Students arrange their materials, conduct research for their main idea statements, and write an initial draft of their cause-and-effect article. Students are going to: 
- examine techniques for writing a cause-and-effect article's introduction. 
- examine techniques for writing a cause-and-effect article's conclusion. 
- conduct independent research. 
- summarize the findings of their research. 
- compose their cause-and-effect articles' initial drafts. 
- listen to and respond to other students' writing.

- How can readers decide which information from what they hear, read, and see to believe? 
- How do literary and informational texts become meaningful to strategic readers? 
- How does interaction with text elicit thought and response? 
- What is the objective? 
- What is the true purpose of this text? 
- What makes writing clear and effective? 
- Why do authors write? 
- Who is the target audience? 
- What will appeal to the audience the most? 
- How can a reader find what they're looking for? 
- How can a reader determine whether a source is reliable?

- Author’s Purpose: The author’s intent is either to inform or teach someone about something, to entertain people, or to persuade or convince the audience to do or not do something. 
- Conclusion: The ending of the story or the summarization of ideas or closing argument in nonfictional texts. 
- Focus: The center of interest or attention. 
- Informational Text: Nonfiction, written primarily to convey factual information. Informational texts comprise the majority of printed material adults read (e.g., textbooks, newspapers, reports, directions, brochures, technical manuals, etc.). 
- Introduction: The first paragraph in an essay; introduces the topic and states the main idea. 
- Outline: A point form or list of short sentences that describe the action or major ideas in a written work. 
- Point of View: The angle from which the writer writes a piece, particularly in fiction. 
- Style: The manner of expression of a particular writer, produced by choice of words, grammatical structures, use of literary devices, and other language techniques. 
- Text Structure: The author’s method of organizing a text. 
- Works Cited: An alphabetical list of works cited, or works to which you have made reference.

- a large screen or way to show a class-viewing copy of “Dry Seasons: The Effects of Drought” http://go.hrw.com/eolang/pdfs/ch8-3.pdf or a similar article
- Criteria for Evaluating Web Sites ( http://www.classzone.com/books/research_guide/page_build.cfm?content=web_eval_criteria&state=none or something similar)
- a blackboard and/or an easel with a large sheet of chart paper and markers
- copies of Outline Editing Checklist (LW-6-3-2_Outline Editing Checklist)
- copies of a note-taking handout, such as a Cornell Notes template ( http://resources.chuh.org/literacy/CornellNoteTaking/Cornell%20Note-taking%20Template%20Blank.pdf or something similar)

- If students require extra assistance at this point in the writing process, it will be clear from reading the main idea statements.
- You can help students who might need more practice with these crucial skills by watching them as they locate and read sources. Students can review Criteria for Evaluating Web Sites at http://www.classzone.com/books/research_guide/page_build.cfm?content=web_eval_criteria&state=none if they feel they need more practice determining the quality of sources.
- It is possible to step in before students lose too much time if you are aware of what is going on with them at each point in the writing process.
- As other students start writing the introductions and conclusions for their articles, the group analysis of the outlines produced by the students will reveal who needs more assistance before starting to write.
- The preliminary versions of the articles and the corresponding bibliographies will demonstrate whether or not the class as a whole needs help with a particular topic, as well as whether or not any students specifically need your help.

Explicit instruction, modeling, scaffolding, and active engagement
W: From the outset of the unit, students are aware that they will compose an original piece of informational writing. They will conduct research on the subject, compile their material into an outline, and write their first draft during this lesson. 
H: To see an example of the main idea and its connections to every other section of the article, students first read an article about a topic that was not selected from the class list. 
E: Students discuss writing samples and get feedback on their work while working in groups. 
R: Students can learn the skills they need to apply to their writing and research by working with models in the classroom, in groups, and on their own. 
E: To ascertain whether they comprehend the process, students get the chance to practice writing introductions and conclusions and get feedback on their outlines. 
T: Students often work in groups before working individually, and they observe new activities modeled before working on them in groups. Students who are having trouble can get support from the teacher and other group members. 
O: By the time students are required to write the first draft of an informational article, they have already collected data, arranged it in an outline, read through several informational articles' introductions and conclusions, and written their own. 

Focus Question: What is the process for turning a main idea statement into a cause-and-effect article?

Part 1

Choose a topic from the class list that piques your interest and find an article about it. Present it to the class as an example of the article's main idea and how it links to and organizes the other sections. Go over these points with the class as a quick summary of the lesson that will be taught.

Inform the class that during this lesson, they will be writing the first draft of their cause-and-effect article. The article should include at least three sources and be between 450 and 600 words, or one and a half pages.

Before this class, students ought to have approved their main idea statements.

Discuss how to prepare their articles with them and display them in the classroom.

1. Obtain approval for a main idea statement.
2. Look into the main idea or focus.
3. Find and get approved for a minimum of three sources.
4. Arrange the research data into an outline and get the outline authorized.
5. Write the article's introduction and conclusion in paragraph form.
6. Write the first draft and the body paragraphs.
7. Give your classmates a copy of the draft.

Give students access to research facilities in the library, computer lab, or classroom, along with a minimum of two hours of class time, so that they can work with you or a librarian for support. Remind students of how to assess the quality of the sources they find when conducting research by using the document Criteria for Evaluating Web Sites (http://www.classzone.com/books/research_guide/page_build.cfm?content=web_eval_criteria&state=none) or the resources at http://thewritesource.com/judging_sources/. "Make sure to write down the information you need for your works-cited page before you start taking notes once you find a reliable source that you want to use." Once more, go over the works-cited format from a manual or the format your department or school uses; make sure students have copies of sample submissions that follow the guidelines.

"Please bring them to me for verification after you locate your sources and note the works-cited information for them. After that, carefully take notes. Once you have perused a page or so of content, jot down the key points that come to mind. Write your own words in the notes. If you use a direct quote from the source, make sure to cite it in your article by putting it in quotation marks and stating the source. You must cite the source of the quotation and enclose it in quotation marks if you use it in your article." (Please review plagiarism with students if they are unfamiliar with it or do not fully understand it.) Distribute note-taking worksheets to students, like this one:  http://resources.chuh.org/literacy/CornellNoteTaking/Cornell%20Note-taking%20Template%20Blank.pdf. Students can use the 2010 IRA/NCTE Student Interactive ReadWriteThink Notetaker if they have access to a computer. It can be found at https://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/student-interactives/readwritethink-notetaker-30055.html. Additionally, research tools are available at http://www.noodletools.com with a NoodleTools subscription.

Have the students then summarize their findings. Try to get them to complete some of this in class so you can assist them right away. Request that they finish their outlines in time for the upcoming class meeting. Remind them that an outline serves as a kind of blueprint and will assist them in creating their drafts. An outline can take many different shapes. Choose the kind of outline you want your students to finish and go over the guidelines with them. It might be helpful for students to consult page 3 of "Dry Seasons: The Effects of Drought" ( http://go.hrw.com/eolang/pdfs/ch8-3.pdf ), which you read during Lesson 1 and will refer to once more below, as they are writing a cause-and-effect article. This page provides a visual representation of the fundamental structure of a cause-and-effect essay.

Part 2

Ask students to get into small groups at the start of the following class period so they can read and discuss each other's outlines. Inform them that the following issues are what they should be on the lookout for, and give them the LW-6-3-2_Outline Editing Checklist as a guide:

There are some significant arguments against the main idea.
More major points are needed to back up the main idea statement in the article.
The order of the paragraphs is unclear.
The details are either given out of order within paragraphs or in the incorrect order overall.
The article needs more proof to support its claims.
Give students time in class to revise the outline, or at least a portion of it, so they can ask questions. For the following lesson, they ought to have their outlines prepared.

Read the introduction to "Dry Seasons: The Effects of Drought" as a class.

Have students explain the opening of the article. Talk about how writers should "hook" readers with their opening paragraphs. Talk about the various introduction techniques, such as factual, descriptive, narrative, and quotation. If necessary, give examples of various introduction formats and talk about how the kind of introduction a writer chooses will depend, in part, on the audience they are writing for.

After that, assign students to write an introduction paragraph in class and encourage them to consider how they might start their articles.

Use the time to visit desks to check outlines while students are writing and debating.

After that, assign the students to read "Dry Seasons: The Effects of Drought" to the end. Find out from them how the author wraps up the piece by restating the essential ideas and incorporating a thought-provoking quote. Inform them that while the conclusion should restate the primary idea, it should also consider how the subject matters to the reader personally. Just as fascinating as the introduction can and should be the conclusion. Ending with a story, a poignant question, a quote, or a prediction are a few techniques that can be helpful.

Inform students that the last paragraph of their articles must contain a minimum of three or four sentences.

After brainstorming ideas for the conclusion in groups and briefly discussing it as a class, assign them to write the conclusion paragraph for their articles once more. At the end of class, every outline should have been approved or suggestions for improvement made. Inform students who may require additional drafting that you will see them in the upcoming class period. Students should have their outlines ready for that session, along with their introduction and conclusion paragraphs.

Part 3

Students will work on the first draft of their articles during the next class period. Outline "Dry Seasons: The Effects of Drought" to assist students with the article's body. This will show them how specific supporting paragraphs provide evidence to elucidate or bolster the main idea statement's supporting "effect" points. Provide more examples if necessary.

As students work on their initial drafts, assist those who are still struggling with their outlines. Utilize the remaining time to review the introductions and conclusions that these students have drawn after they have finished their drafts.

Request that students prepare their works-cited list and initial drafts for the following class period.

Extension:

Have students work with you or a partner to outline their research, and emphasize that the outline is just an organizing tool that helps them see how their article fits together.

Students should compare the points in their outline with the main idea statement to ensure that each one is appropriate. Then, they should think about where the points belong in the article.

By enumerating the key features of a sample informative article they have read in class, students can practice outlining.