Group+English

> 1) Consider a variety of issues and choose one that is of particular concern to them 2) Clearly state their viewpoint on this issue 3) Support their viewpoint through rational, logical arguments This should cover the objectives. They are the steps needed to attain the goal(rob)
 * 1) John B. 2stacey 3rob s., 4gareth
 * 2) **Website Link**: [|http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/lessonplan.jsp?id=602&FullBreadCrumb=%3Ca+href%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww2.scholastic.com%2Fbrowse%2Fsearch%2F%3FNr%3DOR%28Resource_Type%3ALesson%2520Plan%2CResource_Type%3AInformal%2520Lesson%2520Article%2CResource_Type%3AUnit%2520Plan%29%26N%3D0%26isBrowse%3DY%22+class%3D%22endecaAll%22%3EAll+Results%3C%2Fa%3E+%26gt%3B+Grade+6+-+8>]
 * 3) **What are the goals**? I'm pretty sure that a goal is supposed to be pretty broad, not so specific. I would say that a goal for this lesson plan would be "Students will be able to understand that writing persuasive letters allows us to stand up for our beliefs and persuade readers to consider our viewpoints." (Stacey)        "to help students learn to assemble their thoughts on key issues, conduct research, and effectively communicate their ideas in a persuasive letter." I stole that from the end of the introduction paragraph haha. (john)
 * 1) **What are the objectives**? These were directly from the lesson plan. I'm not sure if she wants these or for us to come up with our own. I think Gareth was on the right track for the objectives that he mentioned in question #3. (audience, behaviors, condition, and degree)

**5. Do you agree with the instructional strategy, in other words, how the lesson is taught**? I do agree with the instructional strategy. I like the fact that this lesson starts with activating prior knowledge first. I also like the fact that this lesson applies to a real life situation, so students would be more motivated and involved in the learning process. Students definitely respond better to concepts they can relate to. 7. IF you were **teaching this lesson in your class,** where would you want to do **formative evaluation**? How would **you do formative evaluation**? We would begin the writing process with giving the students a rubric so the students are aware of the expectations of this assignment. Items that will be on the rubric will include:<span style="COLOR: rgb(41,14,221)"> > Then students will logon to "Flashlight Readers: Hoot Write For Change" where we can monitor the students' progress and answer questions as the students are working. The teacher can view all screens on his/her computer to see how they are progressing. Upon completion, students will peer edit with at least two other students. If they have individual questions, or the teacher sees an area of concern, then the teacher will meet with those students. <span style="COLOR: rgb(194,41,41)">
 * <span style="COLOR: rgb(22,19,19)">6. On Bloom's Taxonomy what kind of knowledge does the lesson address **? <span style="COLOR: rgb(9,9,236)">this would be considered the SYNTHESIS level of Bloom's Taxonomy because the students are actually creating their own personal letters to send to an organization. In addition, since they have to research an organization to have strong supporting evidence, this also involves the ANALYSIS level.
 * <span style="COLOR: rgb(41,14,221)">Appropriate reasons for supporting a cause
 * <span style="COLOR: rgb(41,14,221)">Use of concrete, accurate facts to support an opinion
 * <span style="COLOR: rgb(41,14,221)">Use of strong, persuasive conclusion
 * <span style="COLOR: rgb(41,14,221)">Use of persuasive language
 * <span style="COLOR: rgb(41,14,221)">Correct grammar and punctuation
 * <span style="COLOR: rgb(41,14,221)">Correct spelling and word usage
 * <span style="COLOR: rgb(41,14,221)">Good self-editing skills displayed by final draft

I agree with your comments, and agree with the layout of the lesson. In any letter writing activity, it is challenging to make the task authentic. In this task - writing a letter- the students can do research and send a letter to a person/group and get a response. Students ALWAYS love it when they get a response. It would be neat if a teacher could integrate this another study. For example, if you are also teaching the coral reef, then students could write on behalf of "saving" the reef..---BETH I definitely agree with your group's comments about the importance of activating prior knowledge. Also, I like using KWL charts to do this, because this extends the idea by making the students think not only about what they already know, but what they want to learn. The idea of adding a specific rubric is also great! Even the students I teach at the third grade level need to know specific expectations in order to be successful. ---Cathy Almond I'm going to also agree with both of the comments and thoughts from above. A teacher looking to get the most out of a lesson will always start by activating prior knowledge. This will not only help you save time by not hammering something the students already know, but will also help you revise your upcoming lesson plans. Also anytime you can use real life examples in your lesson, it will help the students transition what they learn in the classroom to real life situations. Good critique! -Shawn Rice I agree with the group comments and Cathy's comment about using the KWL chart. I teach fifth grade and use them often. I also agree with Beth's comment about how students love responses to their work. I always give my students the chance to share their work with their peers and others. ---Jennifer O'Brien-Khomyak
 * <span style="COLOR: rgb(21,15,15)">COMMENTS & THOUGHTS **<span style="COLOR: rgb(21,15,15)"> ( by others in the class)