Tuesday, February 10, 2015

AGENDA 2/10

Read Leon Botstein's "Let Teen-Agers Try Adulthood" silently, annotating, “funneling” (mark/highlight the most important paragraph, most important sentence, and most symbolic word), and writing thoughtful questions/comments. Then, on a separate sheet of paper, paraphrase Botstein’s major claim(s) just as we’ve been practicing in our current synthesis unit. For example, you might write a few sentences that begin with “Botstein argues” or “Botstein explains…”

Discussion: When you complete their reading/annotation/claim statements for the Botstein piece, discuss the ideas with your sharing partners. What makes sense? What are you skeptical about or what possible counterclaims might you push back with if you disagree with Botstein?

Then, read the Horace Mann piece, "Report to the Massachusetts Board of Education." The first page is simply introductory, to give context for Mann’s report. Read the entire packet silently, again annotating, funneling, questioning, and writing claim statements.

Finally, craft a synthesis paragraph: find an overlapping idea (could be similar, could be contrasting) between Mann's and Botstein's piece, then write a synthesis paragraph, using at least one direct quotation from each.

HW: Synthesis paragraph--after reading Mann's speech and Botstein's editorial, what argument might you make? Write that claim, then incorporate evidence from each text, and use the texts to support your position.

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