EVOLVE

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Annotate An Explanatory Essay

Read the essay:
       Did you know you can save water in your homes by doing a few simple tasks each day?  I have recently read two texts: Watch Your Water and Valuable Water.  These two texts address the problem of wasting water.  There are many ways to save water.  In this thesis, some ways to conserve water both inside and outside of their homes will be addressed.
     First, there are many things you can do inside your house to save water.  You can change your toilet, facet, and shower head to low flow models.  Also, taking showers instead of baths and turning the faucet off when you brush your teeth can help.  The text says, "these two small acts can save gallons of water each day."  
     There are many things you can do outside your house to save water.  Instead of washing your car at home, go to an automatic car wash.  Reuse water outside as much as possible.  One example of this is catching rainwater and using it to water your plants later.  If you must water your lawn, do so in the early morning or evening.  The text says, "watering your lawn in the afternoon will result in a lot of water being quickly evaporated by the hot sun."
   In conclusion, there are many ways people can conserve water, both inside and outside of their homes.  Be aware of your use of water when brushing your teeth, taking a shower, water you lawn, or washing your car.  Imagine, if every person made an effort to conserve water.  Millions of gallons of water would be saved.  It is important to save water both inside and outside of the home.

Discussion Question: 
Make a list of at least 4 things this person did well (be specific)?  What is 1 thing they could have done better (be specific)?

Practicing the Introduction of an Opinion Essay

Below is an example of part of a possible writing task you could see on the TN Ready Part 1 Assessment.  We have practiced the parts of an opinion essay.  We have become excellent at the first part, the introduction, of an opinion essay.  I want you to prove you are excellent at writing an introduction!  Read the prompt below and write an introduction that shows me what you can do.

You are a writing for a popular WWI website.  You have been assigned to give your opinion on whether or not the U.S. should have entered WWI.  You have read two texts to help you prepare for this task:

1. The Sinking of the Lusitania and Submarine Warfare
2. Transcripts of the Zimmerman Telegram

Remember all the skills we have worked on in class this week.  Be sure to focus on using great grammar skills when you write.  I can't wait to read them.

Introduction in Opinion Writing

We have worked hard on learning the parts of an introduction in an opinion essay.  Below, is an opinion writing task.  Please, write an introduction for the task.  Remember to include all four parts of an introduction.

You have recently read two texts: 

1. Readworks: The League of Nations 
2. excerpts from Growth of a Nation.  

You’ve been asked to write an opinion piece for a blog about WWI giving your opinion about why the U.S. didn’t support Woodrow Wilson’s League of Nations.  In your opinion piece, state your opinion, provide logically ordered reason, and support your reasons with details and facts from the source texts.  

Practice Makes Progress in Writing

We have discussed the differences between an opinion essay and an explanatory essay.  Today, I want you to write an introduction for the task we are working on in writing.  Be sure to include all the necessary parts of an introduction.  I expect you to be creative with your hook: get my attention.  Remember, the only way to get better at writing is to write.  Happy writing.

Child Labor: Then and Now

Child Labor in 1911 Slideshow

 
I want you to view the slide show about child labor in 1911.  We've learned the American Federation of Labor worked to stop child labor in America.  Around the world there are 200 million child laborers. There are arguments for and against child labor.  Next week we will close read two articles from different view points on the issue and complete our culminating writing task.  Before we do, I want you to think about this: what are some arguments for and against child labor in the world today?  Then, discuss why Samuel Gompers and others felt child labor had no place in America.

Choose Kind

 

Most of us are reading Wonder by  R.J. Palacio in RTI class.  This book will make you laugh.  It will make you cry.  Wonder is about a boy named August Pullman who has a face that doesn't look like everyone else.  As a result, people act differently around him.  Some people are even mean.  We all have things about us that make us feel different.  We might even have times when we treat other people unkindly because they are different.  It is time that we treat everyone the way we want to be treated.  It is time we are kind.  Our actions show people who we are.  What are some things we can do as kids to show kindness?  How can we let people know how great we are by our actions?  It is time we stand up and tell the world we will not accept unkind because we "Choose Kind."