Writing/Grammar Presentation

-

1.     Please include a detailed description of the text. Take into consideration that your colleagues might not be familiar with the text that you have chosen. A detailed description will include everything necessary for your classmates to gain an understanding of the text without reading it. Your job is to introduce the text in a complete way so that it is possible for others to decide when, where, and how this text might be appropriate.
This book is designed for middle school and high school students to introduce and teach argumentative writing. This book shows students how to support claims with relevant evidence and clear reasoning that correlate with common core standards. Additionally, this book includes differences between argumentative and persuasive writing, elements of argument and evidence, and how to make arguments about policy/judgement/fact.

2.     Please explain why you chose this text. What was your rationale? How does your understanding of this text influence your thinking about your teaching?

While argumentative writing comes natural to me, I am not sure how to teach it explicitly, and this book shows how to do it step by step. This book provides numerous writing prompts, teaching methods, and student assignments to help the teacher explicitly teach argumentative writing in a clear and concise way. I also chose this book because it includes a chapter about solving problems students care about, which I feel would make writing more fun for students as well as help me get to know them better. (and of course, help teach them to make arguments about policy)
·       Please include some teaching ideas. How do you envision employing this text in a secondary English language arts classroom? Provide at least 3 specific ideas for what is possible with this text.
A.   The Giraffe Project (project that identifies individuals for making world a better place)
1.     “the immediate goal of the activity is to ask students to apply the criteria provided and to defend their decisions about who should receive Giraffe Awards” (113-114, Hillocks).
2.     “the long-term goal of the activity is for students to learn how to independently apply and defend a set of criteria in making various kinds of decisions…” (114, Hillocks).
·      I envision employing this project in a secondary ELA classroom by having the students and I create a list of criteria needed to win a giraffe award. From there, as a class we will all read the contestants paragraphs and then discuss which of them meets/does not meet the criteria by asking questions such as these:
o   What risk does he/she take?
o   What sacrifice does he/she make?
o   How is he/she does healing?

B.    What Constitutes Freedom of Speech (this is more complex)
1.     Teaches students to think through criteria before making judgements (and then strengthens this skill). Also introduces the interpretation of complex ideas and how to break them a part.

·      I envision using this project in a secondary ELA classroom by providing students with a set of scenarios involving free speech, with a set of questions for them to answer about each scenario:
o   Should this use of speech be allowed?
o   Why/Why not?
o   What criterion for defining the right to freedom of speech does this scenario suggest? Write out criterion.
(Afterwards, we can discuss everyone’s reasoning as a class or read their short responses)

C.    Homicide Cases for Analysis
1.     Sort of a tricky, yet fun way to get students in the mindset of setting up criteria (or a case) and finding evidence to support their claim.

·      I envision employing this project in a secondary ELA classroom by having my students get into small groups and I will provide them with varying homicide cases. Next, they will have to read the case that was given to their group and what charges to bring. Furthermore, each group will provide what evidence they will need to make the case. Students will need to explain why the other possible charges are inappropriate. Once each group has completed their case, they can rotate to the next case and we can share our cases in class the next day if we run out of time.
4.     Please consider some challenges to using strategies from this text. What are the potential issues that may arise from using these strategies? Predict students’ responses. How will you address these challenges?
Overall, this is a very useful and safe text to use for a beginning ELA secondary teacher. However, I wish there was a little less explanation and more models of execution within this text. I only found three lessons in here that seem to be useful and even these may need adjustments in order to be used in a real classroom. Also, I’m not entirely sure if this is challenge, but it may be a potential issue: this book was made in 2010, so almost a decade ago. Common Core standards may have changed since then and so have methods of teaching. Personally, I would make sure to double check common core standards to make sure everything is still accurate.
5.     Anything else you think is important for us to know and understand about this text and its use with students.
Nothing else to contribute! J


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

-
I'm Not a Plastic Bag  - Rachel Hope Allison 1.      Please include a detailed description of the text. Take into consideration that your colleagues might not be familiar with the text that you have chosen. A detailed description will include everything necessary for your classmates to gain an understanding of the text without reading it. Your job is to introduce the text in a complete way so that it is possible for others to decide when, where, and how this text might be appropriate. This graphic novel touches on “humankind’s connection to the planet” (Google Reviews).  I’m Not a Plastic Bag  includes a series of pictures illustrating plastic pollution is a variety of environments. Specifically, this book highlights The Great Pacific Garbage Patch and its effects on animals and the ocean. 2.       Please explain why you chose this text. What was your rationale? How does your understanding of this text in...
Read more

Blog Post #6

-
While I was looking through the ELA Standards for 11-12 grade writing, I noticed that most of the standards were geared towards college preparedness. For instance, the standards require students to "Establish  and maintain a formal style...". This is important for being prepared in college writing because students will be able to have more cohesive writing styles. While I was in high school, I specifically remember the introduction to informative as well as persuasive writing. The ELA standards require that students in 11-12 grade learn this skill so they can clearly explain complex ideas/concepts. By learning how to write informatively/persuasively, I was more prepared for college-level course work. This is because most of the writing throughout my composition/capstone classes involve these methods/structures. 
Read more

Content Portfolio Project

-
·       Speaking/Listening: 1.      Speeches In my Intro to Communications class, our class was required to do a narrative speech and an informative speech. A narrative speech is “… often one that is based on personal experience is used to tell a story” ( https://www.thoughtco.com ) I told a story about my grandpa’s Alzheimer’s diagnosis and how this affected me negatively and positively. An informative speech is, “ An informative speech is one that provides information and educates the audience on a specific topic” ( www.myspeechclass.com ). My informative speech was about the world’s plastic addiction and its effects on the planet. The informative speech taught me to verbally sight my sources, so I could avoid plagiarism, as well as provide interesting knowledge/facts in a way that is easy for people to understand (while also stimulating). This also taught me to rely on information is a way that isn’t necessarily p...
Read more