1. Bellwork What do you remember about fossil fuels (like coal and oil)?
When are they expected to run out?
What can we use instead of fossil fuels?

2. DuPont Essay Challenge
Let’s get started!

3. Just to remind you….. What are some alternative sources of energy?
What’s wrong with fossil fuels?
What are some alternative sources of energy?
Which source do you think is better- solar power or nuclear power? Why?
Share with the class.

4. Now…
Having an idea about something you are going to write about is a good place to start, but you can’t write an academic essay (especially a contest-winning essay!) based only on your opinions!
It’s time to do some research using a couple of articles and our trusty two-column notes!
Let’s review how to set up your notes for this essay.

5. Two-column notes for a persuasive essay
Solar Energy
Nuclear Energy
(name of first article or author)
Supporting details/facts- put these in your own words or copy them exactly using quotation marks (“ ”)
Make as many points as you find facts to support solar energy as the better option.
2. (name of second article or author)
*even though your first article is about solar power, you can put some of the cons of solar power in this column if they show why nuclear energy is better.
Make as many points as you find facts to support that nuclear energy is better.
Make as many points as you find facts to support nuclear energy as the better option.

6. Bellwork What are some of the pros and cons for solar power?
Did you put these facts in your own words?
What source did you use?

7. Two-column notes for a persuasive essay
Solar Energy
Nuclear Energy
(name of first article or author)
Supporting details/facts- put these in your own words or copy them exactly using quotation marks (“ ”)
Make as many points as you find facts to support solar energy as the better option.
2. (name of second article or author)
*even though your first article is about solar power, you can put some of the cons of solar power in this column if they show why nuclear energy is better.
Make as many points as you find facts to support that nuclear energy is better.
Make as many points as you find facts to support nuclear energy as the better option.

8. Tips to Prepare a Winning Essay –from DuPont
So you’ve chosen the challenge you want to address. Now how can you increase your chances of writing a winning essay? One of the most important things to remember is that this should be a science essay rather than a science report. We make an important distinction between these two writing approaches for the purpose of this competition. Reports and essays are two very different things:
A report’s purpose is to provide information. An effective report is clearly written and well organized, and it tells readers things that they did not know before about a topic that is worth knowing more about.
An essay also provides information—but it does more. An essay not only gives facts about its subject but shows its writer’s enthusiasm for and intellectual involvement with that subject. In an essay, unlike a report, the writer lets his or her personality come through.
A science essay is a journey. Think of it as the record created by a person who has ventured out to the edge of scientific discovery through his or her research, and has come back with a new understanding of it—a new understanding that he or she is eager to share with others.

9. One more step to get you ready to write your essay…
Get ready to Smackdown tomorrow!