### Title: Preparing for the Big Essay and Documentary
**Synopsis:** This lesson focused on preparing students for an upcoming essay and documentary screening. The essay is due on March 20th, and the documentary will be screened before spring break. The session aimed to solidify students’ understanding of the essay structure, especially the background paragraph, and to ensure they are equipped with the right research and citation skills for their assignments.
### Attendance:
– Diana was absent due to illness.
– Daniel is absent for an extended period.
– Fyeroza and Aijan were late.
– Siddique and Nersultan were also not present.
– Total number of students mentioned absent: 4 (Diana, Daniel, Siddique, Nersultan)
### Topics Covered:
1. **Class Introduction and Attendance**
– Attendance taken.
– Late attendance policy clarified.
2. **Essay Due Date and Submission Rules**
– Essay due date: March 20th at 23:30.
– Submission format: Microsoft Word, 12 point Times New Roman, double-spaced, with citations.
3. **Documentary Screening Date**
– Documentaries to be screened on the 13th and 15th, before spring break.
4. **Background Paragraph Structure**
– Reviewed the purpose and structure of the background paragraph.
– Discussed the difference between primary, secondary, and tertiary sources, and levels of credibility.
– Analyzed an example background paragraph and its components.
5. **Source Categorization**
– Students categorized their sources as primary, secondary, tertiary, and by credibility (high, medium, low).
6. **Documentary Film Preparation**
– Briefly mentioned the upcoming documentary film assignment.
### Actionable Items:
1. **Essay Structure Reinforcement**
– Ensure students understand the importance of the background paragraph in establishing credibility.
– Reiterate the difference between types of sources and levels of credibility.
2. **Homework Guidance**
– Provide an example essay for students to use as a reference.
– Encourage students to use citation tools for their references.
3. **Documentary Film Structure**
– Advise students to watch documentaries or Ted Talks to understand the structure required for their own documentary film.
– Plan a session focused on documentary film preparation.
### Homework:
– Draft the introduction and background paragraph for the upcoming essay.
– Prepare for the documentary film assignment by understanding its structure and content requirements.