CSU Task Force 12: Expository Reading and Writing s1

The California State University Task Force on Expository Reading and Writing

EXPOSITORY READING AND WRITING COURSE

ASSIGNMENT TEMPLATE

“What Are Friends For?”

by Marion Winik

READING RHETORICALLY  PREREADING  READING  POSTREADING

Prereading  Getting Ready to Read  Introducing Key Concepts  Surveying the Text  Making Predictions and Asking Questions  Introducing Key Vocabulary

English-Language Getting Ready to Read Arts (ELA) Standard: Writing Applications Journal/ Quick Write: 2.3 Write brief reflec- tive compositions: Is it better to have a few close friends or many different friends that are a. Explore the signifi- not as close? cance of personal experiences, events, Go over expository Vocabulary with Students (either orally or on power conditions, or concerns point or both). by using rhetorical strategies (e.g., narration, description, exposition, persuasion). ELA Standards: Introducing Key Concepts Word Analysis, Fluency, and Sys- tematic Vocabulary Concept map of Friends. Students fill out individually. Share as a class Development and add any items they did not have. 1.0 Students apply Assignment Template Version 1.1 their knowledge of word origins to deter- mine the meaning of new words encountered in reading materials and use those words accurately. 1.3 Discern the meaning of analogies encountered, analyzing specific comparisons as well as relationships and inferences.

ELA Standard: Surveying the Text Reading Comprehension Flip through the article and check the length, the format. 2.1 Analyze both the Check out the questions at the end. Make predictions about article features and the rhe- based on length and/ or questions at the end. torical devices of different types of public documents (e.g., policy statements, speeches, debates, platforms) and the way in which authors use those features and devices. ELA Standards: Making Predictions and Asking Questions Reading Comprehension Read the title of the article. Have student’s predict what the article 2.1 Analyze both the will be about. features and the rhetorical devices of dif- Look at the questions on steps to evaluating a text and go over with ferent types of public class as a whole. documents (e.g., policy statements, speeches, debates, platforms) and the way in which authors use those features and devices. 2.3 Verify and clarify facts presented in other types of expository texts by using a variety of consumer, work- place, and public documents.

2 The California State University Assignment Template Version 1.1

ELA Standards: Introducing Key Vocabulary Word Analysis and Systematic Vocabulary Discuss Vocabulary from text.: Development paragraph #2 1.0 Students apply their knowledge of counsel: advice; opinion or instruction given in directing the word origins to deter- judgment or conduct of another mine the meaning of new words encoun- paragraph #4 tered in reading mate- tinged: to impart a trace or slight degree of rials and use those obligation: a binding promise, contract, sense of duty words accurately. vices: a bad habit 1.1 Trace the etymol- ogy of significant paragraph #6 terms used in political infallible: absolutely trustworthy or sure science and history. accentuates: to give emphasis or prominence to 1.2 Apply knowledge nostalgic: a bittersweet longing for things, persons, or situations of Greek, Latin, and of the past Anglo-Saxon roots and affixes to draw infer- paragraph #7 ences concerning the binges: excessive indulgence meaning of scientific and mathematical ter- minology. paragraph #8 indispensable: absolutely necessary or essential College Expectations: These activities are paragraph #10 also designed to de- wistful: characterized by melancholy; longing; yearning velop the kinds of ill-conceived: badly conceived or planned vocabulary skills assessed by college paragraph #11 placement exams such inopportune: not opportune; inappropriate; inconvenient; untimely as the CSU English or unseasonable Placement Test and the UC Analytical Writing Placement Exam. paragraph #13 Students should be spectrum: a broad range of varied but related ideas or objects able to remote: out-of-the-way; secluded  Recognize word extensive: of great extent; wide; broad Assignment Template Version 1.1

meanings in context. modest: having or showing regard for the decencies of behavior,  Respond to tone and speech, dress, etc.; decent connotation. tonic: anything invigorating physically, mentally, or morally

Reading  First Reading  Looking Closely at Language  Rereading the Text  Analyzing Stylistic Choices  Considering the Structure of the Text

ELA Standards: First Reading Reading Comprehension Read the text with students. 2.1 Analyze both the features and the rhetorical devices of dif- Have a copy of the text on the ELMO projector. Stop and ask ferent types of public questions as the students read to check for understanding, documents (e.g., comprehension. policy statements, speeches, debates, Circle, highlight or underline any vocabulary words or other key platforms) and the way ideas. in which authors use those features and devices. 2.2 Analyze the way in which clarity of meaning is affected by the patterns of organization, hierarchical structures, repetition of main ideas, syntax, and word choice in the text.

ELA Standard: Looking Closely at Language Word Analysis, Fluency, and Sys- tematic Vocabulary Figure out the audience of the text. Look at the word “half slip,” Development “coworker,” and “tequila.” Ask students to figure out who the target 1.0 Students apply audience is based on the language their knowledge of word origins to deter- Look for the thesis. What is the main argument by the audience? mine the meaning of

4 The California State University Assignment Template Version 1.1 new words encountered in reading materials and use those words accurately.

ELA Standard: Rereading the Text Writing Strategies 1.7 Use systematic As you reread, list the different types of friends and the positive and strategies to organize negative aspects of each. This should be filled out on the post-reading and record information activity worksheet. Include marginal notations of: (e.g. anecdotal scripting, annotated - thesis circled and labeled in margin bibliographies). - -types of friends circled, labled in margin - positives and negatives highlighted or underlined. ELA Standard: - Keywords or phrases that help identify audience Reading - A summary of who the intended audience is written in the Comprehension margin on page one 2.2 Analyze the way in which clarity of meaning is affected by the patterns of organization, hierarchical structures, repetition of main ideas, syntax, and word choice in the text.

ELA Standard: Literary Response Analyzing Stylistic Choices and Analysis 3.3 Analyze the ways in which irony, tone, Look at the types of evidence. Why does she include the friends you mood, the author's love to hate. How does her use of hypothetical and personal examples work. Is her argument believable? Why doesn’t she use expert style, and the “sound” of language achieve authority evidence or statistical evidence? This part should be done in specific rhetorical or conjunction with the Questions on the back of the post-reading activity. aesthetic purposes or What is the connotation of ‘friends you love to hate?” does she hate both. them or love them?

College Expectations: What does the paragraph length suggest about the different types of These activities are friends? also designed to How do the hypothetical question strengthen or weaken her argument? develop the kinds of close reading skills assessed by college placement exams such as the CSU English Placement Test and the Assignment Template Version 1.1

UC Analytical Writing Placement Exam. Students should be able to  Draw inferences and conclusions.  Respond to tone and connotation. ELA Standards: Considering the Structure of the Text Reading Comprehension Discuss with class why does Winik use all these different examples? 2.1 Analyze both the How does that assist her argument or make it stronger? features and the rhetorical devices of different types of public Discuss author’s tone in the article. Use the post reading activity to documents (e.g., figure out where she changes in tone. What words or language she policy statements, uses convey the author’s tone? speeches, debates, platforms) and the way in which authors use those features and devices. 2.2 Analyze the way in which clarity of meaning is affected by the patterns of organization, hierarchical structures, repetition of main ideas, syntax, and word choice in the text.

Post-reading Activities  Summarizing and Responding  Thinking Critically

Prerequisite 7th Summarizing and Responding Grade ELA Standard: Writing This is again the Post- Reading Worksheets. Students are summarizing Applications the evidence that WInik presents in her article. On the back of this worksheet there are follow up questions to help students dig deeper into 2.5 Write summaries the text and make sure they can summarize her main argument and of reading materials: respond to her claims. a. Include the main ideas and most significant details. b. Use the student's

6 The California State University Assignment Template Version 1.1 own words, except for quotations. c. Reflect underlying meaning, not just the superficial details.

ELA Standard: Writing Applications 2.2 Write responses to literature: a. Demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of the significant ideas in works or passages. ELA Standards: Thinking Critically Reading Comprehension Either as a class or in small groups fill out the “Saying and Doing 2.4 Make warranted Chart.” Make sure that each paragraph is numbered. Have and reasonable assertions about the students divide into groups. As a class doing the first paragraph author’s arguments by together and summarize what the author is saying and doing. using elements of the Then have students work in groups. Come together at the end and text to defend and have each group fill out on the paper what the author is saying/ clarify interpretations. doing. 2.5 Analyze an author’s implicit and Also discuss Ethos, Logos, Pathos. Which of these does the author explicit philosophical appeal to and how? Which does she not appeal to and why? assumptions and beliefs about a subject. After we are all finished we will take a quiz on both the expository 2.6 Critique the power, vocab that students have learned, and we will take a quiz on the article validity, and using the expository vocab and making sure students have truthfulness of comprehended the article. arguments set forth in public documents; their appeal to both friendly and hostile audiences; and the extent to which the arguments anticipate and address reader concerns and counterclaims (e.g., appeal to reason, to authority, to pathos and emotion).

College Expectations: These questions are Assignment Template Version 1.1 also designed to develop the kinds of skills assessed by college placement exams such as the English Placement Test and the UC Analytical Writing Placement Exam. Students should be able to  Identify important ideas.  Understand direct statements.  Draw inferences and conclusions.  Detect underlying assumptions.  Recognize word meanings in context.  Respond to tone and connotation.

CONNECTING READING TO WRITING  WRITING TO LEARN  USING THE WORDS OF OTHERS

Writing to Learn

Prerequisite 9th-10th Using the Words of Others Grade ELA Standard: Reading Comprehension After two reads have students write a Precis using the Rhetorical Precis worksheet. I used direct instruction with this as a while class on the 2.4 Synthesize the ELMO. content from several sources or works by a single author dealing with a single issue; paraphrase the ideas and connect them to other sources and related topics to

8 The California State University Assignment Template Version 1.1 demonstrate comprehension.

Prerequisite 9th-10th Grade ELA Standards: Writing Strategies 1.5 Synthesize information from multiple sources and identify complexities and dis- crepancies in the information and the different perspectives found in each medium (e.g., almanacs, micro- fiches, news sources, in-depth field studies, speeches, journals, technical documents). 1.6 Integrate quotations and citations into a written text while maintaining the flow of ideas. 1.7 Use appropriate conventions for docu- mentations in the text, notes, and bibliographies by adhering to those in style manuals (e.g., Modern Lan- guage Association Handbook, The Chi- cago Manual of Style).

ELA Standard: Writing Strategies 1.7 Use systematic strategies to organize and record information (e.g., anecdotal scripting, annotated bibliographies). Assignment Template Version 1.1

WRITING RHETORICALLY  PREWRITING  WRITING  REVISING AND EDITING  EVALUATING AND RESPONDING

Prewriting  Reading the Assignment  Getting Ready to Write  Formulating a Working Thesis

ELA Standard: Reading the Assignment Writing Strategies 1.1 Demonstrate an Students will scan the Precis worksheet and I will explain how the understanding of the boxes at the bottom are examples to fill into the sentences. I will also elements of discourse explain that a Precis is like a summary, but has specific purposes for (e.g., purpose, speaker, each line. Each line functions to summarize a different part of a audience, form) when rhetorical text. completing narrative, expository, persuasive, informational, or Also remind students that even though they may not be familir with a descriptive writing Precis it is something they will be writing for the next 4 years so it is assignments. imperative they begin to understand how to write one. ELA Standard: Getting Ready to Write Writing Strategies

1.0 Students write It might be helpful to have the students have their copy of the article on coherent and focused their desk. The thesis sentence should be highlighted or underlined. It texts that convey a is also important they wrote somewhere in the margin who the intended well-defined perspec- audiece is. Make sure they have this noted on their copy. tive and tightly rea- soned argument. The writing demonstrates students’ awareness of the audience and purpose and progression through the stages of the writing process. ELA Standard: Formulating a Working Thesis Writing Strategies 1.3 Structure ideas and arguments in a sus-

10 The California State University Assignment Template Version 1.1 tained, persuasive, and sophisticated way and Since they are writing a Precis we will work on the thesis together, but support them with they should have the author’s main argument highlighted or underlined. precise and relevant examples.

Writing  Composing a Draft  Organizing the Essay  Developing the Content

ELA Standard: Composing a Draft Writing Strategies 1.3 Structure ideas and arguments in a sus- tained, persuasive, and We will work together to compose a draft Precis on the worksheet we sophisticated way and hand out. support them with precise and relevant examples.

ELA Standard: Organizing the Essay Writing Strategies 1.3 Structure ideas and arguments in a sus- Their précis should have 4 sentences which follows the draft. tained, persuasive, and sophisticated way and support them with precise and relevant examples.

ELA Standard: Developing the Content Writing Strategies 1.1 Demonstrate an Assignment Template Version 1.1 understanding of the elements of discourse (e.g., purpose, speaker, audience, form) when completing narrative, expository, persuasive, informational, or descriptive writing assignments.

Revising and Editing  Revising the Draft  Editing the Draft  Reflecting on the Writing

Prerequisite 9th and Revising the Draft 10th Grade ELA Standard: Writing Strategies 1.9 Revise writing to improve the logic and coherence of the organization and con- They will take the draft we wrote together in class and either trolling perspective, handwrite on a separate piece of paper making sure to have the the precision of word format and have grammar correct. choice, and the tone by taking into considera- tion the audience, purpose, and formality of the context.

ELA Standards: Writing Strategies 1.4 Enhance meaning by employing rhetorical devices, including the extended use of parallelism, repetition, and analogy; the in- corporation of visual aids (e.g. graphs, ta- bles, pictures); and the issuance of a call for action. 1.5 Use language in natural, fresh, and vivid ways to establish a specific tone.

1.9 Revise text to highlight individual voice, improve sentence variety and style, and enhance subtlety of meaning and tone in ways that are consis- tent with the purpose, audience, and genre.

Prerequisite 9th and Editing the Draft 10th Grade ELA Standards: Written and Oral English Students should be sure to use spell check when typing up their Language Precis. Conventions 1.1 Identify and cor- rectly use clauses (e.g., main and subordinate), and phrases (e.g., ger- und, infinitive, and participial), and me- chanics of punctuation (e.g., semicolons, colons, ellipses, hyphens). 1.2 Understand sentence construction (e.g., parallel structure, subordination, proper placement of modifi- ers) and proper Eng- lish usage (e.g., con- sistency of verb tenses). 1.3 Demonstrate an understanding of proper English usage and control of grammar, paragraph and sentence structure, diction, and syntax.

ELA Standards: Written and Oral English Language Conventions Assignment Template Version 1.1

1.1 Demonstrate control of grammar, diction, and paragraph and sentence structure and an understanding of English usage. 1.2 Produce legible work that shows accu- rate spelling and correct punctuation and capitalization. 1.3 Reflect appropriate manuscript require- ments in writing. Reflecting on the Writing

Students will receive graded Precis back with comments to be able to see what their strengths and weaknesses might have been.

Evaluating and Responding  Grading Holistically  Responding to Student Writing  Using Portfolios

Grading Holistically

This would be a great place to come up with a Precis rubric as a team.

Responding to Student Writing Hand back students papers with grades on it.

Using Portfolios

Have students put their Precis in their writing portfolio to review their Sophomore year.