This lesson plan is for a GCSE English Language class focusing on opinion pieces. The key learning goal is for students to learn about techniques used to persuade audiences in opinion pieces. All students will identify these techniques and apply them in writing an opening paragraph responding to a provided opinion piece. Formative assessment includes teacher questioning during the lesson, an anticipatory-knowledge probe, and having students write a response paragraph. Cognitive challenges include having students analyze paragraphs to discover techniques through guided discovery learning with teacher feedback. Cooperative learning strategies involve students working in pairs to analyze the provided text.

1. Lesson Plan pro forma
Class: 10En/2
(mixed ability sets)
indicate levels of attainment
Date:
14/4/2016
Time: 14:10 –
15:15
No. of pupils:
34
Unit /SoW: GCSE English Language –
Opinion Pieces
Key Learning Goals:
ref. to exam board criteria/NC as appropriate
… in pupil-friendly format:
LO: To focus on the techniques that
opinion pieces use to persuade the
audience
Expected Learning Outcomes:
all pupils? some pupils? a few pupils?
All pupils will be able to identify the
techniques that are used in opinion pieces,
and apply it to their own writing. They will
write a response (opening paragraph) to the
opinion piece.
Opportunities for Assessment:
Formative & summative
Formative
 Teacher questioning – throughoutthe lesson,the T will use questions to check for
students understanding ofthe techniques used
 APK – Using the students’ knowledge,I will see what they already knowaboutopinion
pieces,and what comes to mind when spoken about.Teacher will already see what they
knowwhen they are analysing and annotating a paragraph from the article ‘social media
is harming the mental health of teenagers.’
 Writing a response to the article – using the techniques we have looked at,and some of
the things that have been discussed,students should be able to write an opening
paragraph.
Cognitive challenges:
Desirable difficulties for all abilities; how will students progress?
To be able to write an opening paragraph – students will be ‘discovery
learning’, looking at paragraphs of an article and analysing the language.
Teacher will outline problems with techniques that are misused.
EBT strategies:
e.g. APK, reciprocal teaching, collaborative learning, advance & visual organisers,
similarities and differences, goals, repetition and practice, meta-cognition, feedback,
cognitive challenge, subject knowledge, summaries and note-taking
 Cognitive challenge – students are thinking cognitively about each
sentence and in depth
 Collaborative learning – students are working together in pairs to
decipher the text
Key Terminology:
 Social media
 Persuasive
techniques
Resources:

2.  Writing to persuade
 Opinion pieces
 Extracts from the article ‘Social
Media is harming the mental health
of students’
Homework and practice:
N/A