Value of Life

Survey Data, Socratic Seminar & Outline

Using Survey DataO The data from the class survey can

be used as a piece of evidence in your essay.

O In addition to the numbers and data from the survey, you will include an explanation of WHY that data is important.

O On the USING SURVEY DATA handout, create sentences that are specific to the data from OUR class.

Survey1st PeriodQuestion Yes No

Is a child’s life worth more than an adult’s? 48 158

Does everyone have something worth living for? 165 37

Do you value your life more than others? 100 102

Does your occupation determine the value of your life? 52 140

Is family worth living for? 173 29

Survey-3rd PeriodQuestion Yes No

Does the life of a child match the worth of an adult life? 149 125

Would you consider life insurance putting a value on someone’s life?

112 169

Does the government have the right to take away someone’s life?

49 224

Should there be a price tag on saving someone’s life (i.e. live saving surgery or rehabilitation)?

57 211

Would you risk your own life to save someone else’s? 157 87

Survey-4th PeriodQuestion Yes No

Do you think an infant’s life is more valuable than an adult’s?

130 95

Should someone’s value be based on their contributions to society?

109 117

Do criminals have less valuable lives? 100 102

Does being sick (cancer or genetic diseases) effect the value of your life?

62 156

Is society the reason we place value on others? 157 57

Socratic Seminar

OWith a partner, read the guidelines on Socratic Seminars on the back of your handout.

OCome up with three ways that speaking in a Socratic Seminar is different than speaking with your friends and three ways it is different than speaking in class.

Formal language

OLook at the handout on academic language.

OYou will be using this handout as you discuss.

OEach time you use one of the sentence frames, put a check by it.

OPart of your grade is on your ability to use formal language.

Open-ended Questions Identify main ideas from text.O What word or phrase is most important in [name of text]? Why?O What might be another good title for this text? Why?O Do you agree or disagree with [main idea or value of text]?

Why?Closed-ended Questions Analyze textual details.O According to [name of text], what does the term (or phrase)

__________ mean?O In what ways are __________ and __________ alike (or different)?O What is the difference between __________ and __________?O How do you think __________ was viewed by (or would be viewed

by) __________?O Does the text (or would the author of the text) agree or disagree

with this statement: ________________________?Core Questions Personalize and apply ideas.O What are the consequences or implications of [name of text] or

this discussion?O How do the ideas in this text relate to today?O What if __________ happened (or were true) instead of __________?

OutlineO Throughout this unit, we have read a number of different opinions that

give insights into the value of life. Hamlet’s soliloquy, Chris Jones’s interview with Roger Ebert, Amanda Ripley’s article from Time magazine, “Zero,” and the survey date all provide different perspectives on how we should value life. In addition you have looked at how you value life. For your writing assignment, you will combine all that information into an essay that answers the following prompt:

O What makes life worth living?

O To answer this prompt, you will write an essay that uses at least four sources; these sources could be the articles we’ve read, the survey data we collected, or the video we watched. Assume that the audience for your essay consists of intelligent citizens interested in this issue. Be sure to refer to and cite the readings. You may also use examples from your personal experience or observations. Make sure you cite your sources accurately using our MLA citation handout to guide you.

Introduction:O Hook: This can be a broad statement, fact, quote,

or brief story that introduces your topic to your audience.

O Background information: This statement highlights the reason for talking about this topic in general. Do people argue about this topic? Does it affect everyone? Is it important in society?

O Write an effective hook for your essay. If you are struggling with this, leave the hook for later and start on your background information.

Thesis:O Your thesis is the last line in your introductory paragraph. It

must be arguable, unique, and specific. It will answer the question above with complexity. For example, “Teachers are terrible” is not an adequate thesis. “Teachers are often the biggest problem in education because they do not care enough about their students, they waste time on space takers, and they assign too much busy work” is a much stronger thesis. Remember that you must provide evidence to support your thesis, so keep that in mind as you create your thesis.

O Use your yellow writing assignment sheet to create a thesis. When you think you have a strong thesis, have the teacher check if it is a strong, arguable, specific thesis.

OrganizationO The basis of a successful essay is strong

support for your thesis. O The first step is to write down three

statements that support your thesis. These become the topic sentences for your body paragraphs.

O Create three (or four) statements and write each one in the space for topic sentences on your outline.

OrganizationO The second step is to add a transition

word to the beginning of each paragraph. These should be more complete then “first, second, third.” See pages 5 & 6 of your handbook for an extensive list of transition words.

O Next to each topic sentence, write an appropriate transition word.

OrganizationO The next step is to find evidence that

supports your thesis and will work to support a specific topic sentence. Find two pieces of evidence for each body paragraph and write down the quote, the author, and the paragraph number if applicable.

O Remember that you may use Hamlet, Ripley, Ebert, survey data, or “Zero” for your evidence.

OrganizationO For this essay, you will also pick a piece

of personal evidence to support your arguments.

O For each body paragraph, think of a specific example from your own life or from someone close to you that supports your position on what makes life valuable.

OrganizationO Lastly, pick two of the “They Say, I Say”

sentence frames for each paragraph from your ERWC handbook on page 4. You must use AT LEAST two sentence frames in each body paragraph.

O Aim for using the more complex frames rather than simply “X argues that ___________.”

O Choose the sentence frames and write them under each paragraph.

CommentaryO Remember that EVERY piece of

evidence needs commentary. You cannot simply state a quote or piece of evidence; you must explain how that piece of evidence supports your claim.