Thursday, October 11th

55 Incredible Photos of Girls Going to School around the World

Application day!!

We are going to put Steps 1-6 of Writing in to practice. You will be building a "paper" from the ground up. You will not be writing the full paper. We are just practicing the paper process up through the Extended Paragraph Structure from the following question:

Should punishment or should rehabilitation be the main purpose of prison? Why? 

1. First, we will be watching a 60 Minutes interview to get you thinking about your approach to your argument. You will want to take notes to help you have evidence for BOTH SIDES for Step 6 of Writing.
Pelican Bay- 60 Minutes Video  (VIDEO DOESN'T WORK)

UPDATE... Depending on if your CB lets you watch the video, here are some alternatives:

Prisoners Enrolled in One of the Toughest Rehab Programs... VIDEO
OR
Punishment Fails. Rehabilitation Works- NY Times .... ARTICLE
OR
The Economic Impact of Rehabilitation....  ARTICLE

2. Second, you will read an article about Arizona's tent jail. NPR- Tent City Prisons. Again, you will want to take notes for both sides of the argument to help you with evidence for Step 6. 

3. You will then, knowing you are writing to a formal audience (Step 1), Brainstorm... Breakdown the topic.... Thesis.... Basic Paragraph Structure. . . Extended Paragraph Structure.

For your warrants on the extended paragraph structure- just bullet point your connection
For backing on the extended paragraph structure- just write "backing" for now.
For your transitions on the extended paragraph structure- just write "transition" for now. 

PLEASE NOTE: 

For this exercise- REASON #1 and accompanying examples for your Basic Paragraph Structure/Extended Paragraph Structure will be your COUNTERCLAIM (opposite side or stance). So, if you are arguing for punishment... Reason 1 will address rehabilitation.  If you are arguing for rehabilitation, reason 1 will address punishment. 

FOR MONDAY: 

1, You will turn in all 5 Steps of Writing (2-6). Steps 2-5 can be handwritten. Please type up your extended paragraph structure and print it off for class on MONDAY. Staple everything together.

2. For Monday, have read through Chapter 16 in Last Lecture. Remember to be taking active notes as you read. You will have a group discussion on Monday over the first 16 chapters.

Upcoming Schedule: 
Monday, October 15th: Group discussion- Last Lecture
Tuesday, October 16th: Step 7 of Writing
Wednesday, October 17th: Half-day P/T Conferences
Monday, October 22nd: Group discussion- Last Lecture 
Tuesday, October 23rd: Step 8 of Writing
Wednesday/Thursday, October 24th/25th: LMC Presentation on Sources
Friday, October 26th: Step 9 of Writing (Last Step)

Tuesday, October 9th

Step 6 of Writing: Extended "paragraph" structure
** Notice Step 5 has been lightly highlighted.

 I: Thesis/Claim: 
                    A. Supporting point #1 (Broad point... written as a topic sentence)
                                   1.  Example #1
                                          -warrant
                                         - backing
                                         - transition
                                   2. Example #2
                                         - warrant
                                         - backing
                                         - transition 
                    B. Supporting point #2 (Broad point... written as a topic sentence)
                                   1. Example #1
                                          -warrant
                                          - backing
                                          - transition
                                   2. Example #2
                                          -warrant
                                         - backing
                                         - transition
                   C. Supporting point #3 (Broad point.... written as a topic sentence)
                                 1. Example #1
                                         - warrant
                                         - backing
                                        - transition 
                                2. Example #2
                                          - warrant
                                         - backing
                                         - transition 

Things to note:
1. Number of examples is not a fixed formula.
2. Transitions do not have to be written out in this step. This serves as a reminder of where they will go.
3. As we evolve, warrants won't be written out in outlining... you will just know they have to always follow evidence.

TERMS: 
Claim- argumentative/ analytic stance on specific topic.

Warrant- the explanation of how your evidence connects back to your claim

Backing- Additional justification for the warrant. Secondary sources usually fill this role.

Counterclaim- Acknowledgement of opposition position.

Rebuttal- Response to the opposition's position.

PRACTICE: 
Respond to the following prompt: Should LSN continue All-School Testing Day?

1. Write answer out as a thesis. 
2. Do Step 5 of Writing.
3. Do Step 6 of Writing. 

• Briefly jot out warrant.
• Write the words "backing" and "transition" as place holders knowing these will come. 
• Consider where your counterclaim will logically appear. 

FOR THURSDAY:
1. Read through Chapter 10 in The Last Lecture.

Monday, October 8th

1. Step 4 of Writing needs to be done for your 4 Boot Camp topics.

2. Step 5 of Writing: Basic "Paragraph" Structure

3. Continue video "Last Lecture".

For Tuesday:
Do Step 5 for all 4 Boot Camp topics. Clearly label.

For Thursday:

Read through Chapter 10 in Last Lecture. 

Friday, October 5th

1. You have submitted your 5 revised thesis statements for a grade today.

2. For Monday, please have a thesis written for each of your Boot Camp topics. Remember these? We will be moving on to Step 5 of Writing on Monday.

As we are finishing up Boot Camp over the next two weeks, we are going to pair this with our first reading.

Please read the first 4 chapters of Randy Pausch's Last Lecture found HERE: Last Lecture

In class we are going to start watching the lecture that inspired the book:
Randy Pausch "Last Lecture"

While you are BOTH watching and reading, you need to start collecting notes/ideas/thoughts.
Use strategies that have been presented in this class so far:

• What did I learn/What do I think?
• InSIGHTS note taking. 
• Brainstorming
• Breaking down/up the topic

These texts are going to be utilized later, so make sure that you are developing ideas and evidence.

Wednesday/Thursday, October 3rd/4th

1. Review the 10 thesis statements on the following handout as a small group.  You will collect notes as a group on each statement. 

Identify if they are strong or weak.. .and why? What is the type of claim that is being used? What type of claim would be better utilized? You will, as a group, rewrite the weak thesis statements. You will turn in a GROUP NOTES/ REWRITES to me. 

Thesis Practice Handout

2. After you have gone over the 10 practice thesis statements, take out your 5 thesis statements on 5 separate topics. You will be going through all of your thesis statements as a group. This is going to require some vulnerability as we get feedback back from our peers. Take notes on the feedback you have received. Use it to revise thesis statements for Friday.

3. NoRedInk.com
* You will be taking the Grammar/Mechanics Diagnostic test in NoRedInk.com. You need to try your best on each of these questions.

Please join your specific class hour.

4th Hour: Noredink.com Invite Link

5th Hour: Noredink.com Invite Link

6th Hour: Noredink.com Invite Link

7th Hour: Noredink.com Invite Link

FOR FRIDAY: 
1. Finish the diagnostic quiz (today) if possible, and if you haven't already.
2. Revise your 5 thesis statements and post on Schoology by Friday.

Tuesday, October 2nd

Review:
1. Quiz- 1st quarter review quiz in Schoology.

2. Please submit your TWO summer reading assignments to Schoology. Long story. Separate them into your annotations and your 3 critical questions. Submit the separate assignments to Schoology postings. (sigh)

4. Thesis review:

Thesis: Arguable statement which is the main idea of your paper/paragraph

Formula: Subject + Attitude/Belief +(because) Blueprint = Thesis

Thesis Checklist:

• Answer to an intellectual question (research question)
• Must be arguable/debatable (not a statement of fact)
• Points the direction of argument (how and why?)
• Passes the "so what" test
• Language is vivid and clear
• Avoids "be verbs" ... uses active verbs. 

Types of Claims- These will help you address a subject in an effective manner.
Purdue OWL Thesis/Claims

5. Practice thesis writing. In your notes, using the types of claims notes, formula, and then the checklist, write a thesis for each of the following topics.

Remember to write the research question first... the types of claims and/or Bloom's question stems can help you approach these topics.

Kansas City Sports
Iphones
Friendship
High School Activities
Happiness

4. When you are done, go through the checklist to make sure that you have addressed all components of a strong thesis. Look over the formula... do you have all three components? Write down what type of claim you are using for each thesis... is it cause and effect? Definition? Value? etc.?

Have these in your notes for Wednesday/Thursday.

October 1st

QUIZ HAS BEEN POSTPONED UNTIL TUESDAY~ 

Thesis Writing.... Got to Care!

1. Remember, the ultimate aspect of success in thesis/claim writing comes from the care in which you approach the content. You must start caring and forming opinions about the world around you! Therefore, read the following articles. Please note the opinions of the authors do not necessarily reflect my own.. the purpose of these specific articles are to engage your opinions on timely subjects.

No One Cares About Climate Change

Average Cost of Raising a Child

Emma Watson- WP

Why India's Narendra Modi

2. For each article, draw a t-chart in your notes and on one side take notes on WHAT YOU LEARNED and on the other side write WHAT YOU THINK.

This is, of course, is a style of higher level annotation where you are not only keeping track of new information... but also starting to form opinions about what you are reading!!  As you are gathering the "what"... you are starting to think of the "why" and "how".

Be thinking about the formula of the thesis/claim and the checklist as you are doing this activity.

2. When you have finished this, you will need to EACH of your thesis statements for each article to Schoology.