Pasadena Unified School District Performance Task Overview Topic and Type of Task: Speak Up! Step Out! -­‐ Argumentative Letter Subject, Grade Level ELA 9th Grade, Unit 2 Driving Question: • What inequalities can you identify and what can you do about them? What can I do to speak out against injustice? Teacher’s Overview*: How does this task give evidence of my Desired Results for students? In this unit, students will create an argumentative letter and a visual/media presentation. This task encourages students to explore past injustices, the actions of individuals, and how the actions of others can combat injustice. Students will evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is valid and the evidence is relevant and sufficient. Students will also write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence. As objective investigators, students have been asked to report their findings about an injustice in the community/world in a letter. (Suggested letter recipients: Education Issues: Secretary of Education, Community issues: Mayor, etc.) Students are asked to consider the use of technology in preparing a visual representation of their analysis like a pamphlet, PowerPoint presentation, etc. (Sample issues: later school start time, education, crime, healthcare, elderly support services). How long will this task take? At teacher discretion – The Performance Task will be completed in approximately three weeks. The entire unit of study will take approximately eight weeks to complete. Any additional planning notes or reminders? Select an available text. Text selection dependent on availability. Possible books include: Additional possible books: Night, Always Running, Walkout, Persepolis, The Invisible Man, The Scarlett Letter, Nasreen's Secret School: A True Story from Afghanistan. * This page is for teachers only. The following page is for students. Pasadena Unified School District Performance Task Overview Topic and Type of Task: Speak Up! Step Out! -­‐ Argumentative Letter Subject, Grade Level ELA 9th Grade Driving Question: • What inequalities can you identify and what can you do about them? What can I do to speak out against injustice? Background Information or Overview of Situation As objective investigators, you have been asked to report your findings about injustices in the community/world in an argumentative letter that answers the following prompt. What inequalities can you identify and what can you do about them? What can you do to speak against injustice? After reading the selected text (literature or informational texts assigned by your teacher), write an argumentative letter that identifies an injustice in the community and argues for a solution to combat the injustice. Support your position with evidence from the text(s). Be sure to examine competing views. Give examples from past or current events or issues to illustrate and clarify your position. You have also been asked to propose solutions to the injustices in the form of a visual representation, like a pamphlet, PowerPoint presentation, etc. This should be written in MLA business letter format, two to five page typed, double-­‐spaced, 12-­‐point font. Task Instructions/Guidelines/Details: What will the students do and produce? o Argumentative Letter o A visual presentation detailing solutions to the injustices. -­‐ What will you need? o Read assigned literature and/or informational texts o Writing materials o Technology -­‐ What readings, prior assignments, materials, etc. are needed? o Assigned text. Recommended text is To Kill A Mockingbird How will you be assessed? Refer to Argumentative Letter Rubric Unit 2 rubric. Benchmarks/Check-­‐ins Pasadena Unified School District Performance Task Overview Suggested benchmarks. -­‐ Benchmark #1: Quick-­‐Writes -­‐ Benchmark #2 Weeks 2-­‐6 Quizzes and Tests (selected novel, literary concepts, and vocabulary) -­‐ Benchmark #3 Summaries -­‐ Benchmark #4 Rough Draft Argument Letter -­‐ Benchmark #5 Informative PowerPoint Presentation on Injustice – Students create an informative PowerPoint presentation that explains the injustice they read and researched. Additional Suggested Benchmarks Upon Teacher’s Discretion*: -­‐ Benchmark #4 Compare and Contrast Viewpoints Comparison of Two Articles (Teacher’s Choice) -­‐ Benchmark# 5 Compare and Contrast Film and novel -­‐ Summative Assessment (Argument – Analysis) o After reading To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee select a character from the novel and explain how the character’s actions combat inequality. Write an essay that addresses the question and support your position with evidence from the text. Give examples from past or current events or issues to illustrate and clarify your point. *At teacher’s discretion.