Fears and Phobias Unit Plan A. What will students produce? Students will ultimately write an argumentative essay in which they analyze the pros and cons of fear. They will use evidence from several texts to support their claim and be scored using the Smarter Balanced 6-11 Argumentative Rubric. In preparation to write this essay, students will complete multiple mini-tasks in which they practice the various components of an analytical essay, including: creating an effective claim; selecting evidence that effectively supports the claim; elaborating on how evidence supports the claim;, addressing a counter argument;, creating effective introductions and conclusions; and developing and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting. B. What Standards? Reading Standards: RI.7.1: Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text. RI.7.8: Trace and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is sound and the evidence is relevant and sufficient to support the claims RI.7.9: Analyze how two or more authors writing about the same topic shape their presentations of key information by emphasizing different evidence or advancing different interpretations of facts. Writing Standards: W.7.1: Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence. 7.1.B: Support claim(s) with logical reasoning and relevant evidence, using accurate, credible sources and demonstrating an understanding of the topic or text. W.7.1.C: Use words, phrases, and clauses to create cohesion and clarify the relationships among claim(s), reasons, and evidence. W.7.2: Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content. W.7.4: Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. W.7.5: With some guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on how well purpose and audience have been addressed. W.7.7: Conduct short research projects to answer a question, drawing on several sources and generating additional related focused questions for further research and investigation. C. What Texts? The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street by Rod Serling Fears and Phobias from Teenhealth.org Fear Prompts Teens to Act Impulsively from Student.societyforscience.org The Benefits of Fear from Psychology Today
What Rubrics? The final essay will be scored according to the Smarter Balanced 6-11 Argumentative Rubric. In preparation to write the final paper, various components of the Smarter Balanced 6-11 Argumentative Rubric will be addressed through mini-tasks. These tasks will be scored according to the skills they address using modified rubrics that hone in on the specific skills being taught. Resources: Smarter Balanced 6-11 Argumentative Rubric. Teacher-adapted rubrics What Instruction? Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Texts Skills for Mini-Tasks Mini-Task Products - The Monsters Are Due on - Analyzing theme in fiction and nonfiction - Analytical paragraph exploring how fear Maple Street by Rod Serling affects the characters in the story - The Benefits of Fear from - Finding evidence to support a claim - Analytical paragraph exploring how fear Psychology Today - Debate about the pros and cons of affects people in the article Fear Prompts Teens to Act Impulsively from Student.societyforscience.org - Fears and Phobias from Teenhealth.org All non-fiction texts listed above fear - Evidence hunt - practice finding strong evidence to support a claim - Evidence elaboration - practice working in groups to elaborate on how evidence supports a claim - Writing an argumentative claim - Supporting a claim with evidence - Elaborating on evidence - Outlining an argumentative essay - Drafting an argumentative essay - Revising an argumentative essay - Analytical paragraph supporting claim with pre-selected evidence - Analytical paragraph practicing elaborating on evidence - Analytical paragraph with strong claim evidence to support the claim elaboration to explain how the evidence supports the claim Final product for this unit: an argumentative essay that examines several sources to address a central claim about the effects of fear 2
Name: Period: Argument Essay Prompt: Franklin D. Roosevelt, the 32nd president of the United States, addressed the nation in his first inaugural speech in 1933 and said that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself. After reading The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street and several nonfiction texts regarding fear, do you agree or disagree with FDR s statement? Should we be afraid of fear and what it can do to us? Write an essay in which you make a claim about fear related to its effects on Maple Street, and support that claim using evidence from multiple sources. Step 1: Chart reasons for both sides of the argument. FEAR Positives Negatives Step 2: Choose a side Agree with FDR (negatives of fear) Disagree with FDR (positives of fear) Step 3: Make a main claim. This will be your thesis statement. Write your statement about fear related to Maple Street: 3
Step 4: Find evidence from the texts to support your reasons. Reasons (sub claims) Evidence (2 pieces for each reason) Sources 1 2 3 Step 5: Choose a counter argument (opposing side) to include in the essay. You will NOT include evidence to support the counterclaim, but rather use it to introduce your last reason, so it s best to find a counter related to one of your reasons. That reason will become the rebuttal (response) to the counter argument. This is the opposite to which one of your reasons? 4
Claim/ Evidence Example In groups, fear can push some people lose their moral beliefs. According to the article MIT Researchers Use Brain Scans to Explore the Mob Mentality, those who seem to have a low sense of self identity are most likely to go with the group and lose their own sense of morals (1). These people will be easily influenced by a large group, and they will be more likely to abandon their personal responsibility, as they become part of the larger group. When the fear begins to take over, they might make different decisions from situations if they were alone. Example being in Monsters... Synonyms for FEAR nouns terror horror fright dread distress panic verbs dread DUE: Friday, February 27 Printed and brought to class ALSO submitted on Google Classroom as a back up TYPED in your school Google Drive account Plain font (no swirly or cursive fonts) Font size 12 Double-spaced Heading Numbered pages, including your last name Include a Works Cited Page (we will discuss this after break) Attach your outline and organizer notes (blue) Prompt: Franklin D. Roosevelt, the 32nd president of the United States, addressed the nation in his first inaugural speech in 1933 and said that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself. After reading The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street and several nonfiction texts regarding fear, do you agree or disagree with FDR s statement? Should we be afraid of fear and what it can do to us? Write an essay in which you make a claim about fear related to its effects on Maple Street, and support that claim using evidence from multiple sources. 5