The Rush to Riches

The article The Rush to Riches on Teen Biz 3000 is about the 1849 California Gold Rush. We will be doing what is called a Socratic Seminar on Monday, November 23, during class. A Socratic Seminar is a class discussion on the topic that presents opinions and a information to support those opinions. To make sure that you are prepared, you will be researching the 1849 California Gold Rush and evidence to support the whether the gold rush had a positive or negative effect. Find evidence for both sides of the discussion, as you will not know which side you are arguing for until Monday. Mrs. Samuel will pose the question at the start of the Seminar and the rest will be up to you and your classmates. Here is a link to help you get started with your research. http://www.history.com/topics/gold-rush-of-1849
Good Luck!!

Thesis Statement and Body Paragraph Assignment

This week, we have been working diligently on composing an informative thesis and body paragraphs based on our planning sheets for the article Welcome to Great Falls Park. The requirements for a body paragraph are as follows:

• Transition
• Topic Sentence
• Evidence 1
• Elaboration on evidence 1
• Evidence 2 
• Elaboration on evidence 2
• Evidence 3
• Elaboration on evidence 3
• Justifier with closing sentence

The basic template for what is expected is below:

      Transition, + restate the topic + because/results in/result of + reason #1. Based on information presented in (Article Name) , (evidence). The evidence provided shows (elaboration). In paragraph number (#) it states, (evidence). This proves (elaboration). The author also states (evidence). This information (elaboration). Justifier, + restate the topic + because/results in/result of + reason #1.

When restating the topic, make sure that you state it differently than you did previously. Elaboration should explain the relation between the evidence, topic, and reason.

Assignment

Utilize the thesis statement that you composed to create two body paragraphs. For assistance with transitions and citing evidence, please refer to your reference sheets "Transitional Words & Phrases" and "Examples of Citing Evidence". If further assistance is necessary, please feel free to email me at samuelela8@gmail.com.