Feb 09 2010
A Few Good Movies
Hollywood loves telling stories that involve the courtroom. Here are some movies that may interest you:
| A Few Good Men | 12 Angry Men | My Cousin Vinny |
| Runaway Jury | To Kill a Mockingbird | Legally Blonde |
Feb 09 2010
Tuesday 2/9
We had a guest speaker in today to introduce how a courtroom works. Over the next couple of days we’ll finish going over courtroom procedures.
A first draft of the essay is due tomorrow. Here are the slides explaining how to create a counter-argument.
Feb 08 2010
Monday: 2/8 Advanced & Standard
In class:
We went over how to create a counter-argument. Standard classes finished up their 4-square outlines.
Homework:
Advanced students have their Independent Reading project due Friday.
All students need to have a first draft of their essay by Wednesday/Thursday.
Feb 05 2010
Friday 2/5: Advanced
In class:
We went over three different forms of argument:
- Logos – using logic or reason to make a point
- Pathos – appealing to emotion
- Ethos – relying on the speaker/author’s credibility with the audience
We also revisited leads; here are some leads that may prove useful in your essay (be sure to pick one that fits your argument).
| Metaphor | Question | Dialogue | Strong Statement | Description |
| Anecdote | Statistics | Quote | Action | Reaction |
Finally, we looked at developing a thesis.
Examples of Basic Thesis for this essay:
Bernie Lunser knowingly hid the truth from Ms. Narwin and, as a result, caused harm to her reputation.
How to make it more complex:
1) Include the character’s motivation – why they lied or didn’t lie, etc….what they get out of it
2) Include the specific way in which they did or did not damage Ms. Narwin’s reputation – make lose job, force resignation, cause people not to trust her, etc..
3) Consider word choice (persuasiveness and accuracy) i.e. “harmed” vs. “damaged” or “destroyed”
Example of a More Complex Thesis:
With a complete lack of regard for others, Bernie Lunser knowingly lied by omission so he could appear to be a good teacher and in the process caused irreparable damage to Ms. Narwin’s reputation.
Homework:
Draft a compelling lead and complex thesis.
Feb 05 2010
Friday 2/5: Standard
In class:
We went over the words argument, evidence and rationale. We then began using this graphic organizer to help us build the first half of our argument. Standard students only need to either “knowingly hid the truth” or “acted on hearsay” not both.
We went over a thesis statement. In short, a thesis statement is a sentence that lays out what you will prove in your essay. A basic thesis statement will indicate who the character is and what they are or are not guilty of. For example: Bernie Lunser is guilty of hiding the truth and therefore harmed Ms. Narwin’s reputation. These statements can get more complex, please see this post for details on how to create an advanced thesis statement.
Homework:
By Monday, complete the top three boxes of the graphic organizer. Be sure to include evidence and rationale for each detail.
Feb 03 2010
Wednesday, Febraury 3: Research, Outline, Quiz
Students should have another 20 minutes or so to continue to working on their research. Once students feel that they have the research they need to prove their case, they’ll want to try and identify passages that the other side might use against them. The guest teacher will check your research for completion.
After 20-30 minutes, we’ll introduce the outline requirements and you’ll have another 20-30 minutes to get started on your outline, which is due Friday. Your outline needs to have three sections (one for each charge you need to prove: hid truth, hearsay, harmed Narwin). Each section needs to have subsections for the evidence that helps you prove your charge and subsections that explain how the evidence helps you prove the charge. Here is a model to use:
Character: Bernie Lunser
Charge: Did not hide the truth
Example 1: Told Narwin, “Do I look like a guy who breaks important rules?”
Reason 1: This shows he didn’t hide anything because he talked directly to Narwin and told her the truth.
At the end of the class students took this Quiz. Books were allowed
Feb 02 2010
The Shoreline-Lake Forest Park Arts Council: 2010 Poetry Month Contest
The poet lives as long as his lines are imprinted on the minds of his readers. – Alan Bold
January 8, 2010, Shoreline, WA - The Shoreline-Lake Forest Park Arts Council seeks submissions for its third annual Poetry Month Celebration. Selected poets will be invited to read at a special event during April, National Poetry Month, which will also feature recognized local published poets, including Kelli Russell Agodon and Jared Leising. Winning poems will be displayed at the Shoreline Arts Festival in June. Poems will be judged in three separate divisions: Secondary Student (grades 7-12), College Student, and Non-Student Adult. Cash prizes will be awarded in College and Adult categories. Submission deadline is March 19, 2010. Application forms are available online at www.shorelinearts.net. For more information please contact the Arts Council office at 206-417-4645 or email info@shorelinearts.net.
The Shoreline-Lake Forest Park Arts Council is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose mission is to nurture all of the arts in the community through programs and events, arts education, advocacy, and support for artists and arts organizations.
Feb 02 2010
Persuasive Essay
In order to prepare for the trial, students will write a persuasive essay that convinces the reader that their character is either innocent or guilty of the charges listed below.
This week we will focus on research and outlining our arguments. Initial research is due Wednesday, February 4. Outlines are due Friday, February 6.
Click here to download the complete essay instructions.
You are trying to prove that your character:
- Did or did not knowingly hide the truth, or
- Did or did not act on hearsay without verifying the information, and
- Did or did not harm Ms. Narwin’s reputation.
Due Dates:
- First Draft due: Wednesday, February 10
- Final Draft due: Friday, February 26
I expect that your essay:
- Makes a claim (thesis statement) about the character.
- References specific facts found in the book to support your thesis.
- Explains how those facts support your thesis.
- Is well organized (see below) to make it easy to follow your argument.
- Uses proper spelling, capitalization, and punctuation.
Jan 29 2010
PRIDE class: read this article and discuss with an adult.
Here is a New York Times article on growing up with a nature deficit. Please make sure that you read it and discuss it with a parent or guardian. Then take this survey.
Jan 29 2010
Friday, 1/29
We finished reading Nothing but the Truth in all classes except 3rd period. Third period students need to finish reading the book on their own this weekend. Monday, we will finalize our tests for the book and begin research for the mock trial.
