Unlike, other online units of work which are designed primarily for students or primarily for teachers, this unit of work has been created for both students and teachers to work collaboratively together on their learning journey.

The topic for this unit is persuasive text, chosen  in order to coincide with NapLan 2012 testing. Let’s face it, whether you agree with the test or disagree with the test all students in Years 3,5,7 and 9 have to sit the test. So why not make the learning  experience a rich and lasting one, rather than simply preparing students for a test in order to achieve a high score? I also have a strong background in smartboard technology so why not help our teachers improve their smartboard skills whilst students improve their literacy skills?

This is the SMART Notebook icon which appears throughout this website. When you see this icon, the interactive activities that I created  are directly related to SMART Notebook software and you will require SMART Notebook software to use these resources. If you do not have SMART Notebook software you can view these resources on YouTube by following this link:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wIvPp6u5xhY

I have linked this unit of work to Year 3 Australian National Standards because that is the year level that I teach. The same activities can be used for year 5 or 7 though.  If you like this unit of work or would like to post comments please do so on this web site or visit my other website at: http://intertecheducation.edublogs.org/

Strand:

Strand: Language
Sub-strand: Language for interaction
Code: ACELA1477
Year 3 content descriptions: Examine how evaluative language can be varied to be more or less forceful

Strand: Literacy
Sub-strand: Text and contexts
Code: ACELY1675
Year 3 content descriptions: Identify the point of view in a text and suggest alternative points of view
Code:  ACELY1676
Year 3 content descriptions: Listen to and contribute to conversations and discussions to share information and ideas and negotiate in collaborative situations

Strand: Literacy
Sub-strand: Interpreting, analysing, evaluating
Code: ACELY1678
Year 3 content descriptions: Identify the audience and purpose of imaginative, informative and persuasive texts

Strand: Literacy
Sub-strand: Creating texts
Code: ACELY1682
Year 3 content descriptions: Plan, draft and publish imaginative, informative and persuasive texts demonstrating increasing control over text structures and language features and selecting print,and multimodal elements appropriate to the audience and purpose
Code: ACELY1685
Year 3 content descriptions: Use software including word processing programs with growing speed and efficiency to construct and edit texts featuring visual, print and audio elements

Strand: Literacy
Sub-strand: Interacting with others
Code: ACELY1676
Year 3 content descriptions:  Listen to and contribute to conversations and discussions to share information and ideas and negotiate in collaborative situations

- Students identify how features of language (nouns, verbs, adjectives) can be varied to be more or less forceful

Activity 1:  A noun is a word that names a person, place or thing. Students learn about nouns online by following the link:

What are nouns? (University of Manchester)

Activity 2: An adjective is a word that describes a person, place or thing. Why do you need to include adjectives in your sentences? Play the adjective game and find out. The Adjective Game Example:

a)      Teacher: I am thinking of an object. It is a ball. Can everyone draw a ball?

b)      Students are then invited to view each other’s drawings.

c)      Teacher: Is anyone’s drawing the same?

d)     Teacher: This time I am going to use some adjectives in my description. I am thinking of an object. It is small round red ball with black spots. Can everyone draw the ball?

e)      Students are then invited to view each other’s drawings.

f)       Teacher: Is anyone’s drawings the same? Why? What is the purpose of adjectives?

Activity 3: Students visit the sites below and learn more about adjectives:

All about adjectives

The adjective detective  

Road to grammar

Choosing adjectives

Activity  4: A verb is a doing, saying, thinking or relating word. I encourage students to remember this by saying, “You can remember this because Ms Villis starts with V and Ms Villis does things!”. Download verb fun and explore verbs:

http://www.lovetolearnplace.com/Grammar/Verb%20Fun.pdf

Activity 5: Students can learn about present and past tense from playing the following interactive games:

Funbrain.com 2bee or notobee

Grammar blast (online multiple choice verb questions)

Activity6: Download the SMART notebook document Sentence_Structure_(a) , it contains NAPLAN style activities for you to complete as a class.

Activity 7: Students complete a range of grammar worksheets from Super Teacher Worksheets.com .

Activity 1: Connectives are words that are used to link one sentence to another or to extend a sentence. Play:
Penalty shootout, an online connective football game
BBC connectives

Activity  2: Some of the connectives are simple words and others are compound words (words made up of more than one word). Students can learn about compound words online through the Adventures of Lexis the Magician and his good friend Grizzle.

Activity  3: Synonyms are words that have the same or similar meanings. Learn about synonyms online through the Adventures of Lexis the Magician and his good friend, Grizzle.

Activity 4: Word association is used to avoid repetition in text. For example, the word ‘habitat’ may be replaced with safe haven, sanctuary or enclosure throughout a text.  Play the ‘Word Association Game’:
1. Students play in pairs.
2. One student writes a word, then the other student writes the first word they think of.
3. Students then continue, taking it in turns, creating a word association list.

Activity  5:Download the SMART notebook document Sentence Structure (b) and complete as a class. It contains NAPLAN style activities.

What is the purpose of persuasive talking?
To persuade or try and convince someone to do something, or to agree with you on a particular issue. There is always more than one side to a story. A ‘side to a story’ can also mean an opinion, a position or an argument. Listen to the two stories below. Are the wolf’s actions justified? Whose point of view is each of the stories told from?
  
    Version_1 

     Version_2

Task: Follow the link below and select a Fairytale. In small groups retell the story from a different characters’ point of view.
Fairytale land

Task: Download the SMART Notebook document Persuasive_talking and work through the activities as a class.

Text language features:Persuasive texts may be formal or informal but it requires the writer to adopt a sense of authority on the subject matter. The writer may draw on his or her own personal knowledge or experiences  related to the  issue. When you write your text:

- Use mainly the present tense
- Use cause and effect connectives
- Use emotive language
- Try to make opinions sound like facts
- Dare the reader to disagree
- Use powerful verbs and strong adjectives

Task 1: Follow the link and read a persuasive text on road safety. See if you can find words which indicate:
1. A belief
2. An opinion
3. A fact
4.  A question
5. Emotive language
6. Connectives

Text structure: Begin with an introduction which states your position. Then develop your argument using paragraphs which highlight reasons for your position. Position the strongest argument first and try to include three arguments. Finish your text with a conclusion, drawing on each your arguments.

How can you indicate a new paragraph? You can indent your text or leave a line between blocks of text.

 What if you forget to start a new paragraph? You can:
- Name your paragraphs as P or NP
- Use square brackets [  ]
- Use tram lines //

Writing a heading for your text: When writing a persuasive text, you will often be given a question and asked to take a stance or a position either for or against the issue. Once you have decided if you are going to write a text for or against the question you will need to give your text a heading. You need to change the question into a statement.

Heading styles: You may use any of these heading styles,
- Only the first letter is capitalised
- The first letter of all major works is capitalised
- All words capitalised
- All letters capitalised
Practice each of the heading styles in your books using the statement below. Once you’ve trialed each, select one style that you think suits you best.

From personal to impersonal: When writing a persuasive text, to make your position ‘bolder’ you need to change your tone of voice from the personal to impersonal. For example, change the sentence, ‘I think the school needs more play equipment’ to ‘The school needs more play equipment’. The second statement is impersonal, more powerful and therefore is more likely to convince the reader of your opinion. It sounds more like a fact than an opinion.

Task 2: Read some persuasive texts online by following the links or downloading the documents below. Use your invisible ink layer in your SMART Notebook software to highlight various features of the texts.

Teacher video link: How to use the invisible ink layer (scroll down to March 21)

Class resources:
billy_goats_gruff_letter (word doc)
Student text examples
Teacher resources:
Blake Education persuasive text samples
NapLan 2011 Samples
Excel Teacher Zone, free samples Year 3

Student Task 1 : Read page 7-10 of Charlotte’s Web by E.B White and then discuss should the runt of the bunch be killed? Your teacher will record your arguments on the smartboard.

Teacher Task 1: Record students’ arguments on the smartboard and then sort the arguments to form the base of paragraphs. Watch the video demonstration below.

Student Task: Choose a position and then write a persuasive text on ‘the runt of the bunch’. Remember:
1. Create a heading (turn the question into a statement)
2. Begin with an introduction
3. Follow with three agreements in the form of paragraphs. Remember to place your strongest argument first.
4. Finish your text with a conclusion.

Teacher Task 1 (smartboard option): During this lesson you are going to use your SMART notebook dual page application with video files inserted in your software. For a tutorial on how to download and insert video files visit Inter-tech Education and scroll down to May 1. To view a tutorial on SMART dual page applications watch the video below.

Teacher Task 2 (Don’t have a SMARTboard option): If you don’t have a SMARTboard your class can view the video files below. Watch the videos with students and then create a class PMI’s in order to list the pros and cons for people in the city having dogs as pets.

Dogs barking at night (no images):

Guide dog training:

Australian Terrier Maltese puppies:

My brother’s dog pooping:

Student task: Students select a position (for or against) dogs being kept as pets in the city and then choose three arguments based on their PMI chart. Students use this information as a base for writing their persuasive text.

Student Task 1: Explore and then select a graphic organiser that you would like to use in order to write a persuasive text on child labour. You may use:
1. Online Persuasion Map by Read, write, think
2. SMART Notebook graphic organisers created by Joanne Villis (Jul 18) in you have smartboard Notebook software.

3. Online interactive concept map at bubl.us Please note that in order to save concept maps students are required to sign up. This is free to do and students do not have to provide an email address. Providing an email address is optional in case students need to retrieve their password.
4. SMART ideas 5 if you have the software.
5. Inspiration if you have the software.

Student Task 2: Use a KWL chart to brainstorm the class’s prior knowledge. You can downloand one or draw one on your smartboard.  

Teacher Task 1: Explain to students that you are going to read part of a novel called , The Tiger’s Secret by Gordan Volke which is part of The Austral Legacies series (an Internet linked adventure series). Before reading the novel  introduce students to the series online by following the link below:
http://www.astrallegacies.com/
In this novel, Asha is one of the chosen children who is guided by tigers in order to find the second Astral Legacy in Asia. Pages 10 -12 and p22-26 are ideal for helping students begin to develop their feelings in relation to the issue of child labour. Here is a quote from the novel: “Every morning at sunrise and every evening at sunset, Asha had to make the long trek through the dusty, parched Indian countryside to and from Nazir Kapoor’s clothing factory where she had worked since she was five” (Volke, G 2009, The Tigers’ Secret, p11). Read the recommended pages to students and invite them to discuss their views on child labour. Students begin to record their thoughts using their chosen graphic organiser.

Student Task 3: Watch the video written and narrated by Le Sheng Liu below, discuss as a class and then add information to your graphic organiser.  

 Student Task 4: Dowload the text Goal: Ending child labour  . Before you begin to read the text, discuss the image and the caption, All work and no play: A boy stitches a soccer ball in Pakistan. What information can you gain from this image?

Student Task 5: Read the first four paragraphs of the text Goal:Ending child labour and focus on:
1. What do you think the author’s position is on the topic?
2. Underline the adjectives in the first paragraph and then re-write the paragraph omitting the adjectives. What do you notice?
3. Underline the facts in the text. Why do you think the author included these in the text?
Teacher Note: These exercises can be done on the smartboard. One particular feature of the smartboard Notebook software is the the ability to highlight key words from a text and drag them out with your finger. This is how you do it:

 

Student task 6: Add further information to your graphic organiser and then use it as a base for writing a persuasive text on child labour.