1. Welcome to English 12 with Mr. Short.
Please find your seat by looking at the chart on the desk at the front of the room

2. Notebook Item #1
Notebook Items are a chance for you to transition into the right mindset for the day’s class. Prompt responses should be about a half-page long to receive full credit. You might not always answer each question, but make sure to address a majority of them and write close to a half-page. You should be writing for 7-10 minutes minimum without talking. We will typically discuss after everyone has had an adequate amount of time to think and respond.
Where do you see yourself in years? What are you doing for employment, leisure, and to give back? Do you know anyone who has experience in these lines of work, hobby, and/or service? (try to list one for each)

3. 2A Google Classroom Code:
2hvw1n

4. 3AGoogle Classroom Code:
8600xmt

5. Argument (thesis/claim)?
Notebook Item #2
Choose three possible topics for your Senior Project. Using a full page, draw/fill out the example table below in your notebook, detailing three potential projects you could pull-off.
Topic
15 Service Hours
Where?
How?
Who?
Paper Requirements
Argument (thesis/claim)?
Possible Sources?
Public Presentation
Items?
Pictures?
Data/Evidence? 1. 2. 3.

6. Claim, Evidence, & Warrant Notes
Notebook Item #3
Claim, Evidence, & Warrant Notes

7. *What is a claim? Should be: engaging, logical, and debatable
Claim: The overall focus statement of a paper (Thesis) or of a paragraph (Topic Sentence). This starts your argument.
Should be:
engaging, logical, and debatable
Should Not Be:
obvious, vague, or simply opinion

8. Opinion vs. Arguable Claim
-Opinion (alone) and Vague = Bad -Twinkies are delicious. -Virginia Woolf is better than James Joyce. -Our mayor stinks.

9. Opinion vs. Arguable Claim
-Arguable and Descriptive = Better (though still not great) -Twinkies are a superior snack cake because of the spongy texture, the creamy filling, and the golden appearance. -Virginia Woolf is a more effective writer than James Joyce because she does not rely on elaborate language that ultimately confuses and alienates readers, her works include themes that are timeless, and her writing reveals more imagination. -The mayor has done a poor job and continually does the community a disservice by misusing money, focusing on unimportant issues, and failing to listen to constituents.

10. *What is Evidence?
Evidence: Data (facts, statistics, studies) gathered to support the claim.
-Twinkies are a superior snack cake because of the spongy texture, the creamy filling, and the golden appearance.
-Virginia Woolf is a more effective writer than James Joyce because she does not rely on elaborate language that ultimately confuses and alienates readers, her works include themes that are timeless, and her writing reveals more imagination.
-The mayor has done a poor job and continually does the community a disservice by misusing money, focusing on unimportant issues, and failing to listen to constituents.
What would you search for?

11. Examples of Evidence
-Twinkies-A study on density, customer satisfaction polls/ratings, overall sales, physiologist's research on the color yellow. -Virginia Woolf /James Joyce- book sales, online reviews and blogs, number of fan sites. -Our mayor stinks-Approval rating, approval rating compared to other cities of similar size, city spending overall,
What happens if you can’t find this evidence, or you find evidence saying the opposite?

12. Talk about the smoking gun of getting knocked out at lunch

13. What is Warrant?
Warrant: Explanation of why or how the evidence supports the claim, the underlying assumption that connects your evidence to your claim. (Commentary)
Explains the significance of the evidence
Usually three to five sentences long
Talk about the smoking gun of getting knocked out at lunch

14. *Additional Terms
Backing (also referred to as the foundation): Additional logic or reasoning that may be necessary to support the warrant.
Counterclaim: A claim that would seem to negate or disagree with the claim (what the other side would say in disagreement).
Rebuttal: Evidence that negates, disagrees with, or disproves the counterclaim.

15. Rebuttal
Don't avoid the opposing side of an argument. Instead, include the opposing side as a counterclaim. Find out what the other side is saying and respond to it within your own argument. This is important so that the audience is not swayed by weak, unrefuted, arguments. This makes you look more credible because you appear to be knowledgeable about the entirety of the debate rather than just being biased to your position and/or uniformed.
The only reason to bring in a counterclaim is if you plan to refute it. Don’t destroy your own argument.

16. Example
Claim: Mandating Hybrid or Alternative Energy cars is the most effective and plausible strategy to fight pollution on the planet Earth. Evidence: Driving a private car is a typical citizen's most air polluting activity. (source) Evidence: Private pollution causes more overall harm to the environment than industry produced pollutants. (source) Warrant: Because cars are the largest source of private, as opposed to industry produced air pollution, switching to hybrid cars will have a significant impact on fighting pollution.

17. Example
Evidence: Each vehicle produced typically stays on the road for roughly 12 to 15 years. (source) Warrant: Cars generally have a long lifespan, meaning that a decision to switch to a hybrid car will make a long-term impact on pollution levels. Evidence: The hybrid engine of the Prius, made by Toyota, produces 90 percent fewer harmful emissions than a comparable gasoline engine. (source) Warrant: Because the efficiency of new technology is exponentially better than the old, this will make a significant impact in overall pollution rather than just a slight improvement.

18. Example
Counterclaim: Instead of focusing on cars, which still encourages a culture of driving even if it cuts down on pollution, the nation should focus on building and encouraging use of mass transit systems such as alternative energy busses and railroads.
Rebuttal: While mass transit is an environmentally sound idea that should be encouraged, it is not feasible in many rural and suburban areas. Furthermore, automobiles are a symbol of freedom and most people want to have the ability to travel where they want, when they want. With this in mind, hybrid and alternative energy cars are a better solution for minimizing pollution in the United States.

19. You have a 10 point assignment on Google Classroom due by the end of class today. You will fill-out two similar looking graphic organizers outlining two claims and three pieces of potential evidence for each. You should spend the majority of your time on your first page and the second should be your backup paper topic at this point. If you are still unsure, come talk with me. I am happy to brainstorm with you!
School Choice (a piece of proposed legislation that allows families to allocate their tax dollars or “vouchers” any specific school) should be implemented as a nation because we are falling behind the rest of the world academically, parents promote greater student achievement when they contribute to the decision of where their child goes to school, and competition improves all schools by forcing failing entities to change or lose funding.
Data showing the performance of U.S. students vs other countries and the differences among our education system and theirs.
Statistics or polls asking parents how much they would be involved in their child’s school if they could choose without additional costs incurred
Evidence from states and/or countries that have made this change and how scores, attendance, drop-out rates and other metrics changed.

20. Senior Project Proposal Mini-Presentation Work Day
You may grab your Chromebooks and begin working on this assignment on Google Slides. When you are finished, just click submit and don’t forget to attach your presentation so I have access for next class when we begin presenting. See rubric on back of handout for grading specifics (and bring it next class)
Also due next class is the “Parent/Guardian Release Form”. This is the paper that discusses what you will be doing and the school’s expectations. I expect you to sit down with your parents to complete this.

22. Senior Project Review The Paper. The Project. The Portfolio.
An ESSAY written in English class.
September - January
The Project.
TIME given to or spent in the community.
September - April
The Portfolio.
A BINDER compiling all the work & forms you did.
April - May
The Presentation.
A SPEECH given to a committee
May 23