SS · WH.6_12.3 — I will explain how a political or belief system affected the people living under 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 · World 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 Hammurabi 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)
"If a builder builds a house for a man and does not make its construction firm... that builder shall be put to death."
Source
Hammurabi's Code, Law 229 (eHammurabi.org)
So what? (what it proves, in my words)
The law cares about punishing failure, not preventing it — fear keeps order, not fairness.
Which point of my argument
Supports: Hammurabi's system creates order through fear, not justice.
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 comparison to another thinker/text.
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 Hammurabi text, so it doesn't lean on any student's real angle.
A full outline, worked example
Claim — Hammurabi's Code creates order through fear, but fails to protect the people it claims to serve.
Point 1 — Harsh, specific punishments (Law 229) prioritize control over fairness. eHammurabi.org
Point 2 — Justice depends on social class — a noble and a commoner are punished differently for the same crime. Stanford Encyclopedia
Counterclaim — Some would say strict, predictable punishment kept order in a violent, lawless world.
Rebuttal — But "order" isn't the same as justice — a system that punishes the poor harder isn't protecting them, it's controlling them.
Conclusion direction — A fair government needs both consequences and protections for the powerless. Hammurabi only built the first.
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: Hammurabi's Code prioritized control over fairness. Evidence: Law 229 states that a builder whose house collapses "shall be put to death" — the punishment fits the damage, not the intent behind it. Explain: This shows the law wasn't designed to teach builders to be careful; it was designed to make people afraid of failing. A government that rules through fear isn't the same as one that protects its people.
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.
Before the bell
Dig Log + flag.
Where you landed today: notes connected? Outline done? Drafting started? Due tomorrow — a complete rough draft.
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