Worksheets—Debate
Now!
Researched
Debate One
Worksheet One--A Humorist’s Look at Gender (2
Worksheet Two—Learning Styles and Needs--Observation
Worksheet Three-- Debate One--5 Background
--Pro and Con
Worksheet Four--
Background Research
Worksheet
Worksheet Five--
Using Three Baruch
Databases: MasterFile,
CQ Researcher, and &
LEXIS-NEXIS
Worksheet Six-- Debate Now! Procedure
Worksheet
Seven-- Setting Up Your Team’s Argument
Worksheet Nine-- Communications for Debate
Worksheet
Ten-- MLA Documentation in Research
Paper
Worksheet One
A Humorist’s
Look at Gender (2
______________________________________________________________________________________
Dave Barry: Turning Over a New Leaf Blower
The Miami Herald ^ [Sun Jan 11 2004]
Have you ever wondered why the entire world runs so smoothly? The answer is:
Guys.
Don't get me wrong: I have the deepest respect for women. My own wife is a
woman. But when things need to get done, you cannot beat the results you get
when guys swing into action.
For an excellent example, we turn now to a news story from the Greenville
(S.C.) News, written by John Boyanoski and sent in by alert reader Michael
Ester. The story concerns a guy -- let's call him Guy A -- who had a problem:
There were leaves in his yard. So he fired up his leaf blower.
Leaf blowers are the ideal guy tool, because they have engines, they're loud,
and they enable you to blast debris, ray-gun-style, from one place to another
without having to actually pick it up. I'm willing to bet that somewhere in
America, there's a guy who, at least once, cleaned his living room by firing up
his leaf blower indoors and blasting everything -- pizza boxes, beer cans,
ancient potato-chip shards, underwear, deceased spiders -- into a less-critical
area, such as the dining room. (This guy is not married.)
But getting back to our story, which I am not making up: Guy A, taking action,
used his leaf blower to blow the leaves off of his property. Problem solved!
Except that the leaves wound up in the yard of another guy. Let's call him Guy
B. He now had leaves in his yard. What do you think he should have done about
this? Should he have asked Guy A, politely but firmly, to remove the leaves?
Should he have avoided a potential confrontation by picking them up himself? Or
should he have decided that life is too short to be bothered by this kind of
petty annoyance, and simply ignored the leaves?
If you answered "yes" to any of these solutions, you are, with all
due respect, a woman. What Guy B did, according to the
So now the leaves were back where they started. This was a crucial moment -- a
moment when some people, realizing that nothing good was going to come of this
situation, would have said the heck with it. But these were not "some
people." These were guys, and when guys start a job, guys want to finish
it, no matter what. That is how we got the pyramids, the interstate highway
system, and World Wars I and II.
So Guy A blew the leaves back onto Guy B's yard. This left Guy B with no choice
but to blow the leaves back onto Guy A's yard, leaving Guy A with no choice but
to blow the leaves back into Guy B's yard, and so on. They played leaf-blower
tennis for a while, until apparently it dawned on them how silly this was. And
so, according to the sheriff's report, as recounted in the Greenville News,
"they started blowing air in each other's face."
From there, things went downhill. According to the sheriff's department report,
Guy B claimed that Guy A head-butted him. Guy A claimed that Guy B hit his leaf
blower with a hammer and knocked his dust mask off, scratching his nose. (Yes:
Guy A wore a dust mask. It's important to follow leaf-blower safety
guidelines.)
Finally a sheriff's deputy was called to the scene of the dispute; after
listening to the two sides, he shot both guys in the head, to improve the gene
pool.
No, really, the deputy couldn't determine who was at fault, so he decided not
to charge either guy. I don't know what the situation is now, but it would not
surprise me to find out that both guys -- having learned a valuable lesson
about how a stupid little dispute can escalate into a potentially dangerous
situation -- have purchased bigger leaf blowers.
Speaking of which: A lot of leaves get blown onto the
Until that happens, I urge you guys in northern states to grab your leaf
blowers, organize into units and patrol the Canadian border, intercepting
incoming leaves and blasting them back where they belong. You should wear
camouflage. Also, of course, dust masks. No point in taking chances.
DAVE BARRY is a humor columnist for the Miami Herald. Write to him c/o The
Miami Herald,
________________________________________________________________________
Worksheet One,
ctd.
A Humorist’s Look at Gender
Dave Barry: We've got the dirt on guy brains
The
I
like to think that I am a modest person. (I also like to think that I look like
Brad Pitt naked, but that is not the issue here.)
There
comes a time, however, when a person must toot his own personal horn, and for
me, that time is now. A new book has confirmed a theory that I first proposed
in 1987, in a column explaining why men are physically unqualified to do housework.
The problem, I argued, is that men -- because of a tragic genetic flaw --
cannot see dirt until there is enough of it to support agriculture. This puts
men at a huge disadvantage against women, who can detect a single dirt molecule
20 feet away.
This
is why a man and a woman can both be looking at the same bathroom commode, and
the man -- hindered by Male Genetic Dirt Blindness (MGDB) -- will perceive the
commode surface as being clean enough for heart surgery or even meat slicing;
whereas the woman can't even see the commode, only a teeming, commode-shaped
swarm of bacteria. A woman can spend two hours cleaning a toothbrush holder and
still not be totally satisfied; whereas if you ask a man to clean the entire
New York City subway system, he'll go down there with a bottle of Windex and a
single paper towel, then emerge 25 minutes later, weary but satisfies with a
job well done.
When
I wrote about Male Genetic Dirt Blindness, many irate readers complained that I
was engaging in sexist stereotyping, as well as making lame excuses for the
fact that men are lazy pigs. All of these irate readers belonged to a gender
that I will not identify here, other than to say: Guess what, ladies? There is
now scientific proof that I was right.
This
proof appears in a new book titled What Could He Be Thinking? How a Man's Mind
Really Works. I have not personally read this book, because, as a journalist, I
am too busy writing about it. But according to an article by Reuters, the book
states that a man's brain ''takes in less sensory detail than a woman's, so he
doesn't see or even feel the dust and household mess in the same way.'' Got
that? We can't see or feel the mess! We're like: ``What snow tires in the
dining room? Oh, those snow tires in the dining room.''
And
this is only one of the differences between men's and women's brains. Another
difference involves a brain part called the ''cingulate gyrus,'' which is the
sector where emotions are located. The Reuters article does not describe the
cingulate gyrus, but presumably in women it is a structure the size of a mature
cantaloupe, containing a vast quantity of complex, endlessly recalibrated
emotional data involving hundreds, perhaps thousands of human relationships;
whereas in men it is basically a cashew filled with NFL highlights.
In
any event, it turns out that women's brains secrete more of the chemicals
''oxytocin'' and ''serotonin,'' which, according to biologists, cause humans to
feel they have an inadequate supply of shoes. No, seriously, these chemicals
cause humans to want to bond with other humans, which is why women like to
share their feelings. Some women (and here I am referring to my wife) can share
as many as three days' worth of feelings about an event that took eight seconds
to actually happen. We men, on the other hand, are reluctant to share our
feelings, in large part because we often don't have any. Really. Ask any guy: A
lot of the time, when we look like we're thinking, we just have this low-level
humming sound in our brains. That's why, in male-female conversations, the male
part often consists entirely of him going ''hmmmm.'' This frustrates the woman,
who wants to know what he's really thinking. In fact, what he's thinking is,
literally, ``hmmmm.''
So
anyway, according to the Reuters article, when a man, instead of sharing
feelings with his mate, chooses to lie on the sofa, holding the remote control
and monitoring 750 television programs simultaneously by changing the channel
every one-half second (pausing slightly longer for programs that feature
touchdowns, fighting, shooting, car crashes or bosoms) his mate should not come
to the mistaken conclusion that he is an insensitive jerk. In fact, he is
responding to scientific biological brain chemicals that require him to behave
this way for scientific reasons, as detailed in the scientific book What Could
He Be Thinking? How a Man's Mind Really Works, which I frankly cannot recommend
highly enough.
In
conclusion, no way was that pass interference.
Worksheet Two
Learning
Styles and Needs--Observation
Of
course, the humorist Dave Barry was, in the above two readings, exaggerating
and stereotyping gender differences. He was making gross generalizations for
the sake of comedy, and social criticism. No one thinks the matter is really so
simple—or so absurd! We do all have our own individual personality and
character traits, many of which have nothing whatsoever to do with gender. Our
identities are incredibly complex!
However, there is currently a national debate on whether, in some cases,
females and males would, because of general gender differences, learn better if
placed in separate schools, or at least separate classes. Before you read what
others have to say on this issue, you can begin to make your own observations
on the topic. This is “primary research.” When you read the articles that
follow, you will be doing “secondary research.”
In your
high school, begin to observe whether you think some female students would
learn better in same-sex classes. Or some male students. Also, observe your own behavior and learning style and
needs along these lines.
Note: In your
notes below, do not give the
names of teachers or students. Respect their privacy. Indicate “Teacher A” or B, or “Student A”, B, or C.
1. In two classes, note if the teachers tend to
call on boys or girls more, or about the same. Maybe even count the times for a
part of the class, (if you can and still pay attention!)
Class one:
____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Class two:
____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
2 In two classes, note: is there is a pattern of
females or males tending to raise their hands more? Saying more—or speaking in
a different manner when they do speak? Describe your impressions:
Class one: ____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Class two: ____________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
3. In two classes, see if you find any patterns of
behavior that would suggest that certain individual students, or groups of
students, would learn better if they were in a same-sex school or class. Include yourself, too! Explain what you
notice; and what you conclude, and why:
Class one:
____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Class two:
____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Worksheet Three
Debate
One!--Background
THE POWER OF ONE
By Joe Dolce
No stranger to
privilege, educator Ann Tisch volunteers her heart, her soul, and her social
commitment to a trend-defying girls' school in
From the street, the Young Women's
Young Women's
Four years later, when she was 36, her life took an unexpected turn. She met
and eventually married Andrew Tisch, whose family who owns the Loews
Corporation. Although she married into money, Tisch knew her dream couldn't be
bought. She bristled at being repeatedly called a socialite in the press. Tisch
felt that money without action wouldn't change anything. She was ready to get her
hands dirty. As Andrew puts it: "A socialite goes to the lunch to honor a
school in
In late 1993, having left her full-time TV job, Tisch laid the groundwork for
her publicly funded all-girls school that would focus on math and science. At
that point there were only two other single-sex public schools in the
Today, on the school walls are photos of Young Women's Leadership School's
first class of graduates—every single one of them accepted into college,
including such places as Smith, NYU, and Mount Holyoke, most with full
scholarships. Of these 32 girls who got their diplomas last June, 90 percent
are the first generation in their families ever to attend a university, 25
percent are immigrants, and almost three-quarters live below the poverty line.
The five-year-old Young Women's
Asked how she took on such a behemoth project, Tisch paraphrases Mother Teresa:
"If I look at the masses, I will never act; if I look at one, I
will."
From the October
2001 issue of O, The Oprah Magazine.
(This article
is from an Internet search. Note the source above.)
Worksheet Three,
ctd.
Debate One!--Background
BOY BRAINS, GIRL
BRAINS
Author:
Source: Newsweek (Atlantic Edition); 9/19/2005, Vol. 146 Issue 12,
p60-60, 1p, 1c
Document Type: Article
Database: MasterFile
Are separate
classrooms the best way to teach kids? Three years ago, Jeff Gray, the principal at Do Mars and Venus ride the school bus? Gray is
part of a new crop of educators with a radical idea--that boys and girls are
so biologically different they need to be separated into single-sex classes
and taught in different ways. In the last five years, brain researchers using
sophisticated MRI and PET technology have gathered new information about the
ways male and female brains develop and process information. Studies show
that girls, for instance, have more active frontal lobes, stronger
connections between brain hemispheres and "language centers" that
mature earlier than their male counterparts. Critics of gender-based
schooling charge that curricula designed to exploit such differences
reinforce the most narrow cultural stereotypes. But proponents say that
unless neurological, hormonal and cognitive differences between boys and
girls are incorporated in the classroom, boys are at a disadvantage. Most schools are girl-friendly, says Michael
Gurian, coauthor with Kathy Stevens of a new book, "The Minds of Boys:
Saving Our Sons from Falling Behind in School and Life," "because
teachers, who are mostly women, teach the way they learn." Seventy
percent of children diagnosed with learning disabilities are male, and the
sheer number of boys who struggle in school is staggering. Eighty percent of
high-school drop-outs are boys and less than 45 percent of students enrolled
in college are young men. To close the educational gender gap, Gurian says,
teachers need to change their techniques. They should light classrooms more
brightly for boys and speak to them loudly, since research shows males don't
see or hear as well as females. Because boys are more-visual learners,
teachers should illustrate a story before writing it and use an overhead
projector to practice reading and writing. Gurian's ideas seem to be catching
on. More than 185 public schools now offer some form of single-sex education,
and Gurian has trained more than 15,000 teachers through his institute in To some experts, Gurian's approach is not only
wrong but dangerous. Some say his curriculum is part of a long history of
pseudoscience aimed at denying equal opportunities in education. For much of
the 19th century, educators, backed by prominent scientists, cautioned that
women were neurologically unable to withstand the rigors of higher education.
Others say basing new teaching methods on raw brain research is misguided.
While it's true that brain scans show differences between boys and girls,
says David Sadker, education professor at Natasha Craft, a fourth-grade teacher at Southern
Elementary School in 70% of all school-age children who are diagnosed with learning
disabilities are boys PHOTO (COLOR): Move it: Sixth graders at Foust
take a break ~~~~~~~~ By Peg Tyre |
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___________________________________________________________________
Worksheet Three,
ctd.
Debate One!-Background
CRIICS ARE TOO HASTY: ALL-GIRL’S SCHOOLS
MAY HELP
Source: USA Today; 05/10/2002. Section: News, Pg. 14a
Document Type: Article
Database: MasterFILE Premier
_______________________________________________________
Today's debate: Improving public schools
Our view: Girls and boys learn differently. Schools could develop strengths .
As early as elementary school, the different learning styles of boys and girls are obvious. Most girls catch on to reading and writing skills faster than boys do. In fact, many boys never catch up in literacy skills.
Those differences are not a result of unfair educational opportunities. Gender-based learning differences are a fact of life. But they're overlooked by groups objecting to the Department of Education's decision this week to relax rules limiting same-sex education in public schools.
Many education experts believe that same-sex schools offer a promising alternative for boys who are easily distracted or intimidated by girls. If successful, they may offer a partial remedy to the sharp decline in the number of boys going to college.
Likewise, single-sex schools present a way for girls to develop self-confidence and leadership skills without being fearful of showing off their brains. Every educator knows girls who were brilliant in elementary school and then became cowed when competing with boys as a teen.
In many cities, however, expensive privateschools are the only options for parents interested in single-sex education. The Bush administration wants to encourage more experimentation by removing the legal barriers that restrict all-boys and all-girls public schools. The Department of Education sees the move as a way to expand school choice.
But some civil-rights groups and women's organizations oppose the plans and argue that the changes are unnecessary and dangerous. The National Organization for Women, for example, maintains that separate schools will lead to unequal schools that discriminate by gender. Their worries have a legitimate historical basis, considering the nation's sordid history of providing inferior education to blacks while hiding behind the "separate but equal" mantle.
But the Education Department appears to be laying out tight rules to ensure that comparable courses would be offered for boys and girls. And same-sex schools must still comply with the equal-protection clause of the Constitution's 14th Amendment.
Done right, same-sex public schools could actually create opportunities and solve some problems in inner-city districts, where parents have the fewest school options.
Consider the success of the Young Women's
Critics say there's no reason those girls can't be just as successful in a well-run, mixed-sex school. Maybe not, but too often they're not. Critics also say those girls aren't learning the lessons they need to get along with men later in life. But they may be gaining valuable leadership opportunities and self-confidence that will prove even more valuable. At all-girls schools, the class leaders and yearbook editors are girls. Those same leadership advantages exist at all-boys schools. Plus, educators say boys in single-sex schools are more likely to try activities such as drama and choral singing.
Same-sex schools aren't right for all students. But for some students, the separation can lead to greater equality.
--------------------[TEXT OF INFO BOX BEGINS HERE]---------------------------------
Profile of Young
Women's
* History: All-girls public school formed 6 years ago.
* Location: East
* Enrollment: 365 girls, grades 7-12.
* Racial/ethnic mix: 59%
* Student profiles: 67% fall below the poverty line; 25% are first-generation immigrants; 90% will be the first in their families to attend college.
* Academic background: Most test below grade level when entering.
* Academic performance: 100% pass state Regents exams; 100% of seniors accepted at four-year colleges.
Source of chart in info box: The Young Women's
Worksheet Three,
ctd.
Debate One!--Background
BOOK REVIEW: ALL GIRLS: Single-Sex Education and Why It Matters
by
Karen Stabiner
Riverhead Books, 320 pages, $25.95.)
Author
of Review: David Ruenzel
Database: MasterFile
_____________________________________________________________________
Stabiner, an acclaimed journalist and author, spent a
year following students at two very different all-girls schools: the private
and prestigious
Indeed, by delving into the girls' personal backgrounds, Stabiner shows that their single-sex educations are not terribly significant factors in their lives. Most of the girls at Marlborough, for example, come from wealth and privilege—true defining factors—and would probably fare just as well academically at a coed equivalent of their elite school.
The girls at the YWLS, on the other hand, are plagued
with problems associated with urban poverty. They lack basic academic skills
and confidence and are saddled with such tasks as spending long hours looking
after younger siblings. While the girls at
As Stabiner herself acknowledges, it is almost impossible when examining the impact of single-sex schools to disentangle the deep effects of race and class from those of gender alone.
Worksheet Three,
ctd.
Debate One!--Background
INTERVIEW: Boys at School: Q&A with Dr. William
Pollack
This story was printed from FamilyEducation.com located at http://familyeducation.com [This is an online source. No author,
interviewer, or date were given. The source for this interview, given at the
end of the article, is the publishing company Henry Holt.]
____________________________________________________________
Excerpts from:
Boys at
School: Q&A with Dr. William Pollack
A National Crisis
Q: You have alerted the entire country to a "national crisis of
boyhood." From the evidence in your book Real Boys, we also have a
"national crisis of boys' education." What are the facts behind this
crisis?
A: The
statistics about boys' education are startling. Eighth-grade boys are 50
percent more likely to be held back a grade than girls. By high school, 67
percent of all special-education students are boys. Boys receive 71 percent of
all school suspensions and are up to 10 times more likely than girls to be
diagnosed with attention-deficit disorder.
. . . .As the
study reveals, girls, due to our special efforts, have made steady gains in
math and science while outperforming boys in reading and writing. The study
found such large differences in boys' and girls' writing that it concluded that
males are at a major disadvantage in what is a basic skill. That is a
disparaging conclusion, to say the least.
"The
Condition of Education," issued by the U.S. Department of Education in
1997, says much of the same. For the last 13 years, females have significantly
outscored males in reading and writing. Boys have fallen behind.
. . . .
"Guy-ifying"
Schools
Q: In Real Boys, you refer to "guy-ifying" schools. How
do boys learn differently from girls, and what can schools do to make the
classroom a more comfortable and effective place for boys to learn?
A: I firmly
believe that – depending on how curricula are structured, how classrooms are
run and what attitudes about boys prevail – a school can either shape boys
positively or confuse them and lead them terribly astray. By addressing who a
boy really is and what he really needs, a school can make a difference in
helping him do well academically, feel positive about himself and develop a
healthy sense of masculinity. A positive school experience, in short, can
bolster a boy's self-esteem.
Boys have a
unique learning style that is different from that of girls. Research suggests
that, whereas many girls may prefer to learn by watching or listening, boys
generally prefer to learn by doing, by engaging in some action-oriented task.
I've observed boys who are so resistant to reading books in class that they'll
literally toss them aside to pursue more hands-on activities. Yet some of these
same boys have been motivated to read on a computer, which allows them to have
fun scrolling through the pages using a keyboard or mouse. I've also seen boys
who, though identified as "lazy readers," became active, proficient
readers when given material on subjects that interested them, such as sports,
adventure stories and murder mysteries. Most critically, I believe we must make
absolutely sure that for every boy there is a "good fit" between what
makes him thrive as an individual and what his school actually provides for
him.
. . . .How
Can We Change?
Q: Taking these examples and advice into account, where do parents
and educators go from here?
A: Ten years ago
girls lifted their heads and raised their voices that schools needed to address
the ways in which they learn. Naysayers said at the time that there couldn't be
change. In 1999, girls have all but caught up with boys in the critical areas
of math and science where for so long they lagged behind.
It
is completely possible in the here and now to make positive change for boys,
and we can start by doing for boys what we have done for girls. We can teach
teachers about boys' learning styles and help them adapt their teaching methods
and curricula accordingly. We can help parents and teachers learn to connect
with boys. Boys communicate and express in their own ways. The more we
understand this, the smaller a unit is in which a boy participates, the better
he is known in his group, the more clear the connection he has with his peers
and his teachers, the more likely a boy is to be successful in school and in
life.
* * *
Dr. William Pollack is a Harvard
Medical School psychologist and director for the Center for Men and Young Men
at McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School. His recent book is Real Boys:
Rescuing Our Sons from the Myths of Boyhood.
Source: Henry Holt Publisher
___________________________________________________________
Worksheet Three,
ctd.
Debate One!--Background
Same-Sex
Schools Debate—Pro and Con
As you
read the above five articles on the subject of Same-Sex Schools or classes,,
underline pro/con points. 1) In the margin note either ”+” or “–“ to indicate
“pro” or ” con” points and/or evidence. 2) When you have finished reading,
review your annotations (notes) on the texts and pick the three strongest points on each side. Write these points below, with the title of the article in which you found
it.
Pro
1.
______________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
2.
______________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
3.
______________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Con
1.
______________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
2.
______________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
3.
______________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Worksheet Four
Background Research
Worksheet
1. Timeline
Go to the Baruch database “CQ Rsearcher, and open the
July, 2003 report: “Single-Sex Education” Click and go to the “Chronology”
section/
Add trends and key events/ legislation to
match these dates :
1800’s-1860 ______________________________________________
1980’s-1970’s
_____________________________________________
1972 ______________________________________________
1980’s
______________________________________________
1990’s ______________________________________________
2000’s
______________________________________________
2002 ___________________________________________________
2. Examples/Points of Reference
This is information you will gather from
Background Readings
All-female Schools--__________________________________________________________
--__________________________________________________________
--__________________________________________________________
All-male schools
--___________________________________________________________
--___________________________________________________________
--___________________________________________________________
Schools with same-sex classes
--___________________________________________________________
--___________________________________________________________
--___________________________________________________________
3 a) Who are the parties involved?
Proponents (spokespersons/
organizations/ sites)
--___________________________________________________________
--___________________________________________________________
--___________________________________________________________
Opponents (spokespersons/
organizations/ sites)
--___________________________________________________________
--___________________________________________________________
--___________________________________________________________
b) Who are the
experts?____________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
Worksheet Five
Using Three
Baruch Databases:
MasterFile, CQ Researcher, and
LEXIS- NEXIS
Getting Into the Databases:
1) Go to Baruch home page: www.baruch.cuny.edu
2) Click on “library” on top bar
3) Click on “Electronic
Resources” or “Information Resources”
4) Click on
name of desired DATABASE (for example:
“Master File,” “CQ Researcher,” or “LEXIS-NEXIS:) in ALPHABETICAL
listing.
5) Click “connect to database”
(IF YOU ARE NOT AT BARUCH, you will be asked to type in the last 9
digits of your BARUCH LIBRARY CODE. This is the right hand number on your
Baruch ID card.)
Overall Database Tips:
--Search terms in these databases differ
from those which can be used in Internet searches. In the MasterFile and
LEXIS-NEXIS, you will want in most cases to use one- or two-word search
terms, and to not use quotation marks.
--Two Individual Databases: Description and Tips—See the following
pages.
* * *
Worksheet Five-ctd.
Using Three Baruch Databases
MasterFile
Use:
This database will be relatively easy for you to search in This is because the contents and indexes are especially designed for college research. MasterFile Premier is especially useful for background research. Its range of publications includes magazines and newspapers which are popularized enough to offer accessible overview information.
Tips for Search:
--Do an “Advanced Search,” so you can limit, expand,
or focus your search.
--It is good to “Limit your results,” when you
can:
--Give a date range
--Give the name of
publication/s (Newsweek, The New York Times. ..)
--As one way to “Expand your search,” you may want to click “Also check within the full text of the articles.” (It’s near the bottom of the search page)
---In MasterFile, you can easily “Print” full-text articles --or “E-mail” them to yourself.
See the following: Two Special MasterFile
Tips:
___________________________________________________________________________
Tip: Types of Search Results
In your list of search results in MasterFile, it’s easiest to first
concentrate on articles available in “HTML
Full Text” or “Linked Full Text”
versions. Here’s a review of the main
kinds of search results you will find:
-- “HTML Full Text” gives you the text of the article in a format
that is easy to read and to print.
--“Linked Full Text” gives you a link to a high-quality
internet source.
--An article in “PDF Full Text” may be useful,
but this format can be difficult to read and copy.
-- Clicking “Find it! options at CUNY”
can lead you to a page with a variety of links and options. Two source links
you will find here are “Gale Group”and
“ProQuest,” both of
which are, for the most part, straightforward.
--To follow a
Lexis-Nexis Academic link in “Find it! options at CUNY,” the path to the article is
a bit tricky:
a) Click “back” to the results list, and write down the title, the author, and
the date of your article.
b) Click on “Find it! options at CUNY” again.
Then click on “Lexis-Nexis Academic.”
c) Click on ‘Search this title,” on the bottom, left of the “Source List”
screen.
d) Now in you are Lexis-Nexis; leave the settings in Steps 1 and 2 as they are.
e) Complete Steps 3 and 4. [See the LEXIS NEXIS database Search Tips on the
following page.]
_____________________________________________________________
Tip:
Focus in With “Subject Terms”
To greatly expand,
focus, and/or narrow your search, and to add to its quality,
it is productive to be alert to “Subject Terms.” These are the categories into which the
articles in these two databases are indexed, and can thus be most directly
found.
Here’s how to
locate “Subject Terms”: When you are
opening up an “HTML Full Text” file, say, click on the title of the article,
not on the words “HTML Full Text.” This will lead you to a page which
most of the time includes a list of several “Subject Terms,” any one of which
you can click to search.
If you record a
Subject Term to use in future searches, the following will be your key
words: DE “Subject Term” (Note the space after DE and the quotation
marks.)
_____________________________________________________________
Worksheet Five-ctd.
Using Three Baruch Databases
CQ Researcher
Use:
This source is excellent for:
--a preview of mostly national topics of current debate
--a quick overview study these areas, or
--a full background study to get a solid grasp of the issue at
hand..
Its reports give a researcher concrete specifics to use as search
terms for the next step-- in-depth research--in a database such as
LEXIS-NEXIS. The researcher can obtain, for example, the names of key experts,
events and organizations.
Description:
--The CQ (Congressional Quarterly) Researcher provides solid information
on current political and social issues. It has the kind of background studies that are useful, say, for government decision
makers and journalists, as well as students.
--This database consists of reports--44
per year—on top subjects of national
debate.
It focuses on topics in lifestyle, health, education, the
environment, technology, international affairs, and the
--Each report presents the following sections, all of which are key for background research:
--Overview; Background; Chronology
--Current Situation—assessment of
--Pro-Con--statements from
representatives of opposing positions
--Outlook and Next Step--a look ahead
--Bibliography—key sources --Contacts—related organizations
Tips for Search:
--You can do a “Quick Search” with key words. (Keep trying, if one key
word doesn’t work.) Alternatively, you can search in “Browse by Topic” (to see
an alphabetical list of report titles) or by “Browse by Date” (for research
titles by year, beginning with 2005).
--Within a specific report, you can click on specific report sections of
interest, listed on the top, such as ‘Abstract,” “Overview,” “Chronology,”
”Pro/Con,” or “Bibliography,”
--In terms of printing, you may want to print out only the most relevant
section/s. Whole reports are very long --30 or so pages.
* * *
Worksheet Five—ctd.
Using Three Baruch Databases
LEXIS-NEXIS
Use:
--This
database is more complex to use than MasterFile. It becomes really useful,
though, when it enables you to find articles from otherwise unavailable
sources—most notably the New York Times.
Once a researcher has found, in his or her background research, concrete
search terms—the names of experts, key events, and involved organizations,
for example--this is a remarkable tool during the in-depth stage of the
research.
Tip: Another way it is easier to search in
LEXIS-NEXIS is if you have already obtained exact titles, authors, and
publication, and dates from other sources, such as MasterFile
Premier or another source.
Tip for Search:
--Do a “Guided Search,” so you can select a date range and publication.
--Step 1) In “News Category,” for most searches, select “General News.”
(For book reviews, though, select “Arts & sports News”)
--Step 2) For “News Source” usually select “Major Papers” or “Magazines
and Journals.” (For book reviews, select “Book, Movie, & Play Reviews.”)
It is advisable to limit the results when possible, by giving the
name of the publication. Do this in “Source List.”
--Step 3) For key words, use mostly one- or two-word search terms, and
don’t use quotation marks to combine words. Next to the search terms, usually
leave the search in “Headline, Lead paragraph/s, Terms” vs. in “Full Text.”
“Author” here indicates that the search terms are the article’s author.
--Step 4) Limit the search results, when possible, by setting a
date or a date range.
* * *
Worksheet Six
Debate Now! Procedure
DEBATE NOW !
Staged or Town Hall Format
Debate Format
A debate team here is basically five students representing a pro position—opposing another team of
five students defending a con
stance. A class will then be divided into two or three such groups, depending
on class size, each with one debate topic, one resolution.
When the
debate opens, the two debate teams are in place, lined up near the board, with
the resolution written on top of the board. On the right side of the board, the
pro-team has briefly written their five reasons. On the left side of the board,
the con-side has written their five reasons.
One student
will be presenting each of these reasons, pointing to it on the board, and then
giving one reason, well supported with evidence and persuasive explanation, as
prepared in advanced. Following is the procedure:
Debate Procedure
_______________________________________________________________________
Intro of
debate issue
First
affirmative speeches (speaker 1,2, & 3) -pro (6 min.)
Cross-examination
(3 min.)
First negative
speech (speaker 1,2, & 3)—con (6 min.)
Cross-examination
(3 min.)
Second
affirmative speech (speaker 4 & 5)—pro (4min.)
Cross
examination (2 min.)
Second
negative speech (speaker 4 & 5)——con (4 min.)
Cross-examination
(2 min.)
(3
minutes to confer with team.)
Rebuttal
speeches—pro (speakers 1-5) (5 min.)
Rebuttal
speeches—con (speakers 1-5) (5 min.)
(Each
team will also receive 2 min. to use as they wish during this debate.)
- - - - - - -
- - - - - - - - - - -
Scoring on the
debate by audience.
___________________________________________
Room Set-Up for Debate
_________________________________________________________________
___________pro-reasons
on board___________con-reasons on board______BOARD
present here:
xxx
xxx present here
PRO
TEAM (seated) CON-TEAM
(seated)
1xx
1xx
2xx
2xx
3xx
3xx
4xx
4xx
5xx
5xx
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
AUDIENCE
___________________________________________________________
Worksheet Six
Debate Now! Procedure, ctd.
Town Hall Approach
This town hall approach
combines a timed debate procedure
with a more spontaneous time at the
end. This allows for a lively open debate
cross examination by members of the
pubic in the audience. (class members who are not debating.)
What is the teacher role? It works well if the teacher plays the role of a moderator for the event. At the opening of the debate, he or she can welcome the debaters and the public, the audience (class members) and introduce the debate topic and the context to the audience. For example, the place/neighborhood/city/school...is given, and the situation/occasion which compelled the debate to take place
A town hall format brings
atmosphere and a sense of reality and immediacy. It can also, through audience
participation, bring in to the debate multiple perspectives. Students can play roles from the public
(parents, psychologists, teachers...) The teacher can also assume such a role,
to model it for students, who often, even spontaneously, then assume a role.
These roles are optional, but, by the second debate, say, when both the teacher
and the class are familiar with the format, this could be included quite
easily.
Full Procedure—Town Hall
Meeting With Debate
:________________________________________________________________
-Introduction of
debate issue and context
- - - - - - -
- - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - -
First
affirmative speeches (debators 1,2, &3) -pro (6 min.)
Cross-examination
(3 min.)
First negative
speech (debaters 1,2, & 3)—con (6 min.)
Cross-examination
(3 min.)
Second
affirmative speech (debaters 4 & 5)—pro (4min.)
Cross
examination (2 min.)
Second
negative speech (sdebaters 4 & 5)——con (4 min.)
Cross-examination
(2 min.)
(3
minutes to confer with team.)
Rebuttal
speeches—pro (speakers 1-5, or representative/s) (5 min.)
Rebuttal
speeches—con (speakers 1-5 or representative/s) (5 min.)
(Each
team will also receive 2 min. to use as they wish during this debate.)
- - - - - - -
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Scoring on the
debate by audience.
Open to the
public in audience (class), with debate teams still in place.
Vote on the
issue by audience.
___________________________________________________________________
Worksheet Six
Debate Now! Procedure, ctd.
Brief Explanation of Debate
Elements
First and
Second Affirmative speeches-pro –Each team
member presents one of the team’s five reasons for supporting the Resolution.
He or she will give the reason; followed by data, examples from life or from
research; as well as an explanation as to how the evidence ties in with the
issue --to make the point. (See Worksheet
Eight for how to develop this argument.). Three reasons are presented in
the First and two in the Second.
Cross-examination—Members of
the con team here have the chance to ask for clarification, to question, or to
make comments about specific reasons presented. These can be addressed to
individuals on the pro team, or to the team as a whole.
First and
Second Negative speeches—con –The same as the Affirmative above, only with the
five con reasons being presented.
Cross
Examination—The same as the above examination, only with the questions or comments
by the pro side, addressed to the con-side.
Rebuttal—pro—This is a chance
for the pro team to pull together a defense of its position, after the points
the con team raised in their cross-examination
Rebuttal—con--The same as
the above Rebuttal, only presented by the con team, defending it’s position.
Worksheet Seven
Setting Up Your Team’s Argument
Debate Team Members:
________________________
Date:______________
________________________
________________________
________________________
________________________
Setting Up Your Team’s Argument
(In
support of your team’s position)
RESOLVED,_______________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
Affirmative position___
Negative position ____
Reason 1(include any relevant qualifications: “in most cases”,
“likely,” ...)
___________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
Reason 2 (include any relevant qualifications: “in most cases”,
“likely,” ...)
___________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
Reason 3 (include any relevant qualifications: “in most cases”,
“likely,” ...)
___________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
Reason 4 (include any relevant qualifications: “in most cases”,
“likely,” ...)
___________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
Reason 5 (include any relevant qualifications: “in most cases”,
“likely,” ...)
___________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
Worksheet Eight
Debater: _______________________________ Date:
___________________
Building Support for Your Reason
(In support of your team’s position)
RESOLVED,_______________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
Affirmative position___ Negative position ____
Reason (include any relevant qualifications: “in most cases”,
“likely,” ...)
_____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
Evidence (data, statements, or ex. -- from research,
personal exper. or observ.)
--_________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
--_________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
--_________________________________________________________________
--_________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
Reason and Support—Reason, then evidence with persuasive explanation
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
Research Sources:—primary ( interview, observation) or secondary
(
internet, books, periodicals, Baruch Databases. . .)
--_________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
--_________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
--________________________________________________________________
Worksheet Nine
Communications
for Debate
Language for Persuasion
--Ask
rhetorical questions to make your point
Which is more important...or...?
Why was. . .so successful?
Does this make sense?
Is this necessary?
Is this right?
Yes, but is ___ the best way to...?
--Give
Credit to your Opponent
You have a good point there, but. . .
Yes, ______certainly is important. However. . .
I agree, but. . .
--Use
“you” to engage listener/ opponent
Do you actually believe that...”
Would you want your own sister or brother to...?
Would you
want to be in this situation?
--Use
repetition of certain words for emphasis
“For years now I have heard the word “wait.”. .
.This “Wait.” has almost always meant “Never.” (Martin Luther King)
“Repressed people cannot remain repressed forever.”
(MLK)
--Use
parallel structures (perhaps combined with repetition) (MLK)
“Justice to long delayed is justice denied.”
“Any law that uplifts the human personality is
just. Any law that degrades the human personality is unjust.” (MLK)
Communications Tips for Debate
--Remember
this is a public act. Take yourself and you, your opponents and your
audience seriously. Dress appropriately to suit this role.
--Speak
clearly and loudly enough. If your voice is soft, you may need to speak up
to ten times more slowly and loudly than you think is necessary, judging from
the volume you hear in your mind.
Worksheet Ten
MLA Documentation
In Research Papers
Goals:
--To give credit to the author of a given
source, both a) when we quote his or her exact words or b) when we state
his or her ideas or information in our own words
--To help an interested reader locate an
original source for further reading.
Major Styles:
1) MLA style (Modern Language
Association)—for the humanities (literature, history, and religion, for example).
You will use this style for most undergraduate college research papers.
2) APA style (American Psychological
Association )—for the social sciences (psychology, political science, and
sociology, among others) and business, especially in advanced-level or graduate
courses.
Two Components:
1) In-text
citation—given in parentheses at the end of both a) quotations,
and
b) sections giving the ideas or information of
an author in your own words. It includes minimal source information, so as
not to interrupt your text more than necessary.
2) “Works
Cited” list—an alphabetical bibliography given at the end of a research
paper. The in-text citations lead to this bibliographical list, which gives an
interested reader more detailed source information.
Tips:
--The following page gives the MLA style format for common kinds
of research sources. (The all-caps indicate the kind of information.) For
special cases and examples, see the “MLA” formats at: http://library.duke.edu/research/citing/
--For dates: a) The format for dates is DAY MONTH YEAR—with no
punctuation between..
b) Abbreviate the names of all
months (for example, “Nov.”), except for May, June, and July.
--With page numbers: There is no “p” or “pp” before page numbers, just
the number itself.)
--When figuring out the format for a citation, it
can help to recall the goals for documentation: The in-text citations should be brief and guide the reader to the
correct item in the alphabetized “Works Cited” entry. The “Works Cited” entry gives enough information for an interested
reader to locate the source, whether it is in print or on the internet.
--When a source which was originally available in print is found on
the internet, the print information is given first in the “Works
Cited” entry, and then online info.
Worksheet Ten ,
ctd.
MLA Documentation
MLA Documentation of Sources
--Useful Basic Patterns
In-Text
Citatons
--
basic pattern: (AUTHOR PAGE)
--
if you give author’s name in your text:
(PAGE)
--if
no author is given: (TITLE--FIRST 2-3 WORDS PAGE)
--internet source w/ no page #: (AUTHOR)
--internet
source w/ no author or page number (TITLE—2-3wds. or HEADING—2-3wds)
For examples and special cases, see “MLA” at: http://library.duke.edu/research/citing/
“Work Cited”
List
(Note
the punctuation--the periods, commas and colons, along with the underlining
and the ”quotation marks”-- below. Also, note that you will capitalize
normally, not with all-caps.)
Print Sources
--basic
pattern:
AUTHOR. TITLE. PUBLISHING INFO.
-- book:
AUTHOR LAST NAME, FIRST. TITLE. PLACE OF PUBLICATION: PUBLISHER,
YEAR.
--magazine:
AUTHOR LAST NAME, FIRST. “TITLE.”
MAGAZINE DAY MONTH
YEAR: PAGE/S.
--newspaper:
AUTHOR LAST NAME, FIRST. “TITLE” NEWSPAPER DAY MONTH YEAR: PAGE/S.
--journal:
AUTHOR LAST NAME FIRST. “TITLE.’’ JOURNAL VOLUME (YEAR):
PAGE/S
Online Sources
-article in online magazine:
AUTHOR LAST NAME, FIRST. “TITLE.”
MAGAZINE DATE OF
PUBLICATION. DATE OF ACCESS
<URL>.
--magazine article located
through
AUTHOR LAST NAME, FIRST.
“TITLE.” MAGAZINE DAY MONTH YEAR: PAGE/S.
DATABASE.
--text on
professional or commercial web site:
AUTHOR LAST NAME, FIRST. “TITLE.” NAME OF SITE. DATE OF
UPDATE. SPONSOR OF SITE. DATE OF ACCESS
< URL>.
For examples and special cases, see “MLA” at: http://library.duke.edu/research/citing/