Warm-up Copy HW Place your map in the bin. Don’t forget your name!

Essential Questions How do culture and technology reflect values? How has the relationship between citizens and their government changed?

A Letter to Our Government Research a current issue affecting students and use that research to write a 1-2 page letter to a government official stating your views on the issues and how you would propose they go about solving this issue.

Steps to Success!!!! 1.Time management-Stay on task and stick to the time frame set aside for each task this week. 2.Complete all portions of your graphic organizer to ensure a quality final product. 3.Have productive and meaningful discussions with your partner each day. 4.Reflect thoughtfully on your topic at the end of class each day. 5.Complete homework…failure to do so will get you and your partner off track. They are counting on you for key information to help them write their letter. 6.Ask questions!!!!! Please don’t wait until your get your grade to realize you made an error!

Topic Choices 1.Should kids have a dress code in schools? 2.Should junk food be sold in schools? 3.Should students attend year-round schools? 4.Will more technology hurt or help the school environment?

Letter To Our Government: Rubric I.Completion of Research Records: Research is thorough and completely accurate. Several facts and multiple quotes/statistics.__________/13-16 Research is accurate, but lacks depth and details. Some quotes or statistics._______________________/11-12 Key research is missing. There is little evidence of quotes and statistics.__________________________/9-10 Very little research is evident. Quotes and statistics are missing.________________________________/0-9

Letter To Our Government: Rubric II.Reflections Reflections are meaningful and show strong evidence of understanding the research_______________/7-8 Reflections show evidence of thought, but lack some detail and understanding____________________/6 Reflection are present, but disorganized and don’t show a solid understanding of the research_______/5 Reflections are missing or lack relevance to the topic_________________________________________/0-4

Letter To Our Government: Rubric III.Graphic Organizer All parts are complete, clear and accurate. Information demonstrates deep understanding of the topic__/9-10 All parts are complete, but some may be unclear or slightly inaccurate_____________________________/7-8 Some parts may be incomplete and the thoughts are disorganized and show only basic knowledge______/6 Many parts are incomplete and show very little understanding of the research_______________________/0-5

Letter To Our Government: Rubric IV.Final Draft: Facts and Details Both sides of the issues are reflected. Five arguments are thoroughly supported with a quote or statistic__________/19-20 Both sides are reflected. Five arguments are present and supported accurately_____________________/14-18 One point of view is not reflected well and the arguments are not supported well___________________/12-13 One perspective is missing and there are missing arguments____________________________________/0-11

Letter To Our Government: Rubric V.Final Draft: Focus Issue is clearly stated, arguments are focused, solution is easily understood and conclusion is powerful___/7-8 Issue is stated, arguments are stated in order, solution is understood, and conclusion is present___________/6 Issue is poorly stated, arguments are disorganized, solution lacks detail, and conclusion lacks power ______/5 Thesis and or conclusion are missing, arguments are missing, and the solution is not relevant___________/0-4

Letter To Our Government: Rubric VI.Final Draft: Conventions No spelling errors, sentence structure and word choice are outstanding, and punctuation is completely accurate_______________________/4 Few spelling errors, appropriate sentence structure and word choice, and minor punctuation errors_______/3 Several spelling and punctuation errors are evident. Sentence structure and word choice is poor_________/2 Several incomplete sentences and misused words. A multitude of spelling and punctuation errors________0-1

Friday’s Schedule Warm up-Turn in maps-2 minutes Tasks- Explain Project-10 minutes Read introduction to your topic-5 minutes Read your first section-12 minutes Record facts, quotes and statistics from your first section on your “research record”- 12 minutes Share what you gathered with your partner; record each other’s information-6 minutes/6 minutes Closure- Reflect on your topic: What are you thinking about your topic so far?- 3 minutes HW- Read your second section-12 minutes Record facts, quotes and statistics from your second second on your “research record”-12 mins.

Monday Warm up-Take out your articles, graphic organizer, and work schedule-3 minutes Tasks- Share what you gathered with your partner; record each other’s information-6 minutes/6 minutes Read your third article-12 minutes Record facts, quotes and statistics from your third article on your “research record”-12 minutes Share what you gathered with your partner; record each other’s information-6 minutes/6 minutes Closure- Reflect on your topic: What are you thinking about your topic so far?-5 minutes HW- Read your fourth article-12 minutes Record facts, quotes and statistics from your fourth article on your “research record”-12 minutes

Tuesday Warm up- Take out your articles, graphic organizer, and work schedule-3 minutes Tasks- Share what you gathered with your partner; record each other’s information-6 minutes/6 minutes Review/share information you have gathered in a Socratic Circle of other students that have researched the same issue as you -10 minutes Complete the arguments portion (including facts and quotes) of your graphic organizer-10 minutes Complete the solution portion of your graphic organizer-10 minutes Closure- Please write your thesis statement and conclusion sentences in the appropriate portion of your graphic organizer-11 minutes HW- Please use this night to complete any work that is not finished. We will be writing our rough draft in class tomorrow, so your entire packet/graphic organizer

Rough Draft Wednesday Warm up- Take out your completed graphic organizer and review it with your partner-5 minutes Tasks- Please use your graphic organizer to write your rough draft of your letter-43 minutes Closure- Please read your letter one last time and make any final corrections-8 minutes HW- Make any final revision on your rough draft

Typing Thursday You must have your information packet, completed graphic organizer and completed rough draft with you to go to the computer lab on Thursday

Rough Draft Outline-9 paragraphs Intro-State the problem and state your thesis-3 Argument with quote or fact-4 Opposite points of view-why their wrong- no quotes or stats needed here, unless you think they can help refute the opposing side-5 Solution-5 Conclusion-3

Sections 1-4 YRS YRS ,36-52,53-64,65-73 Junk food- Junk food-10-15,37-43,59-64, Electronics Electronics , 41-45, 46-48/85-90, Dress Code- Dress Code /24-28, 29-38, 44-48/54-64, 65-71/77-79 Yellow- In class Friday Green-Weekend Blue-In class Monday Black –Monday Night

Closure Please turn to the reflection page of your project packet and complete the section entitled “Day One Reflection”