Lesson 14: A Raisin in the Sun, Argumentative Writing, Part 2

Have students take out their argument and counterclaim drafts from Lesson 13. Use this routine to reconnect students to the counterclaim work from Lesson 13 and to frame today’s lesson as the final step toward a complete draft.

Turn-and-Talk

• Say: In Lesson 13, we drafted counterclaims and rebuttals about how best to address the damage caused by redlining. Today, we are finishing that argument by writing a conclusion that explains why our evidence matters and by revising drafts to be more formal and precise. We are still answering our unit question about what happens when systems stand in the way of people’s dreams.

Say these Directions: Take a moment to review the following prompt, then turn to a partner to respond. Partner A, share first. Partner B, listen for one idea you want to build on. Then switch.

• Ask: What is the purpose of a conclusion? What makes a strong conclusion?

  • A strong conclusion does not just copy the claim. It reminds the reader of the claim in new words and explains the bigger meaning of the evidence, like why housing discrimination matters for fairness and opportunity.

After one to two minutes, invite students to share their answers with the class.

Connection to Today’s Learning

• Say: Now that you have named what a strong ending should do, you are ready to study how formal argument writing sounds, and how a conclusion can leave a reader thinking.

Use this Language Study to help students hear the difference between informal and formal language before they revise their own drafts.

Language Study

Display p. 91, and direct students to read Mama’s line, “She went out and she bought you a house!”

Say these Directions: Compare how two sentences use informal and formal language to analyze the same line of dialogue.

Target Sentence: MAMA: “She went out and she bought you a house!”

Sentence 1, Informal: Mama’s buying the house is a big deal because the system was really unfair to Black families. That’s why she sounds so excited and nervous.

Sentence 2, Formal: Mama's decision to buy the house is significant because housing systems had additional barriers for Black families. Overcoming these barriers makes Mama excited and nervous.

Teach: Informal and Formal Language

• Say: Formal style is not about sounding fancy; it is about making the idea clearer and more exact for a reader. When I revise for formal style, I ask myself whether my words are specific, exact, and strong enough for my audience.

• Ask: Which words in the formal version make the sentence sound more precise, and why?

  • The word significant and the phrase “additional barriers for Black families” make it sound more formal because they clearly name the problem. They are more specific than saying that something is a “big deal” or “really unfair.” The second sentence ties Mama’s excitement more precisely to the reason for it.

• Ask: What differences do you notice between these two sentences?

  • Informal: The government should fix this because Black families got ripped off for a long time.

  • Formal: The government should help repair this harm because Black families were systematically overcharged and excluded from fair housing opportunities.

• Ask: What changed between the informal and formal versions besides the length?

  • The formal version uses exact language to describe the kind of harm. Instead of saying families “got ripped off,” which is slang, it says they “were systematically overcharged and excluded,” which is specific and verifiable.

Connection to Today’s Learning

• Say: You are now ready to use formal style in your own drafts as you write a conclusion and revise earlier sentences.

Part A: Drafting a Conclusion That Matters (W.7.1.e) (15 minutes)

Students will first study a strong model conclusion, then draft their own conclusion using evidence from the play and article. Reserve enough time for students to have 5–10 minutes of writing time.

Modeled Writing

• Say: A strong conclusion does three things.

  • First, it restates the claim in different words, not copying the introduction.

  • Next, it brings the evidence back together so the reader sees the bigger pattern.

  • Finally, it explains why the argument matters beyond one example by connecting it to fairness, dignity, and opportunity.

Say these Directions: Read the following conclusion and identify the purpose of each sentence: Does it restate the claim, show a pattern, or explain why the argument matters?

Model Conclusion:

“In the end, the government should help repair the damage caused by redlining because the harm was created by policies, not by individual failure. The NPR article shows that Black families were blocked from fair homeownership and often forced to pay more, and A Raisin in the Sun shows what that pressure looked like inside one family as Mama risks everything to buy a house. Together, these examples reveal that housing discrimination shaped safety, dignity, and wealth across generations. Repairing that damage matters because a fair chance at opportunity should not depend on race or neighborhood. When systems create inequality, communities and governments both have a responsibility to change them.”

• Ask: How does this conclusion do more than repeat the thesis?

  • It connects the NPR article and the play, and then it explains that the issue matters because housing discrimination affected dignity and opportunity across generations.

Say these Directions: Use the model introduction, evidence and counterclaim-and-rebuttal draft to help draft a conclusion.

After you write a draft of your conclusion, use this Self-Assessment Checklist to review your conclusion:

☐ I restated my claim in different words from my introduction.

☐ I connected evidence from the article and/or the play back to my claim.

☐ I explained why the argument matters beyond one example.

My next step is: __________________________________

Part B: Revising for Formal Style (W.7.1.d) (15 minutes)

Students use partner feedback to identify casual or vague language, then revise at least three words or phrases in their own drafts. Reserve enough time for students to have 10 minutes of feedback and revision time, if possible.

Think-Pair-Share

Say these Directions: Read the following sentences. Which would you consider more casual, and which would you consider to be more formal or academic? Which words or phrases make that distinction clear?

Sentence 1: The government should fix this because Black families got ripped off and kept getting pushed around.

Sentence 2: The government should address this harm because Black families were economically exploited and systematically excluded from fair housing opportunities.

Teach: Writing with Formal Language

• Say: I am not changing the writer’s idea here; I am changing the register. In other words, I am using language that is appropriate for the specific purpose and audience. I am making it sound less informal and more formal or academic. The revision replaces “got ripped off” with “were economically exploited” and replaces “kept getting pushed around” with “systematically excluded” so that the sentence becomes more precise and formal. Strong revision keeps the meaning but sharpens the language. This is how writers sound credible without losing the force of the argument.

• Ask: What changed in the revised sentence (Sentence 2) besides the length?

  • The revised sentence uses exact academic language instead of casual phrases. It names the kind of harm more clearly by saying “economically exploited and systematically excluded.”

• Say: Notice that the meaning isn’t changed in the revision. The revised sentence is changed to be more specific and to use academic, or formal, language. Your feedback and revisions today should have the same goals.

Say these Directions: Read your draft conclusion to yourself. Circle any words or phrases that sound casual, vague, or too much like everyday conversation. Work with your partner on how to make your language more formal and precise. When both you and your partner have had the chance to provide and receive feedback, revise one or more sentences in your draft.

Lesson 14 Writing Rubric: Argument Paragraph — Evidence & Conclusion

Writing prompt: Write an argument paragraph that supports a claim with relevant evidence and a strong concluding statement that explains why equitable opportunity matters. The conclusion should follow from the evidence, not just restate the claim.

Provide students with a confidence continuum (i.e., 1–5). As needed, model how to demonstrate a level of confidence using the continuum.

Use the Quick Write to help students reflect on how conclusion writing and style revision strengthened their overall argument.

Quick Write

Say these Directions: Think about how your conclusion and style revisions improved your writing. Then write a short response that answers the following prompt.

• Ask: What strengthened your writing today, and why?

  • Revising for formal style strengthened my writing because it made my ideas sound clearer and more serious. In my conclusion, I wrote, “Repairing that damage matters because a fair chance at opportunity should not depend on race or neighborhood.” I also changed “got ripped off” to “were economically exploited.” Those changes make my writing sound more precise and help the reader trust my reasoning.

Instruct students to complete their argument drafts. Students should check that they have completed the following:

• A conclusion

• At least three revisions for formal style