Take a stand! 2017

WHAT?

What upsets you or simply makes you say "That ain't right"?

"Take a Stand!" is made up from two different, but complementing parts:

First, an argumentative essay and second, a presentation based on your essay. Both in which you take a stand for or against something and then aim to convince your audience that your standpoint is the correct one.

Your topic could for example be one of these: “No phones in school”, “Alcohol should be banned”, “Public transportation should be free” or “God does not exist”.

Your choice of topic will be crucial to the success of your work so think hard about what seems wrong and upsetting to you and choose wisely.

2.0

What would make this an even better assignment is if you team up with a friend and pick opposite sides on a matter. That way you can collaborate on arguments for your texts and then make your presentation a debate and let the audience decide who won.

HOW?

Your essay should be between 500-1000 words long.

Skolverket offers a complete description and instruction that you can use from start to finish:

https://www.skolverket.se/polopoly_fs/1.234581!/2xdebattartikel.pdf

• Vad är en debattartikel?
• Debattartikelns struktur
• Debattartikelns språk*
• Arbetsgång

*Sammanhangsord (linking words)

För att texten ska hänga samman och få en så tydlig struktur som möjligt använder debattören sammanhangsord. De hjälper till att hålla ordning i texten och gör den även mer lättläst.

För det första… För det andra… För det tredje…. (Firstly... Secondly... Thirdly...)

Å ena sidan... Å andra sidan… (On the one hand... On the other hand...)

Ju mer… Desto… (The more... The...)

Det innebär att … Anledningen till detta är… Trots allt… (This means that... The reason for this is... After all...)

Orsaken är… Fördelarna är… Nackdelarna är… (The cause is... The advantages are... The disadvantages are...)

I synnerhet… Närmare bestämt… (Especially... More precisely...)

Inledningsvis… Avslutningsvis… Sammanfattningsvis… Slutligen… (Initially... Lastly/In conclusion... In summary/To sum up... Finally )

An example of an argumentative essay is mentioned in the document linked above:

https://www.skolverket.se/polopoly_fs/1.234636!/debattartikel_exempeltext_7-9_gy1-3.pdf

Even more information on how to make sure that your text will be the best you can achieve can be found in "Skriftlig framställning & interaktion". Of course we will also have a look at this in class.

Your presentation should be about 3-5 minutes long.

Make sure that you use keywords and not a manuscript.

Also, don't forget that the use of pictures can help you to further enhance your claims and make your presentations more entertaining. Apart from this, they can also make the process of giving a speech a bit more comfortable, as they give your audience something else to focus on.

As usual, some of you will give your presentations in class and some will film it.

Once again: More information on how to make sure that your presentation will be the best it can be, is available in "Muntlig framställning & interaktion". We will have a look at this as well in class.

It is very important that you try your best to meet all of these requirements so that your class and your teacher can give you important feedback. Give it your best and your English will improve guaranteed. If you have any questions or suggestions, ask your teacher as soon as possible.

WHY?

"Take a Stand!" is about practicing and improving your English writing and speaking by aiming to be

• accurate (korrekt)
• fluent (ha flyt) and
• coherent (vara sammanhängande)

along with

• adapting (anpassning) to the situation and
• working to improve and progress your work (bearbetning)

In order to make sure that you make the most of this your need to go to

• "Skriftlig framställning & interaktion"
• "Muntlig framställning & interaktion"

These can both be found under the tab "Planering" right here in Unikum.

WHEN?

Research & work on text

Weeks 8 & 9

Work on presentations

Week 10

This will give you three weeks + in total to work. And then there is of course "Plustid" and homework.

It is imperative that you have your topic prepared when you start your first lesson week 8.

Uppgifter

My Take a Stand

This where you share your Take a Stand, unless of course you're doing it in class. Remember! Talk to the camera and make sure that you are visible from at least the waist up. Don't forget to check the sound.