Argument Writing Introduction
Goals and Outcomes
Overarching Objectives of the May 2014 Network Team Institute
Participants will be able to:
Teachers:
Use NY 9-12 ELA modules to help students learn to write
effective arguments.
Deepen their instructional practice by learning to identify and
address specific learning needs.
Principals:
Identify effective implementation and adaptation of curriculum
modules.
Identify ways to provide teachers with constructive feedback to
improve their practice around the NY 9-12 ELA modules.
Coaches:
Support teachers to implement and adapt the curriculum
modules.
Deepen their instructional practice by learning to identify
and work with teachers to address specific learning needs.
High-Level Purpose of this Session
In this session, participants will experience the cognitive demands of the writing in a study of Module 9.4 and learn a CCSS approach to writing
instruction through participating in and analyzing student lesson experiences from the curriculum.
May 2014—Page 1
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New York State Common Core
Session Outcomes
What do we want participants to be able to do as a result of this session?

How will we know that they are able to do this?
Describe the cognitive demands of and recursive relationship between close reading
and argumentative writing.

Aligned survey question

Aligned survey question

Explain how Module 9.4 supports adolescent development of argumentative writing.

Aligned survey question

Adapt lessons based on the analysis of sample student writing in Module 9.4.
Related Learning Experiences


Argument Writing: Going Deeper with Teachers
Argument Writing: Going Deeper with Coaches
Key Points



Students closely read the supplementary texts as examples of argument writing, learning the skills and components necessary for strong
argument writing.
Lessons build towards written performance tasks, providing students with the tools to evaluate and synthesize arguments, culminating in a
student’s own argument.
Instruction should respond to the immediate writing needs of students.
May 2014—Page 2
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New York State Common Core
Session Overview
Section
Introduction
Experiencing the
Cognitive Demands of
Argumentative
Writing
Deconstructing
Literate Thinking in
Module 9.4
Examination of
Module 9.4
Argumentative
Writing Scaffolds
Time
Overview
Prepared Resources
Facilitator Preparation
10 min
Introduce session, objectives, and
key writing assessments in Module
9.4.
 Session PowerPoint
 9.4.1 Mid-Unit Assessment
Handout
 9.4 Module Overview
Read and download all session
materials.
30 min
Participants closely read p. 70 from
Sugar Changed the World and “How
Your Addiction to Fast Fashion Kills”
in order to complete the Argument
Outline Tool and the Mid-Unit
Assessment.
 Session PowerPoint
 Argument Outline Tool
Position mic runners at various
spots around the room for
report out.
15 min
Participants will deconstruct their
own thinking and cognitive
“bottlenecks” while constructing
their Argument Outline Tool.
 Session PowerPoint
 Argument Outline Tool
 CCSS Reference Page
Position mic runners at various
spots around the room for
report out.
15 min
Participants will annotate and
explore relationships between
Module 9.4 text excerpts, learning
standards, tools, and the Mid-Unit
Assessment.
 Session PowerPoint
 9.4 Module Overview
Position mic runners at various
spots around the room for
report out.
May 2014—Page 3
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New York State Common Core
Section
Analyzing Spotlight
Student Writing
Samples
Adaptation of Module
9.4 Lesson
Reflection and Closing
Time
Overview
Prepared Resources
Facilitator Preparation
30 min
Participants will analyze the writing
samples of spotlight students in
order to determine student writing
competencies and needs.
 Session PowerPoint
 9.4 Module Overview
Position mic runners at various
spots around the room for
report out.
15 min
Participants will unpack and modify
a lesson based on the identified
writing needs of spotlight students.
 Session PowerPoint
 Module 9.4.1 Lesson 16
Position mic runners at various
spots around the room for
report out.
5 min
Participants reflect on learning and
consider implications for practice.
Session PowerPoint
Position mic runners at various
spots around the room for
report out.
120 min Total for this session
May 2014—Page 4
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New York State Common Core
Session Roadmap
Section: Introduction
In this section, participants will review the objectives for this
session and overview Module 9.4 assessments.
Slide
1
Time
Picture
0 min
Materials used include: Session PowerPoint, 9.4.1 Mid-Unit Assessment
Handout, 9.4 Module Overview
Script/Activity Directions
Welcome participants to the session.
May 2014—Page 5
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New York State Common Core
Slide
Time
Picture
Script/Activity Directions
2
1 min
Read the objectives on the slide and ask participants to follow along.
Explain the goal of this session is to experience the cognitive demands of
writing in Module 9.4 and to analyze how lessons support this required
thinking.
3
1 min
Briefly review the required materials in this session.
May 2014—Page 6
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New York State Common Core
Slide
Time
Picture
Script/Activity Directions
4
1 min
Review the design considerations of Module 9.4 as participants follow
along.
5
1 min
Read the overview of Module 9.4, explaining the focus on argumentative
writing.
May 2014—Page 7
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New York State Common Core
Slide
Time
Picture
Script/Activity Directions
6
1 min
Present a summary of the central text and supplementary texts in Module
9.4.
7
1 min
Present the Mid-Unit Assessment for Module 9.4, explaining the criteria
used to assess student mastery.
May 2014—Page 8
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New York State Common Core
Slide
Time
Picture
Script/Activity Directions
8
2 min
Present the Ongoing and End-of-Unit Assessment explaining how this
assessment aligns with the Mid-Unit Assessment.
9
2 min
Present the Module Performance Assessment, explaining how this prompt
and process represent the culmination of student argumentative writing
skills in Module 9.4.
Total
time:
10 min
May 2014—Page 9
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New York State Common Core
Section: Experiencing the Cognitive Demands of Argumentative Writing
In this section, you will experience the thinking required in the
Module 9.4 Mid-Unit Assessment.
Materials used include: Argument Outline Tool
Slide
Time Picture
Script/Activity Directions
0 min
Explain the transition into the first major section of the session.
10
May 2014—Page 10
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New York State Common Core
Slide
Time Picture
Script/Activity Directions
11
15
min
Explain Task #1 to participants and the importance of experiencing the
cognitive demands of argumentative writing placed on our students in
Module 9.4. Explain how experiencing the cognitive demands provides us
with a greater understanding of how students may struggle with the
expected learning.
12
5 min
When finished with Task #1, ask participants to complete a quick write
reflecting on efforts to complete the Mid-Unit Assessment using the
Argument Outline Tool. Participants will reflect using the following three
questions:



May 2014—Page 11
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What reading skills did you find yourself using?
What did you find most challenging about the thinking involved in the
reading of these excerpts?
What does your experience suggest about the relationship between
reading and writing?
New York State Common Core
Slide
13
Time Picture
10
min
Script/Activity Directions
When finished with the quick write, explain Task #2 and ask participants to
pair up and share completed Argument Outline Tools. Participants should use
the following questions to guide the conversation:



Total
time:
30
min
May 2014—Page 12
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What arguments does the author make about who bears the most
responsibility for ensuring clothes are ethically manufactured?
What claims does the author use to support the argument?
What possible counter-claims could challenge the author’s point of
view?
New York State Common Core
Section: Deconstructing Literate Thinking in Module 9.4
In this section, you will deconstruct your own thinking and
cognitive “bottlenecks” while constructing their Argument Outline
Tool.
Materials used include: Session PowerPoint, Argument Outline Tool, CCSS
Reference Page
Slide
Time
Script/Activity Directions
14
2 min
Picture
Briefly introduce the concept of a “bottleneck” as it relates to student
learning in Module 9.4. Emphasize the generalizable nature of bottlenecks as
common places where students may experience greater complexity and
struggle during learning.
May 2014—Page 13
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New York State Common Core
Slide
Time
15
13 min
Picture
Script/Activity Directions
Using the concept of a bottleneck, ask participants to complete Task #3 at
their table. Emphasize the importance of using our own thinking in this
activity as a means of identifying potential student bottlenecks in the MidUnit Assessment. Participants should identify how their thinking aligned with
identified CCSS standards. The following questions should guide the
conversation:




Total
time:
15 min
May 2014—Page 14
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How did your thinking with the text align with the Grade 9 writing
standards?
What skills did you employ to closely read the text excerpts?
What questions about the topic did the text evoke?
What “bottlenecks” did you encounter with the text and how might
these be similar or different than those “bottlenecks” experienced by
your students?
New York State Common Core
Section: Examination of Module 9.4 Argumentative Writing Scaffolds
In this section, you will analyze how Module 9.4 text excerpts,
Materials used include: Session PowerPoint, 9.4 Module Overview
scaffolds, and use of tools build student thinking towards the MidUnit Assessment.
Slide
17-18
Time Picture
Script/Activity Directions
0 min
Revisit the session objectives pointing out progression into the second stage of
the session.
May 2014—Page 15
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New York State Common Core
Slide
19
Time Picture
Script/Activity Directions
10 min
Before analyzing spotlight student writing samples, participants will use the
Module/Unit-at-a-Glance Calendar to annotate the scaffolding, text excerpts,
and use of tools in lessons 1-13 prior to the Mid-Unit Assessment (Lesson 14).
Task #4 will help participants understand the relationships between specific
instructional scaffolds, text excerpts, use of tools, and how these all move
students towards the Mid-Unit Assessment. Participants should use the
following questions to guide their annotations:




Total
time:
10 min
May 2014—Page 16
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What text excerpts are used and how are they sequenced?
What writing and reading standards are addressed in Lessons 1-13?
What tools are introduced and scaffolded for students in Lessons 1-13?
How do the lessons prepare students for the Mid-Unit Assessment?
New York State Common Core
Section: Analyzing Spotlight Student Writing Samples
In this section, you will analyze the writing samples of several
spotlight students in order to identify student “bottlenecks” in
Module 9.4.
Materials used include: Session PowerPoint, 9.4 Module Overview
Slide
Time
Script/Activity Directions
20
2 min
Picture
Introduce the classroom context for the spotlight student writing samples.
Share the information about the classroom teacher, the courses, and the
previous work with NYSED Modules.
May 2014—Page 17
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New York State Common Core
Slide
Time
21
15 min
Picture
Script/Activity Directions
Provide each pair of participants with the writing samples of two different
spotlight students. Explain the writing assignment of each sample and
emphasize how the sequenced writing assignments scaffold student thinking
prior to the Mid-Unit Assessment. Ask each pair of participants to annotate
the writing samples using the following standards:





22
10 min
CCRA.R.9
RI.9-10.2
RI.9-10.3
RI.9-10-8
W.9-10.1.a-e
Ask participants to pair up with another pair of participants who analyzed the
writing samples of two different spotlight students. Participants should share
evidence of student mastery of identified CCSS standards and discuss
evidence not seen in the student writing samples. Emphasize evidence of
student mastery and not just a deficit view of what is lacking in the student
writing samples. The group of participants should identify the top 2-3 writing
needs of each student.
Share the classroom teacher’s analysis of the spotlight student writing
samples. Discuss the entire group’s conclusions about the most pressing
writing needs of the spotlight students.
May 2014—Page 18
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New York State Common Core
Slide
Time
23
3 min
Total
time:
30 min
Picture
Script/Activity Directions
Draw the participants’ attention to the End-of-Unit Assessment by presenting
the description of the assessment. Emphasize the skills necessary for students
to be successful at this culminating task in light of the identified writing skills
of the spotlight students.
May 2014—Page 19
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New York State Common Core
Section: Adaptation of Module 9.4 Lesson
In this section, participants will examine a lesson that occurs after Materials used include: Session PowerPoint, Module 9.4.1 Lesson 16
the Mid-Unit Assessment in order to modify the lesson according
to the writing needs of spotlight students.
Slide
24
Time Picture
Script/Activity Directions
2 min
While participants follow along, overview the Backwards Design process
associated with the Understanding by Design framework. Emphasize the
importance of practitioner thinking in each stage.
May 2014—Page 20
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New York State Common Core
Slide
Time Picture
Script/Activity Directions
25
1 min
Overview Stage 1 (Learning Outcomes) by emphasizing the big ideas in a
discipline, the CCSS, and the importance of framing learning outcomes in inquiry.
26
1 min
Overview Stage 2 (Evidence of Learning) by emphasizing assessment as a process
of collecting evidence of student learning. Explain the types of assessments
(formative assessment and performance tasks).
May 2014—Page 21
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New York State Common Core
Slide
Time Picture
Script/Activity Directions
27
1 min
Overview Stage 3 (Instructional Activities) by emphasizing instructional activities
as opportunities for students to investigate meaningful questions and to develop
and demonstrate mastery of skills.
28
10
min
Participants will annotate 9.4.1 Lesson 16. After annotating the lesson for
evidence of each stage of Backwards Design, participants will then identify ways
to modify the lesson according to the identified writing needs of the spotlight
students. Emphasize instruction as data-driven with the analysis of the writing
samples as the impetus for designing additional instructional scaffolds in the
selected lesson.
Total
time:
15
min
May 2014—Page 22
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New York State Common Core
Section: Reflection and Closing
In this section, participants will reflect on their learning in this
session.
Slide
Materials used include: Session PowerPoint
Time Picture
Script/Activity Directions
29
5 min
Use the closing discussion questions to provide participants with an
opportunity to synthesize learning in this session. Emphasize the importance
of experiencing the cognitive demands placed on students in this module and
on using the writing samples of students to adapt Module 9.4 lessons.
Total
time:
5 min
May 2014—Page 23
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New York State Common Core
Turnkey Materials Provided
Here, list all the associated handouts or resources needed to this session, including text sets, PowerPoint, etc.







Session PowerPoint
9.4 Module Overview
9.4.1 Mid-Unit Assessment Handout and Argument Outline Tool
9.4.1 Performance Assessment
CCSS Reference Page
9.4.1 Lesson 16
Experiencing the Cognitive Demands of Argumentative Writing
May 2014—Page 24
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