Unit 5
​
ELL Classroom

Unit Plan

Argument and Persuasion

Activities

Teaching with E.L.O.N.  (Enriched Learning Opportunity Nexus) that seamlessly integrates AI 
Unit 5
​
Theme: Voice and Choice

Target Skills: Opinion development, supporting arguments with evidence, evaluating arguments
Key Standards:
  • RI.6.8: Trace and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text
  • W.6.1: Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence
  • SL.6.3: Evaluate a speaker’s point of view, reasoning, and use of evidence

Week 1: What Is an Argument? Understanding Opinions and Claims
Focus:
  • Distinguish between fact and opinion
  • Identify claims and reasons in short texts
Text: Activities:
  • Read and annotate Henry’s speech to identify main claim and supporting reasons
  • Class discussion: What is the speaker trying to persuade us to do or think?
  • Group sorting activity: Facts vs. Opinions

Week 2: Supporting Evidence and Logical Reasoning
Focus:
  • Evaluate how evidence supports a claim
  • Learn how to use examples and data
Text: Activities:
  • Highlight supporting evidence in the text
  • Mini-lesson on types of support: examples, reasons, statistics
  • Practice writing: Create a short argument with three supporting points

Week 3: Persuasive Language and Rhetorical Appeals
Focus:
  • Understand ethos, pathos, and logos
  • Recognize emotional and logical appeals
Text: Activities:
  • Identify persuasive language in the speech
  • Sort rhetorical appeals (ethos, pathos, logos)
  • Students write a paragraph using at least two types of appeals

Week 4: Evaluating Arguments in Media – Ads and Editorials
Focus:
  • Analyze advertisements and letters to the editor
  • Identify bias, fallacies, and techniques of persuasion
Text: Activities:
  • Ad critique and redesign: Evaluate persuasive techniques and create a more honest ad
  • Editorial analysis: Trace claim and supporting evidence
  • Group presentation: Which ad was most persuasive and why?

Week 5: Writing Persuasive Letters – Make a Change!
Focus:
  • Organize persuasive writing
  • Revise and strengthen argument
Model Text: Activities:
  • Plan and draft a persuasive letter about a change they want to see in school
  • Peer feedback and revision workshop
  • Final draft for publishing/display

Week 6: Campaign Week – Voice and Choice!
​Focus:
  • Public speaking and persuasion
  • Collaboration and presentation
Activities:
  • Prepare a short persuasive speech on a school/community issue
  • Debate Day: Teams present and defend their stance
  • “Change Something at School” Campaign: Share letters, speeches, posters
  • Final reflection: How did your voice create impact?
​The following activities include AI tools that enhance student engagement, provide data-driven insights, and facilitate personalized learning. 
​WEEK 1 – Understanding Arguments and Claims
Individual Activity: AI Claim Identifier
Tool: ChatGPT
Task: Students input short excerpts (e.g., Patrick Henry’s speech) into ChatGPT and prompt it with:
“Highlight the main claim and supporting reasons in this text.”
Purpose: Helps ELL students identify key argument components with language support scaffolds.

Group Activity: Fact or Opinion Chatbot Challenge
Tool: Google Bard or ChatGPT
Task: Groups are given a set of mixed statements. They ask an AI to classify them as fact or opinion and justify its reasoning.
Purpose: Deepens understanding through collaborative checking and discussion of AI responses.

WEEK 2 – Supporting Evidence and Reasoning
Individual Activity: AI Evidence Coach
Tool: ChatGPT
Task: Students write a short argument and ask:
“Can you suggest stronger evidence or examples to support my claim?”
Purpose: Encourages revision and introduces students to evidence-based reasoning.

Group Activity: Evidence Evaluation Race
Tool: Perplexity AI
Task: Groups enter the same claim into Perplexity and compare sources/evidence AI suggests. They discuss:
  • Which evidence is strongest?
  • Which is weakest or irrelevant?
    Purpose: Practice in assessing quality and relevance of evidence.

WEEK 3 – Rhetorical Appeals and Persuasive Language
Individual Activity: AI Appeal Analyzer
Tool: Claude AI
Task: Students input a paragraph of persuasive writing and prompt:
“Identify if I’m using ethos, pathos, or logos. How can I improve my use of appeals?”
Purpose: Immediate feedback helps build awareness of rhetorical strategies.

Group Activity: Appeal Builder
Tool: ChatGPT with Google Slides
Task: Groups ask ChatGPT to create an argument on a topic (e.g., “longer recess”) using all three appeals. They present these in a slide show, each slide explaining one appeal with an example.
Purpose: Practice identifying and using multiple appeals in structured formats.

WEEK 4 – Argument Evaluation in Media
Individual Activity: Ad Analyzer BotTool: Canva Magic Write
Task: Students upload or describe a historical ad. They prompt Magic Write:
“Analyze the persuasive techniques used in this ad. Are they logical, emotional, or biased?”
Purpose: Visual + verbal integration helps ELLs practice media literacy.

Group Activity: Letters to the Editor Debate SimulationTool: ChatGPT
Task: Each group inputs a letter to the editor and prompts:
“Generate a counterargument to this letter.”
Students role-play a short editorial board meeting.
Purpose: Builds argument-counterargument skills and speaking practice.

WEEK 5 – Writing Persuasive Letters
Individual Activity: AI Writing Assistant
Tool: Grammarly with generative AI
Task: Students draft persuasive letters and use Grammarly to:
  • Check clarity
  • Suggest vocabulary improvements
  • Generate stronger sentence structures
    Purpose: Language support and revision practice for ELLs.
Group Activity: Persuasive Poster Creation with AI Art + Text
Tools: DALL·E for images + ChatGPT for slogans
Task: Groups create posters for their school campaign with an AI-generated image and an AI-enhanced persuasive slogan.
Purpose: Multimodal persuasive communication integrating visual and written argument.

WEEK 6 – Debate and Campaign Week
Individual Activity: AI Speaking Coach
Tool: Microsoft’s Speaker Coach (in PowerPoint or Teams)
Task: Students rehearse speeches using the AI to receive feedback on pacing, clarity, filler words, and tone.
Purpose: Supports confident speaking practice with targeted guidance.
Group Activity: Campaign Feedback Forum with AI Summaries
​Tool: Otter.ai or Fireflies.ai
Task: During campaign presentations or debates, record group discussions. Use AI to generate summaries of group arguments and areas of agreement/disagreement.
Purpose: Reflective review of group work and synthesis of ideas.
Proudly powered by Weebly