B. Independent Writing: Writing Proof Paragraph 1 (25 minutes)

• Display and invite students to retrieve their Informative Writing Checklist. Remind them that this checklist is something they will use a lot in their English Language Arts work.
• Read aloud each of the following criteria, pausing after each one for students to turn and talk to their partner about what each one means in their own words. Then, invite students to mark these criteria on their checklist (using a different color or symbol from the one they used in Lesson 10):
• W.4.2a
• W.4.2b
• W.4.4
• L.4.3, L.4.6, W.4.4
• Remind students they were introduced to the final criterion in the previous lesson and that the task and purpose is a literary essay about what inspired their expert group poet, and their audience is other students and teachers.
• Focus students on the criterion:
• W.4.2a
• Using a total participation technique, invite responses from the group:

"What is the related information in Proof Paragraph 1?" (what inspired our expert group's poet)

• Model how to record this (using words or sketches) on the displayed Informative Writing Checklist. Invite students to do the same.
• Focus students on the criterion:
• W.4.2b
• Using a total participation technique, invite responses from the group:

"What are the details we need to include to explain the idea? What text are we using to find these details? What details does the model literary essay include?" (information about what inspired the poet; we are using our expert group poet's biography to find this information)

• Model how to record this (using words or sketches) on the displayed Informative Writing Checklist. Invite students to do the same.
• Focus students on the criterion:
• W.4.4
• Using a total participation technique, invite responses from the group:

"How can we make sure our writing is easy to understand?" (We can put what we learned from the expert group poet's biography in our own words; we can make sure to only include information about what inspired our poet in this paragraph.)

• Model how to record this (using words or sketches) on the displayed Informative Writing Checklist. Invite students to do the same.
• Invite students to take out their expert group poet biographies and Close Read Note-catcher: Expert Group Poet and move to sit with their expert groups.
• Select a volunteer to read the focus question at the top of the Close Read Note-catcher: Expert Group Poet:
• "What inspired your expert group's poet to write poetry, and where can you see evidence of this in his or her poetry?"
• Invite students to share their focus statements with their expert groups.
• Remind students that Proof Paragraph 1 of their essay elaborates on point 1, or gives evidence and reasons to support what inspired their poet.
• Distribute yellow markers. Invite students to skim their Close Read Note-catcher: Expert Group Poet and underline information they will use in their first proof paragraph.
• Distribute and display the Proof Paragraph 1 Writing template as necessary.
• Focus students on the first criterion of Proof Paragraph 1 on the Literary Essay anchor chart.
• Read the first sentence stem from the writing template:
• "(Poet's name) was inspired by _____."
• Invite students to turn to an elbow partner in their expert group to say aloud their first sentence describing what inspired their poet using the sentence stem provided.
• Invite students to write this sentence on their Literary Essay draft. Remind them that because this is a new paragraph, they will start on a new line, and remind them to leave lines between each line of writing.
• Circulate to support students in writing.
• Repeat with the remaining criterion on the Literary Essay anchor chart with the sentence stem:
• "This inspired him or her because _____."
• "This shows _____."
• Invite students to use the model literary essay, the criteria recorded on the Literary Essay anchor chart, the Informative Writing Checklist, and the domain-specific word wall to write Proof Paragraph 1.
• Circulate to support students as they write. Remind them to write in complete sentences and to leave a line between each line of their writing.
• Tell students they are now going to participate in the Thumb-O-Meter protocol to reflect on their progress toward the first learning target. Remind them that they used this protocol in the first half of the unit and review as necessary. Refer to the Classroom Protocols document for the full version of the protocol.
• Guide students through the protocol using the first learning target. Scan student responses and make a note of students who may need more support with this moving forward.
• Repeat, inviting students to self-assess against how well they persevered in this lesson.
• Invite students to record 'Y' for 'Yes' and the date in the final column of their Informative Writing Checklist if they feel the criteria marked on their checklists have been achieved in their writing in this lesson.