Social Studies Core Extension Grade 7

The following document outlines the Revised Curriculum for the 10- week Social Studies Core Extension course

Locust Valley Central School DistrictLVMS Social Studies Department

99 Horse Hollow RoadLocust Valley, New York 11560

Summer Curriculum Writing July 2009

Curriculum Writer: Jennifer Hersh, Social Studies Teacher

Project Supervisor:David J. Ethe, Social Studies Department Leader

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Table of Contents

Part 1: New York State Learning Standards for Social Studies

(p. 3)

Part 2: Course Description (p. 4)

Part 3: Course and Assessment Objectives (p. 5)

Part 4: 7th Grade Curricula - Units of Study (p.6)

Part 5: Units of Study, Sequence, Calendar (p. 7-10)

Part 6: Assessments (p.11)

Part 7: Resources (p. 12)

Part 8: Sample Lesson Plans (p. 13-15)

Part 9: Appendices (p. 16-25)

Part 10: Sources (p. 26)

Part 1: Social Studies Learning Standards

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Social Studies Standards

Students will:

History of the United States and New York

use a variety of intellectual skills to demonstrate their understanding of major ideas, eras, themes, developments, and turning points in the history of the United States and New York.

World History

use a variety of intellectual skills to demonstrate their understanding of major ideas, eras, themes, developments, and turning points in world history and examine the broad sweep of history from a variety of perspectives.

Geography

use a variety of intellectual skills to demonstrate their understanding of the geography of the interdependent world in which we live—local, national, and global—including the distribution of people, places, and environments over the Earth’s surface.

Economics

use a variety of intellectual skills to demonstrate their understanding of how the United States and other societies develop economic systems and associated institutions to allocate scarce resources, how major decision-making units function in the U.S. and other national economies, and how an economy solves the scarcity problem through market and nonmarket mechanisms.

Civics, Citizenship, and Government

use a variety of intellectual skills to demonstrate their understanding of the necessity for establishing governments; the governmental system of the U.S. and other nations; the U.S. Constitution; the basic civic values of American constitutional democracy; and the roles, rights, and responsibilities of citizenship, including avenues of participation.

Part 2: Course Description

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The Social Studies Core Extension course is a 10-week course offered through the

Social Studies department to all seventh graders.

The first half of the course will focus on enhancing each student’s research skills using the

guidelines provided by the International Baccalaureate Program. Each student will research the

topic that he or she chose for the Colonial Jobs Fair and use a modified version of the IB program’s

Historical Investigation format to complete his or her evaluation and analysis of his or her research.

The students will learn the skills necessary to complete a thorough Historical Investigation through

structured lessons, class activities and individual conferences with the teacher.

The second half of the course will focus on using the skills learned during the first half of

the course to research, analyze and debate current issues that affect the global community.

The students will be taught about the United Nations in great detail and participate in a Model

United Nations program. They will work to create position papers. The goal is to enhance

political awareness and humanitarianism through the research and debate of global issues.

This course will augment the students’ research, reading comprehension, writing, critical

thinking and organizational skills. It requires students to analyze and interpret historical evidence

and debate global issues in order to meet New York State Regents requirements. At the conclusion

of the 10-weeks, students will have completed a modified Historical Investigation on a topic under

the guidance of their teacher, written a position paper and participated in a Model United Nations

program.

Part 3: Course Objectives

Upon conclusion of the 10-week Core Extension Course the student will:

Understand the purpose of a Historical Investigation and the process by which one is completed.

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Use the media center’s online catalog and databases to gather sources.

Evaluate a particular source

Use historical evidence to analyze, comprehend, evaluate and integrate sources and materials

Organize an individualized historical investigation

Demonstrate an advanced understanding of the purpose of the United Nations and how the United Nation functions

Hold well informed debates on global issues

Exhibit enhanced public speaking skills

Assessment Objectives Gather appropriate sources

Apply historical knowledge as evidence

Evaluate a historical source

Evaluate and analyze evidence from both historical sources and background knowledge

Develop critical commentary using the evidence base

Demonstrate evidence of research skills, organization and referencing

Demonstrate the ability to structure information using evidence to support relevant, balanced and focused arguments

Demonstrate an advanced understanding of the United Nations

Develop and defend strong arguments about global issues

Part 4: 7 th Grade Curriculum – Units of Study

UNIT ONE: THE GLOBAL HERITAGE OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE PRIOR TO 1500

HISTORY AND THE SOCIAL SCIENCES: THE STUDY OF PEOPLE GEOGRAPHIC FACTORS INFLUENCE CULTURE

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IROQUOIAN AND ALGONQUIAN CULTURES ON THE ATLANTIC COAST OF NORTH AMERICA

EUROPEAN CONCEPTIONS OF THE WORLD IN 1500

UNIT TWO: EUROPEAN EXPLORATION AND COLONIZATION OF THE AMERICAS

EUROPEAN EXPLORATION AND SETTLEMENT COLONIAL SETTLEMENT: GEOGRAPHIC, POLITICAL, AND ECONOMIC FACTORS

LIFE IN COLONIAL COMMUNITIES

UNIT THREE: A NATION IS CREATED BACKGROUND CAUSES OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION THE SHIFT FROM PROTEST TO SEPARATION EARLY ATTEMPTS TO GOVERN THE NEWLY INDEPENDENT STATES MILITARY AND POLITICAL ASPECTS OF THE REVOLUTION ECONOMIC, POLITICAL, AND SOCIAL CHANGES BROUGHT ABOUT BY THE

AMERICAN REVOLUTION

UNIT FOUR: EXPERIMENTS IN GOVERNMENT THE ARTICLES OF CONFEDERATION AND THE CRITICAL PERIOD THE NEW YORK STATE CONSTITUTION OF 1777 THE WRITING, STRUCTURE, AND ADOPTION OF THE UNITED STATES

CONSTITUTION

UNIT FIVE: LIFE IN THE NEW NATION NEW GOVERNMENT IN OPERATION THE AGE OF JACKSON PREINDUSTRIAL AGE: 1790-1860s

UNIT SIX: DIVISION AND REUNION UNDERLYING CAUSES OF THE CIVIL WAR THE CIVIL WAR BREAKS OUT RESULTS OF THE CIVIL WAR

Part 5: Units of Study and Sequence

Units of Study: Based upon the 7th grade curriculum

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Unit 1: Introduction to the International Baccalaureate Program’s Historical Investigation

The purpose of this unit is to explain the process by which a student completes a Historical Investigation and summarize his or her plan of investigation. The students will evaluate samples of Historical Investigations, create research questions and write their plans of investigation. The plan of investigation must outline a student’s research goals and methods of investigation. The student will be required to write the Historical Investigation on the same topic that he or she chose for the Colonial Jobs Fair in seventh grade social studies. This will allow the student and teacher to focus more on mastering the skills that making writing this type of investigation unique.

Unit 2: Summary of Evidence

The purpose of this unit is to help each student identify the note taking strategy that best suits his or her learning style and use it to create a summary of evidence. The students will also enhance their library skills with the assistance of the teacher and the library media specialist.

Unit 3: Evaluation of Sources

The purpose of this unit is to enhance a student’s ability to evaluate the usefulness of a particular source. The students will learn how to analyze a resource based on its origin, purpose, value and limitation and apply this skill to evaluate one of the sources that was consulted in his or her investigation.

Unit 4: Analysis and Conclusion

The purpose of this unit is to improve each student’s ability to analyze the information in his or her summary of evidence and formulate logical conclusions. With the teacher’s guidance, the student will answer the research question in his or her conclusion.

Unit 5: Final Draft of Historical Investigation

The purpose of this unit is for the student to receive continuous feedback from the teacher and write the final draft of his or her investigation.

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Unit 6: Introduction to Model United Nations

The purpose of this unit is to improve each student’s understanding of the how the United Nations functions and to enable students to work cooperatively researching a topic that relates to a particular country.

Unit 7: Writing a Position Paper

The purpose of this unit is to enhance each student’s writing skills and allow him or her to demonstrate his or her understanding of the format in which a position paper is written.

Unit 8: Defending and Rebutting a Position

The purpose of this unit is to augment each student’s debating skills.

Unit 9: Model United Nations

The purpose of this unit is to enable students to simulate a modified session of the United Nations.

Sequence:

UNIT 1 –Introduction to

NYS Standar

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Historical Investigation

Week One

ds 1,2,3,4,5

Historical Investigation format and requirements

Read and evaluate a sample Historical Investigation of a topic in Colonial history

Create research question and write plan of investigation with teacher assistance

UNIT 2 – Summary of Evidence

Week Two

NYS Standards 1,2,3,4,5

Lesson in conjunction with Library Media Specialist on locating resources and using databases

Use Locust Valley Research Guide to teach skills for works cited and works consulted page

Practice different note taking techniques (two-column, outline, different graphic organizers)

Conduct research and take comprehensive notes using note-taking technique that best suits the student’s learning style

Organize notes into a summary of evidence

Meet with teacher to monitor progress

UNIT 3- Evaluation of Sources

Week Three

NYS Standards 1,2,3,4,5

Identify different types of resources used to evaluate topics in colonial history

Define origin, purpose, value and limitation of a source

Evaluate sample resources for origin, purpose, value and limitation

Evaluate one of the student’s resources Meet with teacher to monitor progress

UNIT 4 –Analysis and Conclusion

NYS Standards

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Week Four 1,2,3,4,5

Analyze sample summary of evidence for a topic in colonial history

Analyze the information that the student gathered in the summary of evidence

Answer the research question with proven conclusions

Meet with teacher to monitor progress

UNIT 5 –Final Draft of Historical Investigation

Week Five

NYS Standards 1,2,3,4,5

Conference with teacher throughout the week

Complete final draft of the Historical Investigation, including Works Cited and Works Consulted

UNIT 6- Introduction to Model United Nations

Week Six

NYS Standards 1,2,3,4,5

Students divided into heterogeneous groups of four

Introduction to how the United Nation functions

Choose countries to represent in Model United Nations

Discuss topics and committees (Appendix 2 )

Each group chooses topic and conducts research in library (Appendix 3)

Meet with teacher to monitor progressUNIT 7 – Writing a Position Paper

Week Seven

NYS Standards 1,2,3,4,5

Discuss format of writing a position paper using samples

Each group writes a position paper Meet with teacher to monitor progress

UNIT 8 – Defending and Rebutting a Position

Weeks Eight and Nine

NYS Standards 1,2,3,4,5

Create and discuss rules for Model United Nations as a class.

Hard copies of all position papers distributed

Two members of each group work on defending the group’s position, while two

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members work on arguments in favor or against other groups’ positions

Discuss how to present an opening speech (Appendix 5)

Meet with teacher to monitor progress

UNIT 9 – Model United Nations

Week Ten

Simulate a modified session of the United Nations using the position papers that the students created

Part 6: Assessments

Historical Investigation

At the conclusion of week five, students will have completed their Historical Investigations to be evaluated by the teacher using the IB scale of 1-20.

Model United Nations Position Paper

At the conclusion of week seven, students will have completed their position papers.

Model United Nations

At the conclusion of week ten, students will have written position papers and argued in favor and/or against other groups’ positions.

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Part 7: Resources

BooksJames West Davidson, The American Nation (11 th Edition)

Magazines/NewspapersNew York TimesCurrent Affairs The Economist Time Newsweek

Internet Sourceshttp://infotrac.galegroup.com/itweb/locu96783http://go-passport.grolier.com/http://www.cnn.comhttp://www.pbs.orghttp://www.foxnews.comhttp://www.unausa.org/msmunhttp://www.unausa.org

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Part 8: Sample Lesson Plans

Lesson # 1 - Two PeriodsTopic: Historical Investigation

Lesson: Creating an Outline for the Historical Investigation

Objectives: Students will understand the format of a historical investigationStudents will outline their historical investigations

1. Review format of Historical Investigation that was discussed in previous lessons. (Appendix 1)

2. Each student must read the sample outline in “Historical Investigation Outline” and take notes on what is effective about the outline. (Appendix 1A) The students will share their answers with the class.

3. Each student will use the sample outline to create his or her own outline of the historical investigation.

4. Students will conference with the teacher to discuss their outlines.

Assessment: The students will use the outlines that they created to write their historical investigations.

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Lesson # 2 - Four Periods

Topic: Position Paper for Model United Nations

Lesson: Creating a Position Paper

Objectives: • Identify the parts of a position paper.• Explain the information that would ideally be included in each part of the position paper.• Translate the information gathered from research into the position paper format, with special attention to thoroughness, clarity and style.

Development:1. Ask students to list things that have a beginning, middle and an end. Write their responses on the board (e.g., movies, songs, days, meals, house-building)

2. Draw a picture of a hamburger on the board. This will be your graphic organizer. The hamburger should have a top and bottom bun, lettuce, tomato and patty.

3. Have students copy the hamburger onto their own papers.

4. Distribute “How to Write a Position Paper” to the students. (Appendix 4)

5. Work with the students to fill in the hamburger based on the position paper content:• Top Bun (Introduction) - A brief introduction to the country and its history regarding the topic and/or UN body• Contents - The country’s background on the topic including:

Lettuce: The country’s actions on a national level, including political and/or foreign policy.Tomato: The country’s actions on the international level, including resolutions, conventions and declarations that the country supports.Burger - Quotes taken from speeches made by heads of the government and/or government representatives.Burger 2 (optional) - Statistics regarding the issue

• Bottom Bun (Conclusion): The country’s recommendation for a resolution for the topic.

Assessment: The students will use the hamburger graphic organizers to write their position papers for the remainder of the unit.

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Lesson # 3- Four Periods

Topic: Research for Model United Nations

Lesson: Researching your country

Objectives: • Enhance research skills.• Understand more about a foreign country.• Evaluate information that will be included in the position paper.

Development:1. Ask students to meet in pairs and brainstorm about the country, committee and topic information they will need to find as they prepare for Model United Nations. Have the students share their responses with the class.

2. Distribute “Getting to Know Your Country” to the students. (Appendix 5)

3. Have the students work in their groups in the library to gather the information asked for in the handout.

4. Ask the class to discuss how the information that they learned will help them to write their position papers.

Assessment: The students will use the information in “Getting to Know Your Country” as background information for their position papers.

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Part 9: Appendices

Appendix #1

Historical InvestigationSocial Studies Core Extension

Grade 7

The historical investigation is a research assessment. You will use the same topic that you chose to research for the Colonial Jobs Fair. You will create a research question and use resources to answer that question. The historical investigation must be 800-1000 words and will be graded by the teacher. The highest grade is 20 marks. The historical investigation requires a specific format that is outlined below:

A. Plan of investigation (100 words and worth 2 marks) The plan of the investigation should include:

The research question The methods to be used in the investigation.

B. Summary of evidence (250-300 words and worth 5 marks) The summary of evidence should indicate what you have learned from the sources

that you used. It can be written in note or paragraph form.

C. Evaluation of a source (150-200 words and worth 4 marks) The evaluation of a source must be an evaluation of one important source

appropriate to the investigation and should refer to the source’s origin, purpose, value and limitation.

D. Analysis (300-400 words and worth 5 marks) The analysis should include:

Analysis of the information in the summary of evidence

E. Conclusion (100 words and worth 2 marks) The conclusion must be clearly stated and reflect the evidence presented.

F. List of sources and word count (2 marks) A Works Cited must be included although this will not form part of the word count.

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Appendix 1A

Historical Investigation Outline

How did newspaper reports on the death of John F. Kennedy vary?

Plan of investigation:

To show how the reports of Kennedy's assassination reflected the impact of the event on America. To demonstrate how reporting changed with the passage of time.

Summary of evidence:

Sections on Kennedy and on assassination, immediate reactions of the press, subsequent press reports.

Evaluation of sources:

Evaluation of major newspapers, such as in The Washington Post and The New York Times. Either compare contemporary accounts or show how treatment of Kennedy's assassination changed over time in one newspaper.

Analysis:

Importance of context, tone of early reporting and analysis of reasons for it, how newspaper reporting changed with emerging evidence and changing mood of country.

Conclusion:

Accuracy and effectiveness of reporting.

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Appendix 2Model United Nations Committees and Topics

Committee TopicGeneral Assembly Plenary Freshwater ResourcesGeneral Assembly 3rd Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) Child Labor

World Health Organization Access to MedicationInternational Atomic Energy Agency Protection of Nuclear MaterialsEconomic and Social Council for Asia and the Pacific Trafficking of Wild Animals

Commission for Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice

Eradication of Illicit Drug Crops and Alternative Development

Human Rights Council Right to Primary EducationWorld Food Program Food Security and Distribution

UN Development Program Executive Board Implementing the Millennium Development Goals

UN Children’s Fund Executive Board Child SoldiersSecurity Council Situation in Ethiopia and Eritrea

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Appendix 3

Research Overview

You should develop an understanding of the issues that will be debated at your Model UN conference. Many conferences send out background materials or issue briefs, which can help jumpstart your research. You may want to look at the sources cited in these materials for more in-depth information. If the conference background materials pose questions, you should answer them with your country information in mind. Here are some additional questions to help guide your research:

What is the problem? How does it affect your country? What has your country done to combat the problem? What are the various “sides” in the debate? Which aspects of the issue are most important to your country? If your country is not involved with the issue, how can it become involved? How will your country shape the debate at the conference? What arguments will other countries make? How do the positions of other countries affect your country’s position? Is there evidence or statistics that might help to back up your country’s

position?

Tips for Researching Issues

Look out news and media sources for up-to-date developments on an issue. Ask your community, school or university librarian if you can get access to LexisNexis Academic Universe. LexisNexis is a system that searches thousands of periodicals. Another service is Questia. This service costs about $15.00 per month, but allows you to access thousands of documents from your personal computer.

Look at the UN Economic and Social Development page, which has an index to some prominent issues as well as a list of UN agencies that work in various issue-areas. Also, through the United Nations Documentation Center, you can find resolutions and voting records from the current and previous years.

Visit non-governmental organization (NGO) websites. NGOs are an important part of the UN system, in part due to the valuable research and information they generate. Look for NGOs that address your topic.

Read academic publications. Although they can be complex, they provide in-depth information on many issues. Professors, students and researchers are constantly conducting studies and publishing papers.

Appendix 4

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How to Write a Position Paper

Writing a position paper might appear to be a daunting task, especially for new delegates. But with enough research, you will find that writing a position paper will be easy and useful.

Position papers are usually one to one-and-a-half pages in length. Your position paper should include a brief introduction followed by a comprehensive breakdown of your country's position on the topics that are being discussed by the committee. A good position paper will not only provide facts but also make proposals for resolutions.

Many conferences will ask for specific details in a position paper, so be sure to include all the required information. Most conferences will provide delegates a background guide to the issue. Usually, the background guide will contain questions to consider. Make sure that your position paper answers these questions.

A good position paper will include: A brief introduction to your country and its history concerning the topic and

committee; How the issue affects your country; Your country’s policies with respect to the issue and your country’s

justification for these policies; Quotes from your country’s leaders about the issue; Statistics to back up your country’s position on the issue; Actions taken by your government with regard to the issue; Conventions and resolutions that your country has signed or ratified; UN actions that your country supported or opposed; What your country believes should be done to address the issue; What your country would like to accomplish in the committee’s resolution; How the positions of other countries affect your country’s position.

Position Paper Tips

Keep it simple. To communicate strongly and effectively, avoid flowery wording and stick to uncomplicated language and sentence structure.

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Make it official. Try to use the seal of your country or create an “official” letterhead for your position paper. The more realistic it looks, the more others will want to read it.

Get organized. Give each separate idea or proposal its own paragraph. Make sure each paragraph starts with a topic sentence.

Cite your sources. Use footnotes or endnotes to show where you found your facts and statistics. You can use our Research guidelines in our library.

Read and reread. Leave time to edit your position paper. Ask yourself if the

organization of the paper makes sense and double-check your spelling and grammar.

Speech! Speech! Do you plan to make an opening statement at your conference? A good position paper makes a great introductory speech. During debate, a good position paper will also help you to stick to your country’s policies.

Let the bullets fly. Try not to let your proposals become lost in a sea of information. For speechmaking, create a bulleted list of your proposals along with your most important facts and statistics so that you will not lose time looking for them during debate.

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Appendix 5

GETTING TO KNOW YOUR COUNTRY

Government

Official country name: _________________________________________________________

Governmental system: _________________________________________________________

Head of state: ________________________________________________________________

Official languages: ____________________________________________________________

Region: ____________________________________________________________________

Allies or blocs: _______________________________________________________________

People

Population and growth rate: _____________________________________________________

Major religions or cultures: ______________________________________________________

Standard of living: _____________________________________________________________

Development

Development status: ___________________________________________________________

Climate: _____________________________________________________________________

Environment (problems, innovations, etc.): __________________________________________

Has this nation met the Millennium Development Goal targets? __________________________

Economy

Economic system: _____________________________________________________________

GDP and growth rate: __________________________________________________________

Major cities: __________________________________________________________________

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Infrastructure status (good, poor, etc.): _____________________________________________

Trade blocs/associations: _______________________________________________________

Balance of payments/trade: ______________________________________________________

Major exports/imports: __________________________________________________________

Major trade partners: ___________________________________________________________

International Monetary Fund, World Bank positions (debtor nation? donor nation?): __________

____________________________________________________________________________

Natural resources: _____________________________________________________________

Energy sources: _______________________________________________________________

Military

Military organization: ___________________________________________________________

Percent of GDP spent on defense: ________________________________________________

Major weapons, nuclear capability, etc.: ____________________________________________

Conflicts/Issues

What are four problems that affect this nation? _______________________________________

Ethnic/cultural issues, if any: _____________________________________________________

Refugee problems: ____________________________________________________________

Major conflicts both past and present: ______________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

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Appendix 6

How to Construct an Opening Speech

First, you should thank the presiding official by saying "Thank you Mr./ Madame/ Honorable Chair/ President…"

Then begin by providing a brief history on the issue as it relates to your country.

Speak about how the issue is currently affecting your country. Provide your country's position on the issue. Include an explanation for

your country’s stance, such as economic or security concerns or political or religious ideology.

You may choose to give an explanation of how your country's position relates to the positions of other member states such as the major powers or countries in your regional bloc.

You should discuss some of the past actions taken by the UN, member states and NGOs to address the issue.

Present ideas for a resolution, stressing your country’s objectives for the resolution.

Talk about the role that NGOs or regional organizations have to play in addressing the issue.

Indicate to the committee members whether your country is willing to negotiate.

How to make speech during debate Again, you should thank the presiding official by saying "Thank you Mr./

Madame/ Honorable Chair/ President…" Encourage collaboration among member states by proposing ways that

your country would be willing to work with other member states. By referencing what other delegates have said, you can show support

for your allies or indicate which proposals your country does not favor. Present ideas for draft resolutions. Explain why your country does or does not support other draft

resolutions.

Public Speaking Tips Prepare: Decide how you feel most comfortable delivering your speech. You

may choose to use your position paper text as your opening speech or you may

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write out some key points. In time, you may feel comfortable speaking without any written notes at all. If you plan to use a word or phrase that is unfamiliar to you, make sure you learn its meaning and how to pronounce it properly.

Practice: Rehearsing your speech is the best way to perfect your public speaking skills. Try practicing in front of a teacher, a parent, or fellow Model UNers from your class or club. When you listen to a speech, provide constructive feedback rather than criticism. When someone critiques your speech, accept the feedback graciously and use it as a tool to strengthen your public speaking.

Consider your audience: Make your speech appropriate to the age and experience-level of the other delegates at the conference. Remember that the beginning of the speech should captivate your audience and make them to want to hear more.

Eliminate unnecessary “filler” words: Fillers are words and phrases such as "umm," "well," "sort of,” and “like". These words take away from the message you are trying to convey. Some additional fillers to avoid are “so,” "you know," "I think," "just," and "uh."

Use meaningful pauses: Leaving a moment of silence between sentences can be a powerful public speaking tool. Pausing after an important point or before answering a question will help to hold the audience’s attention. A pause can also give you time to formulate your next statement.

Breathe: Try to breathe from your diaphragm – the organ below your lungs that controls your respiration. You are breathing properly if you can see your abdomen rising and falling with each breath. Try to inhale and exhale completely.

Pace yourself: Don’t talk too fast or too slow. Remember that most speakers have a tendency to talk too quickly.

Choose a powerful posture: Be aware of your posture when you speak. Slouching, tilting your head and crossing your arms or legs will take away from your message. Stand up straight, relax your shoulders, plant your feet firmly and keep your knees unlocked to help you communicate confidence.

Project your presence: Speaking in a low to medium volume can help to project authority, but make sure that you are speaking loud enough to be easily heard. Focus on speaking with enthusiasm and energy.

Gesture: It is worthwhile to use your face, hands, arms and body to help you communicate as long as your motions do not distract the audience from your speech.

Connect with your audience: Glance at your notes rather than reading them so that you can make eye contact with the other delegates. It is often helpful to speak directly to individual members of the audience.

Get to the point: Speak concisely so that your audience does not lose your main arguments among less-important details. Try not to speak in circles. Instead, go straight to your most important point.

Be positive: Rather than criticizing another point of view, critique it in a constructive way. Always provide alternatives and be sure to back up your arguments.

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Part 10: Sources

“Sample Historical Investigation” http://staff.4j.lane.edu/~hamill/americas/investigation.htm

“Middle School Model United Nations” http://www.unausa.org/msmun

“Model UN” http://www.unausa.org

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