Friday, September 28th

1. Review THESIS/CLAIM statements.

2. As a group, indicate whether each thesis statement below is good or not. Discuss what would be the research question that the statement is answering. Explain why it is a good or a bad thesis, using the checklist, formula, etc.  If it is not an effective thesis, work on rewriting it as a group.

THESIS EXAMPLES:

• This essay will examine the effects of prohibiting fishing in the Otonabee River during spawning season.
• The development of steel was very important in the growth of a distinctively new architecture both in Europe and in North America.
• Every socioeconomic group in North America has suffered adverse effects from the growth of technology over the past century and a half.
• Both in terms of major energy production, such as the generation of electricity for cities, and in terms of localized energy needs, such as the fuel for a single automobile, hydrogen is the power source of the future.
• Shakespeare’s King Lear is pervaded by images of animals, of torture, and of clothing. 

2. When you are done as a group, you will individually need to write a research question and the coinciding thesis/claim for the following subjects. Once you have written your thesis, go over the checklist and post WHY it is, indeed, a thesis.
 Post in Schoology by 7:30 AM on Monday, October 1st.

• Professional Athlete Salaries 
• Social media
• Public libraries
• Vaping 

3. You will have a QUIZ over the following on MONDAY: Art of communication, Bloom's taxonomy, InSIGHT annotation, Ethos, pathos, logos, Socratic seminars, types of communication, Steps 1-4 of writing.

Wednesday/Thursday, September 26th/27th

1. Step 3 of Writing- Breaking Down the Topic is due today. You should have broken down each topic to a manageable size. Label these clearly.

STEP 4 of Writing: Writing a THESIS OR CLAIM. 

Definition of THESIS: arguable main idea of a paper or paragraph

Purpose of Step 4: to provide analysis and argument of a topic, as well as providing a clear road map for the writer and the reader. 

Formula of a thesis: Subject + Attitude or Belief about this subject + Blueprint = Thesis

Other thesis formula options: 

By examining _____, it is clear that ______. 

Although researchers believe/ or have argued ________, closer examination shows _________. 

Checklist for evaluating a thesis:

1. Is the thesis/claim debatable? 

2. Does it answer an intellectual question? 

3. It is not a statement of fact (consider the audience). 

4.  Does it clearly point the direction of the argument (limiting it scope).

5. Is the language vivid and clear?

6. Is the point I’m making one that would generate discussion and argument, or is it one that would leave people asking, “So what?” (does it pass the "how" and "why" test?)
7. Does it use an active verb? (Avoids "Be Verbs... is, are, am, were)

To assist in knowing how to approach a subject in order to make a claim about the material, you can utilize one of these four types of claims:

Types of claims:

Claims typically fall into one of four categories. Thinking about how you want to approach your topic, in other words what type of claim you want to make, is one way to focus your thesis on one particular aspect of your broader topic.

1. Claims of fact or definition: These claims argue about what the definition of something is or whether something is a settled fact. Example:

• What some people refer to as global warming is actually nothing more than normal, long-term cycles of climate change.

2. Claims of cause and effect: These claims argue that one person, thing, or event caused another thing or event to occur. Example:

• The popularity of SUVs in America has caused pollution to increase.

3. Claims about value: These are claims made of what something is worth, whether we value it or not, how we would rate or categorize something. Example:

• Global warming is the most pressing challenge facing the world today.

4. Claims about solutions or policies: These are claims that argue for or against a certain solution or policy approach to a problem. Example:

• Instead of drilling for oil in Alaska we should be focusing on ways to reduce oil consumption, such as researching renewable energy sources

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3.  Review through the material in the following link: Indiana University- Thesis Statements
Supplement your current notes. This will talk you through the process of developing a topic, through identifying a strong or weak thesis statement.

4. You will be getting into small groups. In your group you need to work through the following:

•  Discuss the strengths of the following thesis statements: 

Examples of good thesis statements:

• "The ability to purchase television advertising is essential for any candidate's bid for election to the Senate because television reaches millions of people and thus has the ability to dramatically increase name recognition."
• The organizational structure of the United Nations, namely consensus voting in the security council, makes it incapable of preventing war between major powers.

FOR FRIDAY.... read and take notes over the following handout: 

Thesis Handout 

Tuesday, September 24th

1. Your 4 brainstorms are due today for STEP 2 of Writing.

We will go over the following in class today. Write down the following in your notes... :)

2. Step 3 of Writing is "Breaking Down the Topic".
The purpose of this step is to make the topic size match the paper size.

The process for this step is to take a topic that develops from your Brainstorm (Step 2), and carry it into Step 3. Your goal for this step is to make the topic size manageable for the amount you are expected to write. You are also looking at the hierarchy of ideas when it comes to the topic.

Think about writing a 5 page paper... World War II is too large for 5 pages. Needs to be broken down into something more manageable. ** Rule of thumb. How big would the book in the library be if you found it on that topic? If it is "book sized" it is too big for a small paper.

The TEMPLATE for STEP 3:
(1) What comes before the topic (larger issues/categories)
              |
         TOPIC
              |
(2)  What falls below the topic (smaller issues/categories)

An EXAMPLE for STEP 3

Teen experiences      Steps of education
                \                  |
               High School
                  |               \
              Activities      College/career prep
               |      |                            \               \
  Athletics    Academic           IB Courses    Technical Education

(Keep going until you have met a topic size that is appropriate for the size of your paper)

3. IN YOUR NOTES... Practice with the following two "practice" topics: 1. Lee's Summit. 2. History
This practice should be done IN YOUR NOTES.

4. For Wednesday/Thursday- Do Step 3 of Writing for EACH of your 4 chosen topics.
This will be 4 total.
Make sure to clearly label as step 3 these and DO NOT embed these in your notes.

Monday, September 24th

1. Introduction to Step 2 of Writing- Brainstorming.

Pick 4 topics... do a brainstorm for each. These will need to be broad topics... and you will need to do these on paper that you can turn in at the end of Boot Camp.

THESE TOPICS WILL FOLLOW YOU THROUGH THE REST OF THE STEPS OF WRITING. Pick wisely.

Rules of Formal Academic Writing.... Put these in your notes!

Friday, September 21st

1. If you have not done so already, please read and take notes over
the UNC Audience Awareness link that I posted on Wednesday/Thursday.

2. In Schoology, you will find the following assignment:

• In a study of audience awareness, you will need to open up TWITTER. 
• You will need to screen shot 4 Tweets that you feel will provide a good discussion for evaluating audience awareness. You will examine each Tweet in context of audience awareness. You will write an evaluation of each tweet. Please include the screen shot of each tweet with your evaluation. 
• Questions to consider are: Who is the audience? What is the context? What is the tone of the Tweet? What diction choices relate to the audience? What does the author of the Tweet seem to understand about his/her audience? Is this an effective execution of audience awareness or poor execution? 

3. When you are done, you will do a final reflection on Twitter and audience awareness. There is a discussion board posted in Schoology.

Wednesday/Thursday, September 19th/20th

CLASS:
1. Review the important aspects of Audience Awareness.

• Purpose
• Totem pole of Academia
• Checklist to consider for Audience Awareness. (Handout from Tuesday)

2. We are going to practice crafting a message, using audience awareness.

IN CLASS PRACTICE:
With a classmate, you will construct a group explanation of the car accident. Open one document, and share it with the other. You will each submit this document to Schoology.

You were in a slight, no-injury, car accident...
As a group, you will construct an explanation of the accident for three different audiences.. This will be in NARRATIVE FORM. You can use "I"... "You" for this exercise. I am not concerned about dialogue... or formatting. This is an informal practice exercise. I am most concern with you showing how you can differentiate between audiences... attending to their needs.
Be thoughtful of "What do they want?" and "What do they need?"
1. Your parents.
2. Your insurance company.
3. Your Best Friend.

Consider the purpose of communication AND audience awareness. What needs to be included? What needs to be omitted? What about the tone? What is the ultimate purpose for each audience?

Use your notes from last class period to craft your explanation.

For Friday:

1. Review and take notes on the Writing to an Academic Audience link...REALLY IMPORTANT!!! FOUND HERE:
UNC Writing Center: Audience Tips

2. To post in Schoology: pick THREE of your classes that you are enrolled currently.
    a. Imagine you have been assigned a 3 page paper on a subject that you are currently studying in each class.
    b. You are going to do a thorough analysis of what you think EACH teacher/audience will or will not want in the written communication from you..  This can be a list/bullet points.
    c. To consider when doing this analysis: The information found above (academic audience link) + questions to consider that I gave you  + your experience so far in that class + explicit references from the teacher + implied directions from the teacher
    d. Make sure that you consider the "stuff" you want back from the written communication, so you can make sure that you have a realistic expectation of what your communication needs to achieve.

EXAMPLE:
Characteristics you may mention:
Precise attention to grammar and mechanics.
Following citation guide to the letter.
Sources need to be strong and reputable.
Needs knowledge info... does not want knowledge level info..

Tuesday, September 18th

PICTURE DAY ON WEDNESDAY/THURSDAY THIS WEEK.

1. Take out your Audience Awareness notes/handout over 2 Obama speeches.

2. Get into small groups of 3 and discuss both speeches.  Emphasize what the audience wants and needs as you go through each question.  Please turn in your questions to the sub when your group is done discussing.

3. In Schoology, please respond to the prompt: What is your understanding of audience awareness when it comes to communication? Why do you think it is the first step of writing? What did you learn from President Obama about audience awareness. 

4. Read and take notes on the following information on Audience awareness. Put this in a place that you will easily be able to access this information.

Writing for an academic audience HANDOUT

Monday, September 17th

1. Introduction to the Art of Communication.

Induction into "Writing Boot Camp".

2. Step #1 of Writing: Audience Awareness:

Using the following handout, make a copy for yourself, and close mine.  You will use this handout as a guide to examine audience awareness of one speaker.

Audience Awareness Speech Evaluation Handout

Select one of the two following-

* President Obama's White House Correspondence Dinner Speech

* "Obama Out" Correspondence Dinner

Watch the following starting at minute 29.00

President Obama's- Rev. Pinckney's Funeral

Wednesday/Thursday, September 12/13

1. Ted Talk handout and 6 higher-level questions are due at the beginning of the hour.

2. Socratic seminar over article and Ted Talk.

- We will start our discussion about talking about critical thinking and questions.
- Because we have different Ted Talks, we are going to address the issue/argument that the Ted Talk proposes. Those who watched that talk will summarize the content, and then propose the questions to the whole group. We will do this for each Talk... and then work to see the common threads in the multiple talks and articles.

Due Friday:
Please turn in Socratic reflection sheet.
Socratic Seminar Sheet

Tuesday, September 11th

For today, you read and took InSIGHT notes on two current articles.

Select a Ted Talk from the choices below that complements one of the articles that you read/took notes on for today:

"Everyday Sexism"- Ted Talk
"Dare to Disagree"- Ted Talk
"Black Lives Matter and the Resistance"- Ted Talk"
Why I love a Country that Once Betrayed Me"- Ted Talk
"My Journey from Marine to Actor"- Ted Talk
"An Economic Case for Protecting the Planet"- Ted Talk

You will need to watch with your headphones on during class.. filling out the Ted Talk note taking sheet AND adding to your OWN notes using the InSIGHT method.

For Wednesday/Thursday:
You will need to complete your notes on one issue inspired from the 4 articles from Monday.

Please write 6 total upper-level Bloom's questions addressing the material, evidence, issue from both the article and the Ted Talk.  Use the Bloom's question stems to help you write questions.

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This date is significant in American History and representative of the best of the American/Human Spirit.... Please take some time to look through the stories that came out of the devastation and darkness. On this day, I think of a famous anecdote told by Fred Rogers (Mr. Rogers)...

"When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, 'Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.'"

911 Memorial Site

Pentagon Memorial Site

Flight 93 Memorial Site

CSPAN Video Clips- 9/11

       

September 10th

BRING HEADPHONES FOR TUESDAY. 

1. Review Bloom's Taxonomy, and its relationship to critical thinking.

2. InSIGHTS Annotation/ Note taking strategy

Remember the purpose for reading... 

The big idea is this: 

1. why we're doing the reading in the first place and

2. what we're going to do with the reading after we're done.

Handout found HERE: InSights Note Taking

3. Pick two of the following articles:

"Serena Williams is Calling Out Sexism. Here's Why"
"Big Message. Big Money: Is Nike Hurting Kaepernik's Message?"
"Plaid Shirt Guy dared to Question Trump"
"Climate Change Could Affect Human Evolution"

Read two of the articles, and using the InSIGHTS method, take thorough notes from each article.

Friday, September 7th

First READ: Becoming a Critic of Your Thinking
- Jot down ideas to discuss in class on Monday.

For today, you have examined the 10 images from the NY Times. 

1. Select 5 to examine closer. You will then need to write 3 Bloom's Taxonomy Questions PER image. You do not need to answer the question. I would like you to label the level of Bloom's you are attempting.  To do this, utilize the "Bloom's verbs" (found under Asking Questions links) and "Bloom's question stems" to help you write your questions.

2. Clearly label what picture you are examining, ALSO EXPLAIN how this question connects to the Bloom's level.
Write your questions, and submit to Schoology BY Monday. Please utilize the MLA heading on the top of your document. (Example is found under Important Links).

Wednesday/Thursday September 5th/6th

1. Review Bloom's Taxonomy-  Higher order thinking.

2. Discuss examples of assignments and their Bloom's order.

3. Watch "How to Ask Good Questions: TED- The Art of Questions

4. Open the "Intriguing Images" link FOUND HERE: Intriguing Images- NY TIMES
 Examine the 10 images. Use the 6 general critical thinking questions to get you to dig into the pictures.

Tuesday, September 4th

From President Obama's eulogy at Senator McCain's service: 

" . . . We saw this country as a place where anything is possible. And citizenship as an obligation to ensure it forever remains that way. More than once during his career John drew comparisons to Teddy Roosevelt. I am sure it has been noted that Roosevelt's "Man in the Arena" seems tailored to John. Most of you know it, Roosevelt speaks of those who strive, who dare to do great things, who sometimes win and sometimes come up short but always relish a good fight. A contrast to those cold, timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat. Isn't that the spirit we celebrate this week? That striving to be better, to do better, to be worthy of the great inheritance that our founders bestowed."

The Art of Questioning

Is it better to have a broad knowledge base or a deep knowledge base? 

We have started our journey into inquiry/questioning. After watching "Why Do We Ask Questions", and being introduced to Bloom's Taxonomy...

Why Do We Ask Questions- Ted Talk

For Wednesday/Thursday: 

1. In your notes please pick 5 assignments/activities we have done in the first 3 weeks of school and identify the level of Bloom's Taxonomy that the assignment asks the student to employ and explain how you connect the assignment to the level.

2. Be reviewing the 6 levels of Bloom's Taxonomy... Notice the verbs in the lightbulb!