ela/mme unit of study: grade 10 -...

Kelly Sassi, Laura Schiller, Kara Shuell, and Andrea Zellner Fall 2008

ELA/MME Unit of Study: WRITING Grade 10

A Writing Test Genre Study for

English Language Arts/Michigan Merit Exam

www.writingondemand.org

WRITING GENRE STUDY: TEACHER BACKGROUND Test Preparation Genre Study Varied Tasks and Varied Products This unit provides suggestions to better prepare your students for the ELA/MME Writing Test. Like the ten-day unit of study written by Linda Denstadt, Laura Schiller, and Judy Kelly for grades 3-8, this seven-day writing unit of study was designed as a test genre study. We emphasize that timed writing tests are just one genre of writing. Students should focus on becoming well-rounded writers, not just test-takers. The lessons are intended to remind students of what they already know as well as how to apply this knowledge to test preparation. Each day students are encouraged to make connections between the lesson and their own writing practice by writing a reflection in their journals. We included suggestions for homework and grading in each unit.

The unit positions students as knowledgeable and independent users of the following writing skills and strategies:

1. Using editing skills to answer objective questions about grammar 2. Analyzing prompts 3. Reading and scoring sample student essays using rubrics 4. Writing strong arguments 5. Dealing with time constraints

The Role of Metacognition Using metacognition to enhance learning will increase independent performance. Thinking aloud and reflection are useful tools for both instruction and assessment. Try to utilize all of these approaches throughout the year:

Optimum Timing We recommend that this unit be taught in the fall semester prior to the PLAN Test. ! Teacher modeling an internal exploratory process as she/he writes

or re-reads. ! Students noticing and naming the strategies used in a freewrite to

discuss how they impact writing. Key Strategies The unit focuses on key strategies for students, which create the biggest bump in performance and test-taking skills. However, the most important strategy is quality writing instruction that engages students in a wide range of craft, genre, and process study over an extended period of time. We value a writing life in which students apply this wide range of study to authentic writing experiences throughout the year. We are assuming good writing practices are modeled by teachers and utilized by students on a daily basis, not solely as the focus of test preparation. Each lesson builds on the previous day’s lesson, so it is important to teach the lessons in sequence. If teachers find extra work is needed on a particular strategy, they should use material from the unit of study for the previous grade level.

! Students pairing up to think aloud through their internal processes of writing and thinking.

! Students reflecting in their journals on their own thinking processes immediately after practicing a new skill.

Acknowledgements We wish to thank the staff at Oakland Schools for support throughout this project. We also thank Patricia Farrant at ACT for permission to use sample test questions and materials. Kelly Sassi, Kara Shuell, and Andrea Zellner

ELA/MME Unit of Study: Writing, Grade 10 Kelly Sassi, Laura Schiller, Kara Shuell, and Andrea Zellner Fall 2008 Oakland Schools Oakland Writing Project National Writing Projects of Michigan www.writingondemand.org

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ELA/MME Unit of Study: Writing, Grade 10 Kelly Sassi, Laura Schiller, Kara Shuell, and Andrea Zellner Winter/Spring 2008

ORGANIZATION OF DAILY LESSONS

In each lesson you will find common features, described below. We have written notes in standard font and possible directions for students in italics, though the exact wording should fit your teaching style and your particular group of students.

FOCUS The Focus of each day’s lesson is stated here. We recommend that you write the Focus on the board and tell students that you are going to explore it in that day’s activities.

CONNECTION This section explains how the day’s lesson is connected to the previous day’s lesson. It makes teaching more transparent to students and helps prepare them for the work to come.

SCAFFOLDING Recognizing that students are not all in the same place when it comes to preparing to write on a high-stakes exam, we provide suggestions for scaffolding instruction.

TEACHING POINTS Here you’ll find information for both you and your students on what we consider to be the most important points of the day’s Focus.

ACTIVE ENGAGEMENT Teaching points are usually followed by active engagement or opportunities for students to practice what they just learned.

CHARTS This icon signals that you and the students will create a chart. !

!OVERHEADS Most lessons include pages to be displayed on an overhead; they are designated by the presenter icon shown above. The Overheads are designed so that you can model for students how to use the strategies. A number of pages are designed to be used as both Handouts and Overheads; they will have both the Overhead and Handout icons.

HANDOUTS Each day’s lesson plan is followed by the Handouts needed for that day. Within each day’s lesson plan, you will see this icon, which signals when to pass out a Handout. Handouts are titled by day and number, both in the text and at the top of the Handout, e.g.: Day 3/Document 2.

REFLECTION This icon appears when students need to write in their journals. WRAP-UP The wrap-up is an opportunity for teachers to revisit the lesson Focus and the day’s activities, answer any final questions, and preview the next day’s lesson Focus. GRADEBOOK Each lesson ends with a suggestion for how teachers might use lesson activities for grading purposes.

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ELA/MME UNIT OF STUDY: WRITING, GRADE 10 Overview: Daily Focus DAY Writing Genre Study

45-60 minutes DAY Writing Genre Study

45-60 minutes

1 Dealing with Objective Test Questions on the PLAN English Test Students will use editing skills in a timed exam situation to look for errors and discuss grammar ! Grammar Focus: Subject/verb agreement ! Test tips

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Writing on Demand: Writing Effective Arguments: Body Paragraphs, Openings, and Closings Students will learn: ! How to combine assertions, evidence, and warranting into a

body paragraph ! The specific characteristics of effective openings and closings ! To see a connection between the descriptors on a rubric and

actual student writing

2 Dealing with Rhetorical Skills Questions on the PLAN English Test Students will: ! Continue to practice test-taking skills for the objective

section of the PLAN English Test ! Study the English Rhetorical Skills Questions, with a

focus on writer's strategy: ! Rhetorical skills focus: organization ! More test tips: What comes first?

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Writing on Demand: Dealing with Time Constraints Students will: ! Learn how to allocate their time during a practice timed essay

exam ! Make the best use of the following parts of the writing

process: prewriting/generating ideas, drafting, and editing/proofreading

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Writing on Demand: Effective Prompt Analysis Students will: ! Learn to consider three key features of any prompt: topic,

purpose, and audience ! Use prompt analysis to set up an essay

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Writing on Demand: Putting it All Together Students will: ! Evaluate the essays they wrote on Day 6 ! Reflect on what they have learned about the genre of Writing

on Demand ! Create their own strategies for tackling the test

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Writing on Demand: Understanding Rubrics Students will: ! Analyze rubrics for the purpose of improving their focus

in a timed writing test ! Score student essays and write justifications for the

scores

NOTE TO TEACHER: To address test preparation for the English Test, please note that certain skills are addressed in the ELA/MME Unit of Study: Reading Grades 9-11, available on the Oakland Schools’ website: www.oakland.k12.mi.us/elammeELA/MME Writing Units, Grades 9-11 can also be found at this website

http://www.oakland.k12.mi.us/meapwriting

DAY 1 FOCUS: Dealing with Objective Test Questions on the PLAN English Test

NOTE TO TEACHERS: Days 1-2 of the unit focus on the PLAN English Test, which is multiple choice. Days 3-7 focus on writing-on-demand skills. The PLAN English has very specific types of questions.

SCAFFOLDING: Students may benefit from a review of standard usage of subjects and verbs.

MATERIALS: Students should keep all materials for this unit in the “ELA/MME Units of Study: Student Materials Folder” since they will need to use some of them again on subsequent days. This unit uses PLAN, Sample Test Booklet and Answer Sheet—26D (English Test, Passage IV and Questions 38-50). (This retired test is available from the ACT by ordering from the attached form or calling 319/337-1429) ! Day 1/Document 1 (Handout/Overhead): PLAN English Test

Structure (p. 8) ! Day 1/Document 2 (Overhead): Remember POE (p.9) ! Day 1/Document 3 (Handout/Overhead): PLAN English

Strategies: D.W. Griffith Passage (p. 10 - 11) ! Day 1/Document 4: Teacher Model: PLAN English Strategies

(p. 12) ! Day 1/Document 5 (Handout/Overhead): D.W. Griffith

Passage: Answer Key with Explanations (p. 13) ! Day 1/Document 6 (Handout): 26D: Passage IV: Creatures of

Good, Monsters of Evil (p. 14 -15) ! Day 1/Document 7 (Handout/Overhead): 26D: Passage IV:

Answers and Labels (p. 16)

! Day 1/Document 8 (Overhead/Handout): Grammar Cheat Sheet: Subject-Verb Agreement (p. 17)

CONNECTION: Today we will focus on strategies for the PLAN English Test. Some of the testing strategies from the Reading Test, such as Process of Elimination, can also be used on the English Test.

HANDOUT: Day 1/Document 1: PLAN English Test Structure

TEACHING POINT 1: In order to maximize the strategies we’ll be discussing, we must first understand the structure of the test. The PLAN English Test has 50 questions, and you will have 30 minutes to complete it. That means you will have 36 seconds per question. The test contains four passages. You will read each passage, then answer 10-12 questions pertaining to that passage. On the PLAN English Test there are two types of questions: Grammar and Usage Questions and Rhetorical Skills Questions. Knowing the test structure will help you anticipate the types of questions and what the questions are asking.

TEACHING POINT 2: Before we get into specific testing strategies for the PLAN English Test, remember that Process of Elimination (POE) is a useful strategy on any multiple-choice test. Display Day 1/Document 2 (Remember POE). We are going to answer this question together. Remember, when you use the POE, you look for answers that are obviously wrong and eliminate them BEFORE choosing the correct answer. In this question, we are going to first focus on answer choices we know are wrong, so that we can narrow it down to the correct answer. If you come to a choice you are not sure about, leave it alone for now and come back to it later. Be sure to avoid eliminating an answer about which you are not sure: it may turn out to be the correct answer. Model POE by going through each answer choice. Be sure to cross off the entire answer

ELA/MME Unit of Study: Writing, Grade 10 Kelly Sassi, Laura Schiller, Kara Shuell, and Andrea Zellner Winter/Spring 2008 Oakland Schools Oakland Writing Project National Writing Projects of Michigan www.writingondemand.org

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choice to physically show that the answer choice is off limits. Students will see that even if they didn’t know the exact date of the Declaration of Independence, they still can arrive at the correct answer by eliminating the choices they know are incorrect.

HANDOUT: Day 1/Document 3: PLAN English Strategies: D.W. Griffith Passage

TEACHING POINT 3: The PLAN English Test has a format that is unique to this test. Let’s look at a couple sample PLAN English questions from the PLAN website. Use Day 1/Document 3 (PLAN English Strategies: D.W. Griffith Passage). Notice how the test items are worded—most are not traditional questions. Instead, they make statements that you must correctly complete. Notice that the passage contains underlined words and phrases. These underlined words and phrases are numbered in the passage, and they are the focus of the test items following the passage. Good test takers understand what the question is asking before answering it. On the PLAN English Test, you figure out what the question is asking by first looking at the answer choices. ! See Day 1/Document 4: Teacher Model: PLAN English

Strategies ! NOTE: Tomorrow’s focus is entirely on how to handle

Rhetorical Skills Questions. Students should focus on one type at a time. This ensures that students will learn and effectively employ the strategies for each question type.

TEACHING POINT 4: You have identified what the questions look like, determined what each question is asking, and reviewed the POE strategy. Now, you are going to take a practice test section.

HANDOUT: Day 1/Document 6: 26D: Passage IV: Creatures of Good, Monsters of Evil

ACTIVE ENGAGEMENT: You will read a passage. The underlined portion of the passage is in question. From the choices provided, determine how the underlined portion should be changed. Remember to think about what the question is asking and to always use POE. You will have 7 minutes to complete this section of 13 questions.

When time is up, give students a moment to identify the types of questions they have just answered: Grammar and Usage Questions (e.g., comma, punctuation, adverb usage, adjective usage); and Rhetorical Skills Questions (e.g., organization, transitions, redundancy, author’s purpose, effective argument). Use terms with which your students are familiar.

HANDOUT: Day 1/Document 7: 26D Passage IV: Answers and Labels.

Go over answers and labels with the students.

HANDOUT: Day 1/Document 8: Grammar Cheat Sheet: Subject-Verb Agreement

TEACHING POINT 5: One test strategy we have discussed is POE, where you eliminate obviously wrong answer choices by discovering what is wrong with them. On one or two questions, model for students how to determine the wrong answer. Day 1/Document 5 (D.W. Griffith Passage: Answer Key with Explanations) gives one possible model for this process. Question 4


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is a Grammar and Usage Question on the D.W. Griffith passage that tests for verb usage. Refer to the “Grammar Cheat Sheet” (Day 1/ Document 8) when discussing standard Subject-Verb agreement usage. ACTIVE ENGAGEMENT: Now, using your Grammar Cheat Sheet (Day 1/Document 8) you are going to write an explanation for why each incorrect answer choice is wrong for question 47 on Day 1/Document 6 (Passage IV: Creatures of Good, Monsters of Evil). First, explain why answer J is correct; then, provide explanations for why answer choices F, G and H, individually, are the wrong answers.

TEST TRICKS! ! Remember to read the sentences before and after the

underlined portion: “read around” the question. Often times the PLAN Test writers hide clues and hints in the surrounding text.

! Once you’ve used POE to arrive at the answer, read the entire sentence with your answer choice to make sure that you have really chosen the best answer. Also, don’t be fooled into thinking that your first answer is best: studies of high-scoring test-takers showed that their second instinct was usually correct!

! NO CHANGE means the underlined portion stays the same ! Remember: OMIT means to delete the underlined portion.

CHART: Let’s chart a STUDENT TEST-TAKING

CHECKLIST to write down our new testing knowledge for the objective PLAN English Test. Remember to include the following:

! Always remember to use POE. ! Remember to “read around” for hints and clues. ! Always check your final answer: remember, your first instinct

may be incorrect. ! Use your knowledge of grammar, usage, and mechanics to

select the correct answer on objective questions. ! On objective questions, remember to think of why the wrong

answers are wrong. ! Remember that OMIT means to delete and NO CHANGE

means to keep the underlined portion the same. ! Remember that OMIT and NO CHANGE are often correct. ! Remember to identify the subject before deciding on which

verb to use. WRAP UP: Today we worked on our editing skills. You learned how to know what the question is asking, recognize wrong answers, and use your knowledge of subject-verb agreement and POE to get to the correct answers. In the next lesson, we will learn about how best to tackle the PLAN English Rhetorical Skills Questions. GRADEBOOK: For today, teachers may want to give a grade for student work with the practice items and identifying the wrong answers.


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GRADE 10: Day 1/Document 1

!!!PLAN English Test Structure The PLAN English Test is primarily a test of your editing skills. Let’s take a closer look at the specific structure of this test: Timing:

! 50 questions ! 30 minutes

(36 seconds per question) Passages to Read:

! Four passages (essays) ! ~10-12 questions per passage

Types of Questions:

! 30 Grammar and Usage Questions ! Focus on standard usage

! 20 Rhetorical Skills Questions " Focus on organization, transitions, quality of

argument/writing

" Focus on “purpose, audience, unity and focus,” just like when writing an essay

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Remember POE: Process of Elimination

Practice Process of Elimination on the following question:

1. In what year was the Declaration of Independence signed? A. 1492 B. 1776 C. 1863 D. 1987

Of course, Answer Choice B is correct!

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GRADE 10: Day 1: Document 3 GRADE 10: Day 1: Document 3

!!PLAN English Strategies: D.W. Griffith Passage

English Test " ACT, used by permission Directions: In the passage that follows, certain words and phrases are underlined and numbered. In the right-hand column, you will find alternatives for the underlined part. In most cases, you are to choose the one that best expresses the idea, makes the statement appropriate for standard written English, or is worded most consistently with the style and tone of the passage as a whole. If you think the original version is best, choose “NO CHANGE.” In some cases, you will find in the right-hand column a question about the underlined part. You are to choose the best answer to the question. You will also find questions about a section of the passage, or about the passage as a whole. These questions do not refer to an underlined portion of the passage, but rather are identified by a number or numbers in a box. For each question, choose the alternative you consider best and fill in the corresponding oval on your answer folder. Read the passage through once before you begin to answer the questions that accompany it. For many of the questions, you must read several sentences beyond the question to determine the answer. Be sure that you have read far enough ahead each time you choose an alternative. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ D. W. Griffith and the Art of the Close-Up

[1] In the late 1890s, thousands of people crowded into penny arcades across the country to see a remarkable new invention: the movie. Seldom longer than one minute, the first movies were simply recordings of everyday events. A distantly speeding train toward 1 the camera or a man watering his garden—these were typical subjects.

[2] Within ten years, the movies were telling ten-minute stories. But they were still primitive, because moviemakers were still recording the story from only one viewpoint, just as their predecessors recorded the speeding train. For example, supposing the story 2 called for a young man to propose marriage. The moviemaker would place the camera far from the stage, recording the entire scene from this single 3 position.

[3] [1] It took the genius of D.W. Griffith to change this method of filming. [2] When we watch this proposal scene, he argued, our eyes move.

(passage continues on next page)

1. A. NO CHANGE B. train speeding distantly C. distant train speeding D. train, distantly speeding 2. F. NO CHANGE G. supposedly H. suppose J. I suppose 3. A. NO CHANGE B. turn the camera and record the entire scene

placing it far from C. record, place the camera far away, and turn to D. turn, start, and recording

grammar usage: verb question

" ACT, used by permission

comma question

grammar usage: adjectives and adverbs


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[3] We watch the expressions on the faces of the characters; we look at the hands as the man [3] We watch the expressions on the faces of the characters; we look at the hands as the man presentedpresented the engagement ring to the woman. 4 [4] Why Griffith asked, can’t the camera be our eyes? 5 [5] Why can’t we have close-ups of the faces of the man and woman, or of the hands as the man gives his fiancee the ring? 6

[4] Some said it wouldn’t go over so big. Audiences 7 would be confused if the screen were suddenly filled by a face, let alone a pair of hands and a ring! But Griffith proved the skeptics wrong. By carefully placing close-ups into his scenes, audiences could feel the actors’ emotions and 8 the story’s suspense. By 1917, Griffith was so confident of his style that, he boldly filled 9 the screen with a close-up of a woman’s nervous hands to convey it’s anguish at the injustice in 10 the world. That close-up, in the film Intolerance, became famous.

4. F. NO CHANGE G. presents H. having presented J. has presented 5. A. NO CHANGE B. Why? Griffith asked, can’t C. Why? Griffith asked. Can’t D. Why, Griffith asked, can’t 6. Which of the following sequences of sentences will make Paragraph 3 flow most logically? F. NO CHANGE G. 2, 1, 3, 5, 4 H. 3, 5, 1, 2, 4 J. 4, 5, 1, 2, 3 7. A. NO CHANGE B. wouldn’t be a big deal. C. wouldn’t go too good. D. would never work. 8. F. NO CHANGE G. audiences began a feeling for H. he made audiences feel J. audiences, he felt, would experience 9. A. NO CHANGE B. which he boldly C. that he boldly D. that bold, he 10. F. NO CHANGE G. its H. to them J. her

Question 11 asks about the passage as a whole. 11. Suppose that the writer wanted to add the following sentence to the essay: Film director Martin Scorsese, greatly influenced by the work of Griffith, labeled Intolerance one of the ten greatest films ever. This sentence would most logically fit into: A. Paragraph 1. B. Paragraph 3.

rhetorical skills: writer’s strategy, evidence

C. the beginning of Paragraph 4. D. the end of Paragraph 4.

grammar & usage: pronoun

rhetorical skills: word choice

grammar & usage: verb usage

grammar:relative pronoun/adj/adv


grammar & usage:

verb usage

verb usage

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GRADE 10: Day 1: Document 4 Teacher model: PLAN English Strategies

The following is an example of a think-aloud rationale that accompanies the “PLAN English strategies” handout: On the PLAN English Test, the questions have a specific look. First, you are presented with a passage. At certain points in the passage, specific sections are underlined: they may be words, phrases or sentences that are underlined. These are usually grammar and usage questions.

READ AROUND When tackling a PLAN English question, it is important to “read around” the underlined portion. Often, the PLAN gives little hints and clues to help get to the correct answer, and if I “read around” the question, I will see these hints. This means that I should read a few words or sentences before the underlined portion and a few sentences after the underlined portion.

UNDERSTANDING WHAT THE QUESTION IS ASKING On the PLAN English Test, another strategy is to identify what the question is asking. For example, on Day 1/ Document 3, Question 2 focuses on the underlined section, “supposing.” First, “read around” what the question is asking, and see that the sentence currently states, “For example, supposing the story called for a young man to propose marriage.” Reading around tells me that whatever I choose needs to make sense within the larger sentence—the author wants me to imagine a hypothetical situation. Second, I look at the answer choices. When I look at the answer choices, it is clear the PLAN is testing standard verb usage:

! Answer Choice F is to leave the sentence as it is: NO CHANGE ! Answer Choice G is to change the underlined portion to “supposedly” ! Answer Choice H is to change the underlined portion to “suppose” ! Answer Choice J is change the underlined portion to “I suppose”

The strategy here is to notice what is changing in the answer choices. This helps me to know what the question is asking. I do this BEFORE I start Process of Elimination. In Question 2, I see very quickly that this question is testing standard usage of verbs, precisely because the verb is what is different between each answer choice. The words “supposing,” suppose” and “supposedly” are what is changing from one answer choice to the next. These are all adverbs in an idiomatic expression. This tells me that I should think back to what I know of standard usage of verbs to determine what I can eliminate and what I should keep. Quite quickly, I see that the only answer choice that makes sense idiomatically is answer choice H. Still, I double check the other answers. F is the wrong verb tense. G is an adverb. Finally, J adds an additional subject, which makes the sentence nonsensical. Therefore, answer choice H is our best answer.

Next, let’s look at a punctuation question. When I look at Question 5, I see right away that each answer choices have different punctuation options:

! Answer choice A has only one comma, after “asked” ! Answer choice B adds a question mark after “Why” ! Answer Choice C adds a question mark after “Why” and a period after “asked” ! Answer Choice D has a comma after “Why” and after “asked”.

Now that I know what the question is asking, I can use my knowledge of standard punctuation usage to get closer to an answer. The best answer is D. “Griffith asked” is a part of the sentence that is not grammatically essential. We see a set off non-essential elements with a comma on both sides. Answer choice A is confusing—we need the second comma. Answer choice B and C use a question mark that breaks up the sentence and makes it confusing.

Finally, let’s examine what a PLAN English Rhetorical Skills Question looks like. PLAN rhetorical questions focus on audience, purpose, organization, style, argument, and transitions. Question 6 is a rhetorical question: specifically, in Question 6, I must decide the order of the paragraphs. Tomorrow, we will go over specific strategies to handle this sort of question. For today, just practice recognizing which are Rhetorical Skills Questions and which are Grammar and Usage Questions.


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!!D.W. Griffith Passage: Answer Key with Explanations

Taken from the PLAN website: http://www.act.org

1. The best answer is C. It offers the only idiomatically acceptable wording (adjective before the noun it modifies). Answer choice A modifies the noun with an adverb, answer choice B has an adverb that doesn’t modify the verb, and answer choice D has a misplaced comma and an adverb used incorrectly.

2. The best answer is H, because in makes the most sense idiomatically. In addition, the sentence requires a verb, so answer choice G is incorrect because it is an adverb. Answer choice F is in the wrong tense, and answer choice J adds an additional subject.

3. The best answer is A. The subject is moviemaker, and the verb phrase needs to begin with a verb. Adding the words turn and record (in Answer choices B, C, and D) are both redundant.

4. The best answer is G. The tense required from the context is present tense. Answer choice G is the only answer choice in present tense. Answer choice F is in the past, while the use of the helping verb in answer choices H and J indicate past perfect tense.

5. The best answer is D. Griffith asked is a part of the sentence that is not grammatically essential. We set off non-essential elements with a comma on both sides. Answer choice A is confusing—we need the second comma. Answer choice B and C use a question mark, which breaks up the sentence and makes it confusing.

6. The best answer is F. It is the only answer choice with the current order of paragraphs, which is the most logical order. Beginning with sentences 2, 3 or 4 would make the paragraph confusing.

7. The best answer is D. Answer choices B, C, and D employ the contraction wouldn’t and informal language. This does not match the tone of the rest of the passage. Answer choice D uses would never to avoid the contraction and uses a more formal word choice.

8. The best answer is H. It proposes the best phrasing by adding a subject he and a verb in the correct tense, feel. Answer choices F, G, and J offer no subject or add unnecessary auxiliary verbs (would).

9. The best answer is C. It logically presents this verb phrase as a relative clause with a subject and an adverb modifying the verb filled. Answer choices A, B, and C offer an unnecessary comma (A), the wrong relative pronoun (which in B), or bold instead of boldly, which makes the sentence nonsensical.

10. The best answer is J. The antecedent in this sentence is a woman; her hands convey her emotion. Therefore, any answer choice with it is incorrect, as in answers F and G. Answer choice H is incorrect because no preposition is required, nor is there a plural antecedent.

11. The best answer is D. It is the only choice that places the new sentence at the beginning of the paragraph. This new sentence introduces Intolerance, the movie whose shots are discussed in paragraph 4. It wouldn’t make sense to add this sentence to another paragraph—this means answers A and B are incorrect. Finally, adding the sentence at the end of Paragraph 4 would leave the paragraph with an awkward ending.

http://actstudent.org/plan/tests/index.html



















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26D: Passage IV: Creatures of Good, Monsters of Evil

[1]

Frequently depicted as fire-breathers with scaly skin, batlike wings and terrifying claws, dragons figure prominently in world mythology. These creatures, envisioned differently by different cultures, have assumed diverse—often contradictory—symbolic roles for people throughout the world. The Latin word for dragon has been applied to some types of lizards. 38

[2] One of the oldest documented dragon stories, a 39 Babylonian creation myth known throughout the 40 world. The world began, according to this story, when the god Marduk slew the dragon Tiamat and divides the beasts body. The heavens were 41 formed from one half of the corpse, and the earth was formed from the other.

[3] Aztecs and Toltecs in Mexico worshipped Quetzacoatl, the feathered serpent, as a creator and bringer of education and civilization. Defeated in battle by Tezcatlipoca, the god of the night sky, the dragonlike Quetzalcoatl was forced to flee from his home.

[4] In China, dragons have been revered as omens in 42 good fortune. Chinese stories often feature wise and benevolent dragons that manipulate weather, control

(passage continued on next page)

38. F. NO CHANGE G. Some modern species of lizards are also called dragons. H. Some lizard species, such as that found on Komodo in Indonesia, are a modern version of dragons. J. OMIT the underlined portion. 39. A. NO CHANGE

B. stories is C. stories, and D. stories, which is

40. Assuming that all the choices are true, which one best supports a claim made earlier in this sentence? F. NO CHANGE G. that was translated into many languages. H. that has dramatic characters and action. J. recorded almost 4,000 years ago. 41. A. NO CHANGE B. divides the beast’s C. divides the beasts D. divided the beast’s 42. F. NO CHANGE G. of H. with J. OMIT the underlined portion



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GRADE 10: Day 1/Document 6 (cont.) GRADE 10: Day 1/Document 6 (cont.) rivers and guard treasures accordingrivers and guard treasures according to these 43 stories, dragon bones, when crushed to a powder, possess medicinal powers, curing 44 gallstones, fevers, and paralysis. Likewise, a dragon’s teeth can cure insanity and headaches.

[5] Dragons that appear in European stories, however, are usually far less helpful. European dragons are often seen, as catalysts of death and 45 destruction. However, they poison the water, scorch the 46 earth, and terrorize people. European stories immortalized heroes such as St. George and Sir Lancelot, who slew these monsters. Some modern European fantasy tales, such as J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit, with its fearsome dragon, Smaug, have 47 carried on the creature’s evil images in fantasy stories from Europe. [49] 48

[6] So is the dragon friend or foe, that largely 50 depends on one’s point of view.

43. A. NO CHANGE B. treasures, but according C. treasures, according D. treasures. According

44. F. NO CHANGE G. have the healing touch, H. can revitalize new life into a person, J. are able to give back and restore a

person’s health,

45. A. NO CHANGE B. seen as catalysts, of death C. seen as catalysts of death D. seen as catalysts of death,

46. F. NO CHANGE G. Therefore, they H. Despite this, they J. They

47. A. NO CHANGE B. Smaug, has C. Smaug have D. Smaug has

48. F. NO CHANGE G. through recent European fantasy literature. H. in modern fantasy tales. J. OMIT the underlined portion and end the sentence with a period.

49. The writers is considering deleting the preceding sentence. If the writer did this, the paragraph would primarily lose a: A. statement that supports the paragraph’s main point by adding a more recent example.

B. detail that is irrelevant to the main point of the paragraph.

C. point that undermines the main point of the paragraph by contradicting earlier statements. D. transitional device linking Paragraph 5 to Paragraph 6.

50. F. NO CHANGE G. foe. That H. foe? That I. foe; that

5" ACT, used by permission


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!!!26D: Passage IV: Answers and Labels

Qu. Correct Answer

Type of Question

38 J Rhetorical Skills Question: writer’s strategy: concluding 39 B Grammar and Usage Question: sentence fragment 40 J Rhetorical Skills Question: writer’s strategy: support

41 D Grammar and Usage Question: verb usage and apostrophe usage

42 G Grammar and Usage Question: preposition (idiomatic) usage

43 D Grammar and Usage Question: punctuation question 44 F Rhetorical Skills Question: redundancy 45 C Grammar and Usage Question: comma usage 46 J Rhetorical Skills Question: transitions

47

A

This is a Grammar and Usage Question: Subject-verb agreement. The subject of this sentence is “European fantasy tales” and is interrupted by a number of phrases in commas. Therefore, the verb needs to agree in number (tales=plural). Answer choice A has the plural verb “have.” Answer choices B and D both contain a singular verb “has” and can be eliminated. Since “Smaug” is not the subject, we need a comma between “Smaug” and the verb. Therefore, we can eliminate C as it has no comma. Answer choice A is the correct answer.

48 J Rhetorical Skills Question: redundancy 49 A Rhetorical Skills Question: writer’s strategy: support 50 H Grammar and Usage Question: punctuation


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!!!Grammar Cheat Sheet: Subject-Verb Agreement Grammar Cheat Sheet: Subject-Verb Agreement It seems like it would be easy to notice when there are agreement problems, but sometimes it is difficult to note what is really going on with a sentence. First, some terminology: The subject of a sentence is who or what the sentence is about:

! I went to the store. (Subject=I) ! Johnny and Bobby ate worms. (Subject=Johnny and Bobby)

When discussing the idea of subject-verb agreement, we also need to find the verb or verb phrase of the sentence.

! Johnny and Bobby could have eaten chicken. (verb phrase= could have eaten) ! I went to the arcade later. (verb=went)

The rule to follow is that subjects and verbs need to agree in number. Singular subjects get singular verbs. Plural subjects get plural verbs. Sounds simple, right? As long as you can identify the subject and verb of a sentence, you will be fine. The PLAN likes to trick readers by using prepositional phrases, unusual word order and compound subjects or collective nouns as subjects. Luckily for us, we are too smart to be tricked: Prepositional Phrases: a favorite of the PLAN/ACT

! The basket of apples, bananas, and other foods was delivered to the sick grandmother.

Some folks might think that the verb should be plural (were), instead of was. The prepositional phrase comes between the subject and the verb, making this a little tricky. If you can identify the subject as basket, you know the verb should be was. Unusual word order Remember: always find the subject BEFORE determining whether or not the verb agrees.

! There on the table were the remains of a large dinner. The verb were agrees with the subject remains

ELA/MME Unit of Study: Writing, Grade 10 Kelly Sassi, Laura Schiller, Kara Shuell, and Andrea Zellner Winter/Spring 2008 Oakland Schools Oakland Writing Project 4National Writing Projects of Michigan www.writingondemand.org

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DAY 2 FOCUS: Dealing with Rhetorical Skills Questions on the PLAN English Test NOTE TO TEACHERS: Days 1 –2 of the unit focus on the PLAN English Test, which is multiple choice. Days 3 – 7 have a focus of on-demand writing skills. The PLAN English Test has very specific types of questions.

SCAFFOLDING: Students may benefit from further study of rhetorical strategies. For more strategies, please see the Ninth and Tenth grade MME Units of Study: Reading. MATERIALS: Students should keep all materials for this unit in the “ELA/MME Units of Study: Student Materials Folder” since they will need to use some of them again on subsequent days. If you wish to give students additional practice with rhetorical skills questions, be sure to order PLAN Sample Test 26D. (This retired test is available from the ACT by ordering from the attached form or calling 319/337-1429) For Rhetorical Skills Questions, we recommend using Passage III, Questions 26-37 of this test. Otherwise, use the sample PLAN passage from Writing, Grade 9, Day 2/Document 5 (Tuning in During the Twenties). ! Day 2/Document 1 (Handout/Overhead): Anatomy of a Rhetorical Skills Question (p. 20) ! Day 2/Document 2 (Handout/Overhead): Rhetorical Skills Cheat Sheet: What Comes First? (p. 21) ! Day 2/Document 3: 26D: Passage III—Answers and Labels (p. 22)

CONNECTION: Yesterday we learned about the structure of the PLAN English Test and how to determine what the questions are asking. We also learned criteria for eliminating wrong answers using

Process of Elimination (POE) and reviewed standard pronoun usage. Today we will focus on strategies for the PLAN English Rhetorical Skills Questions.

HANDOUT: Day 2/Document 1: Anatomy of a Rhetorical Skills Question

TEACHING POINT 1: The PLAN English Test tests your ability to recognize grammar, as well as your knowledge of good writing. This is where the PLAN English Rhetorical Skills Questions come in. PLAN English Rhetorical Skills Questions focus on organization, effective transitions, eliminating repetition or redundancy; the quality of the argument, thesis and evidence; and writing strategy, purpose, audience, unity and focus. Basically, the PLAN English Rhetorical Skills Question seeks to test whether or not you can distinguish strong from weak writing, and if you can offer solutions to remedy the weak writing. Point out the question stem and answer choices. Note that the rhetorical questions often have questions before the answer choices: students get used to the Grammar and Usage items without a question, and sometimes actually SKIP OVER the Rhetorical Question’s stem to go straight to the answer choices and become confused.

HANDOUT: Day 2/Document 2: Rhetorical Skills Cheat Sheet: What Comes First?

TEACHING POINT 2: On PLAN English rhetorical questions, one of the skills you will have to employ will be the ability to determine the most logical order for ideas in a sentence. You will also have to put sentences in logical order within a paragraph, and paragraphs in logical order within a passage. These questions can


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get confusing if you don’t focus on what they are asking. Use Day 2/Document 2 (Rhetorical Skills Cheat Sheet: What Comes First?). With so many options for ordering ideas, it is important to decide which word, sentence, or paragraph should come first. Then, work from there. Go over the handout. Note that the answer choices can look confusing, but if students decide what comes first, they can use POE to determine the correct answer.

CHART: Let’s add to the chart we made yesterday: THE STUDENT TEST-TAKING CHECKLIST to write down our

new testing knowledge for the objective tests. Remember to decide “What comes first?” on ordering questions. NOTE TO TEACHER: For additional practice, have students take seven minutes to answer the questions for Passage III in PLAN booklet 26D. For your convenience, the answers and labels for this passage are included in Day 2/Document 3: 26D: Passage III—Answers and Labels. WRAP UP: Today we worked on our editing skills. Now you know how to determine what the question is asking, recognize wrong answers, and use your knowledge of Rhetorical Skills Questions and POE to get to the correct answers. In the next lesson, we will learn about effective prompt analysis for the on-demand writing tasks. GRADEBOOK: For today, teachers may want to give a grade for participating in the practice items and for practicing identifying the wrong answers.


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!!!Anatomy of a Rhetorical Skills Question

PLAN Rhetorical Skills Questions: ! Test your ability to recognize “writer’s strategy” ! This includes:

o Determining the BEST organization for a passage o Determining the BEST transitions for the passage o Determining the quality of the writer’s argument o Determining whether the writer has:

# A clear purpose # A clear audience # A sense of unity # A sense of focus

! This means that you will have to consider the passage as a whole, including its tone, point of view, topic, and purpose.

HERE IS WHAT A RHETORICAL SKILLS QUESTION LOOKS LIKE:

Paragraph 2 (From sample test in Grade 9, Day 2/Document 5: PLAN English Test Strategies:

Tuning in During the Twenties)

[1] Then a vice president of Westinghouse, looking for a way to make the transmission of radio signals more profitable, decided on a two-fold strategy. [2] First, he would entice an audience with daily programming of a great variety. [3] Second, he would sell this audience the radio receivers necessary to listen to this entertainment. [4] The plan succeeded beyond anyone’s expectations. 5. Which of the following sequences of sentences will make Paragraph 2 most logical?

When ACT gives you a question like this, be sure to read carefully.

A. NO CHANGE B. 1, 4, 3, 2 C. 2, 1, 3, 4 D. 4, 1, 2, 3


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!!!Rhetorical Skills Cheat Sheet: What Comes First? The PLAN Rhetorical Skills Questions often test whether you are able to sense the logical order of words within a sentence, sentences within a paragraph, or paragraphs within a passage.

Rhetorical Skills Test Trick: What comes first? The PLAN Test tries to trick test-takers by giving many confusing choices. Before getting bogged down in the answer choices, decide what word, sentence, or paragraph should come first. Then, eliminate all answer choices that don’t match. Sometimes, it is a one-stop process! You don’t have to order all of the sentences—just the first!! In the example below, two steps are needed: first, we decide that sentence [1] should be the first sentence in the paragraph, which leads us to eliminate choices C and D. Second, we can eliminate choice B because sentences [2] and [3] cannot logically be reversed because of their first words (“First” and “Second”). This leaves A as the only possible correct choice.

Paragraph 2 (From sample test in Grade 9, Day 2/Document 5: PLAN English Test Strategies:

Tuning in During the Twenties)

[1] Then a vice president of Westinghouse, looking for a way to make the transmission of radio signals more profitable, decided on a two-fold strategy. [2] First, he would entice an audience with daily programming of a great variety. [3] Second, he would sell this audience the radio receivers necessary to listen to this entertainment. [4] The plan succeeded beyond anyone’s expectations. 5. Which of the following sequences of sentences will make Paragraph 2 most logical?

A. NO CHANGE B. 1, 4, 3, 2 C. 2, 1, 3, 4 D. 4, 1, 2, 3


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!!26D: Passage III – Answer and Labels

Qu. Correct Answer

Type of Question

26 H Rhetorical Skills Question: transitions 27 C Rhetorical Skills Question: transitions.

28 G Grammar and Usage Question: pronoun usage/apostrophe

29 D Grammar and Usage Question: pronoun usage/parallelism

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F

Rhetorical Skills Question: When reading this paragraph, the first sentence is clearly an opening sentence and it should come first. This means that Answer choice G is incorrect. Answer choice H is incorrect, because Sentence 5 has no transition, which is the same with answer choice J. Therefore, Answer choice F is correct: deciding what comes first let us know what needed to come last.

31 A Rhetorical Skills Question: writer’s strategy: introduction 32 F Rhetorical Skills Question: redundancy 33 B Grammar and Usage Question: punctuation 34 H Grammar and Usage Question: verb usage 35 B Grammar and Usage Question: verb usage.

36 J Grammar and Usage Question: relative pronouns/commas

37 D Grammar and Usage Question: verb usage


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DAY 3

FOCUS: Writing on Demand: Effective Prompt Analysis NOTE TO TEACHERS: While a well-written, but slightly off-topic essay may be acceptable in some in-class writing assignments, professional writing exam scorers are instructed to give the lowest mark to such essays. Therefore, it is crucial that all students know how to analyze a prompt so that they can write an essay that addresses the prompt correctly and completely.

SCAFFOLDING This lesson requires students to read and analyze prompts. If students are having difficult with this task, please use the Ninth Grade Days 3 and 4 to supplement this lesson. MATERIALS: Students should keep all materials for this unit in the “ELA/MME Units of Study: Student Materials Folder” since they will need to use some of them again on subsequent days. You also should copy the handouts onto overhead transparencies. ! Student journals ! Day 3/Document 1 (Handout/Overhead): Prompt Analysis

Worksheet (p. 25) ! Day 3/Document 2 (Handout/Overhead): Sample Prompt

Analysis (p. 26) ! Overhead transparency markers

CONNECTION: Yesterday you worked on the objective portion of the English Exam. Today you will learn how to analyze prompts. Good test takers know how to analyze the prompts for the writing tasks on the PLAN Test essays.

HANDOUT: Day 3/Document 1: Prompt Analysis Worksheet TEACHING POINT 1: Writers, you know the prompt always has a topic, purpose, and audience. By taking time to consider these features of the prompt, you will make sure you are on target and discover strategies for answering the prompt competently. Review the prompt with a quick “tour” and notice and name the parts:

o Topic: What is the clear focus? o Purpose: What is the purpose? o Audience: Who is the audience and what does that mean?

Writers, now fill out the Prompt Analysis Worksheet to respond to these questions. TEACHING POINT 2: You can see that in order to fulfill the purpose of this writing task, you will need to demonstrate the ability to create a strong argument. We are going to learn about the general characteristics of a good argument.

Review these qualities of a strong argument: ! a clear position on the topic ! specific support and evidence ! logical connections (warrants) made between the evidence and

your position ! an acknowledgement of the opposing position and a strong

rebuttal of this opposing position. ACTIVE ENGAGEMENT: Take a few moments to generate ideas that fit the topic and unique requirements of the prompt. You will be more likely to produce a well-organized essay and you will feel more confident about your writing. Use the handout (Day 3/Document 1) on prompt analysis to generate reasons, examples and warrants for your arguments. You’ve looked at the prompt I gave you. You’ve used the worksheet to break the prompt down into its key elements. You’ve thought about how you would respond to this prompt.


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ACTIVE ENGAGMENT: Let’s take a look at how one of you generated ideas for the prompt. Use a copy of the handout on an overhead transparency to have the student write down what he or she has planned. Discuss the choices with the whole group, AND/OR have students share their charts in pairs or small groups. Encourage them to ask each other questions about their choices. If students are struggling, use Day 3/Document 2 (Sample Prompt Analysis) as a sample.

REFLECTION: Have the students get out their journals. How has our work with analyzing prompts today helped you understand what you are expected to do? What questions still remain as we end our work today? WRAP-UP: Today we learned how to analyze prompts, and tomorrow we will learn how to assess good writing using actual rubrics. GRADEBOOK: For today, teachers may consider assigning a participation grade and/or collecting worksheets for assessment. Journal reflections are assigned throughout the unit, so teachers may want to consider collecting the reflections for a journal grade at the end of the unit.


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!!Prompt Analysis Worksheet Write your prompt here: In some high schools many teachers and parents have encouraged the school to adopt a dress code that sets guidelines for what students can wear in the school building. Some teachers and parents support a dress code because they think it will improve the learning environment in the school. Other teachers and parents do not support a dress code because they think it restricts the individual student’s freedom of expression. In your opinion should high schools adopt dress codes for students?

In your essay take a position on this question. You may write about either one of the two points of view given, or you may present a different point of view on this question. Use specific reasons and examples to support your position.

Topic:

Purpose: Audience:

Your position on the topic: Reasons Examples/Evidence Warrant (How this reason and these examples

work to support your position) 1.

2.

3.

Counterarguments Rebuttals to counterarguments

Source of Prompt: Preparing for the ACT 2005-2006, " ACT 2005


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G

!!Sample Prompt Analysis

RADE 10: Day 3/Document 2

Write your prompt here: In some high schools many teachers and parents have encouraged the school to adopt a dress code that sets guidelines for what students can wear in the school building. Some teachers and parents support a dress code because they think it will improve the learning environment in the school. Other teachers and parents do not support a dress code because they think it restricts the individual student’s freedom of expression. In your opinion should high schools adopt dress codes for students?

In your essay take a position on this question. You may write about either one of the two points of view given, or you may present a different point of view on this question. Use specific reasons and examples to support your position. Topic: Dress code

Purpose: To persuade

Audience: Interested adult readers and graders

Your position on the topic: High schools should not adopt dress codes for students because dress codes are too restrictive, they don’t change student behavior, and they hamper student self-expression Reasons Examples/Evidence Warrant (How this reason and these examples

work to support your position) 1. Dress codes are too restrictive.

Dress codes limit students to certain colors, such as navy blue and white and certain styles of clothing.

Students already suffer from many restrictions on their lives—what courses they have to take, what time they have to get up, when they can eat, when they can go to the bathroom. We should not restrict their dress as well.

2. Dress codes don’t change student behavior.

Even if students are dressed according to a code, they still can engage in negative behavior, such as fighting and bullying.

Because dress codes do not change student behavior in positive ways, schools should not adopt the codes.

3. Dress codes hamper student self-expression

Dress codes prohibit students from wearing attire to express their identities as musicians, political activists, style mavens, etc.

Development of identity is reliant upon expression of that identity. Restrictive dress codes will in the end hamper a student’s identity development, so dress codes should not be adopted

Counterarguments Rebuttals to counterarguments Dress codes can make it easier for familes on a limited income to make sure their children are dressed appropriately for school.

While uniforms can cost less than designer clothing, they are still expensive. Families should have the freedom to look for bargains in their children’s clothing.


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DAY 4 FOCUS: Writing on Demand: Understanding Rubrics MATERIALS— Students should keep all materials for this unit in the “ELA/MME Units of Study: Student Materials Folder” since they will need to use some of them again on subsequent days. ! Student journals ! Day 4/Document 1 (Handout): ACT Scoring Rubric (p. 29 - 30) ! Day 4/Document 2 (Handout): ACT Promt on Dress Codes (p. 31) ! Day 4/Document 3 (Handout): Sample Student Essays (p. 32 - 34) ! Day 4/Document 4 (Handout/Overhead): ACT Justification for

Scores (p. 35) ! Highlighters

SCAFFOLDING: This session requires students to look at

examples of student writing, grade them according to the test rubric, and then argue to justify their scores. Please see the Ninth Grade Day 4 lesson for a modified version of this exercise. CONNECTION: You have learned about effective prompt analysis. Today, we will use that knowledge to think like the adult readers who grade the essays. TEACHING POINT 1: Writers, now you will examine a few sample student essays. You are to score these samples of writing using the rubric from the ACT Writing Test. (Note to teachers: Essay X is a 4, Essay Y is a 6, and Essay Z is a 2).

HANDOUTS: " Day 4/Document 1: ACT Scoring Rubric " Day 4/Document 2: ACT Prompt on Dress

Codes " Day 4/Document 3: Sample Student Essays

ACTIVE ENGAGEMENT: You have sample student essays and a scoring rubric. Read along as I read Essay X aloud. Highlight and/or make notes in the margins. Pause after reading Essay X. Now that you have read the first essay, use your Essay Scoring Sheet to give this essay a score based on the rubric. Also, please write a few sentences to justify or defend your score, using the language of the rubric. Continue like this until students have scored and justified all 3 essays. TEACHING POINT 2: Have students share their scores by raising their hands to see how differently people scored. Write down the score for each essay in the following chart on the board or on a flipchart: Essay 1 2 3 4 5 6 X Y Z In discussion, ask students to try to convince others who disagree with them. For instance, determine all the students who gave an essay a five and then ask them to give reasons to all the students who gave the essay a three, and so forth. This process is called “norming.” During the discussion, have students keep track of the scores, the justifications, and whether anyone changes his/her scores.

HANDOUTS: Day 4/Document 4: ACT Justification for Scores

TEACHING POINT 3: Students, the score for Essay X is a 4, Essay Y is a 6, and Essay Z is a 2. Now let me tell you the rationale for each of these scores. Go over Day 3/Document 4 (ACT Justification for Scores) with students.


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REFLECTION: Writers, now that you have examined sample essays and graded them according to a rubric, reflect for a moment on that experience. Write about what was difficult in scoring the essays and what was easy. Finally, what did you learn today about good writing that you will take with you? WRAP UP: When graders read your essays, they are expected to stick to the rubric in evaluating them. Unlike your classroom teachers, graders do not know you except through your writing. Today we learned how to score student essays using a rubric, and tomorrow we will learn how to further analyze a prompt. Teachers: you may wish to repeat this lesson, using essays with scorepoints 1, 3, and 5 to give students a sense of the complete range of scores. GRADEBOOK: For today, teachers may consider collecting the notes students took in class and assigning a group participation grade. Journal reflections are assigned throughout the unit, so teachers may want to consider collecting the reflections for a journal grade at the end of the unit.


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GRADE 10: Day 4/Document 1:

ACT Scoring Rubric

Source: Preparing for the ACT 2005-2006, " ACT 2005. Papers at each level exhibit all or most of the characteristics described at each score point. (Used by permission from ACT)

Score = 6: Essays within this score range demonstrate effective skill in responding to the task. The essay shows a clear understanding of the task. The essay takes a position on the issue and may offer a critical context for discussion. The essay addresses complexity by examining different perspectives on the issue, or by evaluating the implications and/or complications of the issue, or by fully responding to counterarguments to the writer’s position. Development of ideas is ample, specific, and logical. Most ideas are fully elaborated. A clear focus on the specific issue in the prompt is maintained. The organization of the essay is clear: the organization may be somewhat predictable or it may grow from the writer’s purpose. Ideas are logically sequenced. Most transitions reflect the writer’s logic and are usually integrated into the essay. The introduction and conclusion are effective, clear, and well developed. The essay shows a good command of language. Sentences are varied and word choice is varied and precise. There are few, if any, errors to distract the reader. Score = 5: Essays within this score range demonstrate competent skill in responding to the task. The essay shows a clear understanding of the task. The essay takes a position on the issue and may offer a broad context for discussion. The essay shows recognition of complexity by partially evaluating the implications and/or complications of the issue, or by responding to counterarguments to the writer’s position. Development of ideas is specific and logical. Most ideas are elaborated, with clear movement between general statements and specific reasons, examples, and details. Focus on the specific issue in the prompt is maintained. The organization of the essay is clear, although it may be predictable. Ideas are logically sequenced, although simple and obvious transitions may be used. The introduction and conclusion are clear and generally well developed. Language is competent. Sentences are somewhat varied and word choice is sometimes varied and precise. There may be a few errors, but they are rarely distracting. Score = 4: Essays within this score range demonstrate adequate skill in responding to the task. The essay shows an understanding of the task. The essay takes a position on the issue and may offer some context for discussion. The essay may show some recognition of complexity by providing some response to counterarguments to the writer’s position. Development of ideas is adequate, with some movement between general statements and specific reasons, examples, and details. Focus on the specific issue in the prompt is maintained throughout most of the essay. The organization of the essay is apparent but predictable. Some evidence of logical sequencing of ideas is apparent, although most transitions are simple and obvious. The introduction and conclusion are clear and somewhat developed. Language is adequate, with some sentence variety and appropriate word choice. There may be some distracting errors, but they do not impede understanding.

http://www.act.org/aap/pdf/preparing.pdf


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GRADE 10: Day 4/Document 1 (cont.) Score = 3: Essays within this score range demonstrate some developing skill in responding to the task.The essay shows some understanding of the task. The essay takes a position on the issue but does not offer a context for discussion. The essay may acknowledge a counterargument to the writer’s position, but its development is brief or unclear. Development of ideas is limited and may be repetitious, with little, if any, movement between general statements and specific reasons, examples, and details. Focus on the general topic is maintained, but focus on the specific issue in the prompt may not be maintained. The organization of the essay is simple. Ideas are logically grouped within parts of the essay, but there is little or no evidence of logical sequencing of ideas. Transitions, if used, are simple and obvious. An introduction and conclusion are clearly discernible but underdeveloped. Language shows a basic control. Sentences show a little variety and word choice is appropriate. Errors may be distracting and may occasionally impede understanding. Score = 2: Essays within this score range demonstrate inconsistent or weak skill in responding to the task.The essay shows a weak understanding of the task. The essay may not take a position on the issue, or the essay may take a position but fail to convey reasons to support that position, or the essay may take a position but fail to maintain a stance. There is little or no recognition of a counterargument to the writer’s position. The essay is thinly developed. If examples are given, they are general and may not be clearly relevant. The essay may include extensive repetition of the writer’s ideas or of ideas in the prompt. Focus on the general topic is maintained, but focus on the specific issue in the prompt may not be maintained. There is some indication of an organizational structure, and some logical grouping of ideas within parts of the essay is apparent. Transitions, if used, are simple and obvious, and they may be inappropriate or misleading. An introduction and conclusion are discernible but minimal. Sentence structure and word choice are usually simple. Errors may be frequently distracting and may sometimes impede understanding. Score = 1: Essays within this score range show little or no skill in responding to the task.The essay shows little or no understanding of the task. If the essay takes a position, it fails to convey reasons to support that position. The essay is minimally developed. The essay may include excessive repetition of the writer’s ideas or of ideas in the prompt. Focus on the general topic is usually maintained, but focus on the specific issue in the prompt may not be maintained. There is little or no evidence of an organizational structure or of the logical grouping of ideas. Transitions are rarely used. If present, an introduction and conclusion are minimal. Sentence structure and word choice are simple. Errors may be frequently distracting and may significantly impede understanding. No Score: Blank, Off-Topic, Illegible, Not in English, or Void


ACT Prompt on Dress Codes In some high schools many teachers and parents have encouraged the school to adopt a dress code that sets guidelines for what students can wear in the school building. Some teachers and parents support a dress code because they think it will improve the learning environment in the school. Other teachers and parents do not support a dress code because they think it restricts the individual student’s freedom of expression. In your opinion should high schools adopt dress codes for students? In your essay take a position on this question. You may write about either one of the two points of view given, or you may present a different point of view on this question. Use specific reasons and examples to support your position.

Source: Preparing for the ACT 2005-2006, " ACT 2005 ELA/MME Unit of Study: Writing, Grade 10 Kelly Sassi, Laura Schiller, Kara Shuell, and Andrea Zellner Fall 2008

Oakland Schools Oakland Writing Project National Writing Projects of Michigan www.writingondemand.org 31


Sample Student Essays Source: Preparing for the ACT 2005-2006, " ACT 2005.

Essay X

I believe that it would be beneficial for our schools to adopt dress codes. Although some may argue that this action would restrict the individual student’s freedom of expression, I do not agree. Our right to express ourselves is important, but in our society none of us has unrestricted freedom to do as we like at all times. We must all learn discipline, respect the feelings of others, and learn how to operate in the real world to be successful. Dress codes would not only create a better learning environment, but would also help prepare students for their futures. Perhaps the most important benefit of adopting dress codes would be creating a better learning environment. Inappropriate clothing can be distracting to fellow students who are trying to concentrate. Short skirts, skimpy tops, and low pants are fine for after school, but not for the classroom. T-shirts with risky images or profanity many be offensive to certain groups. Students should espress themselves thorugh art or creative writing, not clothing. With fewer distractions, students can concentrate on getting a good education which can help them later on. Another benefit of having a dress code is that it will prepare students to dress properly for different places. When you go to a party you do not wear the same clothes you wear to church. Likewise, when you dress for work you do not wear the same clothes you wear at the beach. Many professions even require uniforms. Having a dress code in high school will help students adjust to the real world. Lastly, with all the peer pressure in school, many students worry about fitting in. If a dress code (or even uniforms) were required, there would be less emphasis on how you look, and more emphasis on learning. In conclusion, there are many important reasons our schools should adopt dress codes. Getting an education is hard enough with out being distracted by innappropriate T-shirts or tight pants. Learning to dress for particular occasions prepares us for the real world. And teens have enough pressure already without having to worry about what they are wearing.


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GRADE 10: Day 4/Document 3 (cont.) Essay Y Parents and educators are increasingly concerned about the trend toward inappropriate dress in our schools. They feel that clothing that is too tight or too revealing may distract students and interfere with learning. They believe that a dress code should be adopted which would set guidelines for what students should wear in the school building. Others feel that a dress code should not be enacted because it would restrict individual students’ freedom of expression. Freedom of expression is important, but when inappropriate attire begins to interfere with the educational process, something needs to be done. Allowing students to wear whatever they want is clearly not working. Too many teens today seek to emulate rock starts and pick up fashion tips from MTV. In a culture that is inundated with sexual innuendo or worse, it is not surprising that kids show up at school is suggestive clothing. The educators are right. Short skirts and spandex tops can be extremely distracting to a population driven largely by hormones. Establishing a dress code could help improve the learning environment in the school; unfortunately, dress codes can be extremely arbitrary and difficult to enforce. What is the solution? I think the answer is school uniforms. This option would be far easier to enforce and has several advantages. From a financial perspective, school uniforms could help event he playing field between poor and rich students. We live in a materialistic world, and for some, it is all about the label. They think that if its not Tommy, Levi, Gap. etc. that it is not good enough. Students can be cruel and make fun of those who do not dress the same as they do. Wearing jeans with holes may be one student’s form of expression but another’s necessity. Mandating uniforms would dispense with this kind of descrimination. Purchasing a uniform would be far less expensive than a complete school wardrobe, and if there were some families that couldn’t afford it, perhaps the school could provide one for them, or at least help defray the expense. Another benefit of school uniforms is that they could help curb some of the gang-related violence in our schools. Gangs are associated with certain colors and members often hassle students who wear an opposing gang’s color. Sporting the innocent-looking sweater Aunt Rose gave you could be like waving a red flag in front of an angry bull. With uniforms, this problem would disappear. From a personal perspective I would enjoy the sheer effortlessness of not having to rummage thought my closet each morning trying to decide what to wear. Some may enjoy selecting their outfit for the day, but not me! Having a school uniform would make my morning routine go much faster, and maybe even leave a little extra time to finish up yesterday’s homework. While uniforms in high schools promise many benefits, we should not expect that they are a cure-all. Uniforms alone will not raise student grades, confer equality, or make schools entirely safe for all students. Uniforms cannot learn math or earn high scores on state tests. Students must do these things for themselves. However, I do believe uniforms in high schools can go a long way toward helping students succeed by providing a learning environment that supports achievement rather than one that is distracting, descriminating, and dangerous.

So, in conclusion, I strongly support not just a dress code, which would be difficult to enforce, but a resolution to adopt school uniforms for our entire district. Uniforms would not

only solve the problems associated with inappropriate dress and create a better learning environment, but could also serve to end inequality, help curb gang violence, and make our

mornings a little less hectic.


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GRADE 10: Day 4/Document 3 (cont.) Essay Z

I agree with parents and teachers who say dress codes is needed. Dress codes sets guidelines for what students wear and helps the learning environment. Uniforms encourage equality. They sets guidelines for what students wear so everyone looks the same. Uniforms encourage people to be equal by setting what all students wear at school. Uniforms helps stop rivalry between groups and “clicks.” Uniforms put an end to groups at school because everyone looks the same. If everyone looks the same than groups won’t divide people by how they look because uniforms makes everyone equal. All students would be the same if they wear uniforms.

These is just a few of the many benefits to wearing a uniform. A dress code is only one way of creating a good school environment, but it is a good one.


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ACT Justification for Scores Source: Preparing for the ACT 2005-2006, " ACT 2005.

Score Positives Negatives

2 ! clear position on the issue ! discussion focuses on an assumption that dress code = uniform

! reason given for taking the position

! skeletal organization

(Z) ! writer does not recognize any

counterargument ! development of ideas is

minimal and repetitious ! no transitions ! word choice and sentence

structure are simple

! discernible introduction and conclusion

! some errors are distracting

4 ! takes a position on the issue ! language control is adequate, but not outstanding ! recognizes a counterargument

! most ideas are adequately developed

! focus is maintained

(X) ! content is adequate, yet predictable

! essay is clearly organized ! organization is predictable

6 ! addresses the complexity of the

issue by recognizing several perspectives on the issue

! there are a few errors, but they do not distract the reader(Y) ! this is a rough draft, not a polished essay, which is what is expected in 30 minutes.

! development of ideas is thorough and logical, with specific reasons and details

! organization is clear, and transitions reflect the writer’s logic and are integrated into the essay

! good command of language ! varied sentences ! varied and precise word choice


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DAY 5 FOCUS: Writing on Demand: Writing Effective Arguments: Body Paragraphs, Openings, and Closings FOCUS: Writing on Demand: Writing Effective Arguments: Body Paragraphs, Openings, and Closings MATERIALS: Students should keep all materials for this unit in the “ELA/MME Units of Study: Student Materials Folder” since they will need to use some of them again on subsequent days.

MATERIALS: Students should keep all materials for this unit in the “ELA/MME Units of Study: Student Materials Folder” since they will need to use some of them again on subsequent days. ! Student journals ! Student journals ! Day 5/Document 1 (Handout): Sample Student Essay Y (p. 38) ! Day 5/Document 1 (Handout): Sample Student Essay Y (p. 38) ! Day 5/Document 2: Teacher Model: Reasons, Evidence, and

Warrants in Body Paragraph 1 (p. 39) ! Day 5/Document 2: Teacher Model: Reasons, Evidence, and

Warrants in Body Paragraph 1 (p. 39) ! Day 5/Document 3 (Handout/Overhead): Sample Top-Scoring

Introduction on an ACT Writing Test (p. 40) ! Day 5/Document 3 (Handout/Overhead): Sample Top-Scoring

Introduction on an ACT Writing Test (p. 40) ! Day 5/Document 4 (Handout/Overhead): Sample Top-Scoring

Conclusion on an ACT Writing Test (p. 41) ! Day 5/Document 4 (Handout/Overhead): Sample Top-Scoring

Conclusion on an ACT Writing Test (p. 41) ! Overhead transparency markers (at least 3 colors) ! Overhead transparency markers (at least 3 colors)

CONNECTION: Yesterday you learned how to understand rubrics. Today you will analyze the opening and closing to a top-scoring essay on the ACT rubric.

CONNECTION: Yesterday you learned how to understand rubrics. Today you will analyze the opening and closing to a top-scoring essay on the ACT rubric.

SCAFFOLDING: This session requires students to know

reasons – evidence - warrant. Ninth Grade Day 4 lesson provides some background that can be helpful in this area.

SCAFFOLDING: This session requires students to know reasons – evidence - warrant. Ninth Grade Day 4 lesson provides some background that can be helpful in this area.

HANDOUTS: Day 5/Document 1: Sample Student Essay Y TEACHING POINT 1: When writers are incorporating ideas into a paragraph, they are careful to include their reasons, evidence, and warrant. Let’s look at the Essay Y from Day 4. Before identifying the elements of an argument in Essay Y, we need to know the writer’s

position on the topic of dress codes. In Essay Y the position is, “I strongly support not just a dress code, . . . but a resolution to adopt uniforms for our entire district.” First, I am going to color code the parts of the argument in the first body paragraph. The reasons will be [color 1], the evidence will be [color 2], and the warrant will be [color 3]. Use Day 5/Document 2 (Teacher Model: Reasons, Evidence, and Warrants in Body Paragraph). Please do the same thing on your copy of Essay Y. ACTIVE ENGAGEMENT: Students should now attempt to practice highlighting the elements of an argument in subsequent paragraphs of the Sample Student Essay (Day 5/Document 1). TEACHING POINT 2: Now that we’ve looked at a body paragraph, let’s turn to the introduction. An effective introduction lets your reader know the following: ! the topic ! your position on the topic

The introduction should also do the following: ! capture your reader’s attention ! provide a context for your argument.

HANDOUTS: Day 5/Document 3: Sample Top-Scoring Introduction on an ACT Writing Test

ACTIVE ENGAGEMENT: Pair up with another student, and use the handout to identify the elements of an effective introduction used by the writer of the introductory paragraph.


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TEACHING POINT 3: Now let’s move on to the conclusion. A strong argument ends with an effective conclusion. An effective conclusion accomplishes the following: ! Reminds the reader of your strongest points

! Inspires the reader to take action ! Gives the reader a sense of closure

HANDOUTS: Day 5/Document 4: Sample Top-Scoring Conclusion on an ACT Writing Test

Let’s look at the way the writer concludes this top-scoring ACT essay. Put the conclusion on an overhead transparency and read it aloud. What do you notice that is effective? Discuss the effective moves this writer makes to conclude the essay. WRAP UP: When graders are reading our essays, they are looking for clear statements of position, effective openings, and interesting closings. Today we learned how to incorporate our pre-writing ideas into a paragraph and how to recognize effective openings and closings. Tomorrow we will practice these skills in a timed on-demand writing task.

REFLECTION: Have students take out their journals and write a response to these questions: What have you learned about good openings? What have you learned about good closings? What information from today will you use tomorrow in your writing decisions? GRADEBOOK: Consider grading students on their responses to the questions in the Active Engagement section as well as on their reflection.


Sample Student Essay Y Source: Preparing for the ACT 2005-2006, " ACT 2005.

Parents and educators are increasingly concerned about the trend toward inappropriate dress in our schools. They feel that clothing that is too tight or too revealing may distract students and interfere with learning. They believe that a dress code should be adopted which would set guidelines for what students should wear in the school building. Others feel that a dress code should not be enacted because it would restrict individual students’ freedom of expression. Freedom of expression is important, but when inappropriate attire begins to interfere with the educational process, something needs to be done. Allowing students to wear whatever they want is clearly not working. Too many teens today seek to emulate rock starts and pick up fashion tips from MTV. In a culture that is inundated with sexual innuendo or worse, it is not surprising that kids show up at school is suggestive clothing. The educators are right. Short skirts and spandex tops can be extremely distracting to a population driven largely by hormones. Establishing a dress code could help improve the learning environment in the school; unfortunately, dress codes can be extremely arbitrary and difficult to enforce. What is the solution? I think the answer is school uniforms. This option would be far easier to enforce and has several advantages. From a financial perspective, school uniforms could help event he playing field between poor and rich students. We live in a materialistic world, and for some, it is all about the label. They think that if its not Tommy, Levi, Gap. etc. that it is not good enough. Students can be cruel and make fun of those who do not dress the same as they do. Wearing jeans with holes may be one student’s form of expression but another’s necessity. Mandating uniforms would dispense with this kind of descrimination. Purchasing a uniform would be far less expensive than a complete school wardrobe, and if there were some families that couldn’t afford it, perhaps the school could provide one for them, or at least help defray the expense. Another benefit of school uniforms is that they could help curb some of the gang-related violence in our schools. Gangs are associated with certain colors and members often hassle students who wear an opposing gang’s color. Sporting the innocent-looking sweater Aunt Rose gave you could be like waving a red flag in front of an angry bull. With uniforms, this problem would disappear. From a personal perspective I would enjoy the sheer effortlessness of not having to rummage thought my closet each morning trying to decide what to wear. Some may enjoy selecting their outfit for the day, but not me! Having a school uniform would make my morning routine go much faster, and maybe even leave a little extra time to finish up yesterday’s homework. While uniforms in high schools promise many benefits, we should not expect that they are a cure-all. Uniforms alone will not raise student grades, confer equality, or make schools entirely safe for all students. Uniforms cannot learn math or earn high scores on state tests. Students must do these things for themselves. However, I do believe uniforms in high schools can go a long way toward helping students succeed by providing a learning environment that supports achievement rather than one that is distracting, descriminating, and dangerous. So, in conclusion, I strongly support not just a dress code, which would be difficult to enforce, but a resolution to adopt school uniforms for our entire district. Uniforms would not only solve the problems associated with inappropriate dress and create a better learning environment, but could also serve to end inequality, help curb gang violence, and make our mornings a little less hectic.


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Teacher Model: Reasons, Evidence, and Warrants in Body Paragraph 1

Parents and educators are increasingly concerned about the trend

toward inappropriate dress in our schools. They feel that clothing that is too tight or too revealing may distract students and interfere with learning. They believe that a dress code should be adopted which would set guidelines for what students should wear in the school building. Others feel that a dress code should not be enacted because it would restrict individual students’ freedom of expression. Body Paragraph 1 Freedom of expression is important, but when inappropriate attire begins to interfere with the educational process, something needs to be done. Allowing students to wear whatever they want is clearly not working (reason). Too many teens today seek to emulate rock starts and pick up fashion tips from MTV. In a culture that is inundated with sexual innuendo or worse, it is not surprising that kids show up at school is suggestive clothing (evidence). The educators are right. Short skirts and spandex tops can be extremely distracting to a population driven largely by hormones. Establishing a dress code could help improve the learning environment in the school; unfortunately, dress codes can be extremely arbitrary and difficult to enforce. What is the solution? I think the answer is school uniforms. This option would be far easier to enforce and has several advantages (warrant).


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!!Sample Top-Scoring Introduction on an

ACT Writing Test

Parents and educators are increasingly concerned about the trend toward inappropriate dress in our schools. They feel that clothing that is too tight or too revealing may distract students and interfere with learning. They believe that a dress code should be adopted which would set guidelines for what students should wear in the school building. Others feel that a dress code should not be enacted because it would restrict individual students’ freedom of expression.

QUESTIONS ANSWERS 1. What is the writer’s topic?

2. What is the writer’s position on the topic?

3. How does the writer capture the reader’s attention?

4. How does the writer provide a context for the argument?

.


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!!Sample Top-Scoring Conclusion on an

ACT Writing Test

So, in conclusion, I strongly support not just a dress code, which would be difficult to enforce, but a resolution to adopt school uniforms for our entire district. Uniforms would not only solve the problems associated with inappropriate dress and create a better learning environment, but could also serve to end inequality, help curb gang violence, and make our mornings a little less hectic.

QUESTIONS ANSWERS

1. How does the writer remind the reader of his or her strongest points?

2. How does the writer inspire the reader to take action?

3. How does the writer give a sense of closure?

4. Is there anything else about this conclusion that you find effective?


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DAY 6 FOCUS: Writing on Demand: Dealing with Time Constraints MATERIALS:

• Day 4/Document 2 (Handout/Overhead): ACT Prompt on Dress Codes

CONNECTION: Yesterday you analyzed strong body paragraphs, introductions, and conclusions. Today you will have a chance to put it all together and actually practice writing under them under timed conditions. TEACHING POINT 1: Writers, you have a limited time to answer the prompt. Even if what you have written is very good, if it is not complete because you have run out of time, then you will not get the score that your writing deserves. Therefore, planning out how you will use your time will give you the best chance of accomplishing everything you need to do in the time allotted. Divide your time into the following parts of the writing process: ! Part 1: Prewriting/generating ideas

Allow 5 minutes ! Part 2: Writing the essay

Allow 20 minutes ! Part 3: Editing and Proofreading

Use the last 5 minutes of the test to check and polish your work.

SCAFFOLDING: The active engagement to follow requires that students understand the three parts of the writing process in Teaching Point 1. Students may need specific examples of what to do during each part. For example, students may need a reminder that prewriting could include listing, creating an outline, mapping, bulleting, or other kinds of brainstorming. In the last five minutes,

students should check to make sure they have addressed every area of the rubric and make simple corrections, such as spelling, punctuation, and grammar. There is not time for full-blown revision.

HANDOUTS: Day 4/Document 2: ACT Prompt on Dress Codes

ACTIVE ENGAGEMENT: So that you know how to allocate your time on the test, let’s actually go up against the clock with the remaining time in class today. I will let you know when each part is beginning, so you can pace yourself. We will use the prompt we analyzed yesterday, so you should feel confident about moving to the writing. Let students know when their prewriting time is over: You should now be finishing your prewriting and moving on to writing your essay. Also, let them know when their drafting is over: You should have finished writing your essay and take the last 5 minutes to check and polish your work. It would also be helpful to let them know when they have 2 minutes left.

REFLECTION: Have students take out their journals and write a response to these questions: What do you feel you did well when you were writing against the clock? What was difficult? What would you do differently next time? GRADEBOOK: For today, teachers may consider collecting and scoring the essays that students write, using the appropriate rubric. Journal reflections are assigned regularly, so teachers may want to consider collecting the reflections for a journal grade at the end of the unit


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DAY 7 FOCUS: Writing on Demand: Putting it All Together MATERIALS ! Student journals ! Student essays from Day 6 ! Post-it notes ! Day 4/Document 1: ACT Scoring Rubric (p. 29 – 30) ! Day 1/Document 8: Grammar Cheat Sheet: Subject-Verb

Agreement (p. 17) ! Day 7/Document 1 (Handout/Overhead): Bump Chart (p. 45) ! Day 7/Document 2: (Handout/Overhead): Overview of

MME/ACT Writing Strategies (p. 46)

SCAFFOLDING: Students need previous days’ handouts and their essays from Day 6.

CONNECTION: Yesterday, you wrote a timed essay in class and reflected on your process of on-demand writing. Today we will review what we have learned about the genre of writing on demand. We will evaluate your essay using the 6-point ACT rubric and also use your essay to look back at our comma grammar lesson from Day 1.

HANDOUT: Day 4/Document 1: ACT Scoring Rubric TEACHING POINT 1: Review rubrics with class. Students, we will now evaluate each others’ essays using the 6-point ACT rubric. Use two readers. One writes the score on the back side of the post-it, and the second reader on the front. If they disagree, the teacher can make the call.

ACTIVE ENGAGEMENT: Put students in groups of three and have them switch papers. Students are to score each others’ essays using the ACT rubric, with each essay receiving two reads.

TEACHING POINT 2: Review the characteristics of a strong argument (see Day 3/Teaching Point 2) ACTIVE ENGAGEMENT: Students are to write a note to the writer of the essay evaluating the strength of the argument. After the two group members have scored one essay and written a comment, have them return it to the writer. TEACHING POINT 3: Editing is an important skill. Have students use Day 1/Document 8 (Grammar Cheat Sheet: Subject-Verb Agreement) to correct errors in their essay. ACTIVE ENGAGEMENT: Students will edit for subject-verb agreement in their essays.

HANDOUT: Day 7/Document 1: Bump Chart

TEACHING POINT 4: Look at the score your partners gave your essay according to the ACT rubric. Now, look at the “Bump Chart.” This chart will help you to determine what to change to “bump up” your score.

REFLECTION: Have students write a reflection in their journals: What have you learned from this unit? What is your personal strategy for dealing with the genre of writing on demand? What would you do to bump your score up?”


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GRADEBOOK: For today, teachers may consider assigning a grade based on student revisions of the essay. Teachers may want to consider collecting the reflections for a journal grade at the end of the unit. Reading the student reflections will help teachers decide what additional writing on demand work might be necessary with their particular students.


Bump Chart

How to move one score point higher on the ACT rubric

Quick ways to move from 1 to 2

! Add an introduction paragraph

! Add a conclusion paragraph

Quick ways to move from a 2 to a 3 ! Take a clear position

! Give two examples of that position in your body paragraph

Quick ways to move from 3 to a 4 ! Avoid repetition

! Add to conclusion and introduction

Quick ways to move from a 4 to a 5 ! Make transitions between paragraphs more interesting

! Improve development of body paragraphs by developing rebuttal

Quick ways to move from a 5 to a 6 ! Strongly develop arguments and rebuttal

! Choose strong words

ELA/MME Unit of Study: Writing, Grade 10 Kelly Sassi, Laura Schiller, Kara Shuell, and Andrea Zellner Fall 2008 45Oakland Schools Oakland Writing Project National Writing Projects of Michigan www.writingondemand.org

• Take time to reflect on your development as writers.

• Understand the rubrics for the writing exams you will be taking.

• Remember the elements of a strong argument.

• Use strategies for sharpening your editing skills.

• Allocate your time during a writing exam, so you can follow an abbreviated version of the writing process, including time to prewrite, draft, and edit.

• Learn to analyze writing prompts.

• Take advantage of opportunities to read sample essays and use critical thinking skills to identify the scores of sample essays.

• Learn to recognize the rhetorical skills in writing: strategy, organization, style.

• Keep the focus on the characteristics of good writing, not on test preparation.



Overview of MME/ACT Writing Strategies

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ela/mme unit of study: grade 10 -...

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