3rd+persuasive+writing+science

www.stpaul.k12.ne.us**3rd Persuasive Writing**
 * Class:** Third grade Science **School:** St. Paul Public School **Teacher:** Kim Jacobs


 * Materials:** Equipment that allows students to see your book, yellow and pink highlighters, overhead transparency sheets,(yellow and pink highlighting tape-optional), paper, pencil, 3rd Science book by Scott Foresman,Write Tools Student Activity Section p. 160 T-chart.


 * Unit:** While studying Chapter 9 Natural Resources p. 247-254 (3 lessons) students will be highlighting the big ideas in yellow and supporting/tell me more ideas in pink. Then highlighted words will be written on aT-chart (p. 160). During computer timeI'd like to see how a T-chart would work to research specific natural resources making sure they try using 5 words or less in the tell me more section. During another class period small groups will be given a certain resource for a topic to create a skit. Using T-charts they will share how to persuade others to conserve their resource. Next they will brainstorm a possible commercial persuading viewers to conserve their resource and perform it.


 * Duration:** Several 30 min. class sections


 * Standard:** LA 3.1.6.e


 * Objective:** Students will identify main ideas and supporting details in what they read in chapter 9 Natural Resources.


 * Pre Reading Activity:** Share with your neighbor three things you use made out of wood.

Remind students that when we are highlighting we are looking forinformation that is important, worth remembering and worth studying later.
 * Highlighting:** See Write Tools Active Reading p.19-28.

In lesson 1 after reading p. 247 the teacher places a transparency sheet on the science text and models for the class how she identifies the big idea and highlights it yellow (it is also a vocabulary word and already highlighted so I would highlight it again) natural resource. After talking over the definition I'd narrow it down to 5 pink words (material Earth living things need). The next paragraph's big idea is trees and it would be highlighted in yellow. Pink words would include wood, houses, chips,pulp, paper. Continue modeling/highlighting. When using this in Science or Social Studies I would model several times thinking out loud and highlighting. Since students can't mark up their books you could have them use the highlighting tape. When I've used highlighting tape in the past the students have loved it. However, it could be a problem if the students are more interested in the tape than the topic.


 * Closure:** Pick one yellow highlighted word to tell your neighbor about.


 * Pre Reading Activity:** Turn to your neighbor and tell them what kinds of experiences you've had on the computer.

Lesson 2 How can we protect our resources? p. 250-253 would be a good place for some research. I'm thinking of trying highlighting and T-charts. Possible ideas to model firs tand guide would be as follows: Google How to conserve water click on 3 different sights showing various ways to give information.
 * Computers**
 * 100 ways to conserve water (this sight has sentences only) which could beprinted off and you could pick different sentences to highlight big ideas andtell me more.
 * 10 Things Kids can do to save water (has illustrations, blue highlighted important parts).
 * Environment videos: Going Green: Green make over (has videos showing how to conserve).


 * Closure:** Tell which sight was the easies tfor you to understand.


 * Pre Reading Activity:** Tell how your family uses paperproducts.

Instead of highlighting, a T-chart could be used in comprehending the text on p. 247 with the teacher modeling several times thinking out loud and then writing the big idea under Arguments and the pink words under Tell Me More. Big Ideas Tell Me More Natural resource *trees Pulp=paper product
 * T-Chart:** See page 160 in Write Tools.
 * wood= houses
 * wood chips = pulp

After highlighting and/or T-charts have been used in all of chapter 9 lessons I'd like to create a sheet with phrases on them in random order that students could cut apart and complete a plan for a persuasive paragraph. This could then be used in the skit activity below or even for a studyguide.


 * Closure**: Using your T-chart take turns explaining what a natural resource is.
 * Pre Reading**: If you could act in any type of movie what would it be and why.


 * Plan a Skit:** In small groups students will be asked to have every member of the group participate in a skit that includes one argument that is logical, one argument that is emotional, and one argument that is based on an expert's credibility. Each group will have a different resource as their topic. They need to persuade the audience to conserve their resource.
 * Closure:** Discuss in your group how you thought your skit went. Are there things you'd like to add or take out?

In Write Tools and Beyond our instructor always had a pre reading and closure activity to get us thinking. It is a great tool to use and I hope I remember to do this when I teach because I think it will make a big difference.