1. Challenging an Idea

2. Freewrite Expand upon one of the topics you started to discuss along the rope OR What causes make you passionate? Write for 5-10 sentences about a cause that you believe in and how you support it.

3. Objectives Brainstorm beliefs or ideas that you have View samples of essay with dialogue, active verbs, strong details Time to begin essay Agenda Where do you stand? Freewrite Brainstorm ideas for social issues/beliefs as a class Tips and tricks Start to draft the social issue essay

4. Brainstorming Topics

5. Social Issue/Beliefs/Ideas Continued… Cyber communication- progress or problem? Local politics/national politics War Equal Rights for all Religion at home or school Homelessness Sports in school Bullying Cancer Joblessness Economy Animal rights Vegetarianism/Veganism Beauty pageants Self image issues Bulimia/anorexia/other eating disorders Drug or alcohol use among teens and/or adults

6. To start…start with your connection Homelessness is a big problem in Philadelphia. (no connection) VERSUS When I walked down the street the other night, a woman and her child bundled in a dirty blanket slept over a smelly grate, spewing warm steam. (connection) When I was fourteen, my lacrosse team volunteered at a local food bank, and I have never been the same. (connection) OR I’m concerned about body image problems of teenage girls. VERSUS It was two years ago that I my friend started reducing her portion size, a couple of months after that she started running obsessively, and it was only a couple of months after that she was skipping meals altogether. It wasn’t until last year that her mom called me to say that she had been admitted to the hospital due to anorexia.

7. Describe with details…Make it personal My parents are religious and I am not. (no details) VERSUS Typically we sit down before every meal, bow our heads and wait until my little brother (or whomever was selected that evening) to say the Lord’s Prayer. Until just last year, my parents didn’t know that, although outwardly I did the same as they, inside I was conflicted. OR I am a political activist although my family is not. (no details) VERSUS I, like most other Americans raised in the public school system, can recite the Pledge of Allegiance by heart, but it wasn’t until last year that I started to actually understand what I was saying. If I am going to pledge allegiance to this great country of ours, I realized I need to understand and be involved in the direction it is going. That is when I decided to join the Obama campaign.

8. Use Dialogue… Growing up, best friend and I would spend hours looking at models in magazines, dreaming about being that thin and beautiful. VERSUS On any typical Saturday night, Jane and I would leaf through magazines, pointing out the models within them. “Kate Moss is so pretty.” “I know, I wish I could be that skinny.” “I hope I don’t wind up like my aunt, she got so fat after high school. I’ve seen pictures.” “Do you think my legs are too big?” “I think I should wax my eyebrows.” The conversation would continue, but then we would get bored, run downstairs, jump on our bikes and go get an ice cream. Looking back, I realize that there were signs of a problem, but I was too naive to pick up on them.

9. Your assignment Draft due next class, final due on Friday Reflect on a time when you challenged a belief or idea. What prompted you to act? Would you make the same decision again? Focus on 500 words! Dialogue! Details! Your beginning!