February 26 - March 2

MONDAY/TUESDAY: Journal warm-up.  Draw cards to find out which side of the debate you'll be arguing for (defend or challenge). Structured gender debate: should women be required to sign up for Selective Service (the draft) the same way that men do at age eighteen?

Due: Structured Gender Debate Prep Worksheet

Homework: Think about the debate and discussion, and prepare to write an essay taking a position (defend, challenge, or qualify) on Thursday/Friday. How did you do? What were the best examples and evidence supporting each side? Did you hear any logical fallacies during the debate? Do you personally agree, disagree, or agree/disagree with qualifications?

WEDNESDAY: Journal warm-up. Current event day - read and annotate two opposing viewpoints. Discuss and debate, vote. Outline the majority opinion in a synthesis/ACT-style outline response based on the discussion.

Due: n/a

Homework: (same as Monday/Tuesday)

THURSDAY/FRIDAY: Journal warm-up. Go through the steps of writing an argument essay. Write an outline and type a draft of an argument essay using the same prompt. Upload to turnitin.com.

Due: draft of argument essay uploaded to Turnitin.com by the end of the period.

Homework: Look up basic information about the Supreme Court. How many justices are there? What is the process for confirming a Supreme Court Justice? How long do they serve, and what are their current ages? Come to class ready to discuss.

Next week we'll work in groups (with individual assignments) to research and present information about the most influential decisions. This satisfies an 11th grade requirement, but also provides high quality examples that you can use in argument essays and for the ACT/SAT.

February 19 - 23

This is a very short week for us in English, due to the President's Day holiday and Junior Guidance Sessions. There will be no quiz this week.

The class will look at the latest debates about gender and then will begin researching evidence and examples for a formal debate next week.  The topic is whether women should be required to sign up for Selective Services (the draft), like all eighteen year-old American males do.

MONDAY: President's Day holiday.  Enjoy!

TUESDAY/WEDNESDAY: All classes will come to English class for attendance, turn in homework, then go to the library for Junior Guidance Sessions.

Due: Outline response to argument prompt about disobedience and rebellion.

Homework: n/a

THURSDAY/FRIDAY: Journal warm-up. Latest debates about gender. How to find evidence and examples from quality sources. Last part of class: use laptops to research evidence and examples for debate about the draft.

Due: n/a

Homework: Please complete the English 3 Gender Debate Worksheet and bring it with you next class. You will turn it in for credit and will use these during the formal debate next week.

If you need help finding credible sources, check out this reference sheet.

February 12 - 16

Happy Valentine's Day!

Whether or not you have romance in your life right now  - I didn't at your age, unless you count secret, painful, unrequited crushes - I hope you feel loved and supported. We will celebrate Valentine's Day with a little candy and something from an American poet, in addition to continuing the argument unit, and reading and discussions about gender.

MONDAY/TUESDAY: Journal warm-up. Valentine's Day poem.  Discuss assigned reading as pairs, then with the whole group. "I Want a Wife" reading. Notes: fallacies in arguments (next 3). Small group challenge with the fallacies.

Due: Read and annotate "Professions for Women" (challenging!) and "There is No Unmarked Woman," from the Gender Packet.  Read the questions and come to class prepared to discuss them.

Homework: Please read and annotate "A Challenge for Girls Today: Moving Beyond How Do I Look?" page 24-29 in the Gender Packet. Think about your own experiences as well as the experiences of friends and family.

Journals will be due in the bin at the end of the period on Thursday/Friday.

Study for the quiz on Thursday/Friday.

WEDNESDAY: Journal warm-up. Look at some of the complex reasons that might help explain the gender pay gap. Explore some possible solutions put forth in the U.S. and other countries. Read article about negotiating pay, group activity with wording for negotiating a salary offer.

Due: n/a

Homework: (Same as Monday.) Please read and annotate "A Challenge for Girls Today: Moving Beyond How Do I Look?" page 24-29 in the Gender Packet. Think about your own experiences as well as the experiences of friends and family.

Journals will be due at the end of the period on Friday.

Study for the quiz.

THURSDAY/FRIDAY: Journal warm-up. Quiz covering vocab 16, grammar, fallacies, reading. Female body images in popular culture over time, depictions in current popular media - video and links, whole class discussion.

Due: Read and annotate "A Challenge for Girls Today: Moving Beyond How Do I Look?" page 24-29 in the Gender Packet. Think about your own experiences as well as the experiences of friends and family.

Please leave journals in the bin at the end of the period.

Homework: For next class, please write an outline (not the whole essay) to answer the following prompt. When brainstorming evidence and examples for your position, go for quality and variety if possible.  I handed out a piece of paper with this prompt in class, but writing it on a separate piece of paper is fine:

In 1891, Irish author Oscar Wilde (1854–1900) observed, “Disobedience, in the eyes of anyone who has read history, is man’s original virtue. It is through disobedience that progress has been made, through disobedience and through rebellion.”

 

Wilde claims that disobedience is a valuable human trait and that it promotes social progress. Write an essay that argues your position on the extent to which Wilde’s claims are valid. Use appropriate examples from your reading, experience, or observations to support your argument. 

 

Enjoy the three-day weekend!

February 5 - 9

We'll continue with the Gender Unit and Argument this week. I really enjoyed hearing the discussions that came out of our first two activities and the article.

MONDAY/TUESDAY: Journal warm-up. Collect questions from "Why Johnny Won't Read" and discuss.  Share examples/evidence to support the thesis provided last class, organize them into effective argument outlines. View other classes' responses to the ideal man/ideal woman exercise. View Marlboro Man picture: how can a picture make an argument? Notes: first 3 fallacies.Small group activity with fallacies.

Due: Read "Why Johnny Won't Read," page 6 of the Gender Unit packet.

Complete the questions on the half sheet, (not the questions in the actual packet).

Homework: For Thursday/Friday: Read and annotate "Putting Down the Gun" (pages 4-5 in the packet), and "Just Walk on By" (pages 8,9, and 10).  Read the questions at the end of each article; I am not collecting these, but come to class with your own opinions about them for our discussions.

WEDNESDAY: (5th period only) Journal warm-up. Look at some of the complex reasons that might help explain the gender pay gap. Explore some possible solutions put forth in the U.S. and other countries.  Read article about negotiating pay, group activity with wording of negotiation.

Due: n/a

Homework: For Friday, please read "Putting Down the Gun" (pages 4-5 in the packet), and "Just Walk on By" (pages 8,9, and 10.  Read the questions at the end; I am not collecting these, but come to class with your own opinions about them for our discussions. 

THURSDAY/FRIDAY: Journal warm-up. Quiz covering vocab #15, grammar, assigned reading. Discuss assigned reading as pairs, then with the whole group. Notes: fallacies in arguments (next 3). Small group activity with the fallacies.

Due: Read and annotate "Putting Down the Gun" (pages 4-5 in the packet), and "Just Walk on By" (pages 8,9, and 10).  Read the questions at the end of each article; I am not collecting these, but come to class with your own opinions about them for our discussions.

Homework: For next class, read and annotate "There is No Unmarked Woman,"  (pages 18-21 in the packet).

5th period only: for next class, finish your argument outline response to the prompt, "What, if anything, should be done to combat gender pay inequity in the United States?"