[first class--short period]

a.  Welcome

b.  Name of the course: public speaking and public writing--but really “research and rhetoric” -- how to find the information needed to answer our questions and needs; and then how to present it in a compelling, convincing way.

c.  First HW assignments--go over

d.  first important task: is this class for me?

Things you should like doing (or are interested in doing):

research
reading books that you choose
writing arguments
using technology
learning new ways to write; learning new ways to use the web
thinking about local problems
Giving presentations
Being video taped and video taping yourself
Solving problems
Reading non-fiction
revising and revising and revising your work
outlining
Watching and discussing TED talks


Things we won’t be doing:

reading fiction or poetry
creative writing (in the traditional sense)
Reading a book together as a class
Tests
Analyzing famous speeches
Formal debating
vocabulary




Important aspects of this class:

Learning different ways to make arguments--formal ways
Learning how to do research (beyond google)
Learning how to take responsibility for your own learning: own topics, own questions, own books to read, and more
Learning how to write academic (college) prose--which is NOT the same as HS prose
Learning how to effectively present your own ideas and research
Learning how to analyze others’ arguments

So...what’s this course about?

a.  how to argue
b.  how to research
c.  how to present research-based arguments
d.  about what? about local problems that are of interest and concern to you.