UNIT 2
Boxes and Bullets: Personal and Persuasive Essays

Bend I ♦ Writing to Learn

Session 1 – Essay Structure Boot Camp
Sample Student Essay: Figure A
Sample Student Essay: Figure B
Sample Student Essay: Figure C
Opinion Writing Checklist, Grades 3 and 4
Chart: I Love Ice Cream
Chart: Let's Write an Essay
Homework: Essay Structure Boot Camp

Session 2 – Collecting Ideas as Essayists
Homework: Collecting Ideas as Essayists
FIG. 2–4 Alejandro's notebook entry (for homework)

Session 3 – Writing to Learn
Freewriting Sample: Jonah (Complete essay from FIG. 3–1)

Session 4 – Using Elaboration Prompts to Grow Ideas
Chart: Ways to Push Our Thinking (FIG. 4–1)
Homework: Using Elaboration Prompts to Grow Ideas

Session 5 – Mining Our Writing
Chart: Strategies for Generating Essay Entries
Chart: To Develop a Thesis, I…
FIG. 5–15 Alejandro (for homework)
Homework: Mining Our Writing

Session 6 – Boxes and Bullets: Framing Essays
Thesis Statements with Reasons: Predictable Problems and Exemplars
Homework: Boxes and Bullets

Bend II ♦ Raising the Level of Essay Writing

Session 8 – Composing and Sorting Mini-Stories
Opinion Writing Checklist, Grades 4 and 5
Andy's Essay
Homework: Composing and Sort Mini-Stories

Session 9 – Creating Parallelism in Lists
Homework: Creating Parallelism in Lists

Session 10 – Organizing for Drafting
Homework: Organizing for Drafting

Session 11 – Building a Cohesive Draft
Chart: Let's Write an Essay
Essay, Original Version: "My Father is My Most Important Teacher"
Homework: Building a Cohesive Draft

Session 12 – Becoming Our Own Job Captains
Chart: Essay "To-Do" List
Homework: Becoming Our Own Job Captains

Session 13 – Writing Introductions and Conclusions
Chart: Ways to Start an Essay
Homework: Writing Introductions and Conclusions

Session 14 – Revising Our Work with Goals in Mind
Opinion Writing Checklist, Grades 4 and 5
Homework: Revising Our Work with Goals in Mind

Session 15 – Correcting Run-On Sentences and Sentence Fragments
Editing Checklist
FIG. 15–1 Nora identifies a run-on sentence
FIG. 15–2 Emma's final essay across many pages
FIG. 15–3 William's personal essay
FIG. 15–4 Fatmire's personal essay
FIG. 15–5 Tanya's final draft

Bend III ♦ Personal to Persuasive

Session 16 – Moving from Personal to Persuasive
Homework: Moving from Personal to Persuasive

Session 17 – Inquiry into Persuasive Essay
No Uniforms!
Chart: Moves Persuasive Essay Writers Make that Are Also…
Chart: Opinion Writers…
Homework: Inquiry into Persuasive Essay

Session 18 – Broader Evidence
Opinion Writing Checklist, Grades 4 and 5

Session 19 – Connecting Evidence, Reason, and Thesis
Chart: Transition Phrases to Connect Evidence to Reasons
Essay, Original Version: "My Father is My Most Important Teacher"
Essay, Revised Version: "My Father is My Most Important Teacher" (for homework)

Session 20 – Getting Ready to Put Our Opinions into the World
Opinion Writing Checklist, Grades 4 and 5
Editing Checklist
FIG. 20–3 Hannah's final draft
FIG. 20–4 Jessie's final piece
FIG. 20–5 Emma's final piece
FIG. 20–6 Jonathan's final piece
FIG. 20–7 Andrew's final piece
FIG. 20–8 Kika's final piece
Skye's final piece
Andrew reflects on his final piece
Hannah reflects on her final essay

Session 21 – Hey World, Listen Up!: Sharing Our Opinions Loudly and Proudly
FIG. 21–1 Hannah's strategies
FIG. 21–2 Andrew's mosaic