Tuesday, September 1st

Starter #4
Listen closely to the following Storycorps interviews and then record your reactions to it in your digital comp book. 
Not sure what to write? What questions does this podcast raise for you? Does it help remind you of our shared humanity, or build connections between people? If so, how? What stood out to you as inspiring, interesting or thought-provoking? 

1. "Danny and Annie"
2. "Mary and Oshea"

After writing, let's share out our thoughts from yesterday and today's podcasts!

Announcements

• Chaperons for class field trip (Thursday 9/10)
• 5% off late penalty policy? Thoughts from Ashley:  On assignments that are NOT due for class participation, I'll only dock them 5% per day late.  For assignments needed for class participation that day, I'll dock 10%.  You may ask for an extension on most assignments granted you've used your class time wisely AND your request comes by 6pm the evening before the assignment is due. 
• Reminder on my assessment categories: Are you doing the work? Are you learning stuff? Are you developing as a learner?

Agenda
1. Review from yesterday's small group brainstorm

• How are the two cartoon engaged in political discourse with each other?
  
• Which perspective does Dan Olson's relate to?
  
• What are the people saying? What were some of the perspectives your group talked about?
  

2.  Mini-lesson: Open-ended v. Close-ended questions

3. Game time! How are we gonna fail fast and fail up if we can't make fools of ourselves!?

4. Creating Open-ended questions to guide our research

• Student Questions from our brainstorm
  
• In your group, read the above list of questions for your group's assigned "theme" and try to synthesize them into 1-2 OPEN-ENDED questions
• Write your open-ended questions on the board under your topic
• As a class, we'll refine the questions and dial our list of questions
• Record these questions in your notes!  Taking notes digitally? Please do so in your digital comp book (same place as starters) using this template

5. Whole-Class Animas River Spill research + Ashley to conference with prospective honors students
Today's topic: History of the Gold King mine and events surrounding the EPA spill
Directions: As you read the following two articles, annotate for questions/confusions, additional questions raised that you'd need to research, specific perspectives on the causes of the toxic spill, persuasive and/or shaky evidence, etc....Record your notes to help you prepare for seminar and the final writing assignment. 

• Take notes using this template 

• Taking notes digitally? Please do so in your digital comp book (same place as starters)

Article 1: "The Gold King Mine: From An 1887 Claim, Private Profits And Social Costs" from Colorado Public Radio (read at least to the section labeled "Mining: Why all the water and toxins?")
Article 2: "When Our River Turned Orange" from High Country News