S+Hall,+Catherine

English Syllabus

Teacher: Catherine Hall Office: 135 Scott South Office Phone: (207)852-7580 Office Hours: Tues/Thurs 12:30-2:00, Weds/Fri 9:00-11:00 E-mail: catherine.hall1@maine.edu

Summary of Unit Establish Goals: (G) Maine Learning Results: English Language Arts - C Research C 1 Research Grade 9 - Diploma Current Events Students develop research questions and modify them as necessary to elicit, present, and critique evidence from a variety of primary and secondary sources following the conventions of documentation.

What understandings are desired? Students will understand that: (U) •Finding the answer to a research question requires the use of a variety of primary and secondary sources. •Following the structures and conventions of documentation strengthens an essay. •Initial research questions may need to be modified during the research process.

What essential questions will be considered? Essential Questions: (Q) •How does one find answers to research questions? •Why is it important to follow the structures and conventions of documentation when writing an essay? •What can be done if the researched information does not fit the initial research question well?

What key knowledge and skills will students acquire as a result of this unit? Students will know: (K) •The difference between opinion and fact. •The correct way to document information in an essay. •At least two differing opinions about the current event being researched.

Students will be able to do: (S) •c. Synthesize information from varied sources. •b. Make judgements about conflicted findings from different sources. •Adapt the initial research question to fit the available information. •Analyze different opinions found in the research. •Consider all opinions about the topic. •Be aware of their own opinion concerning the topic.

CNN is looking for a new talk show host who can compete with the O'Reilly Factor on Fox News. To apply for the position, you must create a blog about a current event that contains the facts about the event and your personal opinion about the event. When the blog is finished, you will present it to the people at CNN and they will decide if you get the job. Good luck!

Expectations All research projects require a lot of time and effort. Although much of the work can be done in class, there will be parts of the assignment that need to be done outside of class. You are expected to be prepared for every class so that you can participate. We will be spending a significant amount of time on this project, so you are expected to have it done by the due date. Presentations will be randomly drawn, so it is important to be prepared on the first day.

All school policies apply to this class.

Benchmarks 1. Research Question (5 points) 2. Outline of the written portion, along with all necessary information, organized on a wiki, blog, or paper (10 points) 3. Written portion of the assignment (20 points) 4. Final product (20 points) 5. Presentation of the final product (15 points)

Grading Scale A (90-100) B (80-89) C (70-79) D (60-69) F (59 and below)