This week in Clan Barclay we have ourselves a busy, busy schedule. Last week, students were introduced to the basic ideas of argument, and this week we will continue on that theme. But first, we need to refocus on our books.
Monday will be spent in the library, reading quietly or finding new books and then reading. Students must be prepared by the end of September to present their reading book to the teacher and the class, and they will write a review of their books as well. Monday is a step in that process. Remember your book if you have one.
Tuesday will be a day for argument development. Students will open their first argument assignment and begin to flesh it out, adding evidence and searching for credible sources to support themselves, separating the good from the bad. Remember, if your source is not credible, your evidence is not useful, and your argument is not valid. Do not ruin a good argument with bad evidence! Also, the next Newspaper Club meeting is Tuesday after school.
Wednesday is our field trip to the Ecology School at Ferry Beach in Saco! Students will attend their first Allied Arts class, then pack into busses and head down for a day of walking and talking and exploring the coast and the woods nearby. Be sure to dress accordingly — check the weather forecast! We are going, rain or shine. Also, the next Chess Club meeting is Wednesday after school.
Thursday we get right back to arguments, and this time they will be student pairs based on student-selected topics, albeit selected from categories we may discuss ahead of time. Remember, we will not use laptops this day. The key is a clear, cohesive presentation of your ideas, this time in written and spoken word.
Friday will be a day for building on arguments by developing claims from evidence found in news articles. This day will be less free-form and more structured, so students can better understand how argument should be organized.
Finally, I found this clever quotation by a modern author, and I appreciate it; share and consider!
Sincerely,
Mr. DeMaris
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