LESSON SEVEN (Giving back / change for good)

Face-to-face, Synchronous
Skill: Compare and contrast

Essential questions:
● Does comparing and contrasting their own actions with others inspire students to want to
effect change for good?
● Does preparing a refutation spur critical thinking and help students investigate an issue
more deeply?

Learning Objectives:
At the end of this lesson, students will be able to:
Learning Objectives Students’ Needs Assessment READY strategy based on 5C
(click the link to see details) standards (Goal Areas)
#1: Academic English and
skills; #2: Communicative
English; #3 Good
motivations

Develop an argument using #1, #2 Develop: use the language to

their knowledge of cause and investigate, explain, and
effect. reflect on the nature of
language through comparisons
of the language studied and
their own.
(in Comparison goal area)

Prepare a refutation using #1, #2 Explain: present information,

debate strategies. concepts, and ideas to inform,
explain, persuade, and narrate
on a variety of topics
(in Communication goal area)

Advancement: learners use the

language to investigate,
explain, and reflect on the
relationship between the
practices and perspectives of
the cultures studied.
(in Culture goal area)
 Develop: learners develop
insight into the nature of
language and culture in order
to interact with cultural
competence.
(in Comparison goal area)

Apply cultural comparison #1, #3 Reinforce: learners build,

and critical thinking through reinforce, and expand their
problem-solving. knowledge of other disciplines
while using the language to
develop critical thinking and
to solve problems creatively.
(in Connections goal area)

Advancement: learners use the

language to investigate,
explain, and reflect on the
relationship between the
practices and perspectives of
the cultures studied.
(in Culture goal area)

Develop: use the language to

investigate, explain, and
reflect on the nature of
language through comparisons
of the language studied and
their own.
(in Comparison goal area)

Teacher instructions:
Important concepts: compare and contrast, change for good, giving back, arguing a side,
refuting an argument

Activity Time

Introduce the topic of “giving back/ change for good” through having 7 min
students do a pre-speaking activity to activate their schemata.
Have students spend 5 minutes thinking about times in their life that
they gave back or helped others. Then, they should jot down their
answers to the following questions:

● Did you give money or donate your time to give back? Why?
● Did you do something else? What was it?
● How does giving back make you feel about yourself? Why?
● How can making “change for good” helps you cultivate your
best self?

Have a few students share their answers with the rest of the class.

Organize students in groups of 4 and give every student a number 5 min

from 1 - 4. Pair the students with odd numbers (1 & 3) together and
the students with even numbers (2 & 4) together to use a Padlet to
brainstorm examples of:

· Times they have done well

· Times they have seen people do good
· Current events that relate to donations and charity
· Examples of celebrities giving back

Have the same groups work together to fill out the Compare- 10 min
Contrast Worksheet. They can look for examples on the web, if
needed.

In the same groups, students will create Venn diagrams using Canva 8 min
from the information they have written down in their Compare-
Contrast Worksheet to compare and contrast different ways to give
back. This exercise creates cultural comparison and critical thinking
through problem-solving.

Inform the odd group that they will argue that giving money is the 10 min
best way to give back and that the even group will argue that
charitable deeds are the best way to give back.

Students will review the Refuting an Argument: Why and How

worksheet individually. Advise students to look at their Compare-
Contrast Worksheet and circle any good counter-arguments. Also,
they can review their previous brainstorm to find some additional
examples for their argument.

Pair student 1 and 2 together and student 3 and 4. Allow students 2 8 min
minutes to prepare their argument. Have students “argue” their side
 to their partner. Students should try to use one phrase from the
Refuting an Argument: Why and How worksheet. The time limit is 3
minutes each. The odd numbered students will present their
arguments first.

Inform the students that they will need to submit a 3-5 sentence 2 min
paragraph giving their opinion of what they think is the best way to
give back and how that spurs critical thinking skills* and investigation
of the culture of giving via the LMS.

TOTAL 50 min

Student instructions:

● Think about the topic of “giving back/ change for good” through answering questions to a
pre-speaking activity and share your answers if asked to do so.
● Work with a partner to brainstorm examples of giving back following the prompts
provided by your teacher.
● Develop arguments for different sides by completing the Compare-Contrast Worksheet
with a partner. You can look for examples on the web if needed.
● Create a Venn diagram in Canva together with the same partner to compare and
contrast different ways to give back. This exercise creates cultural comparison and
critical thinking through problem-solving.
● Review the Refuting an Argument: Why and How worksheet individually. Look at your
Compare-Contrast Worksheet and circle any good counter-arguments. Also, review their
previous brainstorm to find some additional examples for your argument.
● After 2 minutes of preparing your argument, “argue” their side to your partner. Use one
phrase from the Refuting an Argument: Why and How worksheet. The time limit is 3
minutes each. The odd numbered students will present their arguments first.
● Submit a 3-5 sentence paragraph giving their opinion of what they think is the best way
to give back and how that spurs critical thinking skills* and investigation of the culture of
giving via the LMS.
*Students read the READY strategy offered in the READY Strategy Reflection
Worksheet

Materials needed:
● Computer
● Compare - Contrast Worksheet
● Refuting an Argument: Why and How
Collaboration/group work:
Students work with a partner discuss times when they have given back to activate their
schemata, brainstorm examples of to be applied to an argument, create a
comparison/contrasting visualization using a Venn diagram, and to debate against applying
refutation skills.

Assessment:
A summative assessment in which students write a 3-5 sentence paragraph giving their
opinion of what they think is the best way to give back and how that spurs critical thinking skills*
and investigation of the culture of giving. Students will submit their paragraph via the LMS.
Students will be rated on a scale of 1 - 5 (5 being the best) for each of the 3 Learning Objectives
using Rubric for Grading Short Paragraph:

Presentation rubric:
Lesson 7 Learning 1 - Poor 2 - Insufficient 3 - Sufficient 4 - Very good 5 - Excellent
objective

Develop an
argument using
their knowledge of
cause and effect.

Prepare a
refutation using
debate strategies.

Apply cultural
comparison and
critical thinking
through problem-
solving.
Compare - Contrast Worksheet
Refuting an Argument: Why and How Worksheet