End of Unit 3 Assessment: Write an Argument Essay: Defending a Healthy Food Choice (Lessons 11-12) | EL Education Curriculum

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ELA 2019 G8:M2:U3:L11

End of Unit 3 Assessment: Write an Argument Essay: Defending a Healthy Food Choice (Lessons 11-12)

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Focus Standards: These are the standards the instruction addresses.

  • W.8.1. W8.4, W.8.6, L.8.1, L.8.2, L.8.6

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.

  • W.8.10

Daily Learning Targets

  • I can plan and write an argument to support a claim with clear reasons and relevant evidence. (W.8.1)

Ongoing Assessment

  • Opening A: Entrance Ticket: Unit 3, Lessons 11-12
  • Work Time A: End of Unit 3 Assessment: Write an Argument Essay: Defending a Healthy Food Choice (W.8.1. W8.4, W.8.6, W.8.10, L.8.1, L.8.2, L.8.6)

Agenda

AgendaTeaching Notes

1. Opening

A. Engage the Learner (5 minutes)

2. Work Time

A. End of Unit 3 Assessment: Write an Argument Essay: Defending a Healthy Food Choice (75 minutes)

3. Closing and Assessment

A. Track Progress - W.8.1 (10 minutes)

4. Homework

A. Independent Research Reading: Students read for at least 20 minutes in their independent research reading text. Then they select a prompt and write a response in their independent reading journal.

Alignment to Assessment Standards and Purpose of Lesson

  • Note that two 45-minute class periods have been combined here to provide a significant block of time for students to plan and write their essays. If it is not possible to combine two periods, please review learning targets at the beginning of each separate 45-minute class period.
  • Work Time A: Students plan and draft the argument essay for the End of Unit 3 Assessment (W.8.1. W8.4, W.8.6, W.8.10, L.8.1, L.8.2, L.8.6).
  • W.8.1 – Closing and Assessment A: Students track their progress in meeting the criteria of writing an argument essay.
  • In Work Time A, the habit of character focus is on working to become an effective learner. The characteristic that students practice is perseverance.

Opportunities to Extend Learning

  • Have students write an additional essay independently to continue to practice the skills that have been scaffolded in this unit.
  • Ask students to reflect on their growth or learning between the mid-unit assessment and the end of unit assessment, and ask students to create goals for the upcoming module.
  • Students can include an additional point and Proof Paragraph to support the main claim they present in their essay.
  • Challenge students to include at least five gerund or infinitive phrases in their essays to build on the work in Language Dives and Mini Language Dives throughout the module.

How It Builds on Previous Work

  • In the second half of this unit, students have been analyzing a model and using their analysis to practice writing an argument essay. This lesson assesses those skills as students plan and draft an argument essay supporting their claim about the most important factors when considering food choices.

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.
  • Students will plan and draft their essay for their End of Unit 3 Assessment. Some students might have trouble managing their time for both the planning and the writing. After 20 minutes has elapsed, prompt students to move on to the drafting portion of their assessment. ▲
  • Tell students that the Argument Essay Writing Plan graphic organizer document is the same planner they used for their practice argument essay. Activating students’ prior knowledge with the usage and purpose of this organizer will support them as they plan their assessment essay. ▲
  • For some students, this assessment may require more than the 75 minutes allotted. Provide time over additional days if necessary.
  • Provide students with individual photocopies of anchor charts for use during the End of Unit 3 Assessment, and encourage students to annotate it to help with processing and planning writing. ▲
  • To set themselves up for success for the end of unit assessment, students need to rely on all they have learned by analyzing and practicing argument writing. Before administering the assessment, activate prior knowledge by reviewing the Characteristics of an Argument Essay anchor chart and Argument Writing checklist together, as needed. ▲

Assessment Guidance

  • Assessment materials (student copy, answer key, student exemplar, teacher checklist) are included in the Assessment download on this page.
  • When assessing and providing feedback to students on this assessment, use the Argument Writing rubric and annotated student sample (see the Tools Page) to complete the student Track Progress recording form. 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.
  • Save a copy of the scored essays. They can be used to measure the progress of individual students throughout the year, as well as to identify common instructional needs in a class.
  • In this assessment, students are tracking progress toward anchor standard W.1: “Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence.”

Down the Road

  • In the final three lessons of this module, students create a physical representation of their argument and use it to present the argument to an authentic audience.

In Advance

  • Prepare:
    • Entrance Ticket: Unit 3, Lessons 11-12
    • Mid-Unit 3 Assessments with feedback
    • Argument Essay Writing Plan graphic organizer
    • Track Progress folders
    • End of Unit 3 Assessment: Write an Argument Essay: Defending a Healthy Food Choice (see Assessment download)
  • Ensure there is a copy of Entrance Ticket: Unit 3, Lessons 11-12 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 8.I.C.11 and 8.I.C.12.

Important Points in the Lesson Itself

  • To support ELLs, these lessons include an essay writing assessment task on the End of Unit 3 Assessment that builds directly upon the work students have done in Lessons 7-10 of this unit. Students plan and write an argument essay that mirrors the structure and technique of the practice essay. Ample time is provided for students to carefully plan their essays before writing.
  • ELLs may find it challenging to independently complete the End of Unit 3 Assessment without direct support from peers, as much of the work that has been carried out in preparation for this assessment has been collaborative. Point out that while students have worked together throughout the unit, they have also put in important independent work on their individual essay planners. Encourage students to do their best, and assure them that they will continue learning together after the assessment.

Vocabulary

  • N/A

Materials from Previous Lessons

Teacher

Student

  • Characteristics of Argument Writing anchor chart (one for display; from Module 2, Unit 3, Lesson 4, Closing and Assessment A)
  • Work to Become Effective Learners anchor chart (one for display; from Module 1, Unit 2, Lessons 4-5, Work Time D)
  • Mid-Unit 3 Assessment with feedback (one per student; from Module 2, Unit 3, Lesson 2, Closing and Assessment A)
  • Track Progress folder (one per student; from Module 1, Unit 2, Lessons 4-5, Closing and Assessment A)
  • Independent reading journals (one per student; begun in Module 1, Unit 1, Lesson 6, Work Time B)

New Materials

Teacher

Student

  • End of Unit 3 Assessment: Write an Argument Essay: Defending a Healthy Food Choice (example for teacher reference) (see Assessment download)
  • Entrance Ticket: Unit 3, Lessons 11-12 (one per student)
  • End of Unit 3 Assessment: Write an Argument Essay: Defending a Healthy Food Choice (one per student) (see Assessment download)
  • Paper or notebook
  • Track Progress: Argument Writing (one per student)
  • Sticky notes (three per student)

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 (5 minutes)

  • Return students' Mid-Unit 3 Assessments with feedback.
  • Repeated routine: As students arrive, invite them to complete Entrance Ticket: Unit 3, Lessons 11-12. This entrance ticket prompts students to review their feedback from the Mid-Unit 3 Assessment. Invite students to spend a few minutes reading the feedback and then filling out the reflection questions on the entrance ticket. If they require support to understand the feedback, encourage them to write their names on the board for a one-on-one review. Remind students that everyone is working toward individual goals and that learning is about continued growth and development.
  • Repeated routine: Follow the same routine as the previous lessons to review learning targets and the purpose of the lesson, setting students up for success for the end of unit assessment. Activate prior knowledge by recalling the learning targets from Lessons 3-10

Work Time

Work TimeLevels of Support

A. End of Unit 3 Assessment: Plan and Write an Argument Essay (75 minutes)

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

"I can plan and write an argument to support a claim with clear reasons and relevant evidence."

  • Distribute End of Unit 3 Assessment: Write an Argument Essay: Defending a Healthy Food Choice.
  • Read the prompt and directions aloud as students follow along, reading silently. Answer clarifying questions.
  • Display the Characteristics of Argument Writing anchor chart. Remind students to refer to the anchor chart as they are planning and drafting their argument essays to ensure they are meeting the criteria.
  • Distribute paper or notebooks to draft essays.
  • Remind students that because this is an assessment, they should complete it independently in silence.
  • Focus students on the Work to Become Effective Learners anchor chart, and review perseverance and what it looks and sounds like. Remind students that as they will be reading and answering questions independently for the assessment, they may need to practice perseverance.
  • Invite students to begin the assessment.
  • While students are taking the assessment, circulate to monitor and document their test-taking skills.
  • After 20 minutes, suggest that students move from planning their essays to drafting their essays.
  • Repeated routine: Invite students to reflect on their progress toward the relevant learning target.

For Lighter Support

  • Before the assessment of Work Time A, underline key vocabulary in the assessment directions and prompt, and read aloud together as a class to ensure that students understand each task included in the assessment. Invite students who need lighter support to restate or clarify information for those who need heavier support.

For Heavier Support

  • Review the criteria on the Track Progress: Argument Writing handout with students prior to the assessment to help clarify the objectives. This will help students to understand what is being asked of them on the assessment and serve as a way of reviewing the learning that has taken place throughout the unit to prepare them for this.
  • After Work Time A, if students participated in individual writing check-ins during Unit 2, Lessons 10-11, host follow-up sessions as time allows. During these meetings, work with students to reflect on the strengths and areas of possible growth that they identified earlier in the module. Help students refine action plans for continuing to work toward their goals. This process supports a growth mindset for developing writers and facilitates opportunities for students to take charge of their own learning.

Closing & Assessments

ClosingLevels of Support

A. Track Progress - W.8.1 (10 minutes)

  • Give students specific, positive feedback on their completion of the End of Unit 3 Assessment.
  • Distribute Track Progress folders, Track Progress: Argument Writing, and sticky notes.
  • Tell students the sticky notes are for them to find evidence of the following criterion:
    • W.8.1
  • Guide students through completing the recording form.
  • Invite students to reflect on the habits of character focus in this lesson, discussing what went well and what could be improved next time.

For Lighter Support

  • As with assessments in earlier units, if students seem unsure of how to respond to the open-ended questions, provide examples of statements that answer the questions about previous improvements and goals for future improvement that are directly connected to the criteria within the Track Progress: Argument Writing handout, to help students create clear self-reflection and concrete, attainable personal targets (e.g., "I have improved at organizing reasons and evidence logically, in a way that is easy to follow." or "In the future, I will work using additional linking words and phrases to show how my claim, counterclaims, reasons, and evidence are related.").

For Heavier Support

  • Provide students with a sheet of paper on which they can use a selected color, number, or symbol to self-assess against each learning target in private. This provides useful data for future instruction and helps students monitor their own learning. If time allows, pair students with trusted, supportive peers to share how they have self-assessed.

Homework

Homework

A. Independent Research Reading

  • Students read for at least 20 minutes in their independent research reading text. Then they select a prompt and write a response in their independent reading journal.

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