1. New Current Event Creating an Editorial

2. Bell Ringer Complete a quick write response to the following questions: How can writing change people’s worldview? How can it influence public opinion? How can it lead to meaningful action?

3. Your New Current Event!! What is an editorial? –a newspaper article written by or on behalf of an editor that gives an opinion on a topical issue. For your future current event articles they will be researched and written in the form of an editorial. Writing an editorial is similar to writing a persuasive essay.

4. Tools You Will Need Internet Access or news paper – If you do not have access you must see me – No excuses! Debatable Issues Problem Solution Organizer Writing Rubric 200 student opinion questions that invite discussion http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/02 /04/200-prompts-for-argumentative- writing/ http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/02 /04/200-prompts-for-argumentative- writing/

5. Steps to Completing My Editorial/ Current Event Step 1 | Brainstorming: What Do You Care About? –Students should pick something that –a) they genuinely care about; –b) other people would want to read about; –c) they can make an argument about; and –d) they can find evidence about to support their claim.

6. Competing the Editorial Step 2 | Research: Know Your Bottom Line 1.Be Concise 2.Give an opinion or solution –There are basically two kinds of editorials. One expresses an opinion about a situation, ex. if you want to write about human rights abuses in some part of the world or the country that you’re concerned about. The other kind of editorial proposes a solution to a specific problem. For example, if you want to write about traffic congestion in northern New Jersey, you should have an answer to how to fix the traffic problem.”

7. Competing the Editorial Step 3 | Write Clearly Make your writing clear and easy to understand. Write as if you’re sending a letter to a well-informed friend who cares about what you think. But don’t use any slang. OMG — no. Use examples whenever you can. It’s better to use an example than just to use a word or an adjective that describes something. If you want to say that the mayor’s pre-K policy is wrong, explain how — don’t say it’s just stupid.

8. Competing the Editorial Step 4 | Edit & Publish Every writer needs an editor. “After you’ve written your editorial, give it to someone you trust to read and listen to what they say. If they don’t understand it, that means it’s probably not clear.”

9. Competing the Editorial Step 4 | Edit & Publish Be prepared for a reaction. “When you write something and you publish it, be prepared for a reaction. If you write a good editorial, people are going to respond to it. And if you criticize people, they definitely are going to respond. So if someone writes you a letter, write them back. Be prepared to defend your position. Don’t get defensive, just explain why you said what you had to say. And if they question your facts, be ready to show that you were right.”

10. Let’s Get Ready to Debate!!!

11. How to Write an Editorial? Choose one of the following editorial topics and answer the following: What is the opinion or call to action in this editorial? What evidence does it use to make its argument? How persuasive do you find the editorial? Is it effective? What do you notice about the language and tone of the editorial? About other choices the writer(s) have made?

12. How to Write An Editorial http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/02 /07/for-the-sake-of-argument-writing- persuasively-to-craft-short-evidence- based- editorials/?_php=true&_type=blogs&_ph p=true&_type=blogs&_r=1http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/02 /07/for-the-sake-of-argument-writing- persuasively-to-craft-short-evidence- based- editorials/?_php=true&_type=blogs&_ph p=true&_type=blogs&_r=1