1. Passbacks. Students received the quiz grades they earned during the seminar yesterday. We put them in our folders. If you were absent, we put yours in your folder for you. You’re welcome!
2. Intro to an argument. We reviewed the basic parts of an essay: the intro, thesis, body paragraphs with topic sentences, conclusion, all that good stuff. Especially, we discussed how to incorporate the grounds into an essay. The grounds is the basis for your argument; if your audience doesn’t agree with the grounds you’re assuming, they cannot get on board with your argument.
For example, if this is your thesis:
DSA should not adopt school uniforms because they would limit the freedoms of students.
You’re assuming everyone believes this grounds:
Students have freedoms in school that are worth fighting for.
Now, not everyone believes that right away. “So what?” they say. “Students give up their freedoms at the door in order to get a free education. Search and seizure procedures are different, dress code is enforced, so what quote-unquote freedoms are you so concerned about?!”
You’ve got to get that person on board by proving your grounds. Like this:
Religious freedom is maintained in school. Students are free to express their religions, or lack thereof, through dress (headscarves or turbans), jewelry (crucifixes, stars of David), or not participating in the Pledge of Allegiance because it uses the word God. As religious freedom is maintained, we should aim to maintain other freedoms as well.
There. Your grounds are proven.
3. Outlining your TKaM essay. First, students got feedback on the theses they wrote. All theses must be approved! Then, they began filling out their outline sheet: Basic Essay Outline. If you were absent, download and print out this sheet. You will fill it out tomorrow in class with your group members, who already decided what the steps of your argument will be. You can write your topic sentence at the beginning of class tomorrow if you were gone.
4. Divvying out the paragraphs. Students decided which of the body paragraphs each group member would write.
HW: Each student must write the topic sentence for their body paragraph. You may write the topic sentence on the top of W10.
ALEXA GARVOILLE 