Socratic Seminar

LT: I can demonstrate my knowledge on the refugee crisis and show that I am actively listening to others through my comments, building off of others’ points, and offering alternative points of view.

1. Check-in and POL plans!!
2. Discuss chapters 4-5
3. Socratic Seminar

Procedure for this Seminar:

• At the beginning of class, have your response page ready with the guided questions answered (the q’s follow).
• You are required to speak at least three times in the seminar. Types of comments you make should include:
• Analysis
• Think deeply about the texts and discuss the original conclusions you come to.  Mention ideas you come up with pertaining to themes or issues in the texts, or add your original thoughts to an issue someone else has brought up.
• Text
• Reference specific examples from the texts 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?  Think of text to text, text to self, and text to world connections

Guiding Questions

1. What should America do about refugee crisis around the world, specifically Syrian?
2. When granted amnesty/immigration status, in what ways should newcomers assimilate to American society, culture, politics?

HW: Finish Infidel. Be ready for an intense reading discussion next class!

Poetry Out Loud Competition!!!

Obj: I can recite a poem from memory conveying meaning, using appropriate voice and maintaining a confident stage presence.

1. POL Competition!!

PHYSICAL PRESENCE Consider the student’s body language and stage presence.

VOICE AND ARTICULATION Consider the student’s volume, pace, intonation, rhythm, and proper pronunciation.

DRAMATIC APPROPRIATENESS Consider whether the student’s interpretative and performance choices enhance the audience’s understanding and enjoyment of the poem without overshadowing the poem’s language.

EVIDENCE OF UNDERSTANDING Consider the student’s use of intonation, emphasis, tone, and style of delivery

OVERALL PERFORMANCE Consider whether the student’s physical presence, voice and articulation, dramatic appropriateness, and evidence of understanding all seem on target and unified to breathe life into the poem.

2. Quick write: How do our childhood experiences shape or define us as adults?

3. Chapter presentations and discussion

HW: Read chapters 4-6 and Socratic Seminar Prep

Argumentative Writing: Summative

Obj:  I can write a convincing argumentative essay with sound reasoning, sufficient evidence and a strong voice.

1. POL: Bennett and Kara!

2. In-class Essay

3. Intro to Infidel

a. Each of you will be assigned a chapter/country from Part I

a. Somalia (Mogadishu and the small village they went to before they left)--Ch. 1 and 2

b. Saudi Arabia--Ch. 3

c. Ethiopia--Ch. 4

d. Kenya--Ch. 5  

b. For each country- clearly answer the following questions on a googledoc:

a. Why were they there?

b. What type of gov’t did the country have at the time? How did the authorities in power treat their people?

c. What language did they speak there?

d. What did Ayaan think of the place?

e. What did Ma think of the place?

f. What type of religion was practiced there? What were the values and beliefs of that religion? How was it practiced? (Zealously, loosely, different levels of adherence for different religions?)

g. What were the major self-realizations that Ayaan had while she was there?

4. Assimilation Articles- what were your take-aways? How did the They Say/I Say practice activity go?

HW: Chapters 1-3 of Infidel due Thursday- be ready to present on your chapter

Chapters 4-6 due Monday- be ready to present on your chapter

They Say/I Say

Obj:  I can analyze and evaluate a variety of sources on a similar topic; I can find sources to add to my inquiry on the subject.   

Coming Up:

• Next Class: Argument in-class essay
• Poetry Out Loud: December 19th at 6 pm
• Midterms
• Multiple choice the day before
• Rhetorical Analysis Prompt
• Synthesis Prompt
• Coming to you Monday: Infidel

1. POL: Abby and Priyanka
2. Entering the Conversation: They Say/I Say

• STEP 1:  Let’s review the sources--what did the source provide and how could the source possibly be used to address the question about the refugee crisis? 
• STEP 2: Let’s review some of your writing!
• Highlight pink--your voice
• Highlight green--the sources 
• Highlight blue--the “connective tissue” where you introduce who/what is being said, context, etc. 
• STEP 3: Evaluating the writing--is there a clear, reasoned point? Is the evidence sufficient and convincing? Is there a strong, smooth voice? 

3. Continue our exploration of refugee crisis

Guiding Question:

• When granted amnesty/immigration status, in what ways should newcomers assimilate to American society, culture, politics?

Directions:

1. With your partner, read the sources (divide them up!) and provide a brief summary of the source.
2. Find 2 more sources from credible/reliable websites to add to your research on assimilation. (Do we need to review how to evaluate sources?)
3. Then, use a stem from the “They Say, I Say” to interact and respond to the texts (all 6 of them).

Intro to Synthesis

Obj:  I can understand what a synthesis essay is and begin reviewing sources to gather information for a class inquiry project.

1. POL: Review Criteria

• Chandler and Kelley Present

2. What is the Synthesis Essay?

3. Refugee Crisis

• What do we know about it already? (facts)
• What should we do about it? (opinion)
• What research do we need to do to understand the issue better?
• What kind of research could develop/sway our opinion

4. Refugee Articles and Notes

To Give or Not to Give

I can use convincing reasoning and appropriate evidence from the texts to support my point of view in a class debate.

1. POL Opener: Kelley (Next time: Chandler)

2. Incentives for Charity Essay

• Great thinking going on!
• Good use of examples--NHS, mandatory school volunteerism, Cancer research, giving to Goodwill…
• Reasoning--explain your thinking clearly--is this an ends justifies the means situation? Does being incentivized to get started maybe motivate people to donate without incentives in the future? Is it Ok to offer incentives in some cases but not others?
• Make your argument more complex by tackling some of the more nuanced parts of the issue--remember, often there isn’t just a yah/nay or right and wrong side…
• Finally, writing style matters! Keep fine-tuning your writing by practicing new things in class!

3. Debate: should Americans donate a significantly greater amount of money to charities to solve world poverty?

Rules/Guidelines:

1. You’ll be assigned a side
2. Reference the texts at least once or more when possible
3. Both support your side and counter the other side
4. Explain your reasoning--bring in outside thinking, analogies, arguments, etc.
5. Everyone on your team must have a turn to talk
6. Timing: Each side will have 2 minutes to present “opening” arguments. Then, we’ll let the sides discuss back and forth for 10 minutes. Then, 2 minutes each to close.

HW: Check this out--this topic was an AP essay way back when!

Read the prompt carefully--what exactly is it asking you to do? How is it different from the “Incentives for Charity” prompt that you did?

This will not be an “authentic” AP experience since we have spent several class periods thinking and debating this topic. Therefore, you can spend more time on this essay and try to tackle some of the complexities of writing arguments that we discussed (such as weighing both sides, going deeper in your analysis of the pros and cons, strong voice, etc.) You should have much fodder now!

Essay due on Tuesday!