1. English 104/13/15 New Seats! Please wait QUIETLY for your seat assignment. Yesterday’s Blooms to Brews marathon in Woodland. We ran it as a relay—I made a personal best of 6.5 miles in 1 hour and 1 minute!

2. Learning Target I can discuss and evaluate topics with my peers.

3. Persuasive Research Topics There are four slides of potential topics for you to choose from. Each of you need to have THREE topics by the end of the period. Today you will browse these topics with your peers and discuss the ones that interest you. You will stay in your assigned seat for this. Beware that many are just topics, and that you would have to find a way to make a debatable, reasonable argument out of it. Many topics on the list can be taken several ways. For example: Minimum wage. One could argue for a higher minimum wage, for restrictions on wages, to categorize minimum wage jobs, for a nation-wide minimum living wage, to allow/not allow teenagers to take minimum wage jobs, etc.

4. AdoptionEnvironmental issues Advertisting / Alcohol Advertising / Impact on teensEspionage / Intelligence gathering / CIA Affirmative actionEvolution / Creationism / Intelligent design AIDS / Viruses / Vaccinations Extremist groups / White supremacists / Islamic fundamentalists / Militia movements Alcohol / AlcoholismFast food Alternative energy or fuel sources Feminism / Women's rights / Working mothers or women American foreign policyFood safety American values - Business, Patriotism, ReligionFoster Care Animal experimentation / testing / rightsFree speech Assisted suicide / Euthanasia / Terminal illnessFreedom of the press Attention deficit disorder / RitalinFuel economy standards Biological warfare / Chemical weaponsGambling Biomedical ethicsGarbage / Recycling Biotechnology / Bioengineered foodsGender roles/ differences / discrimination BP Oil Spill/EnvironmentGenetic testing or research

5. Cars / Sport Utility Vehicles (SUVs) / Hybrids / AlternativesGenetically modified food Censorship / Book banningGlobal resources Chemical dependencyGlobal warming / Greenhouse effect Child abuse or Sexual abuse - prevention / punishmentsGun control / Gun violence Child welfare / Needy childrenHate crimes / Hate speech / Hate groups Children & television or computersHealth care Civil libertiesHomeland security / USA Patriot Act Cloning / Genetic engineeringHomelessness CultsHomeschooling CurfewsHomework CyberbullyingHomosexual / Same sex marriage Day careHomosexual or gay parenting Death penalty / Capital punishmentHomosexual or gay rights / discrimination Death penalty / Trials for teens or juvenilesHuman embryo experimentation Defense spendingHuman rights / Human trafficking Discrimination / InequalityImmigration Divorce

6. Domestic violence / Battered woman syndromeIntellectual property rights Drug abuse / Addiction / War on drugsInternet / Internet filters Drug testingInterracial issues Drugs and sports / Steroid use / Performance enhancing drugsIraq war / rebuilding / withdrawal Drunk drivingJustice system / Juries Eating disorders / Anorexia / Bulemia - causesJuvenile violence Elderly / Aging populationLabor unions Endangered speciesLegalization of drugs Middle East - Conflict / Democracy inMedia or broadcasting bias Minimum wageMedia violence - television, movies Movies / Film industry - rating systems, regulations, technologyMental illness / Mental health Nuclear energy or power / wasteSocial Security / Retirement systems Obesity - causes / responsibility / how people are treatedSpanking / Corporal punishment Oil / Drilling in ArcticStem cell research Organ transplants / sales / donationsSweatshops Paranormal or psychic phenomena / Ghosts / ESPThe Tea Party Movement Patriot Act / Homeland security / National securityTechnology Pharmaceutical industry / Prescription drugsTeen curfews PlagiarismTeen driving Domestic violence / Battered woman syndromeDrug abuse / Addiction / War on drugs

7. Population / OverpopulationTeenage pregnancy - reducing PovertyTelevision violence / ratings Prayer / religion in schools / separation of church and stateTerrorism - combatting Prisons / rehabilitationTerrorism - treatment of prisoners or suspects PrivacyTorture Racism / Race relations / Racial profiling / White oppression UFOs or aliens / Flying saucers / Alien abductions / Extraterrestrial life Rain Forests / Deforestation / ClearcuttingUnderage drinking Reproductive rights or technologiesVideo games Rock music issues - Censorship of lyrics, Violence, Rap, Downloading from InternetViolence / Crime SatanismWater issues / Oceans School choice / VouchersWeapons of mass destruction School policies - zero tolerance, student rights, metal detectors, surveillanceWelfare School reform - standardized tests, school vouchers, charter schools, teacher trainingWireless networks / Wi-Fi School uniforms / dress codesWomen in the military School violence or shootings / safety / zero toleranceWomen's sports - equality, Title IX Science & religionZoos Sex education / Safe sex / AbstinenceSocial Networking web sites Sexism in sportsSmoking / Tobacco / Tobacco industry

8. Exit Slip On a piece of paper (half sheet is fine): Write your name Write down your three potential topics and bring it to me (I will give this back to you tomorrow!)