1/25/16 – Debate Topic This week, there will be only one debate topic. Your homework is to write a thesis statement and three topic sentences that support it. Your topic sentences must relate to and be supported by the evidence that you will be given. Should euthanasia or physician-assisted suicide be legal?

Topic Sentences Introduce a claim / make a statement that will be explored in the body paragraph Connect to/supports the thesis statement Do not repeat the thesis Present the focus of the paragraph (therefore, any statements within the paragraph that don’t connect to/support the topic sentence are off topic!) Are clear, concise, and arguable Do not contain “I” statements—it’s your essay, the reader already knows it’s what YOU think. Transition smoothly from the previous paragraph

Topic Sentences Should students wear school uniforms? Thesis: Wearing uniforms at school should be mandatory because it will increase students’ self- confidence and reduce bullying. Topic Sentence: Requiring school uniforms would prevent students who come from low-income households from being singled out due to their clothing. Topic Sentence: If every student within a school is wearing the same outfit, nobody will feel as if his or her clothing is better or worse than everyone else’s. Topic Sentence: Additionally, mandating school uniforms will increase focus within the classroom, resulting in higher grades.

Chapter 2 Finish reading Chapter 2 Add three more quotes to your Essential Question Tracker If you finish, you can begin working on your homework.

Chapter 2 Discussion Questions Why is George worried about Curley? How is the swamper (Candy) similar to his dog? What is Steinbeck saying about the value of human life through this metaphor (particularly when Carlson suggests that the dog should be shot)? How can Curley’s wife serve as a metaphor for the allurement, and subsequent danger, that many migrants felt towards going west?