October 10, 2016 - October 14, 2016 9th Grade English Agenda; Animal Intelligence Research Paper

Monday, October 10th: 

Remember: your AR reading log and test will be due in a week, October 17th. 

Watched video about orangutan and face recognition 

Read article about animal consciousness 

Discussion 

Begin work on the thesis statement 

Tuesday, October 11th: 

Open your books to page 27, “Can Animals Think”

Please take out the paper from yesterday, “How Do Animals Think?” 
Thesis Statement sample: 

If animals are smarter than human have given them credit for, or some animals are as smart or even smarter than humans - whales, dolphins, and elephants – then we should rethink our right to hunt animals, and/or our right to eat other animals.

The research paper is due on Tuesday, October 17^th.

The research paper should be three pages long.

Outline for the Essay:

First Paragraph:

Grabber paragraph should be interesting enough to grab the reader’s attention.

The first paragraph should let the reader know what the research is about and the writer’s position on the topic.

The first paragraph should include the thesis statement.

The thesis statement is a sentence that tells the reader what the essay is about and your position or opinion is about the topic.

Body paragraphs:

Mini-topic sentence

Develop the topic

You develop the topic by:

1.     Stating  the situation

2.     Explaining the situation

3.     Describing the situation

4.     Giving examples

5.     Citing experts

6.     Then you conclude the paragraph by a transitional sentence which will lead you to the next paragraph.

You cite by writing this:

According to Eugene Linden, in the article, “Can Animals Think?”, then write quotation, and then explain it.

Wednesday,  October 12th:

No School today!

Thursday, October 13th:

Get out a sheet of paper and a pen and please write this down:

For today:

Please write down your thesis statement for your research paper.

Some possible topics might be:

1. Animals can think; therefore, we should not hunt animals for sport.

2. Animals are much smarter than we give them credit for; therefore, we should not eat animals.

3. Because animals can think and feel, perhaps more than we realize, we should treat animals better, particularly those animals we use for food.

4. Humans are much smarter than animals, and it has not been shown that most animals are capable of higher level thinking; therefore, humans should feel free to hunt and eat animals.

5. Because we live in the same ecological environment as animals, it is important that we treat animals in a humane manner.

Humane: in a compassionate manner; not cruel.

On a separate sheet of paper, write the thesis statement.

Then write the first quotation, with its source. (Citing or citation is writing who and where you got the quotation.)

Then explain or put in your own words (paraphrase) what the quotation is about. 

Second Step:

Look in “Can Animals Think?” in your text book, or look at the notes you took from the video, or from the article, “Animal Consciousness”and find three pieces of evidence to support your thesis statement.

Friday, October 14th:

By 11:05 students must have their:

Thesis statement

Two quotations

For homework over the weekend:

Find an additional quotation

Paraphrase, or explain, or expand the three quotations

Remember: your AR reading log and test will be due on Monday, October 17th. 

By Monday, you should:

Write your introductory paragraph

Write your body paragraph

Write your concluding paragraph

October 3, 2016 - October 7, 2016 Weekly Agenda for 9th Grade English; Research Paper: Animal Intelligence

Monday, October 3rd: 
No school!

Tuesday, October 4th:
"The Most Dangerous Game" vocabulary packet
"The Most Dangerous Game" Test
Assign Vocabulary, Level C, Unit Two; this will be due on Friday, October 7th.


Wednesday, October 5th: 
Begin work on the research paper, "Can Animals Think and Reason?"
Video - Animal Consciousness
"Dolphins in the Mirror"
Take notes
Which animals can identify themselves in a mirror?
What does that seem to say about the animals' intelligence?
Briefly describe Professor Reiss' experiment with dolphins and mirrors.
What were some of the things the dolphins did in front of the mirror?
What did Professor Reiss do to the elephant's face in the Bronx Zoo?
What is the youngest age some dolphins are able to identify themselves in the mirror?
What is the average age most human children are able to identify themselves in the mirror?

"Inside the Minds of Animals" - Ted Ed Talks
What did Aristotle believe about animal intelligence?
What did Descartes believe about animal intelligence?
How do elephants access hard to reach food?
What can octopus do with jars?
What is the story about Hans the Horse?
What does this show about the intelligence of Hans the Horse?
At this point do we know if a dog can feel good about outsmarting us?

Read "Time: Can Animals Think?"
Take notes on reading
Discuss

Thursday, October 6th: 
Video: Whale Watching

“Can Animals Think?”

Page 27

“And neither did I….”

Reread the paragraph from “And neither did I… to “Lending a Helping Tail” on page 28

Discuss with your neighbor what you just read.

Write a brief paragraph summarizing what you just read.

Guiding Questions:

What did the two psychologists realize about the chimpanzees they were teaching to speak?

The animals could not talk like humans.

Who is Washoe?

A young female chimpanzee

What did she learn to do?

She learned 130 words in American Sign Language.

What is a big debate going on in science?

Whether animals can think

What does “water bird” mean?

Washoe saw a swan swimming in a lake and created the word “water bird”

What does the author think might be a better way to measure animal intelligence?

Sophia and Sandy:

If animals could communicate with humans, they could help themselves.

The main idea is animals don’t want to cooperate.

Onyx and Rachel:

Washoe learned more than 130 words in American Sign Language.

Jennifer and Danny:

They are most inclined to help themselves when it benefits them.

Read “Lending a Helping Tail” to “The Keeper Always Falls for That One”

Vocabulary:

Assess: to test or to judge

Awry: going in the wrong direction

Write a short summary of what we just read.

Friday, October 7th: 
Vocabulary Level C; Unit 2 will be due today.
Grammar
Holt Handbook; "Identifying Independent and Subordinate Clauses", exercises 1. This will be due at the end of the period