RMWP Camp Day 12

7:40-3:30

Schedule:
- Prompt: "What student government position are you running for and what makes you the best candidate?"
- Review of SGA roles and responsibilities
- Personal definition of student council
- Discuss and debate SGA scenarios in small groups
- Complete argumentative essay graphic organizer and rough draft

I have been really impressed with the way Mrs. Owens is scaffolding the students' writing process. Their journal prompt helped them to brainstorm their qualifications and strengths. It's interesting to see how some of them are battling a strong humility that is making it more challenging to focus so much on themselves. I was impressed with the clear organization of the graphic organizer, and I'm glad that Mrs. Owens took the time to model with her own examples. The students caught on well to the concept of refutes and rebuttals, and they quickly copied the ideas from the graphic organizer into their journals in paragraph form.

As I walked around to read their drafts and offer feedback, my only concern was to see ways that they overused cliches or failed to provide clear examples and details in their writing. For example, one student repeatedly used phrases about "fighting for your rights," but he did not clearly communicate what that really means. I tried to encourage him to give at least one example of what he meant by "students' rights." I also tried to read their essays from the perspective of a voter, so I hope I am able to help strengthen their work by offering helpful critiques and asking questions.