This lesson is designed to support English language learners when argumentative writing.  It is prepared using the topic selected by my students, “Are Social Networking Sites Good For Our Society?”  This lesson could easily be adapted to meet other topics of interest.  The lesson begins by reinforcing that when one is argumentative writing, the writer must choose a side and have a reason for choosing it. Then, the lesson evaluates others’ argumentative writing to see what it might look like. Afterward, the students have an opportunity to get comfortable with the argumentative writing topic they will be writing about with support of their peers and the teacher. Ultimately, with other support in place, students will write an argumentative piece to the best of their ability with a goal in mind. 

Comparing and contrasting our experiences with friends and family help us better understand our own identity.  Students will learn comparison/contrast language and practice using it through an activity, two different graphic organizers, classroom discussion and conversations with their parents to better understand each other, their parents and themselves.

Middle school is a conflict-ridden stage, particularly for our emerging bilingual students, who are normally known as ELLs. Not only do they have to overcome numerous problems of linguistic and cultural adaptation, but they also have to face challenges such as family or economic instability and moves, often cross-border. Indeed, it is not uncommon to meet Hispanic students: Mexicans, Puerto Ricans, Salvadorans, etc. who travel to their countries of origin, or to the countries of origin of their parents for seasons, sometimes even to stay and live there, despite having been born in the United States and having lived here all their schooling until that moment. It is also quite common to see students who migrate with their families to the United States when they are already 11 or 12 years old and who, as we mentioned, not only have to learn the language, but adapt to a new life, culture and traditions.In this lesson plan we propose to use these personal experiences to introduce basic conversational vocabulary. It is designed for both dual immersion programs and English development classes.

Students will receive exposure to new vocabulary, then read and annotate an article, discuss, and engage in a writing exercise, focused on the Iroquois Confederacy.  

This is a two part mini lesson.  It uses individual and group photographs to help students develop a sense of individuality and community within the classroom.  This lesson provides a physical and visual representation of students within their class community.  Students will see themselves as individuals who are part of a whole.  For students who do not feel as though their individuality is valued, they have a tactile representation of their inclusion as individuals who are part of the group.

This lesson guides students through making claims about an image that is found online, and using evidence to back up whether the image is real or "faked."  Students will use speaking and listening skills and partner work to discuss their views about an image.