Unit Plan 12 (Grade 8 ELA): Cohesion, Counterclaims & Conclusions
8th graders refine their argumentative writing by mastering transitions, integrating counterarguments, and crafting strong conclusions. Students engage in revision and editing cycles to polish cohesion, tone, and conventions for clarity and impact.
Focus: Transitions, counterarguments, concluding statements; revision cycles
Grade Level: 8
Subject Area: English Language Arts (Writing—Argument; Language—Conventions)
Total Unit Duration: 5 sessions (one week), 50–60 minutes per session
I. Introduction
This week moves writers from rough plan to readable argument. Students will strengthen cohesion (clear logical links), practice counterargument moves (acknowledging and responding to opposing viewpoints within their flow), craft concluding statements that truly follow from what they proved, and run deliberate revision/editing cycles to polish for audience and purpose.
II. Objectives and Standards
Learning Objectives — Students will be able to…
- Use words/phrases/clauses to clarify relationships among claims, counterclaims, reasons, and evidence (W.8.1c).
- Maintain a formal, audience-appropriate style across an argument section (W.8.1d).
- Write a concluding statement/section that follows from and supports the argument presented (W.8.1e).
- Plan, revise, edit, and rewrite to improve focus, organization, and clarity (W.8.5).
- Apply conventions (capitalization, punctuation—including commas, ellipses, dashes—and spelling) accurately (L.8.2).
Standards Alignment — CCSS Grade 8
- W.8.1c–e: Cohesion across claims/counterclaims/reasons/evidence; formal style; concluding statement/section.
- W.8.5: With guidance and support, develop and strengthen writing by planning, revising, editing, rewriting.
- L.8.2: Demonstrate command of conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation (commas, ellipses, dashes), and spelling.
Success Criteria — student language
- My paragraphs use purposeful transitions that make relationships obvious (contrast, concession, cause/effect, sequence).
- I acknowledge an opposing view and respond without breaking formal tone.
- My conclusion follows from my reasons/evidence and reinforces the argument’s significance.
- I complete at least two revision passes (organization + style) and one editing pass (L.8.2).