Wednesday, March 18 Class Activities

Welcome back to English class! 

(Insert the chime noise here from memory -- the pleasant chimes, not the times I slammed the chime rod onto the rack with a crazy look on my face.)

Thank you for all of the journal entries on Turnitin.com. I responded to a few of them, and read them all. It's been interesting to hear about your thoughts and experiences. I commented on one of the boards that I am certain this event will be remembered and discussed for years to come.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 18 CLASS ACTIVITIES

1. Interactive Journal
          a. Please log in to Turnitin.com and go to the Discussion tab. (See Monday's post for directions
          if you can't find it. E-mail me if you still can't find it.)

          b. Go to "Journal - Wednesday, March 18, 2020."

          c. Please respond with a minimum of one full paragraph (5-7 sentences) to each of the
          questions.

2. Reading/Response
           a. Please read the follow-up article to the one posted for Monday:
           The Man With 17,000 Bottles of Hand Sanitizer Just Donated Them

(Here is a link to the original article on The New York Times website in case you'd like to read the Comments after this article as well.)

          b. Please read this article and note the graphics:
          Why Outbreaks Like Coronavirus Spread Exponentially and How to Flatten the Curve

          c. Go back to the Discussion tab of Turnitin.com. Please respond to the "Reading Response -    
           Wednesday, March 18" post with your own responses to the readings.

3. We're going to work on the following argument prompt, in stages:

The United States Government should immediately enforce a strict, nationwide quarantine as China and Italy have in response to the Covid-19 threat. Please respond to this statement by defending, challenging or qualifying supported by credible evidence and examples to support your position. 

Please spend some time brainstorming evidence and examples that defend (agree), challenge (disagree), and qualify (agree with conditions, disagree with exceptions). Look for credible articles and sources, typically those that have an editorial board reviewing content will be better.  Keep track of your findings on a separate document or on Google Docs. Please have at least 3-4 pieces of evidence ready. (Remember the types of evidence/examples: personal experience, secondhand experience, general facts, scientific facts, literary examples, historical examples, current events, and pop culture.)

Here are a couple of examples, feel free to look for others:

Lockdowns are being imposed around the world. China's example highlights the costs

Italy Remains Under Lockdown Due to Spread of Covid-19 

Florida Beaches Full as Trump Advises Against Groups Larger Than 10

We will work with your examples on Friday and start a group brainstorming session.

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I look forward to seeing your responses on the Discussion Board. I'll post again here on the class website on Friday.


I hope everyone is doing okay. We're all adjusting, so be sure to pace yourself, connect with others, and have some fun this week as well!