S+Marcoux,+Jacob

**Office:** **Office Phone:** **Office Hours:** ** E-mail: ** jacob.marcoux@maine.edu
 * Teacher:** Mr. Marcoux

=Summary of Unit= Everyday people everywhere experience different things, and each of them has a reaction that is entirely unique. These reactions define us as individuals and are the building blocks of our belief systems and philosophies. Throughout this unit students will learn to establish their own individual opinions and orient their arguments towards a specific audience. Throughout this process students will learn the importance of planning and revision, and creating a final piece that is logically organized and maintains a professional appearance. Students will learn how to focus on process and not the result; developing a sense of ownership for their work. Another important facet of this unit is the ability to develop and understand ones opinion. Analyzing why a certain piece stimulates the response it does, and then formally discussing that observation in a way that relates to your intended audience. Students must then be able to pull out a greater purpose or application from his/her observations, and then present it to the audience in a way that is effective and clear. This unit will help students understand and interpret their own ideas in a way that is coherent and organized so that they can build and develop those ideas. They will also learn to better understand the thinking of others, and will develop their ability to analyze and interpret the ideas of their peers more effectively.

=Establish Goals=
 * Production and Distribution of Writing
 * Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose and audience.
 * Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revision, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on addressing what is most significant for a specific purpose and audience.

= = =Students will understand that=
 * writing needs to convey a clear perspective on a given idea.
 * planning and revision are necessary elements in developing a clear, organized argument.
 * writing should have a clear application for the intended audience.

= = =Essential Questions=
 * How does my writing establish a clear perspective on the chosen or assigned idea?
 * How can I plan, revise, and edit my piece in order to make my argument clearer?
 * How does my argument influence the thinking of my intended audience?

= = =Students will know= thesis statement, how to organize. formatting informal
 * critical details: How to self-analyze, their target audience, their
 * key factual information: Proper grammar, punctuation, and
 * terminology: Thesis, Introduction, body, conclusion, formal vs

= = =Students will be able to=
 * design an argument.
 * make meaning of established observations.
 * build an argument through planning, revision, and editing.
 * analyze writing and point out weaknesses.
 * relate an argument to a specific audience.
 * reflect on an argument and consider it's application.

**Performance Task Overview**


 * You are a lawyer practicing in a small town in central Maine. You have been invited to participate in an online forum of professionals from all around the world. You have been asked to address what you believe to be a major social issue, and to take a stance as to how it should be dealt with. The participants, yourself included, will then vote on whose presentation is the best. The winning piece will win a 10,000 dollar grant for the local hospital, as well as a 2 week vacation to a destination of your choice. Your piece will be presented via podcast, however the judges require that you also submit a written component. The written piece will be published on the organizations website so that listeners can follow along with the podcast as they listen. This is your chance to share your voice with the world, as people from all over will be judging you on your performance. There will also be a commenting segment where you may be asked to answer questions from varying competitors. You must be ready to defend your stance if you want to win the prize, and save face within the professional community.

=Expectations= Your attendance in class is crucial to your learning this semester. A lot of what we will be doing this year will be done in class, and each lesson will build off of another. Your attendance is vital to your success in this course. If for some reason you need to miss a class it will be your responsibility to see me the next time you are in class or to shoot me an email. If you miss school on the day of a test or quiz you must have office approval, and a note, stating that your absence was justified. Upon receiving this note you and I will plan a manner in which you can make up the missed test or quiz. Similarly, If you miss school on the due date of a major paper or project you must show office approval in order to avoid late work deductions (10% off for each day). If your absence is justified, the project or paper will be due the next time you are in class. If you have foreseen absences in the future due to family vacations, surgeries, ext. come see me and we can establish a learning plan so that you can stay on track.
 * __Attendance__**__**:**__

__**Assignments:**__ All assignments will be given with what I believe is an appropriate amount of time for completion. If for some reason you believe individually or as a class that the deadlines establish or unreasonable it is your responsibility to bring your concerns to me, and we can discuss a possible extension. However, extensions may or may not be given based on the circumstance; deadlines will be established with a purpose in mind so it will take a bit of convincing. If you require an extension because of a family situation or because of other extenuating circumstances then I will be very willingly work with you to extend the due date. The majority of class assignments offer a great deal of creative liberty on your end, if however you feel as though you can meet the criteria set through another means than I am more than willing to discuss other possibilities. The alternative must meet all lesson goals, but otherwise I am always willing to mix it up it you have something you want to pursue.

The classroom should be a place of comfort and openness. In the classroom we will have a variety of discussions focusing on some very heavy issues and I demand that all students respect the opinions of their peers. I do not expect that you will agree with everything that is said, however a huge part of learning is considering different perspectives, and I intend to encourage such discussions in our classroom. Another important aspect of your learning this year will be your willingness to participate. There are many things that you may see as meaningless, boring, and unnecessary, however everything that will be asked of you will be asked with a purpose and I expect that you participate. I assure you if you participate with an open mind you will find the material significantly more engaging. Finally, I expect that if you have any concerns about the course or your performance that you come see me; my door is always open to you and I promise I am here to help you succeed, and I am willing to work with you through any circumstance.
 * __Class Expectations:__**

__**Plagiarism:**__ Plagiarism is simply unacceptable. I will show you how to properly site your work in class so that you have all of the proper tools to avoid plagiarism.I do understand that there is often a lot of confusion in regards to what is plagiarism,and I am willing to help you correct any mistakes that we find in your work. However, blatant plagiarism will NOT be tolerated. Stolen papers and clear acts of duplicated work will not be permitted. All blatant plagiarism will be reported and will cause an immediate 25% reduction from your project grade. You will then be expected to redo the assignment to the original expectations.

=Benchmarks (100 points)= • __**Video Log (5 points):**__ Pick a favorite movie or book, and list what it is about this particular piece that you like. There should be clear points defining what it is about this particular movie or book that causes you to enjoy it to the degree that you do. You should write out your argument with a simple introduction, body, and conclusion. You will present your argument to the class through a video log.

• __**PowerPoint (5 points):**__ Search online for 3 different images that you feel are meaningful. Think about the message they send and what sort of questions surface as a result. Then create a power-point displaying the three images. Discuss your reaction to each image through a digital audio using garage band or some sort of digital recording software. All images should be addressed in detail, with at least 3 different points concerning each one.

•__**Blog (10 points):**__ Go online and search for articles discussing subjects of your choice. Choose the 5 articles that you find interesting and, in 5 separate blog entries, individually discuss your reactions to varying perspectives. These blog entries should be a minimum of 300 words but your length is not limited, feel free to write as much as you would like. Once you have finished with your entries go and read 3 or more of your peers entries and comment on what they have written. Ask questions and force them to think deeper, also point out one thing that you like about their entry.

•__**Comic Life (15 points):**__ You and a partner will create a comic life discussing how you could improve your writing through revision and editing. Each of you should select a favorite piece of work and go over together, analyzing and discussing how it could be made better. Your comic life should introduce the piece of work you have selected and where you and your partner feel your strengths and weaknesses are.

•__**Imovie (20 points)**__**:** In groups of 4 you must think about your everyday life, and pick a social issue that, as a group, you feel is relevant to your lives as high school students. Your assignment is to create an Imovie simulating this issue through a story and then present it to the class. It is important that you consider your audience when piecing together your story, and there must be a clear solution as to how this issue can be addressed. The manner in which it is addressed is completely up to you, however your solution must be convincing. Get creative and have fun.

•__**Participation (10 points):**__ Participation in class discussions and peer review sessions will be incorporated into your final grade. This is an easy 10 points, however it requires that you are present and invested in class, and engaged during class discussion.

•**__Performance Task- Final Product (35 points):__** You are a lawyer practicing in a small town in central Maine. You have been invited to participate in an online forum of professionals from all around the world. You have been asked to address what you believe to be a major social issue, and to take a stance as to how it should be dealt with. The participants, yourself included, will then vote on whose presentation is the best. The winning piece will win a 10,000 dollar grant for the local hospital, as well as a 2 week vacation to a destination of your choice. Your piece will be presented via podcast, however the judges require that you also submit a written component. The written piece will be published on the organizations website so that listeners can follow along with the podcast as they listen. This is your chance to share your voice with the world, as people from all over will be judging you on your performance. There will also be a commenting segment where you may be asked to answer questions from varying competitors. You must be ready to defend your stance if you want to win the prize, and save face within the professional community.

=Grading Scale= >
 * **A** (93 -100), **A-** (90 - 92), **B+** (87 - 89), **B** (83 - 86), **B-** (80 - 82), **C+**(77 - 79), **C** (73-76), **C-** (70 - 72), **D+**(67 - 69), **D** (63 - 66), **D-** (60 - 62), **F** (0 - 59)