Name: ___________________________________ Date: ______________ Breakthrough Writing 9 Day 11 Student Handout Sample Op-­‐Ed Objective Today you will be able to break down an op-­‐ed to identify an experienced author’s use of structure Proving Behavior: By annotating and color-­‐coding to identify the different components of the color-­‐coded structure, then backwards outlining. Do now: Review! What do you remember about the “beauty” of the 9-­‐Part Essay you learned with Natalie? List / explain: Build the Skill: Color Coded Structure in an Essay Color Part Purpose •
Catches the reader’s attention with an attention-­‐grabbing story, statement, situation, etc. •
Narrows the focus and provides more information about the topic of the essay •
Provides the author’s main belief or argument about their topic •
The main points of the essay, should link directly to the thesis and use transitions •
Evidence to support the point—facts, generalizations, opinions, etc. •
Explanation / analysis of HOW the evidence proves the main point and the thesis •
A restatement of the thesis in a new, fresh way •
A review of the main points •
A close-­‐out that connects the essay to a larger world context Some ways author’s often vary the color-­‐coded structure: 1. Changing the order of the parts. Example: A second hook and set-­‐up in the middle of the article, used to introduce a new point. 2. Change the lengths of each section. Example: A paragraph of evidence supported by one sentence of explanation, or a paragraph of explanation about a single piece of evidence. 53 Name: ___________________________________ Date: ______________ Breakthrough Writing 9 Day 11 Student Handout My Lazy American Students By Kara Miller
-- December 21, 2009 -- THE BOSTON GLOBE
IT WAS the kind of student conference I hate.
“I’ll do better,’’ my student told me, leaning forward in his chair. “I know I’ve gotten behind this
semester, but I’m going to turn things around. Would it be OK if I finished all my uncompleted
work by Monday?’’
I sat silent for a moment. “Yes. But it’s important that you catch up completely this weekend, so
that you’re not just perpetually behind.’’
A few weeks later, I would conduct a nearly identical conversation with two other students. And,
again, there would be no tangible result: No make-up papers. No change in effort. No improvement
in time management.
By the time students are in college, habits can be tough to change. If you’re used to playing video
games like “Modern Warfare’’ or “Halo’’ all night, how do you fit in four hours of homework? Or
rest up for class?
Teaching in college, especially one with a large international student population, has given me a
stark - and unwelcome - illustration of how Americans’ work ethic often pales in comparison with
their peers from overseas.
My “C,’’ “D,’’ and “F’’ students this semester are almost exclusively American, while my students
from India, China, and Latin America have - despite language barriers - generally written solid
papers, excelled on exams, and become valuable class participants.
One girl from Shanghai became a fixture at office hours, embraced our college writing center, and
incessantly e-mailed me questions about her evolving papers. Her English is still mediocre: she
frequently puts “the’’ everywhere (as in “the leader supported the feminism and the
environmentalism’’) and confuses “his’’ and “her.’’ But that didn’t stop her from doing rewrite after
rewrite, tirelessly trying to improve both structure and grammar.
Chinese undergraduates have consistently impressed me with their work ethic, though I have seen
similar habits in students from India, Thailand, Brazil, and Venezuela. Often, they’ve done little
English-language writing in their home countries, and they frequently struggle to understand my
lectures. But their respect for professors - and for knowledge itself - is palpable. The students listen
intently to everything I say, whether in class or during office hours, and try to engage in the
conversation.
54 Name: ___________________________________ Date: ______________ Breakthrough Writing 9 Day 11 Student Handout Too many 18-year-old Americans, meanwhile, text one another under their desks (certain they are
sly enough to go unnoticed), check e-mail, decline to take notes, and appear tired and disengaged.
Of course, it would be wrong to suggest that all American students are the same. I’ve taught many
who were hardworking, talented, and deeply impressive. They listened intently, enriched class
discussions, and never shied away from rewrites. At their best, American students marry
knowledge and innovation, resulting in some astoundingly creative work.
But creativity without knowledge - a common phenomenon - is just not enough.
Too many American students simply lack the basics. In 2002, a National Geographic-Roper survey
found that most 18- to 24-year-olds could not find Afghanistan, Iraq, or Japan on a map, ranking
them behind counterparts in Sweden, Great Britain, Canada, Italy, Japan, France, and Germany.
And in 2007 the American Institutes for Research reported that eighth graders in even our bestperforming states - like Massachusetts - scored below peers in Singapore, South Korea, and Japan,
while students in our worst-performing states - like Mississippi - were on par with eighth graders
in Slovakia, Romania, and Russia.
We’ve got a knowledge gap, spurred by a work-ethic gap. Which brings me to another gradechallenged student, who once sprinted across campus to talk to me.
“I’m really sorry I missed office hours,’’ he said. “Do you have time to talk?’’
“I have a meeting in a couple of minutes,’’ I said. “But you can walk with me.’’
“OK,’’ he said. “I really enjoy your class, and I think I can do better. How can I improve my grade?’’
I looked at him sideways. “Well, you might start with staying awake.’’
“Yeah,’’ he grinned, looking at his shoes. “Sorry about that. There’s always stuff going on in my
dorm late at night. I have to learn to be better about time management.’’
Of course, he had it exactly right. Success is all about time management, and in a globalizing
economy, Americans’ inability to stay focused and work hard could prove to be a serious problem.
Nowhere, sadly, is this clearer than in the classroom.
Kara Miller teaches rhetoric and history at Babson College. She wrote a follow-up to this
column in response to the many comments received. 55 Name: ___________________________________ Date: ______________ Breakthrough Writing 9 Day 11 Student Handout Practice the Skill: Read the Kara Miller’s Op-­‐Ed, “My Lazy American Students.” Complete the outline below based on what YOU believe to be the author’s thesis and main points, and the evidence and explanation she uses to support her thesis and main points. For evidence, give summaries of her evidence or the beginnings of quotes she uses as evidence. For explanations, give brief summaries of her explanations. In short, pretend that you are Ms. Miller, outlining for your article. 56 Name: ___________________________________ Date: ______________ Breakthrough Writing 9 Day 11 Student Handout Lazy American Students: After the Deluge
By Kara Miller -- December 23, 2009 -- THE BOSTON GLOBE
On Monday, The Boston Globe ran an opinion piece entitled “My Lazy American Students.”
In it, I wrote about how teaching in college has shown me that international students often work
harder than their American counterparts. Though this is emphatically not true across the board,
the work ethic and success of Asian, European, and South American students – who have to
compete with a classroom of native English speakers – can be astounding.
I also noted in the column that there’s too much texting in class, too much dozing off, too much
e-mail-checking, too much flirting (I didn’t mention flirting in the first piece, but I’ll mention it
here). Obviously, international students do all these things, but I have noticed them more
amongst American students.
I worked hard on the column and lay in bed Sunday night hoping that – amidst the flurry of
Christmas shopping – someone would read it.
And that's when the avalanche started.
By Monday morning, “My Lazy American Students” was the most e-mailed article on the Globe’s
website. By late Monday, it was the most e-mailed article in the last 30 days, even though it had
been online for less than 48 hours. Hundreds of comments piled up on Boston.com; on
Wednesday, there were nearly 500.
Meanwhile, my personal inbox and school account were deluged with e-mail from people across
the country. Some thought I was brilliant; some thought I was horrible (and that’s putting it
mildly).
One professor from Bridgewater State complimented me as “particularly incisive” and said, “Your
op-ed piece will be photo-copied and attached to each course syllabus that I hand out at the
beginning of each semester. And I will have them read it right there and then.”
A student, meanwhile, noted that “it pains me to see your article ‘My lazy American students’ as
the most e-mailed article of the day on boston.com. I think it is both prejudice[d] and full of
stereotypes.”
At Babson, some professors wrote to say that they completely agreed with me. Others said they
had no idea what I was talking about and that I had disgraced the school.
57 Name: ___________________________________ Date: ______________ Breakthrough Writing 9 Day 11 Student Handout One Babson freshman said he really liked the piece, and it will motivate him to work harder next
semester. An alum, however, was shocked at the characterization of Babson students as “lazy.”
In fact, I never used the word “lazy” in my submission to the Globe; the original title was
“America’s Work Deficit,” which reflected my intention to comment on our entire educational
system. But authors do not write headlines, so that decision was out of my hands.
It’s important, though, to say that the experiences which informed my column go well beyond
Babson – a school where I have loved working. I have also taught at Tufts and served as an
application-reader for Yale’s admissions office.
And I have found that international students often possess a work ethic that Americans do not. If
an essay needs to be proofread four times, they do it, even if they are bored to tears. If a class
needs their full attention, they give it, even though they really want to know whether their friend
texted them back.
Americans are less predictable. Some are fully engaged and always well prepared. Others – and I
offer a real-life anecdote here – sit in the back and do what they consider under-the-radar
flirting.
I’m 31, I know what flirting is, and I pick it up in a second. Upon detection, I make it my mission
to create a lecture so exciting that the students in the back momentarily forget how attractive
they are to each other. At night, I spend hours trying to develop classes compelling enough that
texting, flirting, and note-writing disappear.
Of course, it may be, as many have said on the Globe’s website, that international students who
come here represent their country’s best and brightest – and that comparing them to American
students is comparing apples to oranges.
There are, though, the facts. Studies show that American students know less about math, science,
and geography than peers in many other industrialized countries.
By rejecting criticism, we are doing a disservice to our students. It is not anti-American to point
out flaws in our educational system; it is both patriotic and necessary.
Kara Miller teaches rhetoric and history at Babson College. 58 Name: ___________________________________ Date: ______________ Breakthrough Writing 9 Day 11 Student Handout Show Mastery / Homework: Read the second Op-­‐Ed, “Lazy American Students: After the Deluge,” which Kara Miller wrote in response to comments she received from readers. Complete the outline below based on what YOU believe to be the author’s thesis and main points, and the evidence and explanation she uses to support her thesis and main points. For evidence, give summaries of her evidence or the beginnings of quotes she uses as evidence. For explanations, give brief summaries of her explanations. In short, pretend that you are Ms. Miller, outlining for your article. 59 Name: ___________________________________ Date: ______________ Breakthrough Writing 9 Day 11 Student Handout 60