In this lesson, you have learned about the steps for creating and delivering a presentation. now it’s time to try out your presentation skills. based on the information you learned about presenting, write and record a presentation for an audience. your presentation should discuss why you felt that “the story of an hour” by kate chopin could be described as realistic fiction. you’ll prepare, research, plan, and organize a presentation. you can also choose to present your final product. try to present your material in at least 2 to 3 minutes of audio and submit your written script, if not your final presentation. here is a reminder of some basic guidelines that may be in making an effective presentation: prepare your presentation ahead of time by choosing an appropriate topic and thinking about the ways in which you can approach it. research your topic thoroughly through books or online sources, both of which are useful research tools. plan your presentation. consider using visual aids to enhance the spoken content. use clear and simple language. because it’s an oral presentation and not a written essay, the audience may lose interest if you present a long and dense discussion. organize your presentation by making sure it has a cohesive structure and addresses all your main points. use your body language and hands to appeal to the audience and maintain their attention.

Each state in america has a different seal, or symbol, that represents the traditional culture of that state. the state seal of georgia is rich in meaning, history, and patriotism. when was the seal adopted? 2georgia’s state constitution established the state seal in 1798. however, as georgia’s political circumstances changed, so too did the state’s seal. between 1863 and 1865, georgia used a different state seal to represent its separation from the rest of the country during the civil war. then, from 1868 to1871, georgia’s secretary of state nathan c. barnett hid the original seal when the capital was occupied by the north’s victorious enemy forces. he readopted the original seal in 1872. 4georgia’s state seal remained unchanged for 42 years. then, a law was passed that required the state to alter the date on the seal. the year 1799 had originally appeared on the seal to represent the year that the seal was officially adopted. the new law changed the date on the seal to 1776, the year that america’s founding fathers signed the declaration of independence. what does the seal look like? 5just as coins each have a “heads” side and a “tails” side, state seals also each have a front and a back. the front of the seal shows three tall columns, or pillars. perched atop these pillars is an arch that displays the word “constitution.” the two end pillars are each adorned with a ribbon-like banner that reads “wisdom” and “moderation.” a third banner, reading “justice,” hangs in front of the middle pillar. when read together, the banners make up the official state motto of georgia: “wisdom, justice, and moderation.” the seal also exhibits a picture of a soldier holding a sword. the words “state of georgia” appear along the top. the year 1776 is printed at the bottom. 6the back of the seal portrays a rural shoreline scene featuring a large ship and small boat. also included in the picture are bundles of tobacco plants and cotton and a farmer working in a field. across the top of the seal are the words “agriculture and commerce.” the bottom of the seal is also marked with the year 1776. what do the symbols on the seal represent? 7each item on the seal is symbolic of georgia’s history and the history of america as a united country. the pillars on the front stand for the three branches of government—legislative, executive, and judicial—and how they all work together to support the country and its constitution. the man holding the sword represents soldiers who defend the country and its laws. 8the boats on the back of the seal symbolize the agricultural commerce of georgia. similarly, the farmer and crop bundles represent georgia’s dependence on agriculture for survival. during the mid to late 1800s, over 700,000 cotton bales were produced each year. cotton is still a “king” crop in georgia. the state currently produces almost three million bales per year. this is only one reason why the state is an important asset to its country. read the passage on the left to answer the following questions: 13) the author's main purpose in writing this article is a) to inform. b) to create. c) to persuade. d) to entertain. 14) in paragraph eight, the word asset means a) benefit. b) debt. c) element. d) expense. 15) in paragraph six, the word portrays means a) condescends. b) deceives. c) honors. d) reveals.

In the real world, feldman learned to settle for less than 95 percent. he came to consider a company “honest” if its payment rate was above 90 percent. he considered a rate between 80 and 90 percent “annoying but tolerable.” if a company habitually paid below 80 percent, feldman might post a hectoring note, like this one: the cost of bagels has gone up dramatically since the beginning of the year. unfortunately, the number of bagels that disappear without being paid for has also gone up. don’t let that continue. i don’t imagine that you would teach your children to cheat, so why do it yourselves? the excerpt serves as which type of support for the authors’ argument? a claim an example a conclusion a counterclaim

Read the passages below and complete the instructions that follow. argument’s conclusion: governments should legally ban restaurants from offering toys as an incentive to families to buy food with high amounts of sugar, fat, or sodium. counterargument: if the government educated parents about the health effects of food with high amounts of sugar, fat, or sodium, then parents would not feed their kids food with high amounts of sugar, fat, or sodium. rebuttal: even if parents have the knowledge they need to make the right decision, it’s difficult to do so if restaurants can use marketing techniques such as popular toys to attract customers. educating parents combined with regulating restaurants can families make healthier decisions. put the counterargument and rebuttal above into paragraph format. add signal words to properly guide the reader.