Curriculum Guide
November/December 2012
Defining & Refining
Ask students to read “In search of the American Dream: Blessed with citizenship” by
Penda Seck on page 4. Ask them, “What does citizenship mean to the writer?” Students
should point to or record lines from the article that tell readers the answer to this
question. Get some of this language on to the board. Then ask students, “What does
citizenship mean to you?” Add their answers to the list on the board. (You might also
make a column that says, “Citizenship is not…” and let students fill in possible answers.)
Then, have students write an essay in which they define citizenship. The idea is to move
past the dictionary definition of the word to develop a definition that is particular to
their point of view. If students have trouble with this notion, give them this exercise:
What does the word “beat” mean to a musician? An athlete? A victim of bullying? A
pastry chef? Talk about how meaning changes with context.
To guide them, you can first have them study this sample essay that defines love
http://www.buowl.boun.edu.tr/students/types%20of%20essays/Definition%20Essay.ht
m
as a model of an extended definition (cut off the top part; just give students the essay).
Spend some time on this essay—what works about it? How does the author reveal her
point of view through the examples she uses? What role does humor play in the
definition? Is her definition satisfying? What is her overall claim about love and how do
they know this?
Ask students to read each paragraph of the love essay and then write what that
paragraph is about in the margin. Students can copy this structure for their own
definition essay. So the sections of their essay might look like this:
1. Citizenship—the word’s roots and history.
2. What citizenship is not
3. What citizenship is
Facebook & Friends: Does Social Media Make Sloppy Social Skills?
Ask students to read “Social Media: the great connector or isolator?” by Jocelyn Perez
on page 18.
Then ask them to study this claim from the article made by Jihane Bouhennana: “Social
networks are taking away teens’ ability to get out in the real world and make friends the
old-fashioned way.”
Ask students: Do you agree or disagree with this claim? Give them the following
assignment:
Write an essay in support of this claim or refuting it. Organize your essay like this:
1. Write an opening paragraph that references the article and provides some
background on the topic. State your position.
2. Use reasons and evidence from your own life to support your position.
3. Acknowledge your opponents’ claim. (“Others might say…”)
4. Refute your opponents’ claim. (“Still, I maintain that…”)
5. Conclude your essay.
Students should send these to Teens in Print. Email them to
Ric.kahn.jcs@cityofboston.gov
Expectations vs. Reality
Have students read “Laying down the law” by Audrey Ngankam on page 8, “In search of
the American dream: the big stress has gone” by Devji Kroi on page 4, and “Great
expectations: They can pull you up or bring you down” by Penda Seck on page 21.
Ask students to write an essay about expectations:
Write about a time when you had high expectations for something—a person, a party or
other event, a new phase of life (a new house, sibling or school), a date, a gift.
1. Take a few paragraphs to describe your expectations. What did you envision
would happen? How would things look and feel? Use sensory detail. Show the
reader what you envisioned when you thought about this person, place, event or
thing.
2. Then, write about the reality you discovered once you arrived at the place or
met the person or once the event actually happened. Again, show rather than
tell. Did reality match, exceed or fall short of your expectations?
3. End your essay by answering this question: How does reality compare to
expectations? Use the story you told in the paragraphs above to answer it.
The Art of Smart
Have students read “Get smart: book vs. street” by Anna Xie on page 19. Ask them to
look through the article and pull out words that explain street smarts and words that
explain book smarts. What are the key differences? Ask students to underline the
reasons people gave for why one type of smarts is better than the other. Then ask
students to read, “What is Intelligence, Anyway?” by Isaac Asimov.
http://thomasmarcusgeorge.blogspot.com/2011/01/what-is-intelligence-anywayisaac.html
Using what they know about street smarts and book smarts, ask students to classify
Asimov and his mechanic. Ask students: Who is smarter? Be sure they provide reasons
and evidence for their answers.
Next, ask students to do the following:
Write an essay profiling a smart person you admire and who has been successful in life.
Is the person “street smart”? “Book smart”? A combination of the two? Provide
evidence and reasons that demonstrate how this person is smart and how her/his
intelligence has led to success.
Structure the essay like this:
1. Introduce the person in six to eight sentences. Who is s/he? Where is the person
from? What does the person do? How do you know her/him? Why do you
admire her/him?
2. Explain why you think this person is smart. Give at least four reasons and back up
each with examples or evidence to show what you mean.
3. Explain how this person’s type of intelligence has translated to success in life.
Kelly Knopf-Goldner
WriteBoston
7 Palmer Street
Roxbury, MA 02119
www.writeboston.org
www.bostonTiP.com