the last meow - bell english...

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TEACHER VERSION GRADE 11

Reading Selection for This ModuleBilger, Burkhard. “The Last Meow.” New Yorker 8 Sept. 2003. Web. 5 Jan. 2013. <http://www.

newyorker.com/archive/2003/09/08/030908fa_fact_bilger>.

Module DescriptionThe Last Meow module is designed for use in the eleventh grade in the second semester. The module introduces students to a sophisticated example of literary nonfiction that features an implied thesis statement illustrated by a wealth of well-researched, factually accurate evidence presented in a lively artistic style. After completing several short writing assignments as part of the module’s reading activities, students respond to an on-demand essay topic and then use that response as the basis for a more formal, text-based academic essay. Because of author Burkhard Bilger’s unique style, the article, “The Last Meow,” provides an informative, engaging, and thought-provoking look at the implications of how we treat our pets.

Module BackgroundThe topic of pets is of interest to students at any grade level, but eleventh grade students will benefit from the reading challenge The Last Meow presents and the opportunity the module provides for students to review, hone, and apply reading and writing skills that will serve them well as seniors and later in college. Although at first glance, the length of the article seems daunting, the writer Bilger has made it manageable by providing breaks in the text, which divide the article into eight short, self-contained parts that work together like puzzle pieces. Presented one by one, these “chunks” of text enable reluctant readers, entice reader interest, ensure close readings, and encourage meaningful predictions.

The Last MeowDeveloped by Roberta Ching Revised by Roberta Ching and Karen Lopez

Acknowledgments

The contents of this curriculum module were developed under a grant from the Department of Education. However, those contents do not necessarily represent the policy of the Department of Education, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government.

Funding was provided for the initial development of this curriculum module by the Merced County P-16 Education and Community Council through an Advanced Placement Incentive Program grant.

Additional funding was provided by The California State University. Funding was also provided by the Fresno County Office of Education through an Investing in Innovation Development Grant, including these foundation partners: The Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Foundation, The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, Walter S. Johnson Foundation, California Community Foundation, and James Irvine Foundation.

GRADE 11 TEACHER VERSION

2 | THE LAST MEOW CSU EXPOSITORY READING AND WRITING MODULES

By concluding “The Last Meow” with a series of provocative questions about the costs and benefits of providing cutting-edge medical care to animals, Bilger invites his readers to add their voices to the debate. An interview activity and an essay assignment enable students to realize that, based on personal experiences and observations, they have legitimate “credentials” to enter such a conversation; after reading Bilger’s research, they are even better prepared to do so. Teachers are encouraged to choose the activities in this module that will best serve the needs and interests of their particular group of students. Because reading “The Last Meow” is the equivalent to studying eight short articles and the writing assignment includes both an on-demand essay and revision and editing to produce a polished final essay, teachers should probably plan to take about four weeks to complete it.

Module ObjectivesIn addition to the focus on Common Core State Standards, the module targets the skill areas listed below.

Students will be able to • Review, hone, and apply reading and writing skills addressed in other ERWC modules they have

experienced • Employ a variety of reading strategies to tackle eight distinct parts of the article, each written to

serve a different rhetorical purpose • Read for inference by interpreting the author’s implied thesis statement, the implications of the

article’s title, the rhetorical purpose of each part of the article, and Bilger’s purpose for including specific pieces of evidence

• Make text-based predictions regarding events and main ideas by conducting a close reading of the title and subtitle, individual sentences, and selected chunks of text

• Use the words of others by participating in authentic “writing to learn” activities that require students to paraphrase and summarize information in addition to incorporating correctly punctuated direct quotations

• Demonstrate ability to negotiate voices by participating in a press conference where students assume the alternate roles of both reporter and authority

• Identify and distinguish the author’s use of arguments and counterarguments • Model the author’s use of different types of evidence by incorporating them in their own writing

including facts, statistics, statements from authorities, examples, and personal stories (anecdotes) • Complete several short writing assignments to demonstrate understanding of the concepts

addressed in the reading section of the module and to generate prewriting that can serve as the basis for both the on-demand essay and revision that conclude the module

• Write both an essay in response to an on-demand essay topic, and then a revised essay that includes text-based evidence accompanied by citations

Note: The activities for students provided in the Student Version for this module are copied here in the Teacher Version for your convenience. The shaded areas include the actual activities the students will see. The use of italics in the shaded areas generally indicates possible student responses and may be interspersed with notes to the teacher that are not shaded. If there are notes to the teacher within the shaded areas, they are indicated by italics and parentheses.


CSU EXPOSITORY READING AND WRITING MODULES THE LAST MEOW | 3

Reading RhetoricallyPrereading

Getting Ready to Read“The Last Meow” is an example of literary nonfiction: well-researched, factually accurate information presented in a lively, artistic style that both teachers and students traditionally associate with fiction. The first sentence of the article exemplifies that style: “She arrived in Manhattan looking ravaged and ravishing, like a queen of silent film with one last swoon left in her.”

With this opening line, Birkhard Bilger introduces his readers to a character who plays a prominent role in the article: a cat named Lady who is dying of renal failure. Yet, after reading just the first sentence, a reader would assume that Bilger was describing an elegant movie star. His use of characterization, imagery, figurative language, word choice, and phrasing is characteristic of the first sentence of a novel. Because of this style, Bilger’s article is not only informative and thought-provoking but also engaging.

Unlike the articles that students may have read in other modules, “The Last Meow” does not include an explicitly stated thesis statement. Instead, Bilger’s article is rich with opportunities to encourage students to read for inference. The author models how to marshal startling facts and statistics; strategically placed, thought-provoking quotations; and examples of compelling anecdotal evidence that are meant to provoke a response from readers while inviting them to interpret his implied thesis statement, which is subtly revealed through Bilger’s use of anecdotes, facts, figurative language, quotations, statistics, and word choice. His exemplary use of evidence can serve as a model for students to employ in their own writing—in addition to providing a wealth of evidence that they can use to support their opinions in the activities that accompany this module. The activities create the opportunity for teachers to choose ones that will best serve the needs and interests of students.

Rather than sharing any of the above information with students right away, introduce them to the concept of literary nonfiction—and the text they will be reading—by having them complete Activity 1.

Activity 1: Getting Ready to Read—Quickwrite

Read the following sentence: “She arrived in Manhattan looking ravaged and ravishing, like a queen of silent film with one last swoon left in her.”

Based on reading this introductory sentence, what do you think the text will be about?

The strategies in this section of the ERWC are designed to prepare students in advance of reading increasingly complex and sophisticated texts. These brief, introductory activities will prepare students to learn the content of California’s Common Core State Standards (CCSS) for English Language Arts (ELA) and Literacy in the sections of the module that follow.

Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts and Literacy Unless otherwise specified, all standards are for grades 11-12.



What type of text do you think this sentence is introducing—fiction or nonfiction? Why?

Be prepared to share your ideas as part of a class discussion.

When students have completed the quickwrite, ask them to share their answers. Students will usually predict that the sentence introduces a novel or short story based on their recognition of literary devices such as characterization, imagery, figurative language, and word choice. Following this discussion, talk with your students about why the article will be of interest to them and what they can learn from it that will strengthen their own reading and writing as well as broaden their ideas about what constitutes non-fiction writing.

Exploring Key ConceptsActivity 2 calls for students to work together, as a whole class, to create semantic maps for the words “pets,” “owners,” and “veterinarians.” Project the words and ask students to share words that relate to the three terms. Next, ask them to identify related categories. Using those categories, create semantic maps (or “webs”) on the board for each word. Then, under the headings, have students list the words they shared earlier.

Activity 2: Introducing Key Concepts—Semantic Mapping

List words that relate to pets, owners, or veterinarians, and then, with the help of your teacher, work with classmates to create a semantic map. Here is an example of a map for the word “pets.”

Strays

Possible messesand germs:

fleas, hair, dirt, etc.

CatsDogs

IguanasBirdsFish

Hamsters

Types of petsReasons tohave a pet

PETS

Drawbacks toowning pets

Costs of foodGrooming

Veterinary fees

Money may be betterspent on humans

Protection (guard dogs)Special needs (sight)

Love

The strategies in this section of the ERWC are designed to prepare students in advance of reading increasingly complex and sophisticated texts. These brief, introductory activities will prepare students to learn the content of the CCSS for ELA/Literacy in the sections of the module that follow.



Surveying the TextYour students will survey the text by using the title, subtitle, and the New Yorker’s category listing for “The Last Meow” as the basis for predicting the topic of the article and the author’s thesis. In order to preserve the impact of the prediction activity used to introduce Part 1, project the title, subtitle, and the New Yorker’s category listing one at a time rather than distributing the article. After each, ask students to write down their answers. When you ask students to consider the audience for the article, if possible project the cover of a New Yorker to help them figure out the likely audience for the magazine. Explain that the New Yorker is a well-known, highly respected magazine that contains essays, short stories, and thought-provoking cartoons. It also features information about what is happening in the upcoming week in New York City, but its audience is composed of well-educated Americans wherever they live—not just people who reside in New York.

You may also wish to project a copy of the New Yorker table of contents or the magzine’s home page <www.newyorker.com>. Point out the way articles are listed under categories. For example in the October 8, 2002 issue, some of the categories are as follows: “The Political Scene,” “Annals of Communication,” “The Art Scene,” “Annals of Music,” “Fiction.” Then write the title of the category under which “The Last Meow” appeared in the September 8, 2003 issue of the New Yorker: “Annals of Veterinary Medicine.” Because “annals” is a word that students usually have not seen before but is often used to identify categories in the New Yorker, explain that “annals” can mean a detailed historical account of events arranged in sequential order or an historical narrative or chronicle (like the Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis).

Once you have defined the word “annals” for students, ask them once again to predict the topic of the article. Students will likely realize that the term “veterinary medicine” in the category listing is the actual topic and that the article is going to be about providing medical care for animals. However, if students don’t immediately grasp the topic, point it out. You might also ask students how the word “annals” in the category listing impacts their understanding of what one of the purposes of “The Last Meow” article might be: it is contributing to an ongoing conversation regarding veterinary medicine.

Activity 3: Surveying the Text

Based on the title that your teacher has projected, what do you think the topic of the article you are going to read will be? What do you think the author’s position will be? Write down your ideas and be prepared to share your predictions.

Now read the subtitle. Has your idea changed? Write what you think the topic will be now.

Based on what you know about the New Yorker, who did the writer probably intend to read the article?

CCSS for ELA/ Literacy

Reading – Informational Text5a. Analyze the use of

text features (e.g., graphics, headers, captions)… CA



Once students have completed surveying the text independently, ask them to share what they have written. When you ask students to consider the subtitle, you may want to explore the tone. You might ask students to repeat it in a variety of tones and then explain what they were trying to convey through the tone they employed—or do that yourself. Based on the subtitle, what is Bilger’s thesis going to be? Have students record their ideas on the paper where they listed their ideas for predicted topics.

Let students know that the title “The Last Meow” has many layers of meaning that develop over the course of the article. Encourage them to keep the title and subtitle in mind as they begin to read the article and figure out the argument that Bilger is making. They will discover that Bilger never makes his thesis explicit, but they will probably be able to infer his position by the end of the article.

Making Predictions and Asking QuestionsIn this section, students are going to be participating in a prediction-making strategy known as DR-TA (Directed Reading and Thinking Activity). This strategy prompts readers to make thoughtful, text-based predictions in response to a close reading of individual chunks of text. When employing this strategy, teachers need to divide the reading into chunks, providing access to the chunks (one at a time) and posing questions that encourage students to make predictions based on textual evidence. The goal of this strategy is to help students be able to do this for themselves. You can facilitate students’ prediction process by duplicating the chunks (located at the end of the module) and passing them out one at a time so students aren’t tempted to read ahead.

Explain to students that after they have read each chunk of text, they will be making a series of text-based predictions about whether or not Shawn Levering will decide to have his cat Lady undergo surgery. After students read the first chunk, have them stop and respond to questions about unfamiliar concepts and vocabulary. Clarify what is wrong with Lady, and discuss any words that students find confusing. For example, Lady has “chronic renal failure.” That means that her kidneys are not working and poisons are building up in her body. She’ll be hooked up to a machine that will filter out the poisons from her blood (dialysis) and given a kidney transplant. Words that students often question and that will enhance their understanding of the text may include “ravaged,” “ravishing,” “swoon,” “ermine,” “specific gravity,” “compelled,” “demolition experts,” and “throes.”

Then have students read the remaining chunks (one at a time). After reading each chunk, have students once again indicate Yes or No to the question of whether or not Lady will have surgery and underline evidence in the text that supports their answers. Finally, have students do the quickwrite at the end.

The strategies in this section of the ERWC are designed to prepare students in advance of reading increasingly complex and sophisticated texts. These brief, introductory activities will prepare students to learn the content of the CCSS for ELA/Literacy in the sections of the module that follow.



Activity 4: Making Text-Based Predictions

Your teacher is going to pass out the first part of “The Last Meow” in chunks and ask you to read and make predictions about whether or not you think Shawn Levering will decide on surgery for his cat, “Lady.” After reading each of the following chunks, you are going to indicate your prediction until you reach the final paragraph.

Read paragraphs 1-3. Be prepared to ask your teacher to clarify the meaning of any concepts or words and phrases that you are unsure about. Now write Yes in the margin by paragraph 3 if you think Shawn Levering will decide to have Lady undergo the operation to repair her kidneys or No if you think he will refuse.

Now read paragraphs 4-5 and write your prediction in the margin. It’s OK to change your mind and modify your prediction.

Follow the same procedure for paragraphs 6-7.

Finally, read paragraph 8.

Quickwrite: Do you think Shawn made the right decision for Lady?

Ask students to explain whether they agreed or disagreed with Shawn’s decision (perhaps have the class vote before anyone speaks) and talk with students about the experience of making and confirming or modifying their predictions. Point out that making predictions and asking yourself questions as you read can help you understand what you are reading better. Remind them to apply this strategy as they read the remaining parts of “The Last Meow.”

Identifying the Main Idea by Creating Titles and One-Sentence Summaries

Explain to students that they will be creating a title and one-sentence summary for each part of the article that they read. In preparation for this, they should label a sheet of paper “Titles and Summaries” and use it to record the titles and one-sentence summaries that they write for each part of the article. Ask students to share their titles and summaries for Part 1. Titles can be creative and clever, but make sure they and the summaries are accurate and reflect the content of the section. Point out particularly good examples that can serve as models for students as they complete this activity for the remaining parts of the article. Tell students they will be adding to the “Titles and Summaries” sheet as they read, and you will collect the completed sheet when they have finished reading.

Activity 5: Identifying the Main Idea by Creating Titles and One-Sentence Summaries

The article has been divided into chunks that are numbered but untitled. To help you remember the main idea of each part, do the following:



1. Label a sheet of paper “Titles and Summaries.”

2. Then, after you read each part, create a title that you think expresses that section’s main idea.

3. Follow that by writing a one-sentence summary of the part that accurately reflects the content of that part.

In this activity, you will write a title and summary just for Part 1. As you continue to read “The Last Meow,” you will use your “Titles and Summaries” paper to record the title and one-sentence summary that you create for the remaining parts of the article.

Understanding Key VocabularyBilger’s article has many infrequently used words that might be new to your students. To teach new words well, it is important to provide students with many exposures to these words in different contexts.

You might choose to assign Activity 6 if you determine that students need more exposure to and practice with these infrequently used words. Ask students to identify and share with the class the words that are unfamiliar to them. Some of the words may need to be directly taught, and, although students may have heard the other words, they may not know how to use them.

In Activity 6, students explore the critical concepts of the article by writing scripts using the words. Give them roughly 10 to 15 minutes to plan and write their scripts. After the scripts have been completed, either collect them or have your students perform their “shows” in class. Choose either this activity or the alternative Activity 7 below depending on the time you have available and your students’ needs.

Activity 6: Understanding Key Vocabulary—Script Writing

Write a “script” using eight words from the chart shown below—two from each column. Using those eight words, design a script for a scene you might see in a TV drama or news program. Make sure each person in your group has a speaking part and that the scene is no more than five minutes long. Use a dictionary to ensure that you are using the words correctly.

unequivocal compensated general practitioner dialysisravishing compelled incurable transplantabsurdity ravage mercy terminaldichotomy droop suffering donorsupport bewilder family member euthanasiaexotic strays medical treatment lethal injection

Language4. Determine or

clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grades 11-12 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.a. Use context

(e.g., the overall meaning of a sentence, paragraph, or text; a word’s position or function in a sentence) as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.

b. Identify and correctly use patterns of word changes that indicate different meanings or parts of speech (e.g., conceive, conception, conceivable). Apply knowledge of Greek, Latin, and Anglo-Saxon roots and affixes to draw inferences concerning the meaning of scientific and mathematical terminology. CA

c. Consult general and specialized reference materials (e.g.,



Activity 7 can be especially useful for English learners who may fail to put grammatical endings on words in writing because they don’t hear them when others say them or pronounce them themselves. To heighten their awareness of this feature, after they have filled in the blanks in Activity 7, make sure they read their answers aloud and support them to pronounce the words correctly. Review what your students know about the words and point out aspects they may not know. For example, verbs can often be made into adjectives by adding -ed or -ing, and both forms can be a part of verb phrases as well. When they have finished Activity 7, you may have students practice making their own sentences orally with forms of the verbs “ravage,” “droop,” “bewilder,” “compel,” and “transplant.”

Activity 7: Understanding Key Vocabulary

Complete the following sentences by changing the verb in parentheses into either an –ed form or an –ing form:

1. The patient, ravaged (ravage) by the effects of diabetes, was a candidate for a kidney transplant.

2. The disease was ravaging (ravage) the kidneys of the cat.

3. The drooping (droop) cat was held in the arms of her owner.

4. The cat drooped (droop) as the owner handed her to the veterinarian.

5. Bewildered, (bewilder) Shawn Levering looked around the veterinary hospital.

6. He was given a bewildering (bewilder) number of choices.

7. The veterinarian made a compelling (compel) argument for saving Lady’s life.

8. He was compelled (compel) to choose between his hot rods and his cat.

9. The transplanted (transplant) kidney was working fine.

10. The surgeon had transplanted (transplant) the kidney the night before.

Reading

Reading for UnderstandingStudents have already read Part 1. You may wish to copy and distribute each additional part of the article one at a time to encourage close reading and to build suspense regarding the outcome of Lady’s surgery.

Part 2

The information provided in Part 2 provides an excellent opportunity for students to practice paraphrasing information rather than quoting word for word. Assign students to read Part 2 independently and encourage them to make and revise predictions and ask themselves questions just as they

college-level dictionaries, rhyming dictionaries, bilingual dictionaries, glossaries, thesauruses), both print and digital, to find the pronunciation of a word or determine or clarify its precise meaning, its part of speech, its etymology, or its standard usage. CA

d. Verify the preliminary determination of the meaning of a word or phrase (e.g., by checking the inferred meaning in context or in a dictionary).

6. Acquire and use accurately general academic and domain-specific words and phrases, sufficient for reading, writing, speaking, and listening at the college and career readiness level; demonstrate independence in gathering vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression.

Reading – Informational Text1. Cite strong and

thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text, including determining where the text leaves matters uncertain.



practiced in reading Part 1. Remind them to use a dictionary (online is fine) to check the meaning of key words that are essential to understanding the article. Ask them to write a short definition of these key words in the margin as they read. After students have read this part of the article, ask them to share some of these words and their definitions with the class. In class have them complete Activity 8 below, and then consider having them share one discovery either with the whole class, in small groups, or in a pairs. Once you have given the class feedback about the form and accuracy of their paraphrases of paragraph 9, have them practice paraphrasing with two additional paragraphs of their own choice from Parts 1 or 2.

Activity 8: Paraphrasing Paragraphs

The purpose of this activity is to encourage you to paraphrase (put information in your own words), rather than copy it directly from the text, and to help you become more conscious of the difference between copying information and paraphrasing it.

1. Read paragraph 9 in Part 2 to discover one piece of information that you found interesting, surprising, or even startling.

2. Set the paragraph aside so that you are not tempted to copy the information you selected.

3. Record the information from paragraph 9 on a sheet of paper, but do it by memory to ensure that you paraphrase the information rather than copy it or borrow too much of the author’s language and phrasing.

Now select two additional paragraphs and follow steps 1-3 above to paraphrase them.

After students have completed Activity 8, remind them to create a title for Part 2 along with a one-sentence summary, and to add these two items to the “Titles and Summaries” document they are creating. If time permits, provide the opportunity for students to share their titles and summaries.

Part 3Part 3 demands a close reading of the text because it is so layered with opportunities for students to read for inference regarding the Leverings’ decision and the author’s purpose for including the information that he does. Ask students to read Part 3 independently, making and revising predictions and asking themselves questions. Remind them to use a dictionary (online is fine) to check the meaning of key words that are essential to understanding the article. Ask them to write a short definition of these key words in the margin as they read as they did after reading Part 2. After students have read this part of the article, ask them to share some of these words and their definitions with the class as well as what they learned about the Leverings. Invite the class to discuss why Bilger chose to write about the Leverings and how that choice affects the reader’s attitude towards people who spend large amounts of money on their pets.



Activity 9: Discovering and Annotating Evidence

You have already read Part 3 closely. Now, work with another classmate and read Part 3 again, using the margins of your text to identify evidence both in favor of and against the Leverings’ decision to have Lady undergo a kidney transplant. Annotate the text by placing a plus sign “+” in the right hand margin beside evidence in favor of the Leverings’ decision to have Lady undergo a kidney transplant and a minus sign “–” in the left hand margin beside evidence that causes you to disagree with the Leverings’ decision.

After students have completed annotating Part 3, assign students to use the evidence they have annotated to write the two paragraphs detailed in Activity 10.

Activity 10: Supporting Topic Sentences with Evidence

Use the following sentence to provide context for the two body paragraphs that follow:

In the article entitled “The Last Meow,” a man named Shawn Levering and his wife Karen decide to spend $15,000 on a kidney transplant for their cat named Lady.

Body Paragraph: Evidence AGAINST the surgery

Complete the following sentence starter, and then provide evidence from Part 3 to illustrate why most people would think the Leverings’ decision was foolish:

The Leverings’ decision was foolish because ___________________________.

Body Paragraph: Evidence IN FAVOR OF the surgery

Complete the following sentence starter, and then provide evidence from Part 3 to illustrate why the Leverings made the decision to proceed with Lady’s surgery:

Despite these reasons, the Leverings proceed with the surgery because ___________________________________________________________ .

Be sure you have explained the importance of each of your pieces of evidence.

Now create a title for Part 3 along with a one-sentence summary in your “Titles and Summaries” document.

Part 4

Now assign students to read Part 4 independently using the reading strategies they have practiced as they read Parts 1-3. Remind them to create a title and a one-sentence summary of this section and to add these two items to their “Titles and Summaries” document. When students are finished writing, ask them to share some of their titles. Then, break them into groups, and have them complete Activity 11.



Activity 11: Using Evidence to Interpret Character

Most of Part 4 is devoted to describing Lillian Aronson, the head surgeon who operates on Lady. Fold a sheet of paper into fourths, and label each section with one of these categories:• What Aronson says:• What Aronson does:• How Aronson is described:• How other characters react to Aronson:

Work in a group to find evidence from Part 4 to record in each section. Then discuss in your group the following questions. Be sure to support your answers with evidence from the text, and be prepared to report your group’s responses to the class.• What do you think is going to happen to Lady and why is Bilger making

readers wait to find out?• Why does Bilger spend so much time describing Aronson? What is Bilger’s

purpose?• Now that you have read half of the article, what do you think the main focus

of this article is? Is Lady’s surgery the intended focus of this article? Or is Lady part of a bigger picture?

Create a title for Part 4 along with a one-sentence summary in your “Titles and Summaries” document.

After groups have finished Activity 11, ask them to report their discoveries about Dr. Aronson. How do they feel about Dr. Aronson. Is she a good person? Do they trust her? What are her motives for operating on Lady? Is she just after money? Is she a “mad scientist” who enjoys trying out new techniques without concern for the welfare of the patient? Or, are her motives pure? Does she care about Lady? Is she the kind of doctor that you would want to operate on your pet? Make sure students support their responses with evidence from the text.

Considering the Structure of the Text

Part 5

Assign students to read Part 5 independently. Ask them to look for additional evidence on both sides of the argument about spending money on pets, marking positive evidence with a plus and negative evidence with a minus.

Activity 12: Structuring Information

As in Part 2, Bilger departs in Part 5 from his primarily narrative approach and provides factual information organized into carefully focused paragraphs.

Prerequisite Grade 8 Standard: Reading – Informational Text5. Analyze in detail

the structure of a specific paragraph in a text, including the role of particular sentences in developing and refining a key concept.

Grades 11-12 Reading – Informational Text5. Analyze and

evaluate the



• Are you able to identify the topic sentences of the paragraphs in Part 5? How does he structure this section?

• Why does Bilger choose to make readers wait—just as he did with Part 2—to find out what is going to happen to Lady?

• What reasons did Bilger have for including Part 5?

Now create a title and one-sentence summary for Part 5 and add these two items to your “Titles and Summaries” document.

Part 6

Part 6 is possibly the most thought-provoking section of “The Last Meow,” and, in comparison to any of the parts thus far, comes the closest to revealing Bilger’s position regarding current veterinary practices. Before assigning Part 6, ask students to do a quickwrite in response to Bilger’s last question in this section. Once they have read and answered the questions in Activity 13, give them a chance to discuss their findings in groups or with the whole class.

Activity 13: Quickwrite Response

Before you read Part 6, respond to the Quickwrite below.

Quickwrite: “Do [animals] also feel enough pleasure—enough joy in the sheer fact of existence—to make surviving worthwhile?”

When you have finished reading Part 6, consider how you would answer the following questions and be prepared to discuss your answers in groups or with your class:• Why does Bilger include the anecdote involving the mastiff named Taberia

who is dying of cancer? What does it suggest about his position on this topic?• Why does he conclude Part 6 with the words of Taberia’s owner: “When

someone buries a dog there [in the country’s oldest and most prestigious pet cemetery], you know they must have loved it to death.”

Now have students read Part 6 independently and then look at Part 6 more closely and more rhetorically by doing Activity 14. If you choose to do the first part of Activity 14 as a whole class, you might want to note on the board examples of meaningful details, figurative language, and word choice that students point out.

Activity 14: Inferring a Writer’s Purpose

So far in this article Bilger has chosen NOT to express his opinion overtly, but based on the anecdote he presents in Part 6, what do you infer Bilger’s response would be to his own question about how far you should go for a pet? What does he think animals like Taberia would say (if animals had a choice)?

effectiveness of the structure an author uses in his or her exposition or argument, including whether the structure makes points clear, convincing, and engaging.

Speaking & Listening1. Initiate and

participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grades 11–12 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.a. Come to

discussions prepared, having read and researched material under study; explicitly draw on that preparation by referring to evidence from texts and other research on the topic or issue to stimulate a thoughtful, well-reasoned exchange of ideas.

b. Work with peers to promote civil, democratic discussions and decision-making, set clear goals and deadlines, and establish individual roles as needed.

c. Propel conversations by posing and responding to questions that probe reasoning and evidence; ensure a hearing for a full range of positions on a topic or issue; clarify, verify, or challenge ideas



1. Discuss the following questions:• Why does Bilger describe Taberia and her condition in such detail?• Why quote the resident who is treating Taberia?• Why describe the owner? Why do we care that she is a bartender at Red

Rock West in Manhattan?• Why does Bilger describe the way the owner “crouched” inside Taberia’s

cage and “cradled” her dog’s head?• Why quote the owner’s description of Taberia as a “drunken ballerina”?• Why bring up the debate over euthanasia for humans?• Why quote Guy Pidgeon (the current director of the AMC whom we

first met back in Part 2)?

2. Write an analysis of Part 6 in which you:• Identify Bilger’s position in answer to his question at the end of Part 6.• Use Taberia’s story in Part 6 to support your opinion. Summarize her

story and then discuss the rhetorical impact of the details, figurative language, word choice, and quotations that Bilger employs. Don’t forget to include an explanation of the importance of each piece of your evidence.

This is your chance to show your ability to read for inference, and to marshal evidence and justify its importance.

Now create a title for Part 6 along with a one-sentence summary for your “Titles and Summaries” document.

Noticing LanguageThe following activity will give your students a chance to use the academic language in the article orally and to focus on meaning in the context of the issues surrounding the cost of veterinary care for people’s pets.

Activity 15: Noticing Language

Work with a partner to answer the following questions based on “The Last Meow.”

1. According to Bilger, how has veterinary medicine changed in the last 20 years?

According to Bilger, veterinary medicine has changed from treating farm animals to treating pets, and many more women are now veterinarians.

2. Why does Guy Pidgeon say that veterinary medicine is driven by emotion?

Pidgeon says veterinary medicine is driven by emotion because people make medical choices based on love for their pets.

and conclusions; and promote divergent and creative perspectives.

d. Respond thoughtfully to diverse perspectives; synthesize comments, claims, and evidence made on all sides of an issue; resolve contradictions when possible; and determine what additional information or research is required to deepen the investigation or complete the task.

Reading – Informational Text4. Determine the

meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings; analyze how an author uses and refines the meaning of a key term or terms over the course of a text (e.g., how Madison defines faction in Federalist No. 10).

Language1. Demonstrate

command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.



3. If you could own an exotic pet, what would it be?

I would not choose to own an exotic pet because I think it is both cruel and dangerous. I just heard about a man who had a car accident because his pet snake bit him while he was driving with it around his neck, and a man in New York was attacked in his apartment by his pet tiger.

4. How does Shawn Levering react to New York City and the veterinary hospital? Use “bewildered” in your answer.

Shawn was bewildered by New York City and the veterinary hospital.

5. What is Shawn willing to give up in order to save the life of Lady? Use the word “sacrifice.”

Shawn is willing to sacrifice restoring his hot rods so he can use the money for Lady’s operation.

6. Do you feel sorry for the Leverings? Use the word “sympathetic.”

I’m sympathetic to the Leverings, who obviously care a great deal about their pets, but I’m sympathetic to the pets as well.

7. What problem does the story of Lady and the Leverings represent?

The story of Lady and the Leverings represents the problem of people spending large amounts of money for cutting-edge medical care for their pets when stray animals and even children may go without even basic care.

Annotating and Questioning the TextThe following activity relies on a sophisticated analysis of a complex text. Students who are skilled at drawing inferences can discover new levels of complexity in the way that Bilger structures his argument by completing Activity 16; however, if students are still struggling to understand the text, you may wish to simply ensure that they annotate each section of the text as they read and look for evidence on both sides of the issue of whether we devote too much on our pets.

Exploring Arguments and Counterarguments: Balancing Contrasting Elements

Most writers of expository text include an explicit thesis statement and then present evidence in the form of facts, statistics, quotations, and anecdotes in order to argue their point and convince readers to agree with them. Bilger instead uses an implied thesis and forces his readers to “play the doubting game” by reading “against the grain,” prompting them to explore both sides of the issues he presents.

Bilger subtly balances every image with a counterimage and every argument with a counterargument, leaving the reader to ponder which position is correct. For example, just as we are at peace with the Leverings’ decision to have Lady undergo a kidney transplant at the conclusion of Part 3, we are

a. Apply the understanding that usage is a matter of convention, can change over time, and is sometimes contested.

b. Resolve issues of complex or contested usage, consulting references (e.g., Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary of English Usage, Garner’s Modern American Usage) as needed.

Prerequisite Grade 8 Standard: Reading – Informational Text1. Cite the textual

evidence that most strongly supports an analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.

2. Determine a central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including its relationship to supporting ideas; …

Grades 11-12 Reading – Informational Text2. Determine two or

more central ideas of a text and analyze their development over the course of the text, including how they interact and build on one another to provide a complex analysis; …



shocked at the beginning of Part 4 with the disturbing image of Lady with an oxygenation monitor “clipped to her throat,” an anesthesia tube “pumping isoflurane gas down her throat,” and her four legs “anchored” to each corner of the table. Then, before we can even catch our breath, in swoops the ever-cheerful, dedicated head surgeon, Lillian Aronson, who after striding into the room, proceeds to join the nurses in a motivational “kidney” chant. Who can resist her infectiously positive attitude? We watch, fascinated, as she deftly performs intricate procedures. We root for Lady’s recovery until a technician informs us that Lady’s potassium level is rising followed by Aronson shaking her head and announcing, “I’m worried about that artery. Very worried. I’m telling you right now this may not work.” And our hearts drop. The juxtaposition of these scenes is almost cinematic.

Bilger develops these kinds of oppositions part to part, paragraph to paragraph, sentence to sentence, and clause to clause as demonstrated by the following examples:

Part to Part: The example provided above, which pits Part 3 and Part 4 against each other, is the most obvious example, juxtaposing our empathy for the Leverings and Shawn’s final words in Part 3 with the sickening image of Lady on the operating table followed by an intense surgery that seems to go awry. Due to this juxtaposition, Shawn’s words at the end of Part 4 (“If Lady comes through this thing alive, I won’t think about it twice.”) take on new meaning: we realize that Shawn is underplaying Lady’s tortuous surgery by referring to it as “this thing,” and that he only cares that Lady come through the surgery “alive.” In turn, the description of Lady on the surgery table prompts us to wonder if her coming through the surgery “alive” is such a good thing; the conclusion of Part 4 causes us to question if it is even possible for Lady to survive and whether the torture Lady has to endure in the process is worth it.

Paragraph to Paragraph: The opening two paragraphs of Part 4 provide a good example—the depressing image of Lady on the operating table paired with the optimistic image of Lillian Aronson. However, another powerful example can be found in Part 6, which opens with Bilger reminding us in paragraph 39 that “The missing voice in this debate, of course, is that of the animals.” He poses a series of thought-provoking questions, choosing to end the series of questions with the most haunting question of all: “Do they also feel enough pleasure—enough joy in the sheer fact of existence—to make surviving worthwhile?” Bilger implies an answer to his own question in paragraph 40 with the heartbreaking story of a mastiff named Taberia who is dying of cancer. Bilger’s description of Taberia’s appearance expresses the unspoken wishes of this eleven-year-old, cancer-ridden dog: “Her eyes were rimmed with red, and her skin draped over her bones like an old rug.”

Sentence to Sentence: A favorite of students is the last sentence of Part 7. After Lillian Aaronson leaves the operating room to celebrate with a Diet Coke, the “camera” turns to Lady whom Bilger describes as follows: “Lady lay on the table, immobile. After a few minutes, she opened a single eye.”


participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grades 11–12 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.



Clause to Clause: Another favorite of students is provided by Lillian Aronson’s description of Lady after the surgery proves to be successful: “She’s blind, she’s toothless, she has renal disease, and she’s really sweet.”

After sharing some of examples of balanced elements such as the ones above, ask students to read Part 7 and Part 8 which both conclude with provocative examples of these kinds of contrasts. Encourage students to highlight examples of balancing contrasting elements that they find as they are reading. Activity 16 can serve as an assessment of students’ ability to read for inference and the way they reveal Bilger’s purpose and implied thesis statement.

Activity 16: Exploring Arguments and Counterarguments

Argument/Counterargument Quiz (Parts 7 and 8 of “The Last Meow”)

Explain the contrast in as many of the following items as you can. You may skip around, first discussing the ones you like best, then moving to those you find more challenging. Remember to discuss how these items reflect 1) Bilger’s use of contrasting elements to create a balance between argument and counterargument; 2) the impact this has on the reader; and 3) how this approach reveals Bilger’s purpose.

1. “She’s blind, she’s toothless, she has renal disease, and she’s really sweet.”

2. “Lady lay on the table, immobile. After a few minutes, she opened a single eye.”

3. “Add to that the cost of pet food and other supplies, and the number rises to forty-seven billion, nearly three times as much as the federal government spends on welfare grants.”

4. “Pets, as George Bernard Shaw wrote, ‘bear more than their natural burden of human love.’”

5. “Every year, while pets like theirs are saved by the most elaborate means, some six million strays are put to sleep.”

6. “The drugs will cost about five hundred dollars a year, not counting veterinary fees for tri-monthly visits, and will leave Lady prone to infections, cancers, and diabetes.”

7. “‘It would have been hard not to have Lady around,’ Shawn said. The cats, as always, didn’t say a word.”

Now discuss with your class the following questions:• How does Bilger’s use of balancing contrasting elements impact our

interpretation of his purpose and his implied thesis?• Why did Bilger include the final paragraph and final sentence in the essay?• Have your ideas about what Bilger’s thesis is changed since you made your

original predictions?



Analyzing Stylistic ChoicesActivity 16 doesn’t just address stylistic choices but also serves as a review of the entire article. Have students work together in groups to complete the questions.

Activity 17: Analyzing Stylistic Choices

Answer the following questions:

Words

• Identify examples of medical terminology that Bilger uses in “The Last Meow.” Why does he use so much technical language?The medical terminology includes “chronic renal failure,” “toxins in her blood,” “dialysis,” “transplant,” “clotting,” “internal bleeding,” “dangerous drops in blood pressure,” “filtered artificially,” “seizures,” “coma,” “catheter,” “biopsy.” You don’t need to know what all these words mean; what you need to know is that Cathy Langston is a serious medical professional using the same technical language that a doctor who treats humans uses.

• In the context of Bilger’s argument in “The Last Meow,” what do Lady, Shawn Levering, and Cathy Langston represent?Lady represents the way in which Americans have elevated pets to the status of highly valued humans. Shawn Levering represents the way in which pet owners, even those without a lot of money, have become willing to pay for complex medical procedures. Cathy Langston represents the veterinary profession, where women are equal to men and where animal doctors face many of the same pressures as human doctors. The article is going to explore why animals are now being treated more and more like humans and whether or not this is a good idea.

Sentences

• Read the last sentence in several paragraphs in “The Last Meow.” Often these sentences are quite short although most of Bilger’s other sentences are long and complex. Give an example of a short sentence that ends a paragraph. What is the effect of ending paragraphs with short sentences?An example is the last sentence of paragraph 9. The last sentence is comical. Not only does the AMC keep blood donor ferrets, but they have human names. Often a short last sentence is punchy. It draws you up short and makes you rethink what you have just read.

Paragraphs

• How are the paragraphs in this article different from paragraphs in a newspaper article?The paragraphs are longer because this is an essay, not a news story. Readers of essays are willing to devote more attention to what they are reading and read from beginning to end; they aren’t going to just skim for a main idea or a few key pieces of information. There are no one-sentence paragraphs.

Reading – Informational Text4. Determine the

meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings; analyze how an author uses and refines the meaning of a key term or terms over the course of a text (e.g., how Madison defines faction in Federalist No. 10),

Language3. Apply knowledge

of language to understand how language functions in different contexts, to make effective choices for meaning or style, and to comprehend more fully when reading or listening.a. …apply an

understanding of syntax to the study of complex texts when reading.

5. Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.a. Interpret figures

of speech (e.g., hyperbole, paradox) in context and analyze their role in the text.

b. Analyze nuances in the meaning of words with similar denotations.



Essay

• What is the tone of “The Last Meow”?Bilger’s tone is sympathetic. He is not critical of the Leverings and the choice they have made to pay for Lady’s transplant. However, he also makes clear that the trend toward expensive medical treatment for pets is quite recent and may not be in the best interests of pets or the humans who don’t have access to medical care.

• How would the article be different if it were a newspaper article? What if it were in a textbook for students of veterinary medicine?If “The Last Meow” were a newspaper article, it would be much shorter. It would probably introduce the issue of high-cost pet care and use the story of the Leverings for human interest, but it would not be as thorough in presenting the story. It probably wouldn’t discuss the history of veterinary medicine and would only briefly discuss the blurring of the distinction between pet medicine and human medicine. It would quote the key people but probably give only a “sound bite” for each one.If “The Last Meow” were intended for veterinary students, it would be much more formal. The whole story of the Leverings might be presented as a case study of the dependence of pet owners on their pets. The article would focus on the shift in the practice of veterinary medicine around 1980 and the implications for veterinarians including the need to become specialists in a range of medical fields, the potential for malpractice suits, and the psychological attachment of owners to their pets. It might include graphs charting the increase in pet ownership and the costs of pet care. It also might cite more scientific studies about the benefits of pet ownership.

Postreading

Summarizing and RespondingSummarizing the ideas of others accurately is a fundamental element of academic writing. It is a powerful metacognitive skill that enables readers and writers to synthesize a text’s meaning. It integrates the results of previous reading processes students have engaged in and helps them further understand major ideas and the relationships among them.

Activity 18 provides the opportunity for students to summarize information in order to create context for quotations they will be discussing. The following quotations play a key role in each of the parts where they are featured. Have students explain the importance and rhetorical purpose of each of the following quotations by completing the directions provided in Activity 18. Scaffold the activity by modeling the first quotation as an example.

Prerequisite Grade 8 Standard: Reading – Informational Text2. Determine a

central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including its relationship to supporting ideas; provide an objective summary of the text.

Grades 11-12 Reading – Informational Text2. Determine two or

more central ideas of a text and analyze their development over the course of the text, including how they interact



Activity 18: Contextualizing Quotations for Your Audience

The purpose of this activity is to practice providing context and analysis for quotations. It will help you incorporate quotations when you revise your essay for this module. A list of memorable quotations from “The Last Meow” is included below. Following the directions provided, discuss the importance of three of these quotations. (If there is another quotation from “The Last Meow” that you would prefer to discuss that is not included on the list, please feel free to use it instead.)

1. Review the section of the text where your first selected quotation appears; locate the quotation and then summarize the context. (What was going on when these words were spoken?)

2. Identify the speaker and the speaker’s identity (Example: Lady’s owner, Shawn’s wife) and “credentials” (Example: current director of the Animal Medical Center, animal rights attorney, and author of the book Drawing the Line).

3. Correctly introduce and punctuate the quotation. (Look carefully at how Bilger introduces and punctuates quotations in “The Last Meow.”)

4. Explain the importance of the quotation to the part where it is appears. (What main ideas of the part does the quotation express? Why does Bilger choose to include it?)

5. Repeat the process for each of the other two quotations that you choose to discuss.

Part 1

“I just hope we can find our way out again.”

Shawn Levering arrives in New York to get advanced medical treatment for his cat Lady. The city appears to him like a maze just as the hospital and Lady’s surgery will be a maze. He says, “I just hope we can find our way out again,” suggesting that both he and his cat may both get lost in these mazes and not come home safely. Lady and her owner represent all the pets and pet owners who get sucked into the maze of high cost, cutting edge medical treatments with no promise that the pets will be better off in the long run because of them.

Part 2

“If you’re a farmer in Nebraska, you’ve been waging holy war against prairie dogs all your life.”

Part 3

“I don’t know what I would have done without the cats.”

Part 4

“Why not just perform a collar transplant instead?”

Part 5

“Pets don’t depreciate; they appreciate.”

and build on one another to provide a complex analysis; provide an objective summary of the text.

Writing2. Write informative/

explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas, concepts, and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content.

8. Gather relevant information from multiple authoritative print and digital sources, using advanced searches effectively; assess the strengths and limitations of each source in terms of the task, purpose, and audience; integrate information into the text selectively to maintain the flow of ideas, avoiding plagiarism and overreliance on any one source and following a standard format for citation including footnotes and endnotes. CA

10. Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of tasks, purposes, and audiences.



Part 6

“When someone buries a dog there, you know they must have loved it to death.”

Part 7

“She’s blind, she’s toothless, she has renal disease, and she’s really sweet.”

Part 8

“It would have been hard not to have Lady around.”

Thinking Critically

Activity 19: Thinking Critically

The following activity is designed to help you consider Bilger’s use of ethos, logos, and pathos—and the impact of each of these rhetorical appeals on the effectiveness of his argument. Meet in groups to discuss each of the following questions. Be prepared to share your group’s ideas with the class.

Questions about Logic (Logos)

1. Locate the essay’s major claims and assertions, and ask yourself whether you agree with the author.

Major claims:• Twenty years ago, pets received only basic medical care.• Changes in veterinary care can be explained by the availability of medical

technology, the increased number of women vets, and the replacement of children by pets in American families.

• Pets can provide psychological support for human beings, including those who are ill.

• Americans spend more money on pets than on needy humans.• Americans care about their own pets but not about stray animals.

2. Look at support for the major claims, and ask yourself whether there is any claim that appears to be weak or unsupported. Which one, and why?

The strongest support is for the claim that pets provide psychological support because of the detailed story of the Leverings. The claims that Americans spend money on pets that might better be spent on humans or on stray animals are not developed very much.

3. Can you think of counterarguments that the author does not deal with?

He raises two counterarguments. One is that the money spent on pets should be spent instead on sick children or stray animals. The other is that pet owners may be making their pets suffer needlessly by extending their lives. Another counterargument is that pets can actually make their owners sick. Pets like birds and turtles can transmit diseases, and many people are allergic to dogs and cats.

Prerequisite Grade 8 Standard: Reading – Informational Text8. Delineate and

evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is sound and the evidence is relevant and sufficient; recognize when irrelevant evidence is introduced.

Grades 11-12 Reading – Informational Text1. Cite strong and


3. Analyze a complex set of ideas or sequence of events and explain how specific individuals, ideas, or events interact and develop over the course of the text.

5. Analyze and evaluate the effectiveness of the structure an author uses in his or her exposition or argument, including whether the structure makes points clear, convincing, and engaging.



4. Do you think the author has left something out on purpose? Why?

Because Bilger focuses on the Leverings, he downplays the issue of people who spend huge amounts of money on their pets without needing the pets the way Karen Levering needs hers. Bilger also doesn’t talk about whether it’s healthy that people have substituted pets for children.

Questions about the Writer (Ethos)

1. Does this author have the right background to speak with authority on this subject? Bilger never talks about himself in “The Last Meow,” but what have you learned about him by reading it?

I don’t think that Bilger started out with the right background necessarily, but he acquired the right background while he was writing the article. In other words, he talked to all the right people, starting with the Leverings and Dr. Langston. In addition to pet owners and veterinarians, it seems like he did a lot of reading. For example, he read Erika Friedmann’s research into how heart-attack patients responded to having pets and the legal case that an Oregon man brought when his Labrador retrievers were killed. So by the time he wrote “The Last Meow,” he knew a lot about the issues raised by changes in veterinary medicine.

2. Is this author knowledgeable? Smart? Successful?

Bilger appears knowledgeable because he sets the story of the Leverings in the context of the history of veterinary medicine in the twentieth century. He seems smart because he understands how complicated the issues are. He shows that there isn’t a clear right or wrong. He must be successful because he writes for an important magazine.

3. Do you trust this author? Why or why not?

Bilger seems to be thoughtful, informed, and has a good sense of humor. I also like him because he’s sympathetic to the Leverings.

4. Do you think this author is deceptive? Why or why not?

I don’t think he’s as objective as he seems to be because of his use of the Leverings. I’m not sure I think it’s healthy that 63 percent of pet owners say “I love you” to their pets every day, but a reader can’t question the Leverings’ devotion to their pets because they are so needy.

5. Do you think this author is serious?

I think Bilger is serious about exploring an aspect of American culture, but I don’t think he believes he will change the way Americans treat their pets.

Questions about Emotions (Pathos)

1. Does this piece affect you emotionally? Which parts?

The story of Lady and of the Leverings definitely plays to the emotions. So does the information that Americans spend three times as much on pets as on welfare.

6. Determine an author’s point of view or purpose in a text in which the rhetoric is particularly effective, analyzing how style and content contribute to the power, persuasiveness, or beauty of the text.


participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grades 11–12 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.a. Come to



c. Propel conversations by posing and responding to questions that probe reasoning and evidence; ensure a hearing for a full range



2. Do your emotions conflict with your logical interpretation of the arguments?

Yes, because you tend to think that everyone who spends outrageous amounts of money on pets is spending it because the pets provide crucial emotional support. The prairie dogs in intensive care or the sugar glider with osteoporosis may not be as important to their owners’ mental health as Lady.

3. Does the author use humor? How does this affect your acceptance of his ideas?

Yes. It makes me like Bilger and accept his view that while Americans may spend huge amounts on their pets, it’s possible that the money is justified.

Reflecting on Your Reading ProcessReflecting is an essential component of learning. Students benefit from discussing what they have learned about how to read and sharing that information with the rest of the class. Reflecting on their own reading process helps students consolidate what they have learned about being a thoughtful and active reader. Now is a good time to ask them to review the informal writing that they have produced so far so their reflections can be grounded in the specifics of what they wrote.

Activity 20: Reflecting on Your Reading Process

Read your quickwrites, the “Title and Summary” sheet you have kept, and any other writing that you have done while reading “The Last Meow.” Think about how your understanding of “The Last Meow” has developed during your reading. Then answer the following questions:

1. What reading strategies did you use or learn in this module? Describe three or more of these strategies in your own words.)

2. Which strategy was most helpful to you in understanding Bilger’s argument and the way it developed over the course of the argument? Why?

3. What have you learned about reading complex texts like “The Last Meow?”

4. How will these strategies help you read texts in other classes?

5. What have you learned about yourself as a reader from studying “The Last Meow”?

of positions on a topic or issue; clarify, verify, or challenge ideas and conclusions; and promote divergent and creative perspectives.

d. Respond thoughtfully to diverse perspectives; synthesize comments, claims, and evidence made on all sides of an issue; resolve contradictions when possible; and determine what additional information or research is required to deepen the investigation or complete the task.

The strategies in this section of the ERWC are designed to reinforce students’ learning of the content of the CCSS for ELA/ Literacy in the preceding sections of the module and transfer that learning to other settings.



You will want to collect and read what students write in response to Activity 19 as well as the informal writing that they read before doing the reflection activity to assess their ability to think metacognitively about their own reading process and decide what additional instruction and practice you may want to provide. Then return everything for students to use when they revise their on-demand essay.

Connecting Reading to WritingDiscovering What You Think

Taking a Stance and Gathering Evidence to Support Your ClaimsStudents are now ready to think about the questions that Bilger has raised in “The Last Meow” from multiple different perspectives. “Presspass” offers an engaging activity that enables them to assume different roles and respond to those questions from several points of view. However, this activity also empowers students to see themselves as experts based on their own experiences and observations. It prepares them for the on-demand writing assignment that will follow by giving them a chance to relate what they have read to what they know and believe so that when the directions in the on-demand assignment asks them to “support your position by providing reasons and examples from your own experience, observations, or reading,” they will be able to draw on all three areas.

“Presspass”

The class will be conducting a press conference in which they will interview one another as “pet authorities” on the question of veterinary care. The first step will be for students to generate several effective questions and then select three to use in the activity.

Explain to students that during the Presspass activity they will all be assuming two roles: the role of reporter and the role of a “pet authority.” Help students create their own “pet authority” credentials based on their life experiences. You might list your own “pet authority” credentials as a way to start. Students can choose to represent various sides of the issue of veterinary care when they assume the role of the “pet authority.”

In Activity 21, students will create a “Presspass” to wear when they are being interviewed as a “pet authority”; the “Presspass” should include their name and qualifications. Students will also create a “Presspass” to wear when they assume the role of reporter; it should include their name and publication.

Writing5. Develop and

strengthen writing as needed by planning … focusing on addressing what is most significant for a specific purpose and audience.

7. Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question) or solve a problem; narrow or broaden the inquiry when appropriate; synthesize multiple sources on the subject, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation.

8. Gather relevant information from multiple authoritative print and digital sources, using advanced searches effectively; assess the strengths and limitations of each source in terms of the task, purpose, and audience; …

9. Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.


participate effectively in a range



Assign students to write responses to the questions in their role as a “pet authority” on a separate sheet of paper. In other words, if their role is that of someone who has never been interested in having a pet, their responses should be from the point of view of that person. You may choose to assign this task as homework and remind them to bring both the questions and their responses to class on the day of the activity.

On the day of the activity, ask students to put on their press badges and take out their questions. Remind them that they only have twenty minutes to interview two other students and take notes. In that amount of time, they may not be able to ask all of the questions. As a result, they should ask questions in order of the ones that interest them the most—or focus on just one question. Divide the class in half: students sitting on one side of the room will function as reporters for the first twenty minutes, and students on the other side will function as “pet authorities.” After 10 minutes, have reporters move and interview a second authority. After twenty minutes, have students switch roles.

At the end of the period, students should retain their notes for the second half of the activity that will occur on the next day.

Activity 21: “Presspass”

You will be participating in an activity called “Presspass” that will help you experience the challenges that Burkhard Bilger encountered when he interviewed people in preparation for writing “The Last Meow.” For twenty minutes you will function as a reporter or an authority. Then, you will switch roles for twenty minutes.

1. Decide on your “credentials” as an authority. You will write your credentials on a press badge that you will wear on the day of the activity. Your credentials should be authentic and reflect your actual experience; you will have to be able to respond to reporters’ questions based on the credentials you select. Examples include• Owner of two-year-old Chihuahua• Owner of one large Pit Bull• Owner of a fifteen-year-old cat that had to be put to sleep• Granddaughter of a grandma who makes a hobby of taking in stray cats• Son of a veterinarian• Person who has never been interested in having a pet• Person who has always wanted a pet but never been allowed to have one

You will also create a press badge for yourself as a reporter.

2. As a class generate questions for the reporters to ask based on the questions Bilger has posed in “The Last Meow.” An example of the kind of questions you may want to ask follows.

of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grades 11–12 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.a. Come to



c. Propel conversations by posing and responding to questions that probe reasoning and evidence; ensure a hearing for a full range of positions on a topic or issue; clarify, verify, or challenge ideas and conclusions; and promote divergent and creative perspectives.

d. Respond thoughtfully to diverse perspectives; synthesize comments, claims, and evidence made on all sides of an issue; resolve contradictions



Sample Press Conference Question: Americans spend $19 billion a year on veterinary care. Do you think that money would be better spent on people? Why?

After generating possible questions, your class will decide on the best three questions.

3. Write responses to the selected questions based on your experience and what you have learned while reading “The Last Meow.” Writing the answers will ensure that you are prepared with ideas when you are interviewed by a reporter.

4. On the day of the Presspass activity, take notes while you are assuming the role of reporter and interviewing two classmates. Record the name and credentials of the two classmate authorities you interview—in addition to what those classmate authorities say. When you are functioning as a “pet authority,” answer the reporter’s questions using your own personal experiences and observations as well as what you have learned while reading “The Last Meow.”

5. Save your own answers to the interview questions and the notes you take as a reporter during the Presspass activity.

After the students have finished the Presspass activity, ask them to reflect on the experience. Either ask them to write a reflection about what they learned by playing the two different roles and by talking to two experts with different points of view, or simply ask them to discuss what they learned. In either case, ask them to refer to the notes they made as reporters and to their own written answers to provide specific examples.

Writing RhetoricallyEntering the Conversation

Considering the Writing Task and Composing the DraftDistribute the following on-demand writing assignment and have students respond to it “cold” without discussing the topic or responding to questions. Tell them it is similar to the kind of writing on the Early Assessment Program test in eleventh grade as well as the essay portion of the CSU English Placement Test. This kind of question based on a short argument also appears on the state assessment in English Language Arts for the Common Core State Standards in eleventh grade. The writing assignment will give students a chance to see how they do with a prompt they have not read before after a close reading of a text on the same topic. The rest of the module allows you to turn this on-demand writing assignment into a teachable moment for how

when possible; and determine what additional information or research is required to deepen the investigation or complete the task.

Writing1. Write arguments

to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.a. Introduce

precise, knowledgeable claim(s), establish the significance of the claim(s), distinguish the



to deconstruct a prompt and how to write a more extended essay after getting initial ideas and reactions on paper in a first or discovery draft.

Activity 22: On-Demand Writing Assignment

You will have 45 minutes to plan and write an essay on the topic below. Before you begin writing, read the passage carefully and plan what you will say. Your essay should be as well-organized and carefully written as you can make it.

After reading the passage, explain Bilger’s argument and discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with his analysis. Support your position by providing reasons and examples from your own experience, observations, or reading.

Americans now spend $19 billion a year on veterinary care for their pets, up from $11 billion just seven years ago. Add to that the cost of pet food and other supplies, and the number rises to $47 billion, nearly three times as much as the federal government spends on welfare grants. Poodles get root canals, cats undergo chemotherapy, rabbits are treated with radiation, and prairie dogs get oxygen therapy in intensive-care units. People spend enormous amounts to pay for special diets for their pets while cities create parks for off-leash puppy play dates. For a price, we can take our dogs for day care or psychotherapy and buy them $200 cashmere sweaters and leopard-skin beds. Clearly, our love affair with our pets has gotten out of control.

Adapted from Burkhard Bilger’s “The Last Meow” published in The New Yorker Sept. 8, 2003.

On the following day, review the on-demand writing assignment with students. Many problems with student work, particularly in timed, high-stakes writing situations, arise because students do not take time to completely understand what the writing assignment asks them to do. After discussing the structure of the prompt, ask students to review the suggestions in Activity 23 independently and then debrief when you return their essays.

Activity 23: Responding to an On-Demand Writing Assignment

On-demand writing assignments like this one require you to complete three tasks:

1. Explain the author’s argument. Whether you agree or disagree with the author’s argument, you are expected to “explain” the author’s argument by paraphrasing or summarizing it. Paraphrasing the author’s argument will force you to better understand the argument and, in turn, demonstrate your understanding of the argument for those who read your essay. Include an attributive tag that provides an author/title reference.

2. Discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the argument. You are expected to take a position in response to the author’s argument. In order to do this, you have to consider whether the argument made by

claim(s) from alternate or opposing claims, and create an organization that logically sequences claim(s), counterclaims, reasons, and evidence.

b. Develop claim(s) and counterclaims fairly and thoroughly, supplying the most relevant evidence for each while pointing out the strengths and limitations of both in a manner that anticipates the audience’s knowledge level, concerns, values, and possible biases.

c. Use words, phrases, and clauses as well as varied syntax to link the major sections of the text, create cohesion, and clarify the relationships between claim(s) and reasons, between reasons and evidence, and between claim(s) and counterclaims.

e. Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the argument presented.

4. Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.

5. Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning … focusing on



the writer is convincing and whether the conclusion is justified. You may discover that you agree with the writer, disagree with the writer, or agree in part but not fully with the writer. Whatever your position, state your opinion explicitly—do not just imply it.

3. Support your position with reasons and examples from your own

• Experience• Observations• Reading

Then, you can return the essays scored according to the CSU EPT Scoring Guide. Go over the Scoring Guide so students understand the large categories as well as the descriptors at each score point. You may want to “norm” students by giving them several anonymous student essays (perhaps from another class) and asking students to score them using the Scoring Guide. Once students have scored the essays, tally the scores and then tell them the actual score. Ask students to justify the score using the language of the guide. Once they get the hang of scoring, return their own scored essay with the score covered and ask them to score it. Then they can uncover the score and see if they accurately applied the criteria. Students are often more generous with their own essays (of course, they knew what they meant) than with the essays of others, so take some time to respond individually to questions and clear up any misunderstandings. While you are circulating to do this, you can ask students to turn their essays over and write their reaction to the score they received.

Revising and Editing

Revising RhetoricallyIf you are going to have students revise their essays—a critical part of the writing process—explain that you have scored their essays as a “timed-write” using the CSU Scoring Guide, but that you are going to return the essays to them and allow them to develop, revise, and edit them over time in order to improve their grade. While the on-demand writing assignment expected them to write from personal experiences and observations combined with what they could remember from their reading of “The Last Meow,” their revision will require them to use their close reading of the text and the informal writing they have done so far to provide specific text-based evidence from Bilger’s article in addition to drawing on their own observations and experience. Their essay should also include MLA-style paragraph citations.

Based on your evaluation of the strengths and weaknesses that students demonstrated in their on-demand essays and on the instruction you have

addressing what is most significant for a specific purpose and audience.

9. Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.

10. Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of tasks, purposes, and audiences.

Writing1c. Use words, phrases,

and clauses as well as varied syntax to link the major sections of the text, create cohesion, and clarify the relationships between claim(s) and reasons, between reasons and evidence, and between claim(s) and counterclaims.

1d. & 2e. Establish and maintain a formal style and objective tone while attending to the norms and conventions of the discipline in which they are writing.



provided during your course, you may choose to focus on one element of the academic essay and have students do activities related to that element before they revise their essays. Explain to students, however, that their goal is to improve their entire essay, not simply the element that you address in class. Clearly, if time permits, you can select more than one element for instruction; however, in order to complete the module in a three to four week period, you will probably need to be selective.

Review the academic essay revision suggestions in Activity 24 with your students.

Activity 24: Essay Revision

Effective essays include the essay elements listed below. As you revise, make sure you address these elements in your essay. Persuade readers to agree with your position by providing at least two reasons why they should and then supporting those reasons with evidence from Bilger’s article.

Most academic essays include an introduction, conclusion, and a minimum of two body paragraphs; however, a writer like Bilger has many more. And since writers want to be as persuasive as possible, most include a counterargument in which they address the arguments raised by those who disagree with them.

Your final draft should include all of these elements; however, for the purpose of this assignment your teacher will focus on one or two that will be most beneficial for you and your classmates depending on what you have already learned during the course. As you revise, refer back to “The Last Meow” for examples of how a skillful professional writer has accomplished each element of an extended essay.

Essay Format

Creative Introduction (Background Information)

Provide background for your argument. Use Bilger’s approach in Part 1 of “The Last Meow” and create an anecdote (a brief story) that “hooks” your readers and introduces the issues that you are going to address. For this assignment, you will follow your anecdote with at least one provocative question that causes readers to think about the issues that you have introduced; however, writers often do not pose questions for their readers, instead leaving it to the readers to determine the questions that are being asked.

Position Statement (Thesis)

Conclude your creative introduction by taking a stand in response to the issues you have introduced and identifying two reasons for your opinion. Be sure to include an attributive tag (author/title reference) introducing Bilger’s article as the source that prompted you to take a stand on this issue and as the source that you will be referring to in your paragraph citations.

Body Paragraph (Reason)

Identify your first reason, and then support it with evidence from Bilger’s article accompanied by your explanation of the importance of each piece of

1f. Use specific rhetorical devices to support assertions (e.g., appeal to logic through reasoning; appeal to emotion or ethical belief; relate a personal anecdote, case study, or analogy. CA

4. Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.

5. Develop and strengthen writing as needed by…revising … rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on addressing what is most significant for a specific purpose and audience.

8. Gather relevant information from multiple authoritative print and digital sources, using advanced searches effectively; assess the strengths and limitations of each source in terms of the task, purpose, and audience; integrate information into the text selectively to maintain the flow of ideas, avoiding plagiarism and overreliance on any one source and following a standard format for citation including footnotes and endnotes. CA

Reading – Informational Text1. Cite strong and




your evidence. In addition to evidence from the article, you may also provide evidence from your own experience and observations.


Identify your second reason, and then support it with evidence from Bilger’s article accompanied by your explanation of the importance of each piece of your evidence. Providing additional reasons is fine as long as you support them with evidence from the article or your observations and experience.

Body Paragraph (Counterargument)

Acknowledge a counterargument to your position by identifying at least one reason why others might disagree with you. Provide evidence from Bilger’s article (accompanied by commentary) and your own experiences and observations in support of that reason.

Conclusion

Choose from one of the following possibilities:• Provide a “call to action.” (What can your readers do about this issue?)• Revisit the question you posed in your introduction, and remind readers

why they should agree with your position.• Create a “frame” for your essay, just as Bilger did, by concluding the

anecdote that you created for your introduction and then reflecting on its importance or posing additional questions that leave the reader thinking.

Reminder: MLA format and paragraph citations are required.

Revision Option 1: The Position Statement—Taking a Stance

In order for students to take a strong stance in response to the issues that Bilger addresses in “The Last Meow,” it is helpful to review what those issues are. Point out that the quote that students responded to in the on-demand writing assignment was “adapted” from paragraph 48 in “The Last Meow.” Suggest that students look at paragraph 48 and compare it to the passage for the on-demand writing assignment; they will notice that only the first two sentences match those in paragraph 48. The rest of the sentences are the invention of the person who created the writing assignment—including the last sentence of the passage that reads: “Clearly, our love affair with our pets has gotten out of control.”

Remind students that Bilger’s thesis statement is implied and that he never once overtly states his opinion regarding the issues he addresses in his article. Instead, Bilger provides evidence in support of opposing arguments and counterarguments—and then follows that evidence with probing questions that cause his readers to ponder the issues. Have students review some of the work they have already done (for example, their title/summary statements/purpose statements) in order to come up with a position statement.

5. Analyze and evaluate the effectiveness of the structure an author uses in his or her exposition or argument, including whether the structure makes points clear, convincing, and engaging.

6. Determine an author’s point of view or purpose in a text in which the rhetoric is particularly effective, analyzing how style and content contribute to the power, persuasiveness, or beauty of the text.


participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grades 11–12 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.

Language3. Apply knowledge

of language to understand how language functions in different contexts, to make effective choices for meaning or style, and to comprehend more fully when reading or listening.a. Vary syntax for

effect, consulting references (e.g., Tufte’s Artful Sentences) for guidance as needed; apply an understanding of syntax to the study of complex texts when reading.



Activity 25: Formulating a Position Statement—Taking a Stance

Taking a “stance” in sports refers to the position of an athlete’s body and feet that provides a strong start. In writing, “stance’ refers to the position that a writer takes when writing an argument about a particular topic. A writer’s stance is often expressed in one or more sentences that are called the position or thesis statement. A position statement makes clear what the topic of the essay is and what the writer’s opinion about that topic is. A “tentative position statement” is one that the writer wants to test to see if it will work. Just as athletes adjust the position of their body and feet after trying out a stance, so writers adjust their tentative position statements until they find one that they can defend. Just because you write a position statement doesn’t mean you are “stuck” with it—you are going to test it to see if it works and then revise it if it doesn’t.

Sample potential position statement: A pet should not have to endure expensive, painful veterinary procedures just because its owner still wants to enjoy that pet’s companionship.

You will need to support your position statement with at least two reasons why readers should agree with it. To test the strength of a tentative position statement, you will need to find two or more reasons that could be used to persuade readers that it is true. Work with a partner to test the sample position statement above.1. Turn the position statement into a question. Why shouldn’t pets have to

endure these procedures?”2. Provide two or more possible reasons

• Owners are not thinking of the fear and pain their pets will experience while having these procedures.

• Veterinarians are only concerned with the expertise they can provide rather than what is in the best interests of the animals.

3. Consider whether or not there is enough evidence available in Bilger’s article to support these two reasons. To find evidence for the sample position statement, look at Part 3, Part 4, and Part 7 of “The Last Meow.”

4. Make a list of the potential evidence.5. Decide if the evidence is sufficient to provide the basis for an extended

essay. If you and your partner agree that it is, then the position statement is no longer “tentative.”

When you revise the position statement that you wrote in your first draft essay, use the same process to test it. Copy your position statement on a separate sheet of paper and list evidence from “The Last Meow” that you could use to support it. If you cannot find sufficient evidence to provide the basis for an extended essay, rewrite your position statement until it can pass the test.

Once your teacher has approved your revised position statement, you are ready to provide background for your position statement and develop the rest of the essay using the evidence you have identified.



Revision Option 2: The Creative Introduction—Providing Background for Your Position Statement

A good approach to providing students with practice in writing creative introductions is to ask them to develop an anecdote and a provocative question independently and then provide feedback to each other by sharing them in groups.

Activity 26: Providing Background for Your Position Statement

Most formal argument essays feature an introduction that establishes background for the argument that is the focus of the essay. For example, Bilger devotes the first two parts of his article to that task:• Part 1 provides an anecdote (a brief story) meant to “hook” the interest of

his readers while introducing many of the issues that other parts of his article will further address.

• Part 2 provides a factual history of veterinary medicine that has led to the development of the controversial procedures that are described in Bilger’s article.

Read the example below of a strong, creative introduction in response to the on-demand prompt for “The Last Meow.”

Healing the Broken Heart

I thought I would never get over it when our dog Hollie died. My bother Dan and I both cried as Dad buried her under the avocado tree in our backyard, knowing that Hollie was gone from our lives forever. We made Dad bury her deep so no other animals could come and dig her up. Dad said Hollie was old (we knew that) and had been sick a long time (we knew that too) and had lived a good life (we knew that too) but my heart was broken anyway.

My family also had a few pets before Hollie. For instance, we had Mousekins, who froze to death in the garage, and Swimmy, who went belly-up one night and got flushed down the toilet the next day. Whenever a pet dies, it is a sad thing but we did get over it. However, according to Burkhard Bilger in his essay “The Last Meow” from The New Yorker, Americans may be going too far to help their pets live a long time. Bilger says that “our love affair with our pets has gotten out of control,” and I for one agree. We Americans must develop a more reasonable perspective about the role of pets in our lives.

Write your answers to the following questions and be prepared to discuss them with your class.• What did you like best about this introduction?• What surprised you about it?• How does it accomplish the three tasks in the assignment so the writer can

continue to develop a strong response in the rest of the essay?• Now that you’ve read this introduction, how would you improve your own

introduction?



For more examples of scored student essays, see the archived version of this module in the ERWC Online Community. See the Modules tab for grade 12 and navigate to archived modules.

Activity 27: Writing the Creative Introduction

Now write a creative introduction for your essay that will provide background for your argument while “hooking” reader interest.

STEP 1: Model Bilger’s approach in Part 1 of “The Last Meow,” and write an anecdote that can serve as an introduction to your essay while “hooking” reader interest. The anecdote can be based on personal experience, a story or novel that you have read, a movie you have seen, or a situation you have observed. Use the following Creative Introduction Criteria to develop your anecdote. Then, get ready to share the rough draft of your anecdote with the students in your group

Strategies for Creative Introductions

1. Relate an engaging anecdote.

Example: the story of Lady the cat.

2. Provide sensory details.

Examples: sleek ermine coat; pale-green eyes; scuffed blue jeans; freckled, ruddy face; thickly cabled forearms

3. Use carefully selected specifics.

Examples: Lady (a specific, revealing name); Animal Medical Center (not just a veterinary clinic); Wheels of Time T-shirt (not just any shirt); picture of a custom Cadillac (not just a car); Wilmington, Delaware (a specific location)

4. Use strong verbs.

Examples: drooped, glanced, cast, transforming, compelled, nodded, filtering, whisk

5. Use figurative language (simile, metaphor, personification).

Examples: like a queen of silent film with one last swoon left in her; like demolition experts

STEP 2: The instructions for this essay require you to include the following items in your introduction: 1) an anecdote; 2) a provocative question written in response to the anecdote; 3) a position statement; and 4) an author/title reference introducing Bilger’s article as the source for your evidence. You have already written the most difficult part of the introduction—the anecdote. Now create a provocative question that you can add to your anecdote. Once you have thought of a question, record it after your anecdote.

STEP 3: In Activity 25, you created your position statement. Add it to your introduction directly after the question you have generated.

STEP 4: If you have not already included an author/title reference, complete your introduction by adding it to an existing sentence that introduces Bilger’s article as the source for the issue you are writing about and your evidence.



STEP 5: Write a final draft of your introduction to give to your teacher for additional feedback.

Revision Option 3: Developing the Reason Paragraphs—Gathering Evidence to Support Your Claims

In preparation for developing their body paragraphs with evidence, have students take a look at how Bilger uses evidence to develop his paragraphs. Remind students that when they used the first sentence of each paragraph to predict content, they learned that not all first sentences in paragraphs function as topic sentences and that professional writers sometimes choose to place a topic sentence in the middle or at the end of a paragraph (Have students take a look at the paragraph that served as the basis for the on-demand writing assignment for an example of a topic sentence placed at the end of a paragraph.) They also learned that writers sometimes choose to imply the topics of their paragraphs rather than employ explicit topic sentences.

In Activity 28, students will examine the content and structure of some of Bilger’s paragraphs with explicit topic sentences to discover what types of evidence he used to develop those paragraphs. Divide students into groups to complete Activity 28. Before students begin, you might want to select one of the paragraphs listed as part of this activity, discuss it, and then use it to model how students should proceed. You may also wish to assign the remaining paragraphs to different groups so all the types of evidence appear.

Activity 28: Analyzing Bilger’s Use of Evidence to Develop Body Paragraphs

In order to learn how to develop your own paragraphs with evidence, you are going to work in groups to examine the content and structure of some of Bilger’s paragraphs. This activity is designed to help you discover the types of evidence he selected to develop those paragraphs and to better understand the difference between an explicitly stated topic sentence and an implied topic sentence. Review the examples of evidence below, and then complete the activity for both explicit and implied topic sentences.

Examples of Evidence from “The Last Meow”

Facts

• The Animal Medical Center has its own oncology, dentistry, and dermatology departments (par. 9).

• A group called In Defense of Animals has lobbied communities to define people as “guardians” rather than owners of their pets (par. 35).

Statistics

• By the year 2000, women represented 75 percent of veterinary students (par. 13).



• Between 1980 and 2001, the number of dogs and cats in the United States grew from 98 million to 130 million (par. 13).

Statements from Authorities

• Some of the people Bilger quotes in his article may not be authorities in the traditional sense—like someone who has an advanced degree or has spent years researching a particular topic—but people like the Leverings who can be considered authorities because of their life experiences. Statements from authorities can be directly quoted or paraphrased.

Direct Quotations from Authorities

• “The chimp is amazingly similar to us in brain structure, DNA, and behavior,” British primatologist Jane Goodall told me during intermission, “but a dog can be a better friend to you than anyone else” (par. 38).

Paraphrased Statements from Authorities

• Reference to animal rights attorney Steven Wise’s opinion about “legal personhood” for animals (par. 37).

Examples

• The AMC treats a variety of animals like a hummingbird with a broken wing and a corn snake with a clutch of eggs stuck in her birth canal (par. 10).

• Carlotta Liebenstein bequeathed her $80 million estate to her dog Gunther (par. 16).

Personal Stories (Anecdotes)

• Part 1• Part 6

Evidence in Paragraphs with Explicit Topic Sentences

The following paragraphs from “The Last Meow” feature explicitly stated topic sentences in the typical position (first sentence in the paragraph): paragraphs 9, 10, 16, 17, 33, 34, and 35.

1. Select one of these paragraphs (or your teacher will assign you one). Write the topic sentence of the paragraph.

2. List the types of evidence that Bilger uses in paragraph to support/illustrate his explicitly stated topic sentences: facts, statistics, statements from authorities (quotations), examples, and personal stories (anecdotes).

3. Be prepared to share your evidence discoveries with the class.

Evidence in Paragraphs with Implied Topic Sentences

Paragraphs 15 and 22 from “The Last Meow” both feature implied topic sentences. (As with Bilger’s implied thesis statement, you have to read the evidence in each paragraph in order to infer the topic of each paragraph.)



1. Read each paragraph carefully, and based on the evidence Bilger includes, discuss what each person in your group thinks is the topic of the paragraph and/or what point Bilger is trying to make.

2. Based on your discussion, write an explicit topic sentence for each paragraph. (You might want to look back at the paragraph that served as the basis for the on-demand writing assignment. Notice that the topic sentence is placed at the end of the paragraph to provide a logical conclusion to the evidence presented in the paragraph. Try taking the same approach to these two paragraphs and create a topic sentence that you think could be placed at the end of each paragraph rather than at the beginning.)

3. List the types of evidence that Bilger uses in each paragraph to support/illustrate each of his implied topic sentences: facts, statistics, statements from authorities (quotations), examples, and personal stories (anecdotes).

4. Be prepared to share your evidence, discoveries, and proposed topic sentences with the class.

Using Evidence to Develop Body Paragraphs

Now that students have analyzed professionally written paragraphs that include a variety of evidence types, they should be ready to write effective body paragraphs of their own.

Activity 29: Using Evidence to Develop Body Paragraphs

Now that you have analyzed professionally written paragraphs that include a variety of evidence types, you should be ready to revise the body paragraphs of your essay to make them more effective.

1. Gather additional evidence for each of your “reason” paragraphs, and note the paragraph number where you found each piece of evidence. (This will enable you to provide MLA citations in your final draft.)

2. Brainstorm additional personal experiences and/or observations that you can use as evidence.

3. Write another draft of both paragraphs, developing them with at least three types of evidence—just as Bilger did.

4. Submit the revised paragraphs to your teacher for feedback.

Revision Option 4: Incorporating Paragraph Citations

When you return the rough drafts of students’ body paragraphs, review use of paragraph citations.

An “Attributive Tag Equation” can be compared to the tag that is sewn into the back of clothing to identify the manufacturer. Just as a manufacturer



wants everyone to know who created the article of clothing, a writer uses an attributive tag to “attribute” (identify) the creator (source) of the information by “tagging” that information with an author/title reference. Activity 30 provides examples of how and when to use attributive tags and parenthetical citations.

Once a writer has introduced the title of an article, it doesn’t have to be mentioned again (unless the writer is using more than one source written by the same author). Additionally, if a writer is using only one source, once the author’s name has been identified, only the page or paragraph number of the source needs to be identified in the parenthetical citation. Because students are identifying the author and title of their source in an attributive tag in the introduction, they will only need to identify paragraph numbers. They can include them as part of their sentences, or they can identify them in a parenthetical citation.

Ask students to look at the examples of evidence in Activity 28; this list models the use of paragraph citations. Point out that periods follow the parentheses rather than being placed at the end of sentences or quotations and that “par.” (abbreviation for “paragraph”) is not capitalized. Emphasize that they will need to identify the paragraph number for each piece of evidence they choose to include.

Activity 30: Incorporating Paragraph Citations

After you have submitted the revised drafts of your “reason” paragraphs, you need to add paragraph citations indicating the location of the evidence you use.

Using the Attributive Tag (Citation) Equation below and the examples of paragraph citations in the list of evidence from Activity 28 as a guide, add paragraph citations to your paragraphs.

Attributive Tag (Citation) Equation

Attributive Tag (Parenthetical Citation)

Author, Title, Paragraph # = None Required

“Americans now spend $19 billion a year on veterinary care, up from $11 billion just seven years ago,” states Burkhard Bilger in paragraph 48 of his article entitled “The Last Meow.”

Author, Title = (Paragraph #)

According to Burkhard Bilger, author of “The Last Meow,” “Americans now spend $19 billion a year on veterinary care, up from $11 billion just seven years ago” (par. 48).

Title = (Author’s Last Name, Paragraph #)

“Americans now spend $19 billion a year in veterinary care, up from $11 billion just seven years ago,” states the author of “The Last Meow” (Bilger, par. 48).



Revision Option 5: Developing the Counterargument

The next part of the essay that students can tackle is the counterargument paragraph where they will acknowledge possible opposition to their point of view. A good way to help students do this is to have them look at the issue they are addressing through the eyes of one of the “authorities” that Bilger references in his article.

Review the “Cast of Characters” list with students, reminding them of the identity of each authority, and give them time in class to select an authority and review the part of “The Last Meow” where he or she appears so that they can assist each other with the process while receiving assistance from you as well. You might also want to provide time in class for them to collect evidence to develop their authority’s opinion. (Remind them to list the paragraph numbers where they found each piece of evidence just as they did when writing their “reason” paragraphs so they are prepared to cite their sources.)

In Activity 21, the Presspass, students considered the perspectives of people who had different points of view about whether Americans are too devoted to their pets. Now they can use that experience to develop a paragraph in which they acknowledge those who disagree with them by considering the arguments of one of Bilger’s authorities who holds a differing opinion.

Activity 31: Developing the Counterargument

The next part of the essay that you are going to write is the counterargument, in which you are going to acknowledge possible opposition to your point of view. A good way to do this is to look at the issue you are addressing through the eyes of one of the “authorities” that Bilger references in his article. The “Cast of Characters” list provided below identifies some of these authorities along with the part(s) where each of them appears in the article.

Assume you agree that Americans spend too much money on medical care for our pets. Write a counterargument using evidence provided by one of the authorities below. Select an authority, and then review the parts of the article where that authority appears so that you can understand that authority’s mindset. You may need to infer the authority’s opinion based on the information Bilger provides.

Cast of Characters (listed in order of appearance)

Authority’s NameParts of the Essay Where Each Authority Appears

1. Shawn Levering 1, 3, 8

2. Cathy Langston 1

3. Guy Pidgeon 2, 5, 6

4. Karen Levering 3, 8



5. Karen Allen 3

6. Lillian Aronson 4, 7

7. Stan Brock 5

8. George Duckler 5

9. Steven Wise 5

10. Jane Goodall 5

Collect evidence that you can use to develop your authority’s opinion. Remember to make a list of evidence along with the paragraph numbers where you found each piece of evidence—just as you did when writing your “reason” paragraphs. Then draft a paragraph identifying the authority’s name and credentials and summarizing that authority’s opposition to your opinion. Make sure to illustrate the authority’s position with evidence accompanied by paragraph citations.

If you have trouble starting your counterargument paragraph, try introducing it with one of the following transition possibilities:

Transition Possibility 1:

(Name of authority followed by credentials) would disagree. He or she would say that…

Example: Guy Pidgeon, current director of the AMC, would disagree. He would say that…


(Name of authority followed by credentials) would oppose my position. He or she would point out that…

Example: Shawn Levering, Lady’s owner, would oppose my position. He would point out that…


Not everyone would agree with my position. For example, (Name of authority followed by credentials) believes that…

Example: Not everyone would agree with my position. For example, Lillian Aronson, the kidney specialist who performed Lady’s surgery, believes that…

Revision Option 6: Writing the Conclusion

If students are going to revise their conclusion, ask them to discuss the effectiveness of the conclusion to a student essay (the same essay whose introduction was quoted in Activity 26) and Bilger’s conclusion.



Activity 32: Writing the Conclusion

You may choose to use one of the following methods to conclude your essay.• Provide a “call to action” suggesting what your readers can do about the

issue.• Revisit the question you posed in your introduction, and remind readers

why they should agree with your position.• Create a “frame” for your essay by concluding the anecdote that you created

for your introduction and then reflecting on its importance or posing additional questions that leave the reader thinking. (If you have other ideas for a conclusion, discuss them with your teacher.)

Here is an example of a conclusion to a student essay entitled “Healing the Broken Heart” written in response to the topic that you wrote on.

I do understand that people have a right to spend their money as they see fit and that people greatly love their pets; however, I also wonder if their spending is a way to put on a good show or even a symptom of people’s isolation. For those people who live in a major city like New York, maybe they don’t have sufficiently good relationships with other humans, maybe pets replace those relationships because it’s hard to have a long-term relationship with the doorman in your building. No wonder they are willing to spend so much money. This issue is tough, and I have to say that I don’t have the answer. However, I do believe that the money we invest in pets could be better invested elsewhere, such as health care and hunger relief. That’s a start, isn’t it?

What type of conclusion did this student writer use? How effective do you think it is?

Now read Bilger’s conclusion to “The Last Meow.” What type of conclusion did he use? How effective do you think it is?

Revise your own conclusion using one or a combination of the methods above. If you think of another method, discuss it with your teacher.

The checklist in Activity 33 offers students a valuable tool to ensure they have adequately addressed the elements of the academic essay in their revision; however, you will need to customize it, depending on which element or elements were the target of your instruction.

Activity 33: Revision Checklist

Use the following items as a checklist to help you take a close look at the drafts of the paragraphs you have written so far to see if you have included all of the required elements; and to organize the your essay parts into a coherent essay.



Creative Introduction (Activity 25, 26, and 27)

_____ Did you “hook” your reader’s attention and provide background information for your argument by writing an anecdote using the Creative Introduction Criteria found in Activity 27?

_____ Did you follow your anecdote with at least one provocative question that will cause your readers to think about the issues that you have introduced?

_____ Did you conclude your introduction by writing a position statement that takes a stand on the issues you have introduced?

_____ Did you identify two or more reasons why your readers should agree with your position statement?

_____ Did you include an attributive tag (author/title reference) introducing Bilger’s article as the source that you will be referring to in your paragraph citations? (See Activity 30.)

Body Paragraphs (Activity 28, 29, 30, and 31)


_____ Did you write a body paragraph illustrating the first reason that supports your position?

_____ Did you include several different types of evidence in your first body paragraph including both evidence from the article and evidence from your experience and observations?

_____ Did you include commentary explaining the importance of the evidence?

_____ Is each piece of evidence accompanied by an attributive tag or parenthetical citation identifying the paragraph number where the piece of evidence can be found? (See Activity 30.)


_____ Did you write a body paragraph illustrating the second reason that supports your position?

_____ Did you include several types of evidence in your second body paragraph?


Body Paragraph (Counterargument)

_____ Did you provide the name and credentials of the authority you selected for your counterargument paragraph?

_____ Did you summarize what you think your authority’s counterargument would be?



_____ Did you provide evidence to illustrate the authority’s counterargument?


Conclusion (Activity 32)

Place a check by the type of conclusion you have chosen to write. If you used an approach of your own, just explain the type of conclusion you used in the space that is provided at the end of the list.

_____ Provide a call to action. (What can your readers do about this issue?)

_____ Revisit the question you posed in your introduction, and remind readers why your response to that question is justifiable.

_____ Create a “frame” for your essay by concluding the anecdote that you created for your introduction and then reflecting on its importance or posing additional questions that leave the reader thinking.

At this point, your teacher may want you to 1) submit the revision draft of your essay for feedback; 2) receive feedback from a group of peers; or 3) edit it by yourself. Follow the instructions your teacher provides for submitting a final, polished copy.

Editing the DraftYour students should now focus on grammar and mechanics (punctuation, capitalization, and spelling) to make sure their language is effective and conforms to the guidelines of standard written English.

In Activity 34, your students will benefit most from specific feedback from you or a tutor rather than peer evaluation. This work can be preceded by instruction on common issues in grammar and mechanics. Your students will again use their copies of the evaluation form—specifically, the editing checklist.

Activity 34: Editing Your Final Draft

Work with the grammar and mechanics of the final draft of your academic essay to make sure that your use of language is effective and conforms to the guidelines of standard written English.

Edit your draft on the basis of the information you have received from your teacher or a tutor. Use the editing checklist in the Evaluation Form provided by your teacher.

The suggestions below will help you edit your own work:• If possible, set your essay aside for 24 hours before rereading it to find errors.

Language1. Demonstrate

command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.a. Apply the

understanding that usage is a matter of convention, can change over time, and is sometimes contested.

b. Resolve issues of complex or contested usage, consulting references (e.g., Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary of English Usage, Garner’s Modern American Usage) as needed.

2. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization,



• If possible, read your essay aloud so you can hear errors and discern any rough spots.

• At this point, focus on individual words and sentences rather than on overall meaning.

• Take a sheet of paper and cover everything except the line you are reading.• Then, touch your pencil to each word as you read.• With the help of your teacher, figure out your own pattern of errors—the

most serious and frequent errors you make.• Look for only one type of error at a time. Then go back and look for a

second type and, if necessary, a third.• Use the dictionary to check spelling and to confirm that you have chosen the

right word for the context.

Responding to FeedbackAsk students to consider all of the feedback they have received in order to make decisions about what changes they are going to implement. Some questions for them to consider are listed in the student activity.

Depending on the revision options you have selected above, model this revision process with your students, and then create an activity where students can meet in groups and use these questions as the basis for making revision decisions.

Activity 35: Responding to Feedback

You will be meeting in groups several times during the process of writing rough drafts for the academic essay assignment: creative introduction, “reason” paragraphs, counterargument paragraph, and conclusion. After these group discussions and whenever you get rough drafts back from your teacher that include feedback, consider all of the feedback you have received. Then, based on that feedback, make decisions about what changes you want to implement.

Here are some questions you might want to consider before writing a final draft of your essay—or any of its parts:• What are the main concerns my readers had in reading my draft?• Do all of the readers agree?• What global changes (position statement, evidence, organization) should I

consider?• What do I need to add?• What do I need to delete?• What sentence-level and stylistic problems do I need to correct?• What kinds of grammatical and usage errors do I have? How can I correct

them?

punctuation, and spelling when writing.a. Observe

hyphenation conventions.

b. Spell correctly.


strengthen writing as needed by … editing … (Editing for conventions should demonstrate command of Language standards 1–3 up to and including grades 11–12.)


strengthen writing as needed by … revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on addressing what is most significant for a specific purpose and audience. (Editing for conventions should demonstrate command of Language standards 1–3 up to and including grades 11–12.)



Reflecting on Your Writing ProcessActivity 36 asks your students to reflect in writing about their writing process, what they have learned that they can apply to their next assignments, or how they feel about the comments you have given them on their Argument Essay Assignment drafts.

Activity 36: Reflecting on Your Writing Process

When you have completed writing your academic essay, record your responses to the following six questions and attach them to your essay:

1. What was most difficult about this assignment?

2. What was easiest?

3. By completing this assignment, what have you learned about writing an argument essay?

4. What do you think are the strengths of your argument? Place a wavy line by the parts of your essay that you feel are very good.

5. What are the weaknesses, if any, of your paper? Place an X by the parts of your essay you would like help with. Write any questions you have in the margin.

6. What have you learned from this assignment about your own writing process—about preparing to write, writing the first draft, revising and editing?

The strategies in this section of the ERWC are designed to reinforce students’ learning of the content of the CCSS for ELA/Literacy in the preceding sections of the template.

Writing10. Write routinely

over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of tasks, purposes, and audiences.



Appendix

Activity 4: Making Text-Based Predictions

DR-TA Prediction “Chunks”

Chunk #1: Paragraphs 1-3

1 She arrived in Manhattan looking ravaged and ravishing, like a queen of silent film with one last swoon left in her. Her sleek ermine coat was matted and worn, her long neck so weak that it drooped to her chest. For months she had managed to hide her condition, eating full meals yet still losing weight. Now she was days away from dying, but her pale-green eyes didn’t show it.

2 Shawn Levering glanced down at his cat, Lady, then cast a bewildered look around the waiting room of the Animal Medical Center, on New York’s Upper East Side. He had on scuffed blue jeans and a faded Wheels of Time T-shirt, silk-screened with a picture of a custom Cadillac. His face was freckled and ruddy, his forearms thickly cabled. Standing in the middle of the room, his feet spread wide, he had the specific gravity of a man who knows exactly where to reach for his tools. Back home, in Wilmington, Delaware, Levering liked to work on old cars, taking rusted wrecks and transforming them into street rods. But this cat and her problems, and the city to which he’d been compelled to take her, were beyond him. “This place is crazy,” he said. “The taxi-drivers are like demolition experts. I just hope we can find our way out again.”

3 Beside him, the veterinarian, Cathy Langston, nodded, her eyes on Lady. The cat was in the throes of chronic renal failure, she said. Her kidneys weren’t filtering out the toxins in her blood anymore. “I think she would definitely benefit from dialysis. It won’t make her kidneys better, but it will buy her time to see if she’s a good candidate for a transplant.” There were risks: clotting, internal bleeding, dangerous drops in blood pressure. More than a quarter of Lady’s blood would be taken out of her body each time and filtered artificially. If the dialysis was done too quickly, it could cause seizures or even a coma, but the alternative was certain death. “I’ve got the whole team on standby,” Langston said. “We can whisk her back, put in a catheter, and take a biopsy today. If she passes all the tests, we could have her ready for transplant by next week.”



Chunk #2: Focus on Paragraph 4 and First Sentence of Paragraph 5

1 She arrived in Manhattan looking ravaged and ravishing, like a queen of silent film with one last swoon left in her. Her sleek ermine coat was matted and worn, her long neck so weak that it drooped to her chest. For months she had managed to hide her condition, eating full meals yet still losing weight. Now she was days away from dying, but her pale-green eyes didn’t show it.

2 Shawn Levering glanced down at his cat, Lady, then cast a bewildered look around the waiting room of the Animal Medical Center, on New York’s Upper East Side. He had on scuffed blue jeans and a faded Wheels of Time T-shirt, silk-screened with a picture of a custom Cadillac. His face was freckled and ruddy, his forearms thickly cabled. Standing in the middle of the room, his feet spread wide, he had the specific gravity of a man who knows exactly where to reach for his tools. Back home, in Wilmington, Delaware, Levering liked to work on old cars, taking rusted wrecks and transforming them into street rods. But this cat and her problems, and the city to which he’d been compelled to take her, were beyond him. “This place is crazy,” he said. “The taxi-drivers are like demolition experts. I just hope we can find our way out again.”

3 Beside him, the veterinarian, Cathy Langston, nodded, her eyes on Lady. The cat was in the throes of chronic renal failure, she said. Her kidneys weren’t filtering out the toxins in her blood anymore. “I think she would definitely benefit from dialysis. It won’t make her kidneys better, but it will buy her time to see if she’s a good candidate for a transplant.” There were risks: clotting, internal bleeding, dangerous drops in blood pressure. More than a quarter of Lady’s blood would be taken out of her body each time and filtered artificially. If the dialysis was done too quickly, it could cause seizures or even a coma, but the alternative was certain death. “I’ve got the whole team on standby,” Langston said. “We can whisk her back, put in a catheter, and take a biopsy today. If she passes all the tests, we could have her ready for transplant by next week.”

4 Like many of the center’s eighty-five veterinarians, Langston is a specialist. “Everyone has to have a passion, and the kidneys are mine,” she says. But such passions are relatively new in her field. Little more than twenty years ago, all vets were general practitioners, and neutering and spaying were among the most elaborate procedures they performed. Now the American Veterinary Medical association has more than seven thousand specialists in thirty-nine fields, including cardiology, radiology, ophthalmology, and oncology. As the director of the center’s quarter-million-dollar kidney unit, Langston usually has one or two patients in dialysis at any given time. Some owners have chartered planes for their animals, then stayed at nearby hotels during the treatment. But not all her clients are wealthy.

5 “We’re looking at spending a thousand dollars in the next twenty-four hours and between three and four thousand in the next week,” Langston told Levering.



Chunk #3: Paragraph 5

5 “We’re looking at spending a thousand dollars in the next twenty-four hours and between three and four thousand in the next week,” Langston told Levering. If the dialysis was successful, Lady would have to be transferred to the University of Pennsylvania, where her condition was first diagnosed. (The university’s veterinary hospital didn’t yet have a dialysis unit, but its vets were more experienced in performing transplants, and Lady was a high-risk patient.) The total cost would be more than fifteen thousand dollars.



Chunk #4: Focus on Paragraph 6


6 Levering sighed and shook his head. Lady was already anemic, asthmatic, and congenitally blind. She had been born on the streets of Wilmington four-years earlier, and dropped at a local animal clinic at the age of six months. Soon after Levering and his wife adopted her, she became allergic to her own tooth enamel, “That was a weird thing,” Levering said. “Never heard of that before.” But in retrospect, it seemed like a bargain.






7 “I don’t know. If it was up to me, I might not go through with it,” he said. He was recovering from a bout of Lyme disease and from carpal tunnel syndrome, and he had recently had sinus surgery. His wife had been laid up for three years with back injuries, and was only now going back to work. If they were willing to go this far for a cat, it was partly out of a sense of shared misfortune.But mostly it was a matter of love. “My wife is totally wiped out about this,” he said.






7 “I don’t know. If it was up to me, I might not go through with it,” he said. He was recovering from a bout of Lyme disease and from carpal tunnel syndrome, and he had recently had sinus surgery. His wife had been laid up for three years with back injuries, and was only now going back to work. If they were willing to go this far for a cat, it was partly out of a sense of shared misfortune. But mostly it was a matter of love. “My wife is totally wiped out about this,” he said.

8 A nurse in blue scrubs came over and carefully took the cat from Levering. As she turned to go, he reached over and laid his hand on Lady’s head. Then he watched as she was borne away in the nurse’s arms, through a pair of swinging doors, and into another world.

the last meow - bell english...

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