AICE General Paper What IS this class?

Learners studying Cambridge International AS and A Levels have opportunities to: • acquire an in-depth subject knowledge • develop independent thinking skills • apply knowledge and understanding to new as well as familiar situations • handle and evaluate different types of information sources • think logically and present ordered and coherent arguments • make judgements, recommendations and decisions • present reasoned explanations, understand implications and communicate them clearly and logically • work and communicate in English Students will take the test in May

What will you be judged on? In the assessment, candidates should be able to demonstrate: • The ability to identify, select and interpret, through reasoned consideration, material (including knowledge) appropriate to a specific task. • The ability to apply knowledge, understanding and analysis in relation to a specific task (e.g. in drawing inferences, providing explanations, constructing and developing arguments, understanding the implications of a suggested course of action or conclusion, etc.). • The ability to exercise evaluation and discrimination in assessing evidence, ideas and opinions in order to formulate a supported conclusion. • The ability to communicate information, ideas and opinions in a clear, concise, logical and appropriate manner. • Knowledge and understanding in relation to the topic areas identified in the syllabus. • Knowledge of methods and techniques appropriate to a specific task.

A LOT! So what does this mean? It means we will be writing! In order to practice clear, concise, well- thought out writing, we will need to practice!

In a nutshell... The purpose of this course is to give you the skills needed to produce clear, concise, well organized papers that will help you succeed in your future high school courses, college, and beyond. It is also to help you improve your reading comprehension skills, and sharpen your logical thinking process.

Paper 1: AKA The Essay FORGET (almost) everything you have been taught about the “correct” structure of an essay! This is DIFFERENT! There is NO SET NUMBER OF PARAGRAPHS, or number of sentences within the paragraphs. You have A LOT more freedom than you are used to when it comes to writing, and for many, this can be challenging and intimidating because you don’t have that guideline anymore. That is because in this class you will learn how to become more MATURE writers, who do not NEED a template in order to express yourselves! There are also many GRAY AREAS when it come to what you can and cannot do, because scoring is somewhat subjective! (Example- “Can I use a personal anecdote in my essay?” Well, MAYBE. “Can I use ‘I’ in my essay?” In SOME situations it would work, but I HIGHLY recommend avoiding it!)

Don’t expect to always get a straight answer! There are also many GRAY AREAS when it come to what you can and cannot do, because scoring is somewhat subjective! Example- “Can I use a personal anecdote in my essay?” Well, MAYBE. “Can I use ‘I’ in my essay?” In SOME situations it would work, and CAN sometimes enhance an essay, but I HIGHLY recommend avoiding it! “Can I use contractions?” Judiciously, if you WANT, but I DON’T recommend it! If you go overboard it will be too informal! “What if I go way over/under the word count?” In SOME cases, if you write an EXTREMELY impressive essay, you can STILL PASS with 500 words!

Writing a Discursive Essay You’ve written Expository essays (informational) Persuasive (argumentative), and perhaps even done some narrative or descriptive writing. But here you will need to write a DISCURSIVE essay. This means you need to look at BOTH sides of an issue and DISCUSS, and ANALYZE them for your reader. The CONCLUSION will NOT be a review the points you made in your paper, but an opening of a door for other ideas or a call to arms. Here is where you will make your final judgement, but you should be tentative. Leave a question in the mind of the reader!

An AICE Caliber Discursive Essay Must Be... Formal (No colloquial language! Limited idioms/expressions!) Academic (Elevate your vocabulary! Get rid of elementary school words like “good” and “bad,” “things” and “stuff.” Neutral (Until the conclusion, do not reveal your own opinions!) Non Judgemental (Avoid using words with negative connotation and avoid anything that could be considered offensive) Grammatically and structurally sound Logically sound with specific reasons and examples Planned (Don’t just jump in! PLAN your essay!) Model a T-chart with one of the prompts from the summer assignment using student input. Hand out posters and markers. Explain that each group will make a T chart with each prompt, giving points they would use for a discursive essay on the prompt. Explain that the topics chosen were done so intentionally so that even if they have strong opinions on a topic one way or the other, they are forced to look at the reasons on the other side.

Practice: Looking at both sides and planning an essay. In your groups, create a T-chart for each of the prompts below, listing reasons for and against each side. The death penalty should be mandatory in all cases of intentional homicide (murder in the first degree). All guns should be illegal. Gay marriage should be banned. There should be more censorship on television. Homeless people should be put in jail. Remember, even if you disagree with someone else, there is no reason to be RUDE to them! Arguments should be CONSTRUCTIVE, not DESTRUCTIVE!