### Title: Disease Analysis and Essay Preparation
**Synopsis:** In this class, we focused on developing essay topics related to various diseases. Students presented their chosen diseases, discussed causes, symptoms, and treatments, and worked towards formulating an essay topic with associated main points. The objective was to transition from general knowledge of diseases to specific, argument-driven essay topics.
### Attendance:
– Number of students mentioned absent: Not specified in the transcript.
### Topics Covered:
1. **Disease Selection and Background Information:**
– Students presented the disease they chose to write about, including causes, symptoms, and treatments.
– Examples include Spanish flu, Ebola, influenza, bubonic plague, smallpox, and monkeypox.
2. **Essay Topic Development:**
– Students were guided to develop a specific essay topic related to their chosen disease.
– Topics ranged from historical impact, societal effects, and future implications to specific aspects like prevention and vaccines.
3. **Thesis Statement and Main Points:**
– Students began crafting thesis statements and identifying two main points for their essays.
– The teacher emphasized the importance of supporting details and logical paragraph structure.
4. **Homework Assignment Explanation:**
– The teacher provided instructions for the homework assignment, including writing a background paragraph and completing an essay map template.
### Actionable Items:
– **Follow-Up on Main Points:**
– Ensure students understand the requirement of developing main points that are broad enough to support with multiple details.
– **Essay Map Template Completion:**
– Confirm that students have uploaded their completed essay map templates on e-course before the next class.
– **Thesis Statement Refinement:**
– Encourage students to refine their thesis statements to be less general and more focused on specific arguments.
### Homework:
– Write a background paragraph for the essay.
– Draft the thesis statement and two main points.
– Complete and upload the essay map template on e-course before the next class.