English Language Arts Block For 45 Minutes - 939 Words

Male Student Fourth Grade Fall 2015 Setting: I observed this fourth grade student during his English Language Arts block for 45 minutes. The class consists of 22 fourth grade students in a student-centered classroom. During my observation, the students collaborated with other students while the teacher conducted a guided reading group. Students were on computers, writing and reading to respond in a journal. Three days a week this students is pulled out of the classroom for a 30 minute Fountas and Pinell Literacy Intervention due to the Tier 3 instructional level. History: This student has been on our campus since Kindergarten. At an early age, he was brought to the Response to Intervention Committee for behavior concerns in the classroom and bus. Over the years his behavior has had its positive and negative effects on his academic areas with a large concern in English Language Arts. He has been a Tier 2 or Tier 3 student in reading since first grade. He is currently receiving a reading intervention, however at the fourth grade level there is an urgency to provide an intervention in writing. Incidents and Influences: As I observed this students I began to notice a low level of achievement with an external locus of control. He seem to blame his failure in his writing journal to past experiences, saying that â€Å"I can’t do this† and â€Å" I hate writing†. Other locus of control consist of effort when he put his head on his desk. When the teacher asked if he would like a studyShow MoreRelatedPreschool Observation2553 Words   |  11 PagesPreschool Observation Setting: I observed Anna, age four years and five months, on March 24, 2006, at St. Andrews Lutheran Church Preschool. I observed for two and one-half hours from 9:15 am to 11:45 am. The preschool has three teachers and a full enrollment of 24 children, ages four and five, on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. They also have 24 children, age three, on Tuesday and Thursday. On the Friday that I visited, there were 21 children in attendance. There is a large enclosed play areaRead MoreThe Melrose School Of New York City1895 Words   |  8 PagesMelrose School is located in a urban area surrounded by NYCHA buildings as well as private houses. In front of the school building there is a police station which makes the school location more secure. This is the closest school public within a seven block radius. Which makes this school the primary options for the residents of this area. Furthermore, In the 4th grade class observed Ms. D’s classroom is set-up in a way that it is simple, with furniture that is comfortable for the students becauseRead MoreOutline Of A Balanced Literacy1398 Words   |  6 Pagesliteracy and language skills is important for all students to be career and college ready. It is a goal of the Surry County School System to use a balanced literacy approach aligned with the North Carolina Standard Course of Study so that students are able to read, write, and communicate effectively with a variety of audiences in order to live productive lives. Balanced Literacy provides the foundational structure and scheduling for delivering the North Carolina English Language Arts curriculum inRead MoreAnn-Maries Point Of View Essay1194 Words   |  5 Pagesyet another new school. New teachers, different curriculum†¦ And new people. I guess. I run to school, as it’s only about a block away, and i’m astonished at the size, it had separate buildings and wings, it looks more like a college campus than it does a high school. I ponder how Mother could ever afford this, she works as a pharmacist at Walmart, not exactly a state of the art job†¦ I walk in slowly, cautious of the new classmates i’d soon have, I wandered around aimlessly. I couldn’t find the officeRead MoreChildren Relational Aggression : Effect Of Children Aggressive On Peers Interaction And Gender Differences1579 Words   |  7 Pagesfollowed by White (18.0%) and Asian (12.2%). Some of them are English language learners and their age rang e between three to five year’s old mixed gender (4 girls and 5 boys). Potentially participants were in natural setting and randomly were doing different activities signed by the teacher, and they were one teacher in the classroom. The group of boys were playing in the block area, and the group of girls were doing art in the art area. Both of the groups were playing next to each other under theRead MoreMotivation And Rationale For The Study2130 Words   |  9 Pageshave had the opportunity to work with many English Language Learners (ELLs) in my teaching career. About 75% of my ELLs had limited English proficiency when they first entered my classroom as first graders. I witnessed first-hand the frustration and silence of students who simply could not formulate coherent sentences or understand texts that were being read because they were not familiar with the vocabulary and syntactic structure of the English language. Whilst I was explicitly teaching vocabularyRead MoreChinese Presence Chinese Culture Abroad As Well As Those Visual Form2524 Words   |  11 Pagesthose visual form examples how to successful operation and get a good response from overseas. 2. 2.1 Overseas Chinatown There are varieties methods in order to represent culture such as symbols, language, artifacts, style, behaviors are all embedded in cultural identity as is food, music, fashion and art. Chinatown is defined as a district of a large non-Chinese town or port in which the population is predominantly of Chinese origin (oxforddictionaries, 2014). As a concentrated expression of theRead Morepreschool Essay46149 Words   |  185 PagesCalifornia Preschool Learning Foundations Volume 2 CALIFORNIA DEPAR TMENT OF EDUCATION †¢ SACRAMENTO, 2010 California Preschool Learning Foundations Volume 2 Visual and Performing Arts Physical Development Health Publishing Information The California Preschool Learning Foundations (Volume 2) was developed by the Child Development Division, California Department of Education. This publication was edited by Faye Ong, working in cooperation with Laura Bridges and DesireeRead MoreA Thousand Splendid Suns2892 Words   |  12 Pages               A  Thousand  Splendid  Suns  Ã‚   Theme  Analysis  Lesson      Subject:  English  Language  Arts   Grades:  9†12   Timeframe:  Four  45  minute  sessions         Student  Outreach  for  Shelters  (SOS)  Program         Overview   This  lesson  is  designed  to  deepen  students’  analysis  of  the  novel  A   Thousand  Splendid  Suns.  Ã‚  In  addition,  this  lesson  is  designed  to  provide   educators  with  a  core  novel  connection  to  the  shelter  outreach  themes  of   the  Khaled  Hosseini  Foundation  SOS  program.   Preparation   Read MoreError Correction in Second Language Writing33512 Words   |  135 PagesError Correction in Second Language Writing: Teachers’ Beliefs, Practices, and Students’ Preferences Victor Albert Francis S. Corpuz Supervisors: Lynette May Annette Patterson Queensland University of Technology Faculty of Education Master of Education (Research) September 2011 Abstract Error correction is perhaps the most widely used method for responding to student writing. W hile various studies have investigated the effectiveness of providing error correction, there has

Magic Realism Friend or Foe Essay - 655 Words

Your imagination has no limits. What exactly is magic realism, you might be asking yourself. Well, if you have ever seen Godzilla you have seen magic realism. Magic Realism is a type of dream or fantasy that is mixed into the real world. How does magic realism make you feel? Why does magic realism occur? How does magic realism affect the world? These are just a few of the fascinating questions we will uncover using the short stories we have just read. A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Light is Like Water by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, and My Life with the Wave by Octavio Paz. Magic realism used in these short stories paints a vivid image into someone elses imaginary life, where the real world and the fantasy world†¦show more content†¦The first thing the boys ask for is a rowboat, he want it so that he can ‘go out to sea’. The boys were so happy to get the boat that they had all their friends help them take it up to their apartment. †Å"A jet of golden light as cool as water began to pour out of the broken bulb, and they let it run to a depth of almost three feet. Then they turned off the electricity, took out the rowboat, and navigated at will among the islands in the house.† The little boys imagination went wild as they soared through the house. â€Å"‘Light is like water, I answered. You turn the tap and on and out it comes.’ Magic realism occurs in the minds of the young most abundantly because as a child your imagination is endless. Throughout the years, as you grow you forget to use your imagination, and you get consumed in life. Magic realism occurs to allow the creativity return to us, and we can just let go. Without magic realism the world would be very dull. How might magic realism affect us and the world? In My Life with the Wave by Octavio Paz, the narrator is affected by everything the wave does. The wave, is a metaphor for a woman. His first tactic was to hide the wave, he knew no one would understand her. When gets in a heaping of trouble she can’t help him, but luckily when he finally returns home she is waiting there. Magic realism, in this short story, affects the world through love. â€Å"‘Well, now you’re free. You were lucky Lucky there were no victims. But don’tShow MoreRelatedThe Human Condition Of The World2221 Words   |  9 Pagesthe human condition. There are also authors that do not rely on pressing these matters on the people, but instead fold these messages into their preferred style of writing, and there is a group of least expected authors that do just that. Magical Realism Authors use temptation, culture and relationships as reoccurring themes in their novels to reveal the best and worst in the race of men, in order to illustrate how humanity can improve as a species. Through exploring the works: Life of Pi by YannRead MoreStephen P. Robbins Timothy A. Judge (2011) Organizational Behaviour 15th Edition New Jersey: Prentice Hall393164 Words   |  1573 Pagesand the number of people working 50 or more hours a week jumped from 24 to 37 percent. Finally, the rise of the dual-career couple makes it difficult for married employees to find time to fulfill commitments to home, spouse, children, parents, and friends. Millions of single-parent households and employees with dependent parents have even more significant challenges in balancing work and family responsibilities. Source: AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti Dr. Orit Wimpfheimer performs her job by linkingRead MoreOrganisational Theory230255 Words   |  922 Pagesundertake these judgmental tasks in different ways in different social contexts by deploying different epistemological conventions. How we epistemologically judge the claims of social scientists might be quite different from how we judge those of friends, relatives or politicians such Jim Hacker. In the case of social science, we might look for evidence that could confirm, contest or even refute any claim (e.g., those made by organization theorists). However, epistemology raises the issue of whether

Technical writing style Free Essays

Technical Writing Style As you draft and edit, it is helpful to keep in mind the effective ways to present sentences and paragraphs. When you revise your drafts, check the language and remove any area of possible confusion. If you have repeated any word, see whether you can change the sentence. We will write a custom essay sample on Technical writing style or any similar topic only for you Order Now The following passages will help you to be aware of any difficult construction of sentences, so that you can modify the same and ensure reader’s comfort. Write Clear Sentences Follow these guidelines for writing sentences which will be clear to the readers. Keep the main idea on top. Use active voice. Employ parallelism. Repeat for emphasis. Write sentences of 15 to 25 words. Provide transitions. Avoid wordiness. Avoid redundancy. Keep the Main Idea on Top This is the key principle in writing so that your sentences are easy to understand. Place the sentence’s main idea, the subject, first. The subject makes the rest of the sentence accessible. Readers therefore orient themselves and they are able to interact with the subsequent discussion. See this example from a popular newspaper. â€Å"Doubts persist over World Cup 2007. † (Note how the interest of the reader is immediately captured. Now the details follow. )†Clouds are gathering over the West Indies, and they are more than rain-bearing masses of cumulous. With eight months and a few days to go for the 2007 World Cup, doubts are increasingly being aired about the ability of the region to host a venture of such and complexity. † Thus readers are informed about the crux of the problem so that they are int erested to read on. Use Normal Word Order The normal word order in English is subject-verb-object. This order makes it easier to read as it reveals the topic first and the structures the idea. This order produces entences which are clear to the readers and do not cause any contusion. Read the following sentence. â€Å"Finance Minister on Tuesday backed the Central Bank’s decision to increase interest rates, stating that the move was aimed at containing inflation. † The sentence is clear, though a little long (23 words) and follows natural flow. Use Active Voice Active voice emphasizes performer of the function and not the receiver. Active voice helps the reader follow the meaning quickly as it is sticking to subject-verb-object pattern. When the subject acts, the verb is in the active voice. When the subject is acted upon, the verb is in the passive voice. Use passive voice sparingly and when it is absolutely required. Examples: I completed the work in time (active voice as the subject acts here. ) My mobile was stolen (passive voice as the subject is acted upon. ) Go through the following example. Manufacturers add preservatives to food products to increase their shelf-life (emphasis is on manufacturers, which is not correct. ) Preservatives are added to food products to increase their shelf-life (emphasis is on preservatives, which is correct. In uch cases, passive voice should be used. Use Parallelism Use similar structures for similar elements. The vendors promise that they will replace the old machine and to attend to the new order (wrong). The vendors promise that they will replace the old machine and will attend to the new order. (correct) Repeat for Emphasis Repeat key words for emphasis so that the reader has better recall. Read the following example. The doctri ne of â€Å"No work, no pay† is a fundamental axioms in industrial relations. The philosophy is very simple. When a person is employed, he is expected to carry out the ork assigned to him. When he does not do so, he is not eligible for payment of any salary. Even when a general strike disrupts public transport systems, and consequently employees are unable to reach their work places, the same principle prevails. Of course corporate may permit their staff to avail themselves of any leave to their credit. Even die-hard trade union leaders respect this principle. â€Å"No work, no pay† lays a strong foundation to industrial peace and harmony in the long run. Provide Transitions Connect sentences by using words that signal a sequence or pattern. Sequence: first, second, next. Addition: and, further. Contrast: but, however, nevertheless. Avoid Wordiness Generally, concise expressions are more effective than verbosity. Eliminate all repetitions, subordinate clauses etc. to make the writing compact and pointed. Examples of Wordiness Came to the conclusion Utilization of Make Revisions Make an amendment to Examples of compactness Concluded Use Revise Amend Avoid Redundancy Redundancies are words that say the same content. Conciseness is achieved by saying anything only once. In the following examples, what is bracketed may be mitted for conciseness. During (the year) of 2006 (Needless to say) (New) innovation The (other) alternative is Choose a Tone Now you can prepare clear, effective documents. Your documents are easy to read. However, we are assuming that the writer and reader are equal and unemotional. In practice, it may not be so. Hence it is important to control ‘tone’. The ‘tone’ can communicate as much as the content of the message. Consider some possible ‘tones’ depending on the situation. forceful passive personal impersonal The forceful tone implies that the writer is in command. This is appropriate when the writer addresses subordinates. While writing forcefully, Use the active voice. Use imperatives. Clearly indicate that you are responsible. For example: I have decided to introduce Performance Appraisal System forthwith in our organization. When the reader has more power than the writer, use passive voice. For example: The instructions to implement the new Evaluation System has been complied with The personal tone implies that reader and writer are equal. David thanks for your suggestion about maintenance routine. It has given good results. The impersonal tone is employed when the writer is not important and the situation is neutral. For example: A proposal to introduce quality circle has been made. Use Positive Words and Verbs A sure way to involve your audience is to sprinkle positive words and positive verbs throughout your text. Positive words and verbs convince the reader the benefits of your subject matter. Positive Words Advantage asset effective profitable satisfied value favorable success Benefit Positive Verbs Positive verbs motivate your readers. Some ot the verbs that motivate your readers nto action are here. Accomplish plan achieve produce implement Prepare promote exceed organize assess Tune to the Audience Tuning to the audience is the key for effectiveness of your document with the reader. Remember the following points. Not all your readers will understand acronyms and abbreviations. Readers need glossaries. Provide extended definitions for technical terms. As multiple audiences have different levels of technical knowledge, choose carefully the amount of technical content in your document. Show your reader how he or she will benefit from your document How to cite Technical writing style, Papers

Technical writing style Free Essays

Technical Writing Style As you draft and edit, it is helpful to keep in mind the effective ways to present sentences and paragraphs. When you revise your drafts, check the language and remove any area of possible confusion. If you have repeated any word, see whether you can change the sentence. We will write a custom essay sample on Technical writing style or any similar topic only for you Order Now The following passages will help you to be aware of any difficult construction of sentences, so that you can modify the same and ensure reader’s comfort. Write Clear Sentences Follow these guidelines for writing sentences which will be clear to the readers. Keep the main idea on top. Use active voice. Employ parallelism. Repeat for emphasis. Write sentences of 15 to 25 words. Provide transitions. Avoid wordiness. Avoid redundancy. Keep the Main Idea on Top This is the key principle in writing so that your sentences are easy to understand. Place the sentence’s main idea, the subject, first. The subject makes the rest of the sentence accessible. Readers therefore orient themselves and they are able to interact with the subsequent discussion. See this example from a popular newspaper. â€Å"Doubts persist over World Cup 2007. † (Note how the interest of the reader is immediately captured. Now the details follow. )†Clouds are gathering over the West Indies, and they are more than rain-bearing masses of cumulous. With eight months and a few days to go for the 2007 World Cup, doubts are increasingly being aired about the ability of the region to host a venture of such and complexity. † Thus readers are informed about the crux of the problem so that they are int erested to read on. Use Normal Word Order The normal word order in English is subject-verb-object. This order makes it easier to read as it reveals the topic first and the structures the idea. This order produces entences which are clear to the readers and do not cause any contusion. Read the following sentence. â€Å"Finance Minister on Tuesday backed the Central Bank’s decision to increase interest rates, stating that the move was aimed at containing inflation. † The sentence is clear, though a little long (23 words) and follows natural flow. Use Active Voice Active voice emphasizes performer of the function and not the receiver. Active voice helps the reader follow the meaning quickly as it is sticking to subject-verb-object pattern. When the subject acts, the verb is in the active voice. When the subject is acted upon, the verb is in the passive voice. Use passive voice sparingly and when it is absolutely required. Examples: I completed the work in time (active voice as the subject acts here. ) My mobile was stolen (passive voice as the subject is acted upon. ) Go through the following example. Manufacturers add preservatives to food products to increase their shelf-life (emphasis is on manufacturers, which is not correct. ) Preservatives are added to food products to increase their shelf-life (emphasis is on preservatives, which is correct. In uch cases, passive voice should be used. Use Parallelism Use similar structures for similar elements. The vendors promise that they will replace the old machine and to attend to the new order (wrong). The vendors promise that they will replace the old machine and will attend to the new order. (correct) Repeat for Emphasis Repeat key words for emphasis so that the reader has better recall. Read the following example. The doctri ne of â€Å"No work, no pay† is a fundamental axioms in industrial relations. The philosophy is very simple. When a person is employed, he is expected to carry out the ork assigned to him. When he does not do so, he is not eligible for payment of any salary. Even when a general strike disrupts public transport systems, and consequently employees are unable to reach their work places, the same principle prevails. Of course corporate may permit their staff to avail themselves of any leave to their credit. Even die-hard trade union leaders respect this principle. â€Å"No work, no pay† lays a strong foundation to industrial peace and harmony in the long run. Provide Transitions Connect sentences by using words that signal a sequence or pattern. Sequence: first, second, next. Addition: and, further. Contrast: but, however, nevertheless. Avoid Wordiness Generally, concise expressions are more effective than verbosity. Eliminate all repetitions, subordinate clauses etc. to make the writing compact and pointed. Examples of Wordiness Came to the conclusion Utilization of Make Revisions Make an amendment to Examples of compactness Concluded Use Revise Amend Avoid Redundancy Redundancies are words that say the same content. Conciseness is achieved by saying anything only once. In the following examples, what is bracketed may be mitted for conciseness. During (the year) of 2006 (Needless to say) (New) innovation The (other) alternative is Choose a Tone Now you can prepare clear, effective documents. Your documents are easy to read. However, we are assuming that the writer and reader are equal and unemotional. In practice, it may not be so. Hence it is important to control ‘tone’. The ‘tone’ can communicate as much as the content of the message. Consider some possible ‘tones’ depending on the situation. forceful passive personal impersonal The forceful tone implies that the writer is in command. This is appropriate when the writer addresses subordinates. While writing forcefully, Use the active voice. Use imperatives. Clearly indicate that you are responsible. For example: I have decided to introduce Performance Appraisal System forthwith in our organization. When the reader has more power than the writer, use passive voice. For example: The instructions to implement the new Evaluation System has been complied with The personal tone implies that reader and writer are equal. David thanks for your suggestion about maintenance routine. It has given good results. The impersonal tone is employed when the writer is not important and the situation is neutral. For example: A proposal to introduce quality circle has been made. Use Positive Words and Verbs A sure way to involve your audience is to sprinkle positive words and positive verbs throughout your text. Positive words and verbs convince the reader the benefits of your subject matter. Positive Words Advantage asset effective profitable satisfied value favorable success Benefit Positive Verbs Positive verbs motivate your readers. Some ot the verbs that motivate your readers nto action are here. Accomplish plan achieve produce implement Prepare promote exceed organize assess Tune to the Audience Tuning to the audience is the key for effectiveness of your document with the reader. Remember the following points. Not all your readers will understand acronyms and abbreviations. Readers need glossaries. Provide extended definitions for technical terms. As multiple audiences have different levels of technical knowledge, choose carefully the amount of technical content in your document. Show your reader how he or she will benefit from your document How to cite Technical writing style, Papers

NSTP documentary Literacy training center free essay sample

NSTP made its way by literacy training by engaging in some services like peer tutoring program, with an active cooperation and participation of knowledge channel team. Its goal is to apply appropriate literacy about what we learned for the whole semester. The knowledge channel volunteers from rescue 177 provide us a seminar. This is composed of self-knowledge and instructional plan. The literacy training service that is offered by National Service Literacy Program (NSTP) and the program of knowledge channel for public schools provide an excellent training service for some student who lack literacy and is in need of additional time of learning. We went to their Rescue Training Center to have a seminar by the help of our NSTP professor Ms. Ericka. We started our day by dividing all the students who attend NSTP Training into group. Each group must have a leader and for our group, Michelle Villegas my block mate volunteered herself to be our representative. We will write a custom essay sample on NSTP documentary Literacy training center or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page To start our activity our instructors introduced their self for us to know who are they and they said that we must call them Sir and Ma’am. The first activity we did is about the different kind of bandages, there’s a lot of bandages that we can make for an injured person with a triangular bandage. After we learned about bandaging they give us a time to take our lunch. After an hour we moved to the Rappelling. First, our instructors discuss about the things or the equipment that we will be using for rappelling and then they show to us the proper way of using all the equipment or tools. After that, they gave us an opportunity to try how to rappel but before that they teach us first the things that we need to do in rappelling and the different kind of rappelling. And then they let us experience rappelling. After that, one of the instructor in Rescue 177 which is a registered nurse gave us a lecture about Safety Services, it is tasked with a nationwide educational campaign to ensure the health and safety of the Filipino people. The first lesson we coped from the instructor is about First Aid. The courses aim to equip participants with knowledge, skills and confidence in providing care for a person who has been injured or suddenly become ill. The trainings include lecture and demonstration on bandaging techniques, emergency transfers and common emergencies. Next is about accident prevention courses, this course aim to equip participants with knowledge, skills and confidence to perform management to a person whose breathing and heartbeat suddenly stopped. The trainings include lecture and demonstration on performing foreign airway obstruction management, rescue breathing and CPR. In addition, it provides opportunities for us to apply the knowledge and skills that we have learned from the trainings. The last activity we did is they let us experience the right ways in giving a first aid of an injured person, the instructors assigned a patient for each group and the rest will be the rescuer. They let us use what we learned in the whole training/seminar, the instructors just observe us while we’re doing the task and in the end, after we finish the task the instructor will check and observe if we did a right way to give a first aid on the patient. The whole day of our training is so tiredly but in exchange we learned many things that we can probably use when there’s an emergency. In general, this Literacy Training Service Is a success even there are some issues. Literacy is really invaded in the country.

Andersonville essays

Andersonville essays Torture, screams, no food: These are the conditions of prisons during the Civil War. The lack of attention to prisoners led to many gruesome things such as eating live animals. The two most infamous prisons were Andersonville in the South and Elmira in the North. Both had terrible conditions that were largely caused by the psychology of the War: If the other side doesnt have men they cant fight and likewise with weak men. Both prisons were alike in that men died, but each is infamous in their own way of how the men died. Since the Confederacy was collapsing, the South had little food and medical supplies. It was suffering greatly and to stop this an exchange system for prisoners of equal rank went on for one and a half years. Also, men were paroled and released after signing a paper stating that would not bear arms until officially exchanged. Later the exchange system was stopped because the North realized that it was benefiting the Confederacy. After all, the North could afford to lose men as prisoners but the South couldnt afford to replace troops. The Union then could stop the Souths ability to carry on the War. As a result of this, the number and size of prisons increased. Crowding, inadequate provisions, and poor sanitation was then a consequence of the greater number of prisoners which caused 49,000 men out of 346,000 prisoners during the War to die. A public outcry over prison conditions made Abraham Lincoln send Professor Francis Lieber of Columbia to set rules for the treatment of p risoners during war. His set of rules were called the Lieber Code. Both prisons violated this code and that is what I am going to show through this report. Andersonville is probably the most well known of the prison camps. It was a Confederate camp in Georgia from 1864 on. Its main problem was the massive overcrowding. It was built for 10,000 but at one time held 33,000 men. It was built of a roughly h...

Seven Facts About the Lincoln-Douglas Debates

Seven Facts About the Lincoln-Douglas Debates The Lincoln-Douglas Debates,  a series of seven public confrontations between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas, took place in the summer and fall of 1858. They became legendary, and the popular conception of what happened tends to veer toward the mythical. In the modern political commentary, pundits often express a wish that current candidates could do Lincoln-Douglas Debates. Those meetings between candidates 160 years ago somehow represent the pinnacle of civility and an elevated example of lofty political thought. The reality of the Lincoln-Douglas debates was different than what most people believe. And here are seven factual things you should know about them: 1. They Were Not Really Debates Its true that the Lincoln-Douglas Debates are always cited as classic examples of, well, debates. Yet they were not debates in the way we think of the political debate in modern times. In the format Stephen Douglas demanded, and Lincoln agreed to, one man would speak for an hour. Then the other would speak in rebuttal for an hour and a half, and then the first man would have a half-hour to respond to the rebuttal. In other words, the audience was treated to lengthy monologues, with the entire presentation stretching out to three hours. There was no moderator asking questions, and no give-and-take or fast reactions like weve come to expect in modern political debates. True, it wasnt gotcha politics, but it also wasnt something that would work in todays world. 2. They Got Crude, With Personal Insults and Racial Slurs Though the Lincoln-Douglas Debates are often cited as a high point of civility in politics, the actual content was often pretty rough. In part, this was because the debates were rooted in the frontier tradition of the stump speech. Candidates, sometimes literally standing on a stump, would engage in freewheeling and entertaining speeches that would often contain jokes and insults. Its worth noting that some of the content of the Lincoln-Douglas Debates would likely be considered too offensive for a network television audience today. Besides both men insulting each other and employing extreme sarcasm, Stephen Douglas often resorted to crude race-baiting. Douglas made a point of repeatedly calling Lincolns political party the black Republicans and was not above using crude racial slurs, including the n-word. Even Lincoln, albeit uncharacteristically, used the n-word twice in the first debate, according to a transcript published in 1994 by Lincoln scholar Harold Holzer. Some versions of the debate transcripts, created at the debates by stenographers hired by two Chicago newspapers, have been sanitized over the years. 3. The Two Men Were Not Running for President Because the debates between Lincoln and Douglas are so often mentioned, and because the men did oppose each other in the election of 1860, its often assumed the debates were part of a run for the White House. They were actually running for the U.S. Senate seat already held by Stephen Douglas. The debates, because they were reported nationwide (thanks to the aforementioned newspaper stenographers) did elevate Lincolns stature. Lincoln, however, probably did not think seriously about running for president until after his speech at Cooper Union in early 1860. 4. The Debates Were Not About Ending Slavery Most of the subject matter at the debates concerned slavery in America. But the talk was not about ending it, it was about whether to prevent slavery from spreading to new states and new territories. That alone was a very contentious issue. The feeling in the North, as well as in some of the South, was that slavery would die out in time. But it was assumed it wouldnt fade away anytime soon if it kept spreading into new parts of the country. Lincoln, since the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854, had been speaking out against the spread of slavery. Douglas, in the debates, exaggerated Lincolns position and portrayed him as a radical abolitionist, which he was not. The abolitionists were considered to be at the very extreme of American politics, and Lincolns anti-slavery views were more moderate. 5. Lincoln Was the Upstart, Douglas the Political Powerhouse Lincoln, who had been offended by Douglass position on slavery and its spread into western territories, began dogging the powerful senator from Illinois in the mid-1850s. When Douglas would speak in public, Lincoln would often appear on the scene and offer a rebuttal speech. When Lincoln received the Republican nomination to run for the Illinois senate seat in the spring of 1858, he realized that showing up at Douglas speeches and challenging him would probably not work well as a political strategy. Lincoln challenged Douglas to the series of debates, and Douglas accepted the challenge. In return, Douglas dictated the format, and Lincoln agreed to it. Douglas, a political star, traveled the state of Illinois in grand style in a private railroad car. Lincolns travel arrangements were much more modest. He rode in passenger cars with other travelers. 6. Huge Crowds Viewed the Debates In the 19th century, political events often had a circus-like atmosphere and the Lincoln-Douglas debates certainly had a festival air about them. Huge crowds, up to 15,000 or more spectators, gathered for some of the debates. However, while the seven debates drew crowds, the two candidates also traveled the state of Illinois for months, giving speeches on courthouse steps, in parks, and in other public venues. So its likely that more voters saw Douglas and Lincoln at their separate speaking stops than would have seen them engaging in the famous debates. As the Lincoln-Douglas Debates received so much coverage in newspapers in major cities in the East, its possible the debates had the greatest influence on public opinion outside of Illinois. 7. Lincoln Lost Its often assumed that Lincoln became president after beating Douglas in their series of debates. But in the election depending on their series of debates, Lincoln lost. In a complicated twist, the large and attentive audiences watching the debates were not even voting on the candidates, at least not directly.   At that time, U.S. Senators were not chosen by direct election, but in elections held by state legislatures. This situation would not change until the ratification of the 17th Amendment to the Constitution in 1913. So the election in Illinois wasnt really for Lincoln or for Douglas. Voters were voting on candidates for the statehouse who, in turn, would then vote for the man who would represent Illinois in the U.S. Senate. The voters went to the polls in Illinois on November 2, 1858. When the votes were tallied, the news was bad for Lincoln. The new legislature would be controlled by the party of Douglas. The Democrats ended the day with 54 seats in the statehouse, the Republicans (Lincolns party), 46. Stephen Douglas was thus reelected to the Senate. But two years later, in the election of 1860, the two men would face each other again, along with two other candidates. And Lincoln, of course, would win the presidency. The two men appeared on the same stage again, at Lincolns first inauguration on March 4, 1861. As a prominent senator, Douglas was on the inaugural platform. When Lincoln rose to take the oath of office and deliver his inaugural address, he held his hat and awkwardly looked about for a place to put it. As a gentlemanly gesture, Stephen Douglas reached out and took Lincolns hat and held it during the speech. Three months later, Douglas, who had taken ill and may have suffered a stroke, died. While the career of Stephen Douglas overshadowed that of Lincoln during most of his lifetime, he is best remembered today for the seven debates against his perennial rival in the summer and fall of 1858. Source Holzer, Harold (Editor). The Lincoln-Douglas Debates: The First Complete, Unexpurgated Text. 1st Editon, Fordham University Press, March 23, 2004.