Lesson 1 – Adv.
Comp Skills
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Reading for Literal Comprehension
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Rosa Parks Passage
 Straightforward style of writing
 Confidence and comfort?
 Very literal
 Awareness of the what the authors
means
 Clear imagery
 Historical References
Focus on Accurate
Reading
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The Brinkley reading demonstrates how specific
details provide the reader with a clear sense of
meaning.
Names, dates, locations, and other CONCRETE
information make the short passage on Parks’s
childhood seem very familiar to us.
The second paragraph that focuses on her house,
is especially rich in detail.
Rosa Parks - Continued
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Describes with commentary the writer’s
earliest years.
Is Douglass more engaging?
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He is writing directly, and intimately about
himself
What characteristics make the piece
meaningful?
Concrete – specific details
What is the general idea?
Language
Narrative of the Life…
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Effective use of narrative style – telling a story
Experiences become real for the reader
because he provides names and places
Just by naming something, i.e. Lee’s Mill, he
brings the place to life.
Douglass Continued
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Make a list of as many concrete facts about your
life as you can
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Birthday
Place of Birth
Hometown
A place you love
A place you hate
Favorite sports team
Favorite color
Favorite car
Pet
Your parents
Your neighbors
Your best friend(s)
Details Activity
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Now, replace every specific, concrete detail
with basic information.
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I was born on October 4th at Aultman Hospital,
in Canton, Ohio.
I was born in the fall in Northeast Ohio.
I drive a black Jeep Liberty.
I drive an SUV.
Try this now…
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The Analytical essay invites you to explore the impact of
the author’s choices, and discuss those with your
potential audience
 Diction
 Syntax
 Tone
 Purpose
Douglass’s essay prompts you to think about the author’s
purpose within the particular features of the essay
 i.e. his mother’s history
You must ask yourself, “Why did the author include this
information?”
 Doing this will help you read with/for much deeper
understanding.
The Impact of Author’s
Choices
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The excerpt from Douglas Brinkley’s biography
of Rosa Parks begins with a description of the
house in which the subject was born and the
religious background in which she grew up.
Read the passage carefully, paying attention to
the details the author chose to include in both
those sections. Then write a well-organized
essay in which you show how the author’s choice
of details communicates his attitude toward his
subject. Do not summarize the passage.
Looking at the Essay
Prompts
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Frederick Douglass’s autobiography begins
with a description of his early years as a
slave. Read the passage carefully, and then
write an essay in which you explain the
writer’s purpose in recounting the details of
his early childhood. Support your
observations with details from the narrative.
Do not merely summarize the passage.
Looking at the Essay
Prompts