1. English 10
3/1 & 3/2

2. Objectives | Students will be able to:
Library time for research
Review of Ch 3-4
Create a Thesis/Claim statement
Writing Good Paragraphs
Identifying characters in Animal Farm, supporting with textual evidence

3. CRAAP test

4. Craap test

5. C R A P
CURRENCY - looking at the footer tells us the site was created in 1998, and last updated in May of 2015
RELEVANCE - the audience appears to be adults interested in preserving endangered species; the presence of an online store selling merchandise gives it the appearance of an organization
AUTHORITY - the site author is someone named Lyle Zapato, whose name links to a personal website with no scientific credentials; it is clearly stated that "the site is not associated with any school or educational organization"; and the only contact information is the author's blog
ACCURACY - most of the sources from this site link back to the author's blog, and many of the others lead to .net, .org, or .com websites written in the same tone as this
PURPOSE - the content makes it clear that this website exists to entertain

6. Research/Argumentative Paper
Library - my rules
*This is not a time for goofing off, working on other classes, being on your phone - etc. You are here to do research! You have an opportunity for above and beyond points by printing off your sources and highlighting the info you quote, and cite in your paper (remember to write on the source an MLA citation).
*After about 10 minutes in the library, you are locked in to your person/event/item. No changes will be made.

7. Library debrief…. How did your research go?
Did you learn interesting things about your topic?
Let’s talk about writing a thesis statement:

8. What is a thesis statement/claim?
An argumentative or persuasive piece of writing must begin with a debatable thesis or claim. In other words, the thesis must be something that people could reasonably have differing opinions on.

9. Claim statements (sometimes called thesis)
A claim should be general so that lots of evidence in the text will support its argument.
Myth/Correction: Usually, a really broad claim can only be supported by really broad evidence, which ends up describing rather than arguing. So be specific, be concrete, be focused. Think carefully about what you are trying to argue, what the stakes of your argument are, and use relevant quotes from your supporting material to help you generate a specific claim.

10. A claim shouldn’t include everything the paper is going to say because then it “gives it all away” and eliminates the suspense.
Myth/Correction: An argument essay is not a mystery novel—you want to be clear about where you are going with your argument so the reader can follow and understand and believe you. This is not to say that you need to make your claim an obvious road map nor does it have to be paragraphs long. State what it is you are trying to do, what it is you are trying to argue, and how you plan to accomplish it. The rest of your paper can flesh out your main claim with subclaims, specific quotes, telling details, examples, and evidence.

11. A claim should never be longer than a sentence.
Myth/Correction: While your claim will tell you where you need to go, don’t feel trapped inside the five-paragraph essay. Do present the information in a reasonable manner and place emphasis appropriately so the reader knows what is important and what is not.

12. You can present the essay you are reading and working from and the present your ideas. The connection between them will be obvious.
Myth/Correction: Don’t confuse a claim, an argument for a thesis statement, or a topic sentence. Your claim may fit into one sentence or it may require more space to fully outline, develop, and express. Depending on the length of your essay and the complexity of your argument, your claim should fit the project at hand.

13. A claim should present a theme and provide 3 examples of that theme.
Myth/Correction: Remember that the essays you read for your assignments are in support of your ideas, your argument. How can you apply relevant material and ideas and methods and critiques drawn from an essay to your own claim? Writing is all about making connections and making explicit the ways your ideas mix, mingle, and reciprocate other writers‟ ideas. Obviously, proper citation and attribution must be maintained.

14. A claim should be true or correct beyond a doubt so the reader “buys” the argument.
Myth/Correction: Constructing an argument and substantiating a claim is rarely entirely black-or-white, on-or-off, all or nothing. Argumentative writing is about being able to articulate a position and argue it using academic evidence. In fact, in your research you may find yourself disagreeing with sources at one point and agreeing with them later in the same essay. Arguments are often a mixture of assertion, acknowledgement, confirmation, refutation, and concession. Complex claims rarely have a single right or wrong answer; rather they are provocations, analyses, explications, or applications of concepts, theories, and ideas.

15. Non debatable thesis/claim … not good….
Pollution is bad for the environment.
This thesis statement is not debatable. First, the word pollution means that something is bad or negative in some way. Further, all studies agree that pollution is a problem; they simply disagree on the impact it will have or the scope of the problem. No one could reasonably argue that pollution is good.  

16. Debatable thesis/claim statement
At least 25 percent of the federal budget should be spent on limiting pollution.
This is an example of a debatable thesis because reasonable people could disagree with it. Some people might think that this is how we should spend the nation's money. Others might feel that we should be spending more money on education. Still others could argue that corporations, not the government, should be paying to limit pollution.

17. Another debatable thesis/claim statement
America's anti-pollution efforts should focus on privately owned cars.
In this example there is also room for disagreement between rational individuals. Some citizens might think focusing on recycling programs rather than private automobiles is the most effective strategy.

18. thesis/claim can’t be too broad
Drug use is detrimental to society.
There are several reasons this statement is too broad to argue. First, what is included in the category "drugs"? Is the author talking about illegal drug use, recreational drug use (which might include alcohol and cigarettes), or all uses of medication in general? Second, in what ways are drugs detrimental? Is drug use causing deaths (and is the author equating deaths from overdoses and deaths from drug related violence)? Is drug use changing the moral climate or causing the economy to decline? Finally, what does the author mean by "society"? Is the author referring only to America or to the global population? Does the author make any distinction between the effects on children and adults? There are just too many questions that the claim leaves open. The author could not cover all of the topics listed above, yet the generality of the claim leaves all of these possibilities open to debate.

19. Narrow or focused
Illegal drug use is detrimental because it encourages gang violence.
In this example the topic of drugs has been narrowed down to illegal drugs and the detriment has been narrowed down to gang violence. This is a much more manageable topic.

20. Back to pollution…but narrowed
At least 25 percent of the federal budget should be spent on helping upgrade business to clean technologies, researching renewable energy sources, and planting more trees in order to control or eliminate pollution.
This thesis narrows the scope of the argument by specifying not just the amount of money used but also how the money could actually help to control pollution.

21. …still need examples…
blog/thesis-statement-examples/

22. It is a declarative sentence!
Do not use qualifiers - might, maybe, perhaps, etc.
It is not a question.
It is a statement that might change as you research, write, and revise your paper.  That’s OK!

23. Lets practice… with a partner
Turn the following opinion claims into arguable claims
Twinkies are delicious.
I like dance music.
I think __________is better than ___________. (fill in with names of musicians/authors/etc.)
The governor is a bad man.

24. CCSS
RL.10.1 Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
RL.10.5 Analyze in detail how an author's ideas or claims are developed and refined by particular sentences, paragraphs, or larger portions of a text (e.g., a section or chapter).
W Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
SL.10.1 Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher- led) with diverse partners on grades 9-10 topics, texts, and issues, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.