Integrating Quotes Lesson

A lesson plan that combines Colbert and Wheat Thins to teach one of the most difficult-to-teach skills in argumentative writing: smoothly integrating quotes and evidence.

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**Note**

This lesson is included in the following bundles at a discounted price:

• Full Argumentative Writing Unit Plan
• Research Lesson Bundle
• Organization and Structure Bundle (for Argumentative Writing)

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I GO CRAZY when students just slap a quote the middle of their writing with no intro and no analysis.

Because I’ll just be innocently reading along and BAM. “80% of all teenagers say they love chicken.” And then the paper just continues on like nothing just happened.

It’s as if you’re sitting in a meeting and then out of nowhere someone (aka, the quote) bursts into the room, word-vomits a random fact, and then disappears.

Like, what?

Another way of putting it: you can’t just throw bread, mayo, and meat onto the table and call it a sandwich.

It’s just a collection of food.

This lesson takes students through identifying 4 parts of that quote “sandwich”:

1. The lead-in statement (“According to…”)
2. The quote
3. The in-text citation
4. The reasoning (or analysis)

Then uses a (miraculously politically-neutral) Colbert clip about a memo from Wheat Thins to show students examples of the quote sandwich in action.

No more sudden screaming of facts, only smoothly integrated quotes. We hope.

This lesson plan includes:

• Content standards
• Language standards
• 1 detailed lesson plan
• 1 Editable handout accompanying the lesson plan
• Powerpoint slides for the lesson

**Note**

This lesson is included in the following bundles at a discounted price:

• Full Argumentative Writing Unit Plan
• Research Lesson Bundle
• Organization and Structure Bundle (for Argumentative Writing)

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You may also be interested in these other argumentative writing products:

Bundles:

• Revising, Editing, and Peer Feedback Pack(for Argumentative Writing)
• Brainstorming and Outlining Bundle (for Argumentative Writing)
• Full Argumentative Writing Unit Plan

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• Argumentative Outline Lesson
• Brainstorming a Choice Topic for Argumentative Writing
• Claims, Evidence, Reasoning Lesson Plan
• Counterargument Lesson Plan
• Editing Stations - Argumentative Writing
• Evaluating Reliable Sources
• Integrating Quotes Lesson
• Should You Quote or Paraphrase? Lesson Plan