Popular Topics for Persuasive Writing and Debate

Can you guess a few?

Our 100 Most Popular Student Questions for Debate and Persuasive Writing

from the New York Times Learning Network

Sussex Consortium Wins State Wide Recognition

Sussex Consortium teacher Sarah Donald led her students in a project to create a video that would explain how to move a "mountain."  Her students chose the issue of pollution. Their video won FIRST PLACE in the DSEA Read Across America contest.  The celebration took place on Wednesday, February 24th with a representative from DSEA bestowing the award. The video will appear on the DSEA website. Congratulations on your victory! 

Human Civil Rights Contest

Human and Civil Rights Contest

DSEA and the Human and Civil Rights Task Force is sponsoring a contest for Delaware students in writing, technology and art who honor the importance of diversity and its impact on society. 

Click here for the brochure 
 Contest is open to Delaware public school students in grades K-12

Simply, Calmly Read and Talk

This is what you already know! You must read it to affirm your greatest goals for this school year! 

Unite for Literacy

by Mark Condon

"These two simple acts—reading and talking—build two parallel and essential foundations in children’s lives."

About Mark Condon

Vice President at Unite for Literacy. Father of three. A teacher and teacher educator for over 40 years, supporting professionals and volunteers to teach anyone to read and write and (as importantly) to choose to read and create throughout their lives.

New York Times Learning Network: 

Our Third Annual Student Editorial Contest: Write About an Issue That Matters to You

Editorial Writing Contest NY Times

(Taken from the website)

An Overview

• Does Technology Make Us More Alone?
• Do Violent Video Games Make People More Violent in Real Life?
• Is There Too Much Pressure on Girls to Have ‘Perfect’ Bodies?

Every day during the school year we invite teenagers to share their opinions about questions like these — on topics from cheerleading to police tactics — and hundreds do, posting arguments, reflections and anecdotes to our Student Opinion feature.

And for the third year in a row, we’re inviting you to channel that enthusiasm into something a little more formal: short, evidence-based persuasive essays like the editorials The New York Times publishes every day.

The challenge is pretty straightforward. Choose a topic you care about, gather evidence from both New York Times and non-New York Times sources, and write a concise editorial (450 words or fewer) to convince readers of your point of view.

Because editorial writing at newspapers is a collaborative process, you can write your entry as a team effort, or by yourself. When you’re done, post it in the contest form below by March 29, 2016, at 11:59 p.m. Eastern.

With our judges, we will then use this rubric (PDF) to select winners to publish on The Learning Network.

As teachers know, the persuasive essay has long been a staple of high school education, but the Common Core standards seem to have put evidence-based argumentative writing on everybody’s agenda. You couldn’t ask for a more real-world example of the genre than the classic newspaper editorial — and The Times publishes, on average, four of them a day.

So what issue do you care about? Climate change? Sexism?Government surveillance? You decide. Then use the facts to convince us that you’re right.

Text Based Evidence Round-Up! Social Studies PLC at CHHS

PLC Workshop  for CTE at CHHS

Text Based Evidence Round-Up

Wednesday, March 9

Agenda

Objective: to review the use of Text Based Writing in CTE classrooms, to share strategies and discuss further implementation using the new DE writing rubrics. 

1. Teachers Report: Best and Worst Chart - General comments about using Text Based Evidence in CTE classes 
2. The DE Writing Standard #1 Progression
3. Sharing students' work 
4. New DE Writing Rubrics
5. Window Pane Response

Text Based Evidence Window Pane Response

Key Ideas What information would be important to know about the implementation of text based evidence?	Connections In what ways would you be able to use Text Based Evidence in your classroom to further understanding/performance?
Student Response In what ways did students approach the task and how could the lesson be changed to make it more effective or engaging?	What’s Next? What about the Text Based Evidence will be useful to you in the future?

Evaluating Professional Development: the "Gusky Levels"

Does It Make a Difference? Evaluating Professional Development

Thomas R. Guskey

Using five critical levels of evaluation, you can improve your school's professional development program. But be sure to start with the desired result—improved student outcomes.

Educators have long considered professional development to be their right—something they deserve as dedicated and hardworking individuals. But legislators and policymakers have recently begun to question that right. As education budgets grow tight, they look at what schools spend on professional development and want to know, Does the investment yield tangible payoffs or could that money be spent in better ways? Such questions make effective evaluation of professional development programs more important than ever.

Traditionally, educators haven't paid much attention to evaluating their professional development efforts. Many consider evaluation a costly, time-consuming process that diverts attention from more important activities such as planning, implementation, and follow-up. Others feel they lack the skill and expertise to become involved in rigorous evaluations; as a result, they either neglect evaluation issues completely or leave them to “evaluation experts.”

Good evaluations don't have to be complicated. They simply require thoughtful planning, the ability to ask good questions, and a basic understanding of how to find valid answers. What's more, they can provide meaningful information that you can use to make thoughtful, responsible decisions about professional development processes and effects.

What Is Evaluation?

In simplest terms, evaluation is “the systematic investigation of merit or worth”(Joint Committee on Standards for Educational Evaluation, 1994, p. 3). Systematicimplies a focused, thoughtful, and intentional process. We conduct evaluations for clear reasons and with explicit intent. Investigation refers to the collection and analysis of pertinent information through appropriate methods and techniques.Merit or worth denotes appraisal and judgment. We use evaluations to determine the value of something—to help answer such questions as, Is this program or activity achieving its intended results? Is it better than what was done in the past? Is it better than another, competing activity? Is it worth the costs?

Some educators understand the importance of evaluation for event-driven professional development activities, such as workshops and seminars, but forget the wide range of less formal, ongoing, job-embedded professional development activities—study groups, action research, collaborative planning, curriculum development, structured observations, peer coaching, mentoring, and so on. But regardless of its form, professional development should be a purposeful endeavor. Through evaluation, you can determine whether these activities are achieving their purposes.

Critical Levels of Professional Development Evaluation

Effective professional development evaluations require the collection and analysis of the five critical levels of information shown in Figure 1 (Guskey, 2000a). With each succeeding level, the process of gathering evaluation information gets a bit more complex. And because each level builds on those that come before, success at one level is usually necessary for success at higher levels.

Figure 1. Five Levels of Professional Development Evaluation

Evaluation Level	What Questions Are Addressed?	How Will Information Be Gathered?	What Is Measured or Assessed?	How Will Information Be Used?
1. Participants' Reactions	Did they like it? Was their time well spent? Did the material make sense? Will it be useful? Was the leader knowledgeable and helpful? Were the refreshments fresh and tasty? Was the room the right temperature? Were the chairs comfortable?	Questionnaires administered at the end of the session	Initial satisfaction with the experience	To improve program design and delivery
2. Participants' Learning	Did participants acquire the intended knowledge and skills?	Paper-and-pencil instruments Simulations Demonstrations Participant reflections (oral and/or written) Participant portfolios	New knowledge and skills of participants	To improve program content, format, and organization
3. Organization Support & Change	Was implementation advocated, facilitated, and supported? Was the support public and overt? Were problems addressed quickly and efficiently? Were sufficient resources made available? Were successes recognized and shared? What was the impact on the organization? Did it affect the organization's climate and procedures?	District and school records Minutes from follow-up meetings Questionnaires Structured interviews with participants and district or school administrators Participant portfolios	The organization's advocacy, support, accommodation, facilitation, and recognition	To document and improve organization support To inform future change efforts
4. Participants' Use of New Knowledge and Skills	Did participants effectively apply the new knowledge and skills?	Questionnaires Structured interviews with participants and their supervisors Participant reflections (oral and/or written) Participant portfolios Direct observations Video or audio tapes	Degree and quality of implementation	To document and improve the implementation of program content
5. Student Learning Outcomes	What was the impact on students? Did it affect student performance or achievement? Did it influence students' physical or emotional well-being? Are students more confident as learners? Is student attendance improving? Are dropouts decreasing?	Student records School records Questionnaires Structured interviews with students, parents, teachers, and/or administrators Participant portfolios	Student learning outcomes: Cognitive (Performance & Achievement) Affective (Attitudes & Dispositions) Psychomotor (Skills & Behaviors)	To focus and improve all aspects of program design, implementation, and follow-up To demonstrate the overall impact of professional development

CHHS Science PLC February 23, 2016

PLC Workshop on Text Based Evidence

CHHS – Science on Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2016

AGENDA

1. What is Text Based Evidence (Cartoon LINK)?
2. CSET - Writing: Organizing an Argument + Graphic organizer with examples
3. Textual Evidence: Implicit or Explicit? plus a reading strategy  
4. Depth of Knowledge + Bloom's Taxonomy
5. CSET- Cornell Notes example from Beacon Middle School teachers
6. Guide to Creating Text-Dependent Questions.
7. LDC Task Templates and  LDC Task Template Explanation 6-12
8. Practice Task: “Slow Moving Nurse Sharks”.  Write a TB question.
9. TASK: Teachers, please plan to create and use a relevant task from the template with your class and your content.  Bring your student results to share at the next PLC. Request to visit classrooms in March. Next PLC in April.
10. Exit Evaluation – Feedback to leave with me please!

CHAT February 12 Cape In Service for Teachers

Incredible energy and willingness to learn filled the CHHS when teachers presented and attended workshops that centered on Cape CHAT goals.  

Schoology was center stage, being used to facilitate all aspects of the workshop.  

Evaluating Writing with the NEW Delaware Rubrics - PD Feb 12, 2016

Really Rad Rubric Movie

Agenda

1. "What are rubrics and why are they important?" Excerpt from ASCD Article by Susan M. Brookhart. 
2. Key ideas from article: Holistic and Analytical, General or Task Specific, Delaware Writing Rubrics - consistent feedback across all subjects areas and a Student Score Sheet
3. Changes and Strong Suggestion
4. Analytic Writing Rubric Conversion Table and Student Score Sheet
5. THE DELAWARE Rubrics! Ta-da!  Grab your grade level
6. Making the Rubric work for you:  S & T Scoring Rubric Worksheet 
7. Grade Bands collaboration - what do the Changes mean for your planning/lessons/classes?
8. Worksheet  - The Secret Communication of Wolves
9. Workshop Recap  
10. Workshop Evaluation
11. Golden Rubric Award

DELAWARE Writing Rubric Changes 2016

Changes	Then	Now
Traits	Reading/Research Organization Development Language/Conventions	Evidence/Elaboration Organization/Purpose Language/Conventions
Reading/Research and Development = Evidence/Elaboration
Weighing	Reading/Research - 2 Organization - 2 Development - 3 Language/Conventions - 1	Evidence/Elaboration - 2 Organization/Purpose - 2 Language/Conventions -1
Non-Scorable Responses	X	Added
PL Descriptors	1-4	Added: Above, At, Approaching, Below
PL 4	Approaching next grade level	At next grade level

Student and Teacher Scoring Rubric Worksheet: Grades 9-10 Argument Writing                 

Descriptions for Score of 3 – At Grade Level  9-10 YOUR GOAL for ____________________ (fall, winter, spring)	YOUR SCORE (Self Score)	Teacher’s SCORE
Organization/Purpose     Value: 2x  ___ = ____ Ø  introduces precise claim(s) Ø  distinguishes the claim(s) from alternate or opposing claims (9-10W1a) Ø  creates an organization that establishes clear relationships among claim(s), counterclaim(s), reasons, and evidence (9-10W1a) Ø  uses words, phrases, and clauses to link the major sections of the text, create cohesion, and clarify the relationships between claim(s) and reasons, between reasons and evidence, and between claim(s) and counterclaims (9-10W1.c) Ø  provides a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the argument presented (9-10W1e) Ø  produces clear and coherent writing appropriate to task, purpose, and audience (9W4)
Evidence/Elaboration    Value: 2x ___ = ____ Ø develops the claim(s) and counterclaims fairly, supplying evidence for each while pointing out the strengths and limitations of both in a manner that anticipates the audience’s knowledge level and concerns (9-10W1b) Ø integrates information into the text selectively to maintain the flow of ideas avoids plagiarism (9-10W8) Ø follows a standard format for citation, when appropriate (9-10W8)
Language/Conventions   Value:  1x_____ = _____       Ø establishes and maintains a formal style and objective tone while attending to the norms and conventions of the discipline in which it is written (9-10Wd) Ø demonstrates a command of grade-level appropriate standard English grammar, usage, and conventions (9-10L1-2) Ø has errors that do not interfere with understanding (9-10L1-2)
Perfect Value Weighted Score = 15 Points          Totals	Student	Teacher

ANALYTIC WRITING RUBRIC CONVERSION TABLE

Stiggins et al. suggest, the objective of grades is to communicate student achievement and it is best not to convert rubric scores to letter
grades, if it can be helped (2006, p. 316).   If conversion is necessary, the conversion table below will help with the process. Since cut-offs
for letter grades vary from district-to-district, a letter grade was not included on the table. 

When using a weighted, analytical rubric, follow the steps below:

1.      Score each individual section of the analytic rubric and total the points. 

2.      Use the conversion table to determine a student’s analytical score and/or percent.

	Score of a 4	Score of a 3	Score of a 2	Score of a 1
Organization/Purpose (X2)	4x2=8	3x2=6	2x2=4	1x2=2
Evidence/Elaboration (X2)	4x2=8	3x2=6	2x2=4	1x2=2
Lang/Conventions (X1)	4x1=4	3x1=3	2x1=2	1x1=1

Example:  John scores – O/P 4, E/E 3, L/C 3.  Analytic score is 4+3+3=3.3 and points would be 8+6+3=17.  On the Conversion Table, 17pts = 3.3 = 92%.  Please keep in mind, the performance level of a “3” is meeting the grade level standard; the performance level of a “4” exceeds the grade
level standard.

                                              Conversion Table

Total Points	Analytic Score	Percent
20	4.0	100
19	3.8	97
19	3.7	97
18	3.7	95
18	3.6	95
17	3.4	92
17	3.3	92
16	3.3	89
16	3.2	89
15	3.0	87
14	2.8	84
14	2.7	84
13	2.7	81
13	2.6	81
12	2.4	79
12	2.3	79
11	2.3	76
11	2.2	76
10	2.0	74
9	1.8	71
9	1.7	71
8	1.7	68
8	1.6	68
7	1.4	66
7	1.3	66
6	1.3	63
6	1.2	63
5	1.0	60

      

                       

 Sources:  O’Connor, K. (2007).  A Repair Kit for Grading:  15 Fixes for Broken Grades (p.88); Stiggins, R. (2006).  Classroom Assessment for Student Learning:  Doing it Right – Using it Well (p. 316).  Wormelli, R. (2006).  Fair Isn’t Always Equal (p. 154).

Analysis  - New Delaware Writing Rubrics Sample of Student Writing Informative/Explanatory Writing Assignment, Grades 9-10

In this assignment, students were asked to research a topic of their choice (here, wolves), and establish a focus within that topic (how/why wolves communicate).

The Secret Communication of Wolves

A long piercing howl shatters the quiet night of a northern forest. The howl grows into a chorus of yelps and barks, and the valley echoes to the chilling sound. The leader of the pack starts the noise, while other pack members, as well as other wolf packs,
join in (O’Toole 22).

Among wolves, communication is a very highly developed skill.  For instance, the howl of the pack leader has many different meanings.
Most of the time a lone howl is a warning for other packs. It tells them to
stay away, for there are many young to be protected and food to be guarded
(O’Toole 23). A howl can also be a way of marking their territory. Many
wolves howl when they feel another pack is too close. Some wolves howl
when they are lost or trying to find another member of the pack. Most
wolves use this howl at least once a day to locate missing pups or other pack members (Primate).

To wolves, the territory that they occupy (the territory of some packs may cover 20-120 square miles) is like a house to a human being. They feel that they must protect it at all times, and, other packs must not trespass. Neighboring packs may share up to a mile of territory, but rarely will they share more than that (Primate). All wolves know that if they run through another pack’s territory, they run the risk of being killed (Primate). In addition, wolves mark their territory by scent (mostly urine). This helps all wolves know where their territory begins.

Uses precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to manage the complexity of the topic.

Uses appropriate, varied transitions to clarify relationships among ideas and concepts and create cohesion

Like humans, the wolf has three main avenues of communication, postural (body language); vocal (the howl or snarl); and olfactory (scent) (Wolfhaven).  The scent is the most commonly used and probably the most important.  Besides marking territory, it help show food ownership, as well as acting as a road map for themselves.  Wolves have scent glands between their toes, which leaves their scent wherever they go (Primate).

Moreover, much communication is done through body language.  Many postures have been evolved to reduce conflict an aggression among pack members.   Facial expressions are the most obvious. Generally, bared teeth with ears erect and pointed back can indicate a threat by a dominant male (Wolfhaven). In contrast, a closed mouth, slitlike eyes, and ears pulled forward (and close to their head) will most likely indicate subordinate behavior (Wolfhaven). Wolves also use their tail position to communicate emotion. Threatening wolves hold their tails high, almost perpendicular, while more submissive wolves lower themselves before dominant pack members. These lower
class members often have their tails tucked between their legs (Primate). A wolf that has been defeated in a fight can avoid being attacked by its victorious companion by taking a posture similar to that of a pup begging for food (University of Oklahoma Press 91).

Organizes complex ideas, concepts, and information to make important connections, the various factors in the communication of wolves.

Develops topic with well-chosen, relevant, sufficient, accurate facts and concrete details.

Wolves must communicate at all times when they are hunting. They have to
work together to catch most of their food (due to the size of the food that
they hunt). The concept that wolves use is called the “Pincer Attack”
(Baily 91). When using the pincer attack, the pack splits in two groups and
surround the prey (mostly deer, sheep, and other medium-sized mammals).
One of the groups causes a diversion, while the other half ambushes the
helpless prey. Wolves can move quickly and quietly. Many of them
operate on stamina rather then on sudden bursts of speed (Baily 85). Because of the cooperation of the group, when it comes to hunting, the pack usually ends up victorious, and they have enough food for a couple of days. If they pack gets a big kill, then the leader will have the next strongest male guard the kill during the night to keep off other animals.

Establishes and maintains a formal style and objective tone while attending to norms and conventions of the discipline.

Develops topic with well-chosen, relevant, sufficient, accurate facts and concrete details.

Like other animals, wolves communicate with a social ladder. They have one dominant male (usually the leader of the pack) (Primate). This wolf has many responsibilities. He has to
make sure that all the other wolves don’t get out of line, and makes
sure that there is harmony among the group. The pack leader does
this by barking at the other wolves and fighting with the other males.
Normally, the pack leader will not fight with the females of the pack
unless it is necessary (Timberwolf). With the leader comes a dominant female. Together they are known as the breeding pair. These two are in charge of the pack, raising the young, selecting denning areas and rendezvous sites, capturing food, and maintaining the pack’s territory (Primate). These two wolves are also responsible for the offspring. Not many of the other wolves mate for offspring because that is the dominant pair’s job. Every year the dominant pair will produce one litter of pups. These pups take the place of the older wolves that are too old to hunt. Because the pack is so close and they communicate all the time, many of the other female wolves help the dominant female with taking care of the young (Wolfhaven). The dominant female will assign each pup to an older female. This helps the other females learn how to be a mother, and it helps the dominant female so she can hunt and not have to worry about taking care of her young.

Analyzes ideas, concepts, and information to make important connections.

If only humans could communicate as well as wolves, today’s society would be wonderful. Wolves’ methods of communication are simple and usually resolve conflicts without violence. Wolves have been living together for many, many years so they must be doing something right. Maybe we can learn something from the wolves instead of trying to make them extinct.

Analysis:  In this assignment, students were asked to research a topic of their choice (here, wolves), and establish a focus within that topic (how/why wolves communicate). This writer provides some context about wolves’ communication in the introduction and then states his main point that among wolves, communication is a highly developed skill.

The writer organizes ideas, concepts, and information clearly by category, using aspects of communication to develop the main point. The writer uses appropriate and varied transitions to clarify relationships and create cohesion (“Like humans, the wolf has three main avenues of communication...”). Within each chunk of the essay, the writer uses precise language and domain- specific vocabulary to manage the complexity of the topic (explaining the aspects of wolf communication), which he cites. While this subject does not call for much analysis, the writer occasionally analyzes evidence so that the reader grasps the complexity of the topic.

The essay has an appropriately formal style and objective tone. The conclusion follows from and supports the information presented.

Workshop Recap/Summarizing

Partner Share to answer these questions.

1. What is a rubric?
2. What changes have been implemented?
3. What are the kinds of rubrics?
4. Why are rubrics important?
5. Where can you go for help?