Welcome to this Lesson:

What's your Fifth Element?

creating an organized and convincing argument about an item's importance

This R.A.F.T. writing assignment was developed for WritingFix based on an idea from NNWP Teacher Consultant Carol Lubet after our AT&T-sponsored in-service class for teachers.

The mentor text:

The first chapter of The Snow Walker presents an interesting argument that can be used to inspire your students to write their own arguments.

Three-Sentence Overview of this Lesson:

Our world, at one time almost completely understood, is experiencing a new paradigm shift.  Computers, chat rooms, I-pods, e-mails, text messages, cell phones and the like are “rocking” our modern world with an importance here-to-for not previously understood or envisioned.  This writing assignment asks students to choose something that is important in this modern world and write an organized case that persuades others of their item's significance as a Fifth Element; helping the rest of us comprehend its “essential magnitude." Teachers: click here to read the entire lesson plan.

6-Trait Overview for this Lesson:

The focus trait for this writing assignment is organization; the graphic organizer requires student writers to craft an organized argument.  The support trait for this assignment is voice; students will use persuasive techniques to convince their audience of the importance of something modern that might be misunderstood.