1. Mini-Unit: Focus on Evidence This Mini-Unit supports students use of evidence by focusing how students use nonfiction sources.   The unit includes lessons on the Harris moves and commentary on quotations. The text set focuses on protests
Sabrina Back
Co-Director, Mountain Writing Project, Hazard, KY
(Adapted by Jean Wolph from Sabrina Back’s LDC module)

2. TEACHER SLIDE
This unit is designed to take about 6 days. It can be taught in middle or high school by adjusting the reading selections. Most of the PowerPoint can be used “as is” with students – simply delete the “Teacher Slides”
Argumentation skills addressed: Close reading of text to identify compelling evidence and effectively using evidence in a draft. Students are also engaged in evaluating their own work with a protocol based on the Using Sources Tool, providing feedback to others (again using the Using Sources Tool), and making some additions to the draft based on this self-evaluation and peer/teacher feedback.
The original unit by Sabrina Back has 22 days of instruction. By focusing only on the issue of tracking, the time for close reading of source material takes 2 days instead of the 7 that are required in the longer module. Drafting is also allotted less time in this mini-unit, with the idea that students might later continue to refine the product from this experience.
Splitting these topics also allows for a second round using this same unit framework, but substituting the articles that relate more to governmental tracking. Or an entirely different text set could be used that will allow students to practice the skills in this unit—reading closely to find compelling evidence and then using that evidence to support a claim.
Two approaches to reading text are used: Paired Reading and Save the Last Word for Me. Both have been adjusted to reflect a way of thinking about evidence that Joseph Harris (2006) writes about in Rewriting: How to Do Things with Texts. A teacher might select to use only one approach in this mini-unit, however, to help students comprehend and use readings in order to understand an issue and gather information for eventual use as evidence.

3. TEACHER SLIDE
The presenter notes section for this PowerPoint contains valuable additional information and detailed directions. In order to view those notes, you will need to DOWNLOAD the entire PPT and save/open on your computer.
Note that there are multiple activity suggestions for these elements: building background (slides ) and drafting (slides 27 – 30). You will want to see what kinds of activities will best fit your students’ needs and select accordingly.

4. Mini-Unit Sequence Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5 Day 6
Building Schema;
Understanding Writing Task, Rubric
Research:
Reading #1
Identifying Compelling Evidence
Reading Collection #2
Making a Claim
Supporting a Claim
Drafting
Feedback and Revising
Tools/
Activities
Partner Notes
Save the Last Word—adapted
Agree, Disagree, Undecided
Purpose/
Audience statement
Practice Time: Forwarding / Using Sources Effectively
Self-Evaluation and Draft (in progress)
Peer Review and Draft (“for now”)

5. LT- Students will reflect on their current thoughts about protest.
SC- Students will read and annotate and watch and take notes to build background knowledge about protesting.

6. QW #1 - 12/6
Reflect on the cartoon below. What is the creators’ purpose or message? How do you feel about it? Write a minimum of one complete paragraph (5+ complete sentences).

7. Protesting
These are the overarching questions we will be studying during this unit. By the end of this unit, we will address this in a persuasive piece of writing.
What are your thoughts about Americans and the right to protest. Should all people have the right to protest? What are the reasons people protest? Do protests result in changes to society?
Day 1

8. In this mini-unit, we’ll practice these moves that writers use when they use sources to develop their arguments:
QW #2 12/6 Notes: Illustrating | Using specific examples from the text to support the claim Authorizing | Referring to an “expert” to support the claim Countering | “Pushing back” against the text in some way (e.g., disagree with it, challenge something it says, or interpret it differently)
Selected slides in this mini-unit can be revisited as students work on daily argument writing and/or on other mini-units, to remind students what these moves look like in the context of developing an argument.
Jean Wolph, Louisville Writing Project, for NWP CRWP funded by the Department of Education

9. Viewing Strategy: Video
QW #3 12/6
As you watch the clip, jot notes in your wnb about:
the point or claim the clip is making
key evidence or details from the video (you may use this later so get it down correctly)
This activity will help students start to see what the different perspectives are on the issue of online privacy.

10. PREPARING FOR THE TASK: BUILDING SCHEMA
Think, Write, Pair, Share
QW #4 12/6
List everything you know about protests.
Consider the following:
What is a protest?
What protests have you heard of or seen? In what ways do you protest? Why do people protest? What are people hoping is the outcome of the protest?  
Discuss your lists with your small groups. Also discuss the questions below:
Day 1 - The unit begins with figuring out what we know about online privacy, what questions we have, and what the writing task will be.

11. Annotate the way you found the evidence
You and a partner will read a text about protests. Text for today’s reading: Article #1“What Makes For a Successful Protest”
As YOU READ
Highlight evidence.
Annotate the way you found the evidence
Bracket Dates and #s [43 per cent]
Box Signal Phrases    studies suggest, Research shows, According to...
Circle Quotation Marks     “ This research indicates…”
Squiggly Line Authority Names of experts, businesses, organizations
Write CLAIM in the margin
In the margin, number the most important evidence [1, 2, 3, 4].