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Interdisciplinary Writing Unit. By: Constance Robinson. Grade Level: 5 th grade Genre: Persuasive Letter Content Area: Science Topic: S5L1. Students will classify organisms into groups and relate how they determined the groups with how and why scientists use classification.
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Interdisciplinary Writing Unit By: Constance Robinson
Grade Level: 5th grade • Genre:Persuasive Letter • Content Area: Science • Topic:S5L1. Students will classify organisms into groups and relate how they determined the groups with how and why scientists use classification. • a. Demonstrate how animals are sorted into groups (vertebrate and invertebrate) and how vertebrates are sorted into groups (fish, amphibian, reptile, bird, and mammal).
Pre-assessment • Good morning class! Today we are going to start a writing unit. Our unit is going to be over persuasive writing. Now, I don’t know if any of you have done persuasive writing before, so I am going to ask you to do a sample writing for me today. • What we are going to do for this sample is look at a prompt. The prompt is going to explain what I want you to write about and how you are going to write. • First, I need everyone to take all their belongings off of their desk. 1, 2, 3 eyes on me when you are done. Good. Now, I am going to pass out a piece of paper that has the prompt written on it. All I want you to do is read it. (Pass out papers and wait for students to read it and then look at you.) • Our prompt says: • Today you will be writing a persuasive essay. In this essay you need to respond to the following prompt: “Ms. Robinson is responsible for saving one animal from extinction, but she doesn’t know which animal to choose! Write a letter to her from the perspective of an animal of your choice and convince her that you are the animal she needs to save from extinction.” While writing make sure to persuade the reader to choose your animal. • Now that we know what we are going to write about, I am going to pass out some supplies for you to use. (Teacher will pass out 3 sheets of wide ruled notebook paper and 2 sharpened pencils with erasers to each student.) • After you get your paper and pencils I want you to look up at me so I know you are ready. • You will have 35 minutes to write. You can use whatever method you would like to plan and execute this writing assignment. Once the 35 minutes is up you will have to stop whether you are finished with your essay or not. Make sure you skip lines and do not write on the back of the paper. If you need more paper just raise your hand. • I am going to put the prompt up on the SMART board in case you want to look up thereto read it. • Alright, let’s begin. The timer is set for 35 minutes, you may begin writing.
Instructional Grouping • Instruction – Whole group • Model & Practice – Whole group • Assessment – Individual
Instructional Grouping • Teacher’s needs: • Connect with all students at one time • Don’t have to repeat several times • Peers learn from other peers • Students developmental needs: • Peer questions clarify information • Peers can explain better • Zone of Proximal Development is closer
Instructional Grouping • Students cultural needs: • Listening to other students speak • Zone of Proximal Development is closer • Peers ask similar questions
Prewriting • Persuasive writing is when you try to win someone over to your viewpoint or cause. • There are three major ways to persuade people. • The first way to appeal to the reader is through reason. • People can be persuaded to do things if they are presented with facts and strong opinions. • The second way to persuade people is through an appeal to character . • This means that we trust in what other people say especially if they are an expert in a particular field of study. Appeal to character means that the reader trusts what you say to be true because they have knowledge or a reputation. • The last way to persuade a reader is by an emotional appeal . • Emotional appeals can be as strong as intellectual appeals because people have a deep concern for the well-being and rights of others.
Prewriting • A persuasive letter presents a position and then provides meaningful facts, examples, evidence, and anecdotes in support of their position. • Persuasive writers must take a stand and argue in support of it.
Prewriting • In prewriting we gather all of our ideas and put them in one place. Prewriting is the getting-ready-to-write stage. • In this stage we will be collecting information and stimulating ideas about our topic. During prewriting you are required to choose a topic, figure out your purpose, consider your audience and form, and then gather and organize your ideas.
Prewriting • During prewriting we don’t use full sentences! We write in words and phrases to keep ourselves organized and so we can elaborate later in the drafting stage.
Drafting • The second stage of the writing process which is drafting. Drafting can also be called your “sloppy copy”. • The reason a draft is called a “sloppy copy” is that your draft is the first form of your story. When you write it you don’t have to worry about grammar, spelling, punctuation, or anything else. This is just the stage where you elaborate on the ideas your put on your graphic organizer. • Since we don’t worry about the mistakes we make I am going to give each of you a pencil without and eraser! You will not be allowed to erase or scratch out anything you write today in your sloppy copy. • Also, you will only write on the front side of the paper; this way you can go back and cut/paste information in different places on your paper.
Revising • In revising, we are clarifying and refining the ideas we wrote in our draft. • When you revise your paper you will be required to add, substitute, delete, and rearrange your sentences and words. • You are polishing your writing so that it looks more presentable and reads easier.
Accommodations – Developmental Needs • For my student who has a specific learning disability, I will give them a paper that has each of the four types of revisions they need with a letter symbol (adding would be A, deleting would be D, substituting would be S, and rearranging would be R). Each type of revision will have an example next to it so the student can see how to do each one. They can have this paper next to them and I will have a check box next to each type of revision. They will be allowed to have only one of each type of revision. I will also provide a more simplified rubric for them.
Accommodations – Cultural Needs • For the two students who have difficulty with English, I will give them a sheet of paper with two columns; one for the first word in every sentence, and one for the number of words in every sentence. Then I will have the ELL student go through their letter and fill out the two columns. This will show them what kind of variation they need in their sentences. I will have them change words around and try to make at least one of each type of revision. They will them be allowed to check with another student to see if what they have done makes sense (Rojas, 2007).
Editing • In editing we focus more on the mechanics of our writing. • We have to look at the spelling, punctuation, and grammar of our letter to make sure everything we wrote is correct.
Publishing • In the publishing stage you will re-copy your letter using a word processor on the computer and then share it with your classmates! • We have spoken briefly about your reference page. In publishing, you are going to make a cover page, type your letter, and then attach your references to the back. • On the cover page you should have your name, the animal you wrote to, the date, and my name.
Practice Activity • For the practice activity we are going to write a draft. • Using the graphic organizer I provided to you, I want you to help me write a persuasive letter. • We are writing to convince this animal that it is indeed a vertebrate of some sort – either bird, fish, or mammal.
References • Georgia Department of Education, Georgia Project for Assistive Technology. (2008). Supporting participation in typical classroom activities for students with disabilities through use of accommodations, modifications, and assistive technology solutions. • Rojas, V. P. (2007). Strategies for success with English language learners. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. • Tompkins, G. E. (2008). Teaching writing: balancing process and product. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall. • Unknown. (n.d.). Proofreading makes perfect. Retrieved from http://www.harcourtschool.com/activity/language_arts/pmp/interactive_guide/g03/g03 home.htm • Elliot, L. (1995). Really radical reptiles & amphibians. Sterling Pub Co Inc. • Parker, S. (2005). Angelfish, megamouth sharks, & other fish (animal kingdom classification series). Compass Point Books. • Parker, S. (2006). Peacocks, penguins, and other birds (animal kingdom classification series). Compass Point Books. • Patent, D. H. (1995). Why mammals have fur. Dutton Juvenile. • Unknown. (2011). Animals of the world. Retrieved from http://www.kidscom.com/games/animal/animal.html • Unknown. (n.d.). What kind of animal is this?. Retrieved from http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/content/animals/kidscorner/kidscorner_games.htm • Webs, RMT. (2006). What makes a fish a fish?. Retrieved from http://www.oceansforyouth.org/whats-that/ftr0504.html
