Opinion Forum

1. Spencer Opening Moment

2. Opinion Forum
Essential Question:  Should the SAT be overhauled in the interests of creating a better, more fair test, or is it accurate the way it is?

1. Come to class on Wednesday with the below response questions answered. This will be worth a HW grade.

2. We will spend a maximum of five minutes on each question. After each question, you will have 1-2 minutes to write down any thoughts you need to for your written reflection, due next class.

3. I will ask for volunteers to read each question to the class.

EVERYONE is expected to speak during the seminar. Your goal should be to make at least one of each type of comment:

• Analysis
• Think deeply about the text and discuss the original conclusions you come to.  Mention ideas you come up with pertaining to issues in the text, or add your original thoughts to an issue someone else has brought up.
• Text
• Reference specific examples from the text that either support or disprove a claim being discussed.  
• Reference
• Evaluate what others say and then either challenge or build off them.  Show that you are listening to your peers.
• Connection
• Apply the concept in question to areas outside of the text area.  How is the idea in question proven or disproven in your world?

3. Reflection- due next class

• What’s the one thing you wish there’d been time for you to tell the rest of the class?
• What did you learn from this discussion?
• What was the best thing you heard today?
• How has your thinking changed/deepened/improved as a result of this discussion?
• How do you think you participated in this Opinion Forum? How could you have participated better/more efficiently?

HW: Reflection and topic selection for Editorial #2. Think locally: what issues affect you, the school or the community?

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