Revise/Post Articles and Opinion Forum Prep

1. Niko Opening Moment

2. Check out my comments on your Editorial Article- revise, add sources, and post your articles to the NYT contest website.

3. Begin working on response sheet for our SAT Opinion Forum next class
Rubric for Opinion Forum

HW: Response Sheet

Should Colleges Ban Fraternities?

1. Sommer Opening Moment

2. Should Colleges Ban Fraternities?

Read the following NYT article and answer three of the below questions on your blog: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/11/education/after-students-hazing-related-deaths-fraternity-eliminates-tradition-of-pledging.html

— Do you want to join a fraternity or sorority? Why or why not?

— What do you think fraternities could do to police themselves? Is what Sigma Alpha Epsilon doing enough?

— What do you think of the argument the student in this excerpt makes — that rituals like pledging build the most committed members of the organization? What are some of the positive things fraternities do?

— What do you think would be lost if there were no fraternities on college campuses? What might be gained? Would banning fraternities substantially lessen problems like sexual violence and alcohol-fueled injuries and deaths on college campuses or not?

— How should colleges respond to bad behavior by fraternity brothers? Do you think they should ban fraternities entirely? In 2011, the Room for Debate blog asked that question and several experts answered. With whom do you most agree?

3. Editorial Finishing Touches

Do you have a title?

Are paragraphs short? 

Do you have any unnecessary words/details that could be omitted?

Read aloud to a partner to see if you can catch any mistakes!

Editorial Breakdown- What goes into writing and editorial?

1. Cam Opening Moment

2. Read the opinion article We Need More Tests, Not Fewer. Each group will be responsible for keeping track of a different element of the editorial- please do this as a comment on today's blog posting!

Group 1 (Adam, Cam, Sommer) : Background information

Group 2 (Niko, Spencer, Chanler): Author's opinion and facts to support it

Group 3 (Michael, Paul, Ben): Opposing Argument and facts to challenge it

Group 4 (Cody, Kyle, Sydney, Chanler B): Call to action

3. Editorial Revision

Writing Day

1. Adam Opening Moment

2. Review Editorial Rubric

3. Work Period: Rough Drafts OR Senior Project Proposal

HW: Rough Draft due Tuesday

Analyzing Editorials

1. Chandler B Opening Moment

2. Thumbnail Editorials

3. Analyzing Editorials: Choose one of the following NYT opinion pieces and complete the analysis sheet:

The NFL Begins to Wake Up

Driving Down Childhood Obesity

The Case for a Higher Minimum Wage

4. Report Out: Topics
Find two sources for next class: remember, one MUST be a NYT Article!

HW: Email me your topic and links to your two sources BEFORE next class.

Editorial Topic Ideas

Editorial Brainstorming

1. Finish Shattered Glass and Viewers Guide

2. NYT Editorial Clip and Contest

3. Partner Brainstorming Activity

4. Thumbnail Editorials (if time)

HW: Select editorial topic for next class: http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/02/04/200-prompts-for-argumentative-writing/