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Liberal Studies
 

7th grade Liberal Studies Syllabus- Parents/ Guardians and students please read the syllabus and then follow the steps here to sign off.

 

Unit 1: Introduction to Media: Asking Critical Questions

Week 1- 8/16

  • F:
    Classwork: Community-building activities with your mentors (school-wide event)


Week 2 - 8/20-8/24

  • M:
    • Classwork: Review syllabus and portfolio component; activity/discussion: "What is Media"
    • HW: Electronically read and review syllabus and "sign" off - DUE 8/27
  • W:
    • Classwork: Activity/ discussion: To Inform, Persuade, or Entertain
    • HW: None
  • F:
    • Classwork: Activity/ discussion: Fact vs. Opinion in Advertising; Critical Questions to Analyze Media
    • HW: none

Week 3 - 8/27-8/29

  • M:
    • Classwork: Discussion & Activity: Determing Fact from Opinion in Various Medias
    • HW: None
  • W:
    • Classwork: Discussion & Activity: Using Observations to Support Hypothesis of Subtext & Target Audience
    • HW: None

Unit 2: What is Credible?: Investigating Sources

Week 4 - 9/5-9/7

Week 5 - 9/10-9/13

Week 6 - 9/17-9/21

  • M:
    • Classwork: Discussion & Notes - The RAVEN Method of Source Credibility
    • HW: None
  • W:
  • F:
    • Classwork: Discussion & Activity: Complete Mobile Mystery Testimony Assessment
    • HW: None

Week 7 - 9/25-9/27

Unit 3: Why Do We Consume Media?

Week 8 - 10/1-10/5

  • M:
    • Classwork: Discussion, Notes & Activity: The Power of Advertising: Adverts, Brands, Logos
    • HW: None
  • W:
  • F:
    • Classwork: Discussion & Activity: Begin, with your partner, to create your logo and brand identity for your selected product
    • HW: None

Week 9 - 10/8-10/10

  • M:
    • Classwork: Activity: Continue working on yourl version of your logo, brand identity, and advertisement for your specific target audience
    • HW: None
  • W:
    • Classwork: Activity: Complete your version of your logo, brand identity, and advertisement for your specific target audience
    • HW: None

Week 10: 10/15-10/19

  • M:
    • Classwork: Activity: Begin Group Presentations
    • HW: None
  • W:
    • Classwork: Discussion & Activity: Finish group presentations
    • HW: What Did I Buy
  • F:

Weeks 11-15/ 10/22-11/16 S.H.A.R.E.

 

Unit 4: The Politics of Language

Week 16: 11/26-11/30

  • M:
    • Classwork: Discussion & Activity: Distortion Tactics
    • HW: None
  • W:
    • Classwork: Notes & Discussion: Shrinking Sound Bites
    • HW: None
  • F:
    • Classwork: Activity: Create an articulate argument for any of the given issues. We will establish a rough draft today and work on final drafts of our arguments next week.

Week 17: 12/3-12/5

Week 18: 12/10-12/14

  • M:
  • W:
    • Classwork: Media Source Analysis
    • HW: None
  • F:
    • Classwork: Evaluating Factual Evidence in Political Ads
    • HW: None

Week 19: 12/17-12/19

Weeks 20-21: Winter Break

Week 22: 1/7-1/11

Unit 5: New Reporting: The Construction of Perception

Week 23: 1/14-1/16

  • M:
    • Classwork: Students will present their political ads
    • HW: Complete your political ad ballot by using the rubric and explaining why you casted your vote for your selected candidate DUE WEDNESDAY 1/16
  • W:
    • Classwork: Discuss the concepts of immigration & stereotypes
    • HW: Read the two chapters assigned from The New Immigrants and write at least two questions for the public speakers that will come in next Wednesday DUE NEXT WEDNESDAY

Week 24: 1/23-1/25

  • W:
    • Classwork: Public Speaker - Anne Crosman on her book The New Immigrants and journalism
    • HW: none
  • F:
    • Classwork: Dicussion - What is bias? Why does the news have bias?
    • HW: none

Week 25: 1/28-1/30

  • M:
  • W:
    • Classwork: Practice evaluating for bias via student selected articles
    • HW: None

Week 26: 2/4-2/8

Week 27: 2/11-2/13

  • M:
    • SNOW DAY
  • W:

Week 28: 2/20-2/22

  • W:
    • SNOW DAY
  • F:
    • Classwork: The Language of Law
    • HW: None

Week 29: 2/25-3/1

  • M:
    • Classwork: Experimenting with the News- Drug Smuggling Article
    • HW: None
  • W:
    • Classwork: Timed-response writing to Latinos in the Media article/ Do you agree that the media increases negative stereotyping of Hispanics? Why or why not? Make sure to directly refer to the article and to create an articulate and arguable thesis.
    • HW: None
  • F:
    • Classwork: Research project brainstorm - Brainstorm Carousel
    • HW: Come to class on Monday with a list of three media-related topics that you are interested in researching.

Week 30: 3/4-3/6

  • M:
    • Classwork: Discuss possible research topics & Begin Portfolio Reflections
    • HW: None
  • W:
    • Classwork: Finish Portfolio Reflections
    • HW: None

Week 31: 3/11-3/15

SPRING BREAK 3/18-3/22

Week 33: 3/25-3/27

  • M:
    • Classwork: How does the research process develop?/ Preparation for graduate student presentation on cultural appropropriation & representation-
    • HW: Finish reading background info and respond to the questions
  • W:
    • Classwork: Begin watching the film Reel injun
    • HW: None

Week 34: 4/1-4/5

Week 35: 4/8-4/10

  • M:
    • Classwork: How to determine Reliable Research Sources
    • HW: Week 2 Goals: A) By Monday revise topic focus B) By Wednesday revise preliminary questions C) By next Monday identify, print, and annotate 2 reliable sources. Answer at least one preliminary research question
  • W:
    • Classwork: Finding reliable sources for your topic
    • HW: Work on Week 2 goals

Week 36: 4/15-4/19

  • M:
    • Classwork: Create Week 3 goals as a class and find another reliable source
    • HW: Work on Week 3 goals: By Wednesday, find a third reliable source (make sure you have at least one print source). By Friday, print, annotate, and write down the citation info for your 3rd source. By Monday, answer at least two more research questions.
  • W:
    • Classwork: Find reliable sources and annotate
    • HW: None
  • F:
    • Classwork: Find reliable sources and annotate
    • HW: None

Week 37: 4/22-4/24

  • M:
    • Classwork: Create Goals for Week 4 & Work on Annotating for Questions
    • HW: Week 4 goals: By Wednesday, create a rough draft of your topic sentence for your research paper and identify one more additional source. By Friday, Annotate and cite your fourth source. By Monday, have a final copy of your topic sentence, rank your preliminary questions in order of importance and answer all of those which are essential to your research paper.
  • W:
    • Classwork: Expository Essays - Creating and Revising Topic Sentences
    • HW: Week 4 goals

Week 38 :4/29-5/1

  • M:
    • Classwork: Create goals for Week 5 - Essay 4 square
    • HW: By Wednesday, answer the rest of your necessary questions. By next Wednesday, complete first draft of essay 4-square
  • W:
    • Classwork: Finish research questions and begin essay 4 square
    • HW: Work on Week 5 goals

Week 39: 5/6-5/10

  • M:
    • GRAND CANYON FIELD TRIP
    • HW: Continue Week 5 goals
  • W:
    • Classwork: Peer review essay 4 squares for clear topic sentences for all paragraphs; begin expository essay outline
    • HW: Complete revised essay four-square for Monday (5/13). Complete essay outline for Wednesday (5/15)

Week 40: 5/13-5/17

Week 41: 5/20-5/22

  • M:
    • Classwork: Work on typing up your rough draft in class
    • HW: Rough Draft Due Wednesday 5/22
  • W:
    • Classwork: Expository Research Essay Peer Review
    • HW: Final Drafts are Due Friday 5/31