Lesson Five: Persuasive Essay
The final project challenges students to apply what they have learned about Zapotec history to a present day issue. At this point, students have studied Monte Alban and discussed the fact that the Zapotecs abandoned the city between 600-900 CE. The article presented the widely accepted theory that the natural resources surrounding the city could not sustain Monte Alban's population. This activity asks students to correlate what happened to Monte Alban's inhabitants with current threats to our sustainability. Their persuasive essay will be written in the form of a letter to an elected official, making recommendations about an environmental issue that concerns them.
Because schools have a wide range of writing programs, this lesson plan simply outlines the activity. You can align the activity with your writing program strategies.
Goals/Objectives:
Standards:
Writing Standards
Social Studies Standards
Vocabulary:
opinion
persuade
sustainability
natural resources
Activities
Introduce students to George Santayana's frequently quoted observation, "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." Teacher will ask students to discuss the meaning of the statement.
Ask students to reflect on the end of the Zapotec occupation of Monte Alban and what we can learn from the city's collapse. Are we using our natural resources in a sustainable way? Make a class list of natural resources that are under threat.
Have students research and write about a topic that concerns them. Explain that they will be sending their essays to an elected representative in the form of a letter. Use your school writing program curriculum for persuasive essay composition. If you need further resources, Scholastic has an online module on persuasive writing. Click here to access the module.
Evaluation
Use writing program rubric to assess student work.
Extension/Alternate Activity
If students have not yet been introduced to persuasive essay writing, they could write informational essays about Zapotec history and culture. There are many Zapotec archaeological sites in the state of Oaxaca to research. Another option would be to broaden the research to other Mesoamerican cultures.
Because schools have a wide range of writing programs, this lesson plan simply outlines the activity. You can align the activity with your writing program strategies.
Goals/Objectives:
- Students will compose a multi-paragraph essay to argue for a solution to a serious issue.
- Students will understand the effects geography has had Zapotec society, including their development of urban centers, food, clothing, industry, agriculture, shelter, trade, and other aspects of culture.
- Students will understand how the physical characteristics of their land influenced Zapotec culture.
- Students will understand how environmental changes affected Zapotec culture.
- Students will relate the challenges Zapotec's faced with current environmental issues.
Standards:
Writing Standards
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.4.1 Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons and information.
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.4.1a Introduce a topic or text clearly, state an opinion, and create an organizational structure in which related ideas are grouped to support the writer’s purpose.
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.4.1b Provide reasons that are supported by facts and details.
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.4.1c Link opinion and reasons using words and phrases (e.g., for instance, in order to, in addition).
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.4.1d Provide a concluding statement or section related to the opinion presented.
Social Studies Standards
- History Standard 7A: The student understands the cultures and historical developments of selected societies in such places as Africa, the Americas, Asia and Europe. (NCHS)
- Geography Standard 4: The student understands the physical and human characteristics of places. (NGX)
- Geography Standard 6: The student understands how culture and experience influence people’s perceptions of places and regions. (NGX)
- Geography Standard 15: The student understands how physical systems affect human systems. (NGX)
Vocabulary:
opinion
persuade
sustainability
natural resources
Activities
Introduce students to George Santayana's frequently quoted observation, "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." Teacher will ask students to discuss the meaning of the statement.
Ask students to reflect on the end of the Zapotec occupation of Monte Alban and what we can learn from the city's collapse. Are we using our natural resources in a sustainable way? Make a class list of natural resources that are under threat.
Have students research and write about a topic that concerns them. Explain that they will be sending their essays to an elected representative in the form of a letter. Use your school writing program curriculum for persuasive essay composition. If you need further resources, Scholastic has an online module on persuasive writing. Click here to access the module.
Evaluation
Use writing program rubric to assess student work.
Extension/Alternate Activity
If students have not yet been introduced to persuasive essay writing, they could write informational essays about Zapotec history and culture. There are many Zapotec archaeological sites in the state of Oaxaca to research. Another option would be to broaden the research to other Mesoamerican cultures.