SS · US.6_12.4 — I will trace how a historical problem changed over time and who had to fix it.

ELA · 9-10.W.4 + IR.3/.5 — I will organize my evidence into an argument, backed by named sources, that answers a counterclaim.

Self-Directed Academy · Studio 1 · US History · Week 3 · Thursday

Notes → Outline → Draft

Three moves, in order. Today we do the first two — for real, not rushed.

Frame it honestly: last week ran on 3 sub days. This isn't a punishment lap — it's making sure the foundation is actually there before we build on it.

Today's shape

Connect your notes.
Build your outline.
Then — write.

You can't outline evidence you can't find, and you can't draft a claim you haven't outlined. We do this in order, today, together.

Step 1 · Connect Your Notes

First: find everything
you've already got.

Three weeks of Dig means your evidence is scattered. Today it comes together in one place.

Read this list out loud. Most students have pieces in at least 3 of these spots and don't realize it.

Where could your notes be? Check every one.

📓

Daily Dig Log — your one-line entries from every class

📝

Evidence Organizer (Thu 9/10, "Notes That Argue") — quote/source/so-what rows

🗂️

Sub Day docs in Headrush — Source Deep-Read (Fri 9/11), Sort Your Evidence (Mon 9/14), Answer EQ + Outline (Tue 9/15)

✍️

Yesterday's free write (Wed 9/16) — you already have a claim in there

📁

Your shared Drive folder — everything you moved in yesterday

Post this. This is the bar for "connected," not "perfect."

Your notes count as "connected" when...

✦

Every source you found is in ONE place — not spread across 5 different papers/docs

✦

Each note has: the evidence (quote or paraphrase) + the source it came from + what it proves

✦

You have at least 4–5 usable notes total

✦

You can tell, at a glance, which notes support which part of your argument

Model this on the shared Jungle text so it's not tied to any one student's angle. Read it aloud, point at each part.

What a good note looks like

The note (quote or paraphrase)

"There was never the least attention paid to what was cut up for sausage."

Source

Sinclair, The Jungle, Ch. 14 (Project Gutenberg)

So what? (what it proves, in my words)

Contamination wasn't an accident — there was no system in place to prevent it. That's neglect, not bad luck.

Which point of my argument

Supports: profit motive directly caused unsafe food.

Release. Circulate — this is where you find who genuinely has nothing yet. Conference those students first.

Now — 10 minutes

Gather everything.
One place.

Pull every note, quote, and source into a single doc or a single stack. If you find a gap — good. That's exactly what to flag.

Step 2 · Build Your Outline

Now — turn your notes
into a plan.

Your outline is the map for your Demo of Learning. Every piece of evidence gets a job.

This is the shape of the outline for every demo mode that involves writing. Walk each row.

Your outline needs these parts, in order

1. Claim — one sentence, your answer to the EQ through your angle.

2. Point 1 — a piece of evidence + its source + what it proves.

3. Point 2 — a second piece of evidence + source + what it proves.

4. Point 3 optional, for depth — a third point, or a connection to today.

5. Counterclaim — the strongest argument against your claim, stated fairly.

6. Rebuttal — why your claim still holds anyway.

7. Conclusion direction — what you want the reader to walk away thinking.

Post this next to the outline structure.

Your outline counts as done when...

✦

Your claim is one clear sentence — a real answer, not a topic

✦

Every point names which note/source backs it

✦

You have a real counterclaim — not a strawman, the actual strongest objection

✦

You have a rebuttal — not just "but I disagree"

Full worked model — same Jungle text, so it doesn't lean on any student's real angle.

A full outline, worked example

Claim — Unregulated capitalism will sacrifice human safety for profit unless an outside force steps in.

Point 1 — Meatpackers hid spoiled meat with chemicals rather than losing money. Sinclair, Ch. 14

Point 2 — Workers were as expendable as the product — poisoned bread and rats went into the hoppers along with the meat. Sinclair, Ch. 14

Point 3 — The 1906 Pure Food and Drug Act only happened after public outrage — the industry never fixed itself. FDA.gov

Counterclaim — Some would say regulation raises costs and hurts business and jobs.

Rebuttal — But the cost of not regulating was worse — measured in lives, not dollars.

Conclusion direction — Real change required the government stepping in. Profit alone never self-corrects.

Release. Conference anyone stuck between claim and evidence — that's the most common snag.

Now — 15 minutes

Build your outline.

Use your connected notes. Claim → points → counterclaim → rebuttal. It doesn't need to be pretty — it needs to be complete.

Step 3 · When you're ready

Start writing.

If your outline is solid, don't wait — start your draft now. Others will join you as they finish outlining.

This is the rough-draft bar for Friday. Post it now so writing starts against the real target, not a guess.

Your draft — due Friday — counts as complete when...

✦

About 500 words (450–550) — not counting Works Cited

✦

Intro states your claim clearly — your specific answer to the EQ

✦

At least 2–3 body paragraphs: claim → evidence → explain, one per outline point

✦

One paragraph names a real counterclaim and rebuts it

✦

Conclusion answers "so what" — not just a repeat of the intro

✦

A Works Cited page — every source you named, MLA format

Show one strong paragraph, not a whole essay — keeps focus on the move, not on copying a full model.

What one strong body paragraph looks like

Claim: Meatpacking companies valued profit over the safety of the people who ate their product. Evidence: Sinclair describes companies using chemistry to "preserve it with borax and color it with gelatine" to make spoiled meat look and smell acceptable. Explain: This shows the companies weren't trying to fix the problem — they were trying to hide it well enough to keep selling it. Covering up a hazard is a choice, not an accident.

Quick reminder, not a full re-teach — Sam H.'s Works Cited feedback pattern generalized for everyone.

Works Cited — the 4 fixes everyone forgets

✦

Title it "Works Cited" — centered, own page

✦

Alphabetize by first word (ignore "The")

✦

Hanging indent — second line of each entry indents 0.5"

✦

Unsure of the format? Purdue OWL — MLA Works Cited, or Google Docs Tools → Citations

Handle this quietly with the 1-2 kids it applies to while everyone else writes — don't project this as a big whole-class detour.

Chose a different Demo mode?

Visual / Creative

Your claim is stated in words somewhere (title, caption, or artist statement)
At least 3 pieces of evidence, each labeled with its source
An artist statement (150+ words) explaining your choices
A counterclaim shown somewhere — a contrasting panel or "some might say..." caption
A Works Cited list attached

Verbal Conversation

Bring your notes/outline to reference — not a script
State your claim clearly, unprompted
Name your source when asked "how do you know that?"
Explain the counterclaim and why your claim still holds
Bring a short source list (author + title for each)

Release for the rest of the period. Conference anyone still stuck on the outline.

Now — write

Draft, start to finish.

Claim → evidence → explain, every paragraph. Messy is fine. Complete is the point.

Notes → Outline → Draft

Connect your notes.Build your outline.Then — write.

First: find everythingyou've already got.

Gather everything.One place.

Now — turn your notesinto a plan.