Resources for Argument Essay Topics

 

Links to Argument Essay Research Articles

Should Police Wear Body Cameras? 

Yes

Study Shows Less Violence, Fewer Complaints When Cops Wear Body Cameras by Nick Wing

No

What would New York Police Body Cameras Record? by Joseph Goldstein

Police Officers with Body Cameras are as Likely to Use Force as Those who Don't Have Them by Washington Post

Downside of Police Body Cameras: Your Arrest Hits YouTube by Timothy Williams

Video: Wisconsin Police Support Limiting Access to Body Camera Video

Both


Should Police Wear Body Cameras? by Veronica Majerol (you may need your Scholastic Upfront code)

Why Cameras on Police Officers Won't Save Us by Margaret Talbot

Video: Should Police Wear Body Cameras? Experts Pick Sides

Video: Should Police Wear Body Cameras? A CNN Town Hall

Should College Athletes Be Paid? 

Yes

The Case for Paying College Athletes by Marc Edelman

College Athletes Should Be Compensated: Former UCLA Star by Michelle Fox

March Madness: Is John Oliver Right? Should NCAA Pay College Athletes? By Alexander LaCosse

No

The NCAA Would Be Making a Mistake by Paying Athletes by Andrew Merkle

College Athletes Shouldn't be Paid by Kieran McCauley

Students Are Not Professional Athletes by Horace Mitchell

Extras

Multiple shorter responses for each side in US News and World Reports Debate Club: Should NCAA Athletes Be Paid?

Economists and the Huffington Post Research the Issue: NCAA Schools Can Absolutely Afford to Pay College Athletes

A long, fascinating, advanced look at the issue from The Atlantic: The Shame of College Sports

Does social media make us less social? 

Yes

Social Network and its Effect on Communication by thaiatzickas in Teen Ink 

Disruptions: More Connected, Yet More Alone by Nick Bilton in the New York Times

Teens and Social Media by Rachel Ehmke

No

The Upside of Selfies by Kelly Wallace at CNN 

 How Technology Makes Us Better Social Beings by Megan Gambino in Smithsonion.com

Teens, Technology and Friendships by Amanda Lenhart at Pew Research Center  

Do we need laws against street harassment?
Balanced (language crossed out on copies)

Should We Outlaw Catcalling?  from Daily Dot 

Can a City Effectively Ban Catcalling? from Jezebel 

Article explaining what sexual harassment and catcalling are from CNN

Yes:

Catcalls and Street Harassment from The Economist 

Street Harrassment Law Would Restrict Intimidating Behavior  from The New York Times

No:

"No, We Don't Need a Law Against Catcalling" ">Legislating Catcalling Comes with Real Risks 

Extras

Telling Our Stories to Change the Culture of Harrassment by Tatyana Fazlalizadeh in the New York Times 

Becoming the Symbol of Street Harrassment by Shoshana B. Roberts in the New York Times

Fight Street Harassment with Training, Awareness, and Legal Action When Fitting by Holly Kearl in the New York Times  
Don't Outlaw Catcalling by Conor Friedersdorf in The Atlantic 

Should Athletes Have to Stand for the National Anthem?
Balanced:

An NFL.com article giving context 

Refusing to Stand: Top Three Pros and Cons 

Video: Taking a Knee: Why are NFL Players Protesting and When Did They Start to Kneel?

No: 

Not Standing for the Flag is Not Disrespectful 

If you're mad about Kaepernick and silent about cops from The Huffington Post 

An article by Kareem Abudul Jabbar on its positive effects

An article about the continuing conversation from the New York Times

Yes: 

Why We Stand for the Flag by Governor Dempsey

An article about Boomer Esiason's comments that it was wrong

An article covering Trent Dilfer's comments about how it was wrong

An article covering Ruth Bader Ginsberg's comments about how it was wrong 

Extras: 

Ruth Bader Ginsberg's updated opinion  from Business Insider

Should people eat meat? 
Neutral/Overview
Should We Eat Meat? by Karen Weintraub for the Boston Globe

Should Humans Eat Meat? by Vaclov Smil by for Scientific American

No
Huge Reduction in Meat-Eating Essential to Avoid Climate Change by The Guardian

Reasons Why We Shouldn't Slaughter Animals for Food from One Green Planet

Why You Shouldn't Eat Meat by Janeyy, a teen author for Teen Ink

Catching Up With Science: Burying the Humans Need Meat Argument by Ashley Capps in Free From Harm

Yes
Do Happy, Healthy Brains Need Meat? by Drew Ramsey in Psychology Today

Give Thanks for Meat by James Bost in the New York Times

Is There Enough Meat for Everyone by Bill Gates in Gates Notes

Additional Resources for this topic:
Why do We Eat Meat?  An Evolutionary History

Don't Feel Guilty for Eating Meat from Time

A balanced and thoughtful argument on why eating meat is not wrong

Reasons to Eat Meat from Business Insider

The "Ethics" of Meat-Eating" from The Huffington Post

Other considerations: does it matter what kind of animal it is? 
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/jun/22/eat-cats-dogs-meat-china

http://www.nbc-2.com/story/25848537/dog-meat-festival-in-china-sparks-outrage#.Vi5jwdKrS72

http://news.discovery.com/animals/iq-tests-suggest-pigs-are-smart-as-dogs-chimps-150611.htm

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2014/01/19/japan-taiji-cove-dolphin-hunt/4648159/

Should Confederate Statues be Removed? 
The New York Times compiled a list of articles from various sources that address both sides of this issue. Check out those articles HERE

Resources for Faithful Elephants Debate

 

1) Frederick Litten, MS in Sinology, expert in anime and manga, writes about the inaccuracies between the book and reality:

https://apjjf.org/-Frederick-S--Litten/3225/article.pdf

2) Ariko Kawabata (professor of English literature at Aichi Prefectural University in Nagoya-City, Japan) and Kay E Vandergrift (professor at the School of Communications Information and Library Science at Rutgers University) write about how history can sometimes metamorphize into myth, even when the history is told inaccurately.

https://corig1993.files.wordpress.com/2013/05/elephant.pdf

A Few Short Words

Here are a few interesting Ted Talks on various philosophical topics.  EXTRA CREDIT if you watch one and write a one paragraph (read: at least 7 sentences) comment here...

What's the Right Thing To Do? - Is torture ever justified? Would you steal a drug that your child needs to survive? Is it sometimes wrong to tell the truth? How much is one human life worth? In the "Justice" program that bears his name, Harvard professor Michael Sandel probes these questions -- and asks what you think, and why.

The Paradox of Choice - Psychologist Barry Schwartz takes aim at a central tenet of western societies: freedom of choice. In Schwartz's estimation, choice has made us not freer but more paralyzed, not happier but more dissatisfied.

Get Comfortable with Being Uncomfortable - Mostly we are afraid to tell the true, afraid to be the first domino.

Creating Freedom - Much about who we are is determined by the lottery of our birth. We inherit genes we didn't ask for, and are faced with a world we played no part in creating. In short, we are shaped by forces over which we have no control. Raoul Martinez examines the radical implications this has for our personal and political freedom.

The Illusion of Consciousness - Philosopher Dan Dennett makes a compelling argument that not only don't we understand our own consciousness, but that half the time our brains are actively fooling us.

Why It's Worth Listening to People You Disagree With - "Tuning out opposing viewpoints doesn't make them go away," Wood says. "To achieve progress in the face of adversity, we need a genuine commitment to gaining a deeper understanding of humanity."

Machine Intelligence Makes Human Morals More Important - Machine intelligence is here, and we're already using it to make subjective decisions. But the complex way AI grows and improves makes it hard to understand and even harder to control.

My Philosophy for a Happy Life :
Sam Berns is a Junior at Foxboro High School in Foxboro, Massachusetts, where he has achieved highest honors and is currently a percussion section leader in the high school marching band. He recently achieved the rank of Eagle Scout in the Boy Scouts of America. Sam was diagnosed with Progeria, a rare, rapid aging disease, at the age of 2.

We Need a "Moral Operating System" - Horowitz invites us to pay new attention to the basic philosophy -- the ethical principles -- behind the burst of invention remaking our world. Where's the moral operating system that allows us to make sense of it?

Is There a Real You? - What makes you, you? Is it how you think of yourself, how others think of you, or something else entirely? Philosopher Julian Baggini draws from philosophy and neuroscience to give a surprising answer.

Are We in Control of Our Own Decisions? - Behavioral economist Dan Ariely, the author of Predictably Irrational, uses classic visual illusions and his own counterintuitive (and sometimes shocking) research findings to show how we're not as rational as we think when we make decisions.

Why Your Worst Deeds Don't Define You - In 1991, Shaka Senghor shot and killed a man. He was, he says, "a drug dealer with a quick temper and a semi-automatic pistol." Jailed for second degree murder, that could very well have been the end of the story. But it wasn't. Instead, it was the beginning of a years-long journey to redemption, one with humbling and sobering lessons for us all.

BLOG REFLECTIONS - Last post of the year! Due MONDAY, JUNE 15!

For your last post of the year, I want you to think and write about your experience blogging about reading this year and about what it means to have an 'online identity'.


Answer some or all of the following questions. . .


* What did you learn about yourself as a reader from creating and keeping up with your blog?
* In what ways did you benefit from the experience?
* Is writing online different than in a notebook?  In what ways?
* In what ways can writing online be liberating?  Limiting?
* Do you think that people are more real online or do we create online personalities that project the best of ourselves? Or something else?
* Do you think that teenagers abuse the freedom that being online gives you on sites like Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram, etc.? Do people type things they would never say to a person's face? Do you think this is a good or bad thing? Why?
* Can you imagine yourself keeping up this blog or creating another one?  What would it be about?  What's your opinion of blogs in general and why?  

Thanks for all your hard work this year!

Hoffman Midsummer Extra Credit Assignment

Find two people who have the other two focuses (so each group should have one person who focused on mise-en-scene, one on camera shot, and one on sound). Together, choose one scene that stood out to you... (A scene is a section of the film that takes place in a single setting.)

Rewatch the scene (most scenes can be found online by searching for "1999 Midsummer Night's Dream" or "Hoffman Midsummer Night's Dream" and a short description of the scene, i.e. "play within the play", "opening scene", "fight scene", "Titania and Oberon", etc. etc. etc. — or you can rent the movie on Amazon or on YouTube) and take even more notes on the scene.

Each person should write one paragraph about the things they noticed about that scene regarding their focus. What did you notice? How did it affect you? How does the film's editing contribute to the meaning of the film? How did the director's choices complement or supplement the plot? What do you think Michael Hoffman wants you to consider as a viewer?

For more questions that might help you write about the scene, check out these links and find questions that pertain to your focus:

http://faculty.washington.edu/kgb/independent/handouts/film_questions.pdf

http://engagingmedia.info/20-questions-to-ask-when-watching-a-film/

https://www.bethinking.org/Media/PDF/Questionstoconsiderwhenwatchingafilm.pdf

Then, create a three-paragraph document that contains all three paragraphs as well as a short introduction of what scene you chose and what happens in that scene. Type it up, include all three names in the heading, and turn in to Ms. Rear by Friday, March 13.

Revising a Blog Post into A Sophisticated Literary Essay

Hi, kids!! I completely forgot to explain this assignment to you before you left. But here it is.

Since that’s entirely my fault, if you do this assignment, it’s extra credit!!!! If you don’t do it, don’t worry about it. :)

For your next blog post, due Monday, 2/24, you will choose an old blog post that you think has the potential to grow into a longer and more sophisticated literary essay.

You should choose a post where the central idea is strong enough to become a thesis statement.
Use what you know about the structure of an essay (from our Argument Essay and Research-based Foreword work) and what you know about writing about reading (from all of our blog work this year!)

That means making sure to include:
-a claim
-topic sentences
-at least three body paragraphs
-quotes and analysis
-an intro and conclusion

ALSO INCLUDE A LINK TO YOUR ORIGINAL POST so readers can see how the essay grew out of your past thinking.

This should be easy if you have been working hard on your blog posts!

Mr. Sato's Sonnet Tutorial (basically a refresher on Ms. Rear's!)

Links to Sites with Bookbinding Instructions

https://www.craftpaperscissors.com/bind-12-diy-book-journal-making-ideas/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PnaD_n1Gd4E

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9O4kFTOEh6k

https://www.diynetwork.com/how-to/make-and-decorate/crafts/how-to-bind-your-own-book

https://babbledabbledo.com/design-for-kids-recycled-handmade-journals/

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-bind-a-book/

https://incredibusy.com/easy-book-binding-two-ways/

http://www.diybookbinding.com/instructions-on-how-to-bind-a-book/

http://www.persistenceunlimited.com/2006/03/fun-and-easy-how-to-guide-to-binding-your-own-paperback-books-at-homefast/

Illustrating Your Picture Book - a video by Mr. Haines

Anyone with a k051 account can access this link! Watch (and rewatch) to learn how to illustrate your book!

HERE'S THE VIDEO!

BLOG REVIEWS! (Instead of a regular blog post this week!)

Spend this week reading as many people's blog posts as you can.  You can also read independent reading posts from Ms. dePalma and Ms. Christensen's, Ms. Galang's, or Ms. Cunningham's classes.  Find a blog post that you think is truly amazing, and write an elaborated response to it that explains to your readers why you think it's so great.

You should include a link to the post you're writing about - you can do this by copying the link and then clicking on the "Link" tab above the text box while you are writing your post and pasting it in to the "Edit Link" box that pops up.

Your post should be a few paragraphs long, highlighting aspects of the writer's post you found particularly interesting.  Here are some suggestions:

* Have you read the book, too?  Talk about what you thought and if you agree or disagree with the writer.

* Does the post make you want to read the book?  Why or why not?

* Did the post ask some philosophical questions about human nature or the world?  What are your thoughts on those issues?

* Did the post make you think about anything else?  Another book?  A movie?  The world?  Your own life?  Write about that!

* Have you read any other posts by this writer?  How does this one stand out?

* Do you like the way the post is written?  Is it engaging?  Why?  What craft moves could you emulate in your own blog posts?

For a couple of examples of thoughtful blog reviews, read Zora's shout-out to Yairis about her argument essay! Gabby's kind words about Aviva's post on The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Sadie's praise of Katherine's post on Saint Anything, Clara's kind words about Esme's post on Go Ask Alice,  Rose's appreciative post about Sara's thoughts on Thirteen Reasons Why, Tess's praise of Izzy's post on House Rules and Tiv's rave review of Winston's post on The Last Thing I Remember!

A KANGAROO TAIL by Ms. Rear

Part 1:

The dry grasslands of Australia are perfect for. . .  Hopping!

Kangaroos love to hop.  Their long, useful tails help them steer and balance as they bounce across the land.

Everyone hops!  The bucks, the does, and the joeys just big enough to leave the pouch.

All across the continent, they hop – from Western Australia all the way to New South Wales – even on the tiny island of Tasmania.  They hop past their marsupial friends – the koalas, the bandicoots, and the spotted-tailed quolls.  And in Tasmania, they hop past Tasmanian Pademelons.

One day, Jemma, a little girl joey, noticed her friend Poppy the pygmy possum’s pretty tail.

“Oh, it’s lovely,” she told Poppy as Poppy preened, curling her tail like a corkscrew around a tiny twig.

Part 2:

Jemma’s joey friend Josie agreed completely.  “I wonder if we could. . .” she thought to herself.

That afternoon, after a snack of wallaby grass, Jemma and Josie tried out their plan.  They twisted their tails tightly around and around some small brigalow branches.  They used acacia stalks to tie their tails in place.  It didn’t feel too good.

“Does your tail hurt?” asked Josie.

“It does,” Jemma answered with a grimace, “but how else can we get pretty corkscrew-curly tails like Poppy’s?”

Josie pursed her lips.  “I suppose you’re right.  We’ll have to grin and bear it.”

In the morning, Jemma and Josie untied their tails, which weren’t quite corkscrews yet, but did feel a bit black and blue.  It hurt to hop, so Jemma and Josie didn’t go far.  Every night for a week, Jemma and Josie tied their tails tightly and then checked them every morning.

One morning, they got what they wanted.  Their tails curled in tight spirals, and they sat still, admiring them.  They had to sit still, since when they tried hopping, it was hard to balance and steer.  More than once, Jemma and Josie keeled right over!  “This is embarrassing, Jemma,” whispered Josie.  “Let’s stay still.”

“But our tails looks lovely,” insisted Jemma, twisting her neck to see her behind.  “There was no other way!”

At first, the rest of the mob had ignored Jemma and Josie’s experiment.  But they couldn’t ignore it anymore.  They noticed the joeys had stopped hopping, and they wanted to know why.  What would make a kangaroo stop hopping?

When Jemma and Josie explained, the mob almost jumped backward in shock (but kangaroos can only move forward.)

“Why would you do that?!?”

“Yes, it’s lovely, but now, you can’t hop!”

“But. . .  you girls are not pygmy possums!”

The older kangaroos looked down at the two joeys, who blushed in shame.  But it was too late.  They would never hop quickly and joyfully again, only move in tiny, hobbling movements.


Part 3:

The sun rose and set over Australia, and a few years rolled over the grasslands.  Jemma grew into a grown-up kangaroo, and in turn, she had a joey of her own.  She was called Jaya.

One day, when Jaya was a little girl joey, she noticed her mother’s pretty, corkscrew-curly tail.  “Your tail is lovely, Mama,” she said.  “How can I get my tail to look like yours?”

Jemma thought hard before she answered her daughter.  “You could do it, but I wish I had not.  Whenever I see you hopping happily across the grass, I think of myself when I was just a joey.  I loved to hop.  Don’t you?”

“Of course, Mama!  What kangaroo doesn’t?”

“I can’t,” explained Jemma, “because I made a mistake.”  She nodded towards her lovely tail.

“Oh, Mama!”  Jaya’s eyes filled with tears.

“Don’t cry, little joey.  Go play.  I love to see you hop and play.”

Jaya did as her mother told her, and looked back at her mother, who never hopped, but only watched.

I would never give up hopping for anything, Jaya thought.  Not for the prettiest, curliest tail in the world.  Not for anything.

Amazing Argument Essays!

Eliza makes a solid case for limiting teens' exposure to social media!

Gwen makes a similar, sophisticated argument for why social media is harmful to teens!

Phoenix passionately defends Colin Kaepernick's right to protest while expertly refuting people's objections!

Olive argues expertly for the implementation of body cameras worn by police officers!

Mia constructs an incredible EIGHT-PARAGRAPH argument as to why college athletes do NOT need to be paid!

Rivers makes an informed and impassioned plea for everyone to become vegan!

Gianna takes a nuanced and philosophical approach to arguing for police wearing body cameras!

A Kangaroo Tail Part 2

Jemma’s joey friend Josie agreed completely.  “I wonder if we could. . .” she thought to herself.

That afternoon, after a snack of wallaby grass, Jemma and Josie tried out their plan.  They twisted their tails tightly around and around some small brigalow branches.  They used acacia stalks to tie their tails in place.  It didn’t feel too good.

“Does your tail hurt?” asked Josie.

“It does,” Jemma answered with a grimace, “but how else can we get pretty corkscrew-curly tails like Poppy’s?”

Josie pursed her lips. “I suppose you’re right.  We’ll have to grin and bear it.”

In the morning, Jemma and Josie untied their tails, which weren’t quite corkscrews yet, but did feel a bit black and blue.  It hurt to hop, so Jemma and Josie didn’t go far.  Every night for a week, Jemma and Josie tied their tails tightly and then checked them every morning.

One morning, they got what they wanted.  Their tails curled in tight spirals, and they sat still, admiring them.  They had to sit still, since when they tried hopping, it was hard to balance and steer.  More than once, Jemma and Josie keeled right over!  “This is embarrassing, Jemma,” whispered Josie. “Let’s stay still.”

“But our tails look lovely,” insisted Jemma, twisting her neck to see her behind.  “There was no other way!”

At first, the rest of the mob had ignored Jemma and Josie’s experiment.  But they couldn’t ignore it anymore.  They noticed the joeys had stopped hopping, and they wanted to know why. What would make a kangaroo stop hopping?

When Jemma and Josie explained, the mob almost jumped backward in shock (but kangaroos can only move forward.)

“Why would you do that?!?”

“Yes, it’s lovely, but now, you can’t hop!”

“But. . .  you girls are not pygmy possums!”

The older kangaroos looked down at the two joeys, who blushed in shame.  But it was too late.  They would never hop quickly and joyfully again, only move in tiny, hobbling movements.

A Kangaroo Tail Part 1

Part 1:

The dry grasslands of Australia are perfect for. . .  Hopping!

Kangaroos love to hop.  Their long, useful tails help them steer and balance as they bounce across the land.

Everyone hops!  The bucks, the does, and the joeys just big enough to leave the pouch.

All across the continent, they hop – from Western Australia all the way to New South Wales – even on the tiny island of Tasmania.  They hop past their marsupial friends – the koalas, the bandicoots, and the spotted-tailed quolls.  And in Tasmania, they hop past Tasmanian Pademelons.

One day, Jemma, a little girl joey, noticed her friend Poppy the pygmy possum’s pretty tail.

“Oh, it’s lovely,” she told Poppy as Poppy preened, curling her tail like a corkscrew around a tiny twig.