Argument Mini-Unit Menu

MINI-UNIT
Topic: Focus
# of Lessons

TEEN
BRAINS:
Strategies to
read,
synthesize,
and use
evidence
4 Lessons
REALITY TV:
Strategies to
read,
synthesize and
use evidence
4 Lessons
ARGUMENT
HIGHWAY:
A metaphor
for teaching
Harris moves

TEXT SET
(printed, audio, or
visual)
Texts:
Genre

Close reading
strategies

3 shared
It Says/I Say
readings:
Chart
image,
VIP Notes
video, print

RESPONSE
TO READINGS
Writing &
talking to
develop
knowledge on
topic or issue
Quickwrite
Sentence stems
Layering or
adding to
writing with
sources

4 shared
Coding
Quickwrite
readings:
Now Im thinking Sentence Stems
image and
Star & Jot
Layering or
print
adding to
writing with
sources
3 shared
readings:
links to
texts

ARGUMENTATIVE
ELEMENTS AND
MOVES
Argumentati
ve Elements

Claim
Evidence

Use of
sources

WRITING AN
ARGUMENT
Product
Draft, Feedback, and
Revise
Reflect

Forwarding:
illustrating,
authorizing
Countering

Product: Guided argument

essay
Prewriting/Planning
Revising for a Reader

Claim
Forwarding:
Evidence
illustrating,
authorizing
Counterclaim

Product: Guided argument

essay
Prewriting/Planning
Layered drafting
Revising using Kernel essay
structure

Claim
Evidence

Forwarding:
Product: Student practice
illustrating,
writing Harris forwarding
authorizing,
and countering moves
extending
Countering

*PowerPoint

Original charts developed by Linda Denstaedt, National Writing Projecti3 College Ready Writers Program | 1

FAST FOOD:
Connecting
claims to
evidence
6 Lessons
(MS/HS; ok for
Int)
* PowerPoint.
No print
version.

MINI-UNIT
Topic: Focus
# of Lessons

SEGREGATI
NG BY
ABILITY:
Developing a
relationship
among
sources
4 Lessons
SCHOOL
START
(alternate
text set for
SEGREGATIN
G BY
ABILITY)
4 lessons

3 shared
readings:
print

Text and
marginal
annotation

TEXT SET
(printed, audio, or
visual)
Texts:
Genre

Close reading
strategies

3-4 shared
Text and
readings:
marginal
news clip
annotation
with image
and question;
OpEd

3 shared
readings

Text and
marginal
annotation

Responddraft a Claim
Evidence
claim
Two-column
quotes,
Evidence
facts,
Organizer
statistics
PQP Feedback
Primary &
secondary
research

RESPONSE
TO READINGS
Writing &
talking to
develop
knowledge on
topic or issue

Forwarding:
Illustrating,
Authorizing
Focus on
Countering

ARGUMENTATIVE
ELEMENTS AND
MOVES
Argumentati
ve Elements

Use of
sources

Product: Multi-paragraph
revised draft
Prewriting/Planning
[Flash]draft, Feedback, &
Revised draft

WRITING AN ARGUMENT

Product
Draft, Feedback, and Revise
Reflect

Write informally
Claim
Evidence
responding to
text
Draw a simple
graphic & write
to explain
Turn and Talk

Forwarding:
Product: Multi-paragraph, short
illustrating,
argumenton-demand
authorizing, Prewriting/Planning
Draft and annotate conscious
borrowing,
inclusion of claim, evidence,
extending
Countering
and ways sources are used

Write informally
responding to
text
Draw simple
graph-ic; write
to explain
Turn and Tal

Forwarding:
illustrating,
authorizing
extending
Countering

Claim
Evidence

Product: Multi-paragraph, short

argumenton-demand
Prewriting/Planning
Draft and annotate conscious
inclusion of claim, evidence,
and ways sources are used

Original charts developed by Linda Denstaedt, National Writing Projecti3 College Ready Writers Program | 2

SCHOOL
START TIME
for Science
1-2 lessons
(Int, MS)
NUTRITION
AND
SCHOOLS:
Evaluating
quality &
relevance of
evidence to
support a
claim
6 Lessons
*Website
ONLINE
PRIVACY:
Drafting with
strong and
elaborated
evidence
6 Lessons
*PowerPoint

MINI-UNIT
Topic: Focus
# of Lessons

Video and a
text set that
is jigsawed

Highlighting
pertinent
evidence

Claim
Evidence

9 shared &
choice
readings:
infographics
and print

Mining a Text
annotating
evidence
Rank and Sort

Exit Ticket
Claim
Note-catcher
Evidence
Tap-out discussion
3-2-1 protocol

7 shared & Text and

Think, Write, Pair, Claim
choice
Evidence
marginal
Share
readings:
Read, Predict,
annotation
printwhole Paired Reading
Slice the Pie
text &
Protocol
Discussion
excerpts
First-Thinking
Draft
Partner Notes
Save the Last
Word

TEXT SET
(printed, audio, or
visual)
Texts:
Genre

Close reading
strategies

RESPONSE
TO
READINGS
Writing &
talking to
develop
knowledge on
topic or issue

Forwarding:
illustrating,
countering

Product: single paragraph

developed by the jigsaw group

Forwarding
Product: Multi-paragraph, mini illustrating,
argument that includes a claim,
authorizing
evidence to support the claim
Countering
and explanation of reasoning
behind evidence
Prewriting/Planning
Skill-focused feedback,
Strategic draft, Feedback, &
Revise
Process analysis for evidence
selection
Forwarding
Product: Multi-paragraph mini illustrating,
argument, revised-draft
authorizing Prewriting/Planning
Draft and Draft Self-Evaluation
Partner Review Form
Revision

ARGUMENTATIVE
ELEMENTS AND
MOVES

WRITING AN ARGUMENT

Argumentati
ve Elements

Product
Draft, Feedback, and Revise
Reflect

Use of
sources

Original charts developed by Linda Denstaedt, National Writing Projecti3 College Ready Writers Program | 3

OP-ED:
Identifying and
designing a
line of
reasoning and
argument
structure 5
lessons

GAMING:
HARMLESS
OR
HARMFUL?

14 shared & Two-draft

choice

reading
readings:

process
video & print Text & marginal
annotation
T-chart
Evidence
Collection
Quick
Research:
Scan, Skim,
Read
Image, 2
Scaffolded

videos,
note-taking
article

Source

credibility

Loop Writing
Two-move Write
Paraphrasing
claims

OpEd Writers Forwarding:

Illustrating,
Moves
authorizing,
Claim
extending
Evidence
Counterin
g
With
refute

VIP Notes
Claim
Now Im thinking Evidence
Notecard claim
It Says/I Say
Attribution stems

Forwarding
illustrating,
authorizing
Countering

Product: 2-3 page OpEd

Prewriting/Planning
Moves Writers Make
Conscious First-Draft: Plan,
Write, Pause, Reread, Annotate,
Rethink & Revise While Drafting
Metacognitive Exit Slip or Bellringer
Unit Reflection

Product: 40-minute Essay

Prewriting / rereading notes
Guided drafting
Peer feedback
Student reflection

Drafting with
strong and
elaborated
evidence
(Elem, MS, HS)
3 Lessons
*PowerPoint
SCHOOL
START
(for Science)
1 lesson
SUGARY
SOFT
DRINKS
On Demand
Instruction

Video; packet Text

Adapted Jigsaw
of 7 shared
underlining
reading/discussi
readings and
and marginal
on
excerpts

Argument
planner
annotation
Scaffolded claim
selection
2 shared
Highlighting
Attributing
readings
key
information to
words/phrase
the source

Prompt
analysis
s, circling 1-2
organizer
compelling
quotes)

Claim
Evidence

Forwarding:
illustrating,
authorizing

Product: Group-written
paragraph stating claim and
most powerful evidence (could
be done as a poster or chart
instead)

Claim
Evidence

Forwarding
Product: Quick Draft (Intro,
illustrating,
Body, Conclusion)
authorizing Prompt Analysis Organizer as
checklist or planner

Original charts developed by Linda Denstaedt, National Writing Projecti3 College Ready Writers Program | 4

(elementary,
MS)

Reading
second and
third
readings for
new facts

Original charts developed by Linda Denstaedt, National Writing Projecti3 College Ready Writers Program | 5