Introductory Mini-Unit: Can We Believe This?
We are presented with a problem-solving task focused on a potentially misleading public opinion poll that worries our Congressional Representative. In the role of a team of summer interns working for the Representative, we investigate the facts of the situation, learn about proper polling methods, and recommend a reasonable solution. The main purpose of this unit, however, is to become accustomed to the routines and terminology of the course.
Key Concepts
evidence: entry document, driving question, Cornell Notes, Essential Question, project log, final product
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Unit Tasks
1. Read the entry document from Representative Carolyn Maloney. We will read together this first time.
2. Follow along as Scott models how to create a "driving question." Copy down your own version of the driving question.
3. Follow along as Scott models how to create a style of note taking called "Cornell Notes" using the entry document. 4. Use the memo from Carolyn Maloney to continue your own Cornell Notes. 5. Read the documents titled "What Makes a Poll Believable?"
6. Follow along with Scott and add any relevant information from these documents to your Cornell Notes.
7. Read the document titled, "Transcript of Phone Interview with Chris Blair, The New York Post." Add any relevant information to your Double-Sided Notes following the advice from previous documents. We will perform the interview together as a class.
8. Answer the essential question at the bottom of your Cornell Notes using the modeling that Scott does.
9. When we have collected the necessary information, we move on to our to our final product. It can look like many things. For this first introductory unit, we will write back to Carolyn Maloney. In this memo/letter/email, we will summarize our findings and then tell her what action, if any, we think we should take. |