Invitational Summer Institute
Tuesday, July 1, 2014
Day 5
Agenda
Tuesday, July 1, 2014
9:00-9:15
Daily Log: Lauren
Author’s Chair
9:15-10:30
Demonstration Lesson: Anush
Break
10:45-11:15
Demo Lesson Response
11:15-12:00
Teaching Revision: Kathy
12:00-1:00
Lunch
1:00-1:30
Writer’s Workshop; Pam & Kathy
1:30-2:15
Reading Time: Pathways
2:45-3:25
Introduction to Inquiry Groups
3:25-3:30
Wrap-up
 Lab tomorrow
 Explore technology readings on
flash drive for tomorrow
 Demo lessons 4-6 come with
lesson plan draft Thursday
 Formatting demo lesson slides
Daily Log
Author’s Chair
What I Learned…
 Connecting personal experences through a
poem.
 One word can lead to a mouthful.
 Steps in “poetry council”
 A new way to engage students with poetry
 A new way to have discussion within the
classroom
 That I have something to share
 That some people fear failure but try anyway
What I learned…
 What spontaneous writing can do to stimulate
deep thought and how that deep thought can
have a great effect on others
 How to use council in an academic content area
 How even when you have nothing to write about,
you still write some pretty profound, personal,
and beautiful and even humorous stuff
 Integrating technology is a struggle for everyone
What I learned…
 The importance of pre-writing (freewriting) when
it is timed
 About poetry councils—tons of great ideas for
classrooms
 I love memory writing. I could have spent my
whole writing time cycling from one memory to
the next.
What I learned…
 How to use council for something other than
behavior
 Just try 1 new thing each year when it cmes to
technology
Surprises and questions
 Freewriting evolves from where you are
 How many of us have shared experience and
concerns re using technology in the classroom
 How many edits I did during writing time
 How much I have to say and am willing to share
 How good it can feel to share your writing
 The writing I did was very funny and I’m glad it
made my group laugh.
Surprises and questions
 How brave my group mates were in sharing very
personal writings
 How easily we are able to share personal things
with one another. It’s beautiful.
Next time…
 I want to know more about the circle and other
ways to set it up when the class cannot be in a
literal circle
 Adapting writing lessons for students with
learning disabilities
 More revision strategies
 Always want more starter writing activities—ways
to get the gears cranking
 Good websites for blog/wiki hosting
Rhetorical Précis
ANUSH ALEKSANYAN
Research
From Reading Rhetorically by John C. Bean,
Virginia A. Chappell, and Alice M. Gillam
Margaret K. Woodworth. Rhetoric Review,
Vol.7, No.1. (Autumn, 1988), pp. 156-164.
ERWC: English Reading Writing Curriculum
The CCR Anchor Standards
 CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.1(A-E): Write arguments to support
claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid
reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.
 CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.2(A-F): 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.
 CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.4: Produce clear and coherent writing
in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to
task, purpose, and audience.
WHY PRÉCIS?
 STUDENTS NEED TO GO BEYOND SIMPLE
SUMMARY WHEN WRITING ABOUT TEXTS
 STUDENTS OFTEN GET OFF TANGENT,
AND EXPERIENCE DIFFICULTY AND LACK
FOCUSE WHEN SUMMARIZING TEXTS
 STUDENTS TEND TO PARAPHRASE MORE
RATHER THAN SUMMARIZE
WHAT IS RHETORICAL PRÉCIS?
The Research
A précis is a structured piece of writing that will help
students “assess the rhetorical strategy of the
author, the form of the discourse, the author's
purpose or hidden agenda, and the nature of the
audience being addressed. To lift information out of
its rhetorical context is potentially dangerous; to do
so perpetuates the myth that whatever is in print is
true, and it further isolates student writers from the
authors who are speaking to them” (Woodworth).
Margaret K. Woodworth. Rhetoric Review, Vol. 7,
No. 1. (Autumn, 1988), pp. 156-164.
What you NEED to know and remember
 is that the précis is a highly structured four
sentence paragraph that records the essential
elements of a unit of spoken or written discourse.
Each of the four sentences requires specific
information.
The Rhetorical Précis Format
 Sentence 1
 In a single coherent sentence give the following:
– Name of the author, title, date (in parentheses) of the work
(immediately after the title), genre, and source;
– A rhetorically accurate verb such as “asserts,” “claims”,
“suggests”, “argues,” “refutes,” “proves,” or “explains.”
– A that clause containing the major claim, thesis statement, of
the work.
THE WHAT
SAMPLE SENTENCE 1
 Sheridan Baker, in his essay "Attitudes" (1966),
asserts that writers' attitudes toward their
subjects, their audiences, and themselves
determine to a large extent the quality of their
prose.
The Rhetorical Précis Format
 Sentence 2
 In a single coherent sentence give an
explanation of how the writer develops and
supports the major claim (thesis statement).
THE HOW
SAMPLE SENTENCE 2
 Baker supports this assertion by showing
examples of how inappropriate attitudes can
make writing unclear, pompous, or boring,
concluding that a good writer "will be respectful
toward his audience, considerate toward his
readers, and somehow amiable toward human
failings" (58).
The Rhetorical Précis Format
 Sentence 3
 In a single coherent sentence give a statement of
the author’s purpose, followed by an “in order to”
phrase, followed by the explanation of the
author’s purpose.
THE WHY
SAMPLE SENTENCE 3
 His purpose is to make his readers aware of the
dangers of negative attitudes in order to help
them become better writers (55).
The Rhetorical Précis Format
 Sentence 4
 In a single coherent sentence give a description
of the intended audience and/or the relationship
the author establishes with the audience.
 TO OR FOR WHOM
SAMPLE SENTENCE 4
 He establishes an informal relationship with his
audience of college students who are interested
in learning to write "with conviction" (55).
The Paragraph
Sheridan Baker, in his essay "Attitudes" (1966), asserts that writers'
attitudes toward their subjects, their audiences, and themselves
determine to a large extent the quality of their prose. Baker supports
this assertion by showing examples of how inappropriate attitudes
can make writing unclear, pompous, or boring, concluding that a
good writer "will be respectful toward his audience, considerate
toward his readers, and somehow amiable toward human failings"
(58). His purpose is to make his readers aware of the dangers of
negative attitudes in order to help them become better writers (55).
He establishes an informal relationship with his audience of college
students who are interested in learning to write "with conviction" (55).
Read “Why Is American Internet So Slow?”
by John Aziz
Following the Rhetorical Précis format and the
“Rhetorical Précis Worksheet” handout, with a
partner, create a Précis for “Why Is American
Internet So Slow?” article. Do not neglect to use
rhetorically accurate verbs and nouns.
FROM NON FICTION
TO
FICTION
Read Mark Antony’s Funeral Oration from
Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare
 Create a Rhetorical Précis, based on Mark
Antony’s Funeral Oration. Follow closely the four
sentence paragraph structure as you go through
your creative process.
 Read and annotate the text closely, and mark the
text for information necessary to complete this
task.
Antony’s Speech
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7X9C55TkUP
8
MARK ANTONY'S FUNERAL ORATION
Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears; I come to bury
Caesar, not to praise him. The evil that men do lives after them;
The good is oft interred with their bones; So let it be with Caesar.
The noble Brutus Hath told you Caesar was ambitious: If it were
so, it was a grievous fault, And grievously hath Caesar answer'd it.
Here, under leave of Brutus and the rest-- For Brutus is an
honourable man; So are they all, all honourable men-- Come I to
speak in Caesar's funeral. He was my friend, faithful and just to
me: But Brutus says he was ambitious; And Brutus is an
honourable man. He hath brought many captives home to Rome
Whose ransoms did the general coffers fill:
Did this in Caesar seem ambitious? When that the poor have
cried, Caesar hath wept: Ambition should be made of sterner
stuff: Yet Brutus says he was ambitious; And Brutus is an
honourable man. You all did see that on the Lupercal I thrice
presented him a kingly crown, Which he did thrice refuse: was
this ambition? Yet Brutus says he was ambitious; And, sure,
he is an honourable man. I speak not to disprove what Brutus
spoke, But here I am to speak what I do know. You all did love
him once, not without cause: What cause withholds you then, to
mourn for him? O judgment! thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason. Bear with me; My heart is in
the coffin there with Caesar, And I must pause till it come back
to me.
SAMPLE SENTENCE 1
.
SAMPLE SENTENCE 2
Marc Antony makes his assertion
through an increasingly bitter and ironic
characterization of Brutus as a “noble
man” and by listing Caesar’s many
generous acts, concluding with the
legacies Caesar left to the Roman people
in his will.
SAMPLE SENTENCE 3
Antony’s purpose is to incite a riot
against the conspirators in order to
avenge Caesar’s death and prevent
the conspirators from taking control
of Rome.
SAMPLE SENTENCE 4
Because the audience is emotionally vulnerable
and volatile—and is initially sympathetic to
Brutus—Marc Antony first pretends to share his
audience’s regard for Brutus before turning the
crowd against Caesar’s killers.
Because the audience is emotionally vulnerable
and volatile—and is initially sympathetic to
Brutus—Marc Antony first pretends to share his
audience’s regard for Brutus before turning the
crowd against Caesar’s killers.
(PARAGARAPH 1):
PRÉCIS AS AN ESSAY PARAGRAPH

. Marc
Antony makes this assertion through an increasingly
bitter and ironic characterization of Brutus as a “noble
man” and by listing Caesar’s many generous acts,
concluding with the legacies Caesar left to the Roman
people in his will
. Because the audience is emotionally
vulnerable and volatile—and is initially sympathetic to
Brutus—Marc Antony first pretends to share his
audience’s regard for Brutus before turning the crowd
After the Précis…
(PARAGRAPH 2)
(PARAGRAPH 3)
 Develop your thesis. Do
you agree, disagree,
agree with some but
disagree with other?
 Outline your approach
(or attack).
 Support your
claims/reasons with
information beyond the
text of the article.
Break
Teaching Revision
A Key to Good Writing
Donald Murray
 “Lower your standards
until you can start writing.”
 “Writing is rewriting.”
 “All writers write badly—at
first…. Then they rewrite.
Revision is not the end of
the writing process, but
the beginning.”
William Zinsser
 “Rewriting is the
essence of writing
well—where the game
is won or lost.”
Classroom Expectations: Language
 Fast draft…
 May not be perfect. Come back tomorrow and
make it better…
 Hard work…
 Writer-based prose
 Reader-based prose
Save the grading for GAME DAY!
Getting Comfy with Revision
 Revision is about making
(and shaping/ reshaping)
meanings.
 Revision (RE-visioning,
re-seeing) is
RETHINKING.
Getting Comfy with Revision
Revision is usually messy.
Revision: Ask the Right Questions…
 Does my title help my piece? Does it tell too
much or too little? Does it intrigue a reader?
 Is my introduction interesting and effective?
 Is the introduction “warm up” for me as a
writer?
 What would happen if I began with the next
paragraph instead? Two paragraphs later?
Revision: Ask the Right Questions…
 What else does my reader need to know?
Have I provided enough information for a
reader to follow my ideas?
 Will a reader be emotionally connected to
my piece?
 Have I included too much? What could I
cut out?
Revision: Ask the Right Questions…
 Have I presented my material in the clearest and
most effective order for a reader?
 Am I telling or showing? Can I add dialogue,
descriptive detail, facts, statistics, anecdotes to
enliven my writing?
 Is my conclusion logical? Believable? Organic?
Four Key Revision Strategies
Reordering
Substitution
Addition
Subtraction
Randy Koch: Teaching Revision
1. Give things and people the dignity of their own
names.
2. Avoid weak helping and linking verbs. Use
specific action verbs instead.
3. Use specific, concrete sensory details.
4. Show, don’t tell, particularly by using dialogue.
5. Cut clutter.
6. Vary sentence structure and length.
Tools of the Trade
Tools of the Trade
Practicing Low Stakes Revision
 In order to revise, writers need to distance
themselves from their own words.
– The dog ate my homework! (Tsujimoto’s
“memory revision”)
– Partner revision
– A week later: cut and paste
WRITER’S WORKSHOP
Our Heroes
The Mini Lesson
The Work
The Author’s Chair &
Wrap up
Until 2:45…
INTRODUCTION TO INQUIRY
GROUPS
Inquiry Groups
 Topic ideas: Flash drive readings? Areas of
interest?
–
–
–
–
–
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Assessment
Content Area Literacy
Writing on Demand
Technology
Standards based curriculum
Other?
Inquiry Groups
 Please take 5 minutes and write about a few of
the issues that you have concerns, questions, or
curiosities about in regards to writing and writing
instruction in YOUR teaching world.
 Compare your list with the person next to you.
 Share out!
Inquiry Groups
 Groups of people with a shared interest.
 Collaboration in an academic discussion of
issues related to writing and writing instruction.
 Scheduled meeting times to work together.
 Start by finding 1-2 people you’d like to work
with.
Inquiry Groups
 Sign-up for the inquiry (names and topics) in
which you wish to participate.
 No more than 2-3people per group
 Sharing what you learned Wednesday, 7/23.
Inquiry Groups
 Take a few minutes now and write in your
journals about what you hope to gain from this
experience. How do you think the topic you’ve
chosen can connect to what you do in the
classroom?
 Comments? Concerns? “Inquiries”?
For Next Time…
 Explore the Technology section, paying special
attention to the readings listed on the schedule.
– What are you learning?
– What is interesting? What concerns do you have?