Start brainstorming...

For your next lesson (Thursday), you will be given time to brainstorm and discuss about your social advocacy project, in your project groups.

In the meantime, you could start thinking about what you might like your group to embark on for the project. Past year project include proposing the construction of an overhead bridge in an accident-prone area and installation of solar panels in RI. Some of these proposals were actually accepted and acted on (like the overhead bridge) - such projects are likely to score near-full marks, as they have demonstrated a good choice of issue and effectiveness of persuasion.

The scope can range from a very broad issue to a very specific one - however, specific issues tend to be more trivial (affecting a smaller population) and broad issues tend to have a lower chance of succeeding (difficult to implement a change in laws that affect the whole of Singapore, for example). The trick is finding a balance between the two - more advice will be provided by your teacher as the weeks progress.

Youth Writers Awards Asia 2010

Since the take-up rate for EL competitions so far has been rather poor, your teachers have decided to make this one compulsory for all of you. The deadline is 30 Sep 2009, so you'll be able to work on it over the June holidays.

Essentially, you are to write a short story (500-800 words) describing "the nature of individual love and passion for sport(s) including values such as friendship, honesty, fair play, hard work etc".

The top 30 entries will be published in a book that will be distributed to the participants of the Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games. In addition, the winners will receive a copy of said book, a return air trip to a location in Asia (top 5 entries), a pair of tickets to the Youth Olympic Games (top 5 entries), or a Reader's Digest book (other 25 entries).

Submission can be done by mail or online. You can download a copy of the full instructions here (PDF format). This is also available on Ask n Learn.

More competitions!

1. Youth Writers Awards Asia 2010
a. Organized by NLB and Reader’s Digest to commemorate the Youth Olympics
b. Open to youths 14-18 yrs old
c. Short story (500-800 words) describing the nature of individual love and passion for sports, including values such as friendship, honesty, fair play etc
d. 30 winning short stories to be published in a book which will be used to promote the Youth Olympics
e. Prizes: Top 5 winners who are non-Singapore residents get a trip to SG; Top 5 winners who are Singaporeans get a trip to a destination in Asia!
f. Deadline: 30 September

2. NZPS Open Junior and Haiku Junior Competitions
a. Open to students 17 years or younger
b. Details can be found at www.poetrysociety.org.nz
c. Internal deadline to school: 25 May

3. Express your Best Self Contest
a. Organized by Julia Gabriel Centre
b. Open to all
c. Entries must answer the question: How do you express your best self?
d. Can fulfil any of these categories: Performance Arts (in a video or sound recording of not more than 3 minutes), Visual Arts or Literary Arts
e. Can submit via email at contest@juliagabriel.com (remember to CC to teacher)
f. Deadline: 30 June

Incentive for winning essay competitions

International Competitions / Prizes:

-Full marks to be given to 1 assignment (of a similar nature to the competition piece) for any kind of accolade received on an international platform. For example, if a student wins a poetry competition, one of his creative writing assignments or portfolio pieces may be given full marks. If he wins a speech competition, one of his oral presentation assignments may be given full marks. Special Mention / Commendations (e.g. Commonwealth Essay Competition) should also be given similar credit.

-No bonus marks should be awarded for participation.

Local Competitions/ Prizes:

-Students winning any of the top 3 prizes in a local competition will receive full marks.

-Commendations or merit prizes will be rewarded with a GP of 4.0 (80%) for 1 assignment of a similar nature.

-Certificates of participation will not be awarded any bonus marks.

UNSW English / Writing Competition

-If a student wins a medal for either the English MCQ or the Writing competition, he will be awarded full marks for 1 assignment of a similar nature.

-Students receiving a High Distinction for either the English MCQ or Writing will be awarded a GP of 4.0 for 1 assignment of a similar nature.

Note: Teachers of each level should decide and agree on which pieces of assignment to reward with full marks or 4.0.

Oral Presentation

Topics:
Sheng Yi's group - Reciprocity + Self-satisfaction
Wilson's group - Reciprocity + Obligation
Yao Yang's group - Hamilton's rule + Moral conscience
Yuan Jing's group - Hamilton's rule + Natural behaviour
Simon's group - Reciproicty + Rules/laws + Religion

We will be doing an oral presentation next Wednesday - it is not graded, but will be the only proper practice you'll get prior to your graded one in Term 3, so take the chance to receive some feedback on it!



In your social advocacy groups, orally present two points (just 5 minutes - no need long essays!) The overall thesis statement should tackle the question, "should we do good?"
1) Give your opinion on either Hamilton's Rule, or the idea of Reciprocity, as suggested in the article.
2) Alternative opinion - One other reason to do good. Alternatively, one reason we should not bother doing good. This could come from any of the reasons discussed today, or any other ideas you might have regarding the matter.

The structure of an oral presentation can be done pretty similarly to what we have covered earlier with commentaries - Start and end with a bang, if possible. There will be some time given to discuss this oral presentation on Monday.

So, just email me your preferred topics (for parts 1 & 2) before class next Monday. I prefer that the topics be spread evenly, so they will be allocated on a first come, first served (link for mini-grammar-lesson) basis. I will update the confirmed topics on this post as I receive your emails.

Unveiling your timed commentary

Alright guys, the time has come to post up your assessed commentary for all to see! Simply post whatever you'd emailed to me earlier onto your blog. Now.

Even though I'll still be marking the email copy, this forms part of your portfolio and isn't particularly difficult to do, so please get it done soon!

Groupings for Social Advocacy unit

Current groupings
Non-scholars
Simon, Wasiq, Jonathan, Aditya, Rohan George
Bernard, Sheng Yi, Kelvin, Jerome, Wei Ren
Yao Yang, Nay Myo, Guo Xiang, Xin Chen
Yuan Jing, Nishanth, Izhar, Farhan
Jovan, Jae, Gupta, Wilson
Zheyuan, Yechen, Melvin, Cheng Sin

Scholars
Billy, Lukas, Wei Herr, Julius (Need to split into pairs)