Teacher Cody Wetton

Created by Cody Wetton

Biography:

Cody Wetton is a teacher at Marquette Senior High school. He teaches AP Language and Compostion as well as tenth grade English. For the Information Literacy and Leadership Institue, Cody created a Mini Unit about the environmental movement “Citizens to save Superior Shorelines”, which culminates in students writing their own letters on an issue important to them.

Title of Lesson: Environmental Argument in Marquette

Subject Area: AP Language and Composition

Grade Level: 11

Approximate Time to Do Lesson: 2-4 Days

Overview: The purpose of this lesson is to utilize local historical archival material about environmental activism surrounding Citizens to Save Little Presque Isle and Wetmore Landing to practice identifying movements of effective arguments as well as practicing creating effective arguments. The lesson helps students to understand what makes good arguments, and the lesson pushes students to write their own arguments in response to a modern environmental issue. The lesson will be taught through individual analysis and group work. Critical information literacy is utilized through the usage of the “Critical Analysis of Primary Sources Document Worksheet” which is provided by the NMU Archives.

Standards Addressed:

  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.11-12.1 - Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text, including determining where the text leaves matters uncertain.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.11-12.4 - Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings; analyze how an author uses and refines the meaning of a key term or terms over the course of a text (e.g., how Madison defines faction in Federalist No. 10).
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.11-12.5 - Analyze and evaluate the effectiveness of the structure an author uses in his or her exposition or argument, including whether the structure makes points clear, convincing, and engaging.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.11-12.6 - Determine an author's point of view or purpose in a text in which the rhetoric is particularly effective, analyzing how style and content contribute to the power, persuasiveness or beauty of the text.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.11-12.1 - Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.11-12.4 - Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (Grade-specific expectations for writing types are defined in standards 1-3 above.)
     

Modifications for Diverse Learning Needs: Students have been provided a choice in which letter that they analyze as well as which article they choose to read.

Lesson Objectives: 

  • Students will understand the local Citizens to Save Little Presque Isle and Wetmore Landing.
  • Students will evaluate arguments from historical archives by identifying rhetorical choices made by authors in the letters to the editor.
  • Students will complete a critical analysis of a primary source using the primary source analysis document.

Download the Lesson Plans and Support Files Below

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