Mrs. Stoker's English 2 News
January 2017
What's New
We kicked off this semester with a team-building activity to help students feel comfortable working in new groups ... but in a fun way! The activity is called The Marshmallow Challenge, and it forces students to collaborate with each other and think creatively to solve a problem. I've included more information and a video by Tom Wujec that I think you will really enjoy viewing.
For the remainder of the month, we are focusing on argumentative writing, which is a more persuasive form of writing than the typical essay. We started by sharing our own personal experiences with arguments; then, students analyzed theories about arguments as presented in a TED Talk video I'm sharing with you at the bottom of this newsletter. At this time, students are learning how to construct an argument that is supported by researched evidence and takes into account opposing viewpoints. You can read more about this unit below.
Lastly, students will continue to work on assigned Study Island topics to reinforce skills we use in class and to prepare them for Missouri End-of-Course (EOC) testing after Spring Break.
The Marshmallow Challenge
I encourage you to ask your own child about the Marshmallow Challenge. After I showed them the video below, many wanted to take the challenge again. Be forewarned, though -- I'm still finding small pieces of uncooked noodles in my classroom a week later.
Argumentative Writing Unit
Key January Due Dates:
- Jan 18 - Pick a research topic and write a microargument on topic article #1
- Jan 24 -- Read article #2 and transfer relevant information to the Research Checklist
- Jan 31 -- Read article #3 and add relevant information to the Research Checklist
- Feb. 1 -- Read articles #4 & 5 and finish the Research Checklist
While class time has been set aside for reading these research articles, we will also be spending time in class practicing argumentative writing skills and learning how to find persuasive evidence that supports our claims. Therefore, some reading will have to be completed outside of class if there are any absences or snow days.
Study Island
This month, four topics needs to be completed by February 1:
- Technical Meanings
- Author's Point of View
- Evaluating an Argument
- Analyzing Documents
In order to complete a topic, students must achieve a score of 80% during a single 10-question practice session. Students can re-take as many sessions as needed to achieve this mastery level, and If a topic becomes challenging, students can click on a lesson link to refresh their knowledge of the topic. Below is the general login/password formula:
login = firstname.lastname@fhsd
password = six-digit Student ID number