Writing essays suggesting solutions to problems

Subject: English

Topic: Writing essays suggesting solutions to problems

Grade: 11

Teacher: Natalia Kytsia

Stage 1 – Desired Results

ESTABLISHED GOALS 

Ensure all students are capable and confident leaners who are well-equipped to understand the writing essays suggesting solutions to problems

Transfer

Students will be able to independently use their learning to…

- write an essay suggesting solutions to the problem;

- produce a piece of writing that demonstrates a command of the conventions of spelling, capitalization, punctuation, grammar, usage, and sentence structure;

- evaluate the connection between different points-of-view.

Meaning

UNDERSTANDINGS 

Students will understand the importance of accurately expressing their ideas on paper.

Students will understand to explain their solutions clearly.

Students will understand how to describe the problem and explain why it needs to be solved.

Students will understand the key parts of an essay suggesting solutions to the problem.

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS

How do people overcome problems? 

What is the specific problem that you or your colleagues are concerned about?

What are the causes of the problem?

What are the disadvantages or downsides to the solution? Do the disadvantages

outweigh the advantages?

What specific steps are necessary to implement the solution? What’s the first step?
What are the key parts of an essay suggesting solutions to the problem?

How do you write an introduction?

In what part should you give your suggestions with their expected results?

Explain the importance of a conclusion.

What phrases can you use to express cause?

What phrases can you use to express effect?

What phrases can you use to express purpose?

What phrases can you use to express possibility/probability?

How does using different sentence formulas and types make you writing interesting?

How can you use writing an essay suggesting solutions to the problem to achieve your goals?

Acquisition

Students will know

- how to write an essay suggesting solutions to the problem;

- how to write discursive essay in formal style.

Students will be skilled at… 

- write an essay suggesting solutions to problems;

-write an essay that demonstrates a command of the conventions of spelling, capitalization, punctuation, grammar usage, and sentence structure;

- talk about the problems of young people;

- give opinion on the suggested solutions and results.

Stage 2 – Evidence and Assessment

Evaluative Criteria

Assessment Evidence

Evaluation criteria for an open-ended task with an extended response (own expression) in English for external independent assessment

*content

*text structure

*use of vocabulary

*use of grammar

PERFORMANCE TASK(S): 

The student will participate in discussions.

The student will write standard English accurately (including grammar, usage, punctuation, spelling, capitalizations).

The student will write an essay suggesting solutions to the problem (an introduction, a body, a conclusion).

OTHER EVIDENCE: 

discursive essay where you present the problem, its causes, and then suggest solutions

homework;

group discussions;

self-assessment through charting of goals and progress;

External independent evaluation.

Stage 3 – Learning Plan

Summary of Key Learning Events and Instruction

Essays Suggesting Solutions to Problems

An essay discussing problems and providing solutions is a type of discursive essay where you present the problem, its causes, and then suggest solutions, at the same time anticipating likely results or effects. An essay of this type consists of:

- an introduction in which you state the problem with its causes and current effects;

- a body in which you give your suggestions with their expected results;

- a conclusion in which you give a summary of your opinion.

 Work in groups.

Read the situation and discuss the problems. Give your opinion on the suggested solutions and results.

Hundreds and hundreds of teenagers regularly go out at the weekend. They spend their time in discos, talking to friends, smoking, drinking, etc. We all see them in the early morning hours, some of them barely able to walk. Binge drinking is obviously becoming a serious problem among teenagers. What might be done about it?

Describe the community you live in. Answer the questions and complete the table below.

Do you like living there?

In your opinion, what are the benefits of having a flat there?

Are there any problems you would like to point out?

In groups, choose one of the topics (1-8) and discuss it.

Complete the table ‘Problems. Solutions. Results’ above.

1 How can my generation make our home town a better place to live?

2 How to keep fit?

3 How to reduce violence among young people?

4 How can I improve my grades?

5 How to deal with the problem of young highly educated people leaving Ukraine?

6 How can I control my emotions?

7 What can we do to improve the quality of lives of our disabled citizens?

8 What can we do to prevent forest fires during the summer?

Reading and writing

Read the note from www.helium.com and write an essay of solving this problem.

How to stop a school bully

When I was at school bullies made it clear almost immediately they never liked me because I had the ability to speak two languages and I was clever.

Bullies try and get into your mind by intimidation and power in numbers. Bullies are cowards and are weak they hunt in packs in order to gain a reputation status that they believe makes them popular. Bullies can communicate within a school either during a break, toilets, mobiles and more and they can plan attacks on others or ways to cause as much mayhem as possible.

Bullies are not friends to people; they are like the devil in the mind and they try and get in there and poison you.

Discipline in the 60’s and before then was so good that people were too scared to commit any offence due to simple items like the cane and rulers. The humiliation of the class was enough to stop that behaviour and bullies are people who need tougher penalties.

I believe if you get a bully and teach them the right and wrong ways of their behaviour you can perhaps improve them. Leave them in jail for a day to experience the lifestyle and what is to come if they continue their behaviour.

This is easier said than done and how I dealt with the bullies was to ignore them when they spoke to me and tried to keep away. But when you are hurting all the time and too scared to visit a school you have to try and get support. As long as you’re telling people at least you’re trying.

My advice is to always tell someone you’re being bullied. Keep away from them and their friends and just go about life as normal and eventually they either get fed up or they get found out.

Bullies are cowards, bullies are weak and they are scared themselves.

I believe to stop them is to go above them and show your mental strength and do things the right way.

Experience pays and you need to learn that consequences have actions and if you do the right things, reporting the problems and avoiding them you have a better chance of becoming a better person afterwards.

Homework:

Write an essay suggesting solutions to the problem on one of the topics above. Use a formal style and appropriate transitional words / phrases.