S+Ricker,Kassaundra+Margaret

**Office: Ed Center 006** **Office Phone: 555-675-8888** **Office Hours: Monday, Wednesday and Friday 3:00-4:00 and Tuesday, Thursday 11:00-1:30** ** E-mail: kassaundra.ricker@maine.edu **
 * Teacher: Miss Ricker**

=Summary of Unit= Welcome to our unit on Argument/Analysis! Have you ever wondered how you could convince your parents more easily or why some people agree with a certain argument and some dont? Well, this is your chance to find out! In this unit you will explore how a thesis helps to build and organize a logical argument/analysis, why evidence is used, how to decipher appropriate evidence as well as how arguments/analyses are structured. Since you are all digital natives, this will be done through a multitude of activities including Type II technologies such as iMovie, Glogster, Garageband and Comic Life. At the end of this unit you will be able to recognize and define terminology associated with analyses/arguments, identify certain structures of analysis writing and explain why they are used as well as being in tune with critical details that surround writing and deciphering analyses and arguments. This unit will culminate with a performance task that asks you to put your argument skills to the test by becoming a politician of the "unlost" city of Atlantis. You will take a stand on a critical issue and write an essay on this issue that will then be adapted into a script for your very own campaign commercial where you will try to convince the voting population of Atlantis that you are the best candidate for the upcoming presidential election.

=Establish Goals= Maine Learning Results: English Language Arts- B.Writing B3 Argument/Analysis Grades 9-Diploma Students write //academic essays// that structure ideas and arguments in a sustained and logical fashion

= = =Students will understand that= • a thesis helps to organize and build a logical argument. • there are appropriate types of examples/evidence and appropriate ways to use them to support a logical argument/analysis. • there is a specific way arguments/ analyses are structured so that they are logical.

= = =Essential Questions= • How does a thesis help to organize and build a logical argument? • Why is evidence used, how is it used and how does one find/decipher appropriate evidence? • How are arguments/analyses structured and why?

= = =Students will know= • Terminology: thesis statement,analysis,example/evidence,introduction,conclusion,body paragraph,topic sentence,detail sentence,direct quotes, indirect quotes • Structures of Writing: how to form a thesis, where to use evidence, proper grammar, how to use direct quotes vs. indirect quotes, how to use transitions • Critical Details: analyses move from general to specific, how to map out analyses, how to find credible sources

= = =Students will be able to= •describe structural components of an analysis/argument •evaluate information from reading, listening and viewing •design a logical thesis statement •analyze the structure of others analyses/arguments •consider opposing arguments •self-assess themselves on appropriate examples/evidence

**Performance Task Overview** Due to global warming the ocean levels have significantly dropped and the once thought mythical city of Atlantis have emerged from the sea. Recently, people have flocked to Atlantis and there is definite social unrest. As a politician, you see the need for Atlantis to have leadership so you have packed your bags and joined the newly formed Solon Party (Solon was a Greek legislator in the original Atlantis myth). Since you are a presidential candidate you must convince the people of Atlantis that you have the most "logical" stand on the issues so you can win the votes. To do this you must first write an essay taking one side of a critical issue present in Atlantis then adapt this essay into a campaign commercial that will be viewed by all those living in the "unlost" city of Atlantis.

=Expectations= __**Absent/Late Policy:**__ There will be a lot of discussions and group work in this course, this means class cannot begin without every student so it is imperative that you arrive on time. As a faculty member, I am required to write a tardy slip when you are late to class. I will give you five minute grace period in case you got held up in another class or are stuck in a line at the bathrooms. If you are absent please consult the class website to see what you missed for that day. If you do not see the material posted there please e-mail so I can get the material to you. Also, folders will be set up by my desk by class and I will put any worksheets, articles, graphic organizers etc that you missed in class, if you would like a hard copy, as well as any work I passed back on the day you were not there. It may also be possible to Skype you into class if you know you are going to be absent for a specific reason. If you are absent the day an assignment is due please turn in the assignment to the specified folder the first day you return back to school. It is very important that you attend every class because we will be going through a lot of material each class period. The school has policies on unexcused absences and these apply to my class also (please review these policies in your student handbook and consult me with any questions). As the old saying goes "miss a day, miss a lot."

__**Assignment Expectations:**__ All written work should be done in a word processor double spaced in 12pt Times New Roman font with 1" margins on all sides unless specifically specified by me. Also, I prefer you to justify the text. Any final draft or assignment you are turning in for a grade should be free of grammatical, spelling as well as topographical errors. Most of these cane be easily fixed by simply reading your assignment after you are done and there will also be time for peer reviewing for most assignments. Besides this I expect assignments to be turned in on the specified due date. If you are absent on the day an assignment is due please refer to my Absent/Late Policy. If by any chance there are any extenuating circumstances that will keep you from turning in an assignment on time please let me know ahead of time ( and we will come up with a plan to get you caught up. If you do not turn in the assignment on the specified date and have not discussed it with me then you will need to turn it in to me the very next school day to recieve full credit. Every day it is not turned in after that you will lost 5 points off the grade. Also, if you ever receive a grade that you are not happy about please come speak with me. There are opportunities for you to redo assignments but if you take advantage of this policy I will need to revoke it.

__**Class Expectations:**__ It is expected that you come to class prepared. Being prepared means you have done the assigned reading and homework and are ready to discuss each as well as having a notebook, binder and a writing utensil to take notes and keep handouts, articles and graphic organizers. Along with required materials, you should always bring a positive attitude to class. It is imperative that you participate in class discussions as well as in partner and teams. We all have a lot to learn from eachother so you should never be worried about voicing your ideas and thoughts, your classmates will be expected to treat you in a respectful manner. This does not mean however you need to talk ever class, I know there are somedays you will just not want to do this but I do want you to be mentally ready to the do work. I will show each and everyone of you the upmost respect and I expect the same in return. The classroom should be a safe place where all can voice their ideas.

__**Plagiarism Policy:**__ The school has a very strict plagiarism policy which was outlined in your student handbook that you received at the beginning of the year. As a faculty member, I must report any plagiarism that occurs in my class to the principle and give the student an automatic zero on the assignment. I really do not want to have to do this to any of my students so I am asking you to be cautious, mindful and respectful. Please review the policy in the handbook (if you cannot find your handbook I can get another copy for you so please ask!). If you have any questions please do not hesitate to ask and if you are stuck wondering whether you should give something credit or not I feel it is always better to over cite then to under cite. I know that your schedules can get busy and hectic and it may seem tempting to use your sisters old paper from five years ago, download a paper off the internet or even find a great website and copy all of your ideas from there but please do not do this. It is disrespectful to the person whose ideas you have taken, disrespectful to me as a teacher and most of all disrespectful to you as a student. If you need more time with an assignment please review my assignment expectations and we can work from there.

=Benchmarks=

885 Total Points
•**Glogster:** You will use the internet program Glogster to create a digital poster/diagram that labels or represents the specific structures and parts of an analysis/argument. This includes the introduction, conclusion, body paragraphs, thesis statement, topic sentence and detail sentence. Also, this poster/diagram should represent how analyses/arguments move from the general to the specific. You are free to use visuals, videos or audio to explain each structure of an analysis/argument but please include and audio explanation of why each visual, video or audio represents that specific strucutre. If you have never used Glogster I will give a tutorial before assigning the project. Please keep in mind that you will need to give credit to any visuals, audio or video that is not yours and you must make sure you have the premission to do so. I would suggest utilizing the Creative Commons. 75 points •**Wikispace:** You will use wikispaces.com to create a wikispace page that explains credible information through both written, auditory and visual means.This should specifically include how a thesis statement organizes this information but can also include tips to finding credible sources. Please include at least 4 hyperlinks with revelant information that your classmates could use while putting together either their debate, essay or campaign commerical. This project will be done in a group of four and each of the four hyperlinks should come from a difference teammate. Please feel free to include more rescources if you believe they will be helpful. If you have never used a wikispace before I will take you through how to get a username and also how to utilize a wikispace. Keep in mind your wikispace should be easy to navigate and easy to understand because your fellow students may be using it as a resource. Also, please give proper credit to any ideas, written, visual or auditory information you take from other websites or resources. 100 points •**Podcast:** You will use garage band or a PC equivalent to create a podcast with a group. The group will need to decided on a thesis statement, this can either be one from examples I have given in class, examples you have found or one that your group has decided to make up on their own. Please make sure the the thesis statement is logical based on the characteristic of a thesis that we discuss in class. You and your group will present this thesis in a radio show format that discusses how the thesis works. Please include "call-ins" that challenge your explanation of why it is a logical thesis. Everyone in the group must have a part in the radio talk show. If you chose to use a thesis that was not your own please give it proper credit at the end of your show. 75 points •**XtraNormal:** You will use the internet program XtraNormal to create a video with pre-made characters. These characters will need to discuss the validity of a pre-assigned argument/analysis that we have been analyzing in class. The characters should be in conext where they would discussing the authors views so please pick characters that are appropriate to convey your information. One of your characters should play "devils advocate" to show how the author takes in consideration others views on the topic. If you have never used XtraNormal before I will give a tutortial proir to assigning the project. Also, you will need to find a creative way to cite your information. 65 points •**iMovie:** You will use iMovie to film and create a movie of a debate. You will pick two opposing arguments from the articles that we have discussed in class. Two of your group members will take on the persona of a leading activist on your issue each from the opposite stand point. Please do not create a specific script but just outline how the debate will be held and in what context because actual debates are not scripted. I will explain the set up of a debate and allow you time to practice with it before assigning this project as well as give a tutorial for iMovie. 100 points •**Comiclife:** You will use the program ComicLife to create a comicbook where a "hero" of your choosing (please be appropriate) explains how to find and decipher appropriate evidence. You will need to include all of the aspects of an action/adventure story, including an antagonist, which I will highlight in class. Your comic will need to be at least 5 pages long and needs to include the characteristics of credible evidence that we discuss in class. Also, if you use any images that are not your own you will need to give them proper credit also you need to make sure that you have permission to use these imagines. I suggest using images found in the Creative Commons if you are not going to use your own images. Note: You can take comicbook like pictures using photobooth. 70 points •**Essay:** You will write an essay on a political issue that would be relevant to the Atlantis description that you will be provided. Once you pick an issue you will need to do research on the issue and pick one side. From this standpoint you will create an outline or a mind map (this can be done easily with a program called Inspiration). Once I have seen your outline or mind map you will write your essay. Please do not forget to include an introduction, conclusion, thesis statement, indirect and direct quotations and also please do not forget to read over your essay for grammar issues. These essays will be peer reviewed and you will have a chance to edit them. Please include a works cited page at the end of your paper. I will go over the proper citing procedures for this essay. 200 points •**Campaign Commercial:** You will create a campaign commercial using iMovie or a PC equivalent as a candidate for the Atlantis presidency. The script/storyboard that you use for this commercial will be adapted from your essay. Your task is to try to convince the people of Atlantis to vote for you by showing you have the most logical stand on your chosen issue. This commercial should be between 2-5 minutes and should be set up in same manner as an argument/analysis (general to specfic). Please be appropriate with your examples and appearance in your commerical (think president). 200 points =Grading Scale= **A** (93 -100), **A-** (90 - 92), **B+** (87 - 89), **B** (83 - 86), **B-** (80 - 82), **C+**(77 - 79), **C** (73-76), **C-** (70 - 72), **D+**(67 - 69), **D** (63 - 66), **D-** (60 - 62), **F** (0 - 59).