8th Grade Reading Persuasive Text Lesson Plan Example (English)

Topic: Reading Persuasive Text

Objectives & Outcomes

• By the end of this lesson, students will be able to deconstruct a persuasive text by identifying its key arguments and underlying premises.

Materials

• A variety of persuasive texts (can be articles, speeches, etc.)
• Handouts with guidelines for deconstructing persuasive texts

Warm-up

• To begin the lesson, have students work in pairs to identify the main arguments and premises of a short persuasive text. Give them a few minutes to discuss and list their answers on their handouts.

Direct Instruction

• After the warm-up, introduce the concept of a persuasive text and its purpose of trying to convince the reader to agree with the author's point of view.
• Using the short text as an example, demonstrate how to identify the main arguments and premises using the deconstructing skills tools.
• Using the handout as a reference, walk students through the process of identifying and labeling the various parts of a persuasive text, including the introduction, evidence, conclusion, and any supporting arguments.
• Emphasize the importance of reading critically and carefully, as a persuasive text may try to mislead and manipulate the reader.

Guided Practice

• Provide students with a different short text and have them work in pairs to deconstruct and analyze it using the skills taught in the lesson.
• As a class, conduct a discussion around the main arguments and premises identified by the students, and how they were able to discern the purpose of the text.
• Encourage students to share any challenges or insights they had while deconstructing the text.

Independent Practice

• Provide students with a range of different short texts (e.g. an advertisement, a political speech, a blog post) and have them work independently to deconstruct and analyze each text using the skills taught in the lesson.
• Encourage students to use their notes and the skills learned in the lesson to create a presentation or written explanation of the main arguments and premises of each text.
• As a class, conduct a discussion around the presentations or written explanations and how they were able to discern the purpose of the texts.

Closure

• Review the main points of the lesson, emphasizing the importance of being able to deconstruct and analyze the arguments and premises of a text in order to better understand and evaluate the persuasive intent of the author.
• Remind students of the skills they have learned, and encourage them to continue practicing these skills as they encounter more persuasive texts in the future.

Assessment

• Observe students during the guided and independent practice activities, and provide feedback on their use of the SKILLS checklist and their ability to deconstruct and analyze the arguments and premises of the texts.
• Collect and review students' written responses to the independent practice activity to assess their understanding of the concepts taught in the lesson.