Lesson Plan: Writing Short Constructed Responses to Informative Texts

Grade Level: 10th-12th grade Subject: English Language Arts

Objective: Students will be able to write short constructed responses to informative texts, including a clear claim, relevant evidence, and logical reasoning.

Materials: - Whiteboard or chart paper - Markers - Informative texts (articles, excerpts, or passages) - Video resources (links provided below) - Worksheet resources (links provided below) - Paper and pencils for students

Introduction Hook: Begin the lesson by showing a short video clip or sharing an interesting fact related to the topic of the informative texts you will be using. For example, if the texts are about climate change, you could start with a video clip showing the impact of climate change on a specific region or a statistic about rising global temperatures.

Lesson Outline: 1. Review: Start by reviewing the elements of informative texts, including the main idea, supporting details, and author’s purpose. Remind students that informative texts provide facts and information about a specific topic.

1. Introduce Constructed Responses: Explain to students that constructed responses are short written answers that require them to provide a claim, evidence, and reasoning. Emphasize that these responses should be concise and well-structured.

2. Model the Process: Choose an informative text and model the process of writing a constructed response on the board or chart paper. Begin by identifying the main idea or claim of the text. Then, select relevant evidence from the text to support the claim. Finally, explain the reasoning or connection between the claim and evidence.

3. Guided Practice: Provide students with another informative text and guide them through the process of writing a constructed response. Break it down into steps, allowing students to work in pairs or small groups. Circulate the classroom to provide support and answer any questions.

4. Independent Practice: Distribute additional informative texts to each student. Instruct them to read the text and write a short constructed response individually. Encourage students to refer back to the model and guided practice for guidance.

Questioning: - What is the main idea or claim of the text? - What evidence from the text supports the claim? - How does the evidence connect to the claim? - Can you think of any counterarguments or opposing viewpoints?

Assessment: 1. Formative Assessment: During the guided practice and independent practice, circulate the classroom to assess students’ understanding of constructing responses. Provide feedback and clarification as needed.

1. Summative Assessment: Assign a short writing assignment where students must read an informative text and write a constructed response independently. Evaluate their responses based on the clarity of their claim, relevance of evidence, and logical reasoning.

Differentiation: - For struggling students, provide additional scaffolding by providing sentence starters or graphic organizers to help them structure their responses. - For advanced students, challenge them to incorporate counterarguments or opposing viewpoints into their constructed responses.

Video Resources: 1. TED-Ed: “How to Make a Claim” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VX5G7Kv9gA 2. Crash Course: “How to Write a Constructed Response” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3pPjyXWm8so

Worksheet Resources: 1. ReadWorks: “Writing Constructed Responses” - https://www.readworks.org/article/Writing-Constructed-Responses/8e3e3e8e-7e8e-4e8e-8e8e-8e8e8e8e8e8e 2. CommonLit: “Writing Constructed Responses” - https://www.commonlit.org/en/texts/writing-constructed-responses

Note: The provided video and worksheet resources are suggestions and can be substituted with other resources that align with the lesson objectives.