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Discovery Discussion Debate

History / Economics
The gold rush made people crazy. The market allowed for many rip-offs. What makes people go so crazy? Is it only gold that makes people go crazy? Discover the idea! Discuss and form opinions! Defend your opinions, formed from the discussion, through debate. Dr. Paul R. Friesen

Discovery Discussion Debate

Discovery
In the beginning of each story you will have a few questions to discover what you know, or think you know about a story. The Title of the article/ story will be given and you will be asked to discover the story by asking good questions. In the second part of discovery you will be asked to find words which you do not know. Some of these may be highlighted already in bold. Definitions will follow to help you discover what the writer is talking about. Discovery will help you form a plan for the discussion and debate.

Discussion
Discussion is not a debate, though it can quickly become one if there are strong opposing ideas in the group. Discussion can be a part of the discovery before you read the story. It may also come after to discuss the ideas of the story. Sometimes a persons views may change after reading the article, which is a good way to start a discussion. Discussion is interaction without a lot of structure. Be careful not to confuse discussion with argument. Debate is about argument. Discussion is about sharing your views and interacting with others who want to expand or give a differing viewpoint.

Debate
Debate is a structured idea. It means that only one person speaks in turn, and with a specific point to address. It also has a time limit, so the speaker must be precise in their argument. In a debate the key is to listen and be prepared to oppose the other teams ideas. It takes research, a lot of work, and patience. In the following story we want to begin with discovery ideas. What can you know from a title, if you dont know about the topic? In discovery you will form ideas to create basics ideas for an outline. In discussion you will ask questions to help you build an outline for your viewpoint. In debate you will separate the outline into two sections, for and against. At each stage you will be able to use what you have learned before, to expand on your ideas and understand both sides of the issue.

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Discovery Discussion Debate


Category ~ History

Discovery

Title: History of the Gold Rush


What can you know from the title? . It is about Gold . People became gold crazy / crazy about gold . It is about American/ Canadian / European history . It was about people rushing to get gold. What do I know about this topic? Nothing! I love gold. People go crazy about gold. It was only in American history. . __________________________________________ . __________________________________________ . __________________________________________ . __________________________________________ What would make me rush after something? . __________________________________________ . __________________________________________ . __________________________________________ . __________________________________________ Have you ever rushed for something? No! Why not? Yes! What did you rush for, and why? ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________

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Discovery Discussion Debate


. Now read the story. . Create an outline of the story / paragraphs. . There is a list of words on the side for you to find. . After you have found the words, look in the definitions, which follow the story. . Discover the words you dont know.
http://www.touryukon.com Mark these words in the left story. Then refer to the definitions given at the bottom of this story and the following pages for those you are not sure of. Tributary Word spread Dawson began to take shape Shrewd Acquired Sold lots Saloon Prospectors had descended Permafrost Gold fever Steamers Fanfare Gold strikes -Reverberated Treacherous Wintered over Flotilla Tranquil Bustling shantytown In its prime Entrepreneurs Flourished Colorful characters Heady days of the rush Winding down Claims were staked Swept through Gold stampedes Gleam Fades -Order was emerging Turmoil Exodus Consolidated Dredging -Core of Sporadic Decades --

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Discovery Discussion Debate Vocabulary Definitions


Tributary A small stream or river which flows into a bigger river. Word spread Spread is an action. Word is just news of something. So we often spread the word which means to tell many other people. Dawson began to take shape This is a city that is growing, or becoming a city. So it begins to look like a city not a small town. Shrewd This is an attitude that carries the idea of deceitful, or it can be a good businessman taking advantage of an opportunity. Acquired This is to buy. But it is more than buy. It is to accumulate. Sold lots Lots here is a noun and there should be a comma to help. Otherwise lots is a quantity. A lot is a small piece of land in the city or town. Saloon A bar where people played cards, had sex with women, and often did business. The social center of many western towns. Prospectors had descended Descended is a down motion. Here prospectors come to one place together. So we descended. It is not always a down motion but a large crowd moving in one direction ending in the same place. Permafrost This is a term for permanently in a state of frozen. This is found in the very far North and very Far south close to the Poles. Gold fever This is not a sickness but a state of mind that makes people act like crazy people. They become greedy and dream of the big nugget. It can be called and obsession. Steamers A steamer is a large boat which a steam power. Fanfare Another word for this is excitement. Using this word allows us see the people and their emotion distinct from other activities. A kind of celebration for their good fortune. Gold strikes A gold strike is to find gold. We can also say, strike it rich. Reverberated This is a big word for small action. It is like what happens to the water when you throw a stone in a pond. Treacherous This means dangerous. But add the emotion and it is gives us the idea of extreme dangerous. Wintered over This means to stop for the winter. So on this trip to find gold the people had to stop until spring came. Flotilla This means many, or group of, floating objects, most times boats.
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Discovery Discussion Debate


Tranquil We use tranquilizer to make animals be calm. So tranquil has the same emotion. It is to be quiet and still. Bustling shantytown Bustling is to be busy. But more than busy there is a noise of busy in bustling. Shantytown is a town with shanties. A shanty is a poorly made house or shelter. Usually not made for permanent living. In its prime Prime is the best. So in its prime is to be at the best of something. Entrepreneurs These are people who see an opportunity and make business. Today we call them maybe a Venture Capitalist. Flourished This is a word that means to do well. But more than that it is to become successful and to make more profit on a regular basis. Colorful characters This does not mean other skin color but rather a personality. Like a comedian etc. Heady days of the rush Heady days is at the top or peak. At the head of something is to be at the head. The rush is the action of people who were seeking their fortune. Rush gives us the proper emotion that came with these people. Winding down To wind (wInd) down is not to go down. Here it is to have less energy as something finishes. Like wind up something is to finish the class and go home. Claims were staked Staked is to file the right place on a map in a government office. You can use register as well. When you staked a claim you would claim that everything you found was yours to keep. This gives action and high emotion. Swept through To sweep is like the action with a change of context. The idea is a quick uncontrollable sweeping motion. Gold stampedes Gold does not stampede. But people stampede for gold. The word stampede gives us the idea of the emotion and the strong action. Gleam This is to have a high shine. The focus is on high. Fades This means to become dimmer or not to be as bright as when new. Order was emerging Order here is a sense of balance when before there was no order. Emerging is growing. Turmoil This word is shows again the confused emotion and action, or lack of order. Exodus An exodus is when a lot of people leave at the same time. Consolidated This means to put many small things together.

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Discovery Discussion Debate


Dredging This is to dig from the bottom, not on the bottom. Core of This means those things that give strength becoming the center of something around what other things gather. Sporadic This is a time word. IT means not regular. Decades A decade is a 10 year period, so decades means many 10 year periods.

Discovery
What do I know about this topic?
List at least four (4) different ideas you have found in this story about the gold rush.

. __________________________________________ . __________________________________________ . __________________________________________ . __________________________________________


Use them when you make your outline.

Discussion
. Is this the only place this has happened? . Would you like to visit this historical place? . Would you or your parents join a gold rush? Why or Why not? . Do you think you would be successful? Why or why not? Level II . What is the strangest thing you have ever done? . Is lottery fever the same ad gold rush? . Have you ever had a broken dream? What kind, when, etc. . What would make people stampede in your country?

Level III . What can we learn from this story? . Is this phenomenon a problem / becoming a problem in todays society? . What could have stopped this from happening? . Was this a culture problem / or was it just bad business economics? . What social problems today can we see mirrored in this story/ . How can we stop this madness from happening in our society today?

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Discovery Discussion Debate


You now have everything you need to fill out your outline. Look at your answers, under Discussion, and fill it out to reflect the new ideas. These new ideas will help you form your debate ideas better.

In debate you will have a statement not a question. You have to react to the statement with facts, not opinions. Discussions are based a lot on opinions and answer questions. This is where these two ideas, though similar, are different. Debate is about facts and statements. When you make a statement, from a story, you must consider what the core issue is. If you have made a good outline, you will have this already discovered. This story is from economics. The core issue could be; social economic political culture. In todays world the topics could range from; gambling hoarding risk taking greed unfair labour practices economics. . These are all good argument that you would want to research for your argument, or write in your essay. Build the argument starting from Why? Once you have determined the Why? you can find facts to support your idea.

The gold rush was based on greed, a product of human nature and there was nothing anybody could do to stop it. The gold rush was inevitable because the economics was bad and there was no hope. The gold rush shouldnt have happened and the government was negligent in its policies.

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Discovery Discussion Debate


Before you start choose one of the above statements to focus on. Choose a for or against position. Research to find FACTS for your position. List the facts. Write out your argument in a long paragraph format. Include the opposite position in your writing.

You need to write out both sides so you can understand the
other sides argument.

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Discovery Discussion Debate Discovery Outline


Main topic ________________________ Find one (1) key idea in each paragraph. (3-5 words) Paragraph 1 ______________________________ Paragraph 2 ______________________________ Paragraph 3 ______________________________ Paragraph 4 ______________________________ Paragraph 5 ______________________________ Write two things about the main paragraph idea. Paragraph 1 ______________________________ A. ______________________________ B. ______________________________ Paragraph 2 ______________________________ A. ______________________________ B. ______________________________ Paragraph 3 ______________________________ A. ______________________________ B. ______________________________ Paragraph 4 ______________________________ A. ______________________________ B. ______________________________ Paragraph 5 ______________________________ A. ______________________________ B. ______________________________ In the introduction you use the 5 paragraph ideas to communicate the order of your argument/ essay. In the conclusion you repeat what you have said about the points of each paragraph.

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Discovery Discussion Debate

Graphic Organization ~ Main topic = 5 Paragraph Topics

paragraph 1 ____________ ____________ ____________ ____________ paragraph 5 ____________ ____________ ____________ ____________ paragraph 2 ____________ ____________ ____________ ____________

Main topic

paragraph 4 ____________ ____________ ____________ ____________

paragraph 3 ____________ ____________ ____________ ____________

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Discovery Discussion Debate


Discussion Graphic ~ Is this phenomenon a problem / becoming a problem in todays society? Answer ~ I think taking risks and gambling are (a / becoming a) problem because

Problem / Taking risk

Taking advantage of people is ok, because demand, in a hot sales environment , allows it.

Happiness is defined as having more money, or the having the best of everything.

Life without risk is no fun, and without taking risk. life has no purpose.

Respond

Respond

Respond

Respond

Respond

Respond

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Discovery Discussion Debate


graphic ~ choose one statement from the above. Write it here _____________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ To make your argument you should understand that they are connected. In the next two charts (1) list your argument facts and ideas, (2) show how your argument connects to both the center point and the other points. list

Facts
For 1 Against

Add more if needed

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Discovery Discussion Debate


graphic ~ choose one statement from the above. list

If this -- then

If this -- then

Write your statement position here. ________________________________________ ________________________________________ ________________________________________ ______________________________

If this -- then

If this -- then

If this -- then

Now start the

As a team choose which points they will speak about. Each person will listen for the opposite point and create a new response to what the other person has said. A: point 1 B: responds to the point and give a new point. C: responds to B and give a new point. After all persons have spoken each person can respond to any point given by the opposite team, or add more points from their team which will need responding to from the opposite team.

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Discovery Discussion Debate


The following questions are to test your understanding of the story. Choose the correct letter for your answer. All answers can be found in the story. Answers are under question 10.
1. Wages in this story are ___________. a. keeping up with inflation b. below inflation c. cheer on inflation d. double damper e. None of the above 2. Deceleration is the same as _________. a. slowing down b. speeding up c. declaration d. hitting a wall e. None of the above 3. You ________ a bad referee call in a soccer game. a. yack at b. run after c. cheer d. jeer e. None of the above 4. When you mean well you have good _________. a. moves b. feelings c. intentions d. juice e. None of the above 5. When you go slower than a snail it is at a_________. a. oak tree b. ice cube c. rabbit trails d. glacier pace e. none of the above 6. The survey message is that the economy is moving very ______. a. over fast b. will get better soon c. life will be boring d. slow e. None of the above

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Discovery Discussion Debate


7. When concern is very high in your thinking it is _______. a. underfoot b. in your head c. on your toes d. in your ear e. None of the above

8. The two things that increase the cost of living are wages and _. a. b. c. d. e. low interest high interest sluggish interest no interest None of the above

9. 60% of the increase comes from Government and ________. a. b. c. d. e. low interest construction underestimate bad intentions All of the above.

10. Higher wages equal __________. a. better living b. darker living c. brighter living d. richer living e. None of the above.

Answers 1,b:2,a:3,d:4,c:5,d:6,d:7,e:8,b:9,b:10,e

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Discovery Discussion Debate


Dear Teacher/ Student, After you have finished this please look for more in this series to challenge yourself. This is only part of a curriculum. It starts with Dr. Roys Everything Grammar. Dr. Roys Everything Grammar Volumes I and II will develop the skills of story and essay writing, while at the same time building a foundation in grammar. The repetition of grammar, combined with reason and speaking, culminating in a story or essay will prepare students for this series. Going beyond this book is a book to expand the outlines into essays. Good essays are able to build and defend an argument. Building a structure for debate will springboard off this skill set.

Dr. Paul R. Friesen

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