Unit Cover Page

Unit Title: Argumentative Writing: Writing Claims and

Grade Level(s): 9th
Supporting Evidence

Subject/Content & Topic Area(s): English Language Arts

Key Words: Essay/Claims/Evidence/Debate

Designed By: Elizabeth Tallent Time Frame: 4-6 weeks

School District: Bloomfield Hills Schools School: BH High School

Brief Summary of Unit (including curricular context and unit goals):

In this 9th grade persuasive writing unit, students will understand persuasive language
through explicit instruction of Aristotle’s theory of rhetoric: ethos, pathos, and logos, which
will span over four to six weeks. Students will apply this knowledge by identifying these
rhetorical devices in advertisements. They will work on identifying claims and evidence in
articles on controversial subjects and write an opinion (rationale) based on the evidence.

Students will then choose a controversial topic and either support the topic or disclaim
the topic using evidence to support the claim. They will be required to use rhetorical
evidence in each of the areas of ethos, pathos, and logos to convince their audience.
Students will videotape the debates that will follow the Lincoln/Douglas debate format.
Students will assess each other using a rubric provided by the instructor.

This performance task will enable students to obtain a deep understanding of the big
ideas of how an argument has two sides and how to listen to opposing arguments to gain
perspective.

Understanding by Design
Final Design Template
Title: Writing Claims and Supporting Evidence Subject/Course: ELA

Topic: Argumentative Writing Grade: 9th

Designer(s): Elizabeth Tallent

Stage 1—Desired Results

Established Goal(s): Content Standards & Benchmarks (written out or paraphrased)

CCSS.ELA.Literacy.W 9-10.A Introduce precise claims(s), distinguish the claims(s) from alternate or
opposing claims,
and create an organization that establishes clear relationships among claim(s), counterclaims,
reasons, and evidence
Enduring Understanding(s): Big Ideas Essential Question(s):

Students will understand that… What does it mean to have sufficient

evidence?
A convincing argument is shared by
both sides of the communication How does listening to the opinions of
others help formulate rationale in
Listening to opposing arguments
supporting arguments?
strengthens perspectives
(Knowledge) (Skills)

Students will know… Students will be able to…

Students will know how to formulate Students will be able organize their
evidence and support for their claims ideas by formulating a claim and
providing evidence in an essay and
Students will know how to support an research format.
argument by analyzing the opposing
view and proving it invalid Student will be able to write an
argumentative paper
Students will learn how to analyze an
argument Students will be able to read and
analyze information from essays and
Students will know how to listen to journals to support their point of view
rationale and develop
opinions/evidence to support their
claim
Stage 2-Determine Acceptable Evidence

Performance Task(s)* (2-3 tasks):

Place a claim on the board, on one side of the board the word AGREE, on the other side of the
board, DISAGREE. State the claim and have students stand on the side they feel supports their
opinion. One by one students will state their opinions of why they agree or disagree. At any time
students can move across the aisle and change their position. The side with the most students win
the argument.

Read an article, identify the claim and write it below. Then lists the evidence that supports the
claim and the evidence that counters the claim.

Advertising Activity Logos, Ethos, Pathos, Kairos – write an advertisement using persuasive
language techniques.

Lincoln/Douglas debate format. Student choose a topic out of a hat and either have to support the
argument or disclaim the argument. Students research the claim and develop supporting evidence
either for or against the claim. Using Lincoln/Douglass format for debate, students debate their
topics in front of the class. Classmates use a rubric to decide the strongest argument.
Other Evidence (quizzes, tests, prompts, observations, dialogues, work samples):

Claims (prompts written on the board) students listen and observe the reasoning of their peers and
develop their own opinions

Articles where students identify claims and supporting evidence/counter evidence

Debate in class using Lincoln/Douglas format and rubric

Short persuasive essays establishing a claim and evidence

Advertising handout using Logos, Pathos, Ethos, Kairos

Research paper

Student Self- Assessment and Reflections:

Video tape debates and play them back to decide which person had the strongest argument using a rubric

Peer edit and reflection using Positive Response Protocol (Praise, Question, Suggest)

Debate Rubric

Lincoln-Douglas Debate Guidelines

Re-write after peer review using suggestions

Stage 2-Determine Acceptable Evidence: Performance Task Blueprints
Provide a blueprint for at least one task.
What understandings and goals will be assessed though this task? What essential
questions will be uncovered in this performance task?
Students will understand that…

Listening to opposing arguments

strengthens perspectives

Essential Questions:

How does listening to the opinions of

others help formulate rationale in
supporting arguments?

Through what authentic performance task will students demonstrate understanding?

Describe task(s) in detail so students clearly understand the expectations. (Optional use of
GRASPS here)
Lincoln/Douglas Debate

 Your task is to choose a controversial topic

 Your goal is to provide opinion and facts (evidence) to support your topic and explain how your
evidence supports your claim
 The problem or challenge is to identify and explain (provide rationale) to discredit the counter claim
 The obstacles to overcome are properly listening or researching the counter claim to build or
strengthen your argument. Students must listen carefully; know their topic and all points of view.
 Students must research a topic, formulate an opinion and find evidence (emotional, factual, ethical
etc) to support their claim and explain their rationale.
 Your clients and audience are your peers, who will decide if your evidence and rationale support your
argument.
 The context is an open class debate against the counter claim and the challenge is listening for
weaknesses in the counter argument to strengthen your rationale.
 You will research a topic, establish a claim, provide evidence (opinions, facts), and present your
rationale in an open debate following the rules in the Lincoln/Douglass debate format. You will listen
carefully to the counter claim, listen for weaknesses and rebut the counterclaim. You need to develop
a closing statement or conclusion that re-states your topic and best evidence including rebuttal of the
counterclaim.
 Your performance needs to be 7 minutes long and will be judged by your peers using a rubric. The
following criteria is examined:
 Clearly stated claim
 Evidence (according to; for example; this shows; this means; some say that, but I think… because)
 Lincoln/Douglas Debate format
What student products and/or performances will provide evidence of desired
understandings?

Articles and worksheet identifying claim and Students will develop experience with
evidence formulating rationale
Video of Debates and Rubric Clearly state claims
Essay Provide Evidence (Facts)
Research paper Explain how Evidence supports claim

By what criteria will student products and performances be evaluated? Provide

standards or rubrics by which the task will be judged.

PQS Positive Response Protocol

Lincoln-Douglas debate format
Debate Claim Rubric and
Student Observational Scoring Sheet
Stage 3-Plan Learning Experiences and Instruction
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
Learning Experiences: Consider the WHERETO elements.

 Begin the unit with a discussion of opinions about everyday products. Post on one side of the
classroom an AGREE sign and on the other side of the classroom DISAGREE. Write a statement on
the board like, Coke is better than Mountain Dew. Students will come forward and stand on either
the AGREE or DISAGREE side and one by one state their reasons. Students can change sides at
any time during the argument if persuaded to the other point of view. H W
 Students read a short version of Jack and the Beanstalk. Write a statement on the board: Jack is a
good boy. Students proceed to the AGREE or DISAGREE side of the room. Students may argue
that Jack is a thief because he stole the harp, the goose and golden eggs. Others may argue that the
Giant kills and eats innocent people. Students find evidence to support their arguments in the story
and the side that has the most students convinced wins the debate. H E W T
 Students will learn persuasive language that includes Ethos, Pathos, and Logos. When given a
scenario, students will identify if it is or is not ethos, pathos and logos with an explanation as to why
or why not. Students will work through several activities identifying ethos, pathos, and logos in
politics and advertising. E R E2 T
 Students will research a controversial topic and collect evidence based on ethos, pathos, and logos
and using the Lincoln/Douglas debate format will debate a student with the opposing side of the
argument. A rubric for this task is also distributed on the first day, and students will participate in
the grading of the debate. W E R T E2
 Debates will be video recorded. Students will watch videos and assess the winner based on
evidence, strength of arguments and the debate rubric. W H R E2

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

60 minutes 30 Minutes 30 Minutes

15-minute discussion Hand out short one Short read about

centered on opinions page story of Jack Aristotle and his
and persuasion. and the Beanstalk and teachings on logic. 10
Write a statement on have story on minutes
the board and overhead. Students
brainstorm evidence highlight evidence 10 minutes
agreeing or based on the Students’ definition
disagreeing. 15 statement, Jack is a of Ethos: appeal to
minutes. Write a Good Boy. Place authority and
statement and statement on board credibility.
Students will come and have students
forward and stand on agree or disagree that Pathos: appeal to
either the AGREE or Jack is a good boy. emotions
DISAGREE side and
one by one state their Students individually Logos: appeal to
reasons. Students can make their case and logic and reason
change sides at any can move from one
time during the side to the other if Focus on Ethos: How
argument if they are convinced to can you incorporate
persuaded to the other the opposing view. Ethos to convince
point of view. 30 your audience?
minutes

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

30 minutes 30 minutes

Focus on Pathos: Focus on Logos: How

How can you can you incorporate
incorporate pathos to pathos to convince