Monday, October 19, 2009

Risky Business: Subtopics & Thesis Statements

Hi everyone! Greetings from cold (very cold) Minnesota!
Here's your assignment and blog directions for Tuesday 10/20
  1. Divide up your subject area into separate subtopics (like KC3 last year). Be sure your topic has an argumentative edge so that you can write a successful pro/con essay about it. For example, the topic “street racing,” which another team covered in the past, could be divided into subtopics like
    • “causes/motivation of street racing,”
    • “influence of the media,”
    • “regulation and penalties and their effectiveness,” and
    • “alternative solutions to the street racing problem”

  2. Find one excellent research source (can be a website, a news article, etc). Copy paste it into a word document and print it (may print in class)
  3. Then, fill in the “Risky Business Project Research Notes,” using data from your source. Be specific and detailed.
  4. Keep both the article and the research notes to turn in later with your essay.
  5. Post each team's topic and each member's subtopic and thesis statement as a comment to this blog. NOTE: I will respond to your subtopics and thesis statements in email and on the blog, so please chck--you are responsible for responding to my comments, if necessary, with revision to your subtopic/thesis.
  6. Last, fill in the “Checkpoints and Team Timeline” worksheet. ALL members fill it in and team turns in one copy to teacher.

Homework: Compose 2 excellent questions for a data gathering survey on your risky business topic. (DUE Thursday 10/22)

Email me if you have any questions :)
mrs s

22 comments:

•iJ.Padizzle•® said...

Risk Behavior: DRUGS & ALCOHOL
Jonas, Kirsten, Kelvin & Cody

Subtopics:

Jonas-Effects of alcohol use on teens/Statistics

Kirsten-Causes of drug use among teens/Statistics

Kelvin-Causes of alcohol use among teens/Influences

Cody-Effects of drug use on teens/Influences

Thesis Statement: Teens go through a lot of experiences, and some of them are exposed to use of drugs and alcohol.

lsueoka said...

Hi everyone,

I've already responded to this post on email, but I will also respond here, just to be sure you all GET it.

Thanks to Jonas and his team, we have the first group of subtopics and thesis statement.
Everyone and I mean everyone, should have actually posted your topics and thesis statements already on the class blog...
and, you'll see why in a minute...

I will comment here on the topics/thesis statements of Jonas and his team...they'll come out ahead because I will give them examples and suggestions...that's what I *intended* to do for everyone else...but no posts...no dice...

Teens & Alcohol & Drugs Subtopics:
Jonas-Effects of alcohol use on teens/Statistics
Kirsten-Causes of drug use among teens/Statistics
Kelvin-Causes of alcohol use among teens/Influences
Cody-Effects of drug use on teens/Influences
Thesis Statement: Teens go through a lot of experiences, and some of them are exposed to use of drugs and alcohol.

Okay team...remember that a thesis statement must be argumentative; it must be debatable. Do you think anyone will argue that teens do not. "go through a lot of experiences" or against the statement that "some of them are exposed to use of drugs and alcohol"???

Nope...so these are NOT valid thesis statements.

Not only do they have to be debatable, but each team member must have a different thesis

Remember KC3???

So here are my suggestions (if you are sharp, you will be able to apply these to your own topics, even though I am making them for the durgs and alcohol group)

You may want to argue something about the primary causes of drugs and alcohol abuse.
You may want to argue about the best ways to combat drug and alcohol abuse. (this can be broken into separate topics, i.e. DARE, MADD, etc)
You may want to argue about the role of the media in promoting drug and alcohol abuse.
You may want to argue for or against legislation to combat drug and alcohol abuse.

Note that each one of these would allow for separate and distinct research and thesis argument.
THIS IS WHAT IS REQUIRED OF EACH INDIVIDUAL AND EACH GROUP.

So thanks, Jonas and your team...hope my comments have helped you...
mrs s

Niki Elle said...

Risky Behavior: Media Pressure

Subtopic:

"Media is Deceiving"

My Thesis: Media, such as magazines, movies, music, and shows can be deceiving to the adolescent mind

kelleh! said...

Hey Mrs S,

Risk Behavior: Media Pressure

Subtopic: "Media can be a negative breakdown"

Thesis: "Media breaksdown teens' confidenence"

Destrie:) said...

Risk behavior:Abuse relationships
Destrie,Cynthia,Michelle,Ciarah

Subtopics:

Destrie- cycle of abuse

Cynthia-Types of abuse

Michelle-Signs of abuse

Ciarah-tactics of abuse

Thesis Statements:

Destrie- There is a cycle that abusers have toward their partner in a relationship, that explains their violent and abusive behavior.

Cynthia- sexual,emotional, and physical are some types of abuse done to people in relationships. There is no exception for any type of abuse because abuse in general is absolutely wrong.

Michelle- Signs of abusive relationships can lead you to better or worst relationship.

Ciarah- Abusers have different tactics to abusing their other half or partner.

lsueoka said...

Hi Media Group: First comment, please post all of your responses together. I need to see all of the thesis statements in the same place. That makes it easier for me to see whether you need to focus more or whether all of the various topics are differentiated enough.

For the two you have posted thus far, I think Niki’s can be divided up by media. That would allow others in the group to have different areas of focus. You would also need to develop some value judgment/opinion within your thesis. For example, is media responsible for some teen risk behaviors? Does it encourage some of these? Does it violate ethical standards for communication? Have there been cases where the media have been faulted in court for miscommunication or lack of responsibility in advertising, etc.?

Kelly, your idea about media and teen confidence or self image would work. If you guys want to divide this one up, you might do it by gender…female self-image, standards of beauty, success, desirability, etc. and male self-image, masculinity, success, sex-appeal, etc.

Okay…that’s my response…email if you have questions.
mrs s

lsueoka said...

Hi abuse group,
You’ve made a good start at coming up with subtopics and thesis statements.
I do think you will need to revise, though.
For example, Cynthia, will anyone argue against your statement that abuse is wrong? Remember, for an argumentative thesis, you need to have viable arguments against it.
Destrie, Michelle, and Ciarah, your thesis statements seem to be primarily informational, rather than opinion based.

Here are some things to keep in mind that may help you to develop argumentative thesis statements:
 think about ways to prevent abuse and argue which may be the most effective
o if you can research different programs, you may be able to do separate research and essays on the different approaches.
o If you research different organizations or programs you may be able to focus your essay on one of those and separate your topics that way.
 think in terms of punishment and government laws or regulations and which may be most effective

Hope this helps…email if you have questions.

[sama]ra said...

Risk- Eating Disorders
Justin, Kiana, Samara, Austin

Subtopic

Justin- Bulimeia sp?
Kiana- Anorexia
Samara- Anemia
Austin- Binge Eating
Statement: Eating disorders can not only come from the person, but also from the environment and genetics.

Daryenne. said...

Risk Behavior Topic: Teen Sex & Pregnancy

Raena
Subtopic: "Influences of Teen Sex/Pregnancy"
Thesis: "Teens are vulnerable to their surroundings (media, people around them) and are easily influenced to have sex. "

Desha
Subtopic: "Sex education"
Thesis: "Teens are well educated about sex but under pressure they still do it."

Charina
Subtopic: "Pregnancy prevention"
Thesis: "Abstinence, condoms, and contraception are types of pregnancy prevention, but teens still don’t use it, and risks getting pregnant. "

Marissa
Subtopic: "Statistics"
Thesis: "over the years statistics of teen pregnancy and sex have increased."

Daryenne
Subtopic: "Causes of Teen Sex/Pregnancy"
Thesis: "Teens know the possible outcomes and consequences of having sex at a young age, yet they go ahead and do it."

lsueoka said...

Response to eating disorders group:
Well, here’s a group that didn’t read my commentary on email and on the blog.
Separate thesis statements; separate essays…like KC3.

Then, I think binge eating and bulimia are the same and anemia does not really fit into the topic. So you guys are going to need to work a bit more on your topics.

With the topic of eating disorders also comes the idea of self-concept, standards of beauty and such. Media and its role in shaping these standards and perceptions also comes into play.

So work a bit more on your topics and thesis statements because these will not work.
Email if you have questions.
mrs s

lsueoka said...

Teen pregnancy team: Your first three topics/thesis statements will work. The last two won’t. The “statistics” topic is not arguable. Will someone argue about whether stats have increased or descreased?? For the last one, what is arguable there? If teens truly know the outcomes and consequences and are still having sex, what’s the argument??

So, rest of the team, you need to assist Marissa and Daryenne at finding workable topics and thesis statements. Like the other groups, you may want to focus on specific programs. See what kinds of programs are going on in the elementary and middle schools; see what types of programs may be church or other community organization sponsored, etc. Then, argue whether they are effective or not. You might also research the role of the family and parent-child relationships and evaluate those in light of teen risk behavior.

Email if you have questions.
mrs s

kelleh! said...

Risk Behavior: Media Pressure
Members: Alexis, Niki, Kelly, & Angela

Subtopics:
Alexis-Affects on Males

Niki-Media is deceiving

Kelly-Affects on Females

Angela-Media is misleading and hypocritical

Thesis:
Alexis-The media is a role model to men

Niki-Media, such as magazines, movies, music, and shows can be deceiving to the adolescent mind

Kelly-Beauty is an insecurity to woman.

Angela-The media gives off mised signals and can be a hypocrite

Rebecca said...

Great info on {the topic of the blog}. It will guide many of the readers.

Thesis Paper

Anonymous said...

Risk Behavior:HAZING
Amber Thea Jisel Arleen

Subtopics:
Amber-consequences of hazing
Thesis- Media influences teem=ns ideas and outlook on teen hazing.

Jisel- prevention of hazing
Thesis-Hazing creates risk of harm to students; therefore it should be prevented

Thea- Why people haze
Thesis- Hazing is one way to "fit in" or "be one with the crowd."

Arleen- Hazing laws
thesis-Hazing should be banned in all states.

Anonymous said...

Amber Thomsen

Subtopic:Media's effect on teens and hazing

Thesis: The media has, in some ways, promoted the ever rising problem of hazing.

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