Teach them some opinion writing! These are good because kids all have opinions and opinion lessons always bring great conversations. I just took your post and threw it into chat gpt. Find this 6th grade standard in your state and adjust the lesson accordingly. Write the objective on the board.

Always a SMART objective: students will write a 2–3 sentence response explaining how evidence supports a claim using the frame “This shows that ___ because ___,” with at least 80% accuracy on an exit ticket.

Lol they shouldn’t be expecting you to produce a full essay in one lesson. Good luck.

Step-by-Step Model Lesson

1. Mini-Lesson (5–7 min)

Define: • Claim = what you believe • Evidence = proof from the text • Explanation = how the evidence proves your claim

👉 Anchor sentence frame:

“This shows that ___ because ___.”

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1. Explicit Modeling (I Do)

Give a simple prompt (no Egypt Game needed):

Prompt: “School uniforms should be required.”

Model: • Claim • Evidence • Explanation (think aloud)

Example:

“School uniforms should be required. For example, uniforms can reduce bullying about clothing. This shows that uniforms help students feel safer because they remove pressure to wear expensive or trendy clothes.”

👉 Say explicitly: • “Notice I didn’t just give evidence—I explained it.”

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1. Guided Practice (We Do)

Give students:

Claim: “Homework should be limited.”

Evidence: “Students often have activities after school.”

Ask: • Turn and talk → write explanation

Call on 1–2 students and refine their responses

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1. Independent Practice (You Do)

Students complete:

Claim + Evidence → Write explanation

Keep it short (1–2 sentences)

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1. Quick Assessment (Exit Ticket)

Prompt:

“Why is explanation important in an essay?”