Exploratorium 2012: Mehlman, Barbara

Table #2       Debate Meets Common Core

 

Audience:       High school

 

Presenters:     Barbara Mehlman and Kate O’Connell

                        Humanities and the Arts H. S.

                        207-01 116 Avenue

Cambria Heights, NY 11411              

Library Web site http://cmhslibrary.info

E-mail bmehlman@schools.nyc.gov; koconne8@schools.nyc.gov

 

Description, Goals, Intended Outcomes: 

Students had a heated debate about the California Dream Act based on their reading of a newspaper article found on Kelly Gallagher’s Article of the Week website. Based on what they read, they formed opinions citing text to support their arguments. Then they wrote a reflective essay supporting their opinion by citing text. This activity:

• helped students navigate a complex text
• required students to use textual information to form their opinions
• helped students understand opposing viewpoints and counter with specific examples from text
• opened students’ minds to other points of view
• enabled them to prepare a strongly written essay with their conclusion and how they came to that conclusion.

 

Process to Develop and Implement this Project:

First we had a brief discussion to introduce the topic of immigration, the controversy about illegal immigration, the history of immigration in the United States, and then a personal discussion of how immigration related to them and their families.

• students read the article without comment or taking notes
• students read the article again, this time making notes in the margins, jotting down questions, and highlighting parts of the text that made an impact on them
• students debated with another, respectfully listening and agreeing and disagreeing
• students wrote their final essay at home

 

Budget: No budget necessary

 

Timeline: three sessions, two in the library and one in the classroom; essay written at home

 

Evidence of Outcomes, Possible Adaptations, Lessons Learned:

• the main evidence that they understood the assignment and were able to complete it was their final essay
• to carry this further, students might interview immigrants they know – in their family, neighbors, friends and ask them about the immigrant experience and what being an American means to them
• students will now have a clearer understanding of the immigration issue in America and be able to speak more knowledgeably about the subject

 

Common Core State Standard(s) addressed:

This lesson was a comprehensive activity that addressed many CC standards at the same time:

9 RIT 1: Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly

as well as inferences drawn from the text

9 RIT 4: Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative,

connotative, and technical meanings; analyze the cumulative impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone (e.g., how the language of a court opinion differs from that of a newspaper).

9 RIT 7: Analyze various accounts of a subject told in different mediums (e.g., a person’s life story in

both print and multimedia), determining which details are emphasized in each account.

9 W 1, 4, 9

9 SL 1, 3, 4, 6

 

Information Fluency Continuum (IFC) Skill(s) addressed:

9.1: Using information to build understanding

Touches on Connect, Wonder, Construct, Express and Reflect

 

Skill(s) taught:           

Writing using text references

Writing an informational essay

Listening

Respectful responses

 

Assessments:

The final reflective essay was the assessment which demonstrated that the students understood the issues and were able to express their opinions in writing.

 

Resources Used:

Kelly Gallagher’s Article of the Week
http://kellygallagher.org/resources/articles.html

“Brown Signs the California Dream Act”
http://kellygallagher.org/resources/AoW%207%20Dream%20Act.pdf