Grade 5 Lesson 3

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Lesson Plan

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Student Activity Handout 1 (Argument and Support Lesson Handout)

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PowerPoint Presentation (Go to View->Full Screen)

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Marlins Think Tank: Fifth Grade Language Arts Lesson Plan #3

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OBJECTIVE. What is your objective?

KEY POINTS. What knowledge and skills are embedded in the objective?

Student will be able to:

1. RI.5.8. Explain how an author uses reasons and evidence to support particular points in a text, identifying which reasons and evidence support which point(s). (text features; reason and support)

2. RI.5.4. Determine the meaning of general academic and domain-specific words and phrases in a text relevant to a grade 5 topic or subject area. (vocabulary)

1. Strong Arguments Have:

o Facts o Data/Statistics o Are not too emotional

2. Vocabulary is a tremendously important aspect of learning because we are smarter when we know more words!

ASSESSMENT. Describe, briefly, what students will do to show you that they have mastered (or made progress toward) the objective.

Students will be able to identify the aspects of a strong argument and write their own arguments utilizing their knowledge of what makes a strong argument.

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OPENING (10 min.) How will you communicate what is about to happen? How will you communicate how it will happen?

How will you communicate its importance? How will you communicate connections to previous lessons?

How will you engage students and capture their interest?

MATERIALS.

What is the most pressing social concern in society today that is being ignored by our government? What do we choose to ignore because it is easier to ignore than to make change happen? Write at least four sentences. After students have written for five minutes, the teacher will begin: Let’s share some of your ideas! (Calls on hands) Beautiful! Your thoughts about changing the world can happen if you make them happen. Our Do Now brings up a super important idea: that we have to make the changes that we want to see in the world. This is the focus of what we are doing today: focusing on making strong arguments with reason and evidence. We will also focus on vocabulary today. Vocabulary is the single most important thing to learn, in school and outside of school. Vocabulary is the difference between understanding the world and being confused by the world.

PowerPoint Student Notebooks

INTRODUCTION OF NEW MATERIAL (10 min.) How will you explain/demonstrate all knowledge/skills required of the objective, so that students begin to

actively internalize key points?

Which potential misunderstandings do you anticipate? How will you proactively mitigate them? How will

students interact with the material?

Students will have ten minutes to write down the vocabulary words that we will be focusing on in class today.

Interscholastic (adjective): Occurring between two or more schools.

Enact (verb): To put into practice (a belief, idea, suggestion).

Ban (verb OR noun): To officially or legally prohibit.

Deliberation (noun): Long and careful consideration or discussion. Teacher may say: Write each of these words down. We will see them in context, and use them ourselves, a little later in class.

PowerPoint Student notebooks

GUIDED PRACTICE (10 min.) How will students practice all knowledge/skills required of the objective, with your support, such that they

continue to internalize the key points? How will you ensure that students have multiple opportunities to practice, with exercises scaffolded from

easy to hard?

We are going to read an opinion letter that focuses on baseball; specifically, the letter argues that young baseball players should only be allowed to use wooden bats. While we read, complete the following assignments:

1) Underline the vocabulary words that you just wrote down when you see them in the letter.

2) Underline EVIDENCE that the author provides to make his argument stronger.

Strong arguments have:

Facts: o “The NCAA has also banned composite metal bats and has been

discussing switching to wood.” o “The use of wood bats teaches players to become better hitters and

shows their true skills. This allows college and high school players to prepare for the next level.”

Data/Statistics: o “The risk of a pitcher or infielder getting hit with a line drive is higher

and more deadly.”

Are not too emotional: o “While playing baseball, it has come to my attention that metal bats,

aluminum or composite, give hitters an advantage over pitchers, are more costly, more dangerous, and are cheating players out of bettering their skills.”

o “I believe this a step in the right direction to creating fairer and safer competition.”

PowerPoint “Marlins Think Tank: Fifth Grade Argument and Support Lesson” Handout

INDEPENDENT PRACTICE (25 min.) How will students independently practice the knowledge and skills required of the objective, such that they

solidify their internalization of the key points prior to the lesson assessment?

Activity Number One: Think about something (in sports or in life) that you think must be changed. It could be something at school, something in your neighborhood, or something in your household. Write a letter (at least fifteen sentences) that calls for the change to occur. In your letter, make sure that you include the elements of a strong argument. Also use two of the vocabulary words that we learned today. Underline your facts/data and your vocabulary words. Activity Number Two: Create a Frayer model for TWO of the vocabulary words that we have learned today. The Frayer model outlines are on the second page of the “Marlins Ed: Fifth Grade Argument and Support Lesson” handout. Remember: vocabulary matters! We will have the opportunity to share our letters with the class. Here are some tips for public speaking:

o Make eye contact with your audience o Speak slowly and clearly o Maintain posture o Use your hands to gesture o Have confidence! You are amazing!

PowerPoint “Marlins Think Tank: Fifth Grade Argument and Support Lesson” Handout Student notebooks

Lesson Assessment: Once students have had an opportunity to practice independently, how will

they attempt to demonstrate mastery of the knowledge/skills required of the objective?

Teachers will utilize the letters that students wrote to determine if students mastered the objective: identifying and creating strong arguments.

CLOSING (5 min.) How will students summarize and state the significance of what they learned?

Today we covered two very important topics: vocabulary and creating strong arguments. For our closing, on the bottom of the page on which you wrote your letter, write one thing that you learned today and WHY it matters. Great job!

PowerPoint Student notebooks

Marlins Think Tank: Fifth Grade Argument and Support Lesson

Advocacy Letter By Dan S., Hartland, WI

November 11, 2010 Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association c/o Sports Advisory Committee 5516 Vern Homes Drive Stevens Point, WI 54482-8833 Dear Sports Advisory Committee: For the past three years I have participated in baseball at my high school. Baseball has become a huge part of my life and I recognize and appreciate the steps you have taken to better the sport. Recently, you have enacted a new regulation outlawing the use of composite metal bats. I believe this a step in the right direction to creating fairer and safer competition. However, I have a suggestion that I believe is a better way of doing this. While playing baseball, it has come to my attention that metal bats, aluminum or composite, give hitters an advantage over pitchers, are more costly, more dangerous, and are cheating players out of bettering their skills. I ask you consider outlawing all metal bats and allow only wood bats. The use of wood bats teaches players to become better hitters and shows their true skills. This allows college and high school players to prepare for the next level. Many will argue using wood bats kills trees and is more expensive than using metal bats. This is because wood bats break often, but breakage can be avoided. Composite wood bats are available, which rarely break and are less than half the cost of metal bats. Today, High School baseball players are bigger, stronger, and more skilled. Because of this, using metal bats is much more dangerous. The risk of a pitcher or infielder getting hit with a line drive is higher and more deadly. The NCAA has also banned composite metal bats and has been discussing switching to wood. This, along with your action, is a step moving towards the use of wood bats. In due time, college and high school baseball will ban metal bats. In my mind, if that is the future, why not change it now? As the organization with the power to affect and better High School baseball, I hope you take my proposal into deliberation. With your action, baseball can become better, safer, and fairer. You may feel free to contact me at any time. Thank you for your consideration. Sincerely, Dan S.