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Unit 3, Lesson 1
Blue Team
4.24.15
Vocabulary
Unit 3
1. bolster (verb)
• to make something stronger or better
• synonyms: reinforce, support, carry
2. disdain (noun)
• a feeling of strong dislike for someone or
something
• synonyms: contempt, scorn
3. callous (adjective)
• not feeling or showing any concern about the
problems or suffering of other people
• synonyms: cold-blooded, hard-hearted,
compassionless, unsympathetic
4. cajole (verb)
• to persuade someone to do something or to give
you something by making promises or saying
nice things
• Synonyms: coax, sweet-talk, charm
5. confound (verb)
• to surprise and confuse
• to prove wrong
• synonyms: baffle, bewilder, disorient, vex
6. delineate (verb)
• to clearly show or describe
• synonyms: define, outline
7. elucidate (verb)
• to make something clear or easy to understand
• synonyms: clarify, demonstrate, demystify,
explain
8. laconic (adjective)
• using few words in speech or writing
• synonyms: brief, concise, succinct
The Essay
Unit 3
Essay Scoring Rubric
• Read the essay rubric and highlight key words.
• What are the most important elements to focus
on when you write your essay?
The Big Four
1. Establish a Clear Point of View
“People are unwise to pursue love if it causes
them pain.”
vs.
“There are many possibilities, really.”
The Big Four
2. Support Your Position
• Provide reasons and specific examples (2).
• Explain how your example proves your point.
The Big Four
3. Have a Logical Structure
• Introduction
• Two body paragraphs with two distinct examples
• Conclusion
Remember: Readers will spend about three minutes
on your essay. Make your essay easy to score.
The Big Four
• Include a Concession
One of our country’s foundational ideas is that the
electorate should make decisions with the most
information possible. While such a notion is a
reason to educate the masses, there is also a
strong case to be made that a democracy cannot
survive without a certain degree of government
secrecy. Sometimes, it is important for the masses
to remain uninformed so that our elected officials
can provide for the safety of the citizens.
What Would You Do?
Create a quick outline for the following prompt:
Are people unwise to pursue love even when they
know it will cause them pain? Plan and write an
essay in which you develop your point of view on
this issue. Support your position with reasoning
and examples taken from your reading, studies,
experience or observations.
What Would You Do?
• Read the samples for the previous prompt.
• What works? What doesn’t? What scores would
you give?
Working Through A Prompt
• Let’s do this one together:
Think carefully about the issue presented in the following quotations
and the assignment below.
1. While secrecy can be destructive, some of it is indispensable in
human lives. Some control over secrecy and openness is needed in
order to protect identity. Such control may be needed to guard privacy,
intimacy, and friendship.
Adapted from Sissela Bok, “The Need for Secrecy”
2. Secrecy and a free, democratic government, President Harry Truman
once said, don’t mix. An open exchange of information is vital to the
kind of informed citizenry essential to healthy democracy.
Editorial, “Overzealous Secrecy Threatens Democracy”
Assignment: Do people need to keep secrets or is secrecy harmful?
Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on
this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken
from your reading, studies, experience or observations.
1. Understand the Prompt & Plan
• What do you have to do?
• What is your position?
• Avoid “I agree that…” or “I disagree that…” Instead, take a strong,
clear position.
• What examples can you use?
Introductions
• Read “Developing a Thesis” on page 158 of your
SAT practice book.
• Read “Writing the Introduction” on pages 159160.
• Write an introduction for our prompt.
• Compare introductions in your group and decide
whose is the most effective.
Review
• Answer questions 1-8 on the Sentence
Completion review handout (Section 4/458)