Alignment to Assessment Standards and Purpose of Lesson

• Work Time A: Students write an argument essay based on their research about another hidden figure that argues why this person’s accomplishments are remarkable. Students use reasons and evidence from their research as well as reasoning to defend their position. Although Grade 6 is not required to address counterclaim, students acknowledge the existence of an opposing claim as part of their introduction and/or conclusion. (RI.6.1, RI.6.3, RI.6.10, W.6.1, W.6.4, W.6.5, W.6.6, W.6.7, W.6.8, W.6.9b, W.6.10, L.6.2, L.6.3, L.6.6)

Opportunities to Extend Learning

• Some students may not require the level of scaffolding provided in this unit. Prompt students toward deeper levels of understanding and increased rigor by becoming familiar with Levels 3 and 4 of Webb’s Depth of Knowledge, a framework developed by Norman Webb to plan and provide complex instruction and assessments.

How It Builds on Previous Work

• In the first half of this unit, students have analyzed a model, written collaboratively, and planned their own independent argument essay. This lesson assesses those skills as students use their plans to compose their argument essays about the focus figure they researched.

Support All Students

• If students receive accommodations for assessments, communicate with the cooperating service providers regarding the practices of instruction in use during this study as well as the goals of the assessment.
• Support ELLs in the mid-unit assessment by reminding them of the related tasks that they have already successfully completed. Make sure that all assessment instructions are expressed very clearly. Ask students to paraphrase the instructions as a way to gauge understanding and/or provide ELLs with simpler or additional input. ▲
• Before the mid-unit assessment of Work Time A, review the criteria on the Track Progress: Argument Writing to help clarify the objectives. This will help students understand expectations as well as offer a way for students to review the learning that has taken place throughout the unit to prepare them for the assessment. This review may be especially beneficial for ELLs, who may feel nervous about independently producing an essay during the assessment. ▲
• Before the mid-unit assessment of Work Time A, allow students to orally process their note-catchers and planners with a partner to help formulate their thoughts before beginning an extended period of writing.
• Provide feedback on the assessment that emphasizes effort, improvement, and achieving a standard rather than on relative performance. Remind students that they are not competing against their peers; their measure of success should be how much they personally have improved in mastery of a standard.

Assessment Guidance

• Mid-Unit 3 Assessment: Write an Argument Essay (student and teacher versions) are included in the Assessment Overview and Resources.
• Decide in what format students will compose their essays. Provide lined paper or a computer with word-processing capabilities, depending on students’ needs and preferences.
• If students feel nervous about the mid-unit assessment, remind them of all the work they have done to prepare (i.e., writing the narratives in Unit 2, analyzing a model, writing a collaborative essay on a similar topic). Encourage them to recognize all the hard work and learning that has led to the mid-unit assessment.
• Save a copy of the scored essays to use as a continued assessment of progress in writing. These pieces can be used to measure the progress of individual students throughout the year, as well as to identify common instructional needs in a class.
• When assessing and providing feedback to students on this assessment, use the Argument Writing Rubric (see the Tools Page) and the annotated sample essay to help complete the student Track Progress: Argument Writing. Make notes in the appropriate column for each criterion in a different color from student responses. There is also space provided to respond to student comments.
• Using information from this assessment, students are tracking progress toward anchor standard:
• W.1: By the end of Grade 12 I will be able to: Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.

Down the Road

• In the next lesson, students orally present and delineate one another’s arguments about their focus figures and begin preparing for performance task by working with their crewmates on the details to include in their children’s book pages for the performance task.