Unit 11.3: As I See It – Persuasion
English as a Second Language
7 weeks
Stage 1 - Desired Results
0B
Unit Summary
3B
In this unit, students will examine persuasion as a writing genre and will understand the purpose and
strategies associated with it. Students will read editorials about a variety of social issues and will learn
to question while they read as a way to develop their own position on a topic.
Transfer goal: Students will leave the class able to use their knowledge about editorials as a persuasive
style to get involved with social issues and debates and present their opinions in written and oral form
in a convincing manner to persuade people to join them.
Content Standards and Learning Expectations
4B
Listening/Speaking
L/S.11.3 Uses appropriate language structure to analyze and state opinions in discussions and
presentations, to problem solve, and to explain a process integrating comparison and contrast
statements.
L/S.11.5 Analyzes the main idea or topic and important details from learned concepts or readings from
a variety of persuasive texts; summarizes, explains, clarifies, and discusses effectiveness of text,
performance, speech, or literature.
15B
Reading
R.11.1 Examines context clues, uses reference sources and vocabulary expansion strategies to assess
word meaning; analyzes the meaning of unfamiliar words and applies the new meaning to context;
identifies Greek and Latin root words.
R.11.4 Distinguishes between fact and opinion, infers, and supports the main idea in a variety of texts;
analyzes the theme.
16B
Writing
W.11.2 Determines the purpose of writing; analyzes and constructs organizational patterns to connect
ideas; writes narrative, expository, and persuasive essays.
W.11.5 Applies editing marks, self-correcting methods, and reference sources to revise and edit;
analyzes, organizes, and verifies information to write and revise; completes a final draft using the
writing process.
17B
Big Ideas/Enduring Understandings:
5B
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Experiences, relationships, history, and
culture influence identity.
Persuasion attempts to influence beliefs and
behavior.
Persuasion has a unique set of characteristics
and particular structure.
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Essential Questions:
6B
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What is to identity and how is it shaped by
cultural and experience?
Why is it important to try to “know” your
audience when writing a persuasive piece?
In what ways is persuasion used to influence
beliefs and behaviors?
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Unit 11.3: As I See It – Persuasion
English as a Second Language
7 weeks
Content (Students will know…)
Skills (Students will be able to…)
7B
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8B
Main idea or topic and important details
Greek and Latin root words
Fact and opinion
Writing process
Elements of persuasive essays
Purposes for writing
Content Vocabulary
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18B
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Editorial
Position
Argument
Counterargument
Thesis statement
Evidence
Determine the purpose of written pieces.
Analyze the main idea or topic and important
details from learned concepts or readings
from a variety of persuasive texts.
Infer and support the main idea.
Write a persuasive essay.
Complete a final draft using the writing
process.
Stage 2 - Assessment Evidence
1B
Performance Tasks
9B
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Persuasive Essay
19B
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Other Evidence
10B
Students will use the outline they wrote in
11.3 Learning Activity – Persuasive Check
Point Sheet to write a persuasive essay.
Students should follow the steps of the
writing process starting by using the prewriting exercise to compose a draft. They will
then edit and revise the draft and complete a
final draft.
Students will be assessed using a rubric:
http://bms.westport.k12.ct.us/krodel/PoPro/
PaperRubric.htm
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Write an Editorial
20B
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Using an appropriate organizational structure,
students will compose an editorial about an
issue of personal interest and significance.
Students will also submit their editorials to a
newspaper or school newspaper for
publication, if available.
Students will choose a topic of personal
interest for an editorial and use research skills
to build strong, relevant arguments and
elements.
Students should use attachment 11.3
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Literacy Journal – which will include:
o Double-Entry Journal – The students will
make a 2 column chart in their notebooks
with the titles “A sentence I like” and “This
makes me think…” Students will write
quotations from what they read and
respond to them making text-to-text, textto-self, and text-to-world connections.
o Dialogue Journal – the student will write
an entry, the teacher will write a response
directly in the journal, the student will
respond, and so on.
o Reading Response Journal – Students will
answer response questions on their silent
or group reading as assigned by the
teacher. (See Learning Activities for
suggested prompts.)
o Reading Log – Students will record titles
and pages read each day.
o New Vocabulary Personal Word Wall –
Students will record unfamiliar words they
encounter throughout the unit. They will
use context clues and reference materials
to find the meanings of the words.
Anecdotal evidence of comprehension and
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Unit 11.3: As I See It – Persuasion
English as a Second Language
7 weeks
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Performance Task – Editorial Pre-Writing to
plan their editorials.
Students will be assessed using a rubric (see
attachment: 11.3 Editorial Rubric).
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participation collected during discussions and
group work
Fact or Opinion in Editorials worksheet
Persuasive Writing Check Sheet (see
attachment 11.3 Learning Activity –
Persuasive Check Point Sheet).
Stage 3 - Learning Plan
2B
Learning Activities
1B
Independent Reading
21B
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Besides reading editorials throughout the unit, students should read a novel independently and/or
in literature circles. Novels should have themes involving strong social issues. See Literature
Connections for suggestions.
Persuasive Writing Structure
2B
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The teacher takes an already written memoir that is included in the link below and will use
attachment 11.3 Learning Activity – Persuasion Check Point Sheet to break down a published
persuasive text (short article) into its components (hook, thesis statement, main reasons, evidence,
counter argument and closure) as a way to model and guide the learner through the process. This
exercise will help students see how the pre-writing outline can lead to a high quality final copy.
Examples written by advanced ESL students are available here:
http://eslbee.com/persuasion_essays_models.htm
Students will choose a controversial topic (year-round school, city-wide curfews for teens, etc) and
choose a position. Using attachment 11.3 Learning Activity – Persuasion Check Point Sheet,
students will outline their arguments. This outline will be used as a pre-writing activity for the essay
in Performance Task #1.
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Understanding Editorials Through Questioning 1
23B
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0F
The teacher will select a short, high-interest editorial to read aloud to the class. The teacher will
model the effective use of questioning as a way to understand the author’s position and purpose
using the questions bulleted below.
o Make a prediction about the editorial based on the title (Think Aloud/ write in the margin)
o What is the issue? (Read to find the issue and underline it.)
o What is the author’s position? (Read to find the position and mark it in the margin)
o How does the author support the position? (Circle evidence)
o Does the author address the other side or point of view? (Underline the counterargument)
o Describe how the editorial does or does not change the way you feel, believe, or stand on the
issue. (Write notes in the margin)
Students will practice this technique with another editorial provided by the teacher. (See
Additional Resources)
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Source: https://www.georgiastandards.org/Frameworks/GSO%20Frameworks/Grade-7-Unit-3-Your-Opinion,Please.pdf
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Unit 11.3: As I See It – Persuasion
English as a Second Language
7 weeks
Main Idea and Important Details
24B
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Students will select editorials from the websites below (Additional Resources) or print-outs
provided by the teacher. Using attachment 11.3 Learning Activity – Main Idea, students will analyze
the main idea and supporting details of the editorials and write a brief summary of the article in
the space provided.
Fact and Opinion in Editorials
25B
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The teacher will use attachment 11.3 Learning Activity – Fact and Opinion as a tool to discuss and
identify fact and opinion in editorial articles.
The teacher will provide the students with the text for another editorial with sentences written one
per line. The students will read each sentence and decide if the sentence is a fact or opinion.
Persuasive study on a Social Issue – Child Labor
26B
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Students will read the article in attachment 11.3 Learning Activity – Child Labor in small groups.
Class will come back together to discuss the article and any questions the students may have.
Students should answer the Reader’s Response and Writer’s Response questions in their Literacy
Journals.
Journal Entries: Students will choose two prompts from the “Write Time” section of the above
article to respond to in their Response Journals.
Greek and Latin Roots
27B
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The teacher will provide 15-20 Greek and Latin root words and their meanings to the students (as a
hand-out or on the board to be copied by the students.) The teacher will lead the students in a
brainstorming session to think of words containing the roots.
Students will work individually or with a partner to make note cards for each root. On the front of
the 3x5 card, students will write the root. On the back the definition in the upper right corner, 2
examples of words containing the root in the upper left corner, a sentence using a word with the
root in the lower right corner, and a picture or symbol that demonstrates the meaning of the word
in the bottom right corner. (If 3x5 cards are not available, students can cut lined notebook paper to
notecard size.)
If computers with internet access are available, the game on the following site may be useful:
http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/athens_games/gamegreektome.htm
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Sample Lessons
12B
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Persuasive Writing:
https://www.georgiastandards.org/Frameworks/GSO%20Frameworks/Grade-7-Unit-3-YourOpinion,-Please.pdf
o Gathering topics – page 11
o Gathering arguments and evidence – page 12
o Audience – page 14
o Developing a counterargument – page 15
o Developing a thesis – page 16
o Writing a closing – page 22
Greek and Latin Root Words:
http://www.strugglingreaders.com/pdf/Latin%20and%20Greek%20Word%20Roots%201.pdf
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Unit 11.3: As I See It – Persuasion
English as a Second Language
7 weeks
Additional Resources
13B
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Use as reference:
o Unit 8.3 Influencing Others to Make Decisions that Matter
o Unit 9.4 It’s a Matter of Opinion
o Unit 10.2 Friendship in Fiction and Power of Persuasion
o Unit 12.5 See it My Way
Seeing the connection of persuasion by watching commercials, debates and more…..
http://www.youtbe.com
Full-text short stories, novels, poems, etc from a variety of genres:
http://www.searchlit.org/elibrary.php
Editorials:
o Junior Scholastic: www.teacher.scholastic.com
o New York Times Upfront: www.teacher.scholastic.com/upfront
o Teen Ink: http://teenink.com
USA Today: http://usatoday.com
Persuasive Essay Structure and Organization:
http://www.hgpublishing.com/Free_Essay_Help/Types/Persuasive.html
Persuasive Writing Prompts and Lesson ideas: http://www.webenglishteacher.com/argument.html
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Literature Connections
14B
The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
Breadwinner by Deborah Ellis
Homeless Bird by Gloria Whelan
Crossing the Wire by Will Hobbs
Year of the Impossible Goodbyes by Sook Nyul Chois
Turn Homeward Hannalee by Partrica Beatty
The No-So-Spangled Life of Sunita Sen by Mitali Perkins
Red Scarf Girl by Ji-li-Jiang
Darkness at Noon by Arthur Koestler
http://web2.jefferson.k12.ky.us/CCG/supp/HS_PersuaReadWrite.PDF
• Literature Timeless Voices, Timeless Theme, Bronze
o The California’s Tale by Mark Twain page 246 (Story: Draw Conclusion)
o Valediction by Seamus Heaney page 252 (Poem: Summarize)
o The Night the Bed Fell by James Thurber page 279 (Humorous Essay: Cause and Effect)
o A Letter to a Clockmaker by Charles Dickens page 430 (Humorous Commentary: Fact and
Opinion)
o Stepping Out With My Baby by Paul Reiser page 431 (Humorous Commentary: Fact and
Opinion)
o Independence Hall by Charles Kuralt page 604 (Story: Author’s Purpose)
o Rattlesnakes Hunt by Majorie Kinnan Rawlings page 607 (Story: Author’s Purpose)
o from Barrio Boy by Enersto Galarza page 611 (Story: Author’s Purpose)
o I am a Native of North America by Chief Dan George page 615 (Story: Author’s Purpose)
o All Together Now by Barbara Jordan page 618 (Story: Author’s Purpose)
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Adapted from Understanding by Design by Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe
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