Create a comic strip persuading the reader to agree with your perspective. Your character of choice is on a job interview and is trying to persuade the employer to hire him/her.

Look at comic strip samples ( [|www.comics.com] ) Remember that expert readers and writers infer. Use your knowledge on inference to help you create your comic. Refer back to your notes on inference in your reader’s notebook.

Complete Exit Card: Write four reasons how authors use literature to persuade their readers. 1. 2. 3. 4.

__ Extension Activities: __ Write a gossip column about celebrities and persuade your reader to take your point of view.

Create advertising brochures for resorts, camps, cruises, and hotels. Persuade different audiences such as individuals, families, and groups.

Stage a debate: Teachers should not give homework the last week of school. Write a script displaying both points of view.

Create and/or record a rap on the power of persuasion. __ Rubrics/Criteria Sheets __
 * Persuasive Writing Checklist
 * Six Traits Rubric on Persuasive Writing
 * Six Traits Rubric on Voice