Lesson 3: Persuasive/ Opinion Writing

Lesson Overview

The teacher will model how POW + TREE will be used to write an opinion essay. The teacher will
model self-statements during the process.

Student Objectives

● Students will orally say the mnemonic POW + TREE, stating what each part stands for.
● Students will locate essay parts for essays read aloud in class.
● Students will take notes on the essay modeling lesson.
● Students will write self-statements for the POW + TREE writing strategy.

Materials

● POW + TREE Mnemonic for Older students (Hard Copy or Digital Copy)
● POW + TREE Graphic Organizer for Older Students (Hard Copy or Digital Copy)
● Essay Rocket Graphs for Older Students
● My Self-Statements
● Essay Prompts
● Paper, Pencils, Scratch Paper (or Digital Devices)

Setting the Context for Student Learning (Anticipatory Set)

Students are to be assessed orally on the memorization of POW + TREE. It is essential that they
memorize it for the writing tasks, so have students review and practice if they don’t do well. Remind
them that they will be tested each day as to stress the importance.

Procedure to Developing the Strategy and Self-Regulation:

Step 1: REVISIT LOCATING ESSAY PARTS

If any student is struggling with this area, do another one or two essays aloud with the
class.

Step 2: MODEL THE STRATEGY

● P in POW: Give students a copy of the TREE graphic organizer. Have them
start with picking their idea (the P in POW), reading through a practice prompt.
● O in POW: Get students to organize their notes using the graphic organizers
(think sheets) they have been provided. This refers to the TREE graphic
organizer, the self-statements chart, or self-evaluation from the previous lesson.
● W in POW: Students will now “Write and say more.” The teacher will model
how to begin and end the essay through think-alouds with another practice
prompt (from a chart previously completed).
Step 3: SELF-STATEMENTS:
● Students will write a self-statement to prepare “mentally” for writing their own
essay. Students should be told that writing a self-statement is like writing their
own pep talk. It is a way for them to express what they are thinking as they are
working as to build endurance and perserverance.

Step 4: GRAPHING THE ESSAY:

Students will use the Essay Rockets Graph to determine whether they have all the parts
for the essay they are to write.

Wrap Up/ Homework

Students will again be tested on POW + TREE in the next class.