Teacher’s Guide: Persuasive Essays
™
Reading Objectives
•C
omprehension: Evaluate fact and
opinion; Compare and contrast
• Tier Two Vocabulary: See book’s Glossary
• Word study: Emotion words
• Analyze the genre
• Respond to and interpret texts
• Make text-to-text connections
• Fluency: Read with inflection/tone: stress
Writing Objectives
• Writer’s tools: State and defend position
• Write a persuasive essay using writingprocess steps
Words of a Patriot: We Must
Be Independent!
Words of a Loyalist: Proud
to Be an Englishman!
Words of a Neutralist: Let
Us Live in Peace!
Related Resources
• Comprehension Question Card
• Comprehension Power Tool Flip Chart
• Using Genre Models to Teach Writing
• S hould School Be Year-Round? (Level U/50)
Level T/44
Unit-at-a-Glance
Day 1
Prepare to Read
Day 2
Read “Words of a Patriot: We Must Be
Independent!”*
Day 3
Read “Words of a Loyalist: Proud to Be an
Englishman!”*
Day 4
Read “Words of a Neutralist: Let Us Live
in Peace”*
Day 5
Literature Circle Discussion/Reinforce Skills*
Days 6–15
Write a persuasive essay using the process
writing steps on page 10.
While you are meeting with small groups, other students:
• read independently from your classroom library
• reflect on their learning in reading response journals
• engage in literacy workstations
®
B
e n c h m a r k
E
d u c a t i o n
C
o m p a n y
Day 1
Prepare to Read
Build Genre Background
•W
rite the word genre on chart paper. Ask: Who
can explain what the word genre means? (Allow
responses.) The word genre means “a kind of
something.” How many of you like to watch
cartoons on television? How many of you prefer
comedies with real actors? Cartoons and comedies
are genres, or kinds, of television programs. All
cartoons have some characteristics in common.
All comedies have some shared features, too.
As readers and writers, we focus on genres of
literature. As readers, we pay attention to the
genre to help us comprehend the text. Recognizing
the genre helps us anticipate what will happen
or what we will learn. As writers, we use our
knowledge of genre to help us develop and
organize our ideas.
•A
sk: Who can name some literary genres? Let’s make
a list. Allow responses. Post the list on the classroom
wall as an anchor chart.
• Draw a concept web on chart paper or the board.
Write Persuasive Essay in the web’s center circle.
•S
ay: A persuasive essay is one example of a literary
genre. Think of any persuasive essays you know. How
would you define what a persuasive essay is?
•T
urn and Talk. Ask students to turn and talk to a
classmate and jot down any features of a persuasive
essay they can think of. Then bring students together
and ask them to share their ideas. Record them
on the group web. Reinforce the concept that all
persuasive essays have certain common features.
Introduce the Book
• Distribute a book to each student. Read the title
aloud. Ask students to tell what they see on the
cover and table of contents.
• Ask students to turn to pages 2–3. Say: This week
we are going to read persuasive essays that will help
us learn about this genre. First we’re going to focus
on this genre as readers. Then we’re going to study
persuasive essays from a writer’s perspective. Our
goal this week is to really understand this genre.
• Ask a student to read aloud the text on pages 2–3
while others follow along. Invite a different student
to read the web on page 3.
• Point to your persuasive essay web on chart paper.
Say: Let’s compare our initial ideas about persuasive
essays with what we just read. What new features of
this genre did you learn? Allow responses. Add new
information to the class web.
• Post this chart in your classroom during your
persuasive essays unit. Say: As we read persuasive
essays this week, we will come back to this anchor
2
chart. We will look for how these features appear in
each persuasive essay we read.
• Ask students to turn to pages 5–7. Say: The years
from 1764 to 1788 were a period of upheaval in
America. After much debate, disagreement, and
armed conflict, however, thirteen British colonies
became the United States of America. Let’s read about
the events of the American Revolutionary Period.
• Have a student read aloud the background
information while others follow along.
•S
ay: The colonists fought and won the war of
independence, despite the fact that fewer than
half the colonists wanted freedom from Great
Britain. What can you infer, or tell, from this? Allow
responses. Prompt students to understand that
patriots were determined to succeed no matter what.
Introduce the Tools for Readers and Writers:
State and Defend Your Position
• Read aloud “State and Defend Your Position” on page 4.
•S
ay: Writers whose purpose is to persuade state
their opinions, or beliefs, clearly. Then they defend,
or support, their opinion with facts, examples, and
emotional language. Using this technique affects
the way readers think and feel about the topic. Let’s
practice identifying stated positions and the ideas
the author uses to defend them so we can recognize
them in the persuasive essays we read.
• Distribute BLM 1 (State and Defend Your Position).
Read aloud paragraph A with students.
•M
odel Stating and Defending Your Position: In
paragraph A, the author first states a position about
the After-School Program. Then, the author provides
evidence to support the position. The first argument
is that many students depend on the program. Words
such as terrible and not safe convey strong feelings
about the issue.
• Ask students to work with partners or in small groups
to identify other examples of evidence and emotion
words in the remaining sentences of paragraph A
and to complete paragraph B. Then have them write
their own position statement about a school issue,
using at least one emotion word.
• Bring the groups together to share their findings.
Point out that writers use examples from their own
experience as well as facts they have researched to
support their positions.
• Ask each group to read the position statement they
wrote, and invite classmates to help come up with
facts and examples to defend it. Use the examples
to build students’ understanding of how and why
writers state and defend a position. Remind students
that how an author states and defends a position
can help the reader analyze, understand, and draw
conclusions about the author’s arguments.
©2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC. All rights reserved. Teachers may photocopy the reproducible pages for classroom use. No other part of the
guide may be reproduced or transmitted in whole or in part in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or
any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
ISBN: 978-1-4509-2981-3
Three persuasive essays
About the American Revolution
Day 2
Name _________________________________________________
Date ____________________
State and Defend
Your Position
Before Reading
Introduce “Words of a Patriot: We Must
Be Independent!”
Directions: Read each paragraph. Highlight the statement of position. Underline
facts and examples that defend it. Circle words that stir emotions.
A. It would be a terrible mistake for the school board to eliminate
the After-School Program. Fifty-six students in our school depend
on this program. They have nowhere else to go until their parents
get home from work. It is not safe for the students to go home to
empty houses and apartments. In addition, the program helps
students with their studies. My brother gets help with his math
homework, and his grades have improved. Also, students get to
take part in organized play during the after-school activities. This is
a wonderful benefit of the program. We must not allow the school
board to eliminate the After-School Program!
B. Sadly, we can no longer afford the After-School Program. The
state has reduced its payment to the school district by over
a million dollars. Already, the board has had to cut teaching
positions and slash the budget for transportation, books, and
supplies. While the After-School Program is worthwhile, we
cannot justify keeping it at a cost of $200,000 per year. That
money would allow us to hire back four or five teachers! Teaching
students during school hours is our primary purpose. It is our
responsibility to serve all our students to the best of our ability, so
the After-School Program is not the best use of our funds.
• Reread the persuasive essay anchor chart or
the web on page 3 to review the features of a
persuasive essay.
• Ask students to turn to page 8. Ask: Based on
the title and illustrations, what do you predict
this essay might be about? Allow responses.
• Invite students to scan the text and look for
the boldfaced words (intolerable, tramples,
foolishness, ridiculous, outrageous). Say: As
you read, pay attention to these words. If you
don’t know what they mean, try to use clues in
the surrounding text to help you define them.
We’ll come back to these words after we read.
Directions: Write a position statement about an issue at school. Use at least one
emotion word in your statement.
Set a Purpose for Reading
position statements will vary but should
C. Student
_____________________________________________________________
• Ask students to read the essay, focusing on the
genre elements they noted on their anchor chart.
They should also look for examples of a position
statement and arguments and think about how
the author’s use of supporting facts and emotion
words helps readers analyze the issue.
include
a clearly stated opinion about an issue at
_____________________________________________________________
school
and at least one emotion word.
_____________________________________________________________
three persuasive essays
about the american revolution
blm 1
©2011 benchmark education company, llc
• Ask groups to hand in their sentences. Transfer
student-written sentences to chart paper, title the
page “State and Defend Your Position,” and post it
as an anchor chart in your classroom.
G5PersEssay2AmRev_TG.indd 1
8/12/10 12:08 PM
Reflect and Review
•T
urn and Talk. Write one or more of the following
questions on chart paper.
What is a literary genre, and how can understanding
genres help readers and writers?
What did you learn today about persuasive essays?
How can readers recognize the technique of stating
and defending a position?
Ask partners or small groups to discuss their ideas
and report them back to the whole group as a way
to summarize the day’s learning.
Management Tips
Read “Words of a Patriot:
We Must Be Independent!”
• Place students in groups based on their reading
levels. Ask students to read the persuasive essay
silently, whisper-read, or read with a partner.
• Confer briefly with individual students to
monitor their understanding of the text and
their use of fix-up strategies.
Management Tip
Ask students to place self-stick notes in the
margins where they notice facts and examples
that defend the author’s position as well as
features of the genre.
• Throughout the week, you may wish to use
some of the reflect and review questions as
prompts for reader response journal entries in
addition to turn and talk activities.
After Reading
• Have students create genre study folders. Keep
blackline masters, notes, small-group writing,
and checklists in the folders.
• Lead a student discussion using the “Understand
the Essay” and “Focus on Comprehension”
questions on page 14. Then, use the following
steps to provide explicit modeling of how to
evaluate fact and opinion in a persuasive essay.
•E
xplain: We learned yesterday that a persuasive
essay states a point of view and use facts and
evidence to make a case for it. The writer uses
powerful words to try to sway the reader. When
• Create anchor charts by writing whole-group
discussion notes and mini-lessons on chart
paper. Hang charts in the room where students
can see them.
©2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC
Build Comprehension: Evaluate Fact
and Opinion
Three persuasive essays
About the American Revolution
3
Day 2 (cont.)
you read a persuasive essay, you need to pay close
attention to the supporting evidence and emotional
effects of words.
• Distribute copies of BLM 2 (Evaluate Fact and
Opinion) and/or draw a chart like the one below.
•M
odel: When I evaluate facts in a persuasive essay,
I decide if they are accurate and relevant to the issue.
I ask myself whether they can be proven true and
how I can check them. Then I think about how well
they support the author’s position, or opinion, on the
issue. The patriot states in the second paragraph that
“taxes are decided in London without representation
for the colonies in the British Parliament.” I can check
this fact in an encyclopedia or history book. This
fact supports the author’s opinion that the colonists’
grievances against Britain are justified.
•G
uide Practice. Work with students to identify
other opinions and the facts the author uses to
support them. Help them understand that this
author supports the call to arms with examples of
British oppression.
• Have students keep BLM 2 in their genre studies folders.
Statements of
Opinion or Position
Facts That Support
Opinions
We must fight for our
independence! We must
fight for our future!
Taxes and intolerable acts
threaten freedom. Colonists
will be taxed to death.
Our grievances are many,
and they are justified.
We are taxed but have no
representation in Parliament—
an unacceptable situation.
England tramples our
rights as free men.
Only representatives chosen
by colonists can represent
us. England is too far away to
understand or respond to us.
England forces us to buy its
products and punishes us when
we protest.
We do not need or want
these troops.
They are sent to police us.
We have to house them in
our homes—a violation of our
rights.
[The Boston massacre]
was an example of
British brutality . . .
In Boston, British soldiers . . .
fired at people in the streets. It
was a bloody massacre!
“Words of
a Patriot:
We Must Be
Independent!”
Practice Text Comprehension Strategies for
ELA Assessment
• Use the Comprehension Question Card with small
groups of students to practice answering textdependent comprehension questions.
• Say: Today I will help you learn how to answer Find
It! questions. The answer to a Find It! question is right
in the book. You can find the answer in the text.
•M
odel. Read the Find It! question. Say: When I
read the question, I look for important words that
tell me what to look for in the book. What words
in this question do you think will help me? (Allow
responses.) Yes, I’m looking for the words Patriots,
fought, and British. On page 13, I read, “Patriots have
fought British Red Coats in the towns of Lexington
and Concord.” This sentence answers the question.
• Use the Flip Chart to develop other Find It! questions.
Focus on Vocabulary: Emotion Words
•E
xplain/Model. Read aloud Emotion Words on
page 4. Say: Emotion words express the author’s
strong feelings. They also may appeal to the
emotions of readers. To evaluate an emotionally
charged word, ask yourself: Did the author use
the word in support of or in place of a strong
logical argument?
•P
ractice. Have students find the words attack,
assaulted, and threaten in the opening paragraph
of the selection. Discuss the emotions these words
stir up and why the author used them.
•S
ay: Let’s find the boldfaced words in this essay.
What can you do if you don’t know what these
words mean? (Allow responses.) Besides using a
dictionary or glossary, you can scan the text near
the word for clues. These clues may take the form
of direct definitions, examples, synonyms,
or antonyms.
•A
sk students to work with a partner to complete
the “Focus on Words” activity on page 15 using
BLM 3 (Focus on Emotion Words). They should
find the definitions in the glossary. They should
then read the text to explain why each word is an
effective choice.
•T
ransfer Through Oral Language. Ask groups
of students to share their findings. Together
brainstorm appropriate facial expressions, postures,
and gestures to match each emotion word. Then
challenge individual students to use the words in
opinions in brief speeches about modern day issues.
• Ask students to save their work in their genre studies
folders to continue on Days 3 and 4.
• Remind students that when they answer questions
on standardized assessments, they must be able
to support their answers with facts or clues and
evidence directly from the text.
4
Three persuasive essays
About the American Revolution
©2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC
Day 3
Page
Word
Dictionary
Definition
Why is it an effective
word choice?
8
intolerable
unbearable
People need to act
when conditions
are not bearable.
8
tramples
crushes as if by
treading
It creates the image
of British as uncaring,
cruel masters.
9
foolishness
a lack of sense
or judgment
It encourages readers to
have contempt for British
authorities.
10
ridiculous
absurd
It makes the British law seem
outlandish.
11
outrageous
going beyond all
standards of what
is right
It stirs feelings of righteous or
justified anger against British
forces.
Reflect and Review
• Turn
and Talk. Ask partners or small groups to
reread the “Features of a Persuasive Essay” on
page 3 and decide whether all of these features are
present in “Words of a Patriot.” Ask groups to share
and support their findings.
Fluency: Read with Inflection/Tone: Stress
•Y
ou may wish to have students reread the
persuasive essay with partners during independent
reading time. Have them focus on stressing words
or phrases they feel should be emphasized. Ask
students to use what they learned about the
author’s opinions and feelings to stress important
facts and emotion words in their reading. Remind
them that exclamation marks indicate excitement
or anger, so sentences ending with this punctuation
should be stressed.
Note Regarding This Teacher’s Guide
Each book provides an opportunity for students
to focus on an additional comprehension strategy
that is typically assessed on state standards. The
strategy is introduced on page 4 (the third item
in the “Tools for Readers and Writers” section)
with text-specific follow-up questions found on
the Reread pages. Some Reread sections also
introduce an advanced language arts concept
or comprehension strategy, such as protagonist/
antagonist, perspective, or subtitles, because
students at this level should be able to consider
more than one comprehension strategy per text.
©2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC
Before Reading
Introduce “Words of a Loyalist: Proud to
Be an Englishman!”
•A
sk students to turn to page 16. Say: You
are going to read another persuasive essay
today. Turn to a partner to discuss how you
will use your genre knowledge to help you
understand it.
• Ask the partners to summarize what they heard.
•S
ay: Let’s look at the title, map, and illustrations
of this essay. What do you predict it might be
about? Allow students to share predictions.
• Ask students to scan the text and look for the
boldfaced words (pride, vulnerable, treason,
insane, grateful). Ask: What do you notice
about these words? Why do you think they
appear in boldfaced type? Allow responses.
Encourage students to notice that all of these
words express or suggest the author’s feelings
and bring out strong emotional responses.
•S
ay: As you read, try to figure out the meanings
of these words. Think about the context around
a word and the kinds of emotions it suggests.
After we read, we will talk about how you used
context clues and your own experiences to think
about both meanings and emotions.
Set a Purpose for Reading
•A
sk students to read the persuasive essay,
focusing on how the author has interwoven
facts and opinions. Encourage them to notice
the author’s use of examples to defend
his position.
Read “Words of a Loyalist:
Proud to Be an Englishman”
•P
lace students in groups based on their reading
levels. Ask students to read the persuasive essay
silently, whisper-read, or read with partners.
• Confer briefly with individual students to
monitor their understanding of the text and
their use of fix-up strategies.
After Reading
Build Comprehension: Evaluate Fact
and Opinion
•S
ay: Yesterday we evaluated facts and opinions
in “Words of a Patriot.” The author argued
that British taxes on colonists were unjustified
taxation without representation. What
counterargument does this author make to the
patriot’s opinion? Allow responses. As students
share their analyses, synthesize their responses
into a whole-group chart like the one here.
Three persuasive essays
About the American Revolution
5
Day 3 (cont.)
•D
iscuss Evaluating Fact and Opinion
Across Texts. Lead a discussion using the
following questions.
How do the emotions stirred up by the patriot
compare to those aroused by the loyalist?
Why do the two essays appeal to contrasting
emotions?
Where have the authors stated and defended
a position?
How do these position statements help you better
understand the essays?
Whose arguments seem stronger—the patriot’s
or loyalist’s?
Statements of Opinion
or Position
Facts That Support
Opinions
We must remain
Englishmen
to enjoy privileges; to benefit
from business and trade; to be
protected; to pay our debt
What folly! [to declare
independence]
The colonies are weak and
“Words of
defenseless . . .
a Loyalist:
Proud to Be an Talk about . . . revolutionary
Englishman!” war is dangerous.
The colonies should be
taxed by England.
The Boston massacre
was no massacre.
the colonists enjoy the privileges of English customs
and culture. They are protected against foreign
invaders. Remaining Englishmen also enables them
to repay England for helping them fight the French
and Indians. I have found the answer in the book.
I looked in several sentences to find the answer.
•G
uide Practice: Use the Flip Chart to help you
develop other Look Closer! questions.
Focus on Vocabulary: Emotion Words
• Ask students to work with partners to complete the
“Focus on Words” activity on page 21 using BLM 3.
Have students share findings.
•T
ransfer Through Oral Language. Invite pairs of
students to role-play conversations between the loyalist
and patriot authors, using the emotion words in the
texts that portray strengths and weaknesses.
Dictionary
Definition
Why is it an effective word
choice?
pride
sense of
self-worth
It suggests that patriots are too full
of themselves, without cause.
19
vulnerable
capable of being
physically or
emotionally
wounded
It suggests that the colonies are
helpless and would quickly become
victims of stronger countries.
19
treason
betrayal of a
country
It leads to feelings of shame and
fear—treason is punishable by
death.
19
insane
crazy or absurd
It suggests that patriots are unfit to
lead or govern.
20
grateful
thankful
It indicates colonists should feel
thankful to the English, not angry.
Page
Word
We thrive because of trade
with England. We flourish
because England protects us.
17
We have no army, no navy,
and no means of self-defense.
It is treason against the crown;
punishable by death.
They ought to pay their fair
share of the cost of the war.
England needs taxes to pay for
ships and soldiers to defend us.
It was a riot that needed to
be controlled. Boston mobs
attacked British soldiers first.
Practice Text Comprehension Strategies for
ELA Assessment
Reflect and Review
• Use the Comprehension Question Card with small
groups of students to practice answering textdependent questions.
• Say: Today I will help you learn how to answer
Look Closer! questions. The answer to a Look Closer!
question is in the book. You have to look in more
than one place, though. You find the different parts
of the answer. Then you put the parts together to
answer the question.
•M
odel: Read the Look Closer! question. Say: I will
show you how I answer a Look Closer! question.
This question asks me to identify a cause-and-effect
relationship. I can tell because it uses the clue
word why. Now I need to look for other important
information to find in the book. What information
do you think will help me? (Allow responses.) Yes, I’m
looking for reasons the writer believes colonists must
remain Englishmen. On page 16, I read that
Fluency: Read with Inflection/Tone: Stress
6
Three persuasive essays
About the American Revolution
•T
urn and Talk. Ask partners or small groups to
discuss the following questions and report their ideas
to the whole group.
Rank the arguments this author made in order, from
least to most persuasive.
Do you agree with this essay’s position? Why or why not?
If you had written this essay, what action might you
ask readers to take? Why?
•Y
ou may wish to have students reread the essay
with partners during independent reading time.
Have them focus on stressing words and phrases
they think the author meant to emphasize. Ask
students to explain the author’s feelings and give
more emphasis to the passages that they think call
for stronger emotion. Point out that exclamation
marks are clues for expressive reading.
©2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC
Day 4
Before Reading
Introduce “Words of a Neutralist:
Let Us Live in Peace!”
•A
sk students to turn to page 22. Say: Today we are
going to read “Words of a Neutralist.” This essay
is written in a different format from the other
persuasive essays we have read. Notice how in the
margins there are notes to you, the reader. The first
time we read the text, we will read to understand
the essay, focusing on the author’s position,
support for the position, and use of emotion words.
Tomorrow, we will reread this essay like a writer
and think about the notes in the margin as a model
for how we can write our own persuasive essays.
• Point out the boldfaced words (rebellion, vandals,
provoked, intimidated, wicked). Say: When you
see these words in the essay, look for context clues
to help you figure out their meanings as well as the
feelings they stir up. Remember that understanding
the emotional impact of certain words can help
you understand an author’s strategy and your own
response to persuasive text.
• Divide the class into three teams: Patriots,
Loyalists, and Neutralists.
• Give each team time to review the facts and
opinions of its essayist’s text using BLM 2.
• Pose questions to each team. Use these sample
questions and create more of your own.
What is your position on the issue of
independence for the colonies?
What do the other factions among the colonists
think of you? Why?
What is one argument in favor of your position?
What is one fact you can use to support your
opinion that ____?
What example(s) can you give to defend your
position that ____?
Set a Purpose for Reading
• Ask students to read the persuasive essay and to
focus on the strength of the author’s position and
arguments. They should also look for ways the
author has defended his position and think about
how his use of facts, opinions, and emotions helps
them understand the essay.
Read “Words of a Neutralist:
Let Us Live in Peace!”
•P
lace students in groups based on their reading
levels. Ask students to read the persuasive essay
silently, whisper-read, or read with partners.
• Confer briefly with individual students to monitor
their understanding of the text and their use of
fix-up strategies.
After Reading
Build Comprehension: Evaluate Fact
and Opinion
• Lead a whole-class discussion about the strategy
of evaluating fact and opinion. Ask: What are you
looking for when you evaluate facts and opinions
in a persuasive essay? (Allow responses.) Make sure
students realize that readers identify an author’s
position by analyzing his or her opinions. They also
assess the author’s success in defending his or her
position by deciding whether the facts and examples
used to defend it are sound and logical. In a persuasive
essay, the author may also include counterarguments
and language that stirs powerful feelings.
©2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC
“Words of a
Neutralist:
Let Us Live in
Peace!”
Statements of
Opinion or Position
Facts That Support
Opinions
War is a very great
evil; we must resolve
differences . . .
It creates rather than
solves problems. It
brings only death and
destruction.
No matter what
name you give it, it
[revolution] is a horrible
civil war.
It pits neighbors and
family members against
each other. It sets
colonists against their
English brothers.
Both sides [patriots,
loyalists] have
committed crimes,
excesses.
England has taxed us
without our consent and
fired on us, killing many.
Colonists have commited
acts of vandalism and
provoked and intimidated
troops.
[We] refuse to make
war because it violates
our spirit of freedom.
Our faith forbids us to
make war or to kill our
fellow man. Protecting life
is our priority.
We must seek peaceful
ways to solve our
differences.
Collaboration,
compromise, and honest
give and take by men of
good will are the answer.
Practice Text Comprehension Strategies
for ELA Assessment
• Use the Comprehension Question Card with
small groups of students to practice answering
text-dependent questions.
• Say: Today I will help you learn how to
answer Prove It! questions. The answer to a
Prove It! question is not stated in the book. You
have to look for clues and evidence to prove
the answer.
•M
odel: Read the first Prove It! question. Say: I will
show you how I answer a Prove It! question. This
question asks me to analyze a main idea. I know
Three persuasive essays
About the American Revolution
7
Day 4 (cont.)
Day 5
because it says, “The paragraph . . . is mainly about.”
Now I need to look for other important information in
the question. What information do you think will help
me? (Allow responses.) Yes, I need to find clues that
support the idea of peacefully solving conflict. The first
paragraph on page 26 says, “We must collaborate and
compromise to achieve reconciliation” and “there must
be an honest give and take by men of good will.”
I have found the evidence to support the main idea.
•G
uide Practice. Use the Flip Chart to help you
develop other Prove It! questions and support
students’ text-dependent comprehension strategies.
Before Reading
Focus on Vocabulary: Emotion Words
• Ask students to work with partners to complete the
“Focus on Words” activity on page 29 using BLM 3.
•T
ransfer Through Oral Language. Have students
work with their partners to discuss the meaning and
emotional associations of each target word. Invite
them to create and perform short skits for one of the
words in which characters use the word as well as act
out its meaning and show its emotional impact.
Page Word
Dictionary
Definition
Why is it an effective word
choice?
23
rebellion
armed opposition
to one in authority,
revolt
It suggests that patriots are
simply breaking the law.
24
vandals
people who
willfully destroy
others’ property
It suggests that patriots are
lawless and disrespectful.
25
provoked
stirred up
It suggests that patriots
deliberately started conflict.
25
intimidated
made fearful
It suggests a bullying attitude by
colonists.
27
wicked
evil or vicious
It makes war seem shameful
and wrong.
Reflect and Review
• Ask and discuss the following questions.
What new words have you added to your vocabulary
this week? Which is your favorite?
Which of the opinions you’ve read this week do you
agree with most strongly? Why?
How can you state and defend your position and use
emotional words as a writer?
Fluency: Read with Inflection/Tone: Stress
•Y
ou may wish to have students reread the essay
with partners during independent reading time.
Have them focus on stressing words, phrases, and
ideas that the author emphasizes.
8
Three persuasive essays
About the American Revolution
Summarize and Make Connections
Across Texts
• Engage students in a discussion about the three
persuasive essays in this book. Invite a different
student to summarize each essay. Encourage other
students to add their ideas and details.
• Ask students to turn to the inside back cover of
the book. Say: All these persuasive essays state a
position. They all include evidence and emotion
words to support the position and influence
readers. What else do they have in common? (Allow
responses.) Today we will think about the arguments
and counterarguments in all three persuasive essays.
We’ll think about how the essays are alike and
different and what we can learn from them.
• Ask students to work individually or in small groups
to complete BLM 4 (Make Connections Across Texts).
Bring students together to share.
“Words of
a Patriot:
We
Must Be
Independent!”
“Words of
a Loyalist:
Proud
to Be an
Englishman!”
“Words of
a Neutralist: Let
Us Live in
Peace!”
Position
Arguments
Counterarguments
We must go
to war with
England to
gain our
independence.
1. England has taxed us
unreasonably.
2. England has forced us to
buy its expensive tea.
3. Troops have caused
violence.
1. England says there
are those in Parliament
who speak for the
colonies.
2. England says we
ought to pay for its war
with France.
3. England tells us the
Redcoats protect us.
We must
remain
Englishmen
and support
the British
kingdom.
1. We are Englishmen.
2. We are prosperous and
successful because of
trade with England.
3. The colonies are weak
and defenseless.
1. A small group of
rabble-rousers say we
should sever bonds
that tie us to England.
2. This group refuses to
pay taxes.
3. This group says that
England attacked us.
We must
resolve our
differences
through
peaceful
means.
1. Revolutionary war will
be civil war.
2. War goes against
religious beliefs.
3. The Bible says, “Thou
shalt not kill.”
1. Colonists have
committed crimes and
provoked troops to act.
2. All war is wicked
and unhealthy.
Set a Purpose for Rereading
• Have students turn to page 22. Say: Until now,
we have been thinking about persuasive essays to
be critical readers. Now we are going to put on a
different hat. We are going to reread “Words of a
Neutralist” and think like writers. We’ll pay attention
to the annotations in the margins. These annotations
will help us understand what the author did and why
he did it.
©2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC
Day 5 (cont.)
Reread “Words of a Neutralist: Let
Us Live in Peace!”
•P
lace students in groups based on their reading
levels. Ask students to reread the persuasive essay
silently or whisper-read and to pay attention to
the annotations.
After Reading
Analye the Mentor Text
• Read and discuss the mentor annotations.
Practice Text Comprehension Strategies for
ELA Assessment
• Use the Comprehension Question Card with small
groups of students to practice answering textdependent questions.
• Say: Today I will help you learn how to answer Take
It Apart! questions. The answer to a Take It Apart!
question is not stated in the book. You must think
like the author to figure out the answer.
•M
odel. Read the first Take It Apart! question. Say:
This question asks me to analyze text structure and
organization. I know because it says “How does
the author . . . express . . .” Now I need to look for
other important information in the question. What
information do you think will help me? (Allow
responses.) Yes, I need to reread the last paragraph
on page 23 and look for a personal statement of the
author’s feelings. The author describes the realities
of war. Then he says, “My heart breaks to think on
it.” Expressing his deep sadness at the end of the
paragraph make a strong point about his beliefs.
•G
uide Practice. Use the Flip Chart to help you
develop other Take It Apart! questions.
Analyze the Writer’s Craft
• Ask students to turn to page 30. Explain: In the next
few days, you will write your own persuasive essay. First,
let’s think about how the author wrote “Words of a
Neutralist.” When he developed this essay, he followed
certain steps. You can follow these same steps.
• Read step 1. Say: When you write your persuasive
essay, first choose a problem or cause to address. This
essay acknowledges that the colonists have problems
with England but asks them to avoid going to war.
What issue would you like to argue for or against?
For example, I might write an essay to convince
readers to support the development of solar energy.
What other problems or causes could we address?
Capture ideas on chart paper.
©2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC
• Read step 2. Say: In the persuasive essays we
read, the authors spoke to a specific audience.
They wanted to persuade fellow colonists to
agree with them. Who could our audience be?
Capture students’ ideas on chart paper.
• Read steps 3, 4, and 5. Say: Before you’re
ready to write, you must gather and organize
supporting evidence and offer a solution
or action. The neutralist points out that a
war would pit family members against each
other and that killing is wrong. He called on
colonists to resolve their differences without
warfare. When you write, give facts, examples
and values that support your position and tell
readers what action to take. Finally, conclude
by summing up your argument. Choose one of
the issues the class has brainstormed, and work
as a group to construct a position statement,
arguments, and action.
Build Comprehension: Compare
and Contrast
•E
xplain: When authors write essays arguing
both sides of an issue, they often bring
up similar points but approach them from
opposite points of view. As readers, we
contrast opposing points of view of authors
and think about how those perspectives affect
their thinking about the issue.
•M
odel: Both the patriot and the loyalist
addressed the issue of British troops in the
colonies. The patriot saw their presence as
a threat and their demands for housing and
food as a violation of individual rights. So,
he included only details that showed them
to be oppressors. The loyalist saw the troops
as protectors, defending colonists from
the threat of enemies and pirates and only
harming colonists in self-defense. As a reader,
I consider both viewpoints and decide which
seems more valid.
•G
uide Practice: Invite students to work in
small groups to compare and contrast the
patriot, loyalist, and neutralist viewpoints
toward severing ties with Britain and going to
war. Have them summarize what each essayist
believes about this action and explain why the
men differ in their opinions. Then, challenge
students to tell which viewpoint they find
most persuasive and why.
Three persuasive essays
About the American Revolution
9
Days 6–15
Write a Persuasive Essay
•U
se the suggested daily schedule to guide
students through the steps of process writing.
Allow approximately 45 to 60 minutes per day.
As students work independently, circulate around
the room and monitor student progress. Confer
with individual students to discuss their ideas and
help them move forward. Use the explicit minilessons, conferencing strategies, and assessment
rubrics in Using Genre Models to Teach Writing for
additional support.
• Before students begin planning their persuasive
essay, pass out copies of BLM 5 (Persuasive
Essay Checklist). Review the characteristics and
conventions of writing that will be assessed. Tell
students that they will use this checklist when they
complete their drafts.
• This daily plan incorporates the generally accepted six
traits of writing as they pertain to persuasive essays.
Days 6–7: Plan
•A
sk students to use BLM 6 (Persuasive Essay
Planning Guide) to brainstorm the issue, position,
audience, supporting arguments and evidence, and
solution or call to action for their persuasive essay.
• Encourage students to refer to the “Features of a
Persuasive Essay” web on page 3 and to the steps in
“The Writer’s Craft” on pages 30–31 of the book.
• Confer with individual students and focus on their
ideas. Did students begin their persuasive essay
with a clearly stated position on the issue? Did
students support the position with well-organized
facts, examples, and values?
Days 8–9: Draft
• Tell students that they will be using their completed
Persuasive Essay Planning Guides to begin drafting.
•S
ay: Remember that when writers draft their
ideas, they focus on getting their ideas on paper.
They can cross things out. They can make mistakes
in spelling. What’s important is to focus on
developing your position, evidence, and solution
or suggested action. You can make corrections and
improvements later.
• Confer with students as they complete their drafts.
Use the Persuasive Essay Checklist to draw students’
attention to characteristics of the genre that they
may have overlooked. Focus on how students have
organized their ideas and the voice of the writer.
Did students state their position clearly in the
introduction? Did they organize convincing facts,
examples, and values in a logical order? Does the
persuasive essay have a strong and engaging voice?
• Pair students for peer conferencing.
Days 10–11: Edit and Revise
•B
ased on your observations of students’ writing,
select appropriate mini-lessons from Using Genre
Models to Teach Writing.
• Remind students to use the Persuasive Essay
Checklist as they edit and revise their essays
independently.
• Confer with students, focusing on sentence fluency,
word choice, and conventions. Did students include
both long and short sentences? Do the sentences
read smoothly? Have students used interesting words
and phrases? Did they use emotion words? Did they
use appropriate spelling, punctuation, and grammar?
• Students can continue editing and revising at home.
Days 12–13: Create Final Draft and
Illustrations
• Ask students to rewrite or type final drafts.
• Invite students to illustrate their final drafts to
explain or support specific facts or examples.
• Confer with students about publishing plans and
deadlines.
Days 14–15: Publish and Share
•E
xplain: One of the great joys of writing is sharing
it with others. Authors publish their books, make
their work available on the Internet, and hold
readings. We can share our writing, too.
• Use one or more of these ideas for sharing
students’ work:
Make a class display of students’ completed
persuasive essays.
Hold a class reading in which students can read
their essays to one another and/or to parents.
Create a binder of all the essays for your school or
your classroom library.
Name _________________________________________________
Date ____________________
Title _________________________________________________________________________________
Persuasive Essay Checklist
Features of the Genre Checklist
1. My persuasive essay has a strong lead.
2. My persuasive essay has an intended audience.
3. My persuasive essay is logically sequenced.
4. My persuasive essay states a strong position.
5. I state my case using facts and evidence.
6. My persuasive essay suggests solutions and actions.
7. I use emotional words to affect my reader.
8. My persuasive essay has a strong ending.
Quality Writing Checklist
I looked for and corrected . . .
Yes
No
 
 
Name _________________________________________________
Date ____________________


 
Persuasive Essay
 
 
Planning Guide
Directions:
 Use the steps below to plan your own fable.
 
Yes
1. Choose a problem or cause to write about and identify your position.
No
2. Identify your audience.
3. Brainstorm facts, examples, and values to support your position.
 4.Provide a solution or suggest and action.
 5.Write a strong conclusion.
 
 
Problem
 or
Cause
 
Position

 
• run-on sentences
• sentence fragments
• subject/verb agreement
• verb tense
• punctuation
• capitalization
• spelling
• indented paragraphs
Audience
Supporting
Facts
THREE PERSUASIVE ESSAYS
ABOUT THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION
BLM 5
Concrete
Examples
©2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC
Relevant
Values
Solution or
Action
Conclusion
THREE PERSUASIVE ESSAYS
ABOUT THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION
10
Three persuasive essays
About the American Revolution
BLM 6
©2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC
©2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC
Name _________________________________________________
Date ____________________
State and Defend
Your Position
Directions: R
ead each paragraph. Highlight the statement of position. Underline
facts and examples that defend it. Circle words that stir emotions.
A. I t would be a terrible mistake for the school board to eliminate
the After-School Program. Fifty-six students in our school depend
on this program. They have nowhere else to go until their parents
get home from work. It is not safe for the students to go home to
empty houses and apartments. In addition, the program helps
students with their studies. My brother gets help with his math
homework, and his grades have improved. Also, students get to
take part in organized play during the after-school activities. This is
a wonderful benefit of the program. We must not allow the school
board to eliminate the After-School Program!
B. S adly, we can no longer afford the After-School Program. The
state has reduced its payment to the school district by over
a million dollars. Already, the board has had to cut teaching
positions and slash the budget for transportation, books, and
supplies. While the After-School Program is worthwhile, we
cannot justify keeping it at a cost of $200,000 per year. That
money would allow us to hire back four or five teachers! Teaching
students during school hours is our primary purpose. It is our
responsibility to serve all our students to the best of our ability, so
the After-School Program is not the best use of our funds.
Directions: W
rite a position statement about an issue at school. Use at least one
emotion word in your statement.
C. _____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
three persuasive essays
About the American Revolution
blm 1
©2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC
Name _________________________________________________
Date ____________________
Evaluate Fact and Opinion
Directions: Use the chart below to evaluate facts and opinions.
Statements of
Opinion or Position
Facts That Support
Opinions
“Words of
a Patriot:
We Must Be
Independent!”
“Words of a
Loyalist: Proud
to Be an
Englishman!”
“Words of a
Neutralist:
Let Us Live in
Peace!”
Three persuasive essays
About the American Revolution
blm 2
©2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC
Name _________________________________________________
Date ____________________
Focus on Emotion Words
Directions: D
efine each word below and explain why it is an effective word choice
to use in a persuasive essay.
Page
Word
8
intolerable
8
tramples
9
foolishness
10
ridiculous
11
outrageous
17
pride
19
vulnerable
19
treason
19
insane
20
grateful
23
rebellion
24
vandals
25
provoked
25
intimidated
27
wicked
three persuasive essays
About the American Revolution
Dictionary Definition
blm 3
Why is it an effective
word choice?
©2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC
Name _________________________________________________
Date ____________________
Directions: U
se the chart to summarize the arguments and counter-arguments
pressented in the three persuasive essays.
Position
Arguments
Counterarguments
“Words of
a Patriot:
We Must Be
Independent!”
“Words of a
Loyalist: Proud
to Be an
Englishman!”
“Words of a
Neutralist:
Let Us Live in
Peace!”
Three persuasive essays
About the American Revolution
blm 4
©2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC
Name _________________________________________________
Date ____________________
Title ________________________________________________________________________­_________
Persuasive Essay Checklist
Features of the Genre Checklist
1. My persuasive essay has a strong lead.
2. My persuasive essay has an intended audience.
3. My persuasive essay is logically sequenced.
4. My persuasive essay states a strong position.
5. I state my case using facts and evidence.
6. My persuasive essay suggests solutions and actions.
7. I use emotional words to affect my reader.
8. My persuasive essay has a strong ending.
Quality Writing Checklist
Yes No
















Yes No
I looked for and corrected . . .








• run-on sentences
• sentence fragments
• subject/verb agreement
• verb tense • punctuation
• capitalization
• spelling
• indented paragraphs
Three persuasive essays
About the American Revolution
blm 5








©2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC
Name _________________________________________________
Date ____________________
Persuasive Essay
Planning Guide
Directions: Use the steps below to plan your own fable.
1. Choose a problem or cause to write about and identify your position.
2. Identify your audience.
3. Brainstorm facts, examples, and values to support your position.
4. Provide a solution or suggest and action.
5. Write a strong conclusion.
Problem or
Cause
Position
Audience
Supporting
Facts
Concrete
Examples
Relevant
Values
Solution or
Action
Conclusion
Three persuasive essays
About the American Revolution
blm 6
©2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC