Lesson Number: 1

Lesson Topic: Informational Text

Lesson Time: 50 minutes
I.

Related Unit Essential Question:

How do I write a persuasive essay?

II.

Standards:
RI.7.1 Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly
as well as inferences drawn from the text.
W.7.1 Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence.

III.

Learning Targets:
I can recall the main idea of an informational text.
I can identify the claim, evidence, and reasoning in an informational text.

IV.

Materials:
KWL Chart- 1 per student
Topic notecards- 1 per table
Newsela articles (accessed from www.newsela.com)- 1 per student
o Packaged foods pack fewer calories; obesity still a problem, experts say
o American teens are still not getting enough exercise
o Obesity rate still rising among U.S. adults, and now worse for women
o Scientists test what one can of an energy drink does to the human body
o Read all about it: Calorie counts are everywhere, but do we care?
Claim, Evidence, Reasoning Worksheet- 1 per student

V.

Procedures:
a. Beginning:
Class will begin by asking students the following question: What do you think of
when you hear the statement making healthy choices?
Students will Turn and Talk to their table partner for approximately 2 minutes about
what they think of when they hear this phrase
The teacher will re-gather the class and lead a class discussion, asking students to
share their personal opinions.
The teacher will then pass out each student a KWL worksheet and each table a
notecard with a topic on it.
o Sample topics include: soda, sports drinks, fast food, and exercise. The
teacher will explain that the topics on the notecards correspond to what the
students are learning about in Wellness class, and will also be used later in
todays lesson for a reading activity.
With their table group, students will complete the Know and Want to Know
columns of their KWL chart in reference to the topic listed on their notecard.
b. Middle:

Part 1
Once students are finished with their KWL chart, the teacher will introduce an
informational text activity.
o Students will be asked to recall what an informational text is from the genre
unit they completed earlier in the year.

c. End:

VI.

As a class, the teacher will lead the students in reading the article Packaged foods
pack fewer calories; obesity still a problem, experts say. Students will have their
own copy of the article to follow along as the teacher reads aloud.
At the end of each section in the article, the teacher will stop reading and complete
a reading strategy.
o The teacher will ask students to silently reread the section to themselves,
thinking about what the main idea in that section was. The teacher will lead
a brief class discussion asking students to share what they determined was
the main idea of the section. Students will use a highlighter to indicate the
main idea in each section of the text.
This process will continue for each section of the article.
Part 2
Each table will now be given a Newsela article relating to the topic they received at
the beginning of the lesson.
Students will then be introduced to the Claim, Evidence, Reasoning activity they
will complete after reading the article. The teacher will point out that students have
been completing similar CER writing assignments in their science class throughout
the year. The teacher will notify students that this assignment uses the same
principles, but now asks them to find the claim, evidence, and reasoning within a
text.
Students will individually read the article, pausing at the end of each section to
highlight the main idea.
Students will then complete the Claim, Evidence, Reasoning worksheet
independently to reflect upon their assigned article.
Students will now independently complete the Learned column of their KWL
chart. Students will be asked to list new knowledge that they gained from reading
the informational articles. Students will also be asked to write the answer to any
questions from their Want to Know column that they learned as a result of the
reading.
Once students are completed with this task, they will write in their Writers
Notebook for the rest of the class period about the following prompt: How does
your topic impact your own life? What are some changes that you can make in
order to make your lifestyle healthier in regards to your topic?
o Give students a hypothetical scenario example with the topic of calorie
counts: For example, I dont count the amount of calories I eat on a daily
basis even though it is recommended. I think that later in my life I may wish
that I would have been more aware of the unhealthy foods I ate when I was
younger. To make my lifestyle healthier, I can try keeping a food journal and
writing down what I eat. This would help me see the amount of food I eat
written down and will make me more aware of foods I should cut out of my
diet.

Assessment:
Informal:
Students will be assessed informally by observing their participation and engagement in
class activities.
Students will also be assessed according to Turn and Talk, Think, Pair, Share, and other
class/small group discussions. The teacher will be monitoring the room during these times
and asking each group reading comprehension and reflection questions. These practices
will allow the teacher to assess the learning target: I can recall the main idea of an
informational text.

Formal:
Analyzing their responses on their KWL charts will formally assess students knowledge of
textual content. This method allows the teacher to compare pre and post lesson
assessment data in order to determine the effectiveness of the lesson.
Students will also be formally assessed using the Claim, Evidence, Reasoning worksheet.
This activity allows the teacher to determine whether students are able to reach the
learning target of identifying these features within a text.

Lesson Number: 2
Lesson Topic: Paraphrasing
Lesson Time: 50 minutes
I.

Related Unit Essential Questions:

How do I write a persuasive essay?

II.

Standards:
RI.7.1 Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly
as well as inferences drawn from the text.
W.7.8 Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources using search terms
effectively; assess the credibility and accuracy of each source; and quote or paraphrase the data
and conclusions of others while avoiding plagiarism and following a standard format for citation.

III.

Learning Targets:
I can define the word paraphrase.
I can explain why it is important to paraphrase texts.
I can paraphrase a text selection.

IV.

Materials:
Computer with internet access and projector
BrainPop video- https://www.brainpop.com/english/writing/paraphrasing/
BrainPop Activity notes worksheet- 1 per student
Paraphrasing PowerPoint
Paraphrasing guided notes worksheet- 1 per student
Pass N Write worksheet- 1 per student

V.

Procedures:
a. Beginning:
Class will begin by having a brief discussion about what plagiarism is.
o The teacher will guide students by asking such as Why cant we use
someone elses words without giving them credit?, Why did you have to
cite your sources in the history project you just completed?, and What
could happen if you took someone elses words and claimed that they are
your own?.
o Students will Turn and Talk with their table partner about each of these
questions before the whole class shares their answers.
b. Middle:

Part 1
Students will watch a short Brain Pop video introducing paraphrasing.
o While watching the video, students will complete a notes page listing
several definitions presented in the video. The teacher will pause the video
after each term in introduced to allow students time to write the definition
on their notes page.
Part 2
After the video, the teacher will review the meaning of the terms discussed during
the video and will ask the class comprehension questions. The teacher will clarify
any questions the students may have.
Students will then take notes during a Power Point presented by the teacher.

c. End:

VI.

They have been given a guided notes sheet, which corresponds directly to
the Power Point. The teacher will pause after each slide to ask
comprehension and reflection questions to assess student comprehension.

Part 3
Students will now complete a Paraphrasing Pass N Write activity.
o Text excerpts have been selected from the article read as a class in
yesterdays lesson. Each of the 4 members at each table will receive a
different text excerpt from the article.
o The first person will have 4-5 minutes to read the text selection and
paraphrase the writing into their own words, writing their response in the
chart section titled Paraphraser 1.
o Paraphraser 1 will then fold the top of the paper down so that the original
text is now covered and the only text showing is the paraphrase they just
wrote.
o Each student will now pass their piece of paper to the person on their right.
This person will have 4-5 minutes to paraphrase the text that their peer
wrote. Once complete, this student will fold the paper down again so that
only their writing is showing.
o This writing and folding process will continue for 4 cycles, until each person
at the table has paraphrased 4 different text excerpts.
o Each piece of paper will be returned to its original paraphraser, who will
then unfold it and read each group members paraphrase.
o The teacher will lead students in a class discussion: Raise your hand if
your text had the same main idea at the beginning and at the end., Raise
your hand if your text changed meanings from the beginning to the end.,
and What do you think we have to be careful about when were
paraphrasing?.
Students will end class by writing in their Writers Notebook.
o The writing prompt is: Define paraphrase. Why is it important to paraphrase
text instead of copying it word for word? What is a time in your life that you
might need to paraphrase?

Assessment:
Informal:
Students will be informally assessed during class activities by observing on task
behaviors and engaged body language.
Students will also be assessed according to responses to discussion and
comprehension questions during the lesson introduction discussion, Brain Pop
video discussion, and paraphrasing Power Point presentation.
Formal:
The Paraphrasing Pass N Write activity will assess students ability to paraphrase
a text selection, which correlates directly to the third learning target of this lesson.
Students journal responses in their Writers Notebook will assess the first and
second learning targets of this lesson, to define paraphrasing and explain why it is
important. This assessment also asks students to use higher order thinking skills
by asking then to think about when they will have to apply the task of paraphrasing
in their own lives.

Lesson Number: 3
Lesson Topic: Persuasive Writing
Lesson Time: 100 minutes
I.

Related Unit Essential Questions:

How do I write a persuasive essay?

II.

Standards:
W.7.1 Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence.
W.7.5 With some guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as
needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on how well
purpose and audience have been addressed.
W.7.9 Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and
research.

III.

Learning Targets:
I can use evidence from a text in my writing.
I can support my claim with evidence and reasoning.
I can write a persuasive paper showing my stance on a specific topic.

IV.

Materials:
Persuasive Essay examples Power Point- teacher created
Computer with projector
Persuasive Paper Brainstorming Worksheet- 1 per student
Laptop cart- 1 laptop per student
Self/Peer Feedback Worksheet- 1 per student

V.

Procedures:
a. Beginning:
Class will begin by having a brief discussion about what persuasive essays are.
Suggested prompts include What does it mean to persuade someone?, When is
a time in your life when you had to persuade somebody to do or not do
something?, and How do writers convince their readers to agree with their
opinion?
The class will then participate in a Get off the Line activity to look at examples of
persuasive essays.
o The teacher will draw an invisible line down the center of the room. To
begin, all students stand on the line.
o The teacher will project a short persuasive essay example and will read it
aloud to the class.
o When the teacher says Get off the Line students will move to one side or
the other of the line, indicating whether they were persuaded by the writing
or not.
o The teacher will then ask a few students from each side to share why they
were or were not persuaded by this writing. The teacher will then review
the components that made the essay strong or weak.

b. Middle:

c. End:

VI.

Part 1
Students will complete a Persuasive Paper Brainstorming worksheet to begin the
writing process. This graphic organizer asks students to list their claim, evidence,
and reasoning with data gathered from the students assigned reading.
Part 2
Once brainstorming is complete, students may begin writing their persuasive paper
using a laptop.
The teacher will be monitoring the classroom, checking for student progress and
assignment understanding.

Once completed with their paper, students will complete a self/peer feedback
worksheet.
o First, students will self assess their work, checking to ensure that all
requirements are met.
o Students will then find a peer who is also done with their essay and will
then trade computers and complete a peer assessment, giving feedback
for improvement.
o The peers will trade back computers and will make any necessary revisions
to their essay before submitting it to the class webpage Dropbox.

Assessment:
Informal:
Students will be informally assessed during class activities, such as the Get off
the Line activity, by observing on task behaviors and engaged body language.
Students will also be assessed during work time when the teacher monitors the
classroom, checking for project understanding and writing fluency
Students will self assess their own essay, as well as give feedback to a peer using
a self/peer feedback worksheet.
Formal:
Students final Persuasive Paper will be assessed according to their ability to
fluently communicate their thoughts by persuading readers to agree with a
particular viewpoint. Students will be assessed on their ability to use specific
textual evidence and reasoning to back up their claim (viewpoint) about a common
health issue.