Problem
I. Speaking Task: News Report + Collaborative Learning
A. Introduction
B. Breaking news/lead story (Focus on the 5 W's)
C. What other interpretations of the topic you found on Collaborative Learning: News report (link to others' contributions by citing relevant student posts as "eyewitnesses")
D. Wrap-up: closing the news report
Topic 1: News Report on Usain Bolt
A. Pretend that you are a journalist commenting on Bolt's race in Moscow 2013. Read Usain Bolt's own words about this race, his achievements, and his thoughts about the future in Faster than lightning (Solid Gold 2, pp. 34-35).
B. Comment and discuss Bolt's attitude and achievements based on the text and personal knowledge and/or experiences, as well as other student viewpoints/interpretations of the event.
Topic 2: The Origins of Policing in the United States
A. Listen to the first 20 minutes of the Throughline podcast episode American Police to learn the history of slave patrols and the origins of policing in the United States.
B. Fictitious news report that reveals your understanding of the podcast
II. Writing Task: First Draft of Your Literary Analysis. Novel The white girl.
You will begin working on a literary analysis of the novel you have been reading in this course. You will use the thesis statement that you presented in the previous assignment as a starting point for your essay. Your essay draft should include a thesis statement and at least three supporting arguments. Each argument should include textual evidence from the novel and explain how the quotation illustrates your ideas. Remember to use clear citations and references from the novel in your essay to support your arguments. Drafting your essay is important because it helps you to plan and organize your ideas.
I. Your thesis statement
A. Remember that the focus of the analysis should be on a matter related to society and be mirrored in the thesis statement.
B. Make sure it is a proper thesis by trying to refute it. A strong thesis statement is neither a statement of fact nor a question.
II. Supporting arguments
Develop and present 3 brief supporting arguments (the claims or points you are making to support the given thesis statement) + textual evidence (ensure that quotations are introduced, commented on, and related to the controlling ideas of the paragraphs in which you place them)
III. Reflection Questions
A. How did you follow up on the feedback received from your teacher? Did you implement the suggestions given to you? In what way? Motivate your answer with a couple of concrete examples.
B. Where did you encounter struggles so far, and what did you do to deal with it? Motivate your answer with a couple of concrete examples.
C. What were the strategies, skills and procedures you used effectively for this current assignment? Motivate your answer.
D. Are you satisfied with your progress in the course? Why/ or why not? If not, how do you plan to improve?
E. Do you have any requests regarding the feedback you receive from your teacher in these last 2 assignments? Be explicit as to what kind of feedback you are seeking.