The Power of Persuasion

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The Power of Persuasion
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The Power of Persuasion
English Teacher Suzi Plaut Math Teacher
Michele Durso Art Teacher Bethe Levy

• Time Frame 3 - 4 Weeks
• Grade Level 6th

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Content Standards

• English Standards (Language Arts MD Voluntary
  State Curriculum 2.0 4, 2.0 5, 4.0 2)
• Analyze important ideas and messages in
  informational texts
• Analyze purposeful use of language
• Compose oral, written, and visual presentations
  that express personal ideas, inform, and persuade
• Math Standards (Bais Yaakov 6th Grade Math
  Curriculum)
• Demonstrate the ability to calculate unit prices
  of various items
• Demonstrate the ability to estimate values such
  as unit prices.
• Demonstrate the ability to construct a bar graph
  for the purposes
• of comparison using a medium of paper as
  well as Microsoft Excel
• Art Standards (Art MD Voluntary State
  Curriculum 2.0 4, 3.0 2, 4.0 1)
• Apply problem solving strategies used among the
  arts to solve visual problems
• Demonstrate ways the elements of art and
  principles of design are manipulated to
  communicate ideas
• Analyze the ways the elements of art and
  principles of design contribute to aesthetic
  design

http//www.isbe.state.il.us/profprep/CASCDvr/htmls
/FormInfo.htm
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Concept Map
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BT1 Emotional Connection

• All three integrated units begin with opening
  activities meant to assess current student
  knowledge and build an interest in the different
  subject matters (persuasive language, unit
  pricing, and visual advertisements). Throughout
  the unit, students clearly see the day-to-day
  relevance of the disparate skills they are
  learning. Arts and technology integration are
  threaded throughout the units in various ways. In
  addition, students have flexibility in some
  assignments to choose their method of assessment.

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BT1 Emotional Connection

• English
• Discuss prior knowledge of advertisements and
  review 6 1 Writing Traits Framework (this unit
  focuses on Word Choice Ideas are secondary)
• Students will create a constructed response
  (paragraph) about a time s/he persuaded her or
  his parents to have a privilege or gain a
  material item (responses shared on 2nd day of
  unit)

http//www.220-electronics.com/tv/tvs.htm http//w
ww.mapds.com.au/newsletters/0807/Newsletter_18_Jul
y_2008.htm
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BT1- Emotional Connection

• Math
• Opening activity assesses students prior
  knowledge as well as introduces them to the
  importance of calculating unit pricing (BT3)

• Discussions about the importance of the topic and
  the relevance to students lives
• Art
• Discuss prior knowledge of favorite snack food
  packaging and print advertisements
• Later in the unit, students will create an
  appealing package for their choice of fruit or
  vegetable

http//know.triangle.com/node/11342
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BT2 Physical Environment
Arrange desks in small sections for group
activities Rooms are comfortable and free of
clutter
NOT LIKE

• English
• Display teacher and student collected print
  advertisements
• Have dictionaries and thesauri accessible for
  Word Choice activities

• Math
• Display various store circulars around the room
  as well as a poster of the Food Pyramid
• When completed, display students bar graphs
• During final assessment, part of the classroom is
  transformed to look like a store

http//www.homeroomteacher.com/schooldeskchairs.ht
ml
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BT2 Physical Environment

• Art
• Food in the Arts will be displayed in the room as
  well as a poster of the Food Pyramid
• Displays of students packaging of students
  favorite snacks

http//www.thinkstainless.com/portfolio_images/che
ezit_package.jpg http//dailyartmuse.com/wp-conten
t/uploads/2009/01/dolack_dots.jpg http//www.guy-s
ports.com/fun_pictures/art_with_food.jpg http//ww
w.artrepublic.com/attachments/image/695/10695/1069
5.jpeg
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BT3 Concept Map
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BT3 Introductory Big Picture Activity

• English
• Students will create a constructed response
  (paragraph) about a time s/he persuades her or
  his parents to have a privilege, take
  responsibility or gain a material item
• Have students identify commonly known
  advertisement campaigns/slogans

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Word Choice
BT3 Big Picture Activity

• Word Choice is the use of rich, colorful, precise
  language that communicates not just in a
  functional way, but in a way that moves and
  enlightens the reader. In descriptive writing,
  strong word choice resulting in imagery,
  especially sensory, show-me writing, clarifies
  and expands ideas. In persuasive writing,
  purposeful word choice moves the reader to a new
  vision of ideas. In all modes of writing
  figurative language such as metaphors, similes
  and analogies articulate, enhance, and enrich the
  content. Strong word choice is characterized not
  so much by an exceptional vocabulary chosen to
  impress the reader, but more by the skill to use
  everyday words well.

http//www.thetraits.org/definitions.php
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BT3 Introductory Big Picture Activity

• Math
• Connect students to the importance of
  understanding unit pricing through an interactive
  activity where students are presented with two
  sizes of common household items (e.g. tuna fish,
  mayonnaise, soda, etc.) and the corresponding
  price of each and asked to determine which is the
  better deal
• Have students discuss in small groups how they
  would actually determine which item is the real
  better deal discuss unit pricing terminology

• Art
• Favorite Packaged Snack Foods and Food in Art
  will be collected and displayed on wall
• Students will discuss how they feel when they see
  popular ads or appealing images and why they
  think they feel that way

http//latimesblogs.latimes.com/greenspace/2009/01
/california-atto.html
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BT4 Mastery Activities

• English
• Using school lunch menu, students will create
  more appetizing descriptions (focusing on word
  choice)
• Throughout the unit, encourage students to share
  experiences of persuasive techniques they
  encounter in their life experiences
• Students will share a description of their
  favorite food experience using figurative
  language and descriptive words without naming the
  food peers will guess the food
• In a partner activity, students will use their
  parent persuasive constructed response from Day 1
  and create a realistic dialogue between a child
  and a parent based on the topic discussed focus
  on word choice and persuasive techniques (and
  body language) some scenes will be acted out
• In small groups, create persuasive topic
  sentences (theses) for 6 different topics bike
  helmets, bed time, movie rating system, the age
  kids should be able to get their own cell phone,
  middle school start times, and female players in
  the NFL.
• Students will rewrite a Dr. Seuss book for a
  middle school audience without rhymes and with
  appropriate word choice while still maintaining
  the message of the story

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BT4 Mastery Activities
How do I know which word to use?

• Know the difference between connotation and
  denotation.
• Connotation is the feeling a word gives a reader.
  
• Ex. boney vs. slender
• Denotation is the actual dictionary definition of
  the word.
• Use figurative language to help you describe
  something or someone ordinary.
• Similes, metaphors, personification, and
  alliteration
• Identify your topic, audience, and purpose for
  writing
• Avoid slang unless it is a characters voice.
• Use content specific vocabulary.
• Use persuasive language when appropriate.

From Howard County Middle School Writing Stylebook
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When Im writing dialogue, what other words can
I use besides said?
BT4 Mastery Activities

• added
• agreed
• babbled
• boasted
• commanded
• claimed
• decided
• explained
• estimated
• grunted

insisted instructed lectured mentioned mumbled nag
ged objected pleaded reassured requested
scolded shrieked stammered taunted urged uttered v
owed warned wailed whispered
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What are overused words?
BT4 Mastery Activities

• a lot bad good big cool cute fun great
  very
• interesting pretty sad
• said little got run tell
• stuff take things walk sit

Warning When using a thesaurus, DONT OVERDO
IT! Readers can tell if a word is out of place,
so use words that you own and that fit your style!
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In groups, create a Persuasive Topic Sentence for
each Issue
BT4 Mastery Activities

1. Bike helmet laws
2. Movie rating system
3. Bed time for 7th graders
4. Women in the NFL
5. Start times of Middle School
6. Age kids should have their own cell phones

http//chinaoutdoorequipment.blogspot.com/2008/02/
bike-helmet-h003.html
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BT4 Mastery Activities

• Math
• In small groups, students look at local store
  circulars provided by the teacher and comparison
  shop, noting the various unit prices of
  different sizes and brands of items
• On the SMART Board, teacher and students will use
  Microsoft Excel to create a bar graph together
  comparing the prices of various brands and sizes
• Group discussion of bar graphs How do they help
  us compare items quickly? What are other methods
  of visually presenting information for purposes
  of comparison?
• Class debate on estimation Why is this an
  important supermarket tool?
• Why cant we just use a calculator??

http//juliazanglcolby.wikispaces.com/SMARTBoard
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BT4 Mastery Activities

• Art
• Clementine Experience the class creates a
  graphic organizer modeling descriptive language
• Draw What You Smell students choose 3 of 15
  foods hidden under cones and draw what they smell
  but cannot see
• Track one days food intake and correlate to the
  food pyramid
• Bring in packaging of a snack food, find its spot
  in the food pyramid, and identify the appeal of
  packaging

http//www.lesliebeck.com/recipe_detail.php?id797
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BT4 Mastery Activities

• Art
• Compare and contrast the packaging of Oreo
  cookies in the 50s to present-day packaging.

Guiding Questions How much does the packaging
matter? Where does your snack show up in the
food pyramid? Why arent major food pyramid
foods packaged like snacks? What is done with
the package after the product is finished?
http//www2.canada.com/topics/lifestyle/holidaygui
de2007/create/cooking.html
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BT5 Extension Application

• English
• Students will write a persuasive speech for their
  peers convincing them to buy his or her chosen
  fruit or vegetable
• Students will create an appealing print
  advertisement for his or her chosen fruit or
  vegetable using knowledge of word choice
• At least a week prior to final speeches, peers
  give feedback to each other on written persuasive
  speeches, focusing on effective argument and word
  choice (rubric provided)

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BT5 Extension Application

• Math
• Students individually create a scrapbook listing
  unit prices for like items with different brands
  and sizes (research done as homework)
• Students use daily food intake recorded for art
  class and visually depict how their food intake
  corresponds to the recommended amounts of each
  food group (bar graphs will be completed with
  either graph paper or software such as Microsoft
  Excel)

• Have students research online if it is mandatory
  in their state for merchants to post unit prices
  for all items

http//www.ag.ndsu.edu/pubs/yf/foods/he516w.htm
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BT5 Extension Application

• Art
• Choose from 10 snack packages provided and
  compare and contrast three to the packaging of a
  bag of carrots using a Venn Diagram
• Packaging Project Students choose a specific
  fruit or vegetable from a basket, and design and
  create an appealing package for their item using
  the design elements of Color, Shape, Graphics,
  Texture, and Packaging as Content

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BT5 Extension Application

• Art, Cont.
• Correlate the carrots and the 3 chosen snack
  foods to the food pyramid

Which foods would children choose? Why? How can
you make carrots more appealing? What are the
element designs that appeal to children? What can
the children do with the packaging after product
is consumed? (Example Cheezit Package)

• http//www.thinkstainless.com/portfolio_images/che
  ezit_package.jpg
• http//www.idsgn.org/images/ritz-and-oreo-go-retro
  /oreo_before_after.jpg

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BT6 Evaluation

• English
• Use classroom resources (dictionary and thesauri)
  as well as peer and teacher feedback to revise
  favorite food descriptive writing
• Present persuasive speech to peers and teacher
• Rubric is used to evaluate student essays
• Students write PQP (Praise Question Polish) as
  their peers share persuasive speeches

http//dailymobile.se/2008/07/page/6/
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Writing to Persuade Rubric
BT6 Evaluation

• Score Point 4
• I have taken a clear stand on an issue and I
  fully support it with appropriate personal or
  factual information.
• I have chosen numerous specific details that more
  than adequately support my stand.
• I have an organization that is logical and does
  not jump around.
• I understand the type of audience I am writing
  for and I use language and arguments that they
  will understand.
• I make good language choices to help influence
  the reader to agree with me.
• Note This rubric has been modified for use with
  6th graders.
• It is to be considered "kid language"

For comments and inquiries, send email to Cam
MillerCurriculum PlannerBerlin Middle
SchoolWorcester County
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BT6 Evaluation

• Math
• Evaluate students scrapbooks and graphs for
  neatness and accuracy using a rubric

• On the last day of the unit, an interactive
  assessment will have students act and feel as if
  they are shoppers trying to find the best deal in
  a store without unit prices listed. Students
  will choose which items to buy based on
  calculating the unit price as well as speed
  shop through one section using estimation

http//spreadsheets.about.com/od/excelcharts/ss/ba
r_graph_6.htm
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BT6 Evaluation

• Art
• Portfolio Assessment and Reflection of various
  activities
• Presentation of fruit or vegetable packaging to
  class rubric is used to assign grade

At the conclusion of the unit, each student will
give anonymous feedback to teachers about how to
improve this unit for future years for example,
I liked I did not like... I wish I had more time
toI wish my art teacher I wish my English
teacher I wish my math teacher
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Concept Map