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|Unit Title: Persuasive Letter |Duration: 3 weeks |

|Concepts: |

|Writers analyze mentor texts and generate ideas for writing persuasive letters. |

|Writers learn strategies for writing effective persuasive letters. |

|Writers learn strategies for revising and editing persuasive letters. |

|Writers publish persuasive letters. |

|Materials to be provided by the teacher: |Professional Resources: |

|On-Demand Persuasive Letter Pre/Post-Assessment |Lucy Calkins, A Curricular Plan for the Writing Workshop, Grade 4, 2011-2012, |

|Writer’s notebooks |Heinemann, 2011 |

|Writing folders with notebook paper |Lucy Calkins, Lucy Calkins Units of Study for Teaching Writing, Grades 3-5, Book |

|Paper for final drafts |3: Breathing Life Into Essays, Heinemann, 2006 |

|Materials to be produced by the teacher: |Mentor Text: |

|Class chart: |I Wanna Iguana, Karen Kaufman Orloff |

|Strategies for Writing Effective Persuasive Letters | |

|Enlarged copies of the following: |Choose 7-10 persuasive mentor texts from the following list or substitute others:|

|“Choosing My Own Bedtime”– sample letter |Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type, Doreen Cronin |

|Elements of Persuasive Texts Chart |Can I Have a Stegosaurus, Mom? Can I? Please!?, Lois G. Grambling |

|Ideas for Persuasive Letters |Can I have a Tyrannosaurus Rex, Dad? Can I? Please!?, Lois G. Grambling |

|Persuasive Letter Organizer |Can I Bring My Pterodactyl to School, Ms. Johnson?, Lois G. Grambling |

|Checking the Strength of My Reasons – sample |Hey, Little Ant, Phyllip and Hannah Hoose |

|Checking the Strength of My Reasons – blank |Can I Keep Him?, Steven Kellogg |

|Persuasive Letter Revision/Editing Checklist |My Brother Dan’s Delicious, Steven L. Layne |

|Student packets that include the following pages (copies of these pages are |The Salamander Room, Annie Mazer |

|included following each session in which they are first introduced, and a |I Wanna New Room, Karen Kaufman Orloff |

|complete set of these pages is also located following the notes section in this |Earrings, Judith Viorst |

|unit): |Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!, Mo Willems |

|Strategies for Writing Effective Persuasive Letters – completed |Don’t Let the Pigeon Stay Up Late!, Mo Willems |

|“Choosing My Own Bedtime” – sample letter | |

|Elements of Persuasive Texts Chart | |

|Ideas for Persuasive Letters | |

|Persuasive Letter Organizer | |

|Checking the Strength of My Reasons – blank | |

|Individual copies of the following for each student: | |

|Students charts for most sessions to be cut out and affixed to the pages in the | |

|students’ writer’s notebooks | |

|Persuasive Letter Conferring Checklist | |

|Persuasive Essay Revision/Editing Checklist | |

|Persuasive Letter Assessment Rubric | |

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|Please read these notes before beginning this unit as they provide integral information |

|for completing this unit with success. |

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|Unit Introduction: |

|In this unit, students learn how to express an opinion and support it with evidence in a persuasive letter about an issue of their choice. In third grade, |

|students learn to write personal essays in which they support a big idea with evidence in the form of stories from their lives. This kind of writing tells what |

|the author believes, but this kind of writing is not necessarily intended to persuade the reader. In this unit, fourth grade students are introduced to persuasive|

|letters, written to persuade an audience to support a point of view. |

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|Assessment: |

|Administer the on-demand assessment prior to beginning this unit and score the students’ writing using the Persuasive Letter Assessment Rubric at the end of this |

|unit. At the conclusion of the unit, administer the same on-demand assessment and look for improvements in your students’ development as writers. |

|Use the Persuasive Letter Conferring Checklist throughout this unit to informally assess your students. |

|At the end of the unit, the students will use the Persuasive Letter Revision/Editing Checklist to self-assess their writing. The teacher can also use this form to|

|assess students’ writing. |

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|Resources and Materials: |

|Immersion in the persuasive text genre is important before you begin teaching a persuasive writing unit. Spend a few days having students read persuasive letters |

|and other persuasive texts prior to the teaching of this unit. |

|After reading through the sessions in this unit, you will want to write a persuasive letter of your own before you begin this unit to use as a mentor text. Be |

|sure to save examples of your students’ persuasive letters to use as examples in the years to come. |

|A completed class chart for each of the teaching points in this unit is included following these notes. A cumulative class chart is also included with each |

|session. Additionally, detailed student charts that correspond with many sessions are included in a size appropriate for students to cut out and glue or tape into|

|their reader’s notebooks. |

|You might also choose to create permanent classroom class charts by adding new strategies as you go. If you use a document camera to share the class charts from |

|this unit, also create classroom class charts so students can refer to them later. |

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|Best Practice: |

|Spend more than one day per session as needed in your classroom. Remember that all teachers and classes are different, and you will want to make adjustments to |

|the sessions, to the sequence of the sessions, and to the number of days you spend on a session as necessary. |

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|Other: |

|A special thank you goes out to all authors of professional resources cited in this unit for their insights and ideas. |

Overview of Sessions – Teaching and Learning Points Aligned with the Common Core

Concept: Writers analyze mentor texts and generate ideas for writing persuasive letters.

CCSS: W.4.1, W.4.1a, W.4.8, SL.4.1, SL.4.1a, SL.4.1b, SL.4.1c, SL.4.1d

Session 1: Writers determine the audience, the issue, and the evidence in persuasive texts.

CCSS: W.4.1, W.4.8, SL.4.1, SL.4.1a, SL.4.1b, SL.4.1c, SL.4.1d

Session 2: Writers experiment with ideas for creating their own persuasive letters.

CCSS: W.4.1a, SL.4.1, SL.4.1a, SL.4.1b, SL.4.1c

Concept: Writers learn strategies for writing effective persuasive letters.

CCSS: W.4.1a, W.4.1b, W.4.1c, W.4.1d, SL.4.1, SL.4.1a, SL.4.1b, SL.4.1c, SL.4.1d, SL.4.2

Session 3: Writers choose one idea and begin to draft a persuasive letter.

CCSS: W.4.1a, W.4.1b, SL.4.1, SL.4.1a, SL.4.1b, SL.4.1c

Session 4: Writers choose a second idea and begin to draft another persuasive letter.

CCSS: W.4.1a, W.4.1b, SL.4.1, SL.4.1a, SL.4.1b, SL.4.1c, SL.4.1d

Session 5: Writers create strong reasons to support their point of view.

CCSS: W.4.1b, SL.4.1, SL.4.1a, SL.4.1b, SL.4.1c, SL.4.1d

Session 6: Writers create introductions for their persuasive letters.

CCSS: W.4.1a, SL.4.1, SL.4.1a, SL.4.1b, SL.4.1c, SL.4.1d

Session 7: Writers use facts, details, and convincing language to support their point of view.

CCSS: W.4.1a, W.4.1b, SL.4.1, SL.4.1a, SL.4.1b, SL.4.1c, SL.4.1d

Session 8: Writers provide information and examples to support their point of view.

CCSS: W.4.1a, W.4.1b, SL.4.1, SL.4.1a, SL.4.1b, SL.4.1c, SL.4.1d

Session 9: Writers emphasize a point to support their point of view.

CCSS: W.4.1a, W.4.1b, W.4.1c, SL.4.1, SL.4.1a, SL.4.1b, SL.4.1c, SL.4.1d

Session 10: Writers create concluding paragraphs for their persuasive letters.

CCSS: W.4.1d, SL.4.1, SL.4.1a, SL.4.1b, SL.4.1c, SL.4.1d, SL.4.2

Concept: Writers learn strategies for revising and editing persuasive letters.

CCSS: W.4.5

Sessions 11/12: Writers revise and edit their persuasive letters.

CCSS: W.4.5

Concept: Writers publish their persuasive letters.

CCSS: W.4.4, SL.5.4

Session 13 and 14: Writers celebrate their work with others.

CCSS: W.4.4, SL.5.4

On-Demand Persuasive Letter Pre/Post-Assessment

Pre-Assessment Instructions:

Students should be at their regular writing seats and will need loose-leaf paper and pencils. They need to be able to add pages if they want. Write the following statement on the board:

“I think that we should adopt a pet.”

Tell students:

Read the statement, “I think that we should adopt a pet” aloud from the board. Have the students think about ways they might try to persuade their parents to agree with them.

“Today you will write a letter to your parents and try to persuade them to agree with you on this issue. You will have an hour to write your persuasive letter and include reasons to support your opinion. Use everything you know about good writing.”

Have students begin writing their persuasive letters.

Note:

This on-demand assessment shows what students know about persuasive letter writing. Score these letters using the Persuasive Letter Assessment Rubric located at the end of this unit. Pay close attention to what your writers can already do and almost do. This information will help you focus on goals for your students. Use the same rubric to score their persuasive letters at the end of this unit to show what they have learned.

Post-Assessment Instructions (optional):

At the conclusion of this unit, administer the same on-demand assessment and look for improvements in your students’ development as writers.

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|Strategies for Writing Effective Persuasive Letters |

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|Create an introduction: |

|State the issue and my point of view. |

|Support my point of view with reasons and information. |

|Link my point of view and reasons using transitional words and phrases. |

|Begin each supporting paragraph with transitional words and phrases. |

|Use facts, details, and convincing language to support my point of view. |

|Provide a concluding statement in each supporting paragraph that connects back to my point of view. |

|Make sure that my argument is convincing. |

|Provide information and examples to illustrate my point of view: |

|Use transitional words and phrases to add information and examples. |

|Make sure that I have enough information in each paragraph to support my reasons. |

|Emphasize a point to help my reader understand what is important: |

|Use transitional words and phrases to emphasize a point. |

|Create a conclusion that summarizes my reasons and makes an appeal to my audience. |

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Choosing My Own Bedtime

|January 7, 2013 |

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|Dear Mom and Dad, |

|Although you might not agree, I think that once a boy turns ten years old, he should be allowed to choose his own bedtime. There are several reasons why I |

|think that I should be allowed to be the one to make this decision. My first reason is that I am the only one who knows when I am tired. Secondly, sometimes |

|I have other things that I have to do before I go to sleep. Lastly, since I turned ten years old, I believe that I have earned the privilege of making more |

|decisions in my life. |

|As I just mentioned, I am the only know who knows when I am tired. Sometimes I want to go to bed early because I am so tired. Do you remember when I played |

|soccer and I came home exhausted? I fell asleep in the car because I was so tired. Many times I want to head to bed early. Other times, I am just not tired |

|at the time you set for my bedtime. I try to fall asleep, but I just lie there and toss and turn. Sometimes I stay awake and read or look through my quarter |

|collection, even when you think I am sleeping. It just makes no sense to have someone else tell you when you’re tired. |

|Additionally, I often have things to do before I go to bed. I am the kind of kid who wants to make sure everything is ready for the next day. Of course, I |

|need to get my homework done, but I also have other things that I need to do at night. For example, I need to pack my backpack to make sure that I don’t |

|forget anything. Also, I never seem to have time in the morning to find what I want to wear. I am always looking for my shoes or my cap or my glasses at the |

|last minute, and I have to hurry. If I took the time to get myself ready at night, I wouldn’t have to worry and rush so much in the morning. |

|Last of all, I just turned ten and I think I am old enough to have more privileges. Surprisingly, this new privilege would actually help me become more |

|responsible. I might make mistakes and stay up too late sometimes, but then I would learn how to use my time wisely. I know that I can take on this privilege|

|and show you that I can make decisions and manage my time well. |

|Choosing my own bedtime is important to me because I am ready to become more responsible for making these decisions on my own. Remember, I am ten years old |

|now, and I should be allowed to take on more privileges. I will show you that I can do this. |

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|Your smart and mature son, |

|Adam |

Elements of Persuasive Texts Chart

|Audience |Issue and Point of View |Evidence (Reasons) |

|Mom and Dad |Choosing my own bedtime - |I am the only one who knows when I am tired. |

| |I think I should be able to |I have things to do before I go to bed. |

| |choose my own bedtime. | |

| | |I should have freedom to make more choices. |

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|Ideas for Persuasive Letters |

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|A family member hogging the computer. |

|Playing outside before doing my homework. |

|Letting me sleep over at a friend’s house. |

|Letting me get a pet. |

|Making my sister give me some of her Halloween candy. |

|Buying me a cell phone. |

|Having my brother clean the bathroom when he’s done. |

|Having a TV in my bedroom. |

|Choosing my own bedtime. |

|Joining a club. |

|Participating in a sport. |

|Learning to play an instrument. |

|Buying whatever I want with the money I have earned. |

|Wearing my hair any way I like. |

|Not having to do chores around the house. |

|Playing outside for an extra recess after working hard. |

|Having more time to read in class. |

|Giving us less homework. |

|Sitting by my friend in class. |

|Having more computer time. |

Persuasive Letter Organizer

|Audience |Issue and Point of View | Evidence (Reasons) |

|Who do I want to convince? |What do I want to convince this person to do or |What reasons could I use to convince this person? |

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Checking the Strength of My Reasons

|Issue and Point of View: |

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|Weak Reasons |Strong Reasons |

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|Session 1 |

|Concept |Writers analyze mentor texts and generate ideas for writing persuasive letters. |

|Teaching Point |Writers determine the audience, the issue, and the evidence in persuasive texts. |

|References |Materials |

|Several copies (7-10) of persuasive mentor texts (picture books or sample |Writing folders with student packets (see Materials section on page 1 of this |

|persuasive letters) |unit for details) |

|Student letter – “Choosing My Own Bedtime” |Enlarged copy of sample student persuasive letter: |

| |“Choosing My Own Bedtime” |

| |Enlarged copy of the following: |

| |Elements of Persuasive Texts Chart |

|Notes |Make copies of the student packet for each student and put them in students’ writing folders prior to this session. |

| |Make group assignments for students (3-4 per group) who will be meeting to study mentor persuasive texts. |

| |Gather several copies of mentor texts from the suggestions at the beginning of this unit or locate and reproduce examples of |

| |persuasive letters or other persuasive texts. |

| |Post on the daily schedule or verbally ask students to bring their writing folders and a pencil to the meeting area. |

|Introduction |Last year in third grade, we wrote personal essays where we wrote about a big idea and supported it with stories from our lives. As |

| |fourth graders, we are going to learn how to write letters to try to convince someone of something. These are called persuasive |

| |letters. Today, we are going to read some persuasive texts to determine the audience, the issue, and the evidence that authors |

| |consider when they write persuasively. |

|Demonstration |Explain the following elements of persuasive texts: |

| |The audience is the person or people you are trying to convince of something. |

| |The issue is the topic that you are writing about. |

| |The evidence is the reasons you are using to convince your audience. |

| |Read aloud the sample student persuasive letter “Choosing My Own Bedtime.” The highlighted sections indicate strategies the author |

| |used in the letter. These will be explained in subsequent sessions. |

| |Determine and record the audience, issue, and evidence on an enlarged copy of the Elements of Persuasive Texts Chart. |

|Guided Practice |Read aloud one of the persuasive mentor texts (picture books or sample letters) and ask the students to listen for the audience, the |

| |issue, and the evidence. |

| |Have students work with their partners to identify the audience, the issue, and the evidence and record this information on the |

| |Elements of Persuasive Texts Chart in their packets. |

| |Have one or two students share their ideas with the class. |

|Recap |Writers, whenever you read a persuasive text, you will want to make sure that you understand the audience, the issue, and the |

| |evidence, or reasons, the author is using to convince you. Today, we will work in groups to analyze another persuasive text and |

| |locate the audience, the issue, and the evidence. Record your ideas on the Elements of Persuasive Texts Chart. |

|Independent Practice |Distribute a copy of a persuasive text to each group. |

| |Conduct small group conferences to help students read and analyze the persuasive texts to determine the audience, the issue, and the |

| |evidence. |

| |Provide alternate texts for groups who finish quickly, or trade texts among groups. |

|Lesson Closure |Convene students in the meeting area. |

| |Bring closure to today’s workshop by having two or three students share the elements for their persuasive texts that they recorded on |

| |their Elements of Persuasive Texts Charts. |

Choosing My Own Bedtime

|January 7, 2013 |

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|Dear Mom and Dad, |

|Although you might not agree, I think that once a boy turns ten years old, he should be allowed to choose his own bedtime. There are several reasons why I |

|think that I should be allowed to be the one to make this decision. My first reason is that I am the only one who knows when I am tired. Secondly, sometimes |

|I have other things that I have to do before I go to sleep. Lastly, since I turned ten years old, I believe that I have earned the privilege of making more |

|decisions in my life. |

|As I just mentioned, I am the only know who knows when I am tired. Sometimes I want to go to bed early because I am so tired. Do you remember when I played |

|soccer and I came home exhausted? I fell asleep in the car because I was so tired. Many times I want to head to bed early. Other times, I am just not tired |

|at the time you set for my bedtime. I try to fall asleep, but I just lie there and toss and turn. Sometimes I stay awake and read or look through my quarter |

|collection, even when you think I am sleeping. It just makes no sense to have someone else tell you when you’re tired. |

|Additionally, I often have things to do before I go to bed. I am the kind of kid who wants to make sure everything is ready for the next day. Of course, I |

|need to get my homework done, but I also have other things that I need to do at night. For example, I need to pack my backpack to make sure that I don’t |

|forget anything. Also, I never seem to have time in the morning to find what I want to wear. I am always looking for my shoes or my cap or my glasses at the |

|last minute, and I have to hurry. If I took the time to get myself ready at night, I wouldn’t have to worry and rush so much in the morning. |

|Last of all, I just turned ten and I think I am old enough to have more privileges. Surprisingly, this new privilege would actually help me become more |

|responsible. I might make mistakes and stay up too late sometimes, but then I would learn how to use my time wisely. I know that I can take on this privilege|

|and show you that I can make decisions and manage my time well. |

|Choosing my own bedtime is important to me because I am ready to become more responsible for making these decisions on my own. Remember, I am ten years old |

|now, and I should be allowed to take on more privileges. I will show you that I can do this. |

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|Your smart and mature son, |

|Adam |

Elements of Persuasive Texts Chart

|Audience |Issue and Point of View |Evidence (Reasons) |

|Mom and Dad |Choosing my own bedtime - |I am the only one who knows when I am tired. |

| |I think I should be able to |I have things to do before I go to bed. |

| |choose my own bedtime. | |

| | |I should have freedom to make more choices. |

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|Session 2 |

|Concept |Writers analyze mentor texts and generate ideas for writing persuasive letters. |

|Teaching Point |Writers experiment with ideas for creating their own persuasive letters. |

|References |Materials |

| |Writing folders |

| |Enlarged copies of the following: |

| |Ideas for Persuasive Letters |

| |Persuasive Letter Organizer |

|Note |Post on the daily schedule or verbally ask students to bring their writing folders and a pencil to the meeting area. |

|Introduction |Yesterday, we analyzed persuasive texts to determine the audience, issue, and evidence. Today, we are going to experiment with ideas |

| |for creating our own persuasive letters. |

|Demonstration |Explain that we might think about the members of our family or our teachers as our audience. However, our audience could include |

| |anyone we are trying to convince. Use an example from your life of a time when you tried to convince a family member or a teacher to |

| |think or act in a certain way. |

| |Refer to an enlarged copy of Ideas for Persuasive Letters. Explain that these are issues that fourth grade students have used to |

| |write persuasive letters. The ideas on this list may also remind you of other issues that might be addressed in a persuasive letter. |

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| |Think aloud how some of the ideas remind you of issues in your own life that you might want to convince others to believe or to do and|

| |state your point of view. |

| |Refer to an enlarged copy of the Persuasive Letter Organizer. |

| |Record two or three of your own ideas for a persuasive letter in the first two columns of the chart. Explain why each issue is |

| |important and why you might want to convince someone to think or act in a certain way. |

|Guided Practice |Have students refer to the enlarged copy of Ideas for Persuasive Letters and think about an issue they might want to address in a |

| |persuasive letter. Remind them that they can choose an idea of their own that is not on the list. |

| |Have them jot the name of the person they want to convince and the issue they want to address in the first two columns of the |

| |Persuasive Letter Organizer in their packets. |

| |Have students turn to their partners and share their ideas. Have them explain why this letter would be important to write. |

| |Have one or two students share with the class. |

|Recap |Writers, whenever you want to try to convince someone to think a certain way or to do something, you can write your ideas and your |

| |point of view in a persuasive letter. Today, we will experiment with ideas for creating our own persuasive letters. We will spend |

| |writing time thinking of people we want to convince and issues that are important to us. Use the Persuasive Letter Organizer in your |

| |packets to make a list of your ideas and think about why each letter is important to write. |

|Independent Practice |Conduct small group conferences to help students generate a list of people and ideas for their persuasive letters. |

|Mid-Workshop Teaching |Writers, now that you have a list of several people and issues that you want to change, let’s look at the third column of our chart. |

|Point |(Demonstrate how you record two or three reasons you might use to convince your audience to see your first issue your way.) |

| |Think about how you plan to convince your audience to think or act in a certain way. Jot your ideas in the third column of this |

| |organizer. |

|Lesson Closure |Bring closure to today’s workshop by having two or three students share the ideas from their Persuasive Letter Organizers. |

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|Ideas for Persuasive Letters |

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|A family member hogging the computer. |

|Playing outside before doing my homework. |

|Letting me sleep over at a friend’s house. |

|Letting me get a pet. |

|Making my sister give me some of her Halloween candy. |

|Buying me a cell phone. |

|Having my brother clean the bathroom when he’s done. |

|Having a TV in my bedroom. |

|Choosing my own bedtime. |

|Joining a club. |

|Participating in a sport. |

|Learning to play an instrument. |

|Buying whatever I want with the money I have earned. |

|Wearing my hair any way I like. |

|Not having to do chores around the house. |

|Playing outside for an extra recess after working hard. |

|Having more time to read in class. |

|Giving us less homework. |

|Sitting by my friend in class. |

|Having more computer time. |

Persuasive Letter Organizer

|Audience |Issue and Point of View | Evidence (Reasons) |

|Who do I want to convince? |What do I want to convince this person to do or |What reasons could I use to convince this person? |

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|Session 3 |

|Concept |Writers learn strategies for writing effective persuasive letters. |

|Teaching Point |Writers choose one idea and begin to draft a persuasive letter. |

|References |Materials |

|Student letter – “Choosing My Own Bedtime” |Writing folders |

| |Writer’s notebooks |

| |Enlarged copy of the following: |

| |Persuasive Letter Organizer |

|Notes |In this session, students will choose one idea and begin drafting a persuasive letter. They will do the same work in Session 4, and |

| |then choose which of the two letters they care the most about to develop into a finished piece of writing. |

| |Post on the daily schedule or verbally ask students to bring their writing folders, writer’s notebooks, and a pencil to the meeting |

| |area. |

|Introduction |Yesterday, we made a list of people we want to convince and issues we want to convince others to believe or to do. Today we are going|

| |to choose one idea and begin to write a persuasive letter. |

|Demonstration |Refer to the sample student persuasive letter “Choosing My Own Bedtime” as an example of the kind of writing that both you and the |

| |students will be doing in this unit. Explain that students will be learning the specific strategies for writing persuasively each day|

| |throughout this unit. They are not expected to draft an entire persuasive letter today. The idea is that students are merely |

| |experimenting with writing persuasively today and tomorrow. |

| |Explain that you are going to choose one of the issues from your list and begin to write your own persuasive letter. Demonstrate how |

| |you read over your Persuasive Letter Organizer and choose one idea that you care the most about. |

| |Explain that you are going to practice writing persuasively today and tomorrow before you decide on an issue and make a commitment to |

| |stick with it. |

| |Make sure that you have three reasons to persuade your audience. Record any additional reasons on your Persuasive Letter Organizer. |

| |Open your writer’s notebook and begin your letter with a salutation to your audience, the person you are trying to convince. Refer to|

| |the sample student persuasive letter. |

| |Begin your letter by stating the issue and listing the reasons in the first paragraph. Then, begin a second paragraph that elaborates|

| |on the first reason. |

| |Explain that persuasive letter writers want to convey to their audience that the ideas in their letter are important. They use |

| |precise words to be convincing. |

|Guided Practice |Have students choose one of the issues from their Persuasive Letter Organizer, open their writer’s notebooks, and begin writing their |

| |first paragraph. Remind them to include the issue and list the reasons in the first paragraph. |

| |Have partnerships share their writing. |

| |Have one or two students share with the class. |

|Recap |Writers, whenever you start to write in a new genre, it is best to experiment with one or two ideas before you make a decision about |

| |which one you care about the most. Today you will continue writing your persuasive letters, trying your best to convince your |

| |audience to think or act in a certain way. We will learn more about the strategies of effective persuasive letter writing over the |

| |next few days. For today, just do your best to persuade your audience. |

|Independent Practice |Conduct small group conferences to support students’ efforts at choosing an issue and beginning their persuasive letters. |

|Lesson Closure |Bring closure to today’s workshop by summarizing and reinforcing the focus of the day’s teaching point – writers choose one idea and |

| |begin to draft a persuasive letter. Share the work of one or two students that applies to others. |

|Session 4 |

|Concept |Writers learn strategies for writing effective persuasive letters. |

|Teaching Point |Writers choose a second idea and begin to draft another persuasive letter. |

|References |Materials |

| |Writer’s folders |

| |Writing notebooks |

| |Enlarged copy of the following: |

| |Persuasive Letter Organizer |

| |Chart paper for a list of words that persuade |

|Note |Post on the daily schedule or verbally ask students to bring their writing folders, writer’s notebooks, and a pencil to the meeting |

| |area. |

|Introduction |Yesterday we began to write a persuasive letter addressing one of the issues on our list. Today, we are going to choose a second idea|

| |and begin to draft another persuasive letter. Then we are going to decide which one we care about the most to develop into a finished|

| |piece of writing. |

|Demonstration |Refer to your enlarged copy of the Persuasive Letter Organizer and choose another issue that you might want to address in a persuasive|

| |letter and then choose your audience. |

| |Make sure that you have three reasons to persuade your audience about the issue. If necessary, record any additional reasons on your |

| |Persuasive Letter Organizer. |

| |Open your writer’s notebook and begin your letter with a salutation to your audience. |

| |State the issue and list the reasons in the first paragraph. Then, begin a second paragraph that elaborates on the first reason. |

| |Remind students that persuasive letter writers want to convey to their audience that the ideas in their letter are important, so they |

| |use precise words to be convincing. One way to make sure that we are writing persuasively is by choosing words that persuade. Begin |

| |a class chart of words that persuade and add to it throughout the unit. Include the following: |

| |Persuade |

| |Important |

| |Convince |

| |Best |

| |Effective |

| |Suggest |

| |Recommend |

| |Strong reason |

| |Request |

| |Deserve |

| |Ready |

| |Perfect solution |

|Guided Practice |Have students choose one of the issues from their list, choose an audience, open their writer’s notebooks, and begin writing their |

| |first paragraph. Remind them to include the issue and list the reasons in the first paragraph and use words that persuade. |

| |Have partnerships share their writing. |

| |Have one or two students share with the class. |

|Recap |Writers, today you will continue writing your persuasive letters, trying your best to convince your audience to think or act in a |

| |certain way. We will learn more about the strategies of effective persuasive letter writing over the next few days. For today, just |

| |do your best to persuade your audience. Include words in your letters that persuade. |

|Independent Practice |Conduct small group conferences to support students’ efforts at choosing an issue and beginning their persuasive letters. |

|Lesson Closure |Writers, now that we have been experimenting with writing to persuade, let’s take the time to think about the idea we will stick with |

| |and develop into a finished piece of writing. Making this decision requires a lot of thought. As I look at my own ideas for |

| |persuasive letters, I want to make sure that I have enough to say about the issue that I choose. |

| |Choose an issue and make a commitment to stick with it. Mark it with a star or sticky note. |

| |Have students choose an issue in the same way and then share their ideas with their partners. |

|Session 5 |

|Concept |Writers learn strategies for writing effective persuasive letters. |

|Teaching Point |Writers create strong reasons to support their point of view. |

|References |Materials |

|Student letter – “Choosing My Own Bedtime” |Writer’s notebooks |

| |Writing folders |

| |Enlarged copy of the following: |

| |Checking the Strength of My Reasons – sample chart |

| |Checking the Strength of My Reasons – blank chart |

|Note |Post on the daily schedule or verbally ask students to bring their writing folders, writer’s notebooks, and a pencil to the meeting |

| |area. |

|Introduction |Yesterday, we chose an issue that we want to stick with and develop into a really effective persuasive letter. Today, we are going to|

| |make sure that we have strong reasons that support our point of view. |

|Demonstration |Explain that in persuasive writing, we provide our audience with reasons to try to convince them. If I want to have a strong |

| |argument, I need strong reasons to support my argument. |

| |Reread aloud the persuasive letter “Choosing My Own Bedtime”. |

| |Refer to the sample chart Checking the Strength of My Reasons as an example of how the writer of the persuasive letter “Choosing My |

| |Own Bedtime” might have sorted his reasons by asking: |

| |Is my reason is convincing? |

| |Is my language is precise? |

| |Demonstrate how you look over your list of reasons that support your issue. Think aloud whether or not each reason is likely to |

| |convince your audience. Is it a strong reason or a weak reason? If it is weak, explain why. Post your reasons, whether they are |

| |strong or weak, on an enlarged blank copy of the chart Checking the Strength of My Reasons. |

| |For a reason that seems weak, think aloud about how you might change it or eliminate it. Perhaps you need to change the wording or be|

| |more precise. Perhaps you need to eliminate it and create a new one. Rewrite one reason, eliminate a weak reason, and create a new |

| |reason. You might have four or five strong reasons when you are done. |

|Guided Practice |Have students look at one reason they plan to use in their argument and consider whether it is a strong reason or a weak reason. Have|

| |them think about why it is weak. Have students decide if it can be changed to make it stronger or if it should be eliminated. |

| |Have students share their ideas about this reason with their partners. |

| |Have one or two students share their ideas with the class. |

|Recap |Writers, whenever you are writing persuasively, make sure that you create strong reasons to support your point of view. Today, |

| |continue to look through each reason and think carefully about whether it is a strong reason or a weak reason. Then record your |

| |reasons on your copy of the Checking the Strength of My Reasons chart in your packets. |

|Independent Practice |Conduct small group conferences to support students’ efforts at checking the strength of their reasons and rewriting ones that are |

| |weak or eliminating them. |

|Mid-Workshop Teaching |Writers, now that many of you have finished looking through your reasons and rewriting them to make them even better, get together |

|Point |with your partners and share the reasons that you think are the strongest. Ask your partner to help you decide which three reasons |

| |are the strongest ones – ones that will help you make a convincing persuasive letter. |

|Lesson Closure |Bring closure to today’s workshop by summarizing and reinforcing the focus of the day’s teaching point – writers create strong reasons|

| |to support their point of view. Share the work of one or two students that applies to others. |

Checking the Strength of My Reasons

|Issue and Point of View: My Mom (or Dad) should let me choose my own bedtime. |

|Weak Reasons |Strong Reasons |

| | |

|I want to. |I am the only one who knows when I am tired. |

| | |

|It seems like a good idea. |I have other things to do before I go to sleep. |

| | |

|I should get what I want. |I should have more privileges. |

| | |

| |I have been responsible in other ways. |

Checking the Strength of My Reasons

|Issue and Point of View: |

| |

|Weak Reasons |Strong Reasons |

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|Session 6 |

|Concept |Writers learn strategies for writing effective persuasive letters. |

|Teaching Point |Writers create introductions for their persuasive letters. |

|References |Materials |

|I Wanna Iguana, Karen Kaufman Orloff |Writer’s notebooks |

|Student letter – “Choosing My Own Bedtime” |Writing folders |

| |Class chart: |

| |Strategies for Writing Effective Persuasive Letters |

| |Enlarged copy of the following: |

| |Checking the Strength of My Reasons |

| |Enlarged copy and/or copies for each student of student charts for Session 6: |

| |Create an Introduction: Student Chart – Session 6a |

| |Use Transitional Words and Phrases: Student Chart – Session 6b |

|Note |Post on the daily schedule or verbally ask students to bring their writing folders, writer’s notebooks, and a pencil to the meeting |

| |area. |

|Introduction |Yesterday, we checked the strength of our reasons and then we chose three reasons that make the strongest arguments. Today, we are |

| |going to create introductions for our persuasive letters. |

|Demonstration |Refer to the class chart Strategies for Writing Effective Persuasive Letters and an enlarged copy of the student chart for Session 6 |

| |Create an Introduction. |

| |Explain that a persuasive letter has a particular structure: |

| |The introduction presents the issue and the point of view. |

| |The reasons that support the point of view are elaborated in each of the supporting paragraphs. |

| |The concluding paragraph returns to the point of view and ends with the most important evidence to support the issue. |

| |Explain that the introduction is used to convey to readers that the issue is important. It is important that writers use precise |

| |words to be convincing. One way to begin a persuasive letter is to state the issue and your point of view directly. |

| |Reread the introduction of the sample student persuasive letter “Choosing My Own Bedtime”and the first letter in the mentor text I |

| |Wanna Iguana. |

| |Refer to the student chart Create an Introduction. |

| |Demonstrate how to create your own introduction in this way using your own persuasive issue. Begin with a sentence that states your |

| |issue and point of view directly. Include the three strongest reasons from your chart Checking the Strength of My Reasons. |

| |Use transitional words and phrases (that show sequence) to begin each sentence that lays out your argument. Order your reasons by |

| |stating the strongest reason last. Explain that transitional words and phrases often require the use of a comma. |

|Guided Practice |Have students turn to their charts, Checking the Strength of My Reasons, which includes their issue, point of view, and selected |

| |reasons. |

| |Have students open their writer’s notebooks and write the first sentence of their persuasive letters, stating the issue and their |

| |point of view. |

| |Have students share their first sentence with their partners. Post the following questions for students to discuss: |

| |Is my introduction clear? |

| |Does it state the issue and my point of view? |

| |Have one or two students share their ideas with the class. |

|Recap |Writers, whenever we write persuasively, we want to make sure that our introduction states our issue and point of view clearly. Today|

| |you will continue to work on your introductions in your writer’s notebooks, making sure to state each reason clearly using |

| |transitional words and phrases, so your reader can follow your thinking. |

|Independent Practice |Conduct small group conferences to support students’ efforts at creating their introductions. |

|Mid-Workshop Teaching |Writers, your introduction must be convincing right from the start. You might want to try another way to organize your introduction |

|Point |to see what works best for each of you. |

| |(Refer to the student chart, Create an Introduction. Demonstrate how to write your own first sentence by asking a thought-provoking |

| |question followed by a sentence that states the issue and your point of view.) |

|Lesson Closure |Bring closure to today’s workshop by summarizing and reinforcing the focus of the day’s teaching point – writers create introductions |

| |for their persuasive letters. Share the work of one or two students that applies to others. |

| |

|[pic] |

| |

|Strategies for Writing Effective Persuasive Letters |

| |

|Create an introduction: |

|State the issue and my point of view. |

|Support my point of view with reasons and information. |

|Link my point of view and reasons using transitional words and phrases. |

| |

| |

| |

| |

|Create an Introduction |

|Student Chart – Session 6a |

| |

|[pic] |

| |

|I can create an introduction to convey to readers that the issue is important in this way: |

| |

|Opening sentence(s): |

|State the issue and point of view. |

| |

|Ask a question first to get the reader thinking about the issue. |

|Then state the issue and point of view. |

| |

|Use transitional words and phrases to begin each sentence that lays out my argument. |

| |

|Use precise words to be convincing. |

| |

| |

| |

|Use Transitional Words and Phrases |

|Student Chart – Session 6b |

| |

|[pic] |

| |

|I can use transitional words and phrases to help readers follow my thinking in this way: |

| |

|Words to show sequence: |

|First, …, First of all, …, To begin with, … |

|Second, …, Secondly, …, In addition, …, Next, …, Then, … |

|Lastly, …, Finally, …, Most of all … |

| |

|Words to add information or examples: |

|For example, …, For instance, …, In order to … |

|In addition, …, Additionally, …, Another, …, Besides, …, |

|Let’s not forget, …, Let’s remember, …, Finally, … |

| |

|Words to emphasize a point: |

|As I just mentioned, … |

|For this reason, …, In fact, … |

|Surprisingly, …, Again, … |

| |

|Words to summarize a point of view: |

|Please consider/reconsider … |

|In conclusion, … |

|Remember, … |

|This is important because … |

|Session 7 |

|Concept |Writers learn strategies for writing effective persuasive letters. |

|Teaching Point |Writers use facts, details, and convincing language to support their point of view. |

|References |Materials |

|Student letter – “Choosing My Own Bedtime” |Writer’s notebooks |

| |Writing folders |

| |Class chart: |

| |Strategies for Writing Effective Persuasive Letters |

| |Enlarged copy of the following: |

| |Use Transitional Words and Phrases: Student Chart – Session 6b |

| |Enlarged copy and/or copies for each student of student chart for Sessions 7 |

| |through 9: |

| |Build My Argument |

|Notes |Continue to add words that persuade to your class chart. |

| |Post on the daily schedule or verbally ask students to bring their writing folders, writer’s notebooks, and a pencil to the meeting |

| |area. |

|Introduction |Writers, yesterday we created our introductions for our persuasive letters. Today we are going to build our first argument by using |

| |facts, details, and convincing language to support our point of view. |

|Demonstration |Review the parts of a persuasive letter as you refer to the sample student persuasive letter “Choosing My Own Bedtime” (introduction, |

| |three supporting paragraphs, concluding paragraph). |

| |Refer to the class chart Strategies for Writing Effective Persuasive Letters and an enlarged copy of the student chart for Sessions 7 |

| |through 9 Build My Argument. |

| |Demonstrate how to build your first argument in your first supporting paragraph. Explain that you are going to begin by using your |

| |first reason. Follow the same sequence of reasons that you stated in your introduction. |

| |Decide on sequential transitional words and phrases (refer to the enlarged chart, Use Transitional Words and Phrases) to open your |

| |paragraph and to state your first reason. Choose transitional words and phrases that are different from the ones you used in your |

| |introduction and write your opening sentence. |

| |Explain how to elaborate on your first reason using facts and details. Refer to the first body paragraph in the sample letter |

| |“Choosing My Own Bedtime” to locate and identify facts and details. Continue writing your paragraph using facts and details to |

| |elaborate on your first reason. |

| |Explain how to end your paragraph using a concluding statement that connects back to your first argument. Write your concluding |

| |statement for this paragraph. |

| |Explain that you will want to be especially careful as you write because, although facts and details are important, we also need to |

| |use convincing language. |

|Guided Practice |Have students refer to their introductions to recall the first reason they used as support for their point of view. |

| |Have them refer to their student chart Use Transitional Words and Phrases to choose which transitional words and phrases they want to |

| |use at the beginning of their paragraph. |

| |Have students write the first sentence for their first argument in their writer’s notebooks. |

| |Remind them to use facts, details, and convincing language to support their point of view. |

| |Have partners share their first reasons and facts, details, and convincing language with each other. |

| |Have one or two students share their ideas with the class. |

|Recap |Writers, whenever we build arguments to support our point of view, we need to include facts, details, and convincing language. Today,|

| |you will finish drafting your first argument for your persuasive letters, choosing your words carefully. Be sure to elaborate on your|

| |reasons by using facts, details, and convincing language that will persuade your audience. |

|Independent Practice |Conduct small group conferences to support students’ efforts at building their first argument using facts, details, and convincing |

| |language. |

|Mid-Workshop Teaching |Remind students that language used in persuasive writing needs to be convincing. |

|Point |Have partnerships meet to listen to each other’s arguments. Post the following questions for students to discuss: |

| |Is my argument convincing? |

| |Did I use facts, details, and convincing language to persuade my reader? |

|Lesson Closure |Bring closure to today’s workshop by summarizing and reinforcing the focus of the day’s teaching point – use facts, details, and |

| |convincing language to support a point of view. Share the work of one or two students that applies to others. |

| |

|[pic] |

| |

|Strategies for Writing Effective Persuasive Letters |

| |

|Create an introduction: |

|State the issue and my point of view. |

|Support my point of view with reasons and information. |

|Link my point of view and reasons using transitional words and phrases. |

|Begin each supporting paragraph with transitional words and phrases. |

|Use facts, details, and convincing language to support my point of view. |

|Provide a concluding statement in each supporting paragraph that connects back to my point of view. |

|Make sure that my argument is convincing. |

| |

| |

| |

|Build My Argument |

|Student Chart – Sessions 7 through 9 |

| |

|[pic] |

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|I can build an argument to support my point of view in this way: |

| |

|Use facts, details, and convincing language to persuade the reader. |

| |

|Provide information and examples to illustrate my point of view: |

|Use transitional words and phrases when I add information or examples. |

| |

|Emphasize a point to help the reader understand what is important: |

|Use transitional words and phrases when I want to emphasize a point. |

| |

| |

|Session 8 |

|Concept |Writers learn strategies for writing effective persuasive letters. |

|Teaching Point |Writers provide information and examples to support their point of view. |

|References |Materials |

|Student letter – “Choosing My Own Bedtime” |Writer’s notebooks |

| |Writing folders |

| |Class chart: |

| |Strategies for Writing Effective Persuasive Letters |

| |Enlarged copies of the following: |

| |Build My Argument: Student Chart – Sessions 7 through 9 |

| |Use Transitional Words and Phrases: Student Chart – Session 6b |

|Note |Post on the daily schedule or verbally ask students to bring their writing folders, writer’s notebooks, and a pencil to the meeting |

| |area. |

|Introduction |Writers, yesterday we created our first arguments for our persuasive letters. Today we are going to begin building our second |

| |argument to support our point of view by providing information and examples to illustrate our point of view. |

|Demonstration |Review the parts of a persuasive letter as you refer to the sample student persuasive letter “Choosing My Own Bedtime” (introduction, |

| |three supporting paragraphs, concluding paragraph). |

| |Refer to the class chart Strategies for Writing Effective Persuasive Letters and an enlarged copy of the student chart for Sessions 7 |

| |through 9 Build My Argument. |

| |Demonstrate how to build your second argument in your second supporting paragraph. Explain that you are going to begin by using your |

| |second reason. Follow the same sequence of reasons that you stated in your introduction. |

| |Decide on sequential transitional words and phrases (refer to the enlarged chart, Use Transitional Words and Phrases) to open your |

| |paragraph and to state your second reason. Choose transitional words and phrases that are different from the ones you used in your |

| |introduction and write your opening sentence. |

| |Explain how to elaborate on this reason by providing information and examples that support and illustrate your point of view. |

| |Examples help your reader picture what you are trying to convey. Refer to the second body paragraph in the sample letter, “Choosing |

| |My Own Bedtime” and locate the examples (one has been identified using the words, For example …). Continue writing your paragraph by |

| |providing information and examples to elaborate on your second reason. |

| |(Note: The sample persuasive letter includes some examples that are compound sentences – two independent clauses joined by a |

| |coordinating conjunction, such as and, or but. Compound sentences require commas before the conjunction.) |

| |Refer to the enlarged chart Use Transitional Words and Phrases and introduce transitional words and phrases for adding information and|

| |examples. |

| |At the end of your paragraph, use a concluding statement that connects back to the reason that supports the point of view. Write your|

| |concluding statement. |

| |Make sure that you have enough information in your paragraph to support your reasons. |

| |Remember to use facts, details, and convincing language whenever you can. |

|Guided Practice |Have students refer to their introduction to recall the second reason they used as support for their point of view. |

| |Have them refer to their student chart Use Transitional Words and Phrases to choose which transitional words and phrases they want to |

| |use at the beginning of their paragraph. |

| |Have them write the first sentence for their second argument in their writer’s notebooks. Remind them to provide information and |

| |examples to support their point of view. |

| |Have partners share their second reasons and examples that they could use to support this reason with each other. |

| |Have one or two students share their ideas with the class. |

|Recap |Writers, remember that whenever we build arguments to support our point of view, we often want to provide information and examples. |

| |Today, you will finish drafting your second argument for your persuasive letters choosing your words carefully. Be sure to elaborate |

| |on your reasons by using examples, facts, and details that will convince your audience. Remember to use transitional words and |

| |phrases for adding information and examples. |

|Independent Practice |Conduct small group conferences to support students’ efforts at building their second argument by providing information and examples. |

|Mid-Workshop Teaching |Have partnerships meet to listen to each other’s arguments. Partners will share their drafts to make sure that their arguments are |

|Point |convincing. Post the following questions for students to discuss: |

| |Is my argument convincing? |

| |Did I provide examples to convince my reader? |

| |Did I include enough information in the paragraph to support my reasons? |

|Lesson Closure |Bring closure to today’s workshop by summarizing and reinforcing the focus of the day’s teaching point – provide information and |

| |examples to support a point of view. Share the work of one or two students that applies to others. |

| |

|[pic] |

| |

|Strategies for Writing Effective Persuasive Letters |

| |

|Create an introduction: |

|State the issue and my point of view. |

|Support my point of view with reasons and information. |

|Link my point of view and reasons using transitional words and phrases. |

|Begin each supporting paragraph with transitional words and phrases. |

|Use facts, details, and convincing language to support my point of view. |

|Provide a concluding statement in each supporting paragraph that connects back to my point of view. |

|Make sure that my argument is convincing. |

|Provide information and examples to illustrate my point of view: |

|Use transitional words and phrases to add information and examples. |

|Make sure that I have enough information in each paragraph to support my reasons. |

| |

| |

| |

|Session 9 |

|Concept |Writers learn strategies for writing effective persuasive letters. |

|Teaching Point |Writers emphasize a point to support their point of view. |

|References |Materials |

|Student letter – “Choosing My Own Bedtime” |Writer’s notebooks |

| |Writing folders |

| |Class chart: |

| |Strategies for Writing Effective Persuasive Letters |

| |Enlarged copies of the following: |

| |Build My Argument: Student Chart – Sessions 7 through 9 |

| |Transitional Words and Phrases: Student Chart – Session 6b |

|Note |Continue to add words that persuade to your class chart. |

| |Post on the daily schedule or verbally ask students to bring their writing folders, writer’s notebooks, and a pencil to the meeting |

| |area. |

|Introduction |Writers, yesterday we created our second arguments for our persuasive letters. Today we are going to begin building our third |

| |argument to support our point of view by emphasizing a point. |

|Demonstration |Review the parts of a persuasive letter as you refer to the sample student persuasive letter “Choosing My Own Bedtime” (introduction, |

| |three supporting paragraphs, concluding paragraph). |

| |Refer to the class chart Strategies for Writing Effective Persuasive Letters and an enlarged copy of the student chart for Sessions 7 |

| |through 9 Build My Argument. |

| |Demonstrate how to build your third argument in your third supporting paragraph. Explain that you are going to begin by using your |

| |third and strongest reason. |

| |Decide on sequential transitional words and phrases (refer to the enlarged chart, Use Transitional Words and Phrases) to open your |

| |paragraph and to state your third reason. Choose transitional words and phrases that are different from the ones you used in your |

| |introduction and write your opening sentence. |

| |Explain how to emphasize a point that supports your point of view to help the reader understand what is important. Refer to the |

| |enlarged chart Use Transitional Words and Phrases and introduce transitional words and phrases that emphasize a point. Using these |

| |words helps the reader to understand what is important. |

| |At the end of your paragraph, use a concluding statement that connects back to the reason that supports the point of view. |

| |Think aloud how you use all the strategies for writing effective persuasive letters each time you write a supporting paragraph. |

|Guided |Have students refer to their introduction to recall the third and strongest reason they used as support for their point of view. |

| |Have them refer to their student chart Use Transitional Words and Phrases to choose which transitional words and phrases they want to |

| |use at the beginning of their paragraph. |

| |Have them write the first sentence for their third argument in their writer’s notebooks. |

| |Remind them to emphasize a point that supports their point of view. |

| |Have partners share their third reasons and points they want to emphasize with each other. |

| |Have one or two students share their ideas with the class. |

|Recap |Writers, remember that whenever we build arguments to support our point of view, we will want to emphasize a point. Today, you will |

| |finish drafting your third argument for your persuasive letters, choosing your words carefully. Be sure to emphasize a point and then|

| |elaborate on your reasons by using facts, details, and convincing language that will persuade your audience. Remember to use |

| |transitional words and phrases to emphasize a point. |

|Independent Practice |Conduct small group conferences to support students’ efforts at building their third argument by emphasizing a point. |

|Mid-Workshop Teaching |Have partnerships meet to listen to each other’s arguments. Explain that one way to convince our audience is to make sure that our |

|Point |arguments don’t have any weaknesses. Partners, listen carefully for weaknesses in your partners’ arguments and help them strengthen |

| |their ideas and language. |

|Lesson Closure |Bring closure to today’s workshop by summarizing and reinforcing the focus of the day’s teaching point – emphasize a point to support |

| |a point of view. You might share what one or two writers have done in ways that apply to other writers. |

| |

|[pic] |

| |

|Strategies for Writing Effective Persuasive Letters |

| |

|Create an introduction: |

|State the issue and my point of view. |

|Support my point of view with reasons and information. |

|Link my point of view and reasons using transitional words and phrases. |

|Begin each supporting paragraph with transitional words and phrases. |

|Use facts, details, and convincing language to support my point of view. |

|Provide a concluding statement in each supporting paragraph that connects back to my point of view. |

|Make sure that my argument is convincing. |

|Provide information and examples to illustrate my point of view: |

|Use transitional words and phrases to add information and examples. |

|Make sure that I have enough information in each paragraph to support my reasons. |

|Emphasize a point to help my reader understand what is important: |

|Use transitional words and phrases to emphasize a point. |

| |

| |

|Session 10 |

|Concept |Writers learn strategies for writing effective persuasive letters. |

|Teaching Point |Writers create concluding paragraphs for their persuasive letters. |

|References |Materials |

|Student chart – “Choosing My Own Bedtime” |Writer’s notebooks |

| |Writing folders |

| |Class chart: |

| |Strategies for Writing Effective Persuasive Letters |

| |Enlarged copy and/or copies for each student of student chart for Session 10: |

| |Create a Conclusion |

| |Enlarged copy of the following: |

| |Use Transitional Words: Student Chart – Session 6b |

|Note |Post on the daily schedule or verbally ask students to bring their writing folders, writer’s notebooks, and a pencil to the meeting |

| |area. |

|Introduction |Writers, yesterday we created our third and strongest arguments for our persuasive letters. Today we are going to create concluding |

| |paragraphs that summarize our reasons and make an appeal to our audience. |

|Demonstration |Review the parts of a persuasive letter as you refer to the sample student persuasive letter “Choosing My Own Bedtime” (introduction, |

| |three supporting paragraphs, concluding paragraph). |

| |Refer to the class chart Strategies for Writing Effective Persuasive Letters and an enlarged copy of the student chart for Session 10 |

| |Create a Conclusion. |

| |Demonstrate how to create a concluding paragraph. Explain that you are going to summarize your reasons in this final paragraph and |

| |then make an appeal to your audience in some way. |

| |Begin by choosing transitional words and phrases from the enlarged chart Use Transitional Words and Phrases to open your paragraph and|

| |begin writing your concluding paragraph. This is where we use our most convincing language. |

| |At the end of your paragraph, use a concluding statement that not only links back to the point of view but also makes an appeal to |

| |your audience in some way. |

|Guided Practice |Have students refer to the reasons they used as support for their point of view. |

| |Have them refer to their student chart Use Transitional Words and Phrases to choose which transitional words they want to use at the |

| |beginning of their paragraph. |

| |Have them write the first sentence for their concluding paragraph in their writer’s notebooks. Remind them to summarize their |

| |reasons. |

| |Have partners share their sentences and summarize their reasons with each other. |

| |Have one or two students share their ideas with the class. |

|Recap |Writers, whenever we create concluding statements for persuasive letters, we want to make sure to summarize our reasons and make an |

| |appeal to our audience in some way. Today, we will finish our concluding paragraphs and reread our persuasive letters to make sure |

| |that they are very convincing. |

|Independent Practice |Conduct small group conferences to support students’ efforts at concluding their arguments. |

|Mid-Workshop Teaching |Have partnerships meet to listen to each other’s letters. Post the following questions for students to discuss: |

|Point |Is my concluding paragraph convincing? |

| |Did I persuade my audience? |

|Lesson Closure |Bring closure to today’s workshop by summarizing and reinforcing the focus of the day’s teaching point – create a conclusion that |

| |summarizes the reasons and makes a final plea. Share the work of one or two students that applies to others. |

| |

|[pic] |

| |

|Strategies for Writing Effective Persuasive Letters |

| |

|Create an introduction: |

|State the issue and my point of view. |

|Support my point of view with reasons and information. |

|Link my point of view and reasons using transitional words and phrases. |

|Begin each supporting paragraph with transitional words and phrases. |

|Use facts, details, and convincing language to support my point of view. |

|Provide a concluding statement in each supporting paragraph that connects back to my point of view. |

|Make sure that my argument is convincing. |

|Provide information and examples to illustrate my point of view: |

|Use transitional words and phrases to add information and examples. |

|Make sure that I have enough information in each paragraph to support my reasons. |

|Emphasize a point to help my reader understand what is important: |

|Use transitional words and phrases to emphasize a point. |

|Create a conclusion that summarizes my reasons and makes an appeal to my audience. |

| |

| |

| |

|Create a Conclusion |

|Student Chart – Session 10 |

| |

|[pic] |

| |

|I can create a conclusion to summarize my reasons and make an appeal to my audience in this way: |

| |

|Use transitional words and phrases to begin my paragraph. |

| |

|Summarize the reasons that support my point of view. |

| |

|Convince my audience to: |

|Do something. |

|Allow me to do something. |

|Change their mind. |

| |

|Include a concluding statement that connects back to the issue and my point of view. |

| |

|End with an appeal to the audience in some way. |

| |

|Session 11/12 |

|Concept |Writers learn strategies for revising and editing persuasive letters. |

|Teaching Point |Writers revise and edit their persuasive letters. |

|References |Materials |

| |Writer’s notebooks |

| |Writing folders |

| |Class chart: |

| |Strategies for Writing Effective Persuasive Letters |

|Note |Put a Persuasive Letter Revision/Editing Checklist inside each student’s writing folder. |

|Introduction |Writers, you have all been really focused as you have been creating your persuasive letters. Today, we will use a revision/editing |

| |checklist to revise and edit our letters. |

|Demonstration |Demonstrate how to revise your own writing using the Persuasive Letter Revision/Editing Checklist: |

| |Read the first item on the checklist. |

| |Reread your persuasive letter with a singular focus on this item. |

| |Revise your own writing as necessary. |

| |Mark the item with a checkmark on the checklist. |

|Guided Practice |Continue rereading and revising with a singular focus on one or two more items on the checklist with the students’ input. |

|Recap |Writers, remember that whenever you are going to publish your writing, you will want to revise and edit it very carefully so your |

| |readers will understand your letter. Today you will reread and revise your letters with a singular focus on each item on your |

| |Persuasive Letter Revision/Editing Checklists. Take your time to make your persuasive letter the best it can be. |

|Independent Practice |Conduct individual student conferences to support students’ efforts using the checklist to revise and edit their work. |

|Lesson Closure |Have students share examples of their revisions. |

Persuasive Letter Revision/Editing Checklist

Name_______________________________________________Date______________

Title_________________________________________________________________

Reread your writing carefully. Put a check in each box under Author as you complete each

item. Once all the boxes are checked, give this checklist to the teacher for the final edit.

|Revise and edit for the following: |Author |Teacher |

|1. Meaning and Clarity. Ask yourself, | | |

|“Is my point of view clearly stated?” | | |

|“Do my reasons support my point of view?” | | |

|“Is my argument convincing?” | | |

|“Did I elaborate in each paragraph?” | | |

|Rewrite parts that need revision. | | |

|2. Effective use of words and phrases. Ask yourself, | | |

|“Did I use effective examples, facts, and details?” | | |

|“Did I use transitional words and phrases that connect ideas?” | | |

|Rewrite parts to make your writing better. | | |

|3. Complete sentences. | | |

|Check to make sure that each sentence is complete. | | |

|Rewrite fragments and run-on sentences so they are complete. | | |

|4. Capitalization. | | |

|Use capitals for sentence beginnings and proper nouns. | | |

|Make corrections if necessary. | | |

|5. Punctuation. | | |

|Use periods, exclamation points, and question marks correctly. | | |

|Use commas with transitional words and conjunctions. | | |

|Make corrections if necessary. | | |

|6. Spelling of high-frequency words. | | |

|Refer to various resources. | | |

|Make corrections if necessary. | | |

|Sessions 13 and 14 |

|Concept |Writers publish their persuasive letters. |

|Teaching Point |Writers celebrate their work with others. |

|References |Materials |

| |Writer’s notebooks |

| |Writing folders |

|Day 13 |Have students rewrite or type final drafts of their revised and edited persuasive letters. |

|Publishing | |

| | |

|Day 14 |Have students read their letters aloud in small groups or to an audience outside the classroom. |

|Celebration |You might want to arrange to have students deliver their letters to their intended audience. |

| |Assess students’ persuasive letters using the Persuasive Letter Assessment Rubric. |

| |Consider assessing the students’ writer’s notebooks. |

|Persuasive Letter Conferring Checklist |

|Student Name: |

|1: Analyzing persuasive texts: | |

|Determines audience, issue, and evidence. | |

|2: Generating ideas: | |

|Generates and records ideas for persuasive | |

|letters. | |

|3/4: Writing strategy: | |

|Experiments with writing persuasively. | |

|5: Writing strategy: | |

|Chooses an idea and creates strong reasons | |

|to support a point of view. | |

|6: Writing strategy: | |

|Creates an introduction that includes the | |

|issue, point of view, and reasons. | |

|7: Writing strategy: | |

|Uses facts, details, and convincing | |

|language to support a point of view and | |

|connects back to the reason. | |

|8: Writing strategy: | |

|Provides information and examples to | |

|support a point of view and connects back | |

|to the reason. | |

|9: Writing strategy: | |

|Emphasizes a point that supports a point of| |

|view and connects back to the reason. | |

|10: Writing strategy: | |

|Creates a concluding paragraph that | |

|summarizes the reasons and makes an appeal.| |

|11/12: Revision/editing: | |

|Uses a checklist to revise and edit. | |

Persuasive Letter Assessment Rubric

| |Statement of Purpose/Focus |Development: Language and Elaboration of Evidence | |

|Score |and Organization | |Conventions |

| |Statement of Purpose/Focus |Organization |Elaboration of Evidence |Language and Vocabulary | |

|4 |The response is fully |The response has a clear and |The response provides |The response clearly and |The response demonstrates a|

| |sustained and consistently |effective organizational |thorough and convincing |effectively expresses |strong command of |

| |and purposefully focused: |structure creating unity and |support/evidence for the |ideas, using precise |conventions: |

| |opinion is clearly stated, |completeness: |writer’s opinion that |language: |few, if any, errors in |

| |focused, and strongly |effective, consistent use of a |includes the effective use of|use of persuasive |usage and sentence |

| |maintained |variety of transitional |facts and details: |vocabulary is clearly |formation |

| |opinion is communicated |strategies |effective use of a variety of|appropriate for the |effective and consistent |

| |clearly within the context |logical progression of ideas |elaborative strategies |audience and purpose |use of punctuation, |

| | |from beginning to end | | |capitalization, and |

| | |effective introduction and | | |spelling |

| | |conclusion for audience and | | | |

| | |purpose | | | |

|3 |The response is adequately |The response has a recognizable|The response provides |The response adequately |The response demonstrates |

| |sustained and generally |organizational structure, |adequate support/evidence for|expresses ideas, employing |an adequate command of |

| |focused: |though there may be minor flaws|the writer’s opinion that |a mix of precise with more |conventions: |

| |opinion is clear and for the |and some ideas may be loosely |includes the use of facts and|general language: |some errors in usage and |

| |most part maintained, though |connected: |details: |use of persuasive |sentence formation are |

| |some loosely related material|adequate use of transitional |adequate use of some |vocabulary is generally |present, but no systematic |

| |may be present |strategies with some variety |elaborative strategies |appropriate for the |pattern of errors is |

| |context provided for the |adequate progression of ideas | |audience and purpose |displayed |

| |claim is adequate |from beginning to end | | |adequate use of |

| | |adequate introduction and | | |punctuation, |

| | |conclusion | | |capitalization, and |

| | | | | |spelling |

|Score |Statement of Purpose/Focus |Organization |Elaboration of Evidence |Language and Vocabulary |Conventions |

|2 |The response is somewhat |The response has an |The response provides uneven,|The response expresses |The response demonstrates a|

| |sustained with some |inconsistent organizational |cursory support/evidence for |ideas unevenly, using |partial command of |

| |extraneous materials or a |structure, and flaws are |the writer’s opinion that |simplistic language: |conventions: |

| |minor drift in focus: |evident: |includes partial or uneven |use of persuasive |frequent errors in usage |

| |may be clearly focused on the|inconsistent use of |use of facts and details: |vocabulary may at times be |may obscure meaning |

| |opinion but is insufficiently|transitional strategies with |weak or uneven use of |inappropriate for the |inconsistent use of |

| |sustained |little variety |elaborative strategies |audience and purpose |punctuation, |

| |opinion on the issue may be |uneven progression of ideas | | |capitalization, and |

| |unclear and unfocused |from beginning to end | | |spelling |

| | |introduction and conclusion, if| | | |

| | |present, are weak | | | |

|1 |The response may be related |The response has little or no |The response provides minimal|The response expression of |The response demonstrates a|

| |to the purpose but may offer |discernible organizational |support/evidence for the |ideas is vague, lacks |lack of command of |

| |little or no focus: |structure: |writer’s opinion that |clarity, or is confusing: |conventions: |

| |may be very brief |few or no transitional |includes little or no use of |use of limited language or |errors are frequent and |

| |may have a major drift |strategies are evident |facts and details. |persuasive vocabulary |severe, and meaning is |

| |opinion may be confusing or |frequent extraneous ideas may | |may have little sense of |often obscured |

| |ambiguous |intrude | |audience or purpose | |

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