Consider: What is "fair" in the case of these U.S. soldiers?

Your Task:

Over the course of this case study you will have to decide whether or not you agree with the idea that these U.S. soldiers are heroes who should be freed from prison. In order to do this, you will need to complete both first draft and second draft reads of the sources below, in the order they appear.

 As you move through the sources you will be asked to fill out the note catcher below. This will help you keep track of the information as you encounter it and also reflect on the credibility of each source. 

After completing both first and second draft reads of each source, you will be ask to hypothesize whether or not you believe that these U.S. soldiers should be freed from prison.

The Note Catcher:

Below, please watch the video I recorded that explains the how to use this note catcher to track your thinking and your analysis of sources.

Click here for a copy of the note catcher that you can fill out as you progress through this case study.

Source 1 - CNN Video

First Draft Read

As you watch, only concern yourself with the first two columns (evidence for or against the idea that the soldiers were wrongly convicted). You may also want to track questions in the question column as they occur to you.

Second Draft Read

Before starting your second draft read, compare the evidence that you gathered on your note catcher with our collaborative evidence tracker here.  Add anything you might have missed to your individual note catcher. 

Then we will start our second draft read. This time, we are going to watch and practice our analysis skills - particularly when it comes to applying our credibility considerations.

After watching the second draft read of this video, add your "notices" to far right column of the note catcher.

Hypothesis 1: 

I know you have only seen one source, but we have to start somewhere. After watching this source, do you agree or disagree with the idea that these U.S. soldiers are heroes who should be freed from prison. Write your thinking, including why, in the box on the note catcher labeled "Hypothesis 1".

Discussion Videos to Google Drive

Discussion:

Please complete these two steps:

1. After formulating your hypothesis, record a 3 minute discussion of your point of view using your Chromebook. State whether you strongly agree, somewhat agree, somewhat disagree, or strongly disagree with the idea the U.S. Soldiers should be freed from prison. Please support your point of view with at least two points of credible evidence. 

Post this video in the appropriate folder on Google Drive, by following this link. Post your video in the file labeled Hypothesis 1, and in the appropriate folder

2. After recording your video, find a video that someone recorded that has the opposite point of view as yours. Watch their video. 

3. Then record a second - "comment"  video - by recording a response to the video you just watched. Make sure you directly uptake something from their video and reply - you may either agree or disagree, in part or in whole, with their perspective. Make sure that you are using clear logic and evidence to support your perspective.  When you have recorded your video, put it in the folder labeled "Response to..."

AN IMPORTANT WORD ABOUT DISCUSSIONS:  

Discussion is an important component of this class - we will sharpen our analysis, argument, and critical thinking skills by sharing verbally with each other. In order to do this effectively, I will expect each of you to follow these three guidelines (adopted from Not Light But Fire, by Matt Kay).

1. Listen Patiently - Student doesn't interrupt each other/raise their hands/talk/ or think about the next point they are going to make, instead of actively listening.

2. Listen Actively - Student attempts to genuinely understand what is being said by another student, and references those comments in their own.

3. Police Your Voice - Student doesn't ramble or stray far off topic, is aware of the level and tone of their voice, and monitors "passion" so that these don't get in the way of being understood. 

Try framing your discussion this way (from 3 Smart Ways to Keep Yourself from Rambling, by Lea McLeod):

First state you Point (your hypothesis), then your Reason - why you think so, then an Example - the evidence that backs up your position. 

Source 2 - New York Times Article

First Draft Read

As you read, only concern yourself with the first two columns (evidence for or against the idea that the soldiers were wrongly convicted). You may also want to track questions in the question column as they occur to you.

Second Draft Read

Then we will start our second draft read. This time, let's practice our analysis skills - particularly when it comes to applying our credibility considerations. See my annotations on the first part of this article and the video where I explain my thinking. 

After watching the second draft read of this video and looking at my annotations, it is your turn to try. Finish your second draft read of the article and add your own annotations to the piece.  Add your "notices" to far right column of the note catcher.

Hypothesis 2: 

Before starting your second hypothesis, compare the evidence that you gathered on your note catcher with our collaborative evidence tracker here.  Add anything you might have missed to your individual note catcher. 

After reading this source, do you agree or disagree with the idea that these U.S. soldiers are heroes who should be freed from prison. Write your thinking, including why, in the box on the note catcher labeled "Hypothesis 2".

Discussion:

Please complete these three steps:

1. Watch any responses that were left in the file labeled "Response to..." for Hypothesis 1. Consider how you might counter someone who has an opposing view point to yours. Or consider whether you were convinced by their opinion and have now changed your mind.  If you did change your mind, take a minute and revise your hypothesis to reflect this.

2. After formulating your revised hypothesis, record a 3 minute discussion of your point of view and again post it here, in the Drive in the Hypothesis 2 folder in the appropriate spot.  This way we can keep track of how your point of view has grown and become more nuanced. Think about addressing the concerns expressed by someone with an opposing view point. State whether you strongly agree, somewhat agree, somewhat disagree, or strongly disagree with the idea the U.S. Soldiers ought to be freed from prison. Please support your point of view with at least two new points of credible evidence that build off of the evidence you have used before. Do not repeat your evidence. If you have changed your mind, your new hypothesis and your discussion should reflect this.

3. After recording your video, find a new video that someone recorded that has the opposite point of view as yours - either in their initial video or in a response video. Watch this video. Then post a new "comment" by recording a response to their perspective and placing it in the appropriate Google Drive folder. Make sure you directly uptake something from their video and reply - you may either agree or disagree, in part or in whole, with their perspective. Make sure that you are using clear logic and evidence to support your perspective. A Note: you may be passionate in your response, but you must also be civil. 

Source 3 - Source Packet

First and Second Draft Reads

As you read, only concern yourself with the first two columns (evidence for or against the idea that the soldiers were wrongly convicted). You may also want to track questions in the question column as they occur to you.

This time, you will break off into small groups and divide and conquer the information. Your task, for the sources you do read, is to complete both a first and second draft read of the sources. Then you will share out what you read and your analysis with your group mates, so they can add to their note catchers.

Hypothesis 3: 

Before starting your second hypothesis, compare the evidence that you gathered on your note catcher with our collaborative evidence tracker here.  Add anything you might have missed to your individual note catcher. 

After reading these sources, do you agree or disagree with the idea that these U.S. soldiers are heroes who should be freed from prison. Write your thinking, including why, in the box on the note catcher labeled "Hypothesis 3".

Discussion:

Please complete these three steps:

1. Watch any responses that were left in the file labeled "Response to..." for Hypothesis 2. Consider how you might counter someone who has an opposing view point to yours. Or consider whether you were convinced by their opinion and have now changed your mind.  If you did change your mind, take a minute and revise your hypothesis to reflect this.

2. After formulating your revised hypothesis, record a 3 minute discussion of your point of view and again post it here, in the Drive in the Hypothesis 3 folder in the appropriate spot.  This way we can keep track of how your point of view has grown and become more nuanced. Think about addressing the concerns expressed by someone with an opposing view point. State whether you strongly agree, somewhat agree, somewhat disagree, or strongly disagree with the idea the U.S. Soldiers ought to be freed from prison. Please support your point of view with at least two new points of credible evidence that build off of the evidence you have used before. Do not repeat your evidence. If you have changed your mind, your new hypothesis and your discussion should reflect this.

3. After recording your video, find a new video that someone recorded that has the opposite point of view as yours - either in their initial video or in a response video. Watch this video. Then post a new "comment" by recording a response to their perspective and placing it in the appropriate Google Drive folder. Make sure you directly uptake something from their video and reply - you may either agree or disagree, in part or in whole, with their perspective. Make sure that you are using clear logic and evidence to support your perspective. A Note: you may be passionate in your response, but you must also be civil. 

Hypothesis Final Revision: 

Before revising your hypothesis a last time, take a minute and browse through the Flipgrid videos, specifically look for any videos that responded to your perspective, but also look at videos from people who share your perspective.

After viewing, make any changes to your final hypothesis you feel will improve it.

Then, go back through your note catcher and highlight at least 4 of the strongest pieces of evidence you feel you can cite to support your perspective. Then, go back through your note catcher and highlight in a different color the most compelling piece of evidence for the opposing side that you might have to account for.

Turn your Hypothesis into an Argument

Your Task:

Use all of the sources that we have read, your analysis of their credibility, and any discussions you had to compose an argument articulating your opinion regarding what is "fair" in the case of the U.S. Soldiers. Here is what you need to know...

Rhetorical Situation: 

• Speaker: You are writing as a concerned U.S. citizen

• Audience: You are writing to readers of the U.S.A. Today (a national newspaper)

• Subject:  What action, if any, the military justice system should take in the case of these soldiers

• Purpose: You are writing to either urge readers write to law makers to encourage that these soldiers remain in jail as perpetrators of cold blooded murder, or you are writing to urge that these soldiers be freed because - at best, they are U.S. heroes or at worst they are victims of a broken system for processing prisoners of war

• Genre: A formal letter to the editor

• Context: You can assume everyone knows about the war in Iraq, as well as what these soldiers are accused of (do not assume people understand what the conditions are like in Iraq)

Tips for success:

This assignment is an argument, so your writing must have the “parts” of an argument:

•  Claim

•  Data/Evidence

•  Warrant/Commentary

•  Rebuttal

It must be no shorter than one 1 and 1/2 page, typed.