Wichita falls ISD
English II
Lesson Planner
Unit 4: Evaluating Argument and Persuasion
Time Frame: 6 Weeks
Objectives
Skills: The student will be able to…






Analyze the controlling idea and specific purpose of a passage and the textual elements that support and
elaborate.
Make and defend subtle inferences.
Make inferences and draw conclusions about persuasive texts and provide evidence from texts to
support their analysis.
Write persuasive texts to influence the attitudes or actions of a specific audience on specific issues.
Identify and clearly understand fallacies.
Revise and edit a rough draft and produce a final draft.
Lesson Information
Activities
WEEK 1
Lesson 1 (1-3 days)
 Vocabulary Focus: Lesson 8B words 6-10
(pages 32) qualm, reactionary, stamina, zealous,
zephyr
 The vocabulary context chart or the Vocabulary
Illustration Worksheet may be used.
 Grammar Focus: Capitalization (use Grammar Openers
PowerPoint). Students need to write each
capitalization rule in the Grammar section of their
composition notebook.
 Use Language Workbook pages 116-117 for practice.
 Introduce Argument and Persuasion Vocabulary and
make copies for each student. Additional resources can
be found on pages 632-637 in the Hold McDougal
literature book. You may also choose to show the
Elements of Argument PowerPoint instead.
 Play the following YouTube clips and ask students to
identify the appeals used in each television
advertisement
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5zWB4dLYChM
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gspElv1yvc
 Allow students to practice using the terms while
discussing the video clips.
Lesson 2 (1-2 days)
 Read the Coretta Scott King speech “The Death Penalty
Is A Step Back” and complete the SOAPSTONE chart
 Journal Response: Do you agree or disagree with King?
Wichita Falls ISD (2013-2014)
Vocabulary
Terms























Persuasive media
Diction
Syntax
Tone
Imagery
Evidence
Logical
Empirical
Anecdotal
Voice
Viewpoint
Perspective
Debate
Rhetorical fallacy
Logical fallacy
Emotional fallacy
Ethical fallacy
Credibility
Counter argument
Valid source
Tone
Bias
Multimedia
presentation
TEKS
Readiness:
1B, 8A, 9A-C,
10A-B, 11A,
13A-D, 15A
Supporting:
16A-F, 17B-C
ELPS:
5A, 5B, 5D,
5F, 5G, 1A,
1C, 1E, 1G
Academic Vocabulary
 Persuasive text
 Connotation
 Denotation
 Media
 Research
 Thesis statement
Grammar Terms










Subjunctive mood
Capitalization
Punctuation
Spelling
Comma placement
Nonrestrictive
clause
Hyphens
Dash
Ellipses
Apostrophe

Write your claim and support it with at least two
reasons.
Introduce fallacies using the Fallacy Vocabulary List or
the Rhetorical Fallacies handout and practice finding
examples in the Coretta Scott King speech.
Week 2
Lesson 1 (4-5 days)
 Vocabulary Focus: Lesson 9A words 1-5 (page 35)
axiom, compatible, compliance, inanimate,
indestructible
 Grammar Focus: Hyphens and Dashes (use the
Grammar Openers PowerPoint) Students need to write
the rules in the grammar section of their composition
book
 Use the Language Network Handbook for extra practice
 Review fallacies
 Analyze an argument using “What in the Name of High
School Football”.*** Review the elements of an
argument before reading and mark each element in the
editorial while reading using a highlighter. After
reading, complete the Deconstructing an Argument
handout together and discuss what makes the
argument effective.
 Review the construction of an argument and give
students the Football Persuasive Essay Prompt. Read
and annotate the prompt together. This is a model
essay activity and should be guided throughout.
 Use the Constructing an Argument handout to write a
persuasive essay rough draft with students. After
modeling the essay construction, students should
practice writing their own thesis statement and
evidence. You may also refer to the Writing the
Persuasive Essay Notes.
 After completing the rough draft, students should meet
with a partner, read their draft, and discuss changes
that should be made. After discussion, examples
should be shared with the class. Use Fishbowl or Radar
Revision handouts.
 Other persuasive essay prompts are available in the
shared folder for extra practice. (Practice Persuasive
Essay Prompts Folder)
Week 3
Lesson 2 (2 days)
 Journal Response: What if everyone were the same?
What would it be like if everyone were the same—
average intelligence, talents, appearance, and
strength—and no one was better than anyone else?
 Interactive Reader pages 2-12: Brainstorm with a group
about the possible advantages and disadvantages of a
world in which everyone is the same—exactly average.
Write down lists on butcher and post at the front of the
room, share, and discuss. Then read the short story
Wichita Falls ISD (2013-2014)
“Harrison Bergeron” together. After reading, add
examples from the story to the chart of advantages and
disadvantages. You may also choose to test
comprehension using the Harrison Bergeron Reading
Comprehension Test. The test includes multiple choice
and open-ended response questions.
Lesson 3 (3 days)
 Vocabulary Focus: Lesson 9B words 5-10 (page 36)
innate, mutable, perception, prevalent, recourse
 Grammar Focus: Apostrophes (use the Grammar
Openers PowerPoint) Students need to write the rules
in their composition book and answer the practice
questions.
 Use the Language Network Handbook for extra
practice.
 Introduce the novel Animal Farm using the
Introduction to Animal Farm PowerPoint.
 All Animal Farm activities are located in one folder and
divided by activity. This folder includes vocabulary
activities for each chapter and study questions for each
chapter.
 Start with discussing satire and propaganda. Students
complete the activities in the Propaganda folder.
 Read chapters 1-3 aloud and discuss the various
propaganda techniques that are introduced. Choose
activities from the Animal Farm folder. Suggested
activity: Animal Farm Open Ended Response Questions
1
Week 4
Lesson 1 (3 days)
 Vocabulary Focus: Lesson 10A words 1-5 (page 39)
encompass, implacable, incentive, militant, pivotal
 Read chapters 4-6 in Animal Farm. Choose activities
from the Animal Farm folder.
Lesson 2 (3 days)
 Review the persuasive essay construction and the
elements of an argument. Students will spend one
class period brainstorming and pre-writing using the
Harrison Bergeron Persuasive Essay Prompt. Read and
annotate the prompt together and discuss the possible
positions students can take.
 Write a rough draft of the persuasive essay. Read
drafts with a partner using the Fishbowl or Radar
revision technique.
 Write the final draft on Lined Essay Paper.
Week 5
Lesson 1 (3 days)
 Vocabulary Focus: 10B words 6-10 (page 40) postulate,
retribution, stringent, transcend, transitory
 Grammar Focus: Commas PowerPoint review.
Students will write the comma rules in the grammar
Wichita Falls ISD (2013-2014)
section of their composition notebook. After reviewing
the rules and examples, use the Language Handbook
for extra practice.
 Read Animal Farm chapters 7-8. Suggested activity
from the Animal Farm Literature Unit folder: “Life
Under Napoleon” handout.
Lesson 2 (2 days)
 Read Animal Farm chapters 9-10. Complete the Animal
Farm Literature Unit Chapter 3 and Chapter 10
“Debate” activities. Review argument techniques
before starting the activity.
Week 6
Lesson 1 (3 days)
 Vocabulary Focus: Lesson 11 A words 1-5 (page 43)
autonomy, besiege, devastation, inclement, latitude
 The teacher may choose various Animal Farm activities
or students may complete the Animal Farm Satirical
Newspaper Project in groups or individually.
 The project allows students to practice designing
satirical news stories and analyze the effects of
propaganda. Satire reading practice examples can be
found in the Propaganda and Satire folder.
Lesson 2 (2 days)
 Students will write a persuasive essay independently
without help or guidance from the teachers. Students
will be given the prompt at the beginning of class, prewrite, and begin a final draft in one class period. You
may choose a prompt from the Persuasive Essay
prompts folder or use the Animal Farm Persuasive
Essay Prompt.
 Use the same process for drafting as before: Pre-write
and write a rough draft. Then write a final draft on
Lined Essay Paper. Use the Fishbowl or Radar revision
activity the following day.
 Persuasive Essay Practice Prompts may be used
throughout the six weeks period and extend into the
next fifth six weeks period if extra practice is needed.
Additional Information
Materials/Resources






Holt McDougal Literature Book or Holt
McDougal Literature Interactive Reader
Dictionaries
Composition Notebooks
SOAPSTONE Chart
Animal Farm novels
Holt McDougal Vocabulary Practice and
Tests
Wichita Falls ISD (2013-2014)
Notes from Council
 ***The football editorial was obtained at a College
Board conference and was published in a high school
newspaper by a high school student. If you find the
article inappropriate for your specific campus, please
choose another piece. Please read all persuasive pieces
before teaching them in order to clarify controversial
topics that may be discussed.
**All Holt McDougal resources are available online
at http://my.hrw.com
Parent Resources

http://www.livebinders.com/play/play/353326
Wichita Falls ISD (2013-2014)