Name:

Erin Keeling

Lesson Plan

Title
Grade level/subject

Common Core State

Standard/s

Central Focus

Learning Target/s

Academic Language

Forming Evidence Based Claims (Informational Text)

7th Grade, English Language Arts

RI.7.8: Trace and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing
whether the reasoning is sound and the evidence is relevant and sufficient to
support the claims.
W.7.1: a. Introduce claim(s), acknowledge alternate or opposing claims, and
organize the reasons and evidence logically.

Students should be able to evaluate an argument and specific claims from an
informational text. They should be able to assess whether or not the reasoning
used is sound, and if the evidence is relevant and sufficient to support the
claims that are being made.

I can evaluate an argument for evidence and reasoning and identify the main
claim in an informational text.


Language Function: Evaluate an argument for evidence and reasoning, and
identify the main claim.

Language Demand: Students will complete/fill in the CON side of the Analyzing
Authors Claims Graphic Organizer, citing the main claim, and pieces of
evidence to support reasoning from the informational text. They will evaluate
the arguments in the informational text by finding the reasoning and evidence
that the author uses to make his claim. They will also participate in a class
discussion post-reading in order to reflect on the text and the CON claim that
was made by the author. In addition, students will listen to an audio clip of a
structured debate on the same topic from NPR entitled, Is Smart Technology
Making Us Dumb? Once the audio clip has been played, students will
participate in a Think-Pair-Share with a partner to discuss the clip.

Syntax: Students will use the Analyzing Authors Claim Graphic Organizer to
evaluate the text for reasoning and evidence made by the author. They will
also take notes using NPR Debate graphic organizer on reasoning and evidence
from the NPR audio clip.

Vocabulary: Evaluate, Analyze, Argument, Assess, Reasoning, Evidence, Claim,
Cite, Analyze, Theme or Central Ideas, Main Idea, Big Idea, Supporting Details,
Philosophical Chairs, Structured Debate, and NPR audio clip.

Discourse: Students will participate in discourse as they fill in their Analyzing
Authors Claim Graphic Organizer, and participate in a class discussion that will
reflect on the reasoning and evidence made by the author to support his claim.

As students fill out their graphic organizers I will be circulating the room and
listening for students to use specific academic language such as: authors main
claim, argument, reasoning, and evidence. Students will also participate in a
Think-Pair-Share after listening to the NPR audio clip to assess their own claim
and the text-based evidence that they will use to support it.

Language Support: Read aloud of the CON side of the informational text,
graphic organizer to help guide student evaluation and assessment of the text.
Discussion post-reading to reflect and synthesize learning. Audio clip from NPR
entitled, Is Smart Technology Making Us Dumb?


Instructional Strategy Reading for Meaning


This strategy engages students in a proven process identified by Young,
Righeimer, and Montbriand (2002) called strategic reading, which includes
three phases: pre-reading, active reading, and post-reading. Pre-reading helps
activate prior knowledge, active reading gives a sense of purpose while
Rationale and
reading, and post-reading lets students reflect on their initial predictions and
Theoretical Principles summarize the text. The strategy also helps readers overcome common
reading difficulties. This strategy was chosen specifically for the students in my
class in order to allow them ample time to process each authors main
claim/argument and supporting evidence. The time allotted will allow the
students to gain an in depth understanding of the text prior to their
assessment activity, Philosophical Chairs.

Informal: Students will participate in a class discussion that will reflect on the
reasoning and evidence made by the author to support his/her claim. Students
will also participate in a Think-Pair-Share after listening to the NPR audio clip to
assess their own claim and the text-based evidence that will support it.

Assessment Plan
Formal: Students will evaluate an argument for evidence and reasoning, and
will identify the main claim in an informational text as they complete the CON
side of Analyzing Authors Claims Graphic Organizer. This has them citing the
authors main claim and several pieces of evidence used by the author to
support his/her claim. In addition, they will be citing evidence from the NPR
debate on the NPR Debate: Is Smart Technology Making Us Dumb graphic
organizer.

This lesson addresses the use of higher-order-thinking skills as students
evaluate an authors claim. They are assessing the validity of the evidence and
Habits of Mind, Skills,
reasoning provided by the author. These skills are essential for students to
Higher Order Thinking
develop. Academic literacy requires students to draw conclusions; make and
test inferences, and write clear, well-formed, and coherent explanations in all
content areas.

Read aloud of the informational text, graphic organizer handed out to help
Student Supports
guide student evaluation and assessment of the text. Modeling of how to cite
reasoning and evidence from text. Discussion post-reading to reflect and

Introduction/
Anticipatory Set

Lesson Procedures

*Everything above must be

evident in this section.

synthesize learning. Audio clip played for students to hear what a structured
debate sounds like.

Video Clip: Texting While Walking Fail Compilation
This video clip connects to the previous days lesson on the PRO/CON of smart
technology and whether or not it is making us less intelligent as a society. The
PRO side of the debate said that it was making us less aware of our
surroundings and this video reinforces that concept.
Teacher Actions:
Student Actions:


1. Play video of Texting While
1. Watch video of Texting While
Walking Fail Compilation (3
Walking Fail Compilation (3
minutes). Connect to yesterdays
minutes).
lesson about being less aware of
2. Get out informational text, Are
our surroundings because of
Smartphones Making Us Stupid?
technology. Are we wrapped up in
Listen to teacher reread CON side
ourselves?
of argument (4 minutes).
2. Have students get out
3. Complete CON side of graphic
informational text, Are
organizer (10 minutes).
Smartphones Making Us Stupid? 4. Participate in class discussion by
Reread CON side of the argument
sharing the main claim, reasoning,
(4 minutes).
and evidence that was used by
3. Allow students (10 minutes) to
the author of the CON side (3
complete CON side of graphic
minutes).
organizer.
5. Take notes on NPR Debate
4. Have students participate in a
graphic organizer on reasons and
quick discussion sharing some
evidence used by debaters from
examples of main claim,
NPR audio clip. Listen to audio clip
reasoning, and evidence used by
(15 minutes).
the author of the CON side (3
6. Participate in a Think-Pair-Share
minutes).
after listening to the NPR audio
5. Pass out NPR Debate graphic
clip. Assess own claim and the
organizer for students to take
evidence I will use to support it in
notes on NPR audio clip. Describe
tomorrows lesson (5 minutes).
that audio clip is of a structured
7. If time allows begin to listen to
debate; much like the
the procedure of the
Philosophical Chairs activity they
Philosophical Chairs activity.
will participate in tomorrow. Play
audio clip. Start and stop audio
clip take notes on overhead
projector and model for students
what reasoning is used on each
side of the debate (15 minutes).
6. Have students participate in a
Think-Pair-Share after listening to
the NPR audio clip to assess their
own claim and the text-based
evidence that will support it.
Reinforce that they will use this
claim in tomorrows Philosophical

Closure

Assessment

Lesson Plan (ad) 9/11/15

Chairs activity (5 minutes).

7. If time allows begin to describe
procedure of Philosophical Chairs
activity.


Lead a quick discussion that has students assess their own claim and the text-
based evidence that they will use to support it. Reinforce that they will use this
claim in tomorrows Philosophical Chairs activity. If time allows, begin to
describe procedure of activity.

Students will evaluate an argument for evidence and reasoning, and will
identify the main claim in an informational text as they complete the CON side
of Analyzing Authors Claims Graphic Organizer. This has them citing the
authors main claim and several pieces of evidence used by the author to
support his/her claim. By completing the graphic organizer the students will be
able to gain a better understating of both sides of the debate, this will help
them determine their own claim. They also listened to an audio clip from an
NPR debate on the same topic to gain a better understanding of what a
structured debate sounds like. While listening to the clip they took notes on
the NPR Debate: Is Technology Making Us Dumb graphic organizer and
afterwards participated in a Think-Pair-Share to assess their own claim and the
text-based evidence that will support it.