Teacher(s

Steven Neal

Subject
group
discipline

Unit title

Arguing Effectively: Moving Beyond Because I

Said So

MYP year

and

English 9
Year 4

Unit
(hrs)

duration

10
week
s

Inquiry: Establishing the purpose of the unit

Key concept

Related concept(s)

Communication

Self Expression

Purpose

Structure

Global context

Personal and Cultural Expression

Statement of inquiry

Students will discover how to construct and analyze structured arguments using claims, warrants, and
evidence in order to logically express their opinions.
Inquiry questions
Factual: What are the definitions of claim, warrants, and evidence? How do they work together to form an argument?
Conceptual: How can learning how to argue effectively be important in your future?
Debatable: What topics are worth debating?
Text-Specific: How effective is the argument constructed against Adnan Syed by the Baltimore Police Department?
Do you believe there was another individual involved in the murder of Hae Min Lee?

Middle Years Programme Unit planner

Objectives

Summative assessment

Criterion A:

Outline of summative assessment task(s)

including assessment criteria:

Relationship between summative assessment

task(s) and statement of inquiry:

The students will plan and write two

argumentative essays throughout the
course of this unit. The first essay will be
an argumentative letter addressed to State
Representative Ben Glardon on a
hypothetical bill that will be introduced into
legislation about a change in the legal
driving age. The second argumentative
essay will be focused on the evidence
developed by Sarah Koenig in Serial.

Each assessment engages the students in

the process of gathering and analysing
evidence to provide a claim on specific
topics. The students will need to be able to
evaluate what evidence and warrants
support their claims and what does not.
The assessments provide an avenue for
students to express their personal beliefs
in the argumentative letter and analyse
another individuals argument in Serial.

The students writings will be assessed on

two of the MYP Criterion for Language and
Literature: Criterion B Organization and
Criterion C Producing a Text. The
students will receive feedback from an IB
rubric with additional comments from the
teacher.

Additionally, the students will be required

to enagage in writing as a process. They
will be required to ponder the statements
of inquiry while conducting pre-writing,
outlining, paragraph-mapping, and writing.
The intent is to give students the
opportunity to discover the importance
and necessity of well-structured writing in
order to properly express their thoughts
and opinions.

i Analyze the content, context,

language, structure, technique, and style
of text
ii Analyze the effects of the creators
choices on the audience
iii Justify opinions and ideas, using
examples, explanations, and terminology
iv Evaluate similarities and differences
by connecting features across and within
genres and texts
Criterion B:
i Employ organizational structures that
serve context and intention
ii Organize opinions and ideas that
demonstrate thought and sensitivity while
exploring and considering new
perspectives and ideas arising
Criterion C:
i Produces texts that demonstrate
thought and sensitivity while exploring
and considering new perspectives and
ideas arising

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ii Make stylisitic choices in terms of

linguistic, literary, and visual devices
demonstrating awareness of impact and
audience
iii Select relevant details and examples
to develop ideas
Criterion D:
ii Write and speak in a register and style
that serve the context and intention
iii Use correct grammar, syntax, and
punctuation

Approaches to learning (ATL)

IB ATL CATEGORY:
Communication

MYP ATL CLUSTER:

Communication Skills

SPECIFIC ATL SKILL:

Use Appropriate Forms of

Writing for Different
Purposes and Audiences

SKILL LEARNING EXPERIENCES:

Negotiate Ideas and

Knowledge with Peers and
Teacher

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Structured Writing Approaches

to Determine the Information
Needed for a Strong Argument
Writing Assignments Designed
to Encourage Development of
Personal Ideas and the
Analysis of Other Individuals
Ideas
Collaborative Group Acitivities
for Gathering Evidence,
Developing Warrants, and

Reading, Writing, and Using

Language to Gather and
Communicate Information

Make Inferences and Draw

Conclusions
Write for Different
Purposes
Take Effective Notes in
Class

Research

Informational Literacy

Findings, Interpreting,
Judging, and Creating
Information

Collect, Record, and Verify

Data
Make Connections
Between Various Sources
of Information

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Stating Claims
Dialogic Classroom Activities
to Discuss the Effectiveness of
Arguments
Gather Evidence from Credible
Sources about Legal Driving
Age and Accident Statistics
Writing an Argumentative Letter
to Representative Ben Glardon
about Personal Opinions on
Changing the Driving Age
Developing an Understanding
of How to Structure an
Argument through Structured
Writing Approaches and
Analyzing Mentor Texts
Gathering Evidence and
Questions Its Validity by
Listening to Serial
Conducting Research on iPads
about Changing the Legal
Driving Age
Making Observations and
Collecting Evidence in Murder
Mystery Activities
Gathering Evidence in the Case
for or against Adnan Syed in
Serial
Participate in Collaborative and
Dialogic Activities to Discuss

and Analyze Evidence

Thinking

Critical Thinking

Analyzing and Evaluating

Issues and Ideas

Gather and Organize

Relevant Information to
Formulate an Argument
Recognize Unstated
Assumptions and Bias
Interpret Data
Draw Conclusions

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Evaluating Effectiveness of the

Arguments of Mentor Texts
Making Observations and
Collecting Evidence in Murder
Mystery Activities
Evaluating Koenigs Arguments
for and again Adnan Syed in
Serial
Interactive Activities to Evlaute
the Evidence that Koenig Uses
to Support Adnan Syeds
Innocence in Serial
Develop and write an
argumentative letter to
Representative Ben Glardon
and argumentative essay on
Serial

Action: Teaching and learning through inquiry

Content

Classroom Dialogic Activity

Structured Writing Process
Analysis
Vocabulary Lessons (Claim,
Warrant, Evidence, and Fact vs.
Opinion)
Argument Analysis with Mentor
Texts
Murder Mystery Activities
Argumentative Letter
(Assessment)
Serial Podcast
Evidence Analysis with Detective
Notes
Serial Argumentative Essay

Middle Years Programme Unit planner

Learning process
Learning experiences and teaching strategies

Structured Dialogic Activity on Argumentation

Graphic Organizers to Illustrate the Relationship between Claim, Warrant, and
Evidence
Collaborative Group Activities to Understand and Examine Claims, Warrants, and
Evidence through Murder Mysteries
Structured Writing Approach of the Argumentative Letter to Representative Ben
Glardon
Collecting and Analyzing Evidence from Serial
Socratic Circle to Support and Defend Claims with Warrants and Evidence

Formative assessment

Dialogic Activities on Argumentation and Serial

Pre-Writing and Outlining in the Writing Process
Graphic Organizer to Develop Argumentation Skills

Socratic Circle on Evidence Presented in Serial

Interactive Serial Evidence Bulltein Board

Differentiation

Structred Writing Approach

Strutured Dialogic Activities with Sentence Starters
Extended In-Class Time to Complete Writing
Collaborative Group Activities
Structured IB Writing Rubrics
Accommoddated Quizzes on Serial

Resources

Serial Podcast

Attached Curricular Materials

Reflection: Considering the planning, process and impact of the inquiry

Prior to teaching the unit

Middle Years Programme Unit planner

During teaching

After teaching the unit

Middle Years Programme Unit planner