Analyze Argument: “Conflicting Ideas” | EL Education Curriculum

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ELA 2019 G7:M2:U2:L5

Analyze Argument: “Conflicting Ideas”

In this Lesson

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Focus Standards: These are the standards the instruction addresses.

  • RI.7.8, SL.7.1d, L.7.4

Supporting Standards: These are the standards that are incidental—no direct instruction in this lesson, but practice of these standards occurs as a result of addressing the focus standards.

  • RI.7.1, RI.7.2, SL.7.1, L.7.6
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Daily Learning Targets

  • I can identify the main claim, points, evidence, and reasoning in a text. (RI.7.8)
  • I can acknowledge new information expressed by others and, when warranted, modify my own views. (SL.7.1d)

Ongoing Assessment

  • Opening A: Entrance Ticket: Unit 2, Lesson 5 (L.7.4)
  • Work Time B: Analyze Argument: "Conflicting Ideas" note-catcher (RI.7.1, RI.7.8)

Agenda

AgendaTeaching Notes

1. Opening

A. Engage the Learner - L.7.4 (5 minutes)

2. Work Time

A. Read Aloud "Conflicting Ideas" (10 minutes)

B. Identify Main Claim, Points, Evidence, and Reasoning: "Conflicting Ideas" - RI.7.8 (15 minutes)

3. Closing and Assessment

A. Evaluate Argument: "Conflicting Ideas" - SL.7.1d (15 minutes)

4. Homework

A. Make Connections: Students fill out the section on their Argument: "Conflicting Ideas" note-catchers about how the author is making connections between medical and social epidemics in this article.

B. Review Note-Catchers: Students reread the two argument note-catchers from Lessons 2, 3, and 5 to prepare for the mid-unit assessment.

C. Set Goals: Students record their character and academic goals on Homework: Set Goals for the text-based discussion in the mid-unit assessment of the following lessons.

Alignment to Assessment Standards and Purpose of Lesson

  • L.7.4 – Opening A: Students use strategies to determine the meaning of unfamiliar vocabulary on an entrance ticket.
  • RI.7.8 – Work Time B: Students identify the main claim, points, evidence, and reasoning in the article “Conflicting Ideas.”
  • SL.7.1d – Closing and Assessment A: Students acknowledge new ideas expressed by others and, when warranted, change their own views as they evaluate the argument in the article “Conflicting Ideas,” determining whether the evidence is relevant and sufficient and the reasoning is sound.
  • In this lesson, students focus on working to become effective learners and ethical people. Students practice integrity and perseverance as they work independently on assessments and take responsibility as they assess their own work by tracking their progress on Reading standards.
  • The Think-Pair-Share protocols are used in this lesson. Protocols are an important feature of our curriculum because they are one of the best ways we know to engage students in discussion, inquiry, critical thinking, and sophisticated communication. A protocol consists of agreed-upon, detailed guidelines for reading, recording, discussing, or reporting that ensure equal participation and accountability in learning.
  • In “Conflicting Ideas” read in this lesson, the author shows integrity as he or she argues that social scientists should come up with their own models, instead of borrowing from epidemiologists.

Opportunities to Extend Learning

  • Release more responsibility more quickly to students as they comprehend the tasks or concepts. For example:
    • Allow students to generate their own questions for the discussion in Closing and Assessment A, related to claims, evidence, reasoning, and evaluating the argument.
    • Invite students to participate in an extended Socratic Seminar as opposed to a shorter discussion.

How It Builds on Previous Work

  • In the previous lesson, students focused on close reading, determining the gist, and summarizing the article “Conflicting Ideas.” In this lesson, students dive deeper into the article, determining the main claim, points, evidence, and reasoning; analyze the strength of the argument.

Support All Students

  • Due to the complexity and lexile of this text, it will be read aloud.
  • The subject matter in this excerpt includes descriptions of social media. Some students may have a great deal of experience with social media, while others may have limited or no experience. Level the playing field by explaining the basics of Facebook.
  • Note there is a differentiated version of the Argument: “Conflicting Ideas” note-catcher used in Work Time B in the supporting materials download. ▲
  • Students should fill out the note-catcher independently at this point. If students continue to require more support, pull a small strategy group to support these students with this work. ▲
  • If time permits, consider using the Dance Card protocol to provide a movement break for students. Use the Dance Card protocol in place of the Turn and Talk or Think-Pair-Share protocol.
  • If students require more structure during the text-based discussion, consider appointing roles to the groups. For example, assign a facilitator, timekeeper, includer (who invites unheard voices into the conversation), and/or notetaker to each group.

Assessment Guidance

  • Review students’ Argument: “Conflicting Ideas” note-catchers to ensure they are able to objectively summarize; identify the main claim, points, evidence, and reasoning; analyze the argument.

Down the Road

  • In the next lesson, students will take the mid-unit assessment. They will read a new text, complete a note-catcher to identify the parts of the argument, and participate in a text-based discussion to analyze the strength of the argument.

In Advance

  • Ensure there is a copy of Entrance Ticket: Unit 2, Lesson 5 at each student's workspace.
  • Post the learning targets and applicable anchor charts (see Materials list).

Tech and Multimedia

  • Continue to use the technology tools recommended throughout previous modules to create anchor charts to share with families; to record students as they participate in discussions and protocols to review with students later and to share with families; and for students to listen to and annotate text, record ideas on note-catchers, and word-process writing.

Supporting English Language Learners

Supports guided in part by CA ELD Standards 7.I.A.1, 7.I.B.5, 7.I.B.6, 7.I.C.10, and 7.I.C.11.

Important Points in the Lesson Itself

  • To support ELLs, this lesson includes a read-aloud and review of the complex text read in the previous lesson and in preparation for further analysis in this lesson. Other supports include a whole-class evaluation of the argument in the "Conflicting Ideas" article. 
  • ELLs may find it challenging to independently analyze the argument in a complex text. In addition to the supports suggested below, group students who are not yet ready for independence, providing partial or light supports. This may be a necessary last step before the independent assessment in the following lessons.

Vocabulary

  • analogy, behemoth, piggybacking, rigorous (A)
  • epidemiology, social contagion (DS)

Key

(A): Academic Vocabulary

(DS): Domain-Specific Vocabulary

Materials from Previous Lessons

Teacher

Student

  • Academic word wall (one for display; from Module 1, Unit 1, Lesson 1, Work Time A)
  • Domain-specific word wall (one for display; from Module 1, Unit 1, Lesson 1, Work Time A)
  • Discussion Norms anchor chart (one for display; from Module 1, Unit 1, Lesson 13, Work Time C)
  • Vocabulary log (one per student; from Module 1, Unit 1, Lesson 2, Opening A)
  • "Conflicting Ideas" (one per student; from Module 2, Unit 2, Lesson 4, Work Time A)
  • Close Read: "Conflicting Ideas" note-catcher (one per student; from Module 2, Unit 2, Lesson 4, Work Time A)

New Materials

Teacher

Student

  • Entrance Ticket: Unit 2, Lesson 5 (answers for teacher reference) 
  • Argument: "Conflicting Ideas" note-catcher (example for teacher reference)
  • Homework: Set Goals (example for teacher reference) (see Homework Resources)
  • Entrance Ticket: Unit 2, Lesson 5 (one per student)
  • Argument: “Conflicting Ideas” note-catcher (one per student)
  • Argument: “Conflicting Ideas” note-catcher ▲
  • Homework: Set Goals (one per student; see Homework Resources)

Assessment

Each unit in the 6-8 Language Arts Curriculum has two standards-based assessments built in, one mid-unit assessment and one end of unit assessment. The module concludes with a performance task at the end of Unit 3 to synthesize students' understanding of what they accomplished through supported, standards-based writing.

Opening

Opening

A. Engage the Learner - L.7.4 (5 minutes)

  • Repeated routine: students respond to questions on Entrance Ticket: Unit 1, Lesson 5.
  • Once students have completed their entrance tickets, use a total participation technique to review their responses. Add epidemiology (the branch of medicine that deals with how diseases spread through populations), rigorous (thoroughly accurate, precise), social contagion (the spread of ideas, attitudes, or behavior patterns in a group through imitation and conformity), piggybacking (using existing work as a basis or support), analogy (the likening of one thing to another based on similarity of features), and behemoth (any enormous or powerful creature or thing) to the academic word wall or domain-specific word wall, with translations in home languages where appropriate, and invite students to add the word to their vocabulary logs.
  • Repeated routine: follow the same routine as with the previous lessons to review learning targets and the purpose of the lesson, reminding students of any learning targets that are similar or the same as in previous lessons.

Work Time

Work TimeLevels of Support

A. Read Aloud "Conflicting Ideas" (10 minutes)

  • Explain that they will hear the article "Conflicting Ideas" read aloud and find the gists. Although they closely read the article in the previous lesson, it is important to reread and reconsider our understanding of complex texts. Ask students to retrieve their copies of the article and their Close Read: "Conflicting Ideas" note-catcher. Ask students to follow along as you read aloud "Conflicting Ideas." Pause after each paragraph to have students Turn and Talk about the gist of the paragraph and important vocabulary. Invite students to refer to their Close Read: "Conflicting Ideas" note-catcher for support with comprehending the article.
  • Gists:
    • Paragraph 1: Some think ideas spread like flu.
    • Paragraph 2: okay to use that comparison (ideas spread like flu) if it works
    • Paragraph 3: studied Facebook sign-up
    • Paragraph 4: theory: more friends on Facebook, more likely sign-up
    • Paragraph 5: result: more groups on Facebook, more likely sign-up
    • Paragraph 6: Epidemiology model does not work for social contagion.
  • Once students have finished reading and reflecting on the article, ask them to Think-Pair-Share:

"What habits of character did you see in this excerpt? Who demonstrated them? What did they look and/or sound like?" (Responses will vary, but may include: the author shows integrity as he or she argues that social scientists should come up with their own models instead of borrowing from epidemiologists.)
  • N/A

B. Identify Main Claim, Points, Evidence, and Reasoning: “Conflicting Ideas” – RI.7.8 (15 minutes)

  • Review appropriate learning target relevant to the work to be completed in this section of the lesson:

“I can identify the main claim, points, evidence, and reasoning in a text.”

  • Display and distribute the Argument: “Conflicting Ideas” note-catcher and the Argument: “Conflicting Ideas” note-catcher ▲ as necessary. The differentiated note-catcher supports students’ writing and comprehension with sentence frames. ▲ Note that this note-catcher is similar to the one used in Lesson 3 in which students analyzed the argument in the article “Kindness Contagion.” Invite students to reread the article “Conflicting Ideas” and fill in the Argument: “Conflicting Ideas” note-catcher independently. As necessary, remind students that the main claim is the author’s overall statement, which is broken down into points supported by evidence and reasoning. As necessary, define evidence as information, examples, and quotes, and reasoning as explanations about how the evidence supports the points. Invite students to use the Close Read: “Conflicting Ideas” note-catcher from Lesson 4 to support them with this work. Remind students to also jot down questions about the text on the Argument: “Conflicting Ideas” note-catcher.
  • Repeated routine: invite students to reflect on their progress toward the relevant learning target.

For Lighter Support

  • In Work Time B, challenge students to work with classmates who need heavier support to coach them on writing the main claim on a strip of paper and cutting it into the two points. Classmates who need heavier support should complete all of the writing in this activity. Students can then coach their classmates to write the evidence and reasoning on strips of paper or cards and arrange them below the point they support. Assisting their classmates with creating and arranging manipulatives will cement their understanding of the argument components as well as give them an opportunity to practice oral language skills.

For Heavier Support

  • In Work Time B, have students work with classmates who need lighter support to write the main claim on a strip of paper and cut it into the two points. Students who need heavier support should complete all of the writing in this activity. With guidance, students then write the evidence and reasoning on strips of paper or cards and arrange them below the point they support. Creating and arranging manipulatives will increase their understanding of the argument components.
  • During Work Time B, invite students to use the Argument: “Conflicting Ideas” note-catcher ▲. This resource supports students’ writing and analysis with sentence frames.

Closing & Assessments

ClosingLevels of Support

A. Evaluate the Argument: "Conflicting Ideas" - SL.7.1d (15 minutes)

  • Review appropriate learning targets relevant to the work to be completed in this section of the lesson:

"I can acknowledge new information expressed by others and, when warranted, modify my own views."

  • Invite students to form triads to evaluate the argument in the article "Conflicting Ideas." Remind students to refer to their Argument: "Conflicting Ideas" note-catcher during this work. Refer to the Discussion Norms anchor chart so that students use these in their discussions. Highlight the following Conversation Cues, and invite students to use these in their discussion:

"Why do you think that?"

"Because _____."

"What, in the (sentence/text), makes you think so?"

"If you look at _____, it says _____, which means _____."

  • Invite students to build upon one another's ideas and have a growth mindset during discussions. One way to do this is for students to acknowledge new information expressed by others and, when warranted, to modify their own views. The most powerful discussions occur when people change their thinking, based on others' insights.
  • To increase participation, consider having students form small groups. If necessary, review the steps for a text-based discussion:
    1. Begin with a question. How does the article "Conflicting Ideas" argue that social epidemics compare to disease epidemics? Follow up with another question: "Is his/her evidence sufficient and reasoning sound?"
    2. Ask additional questions to guide the discussion.
    3. Involve all members and make sure others in the group are drawn into the discussion.
    4. Move to a different question if the group agrees, or, if there is a facilitator, have that student ask another question when the conversation requires it.
  • After the discussion, ask students to debrief their process, asking as many of these questions as time permits:

"What worked well with your discussion?"

"How did you build upon one another's ideas?"

"Did anyone change their ideas as a result of new information presented by a member of the group?"

"Were all voices heard?"

"What might you do differently next time?"

  • Repeated routine: invite students to reflect on their progress toward the relevant learning targets and the habits of character focus in this lesson, discussing what went well and what could be improved next time.

For Lighter Support

  • Before the discussion, display the Discussion Norms anchor chart and challenge students to choose one norm on which to focus. Also, encourage students to use the Conversation Cues to propel discussion. Setting goals and using Conversation Cues focuses and raises the level of students' discussions.

For Heavier Support

  • Before the discussion, display the prompts listed in the lesson and provide students with sentence starters to answer each one. For example:
    • The article argues that social epidemics compare to disease epidemics . . .
    • The evidence is/is not sufficient because . . .
    • The reasoning is/is not sound because . . .
  • Allow time for students to complete the sentence starters in writing and orally rehearse their statements with a partner. Writing down and practicing sentences they can use in a discussion gives students confidence to increase their successful participation.

Homework

HomeworkLevels of Support

A. Make Connections

  • Students fill out the section on their Argument: "Conflicting Ideas" note-catchers about how the author is making connections between medical and social epidemics in this article.

B. Review Note-Catchers

  • Students reread the two argument note-catchers they've written in Lessons 2, 3, and 5 to prepare for the mid-unit assessment.

C. Set Goals

  • Students record their character and academic goals on Homework: Set Goals for the text-based discussion in the mid-unit assessment of the following lessons.

For Lighter Support

  • Allow time at the end of class for students to pair with a partner to discuss their thoughts about the homework prompt. Orally processing their thoughts will enable them to produce a stronger response on the homework.
  • In the next lesson, students will participate in a Language Dive using a sentence from the assessment text “Are Social Epidemics Real?” Provide ELLs with the Language Dive sentence ahead of time. Invite students to predict some of the questions that the Language Dive may ask. This will improve students’ metacognition and challenge their awareness of the most interesting or meaningful elements of the sentence. 

For Heavier Support

  • Allow time at the end of class for students to pair with a partner to discuss their thoughts about the homework prompt. They can use the sentence starters on the Argument: “Conflicting Ideas” note-catcher ▲. from Lesson 5. Orally processing their thoughts will enable them to produce a stronger response on the homework.
  • In the next lesson, students will participate in a Language Dive using a sentence from the assessment text “Are Social Epidemics Real?” Provide ELLs with the Language Dive sentence ahead of time. Encourage students to independently reflect on this sentence and its meaning before the next lesson. Students may also wish to use dictionaries to add any unknown vocabulary and meanings to their vocabulary logs.

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