Twelfth Grade: ELA Core Standards Overview
➢
Understanding more from and making fuller use of written materials, including using a wider range of evidence to support an analysis
➢
Making more connections about how complex ideas interact and develop within a book, essay, or article
➢
Evaluating arguments and specific claims; assessing whether the reasoning is valid and the evidence is sufficient; and as appropriate
detecting inconsistencies and ambiguities
➢
Making an argument that is logical, well-reasoned, and supported by evidence
➢
Writing a literary analysis, report, or summary that develops a central idea and a coherent focus and is well supported with relevant
examples, facts, and details
➢
Conducting several research projects that address different aspects of the same topic, using more complex books, articles, and other
sources
➢
Responding thoughtfully to diverse perspectives; synthesizing comments, claims, and evidence made on all sides of an issue; and resolving
contradictions when possible
➢
Sharing research, findings, and evidence clearly and concisely
➢
Making strategic use of digital media (e.g., animations, video, websites, podcasts) to enhance understanding of findings and to add interest
➢
Determining or clarifying the meaning of words and phrases, choosing flexibly from multiple strategies, such as using context, Greek and
Latin roots (e.g., bene as in benefactor or benevolent), patterns of words (conceive, conception, conceivable), and consulting specialized
reference materials (e.g., dictionaries, glossaries, thesauruses)
➢
Interpreting figures of speech (e.g., hyperbole, paradox) in context and analyzing their role in the written materials
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Canyons School District
Twelfth Grade English Language Arts
Table of Contents
Section I:
CTESS/SLO
Power Standards
SLO Tasks and Schedule
Section II:
Master Glossary
Literary Terms
Rhetorical Terms
Research Terms
Academic Vocabulary
Section III:
Curriculum Overview
Map-at-a-glance
Unit 1-6
Section IV:
Senior Capstone Project
Section V:
Additional Teaching Resources
College Application Essay
Cover Letter
Clarence Darrow
SLO At a Glance (formerly CFA)
The state-mandated Student Learning Objectives (SLO) are the new “CFAs” (kinda like Orange is the New Black). In an effort to
streamline the SLO process, we have created the user-friendly SLO outline below.
To measure student growth in argument writing, the following three (3) power standards will be assessed and reported for each SLO
benchmark. These standards were chosen because of their cohesion and function as essential elements of the Senior Capstone final project.
*For a complete list of the standards that will be assessed in the Senior Capstone research paper, see Section IV: Senior Capstone Project.
(R) Standard 1
Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inference drawn from the text, including determining whe
(W) Standard 1a
Introduce precise, knowledgeable claim(s), establish the significance of the claim(s), distinguish the claim(s) from alternate or opposing claims, and create an or
claim(s), counterclaims, reasons, and evidence.
(W) Standard 1c
Use words, phrases, and clauses as well as varied syntax to link the major sections of the text, create cohesion, and clarify the relationships between claim(s) a
evidence, and between claim(s) and counterclaims.
SLO
Due Date
#1: Pre-assessment
Sept. 4
(Diagnostic - no
scaffolding)
Description
● Teacher chooses two or more texts (Lexile 900+).
● Instruct students to take and defend a position using supporting
textual evidence.
● Students write an introduction and one body paragraph of an
argument essay. (or full essay based on teacher preference)
● Teachers assess and report student growth on the 3 power
standards.
*Task should take no longer than (1-2) 90 minute class period(s).
Suggested Resources
NYTimes Room for Debate
Izzit.org
Newsela.com
SIRS
Gale Researcher (Opposing Viewpoints)
#2:
CRAAP Short Research
Essay
Oct. 24
#3:
Database Short Research
Essay
Jan. 8
● Students use database research to choose two or more texts (
Lexile 900+).
● Instruct students to take and defend a position using supporting
textual evidence.
● Students write an argument essay (teachers decide on length)
● Teachers assess and report student growth on the 3 power
standards.
#4: Capstone Rough
Draft
or other argument essay
Mar. 18
● Students conduct research on an arguable, significant and relevant
topic of choice.
● Students write a rough draft of their Capstone argument paper or
other argument essay (based on teacher preference).
● Teachers assess and report student growth on the 3 power
standards.
#5: Capstone Research
Essay
May 27
● Teachers assess and report student growth on the 3 power
standards.
● Format: 4-7 pages, MLA et al, minimum (6) cited sources.
● Students find two or more online sources / texts (Lexile 900+)
about a topic*.
● Instruct students to take and defend a position using supporting
textual evidence.
● Students write an argument essay (teachers decide on length)
● Teachers assess and report student growth on the 3 power
standards.
* Topics assigned by teacher and can be related to thematic unit of study
CRAAP test (source evaluation tool)
SIRS
Gale Researcher
EBSCO
Pioneer Library K-12
Twelfth Grade Master Glossary
(These terms should be pre-assessed, introduced, taught and learned throughout the year, and post-assessed at the end of the year)
Literary Terms
Allegory
Antagonist
Antihero
Archetype
A symbolic story. Any writing that has a double meaning; an extended metaphor in which persons, abstract ideas,
or events represent themselves on a literal level, but also stand for something else on a symbolic level.
A character or force that fights against the protagonist or the main character
A main character or protagonist who embodies negative characteristics more typical of a villain or antagonist.
An original model or pattern from which other later copies are made, especially a character, an action, or situation
that seems to represent common patterns of human life. Often, archetypes include a symbol, a theme, a setting, or a
character that some critics think have a common meaning in an entire culture, or even the entire human race. These
images have particular emotional resonance and power.
Climax
That particular point in a narrative at which the conflict or tension hits the highest point. It is usually a turning point
in the narrative.
Direct Characterization
When the author or the characters directly comment on the appearance and characteristics of a character in a story.
Dystopia
Epic
External Conflict
Falling Action
Flashback
A society characterized by human misery (i.e. squalor, disease, oppression and overcrowding)
A long, serious, poetic narrative about a significant event, often featuring a hero
A struggle between a literary or dramatic character and an outside force such as nature or another character, which
drives the dramatic action of the plot: man vs. man, man vs. nature, man vs. technology, man vs. society, man vs.
supernatural / fate, etc.
The events in the plot after the climax that lead to the final resolution of the conflict
Flashbacks are interruptions that writers do to insert past events in order to provide background or context to the
current events of a narrative. By using flashbacks, writers allow their readers to gain insight into a character’s
motivation and provide a background to a current conflict. Dream sequences and memories are methods used to
present flashbacks.
Foil
Foreshadowing
Genre
Hubris
Imagery
Inciting Incident
Indirect Characterization
Irony
Metaphor
Mood
Motif
Personification
In literature, a foil is a character that shows qualities that are in contrast with the qualities of another character with
the objective to highlight the traits of the other character.
When a writer gives an advance hint of what is to come later in the story.
Genre means the type of art, literature or music characterized by a specific form, content and style. For example,
literature has four main genres; poetry, drama, fiction and nonfiction. All of these genres have particular features
and functions that distinguish them from one another.
Arrogance, excessive self-pride and self-confidence. The word was used to refer to the emotions in Greek tragic
heroes that led them to ignore warnings from the gods and thus invite catastrophe. It is considered a form of
hamartia or tragic flaw that stems from overbearing pride and lack of piety.
Descriptive language that appeals to our physical senses. Usually it is thought that imagery makes use of particular
words that create visual representation of ideas in our minds.
The Inciting Incident (or “exciting incident” as someone once referred to it) is the event or decision that begins a
story's problem.
This is a more subtle way of introducing the character to the audience. The audience has to deduce for themselves
the characteristics of the character by observing his/her thought process, behavior, speech, way of talking,
appearance, and way of communication with other characters and also by discerning the response of other
characters.
A technique of indicating, as through character or plot development, an intention or attitude opposite to that which
is actually or ostensibly stated.
Metaphor is a figure of speech which makes an implicit, implied or hidden comparison between two things or
objects that are poles apart from each other but have some characteristics common between them.
Mood is the atmosphere of a piece of writing; it’s the emotions a selection arouses in a reader.
Motif is an object or idea that repeats itself throughout a literary work.
Giving human qualities to inanimate objects: “The ground thirsts for rain; the wind whispered secrets to us.”
Prosopopeia (also spelled prosopopoeia) is a form of powerful personification in which an inanimate object gains
the ability to speak.
Protagonist
A protagonist is the central character or leading figure in poetry, narrative, novel or any other story. A protagonist is
sometimes called a “hero” by the audience or readers.
Resolution
The part of the plot (usually at the end of the story) when the conflict is resolved
Simile
Soliloquy
Symbol
Theme
Tone
Tragedy
Tragic Flaw (Hamartia)
Tragic Hero
Utopia
A simile is a figure of speech that makes a comparison, showing similarities between two different things. Unlike a
metaphor, a simile draws resemblance with the help of the words “like” or “as”. Therefore, it is a direct comparison.
When a character in a play reveals his inner thoughts by delivering a speech alone on stage
Objects used to signify larger ideas and qualities
The general idea or meaning of a literary work
The author’s attitude toward a subject. While journalistic writing theoretically has a tone of distance and objectivity,
all other writing can have various tones.
A dramatic composition, often in verse, dealing with a serious or somber theme, typically that of a great person
destined through a flaw of character or conflict with some overpowering force, as fate or society, to downfall, death
or destruction.
Hamartia, also called tragic flaw, inherent defect or shortcoming in the hero of a tragedy, who is in other respects a
superior being favored by fortune. Aristotle introduced the term in the Poetics in describing the tragic hero as a
man of noble rank and nature whose misfortune is not brought about by villainy but by some “error of judgment”
(hamartia). This imperfection later came to be interpreted as a moral flaw, such as Othello’s jealousy or Hamlet’s
irresolution. Importantly, the hero’s suffering and its far-reaching reverberations are far out of proportion to his
flaw.
A tragic hero is a person of noble birth with heroic or potentially heroic qualities. This person is fated by the Gods
or by some supernatural force to doom and destruction or at least to great suffering. But the hero struggles mightly
against this fate and this cosmic conflict wins our admiration.
An ideal place or state; any visionary system of political or social perfection
Rhetorical Terms
repetition of the same sound beginning several words in sequence.
Alliteration
Allusion
Analogy
*Let us go forth to lead the land we love. J. F. Kennedy, Inaugural
An indirect or passing reference to some event, person, place, or artistic work, the nature and relevance of which is
not explained by the writer but relies on the reader's familiarity
A comparison in which an idea or a thing is compared to another thing that is quite different from it. It aims at
explaining that idea or thing by comparing it to something that is familiar. Metaphors and similes are tools used to
draw an analogy. Therefore, analogy is more extensive and elaborate than either a simile or a metaphor.
Repetition of beginning clauses.
Anaphora
Anecdote
Antithesis
(plural = antitheses)
Argument
Argumentation
Asyndeton
Audience
For instance, Churchill declared, “We shall not flag or fail. We shall go on the end. We shall fight in France, we shall fight on
the seas and oceans. We shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air. We shall defend our island,
whatever the cost shall be.”
A short and amusing or interesting story about a real incident or person, often used to support a point in argument
writing
Contrary ideas expressed in a balanced sentence. It can be a contrast of opposites: “Evil men fear authority; good men
cherish it.” Or it can be a contrast of degree: "One small step for a man, one giant leap for all mankind."
A reason or set of reasons given with the aim of persuading others that an action or idea is right or wrong.
The action or process of reasoning systematically in support of an idea, action, or theory
the omission or absence of a conjunction between parts of a sentence.
An audience is a group of people who receive a message. Writers / speakers / creators think about their intended
audience when they create their works. Often, though, a larger, unintended audience will also receive and react to
the message of the text or media.
Claim
Concession
Connotation
Context / Occasion
Counter-argument
Denotation
Diction
Ethos
Evidence
Hyperbole
A claim is the main argument of an essay. It is probably the single most important part of an academic paper. The
complexity, effectiveness, and quality of the entire paper hinges on the claim. If your claim is boring or obvious, the
rest of the paper probably will be too.
A concession is an admission that the opposing side has a good point. Concessions are especially effective when a
writer can agree partially with the opposing position, but also point out a flaw. You can recognize the validity of
another author's argument without fully rejecting it.
An idea or feeling that a word invokes in addition to its literal or primary meaning.
The political, moral, social, popular, etc. circumstances that prompted a speaker's message.
A counterargument is a viewpoint that opposes your main argument. Counterarguments are part of a good
persuasive writing and speaking strategy, because they show that you've considered other points of view. They
also set up the chance to refute the opposition, and show why your position is the right one to have. Placing a
counterargument in your persuasive essay increases your ethos (credibility) because it shows fairness.
The literal or primary meaning of a word, in contrast to the feelings or ideas that the word suggests.
Diction can be defined as style of speaking or writing determined by the choice of words by a speaker or a writer.
Credibility or ethical appeal, means convincing by the character of the author. We tend to believe people whom we
respect. One of the central problems of argumentation is to project an impression to the reader that you are
someone worth listening to, in other words making yourself as author into an authority on the subject of the paper,
as well as someone who is likable and worthy of respect.
Proof in the form of data, research, expert opinion, text evidence, and personal experience
Obvious and intentional exaggeration.
Imagery
Descriptive language that appeals to our physical senses. Usually it is thought that imagery makes use of particular
words that create visual representation of ideas in our minds.
Irony
A technique of indicating, as through character or plot development, an intention or attitude opposite to that which
is actually or ostensibly stated.
Logical Fallacy
Logos
Illogical reasoning used to support a claim
Persuading by the use of reasoning.
Metaphor
Metaphor is a figure of speech which makes an implicit, implied or hidden comparison between two things or
objects that are poles apart from each other but have some characteristics common between them.
Oxymoron
A figure of speech by which a locution produces an incongruous, seemingly self-contradictory effect, as in “cruel
kindness” or “to make haste slowly.”.
Paradox
Parallelism
Parody
Pathos
Personification
Polysyndeton
Propaganda
Purpose
Refutation
Rhetoric
A statement or proposition that seems self-contradictory or absurd but in reality expresses a possible truth.
When the writer establishes similar patterns of grammatical structure and length. For instance, "King Alfred tried to
make the law clear, precise, and equitable.” The previous sentence has parallel structure in use of adjectives. However, the
following sentence does not use parallelism: "King Alfred tried to make clear laws that had precision and were equitable.”
Parody is an imitation of a particular writer, artist or a genre, exaggerating it deliberately to produce a comic effect.
Persuading by appealing to the reader's emotions. We can look at texts ranging from classic essays to
contemporary advertisements to see how pathos, emotional appeals, are used to persuade. Language choice
affects the audience's emotional response, and emotional appeal can effectively be used to enhance an argument.
Giving human qualities to inanimate objects: “The ground thirsts for rain; the wind whispered secrets to us.”
Prosopopeia (also spelled prosopopoeia) is a form of powerful personification in which an inanimate object gains
the ability to speak.
Polysyndeton is a literary technique in which conjunctions (e.g. and, but, or) are used repeatedly in quick
succession, often with no commas, even when the conjunctions could be removed.
Biased or misleading information used to promote a particular political cause or point of view
The speaker's intention behind a stylistic choice or the intention behind an entire text
To refute an argument, you must argue against it. Asking questions is not enough. You must present good reasons
why its conclusions or reasons are wrong.
The art of effective or persuasive speaking or writing, especially the use of figures of speech and other
compositional techniques.
Rhetorical Question
Sarcasm
Satire
A question asked solely to produce an effect or to make an assertion and not to elicit a reply, as “What is so rare as a
day in June?”.
the use of irony to mock or convey contempt.
An artistic form in which human or individual vices, follies, abuses, or shortcomings are held up to censure by
means of ridicule, derision, irony, parody, caricature, or other methods, sometimes with an intent to inspire social
reform.
Simile
A simile is a figure of speech that makes a comparison, showing similarities between two different things. Unlike a
metaphor, a simile draws resemblance with the help of the words “like” or “as”. Therefore, it is a direct comparison.
Speaker
The person "speaking" in a text. In literature, the speaker is not necessarily the author. In non-fiction, the speaker is
usually the writer.
Structure
Style
Text structure refers to how the information within a written text is organized. This strategy helps students
understand that a text might present a main idea and details (sequential, chronological, cause-effect, problem-solution,
argument-counterargument, description, etc.)
Style in literature is the literary element that describes the ways that the author uses words — the author's word
choice, sentence structure, figurative language, and sentence arrangement all work together to establish mood,
images, and meaning in the text.
Symbol
Objects used to signify larger ideas and qualities
Syntax
The way sentences are structured / organized in a piece of writing
Tone
Tone is the author’s attitude toward a subject. While journalistic writing theoretically has a tone of distance and
objectivity, all other writing can have various tones.
Research Terms
Annotated Bibliography
Audience
Bias
Bibliography
An annotated bibliography is a list of citations to books, articles, and documents. Each citation is followed by a brief
(usually about 150 words) descriptive and evaluative paragraph, the annotation. The purpose of the annotation is to
inform the reader of the relevance, accuracy, and quality of the sources cited.
A person or group of people to whom a message is directed
Prejudice in favor of or against one thing, person, or group compared with another, usually in a way considered to be
unfair.
A list of the books referred to in a scholarly work, usually printed as an appendix
Case Study
A research method involving an up-close, in-depth, and detailed examination of a subject of study (the case), as well
as its related contextual conditions.
Citation
a reference that allows you to acknowledge the sources* you use in a formal academic paper, and enables a reader to
locate those sources through the key information it provides.
A claim is the main argument of an essay. It is probably the single most important part
of an academic paper. The complexity, effectiveness, and quality of the entire paper
Claim
hinges on the claim. If your claim is boring or obvious, the rest of the paper probably
will be too.
Counterclaim
A claim made to rebut another's argument
A list of questions to help you evaluate the information you find.
CRAAP Test
Credibility
Database
C: Credibility R: Relevance A: Authority A: Accuracy P: Purpose
Trustworthy or believable.
A collection of information that is organized so that it can easily be accessed, managed, and updated.
Direct Quote
Embed
Paraphrase
Periodical
Primary Source
Rebut (v.) / Rebuttal (n.)
Refute (v.) / Refutation (n.)
Scholarly Journal
Secondary Source
Summary
Vetted (peer-reviewed)
Works Cited
Using an author's language word for word (verbatim)
A quote that flows naturally into your own writing. When reading a well-embedded quote, it should sound like part of
your own sentence.
a restatement of a text or passage giving the meaning in another form, as for clearness; rewording.
A magazine or newspaper published at regular intervals.
An original documents, texts, or artifacts that provide information about a topic
To claim or prove that (evidence or an accusation) is false.
To prove (a statement or theory) to be wrong or false; disprove.
A peer-reviewed periodical in which scholarship relating to a particular academic discipline is published. Academic
journals serve as forums for the introduction and presentation for scrutiny of new research, and the critique of
existing research. Content typically takes the form of articles presenting original research, review articles, and book
reviews.
For the purposes of a historical research project, secondary sources are generally scholarly books and articles. Also
included would be reference sources like encyclopedias.
A brief overview of the main points of a text
Reviewed thoroughly, especially in order to ensure credibility and trustworthiness
A list of sources that you have incorporated within your paper by using the ideas, information, and quotes of others. It
is not a list of all the works that you found that addressed your topic.
Academic Vocabulary
Break the subject (an object, event, or concept) down into parts, and explain the various parts.
Analyze
State a claim on an issue and support it with reasons and evidence from sources while also countering possible
statements or arguments from individuals who have different positions.
Argue
Show how two things are similar and different; include details or examples.
Compare
Look at or think about with careful attention; to observe or study thoughtfully.
Contemplate
Show how two things are different; include details or examples.
Contrast
Give or supply in common with others to a common fund or for a common purpose.
Contribute
Point out both the good and bad points of something.
Critique
Give an accurate meaning of a term with enough detail to show that you really understand it.
Define
Write about the subject so the reader can easily visualize it; tell how it looks or happened, including how, who, where,
why.
Describe
Grow or cause to grow and become more mature, advanced, or elaborate.
Develop
Give more details about something; to discuss something more fully.
Elaborate
Give your opinion of the value of the subject; discuss its good and bad points, strengths and weaknesses.
Evaluate
Give the meaning of something; give facts and details that make the idea easy to understand.
Explain
Give the meaning of something; give facts and details that make the idea easy to understand.
Illustrate
Explain the meaning of a text, statement, photo, graphic aid; discuss the results or the effects of something.
Interpret
Give convincing reasons and evidence from sources to support a claim, decision, action, or event.
Justify
Give convincing reasons in order to get someone to do or believe something; appeal to the reader’s feelings and
mind.
Persuade
State your overall reaction to the content, then support your individual opinions or claims with specific reasons and
relevant examples, making sure to refer back to supporting texts.
Respond
State again or in a new way.
Restate
View, look at, or look over again.
Review
Provide an objective overview of the topic and important details from a text; use paragraph form, key topic words, and
no personal opinions about the content.
Summarize
Combine ideas from different sources in a single response.
Synthesize
Twelfth Grade Curriculum Overview
2014-15 Year at a Glance
Unit Theme
Essential
Question
5 weeks
5 weeks
7 weeks
5 weeks
5 weeks
6 weeks
UNIT 1: The Power of
Words
UNIT 2: Archetypes
in Life & Literature
UNIT 3: The Quest
for Utopia
UNIT 4: Equity &
Disparity
UNIT 5: Change and
Tradition
UNIT 6: Transition to
Adulthood
Where do archetypes
originate, what
explains their
longevity, and what
societal values do
they reflect?
What are the
elements of an ideal
society---and who
decides?
How does literature
depict and inform
the reader’s
perceptions of equity
and disparity?
How does the
dissonance between
tradition and change
shape individuals and
societies?
What qualities,
characteristics, and
events contribute to
shaping your identity?
What power do words
have over individuals
and societies?
SLO:
Argument Writing
Focus
Additional
Writing
Assignments
(See SLO At-A-Glance document)
Narrative
(college application or
letter of intent)
Informative/
Explanatory
(Your choice)
Social Studies
Connections
How does geography
affect language?
How does language
evolve over time?
What historical
events shaped our
definition of an
archetype?
Science
Connections
How do we use language
to clearly communicate
and represent scientific
ideas to different
audiences?
What limitations or
advancements does a
society place on
scientific research?
No additional Writing Tasks
Focus on the Argument Writing Tasks for the SLO / Capstone
How do we negotiate
the demands of
development, the
responsible allocation
of resources, and
environmental
conservation?
How has science
improved society?
Is technological
advancement always
an improvement?
Narrative
(Letter of advice for
incoming Freshmen, This
I Believe Essay, or
Similar)
How can individuals
and societies protect
human rights and
dignity?
Who or what
determines whether a
tradition is changed or
sustained?
How do we grow up by
adapting to our
environment?
How does science
influence the politics
and economics of a
society?
How has science affect
superstition and shift
perspectives and
paradigms?
What is the role of
environment versus
DNA in shaping
identity?
Twelfth Grade Unit 1 Theme: The Power of Words
In this unit students will have an overview of the power of words through reading and writing. Students will learn terms and skills for argument,
informative/explanatory, and narrative writing and produce short samples of all three areas of writing focus.
Essential Question
What power do words
have over individuals
and societies?
Supporting Questions
•
•
What are the purposes of communication?
How does the ability to communicate affect
our social, economic, and academic
opportunities?
• What are the components of effective
rhetoric and literary expression?
• What is the role of social media in shaping
perception?
• How does social media affect
communication styles and relationships?
• What ethical considerations should guide
our use of media and technology?
• In what ways does academic language
foster and convey clear, analytical, critical
thinking in all subject areas?
• How does language evolve over time?
Science Connections
How do we use language
to clearly communicate
and represent scientific
ideas to different
audiences?
(BOLD = priority standard building towards Senior Capstone Project)
ELA Core Standards
READING
RI.11-12.2. Determine two or more central ideas of a text and analyze
their development over the course of the text, including how they
interact and build on one another to provide a complex analysis;
provide an objective summary of the text.
RI.11-12.5. Analyze and evaluate the effectiveness of the structure an
author uses in his or her exposition or argument, including whether the
structure makes points clear, convincing, and engaging.
RL.11-12.5. Analyze how an author’s choices concerning how to
structure specific parts of a text (e.g., the choice of where to begin or
end a story, the choice to provide a comedic or tragic resolution)
Social Studies
Connections
How does geography
affect language?
How does language
evolve over time?
Additional Writing
Focus
Narrative
College Application
Essay
How does language
shape identity?
Student Learning Targets
• I can determine two or more central ideas of a text.
• I can examine the central ideas of the text and how they interact
together to provide meaning.
• I can summarize the text.
• I can analyze and evaluate the effectiveness of the author's structure.
• I can analyze and evaluate use of structure in creating a clear, convincing,
and engaging text.
• I can examine how the author chooses to structure the text.
• I can determine how the structure contributes to the meaning of the text.
• I can evaluate the style of the text and how it adds to the meaning of the
contribute to its overall structure and meaning as well as its aesthetic
impact.
RI.11-12.6. Determine an author’s point of view or purpose in a text in
which the rhetoric is particularly effective, analyzing how style and
content contribute to the power, persuasiveness or beauty of the text.
text.
• I can determine an author's point of view or purpose in a text.
• I can analyze how a text's style and content contribute to the power,
persuasiveness, or beauty of a text.
ELA Core Standards
WRITING
W.11-12.2: 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.
W.11-12.2 (a): Introduce a topic; organize complex ideas, concepts, and
information so that each new element builds on that which precedes it
to create a unified whole; include formatting (e.g., headings), graphics
(e.g., figures, tables), and multimedia when useful to aiding
comprehension.
Student Learning Targets
• I can write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex
ideas, concepts, and information clearly and accurately.
• I can effectively select, organize, and analyze content in my
informative/explanatory writing.
• I can introduce a topic, and build complex ideas and concepts to create an
organized and unified whole.
• I can use formatting, graphics and multi-media to aid comprehension when
useful.
W.11-12.2 (b): Develop the topic thoroughly by selecting the most
significant and relevant facts, extended definitions, concrete details,
quotations, or other information and examples appropriate to the
audience’s knowledge of the topic.
W.11-12.2 (c) Use appropriate and varied transitions and syntax to link
the major sections of the text, create cohesion, and clarify the
relationships among complex ideas and concepts.
●
I can identify my audience and use relevant concrete details (facts, extended
definitions, quotations, or other information) to develop the topic
thoroughly.
●
W.11-12.2 (d): Use precise language, domain-specific vocabulary, and
techniques such as
metaphor, simile, and analogy to manage the complexity of the topic.
●
W.11-12.2 (e): Establish and maintain a formal style and objective tone
while attending to the norms and conventions of the discipline in which
they are writing.
W.11-12.2 (f): Provide a concluding statement or section that follows
from and supports the information or explanation presented (e.g.,
articulating implications or the significance of the topic).
●
I can use appropriate and varied transitions and syntax (sentence fluency) to
link major sections of the text.
I can create cohesion and clarify relationships, complex ideas, and concepts
through the use of transitions.
I can use precise word choice and relevant vocabulary to direct the reader
through the topic.
I can use metaphor, simile, and analogy to direct the reader through the
topic.
I can use correct and appropriate conventions in my writing.
W.11-12.3: Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or
events using effective technique, well-chosen details, and wellstructured event sequences.
W.11-12.3 (a): Engage and orient the reader by setting out a problem,
situation, or observation and its significance, establishing one or multiple
point(s) of view, and introducing a narrator and/or characters; create a
•
•
●
●
●
●
•
•
I can provide a concluding statement that supports the information or
explanation presented.
I can use my conclusion to articulate the implication or significance of the
topic.
I can write narratives that develop real or imagined experiences or events.
I can use effective technique, well-chosen details, and well-structured event
sequences to write my narrative.
I can create a problem, situation, or observation that is engaging and
communicate its importance to the reader.
I can establish one or more points of view and introduce a narrator and/or
smooth progression of experiences or events.
W.11-12.3 (b): Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue, pacing,
description, reflection, and multiple plot lines, to develop experiences,
events, and/or characters.
SPEAKING &
LISTENING
W.11-12.3 (c): Use a variety of techniques to sequence events so that
they build on one another to create a coherent whole and build toward a
particular tone and outcome (e.g., a sense of mystery, suspense, growth,
or resolution).
• I can use a variety of techniques to sequence events that build on one
another to create a meaningful whole and build toward a particular tone and
outcome.
W.11-12.3 (d): Use precise words and phrases, telling details, and
sensory language to convey a vivid picture of the experiences, events,
setting, and/or characters.
• I can use precise words and phrases, telling details, and sensory language to
convey a vivid picture of the events, setting, and/or characters.
W.11-12.3 (e): Provide a conclusion that follows from and reflects on
what is experienced, observed, or resolved over the course of the
narrative.
• I can write a conclusion that reflects on what is experienced and resolved
over the course of the narrative.
ELA Core Standards
Student Learning Targets
SL.11-12.3. Evaluate a speaker’s point of view, reasoning, and use of
evidence and rhetoric, assessing the stance, premises, links among ideas,
word choice, points of emphasis, and tone used.
• I can evaluate how a speaker uses evidence, reasoning, point of view, and
rhetoric.
• I can evaluate the speaker's stance, premises, word choice, connects among
ideas, points of emphasis, and tone used.
• I can present the information and supporting evidence to convey a clear
point of view.
• I can present information so that listeners can follow my line of reasoning.
• I can use appropriate organization, development, substance, and style to
establish a purpose and audience.
SL.11-12.4. Present information, findings, and supporting evidence,
conveying a clear and distinct perspective, such that listeners can follow
the line of reasoning, alternative or opposing perspectives are
addressed, and the organization, development, substance, and style are
appropriate to purpose, audience, and a range or formal and informal
tasks.
SL.11-12.6. Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks,
demonstrating a command of formal English when indicated or
appropriate.
ELA Core Standards
LANGUAGE
characters.
• I can create a smooth progression of experiences or events.
• I can use narrative techniques (such as dialogue, packing, description,
reflection, and multiple plot lines) to develop experiences, events, and/or
characters.
• I can change my speech depending on my audience, situation and task.
• I can demonstrate that I know how to use English properly.
●
Student Learning Targets
L.11-12.3. Apply knowledge of language to understand how language
functions in different contexts, to make effective choices for meaning or
style, and to comprehend more fully when reading or listening.
• I can understand how language functions in different contexts.
• I can make choices in language to understand reading or listening.
L.11-12.3 (a). Vary syntax for effect, consulting references (e.g.,Tufte’s
Artful Sentences) for guidance as needed; apply an understanding of
syntax to the study of complex texts when reading.
• I can use a variety of references to understand syntax (sentence fluency)
when reading complex texts.
Examples of Text Sets for Unit 1
**Feel free to create and use your own text sets. Text sets should include a literary work as well as other, more obvious rhetorical texts.
Please consider sharing your successful text sets with other 12th grade ELA teachers across the district.
The Power of Words
“Why I Believe in Black and White” by Roger Ebert
Patton’s speech
Letter from Gandhi to Hitler (Example of weak, ineffective speech)
Jenny Horne: How one speech altered the course of the Confederate Flag
2015 AP Language and Composition Synthesis Prompt: The Place for Polite Speech
Text Possibilities: The Affluenza Epidemic
●
Short Story: “Ordeal by Cheque” by Wuther Crue (So fun for the students!)
●
Classic Literature: any excerpt from The Great Gatsby that showcases the ennui and carelessness of the super-rich
●
Classic Literature: excerpt from the beginning of chapter 2 in Bless The Beasts and the Children that introduces the
reader to Stephen Lally (Lally 1) and Billy Lally (Lally 2)
●
CNN Video: Texas Teen kills four while driving drunk and gets off with a plea of “affluenza” (2-ish minutes) (great for
introducing the concept and discussing the tone / bias of the reporter)
●
Magazine Article: “Perfection Anxiety” by A. E. Hoffner from Vanity Fair (great for rhetorical analysis)
●
TED Talk: Paul Piff: Does Money Make You Mean? (With Ted Talk Video Organizer)
●
Research Article: Entitlement Research (Good rhetorical language and solid charts and graphs)
●
Article: How Wealth Breeds Narcissism: The Guardian
●
Article: “Rich People Are the F--ing Worst: Rancho Santa Fe’s Response to California’s drought. (Current Event)
●
Closing Arguments: Leopold and Loeb / Clarence Darrow closing arguments
●
Instagram Feed:
○
RichkidsofTehran
○
richkidsofmalaysia
○
richkidsofinstagram (Twitter feed too)
Text Possibilities: Who are the Homeless?
●
Literary Non-Fiction: The Glass Castle excerpt, chapter 1
●
YouTube Video: Miley Cyrus 2014 VMA acceptance
●
Infographics: Homelessness Infographics
●
Personal Essay: “On Dumpster Diving” by Lars Eighner
●
Magazine Article: Homeless Teens speak out Upfront: September 2014
●
Article: “Homelessness” by Andy Kessler
Text Possibilities: What does it mean to be a female in America?
To focus on the objectification of females, try these texts:
●
Poem: “Barbie Doll” by Marge Piercy
●
Excerpt from the House on Mango Street: "The Monkey Garden" by Sandra Cisneros
Text Possibilities: What the nugget? That’s so illogical! (A Text Set about illogical arguments / logical fallacies)
●
Short Story: “Love is a Fallacy” by Max Schulman
●
Article: “Reasons Why Rick Dyer is Telling the Truth about Bigfoot”
●
Article: Disasters You Can Expect Now That Marriage Equality is Here (good for fallacies, satire, tone)
(Current Event)
●
Comments Sections: Examine the comments sections of these articles for logical fallacies
○
Utah Drivers Get a Bad Rap
○
Essential Oil Company Gets Slapped by FDA
○
Poll Shows Utahns Question the Common Core but Don’t Understand It
●
Visual Texts For Teaching Logical Fallacies (Choose your favorites)
●
Infomercials
○
Hawaii Chair
○
Slap Chop
○
Sham Wow
●
YouTube Instructional Videos (Choose your favorites)
●
Advertisements (for example: Japanese Ice cream commercial)
●
Documentaries
○
5 Documentaries that are full of crap
○
Who Killed the Electric Car?
○
Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price
○
Supersize Me
○
Ancient Aliens Series from The History Channel
Text Possibilities: America’s Obesity Problem
●
Narrative / Movie: Disney’s Wall-E (has a strong rhetorical purpose)
●
Short Story: “Lose Now, Pay Later” by Carol Farley
●
Essays: Are You Responsible for Your Own Weight (Pro and Con Essays)
○
Current Issues, Ninth Edition, page 522)
●
Mini-series documentary: HBO Series The Weight of the Nation
●
Political Cartoons: Obesity Political Cartoons and cartoons about the Let’s Move Initiative
●
Fine Art: Modern Art Gallery focused on Obesity in America
●
Satire: “Preventing Childhood Obesity” (The Onion)
●
Personal Essay: “Too Fat to Be a Scientist”
●
Infographic: Obesity Infographics
●
Charts and Graphs: Graphs and Charts Explaining Why People Gain Weight
Text Possibilities: Global Waste Problem
●
Narrative / Movie: Disney’s Wall-E (has a strong rhetorical purpose)
●
Poem: “Inversnaid” or “Pied Beauty” or “God’s Grandeur” by Gerard Manley Hopkins
●
Essay: “Hiding in Plain Sight” by Heather Rogers (Excerpt from The Hidden Life of Garbage)
○
Found in Current Issues 9th ed. p. 133
●
Non-Fiction: from “Silent Spring” by Rachel Carson (Found in Current Issues 9th ed)
●
Garbage Infographics
●
Images of Garbage Landfills and Images of landfill’s effect on animals
●
Article on Trash Island: Great Pacific Garbage Patch- National Geographic
●
●
NYTimes Room for Debate: Is Hillary Clinton’s Brand of Feminism Dead?
Magazine Article (Time, June 29th 2015): “Nip, Tuck, or Else: Why You’ll Be Getting Cosmetic Procedures, Even If You
May Not Want To”
●
Poem: “Siren Song” by Margaret Atwood
●
Poem: “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” by Anne Sexton
●
Essay: from the Beauty Myth by Naomi Wolf
●
Essay: “There is no Unmarked Woman” by Deborah Tannen
○
The Language of Composition, Second Edition, page 552
●
Satire / Video: Brave New Girl by John Stewart (Current Event)
○
Note: This video uses some lewd language to make an important point about the objectification of women in
America. Edited summaries of this video can be found through a Google Search online.
●
News Article:: Nobel scientist Tim Hunt: female scientists cause trouble for men in labs (Current Event)
●
Twitter Feed: #DistractinglySexy #1 and #2 (response to Hunt’s comments about female scientists) (Current Event)
●
Opinion Pieces: Objectification of Women Huffington Post Articles
●
Letter: Ashley Judd Slaps Media in the Face for Speculation Over Her Puffy Appearance by Ashley Judd
●
Visual Text: Caitlyn Jenner Vanity Fair Cover (Current Event)
●
Music:
“Try” by Colbie Caillat and “All About That Bass” by Meghan Trainor
●
Infographic: How Women are Portrayed in Hollywood
To focus on issues of gender equality, try these texts:
●
Short Story: “Sweat” by Zora Neale Hurston
●
Short Story: “The Catbird Seat” by James Thurber
●
Speech: “A Declaration of Sentiments” by Elizabeth Cady Stanton
●
Speech: “Ain’t I a Woman?” by Sojourner Truth
●
Essay: from “On the Equality of the Sexes” by Judith Sargent Murray
●
Essay: “In Defense of Women” by H.L. Mencken
●
Speech: “The Speech of Miss Polly Baker” by Benjamin Franklin
○
The Language of Composition, Second Edition, page 533
●
Interview: Interview with Kaley Cuoco: Are You a Feminist? (Redbook Magazine) (Current Event)
●
Letter: An Open Letter to Kaley Cuoco from feminist Lucy Bellerby (Strong Rhetoric!) (Current Event)
●
Research Article: “Women in Combat” by June Eden (EBSCO)
●
Opinion Article: “Why Women Apologize and Why They Should Stop” (NYT) (Current Event)
Text possibilities: Costco’s Egg-cellent Eggs? (Current Event)
●
Short Story: “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas” by Ursula K. LeGuin
●
Essay: “Why Don’t We Complain?” by William F. Buckley, Jr.
●
Letter: Ryan Gosling’s Letter to Costco Re: Eggs
●
Images: Costco Egg Cartons
●
Video: Human Society’s Video about Costco’s Egg Source (warning: grisly images)
●
Documentary: Food Inc. Available on Netflix
Unit 1 Planning Notes:
Text Possibilities: Defining Masculinity
●
Short Story: “In a Far Country” by Jack London or “The Catbird Seat” by James Thurber
●
Photo: Leonard McCombe’s Malboro Man
●
Article: “The End of Men” from The Atlantic
●
NPR: “The End of Gender”?
●
Opinion Articles: Several NYTimes Opinion Pieces about modern manliness
●
Buzzfeed Video: Male beauty standards around the world
●
Website: The Art of Manliness
●
Advertisements: Old Spice Ads
●
Essay: “Putting Down the Gun” by Rebecca Walker (The Language of Composition, Second Edition, page 573)
●
Essay: “Mind Over Muscle” by David Brooks (The Language of Composition, Second Edition, page 577)
Text Possibilities: Technology’s Influence within society
●
Short Story: “ There Will Come Soft Rains” by Ray Bradbury
●
Image: Pyramid Chart detailing how the average person spends their day with technology
https://www.flickr.com/photos/caseorganic/3821305592/ Originally from Wired Magazine
●
Essays:
○
"Is Google Making Us Stupid"
○
"Your Social Life: Are you a Fox or a Hedgehog?"
○
Taking my son to college, where technology has replaced serendipity: Opinion
●
Website: Debate.org: Is Google Making Us Stupid
●
News Articles:
○
“An Ugly Toll of Technology: Impatience and Forgetfulness”
○
“ Social Media Research Raises Privacy and Ethics Issues”
○
“Growing Up Digital, Wired for Distraction”
○
Challenges loom as tech takeover grows
○
“Never Offline” by Lev Grossman
●
Infographics:
○
How Digital Natives Spend Their Time
○
How Technology Affects Our Sleep
○
The Effects of Media and Technology on Young Children in the United States
●
Videos:
○
Erik Qualman: Social Media Revolution #socialnomics
○
Business Insider: How Social Media is Rewiring Our Brains
○
Does Social Media Have the Power to Change the World?
○
Is Facebook Changing Our Identity?
Twelfth Grade Unit 2: Archetypes in Life & Literature
In this unit students will analyze literature with archetypal characters and draw conclusions about society’s values.
Informational/Explanatory writing will be emphasized.
Essential Question
Supporting Questions
Social Studies Connections
Science Connections
Where do archetypes originate,
what explains their longevity, and
what societal values do they
reflect?
•
•
•
•
•
READING
How have our definitions of
archetypal characters remained
constant or shifted according to our
evolving cultural values? Why?
How are archetypes manifested in
modern media, literature and
current events?
How do archetypal characters,
themes and settings embody specific
values?
How do these characters or themes
inform us today in the context of
current events, technologies,
cultures, and values?
What are the characteristics and
values of an archetypal character?
(e.g. Odysseus v. real or literary
heroes of today)
How do societal values define the
limitations and advancements of
scientific research?
What historical events shaped our
definition of an archetype?
ELA Core Standards
Student Learning Targets
RL.11-12.4: Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are
used in the text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze
the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone, including
words with multiple meanings or language that is particularly fresh,
engaging, or beautiful. (Include Shakespeare as well as other authors.)
RL.11-12.6: Analyze a case in which grasping point of view requires
distinguishing what is directly stated in a text from what is really meant
(e.g., satire, sarcasm, irony, or understatement).
• I can use text to determine the meaning of words and phrases.
• I can determine an author's tone through analysis of word choice.
• I can determine the figurative and connotative meaning of words and phrases.
• I can analyze a text's point of view that specifically requires using satire,
sarcasm, irony, or understatement.
RL.11-12.7: Analyze multiple interpretations of a story, drama, or poem
(e.g., recorded or live production of a play or recorded novel or poetry),
evaluating how each version interprets the source text. (Include at least
one play by Shakespeare and one play by an American dramatist.)
RI.11-12.1: Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support
analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn
from the text, including determining where the text leaves matters
uncertain.
RI.11-12.2: Determine two or more central ideas of a text and analyze
their development over the course of the text, including how they
interact and build on one another to provide a complex analysis; provide
an objective summary of the text.
• I can analyze multiple versions of a story, drama, or poem.
• I can evaluate how multiple versions of a story, drama, or poem interpret the
source text.
RI.11-12.3: Analyze a complex set of ideas or sequence of events and
explain how specific individuals, ideas, or events interact and develop
over the course of the text.
• I can analyze a complex set of ideas or sequence of events and explain how
specific individuals, ideas, or events interact and develop over the course of
the text.
RI.11-12.7: Integrate and evaluate multiple sources of information
presented in different media or formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively) as
well as in words in order to address a question or solve a problem.
• I can evaluate multiple sources of information presented in different media or
formats to solve a problem.
• I can integrate multiple sources of information presented in different media or
formats (e.g. visually, quantitatively) to address a question or solve a problem.
• I can cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis.
• I can cite specific material from the text, draw inferences from the text, and
determine where the text leaves matters uncertain.
• I can determine two or more central ideas of a text.
• I can examine the central ideas of the text and how they interact together to
provide meaning.
• I can summarize the text.
Student Learning Targets
ELA Core Standards
WRITING
W.11-12.2: 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.
●
W.11-12.2 (a): Introduce a topic; organize complex ideas, concepts, and
information so that each new element builds on that which precedes it
to create a unified whole; include formatting (e.g., headings), graphics
(e.g., figures, tables), and multimedia when useful to aiding
comprehension.
W.11-12.2 (b): Develop the topic thoroughly by selecting the most
significant and relevant facts, extended definitions, concrete details,
quotations, or other information and examples appropriate to the
audience’s knowledge of the topic.
W.11-12.2 (c) Use appropriate and varied transitions and syntax to link
the major sections of the text, create cohesion, and clarify the
relationships among complex ideas and concepts.
●
●
●
I can write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas,
concepts, and information clearly and accurately.
I can effectively select, organize, and analyze content in my
informative/explanatory writing.
I can introduce a topic, and build complex ideas and concepts to create an
organized and unified whole.
I can use formatting, graphics and multi-media to aid comprehension when useful.
●
I can identify my audience and use relevant concrete details (facts, extended
definitions, quotations, or other information) to develop the topic thoroughly.
●
I can use appropriate and varied transitions and syntax (sentence fluency) to link
major sections of the text.
I can create cohesion and clarify relationships, complex ideas, and concepts
through the use of transitions.
●
W.11-12.2 (d): Use precise language, domain-specific vocabulary, and
techniques such as
metaphor, simile, and analogy to manage the complexity of the topic.
●
●
I can use precise word choice and relevant vocabulary to direct the reader through
the topic.
I can use metaphor, simile, and analogy to direct the reader through the topic.
W.11-12.2 (e): Establish and maintain a formal style and objective tone
while attending to the norms and conventions of the discipline in which
they are writing.
W.11-12.2 (f): Provide a concluding statement or section that follows
from and supports the information or explanation presented (e.g.,
articulating implications or the significance of the topic).
W.11-12.9: Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to
support analysis, reflection, and research.
●
I can use correct and appropriate conventions in my writing.
W.11-12.10: Write routinely over extended time frames (time for
research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single
sitting or a day or two) for a range of tasks, purposes.
I can provide a concluding statement that supports the information or explanation
presented.
I can use my conclusion to articulate the implication or significance of the topic.
● I can draw evidence form literary or informational texts to support analysis,
reflections and research.
• I can write over extended and shorter time frames for a range of purposes and
tasks.
●
ELA Core Standards
SPEAKING
&
LISTENING
SL.11-12.4: Present information, findings, and supporting evidence,
conveying a clear and distinct perspective, such that listeners can follow
the line of reasoning, alternative or opposing perspectives are
addressed, and the organization, development, substance, and style are
appropriate to purpose, audience, and a range or formal and informal
tasks.
Student Learning Targets
●
●
●
ELA Core Standards
LANGUAGE
I can present the information and supporting evidence to convey a clear point
of view.
I can present information so that listeners can follow my line of reasoning.
I can use appropriate organization, development, substance, and style to
establish a purpose and audience.
Student Learning Targets
L 11-12.4: Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiplemeaning words and phrases based on grades 11–12 reading and
content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.
● I can determine the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words.
L 11-12.4 (a): Use context (e.g., the overall meaning of a sentence,
paragraph, or text; a word’s position or function in a sentence) as a clue
to the meaning of a word or phrase.
L 11-12.4 (b): Identify and correctly use patterns of word changes that
indicate different meanings or parts of speech (e.g., conceive,
conception, conceivable).
L 11-12.4 (c): Consult general and specialized reference materials (e.g.,
dictionaries, glossaries, thesauruses), both print and digital, to find the
pronunciation of a word or determine or clarify its precise meaning, its
part of speech, its etymology, or its standard usage.
L 11-12.4 (d): Verify the preliminary determination of the meaning of a
word or phrase (e.g., by checking the inferred meaning in context or in a
dictionary).
●

I can use the strategy of context clues to determine the meaning of words.
I can use understanding of the parts of speech to indicate different meanings
of words.
●
I can use print and digital references to determine the pronunciation, precise
meaning, part of speech, etymology, and standard use of words.
●
I can check context or reference materials to verify the meaning of a word.
Examples of Text Sets for Unit 2
**Feel free to create and use your own text sets. Text sets should center around your literary work for this unit and add complementary rhetorical
non-fiction texts. Please consider sharing your successful text sets with other 12th grade ELA teachers across the district.
Text possibilities: The Tragic Hero and is Fatal Flaw
Argument (NY Times): Tragedy and the Common Man
Opinion Article (Washington Post): Spitzer’s Tragic Flaw
Opinion Article (NPR): Lance Armstrong Tragic Hero? Not Exactly.
Opinion Article (NY TImes): My Favorite Teacher
Opinion Article (Bleacher Report): Hubris, Not Doping, Caused Armstrong’s Downfall (good for tone)
Opinion (ESPN): Kobe (A powerfully dark portrayal of Kobe Bryant as the tragic or anti-hero)
Search other articles for possible modern-day tragic heroes: Michael Jackson, Paul Walker, John Edwards, Bill Clinton, Britney Spears,
Paula Deen, Brian Williams, Tiger Woods, Oscar Pistorius, etc.
Note: This text set could lead into one of the SLO argument writing assessments, a sort of Tragic Hero Hall of Shame mini-research
assignment. Possible prompt: Defend, Challenge, or Qualify: (Insert name of modern-day celebrity, athlete, politician, etc.) is a
modern-day tragic hero. Here’s a similar idea from Teachers-Pay-Teachers.
Unit 2 Planning Notes:
Novel Options
Beowulf
Hamlet
Macbeth
The Odyssey
Death of a Salesman
Oedipus Rex
Antigone
A Streetcar Named Desire
A Thousand Splendid Suns
Twelfth Grade Unit 3 Theme: The Quest for Utopia
In this unit students will analyze the societal structures and man’s place within those structures which contribute to the quest for an ideal society.
Essential Question
Supporting Questions
Social Studies Connections
Science Connections
What is an ideal•
society—and who
•
decides?
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
What drives us to seek a utopian society?
Is utopia attainable? At what cost?
What is the “good life”?
Has the concept of “utopia” changed over time or
across cultures and societies?
Why do dystopian societies emerge?
How has science improved society?
Who benefits from technologies? / What are the
societal concerns?
Why do our attempts at building utopias fail?
How do we negotiate the demands of development and
responsible allocation of resources and environmental
conservation?
How does Science Fiction reflect our innate desire for
utopia?
ELA Core Standards
READING
RL.11-12.1: Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to
support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as
inferences drawn from the text, including determining where
the text leaves matters uncertain.
RL.11-12.6: Analyze a case in which grasping a point of view requires
distinguishing what is directly stated in a text from what is really meant
(e.g., satire, sarcasm, irony, or understatement).
How has science improved
society?
Who benefits from
technologies?/ What are the
societal concerns of technology?
What are some legitimate and
illegitimate uses of genetic
engineering?
How do we negotiate the demands
of development and responsible
allocation of resources and
environmental conservation?
How do different government
systems (democracy, theocracy,
republic, aristocracy, monarchy,
anarchy) influence society and the
individual’s quality of life?
How do socio-economic systems
(Capitalism, Socialism, Communism,
Feudalism) influence society and
the individual’s quality of life?
Student Learning Targets
 I can cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis.
 I can cite specific material from the text, draw inferences from the text, and
determine where the text leaves matters uncertain.
 I can analyze a text’s point of view that specifically requires using satire,
sarcasm, irony, or understatement.
RI.11-12.2: Determine two or more central ideas of a text and analyze
their development over the course of the text, including how they
interact and build on one another to provide a complex analysis; provide
an objective summary of the text.
RI.11-12.3: Analyze a complex set of ideas or sequence of events and
explain how specific individuals, ideas, or events interact and develop
over the course of the text.
 I can examine how the author chooses to structure the text.
 I can determine how the structure contributes to the meaning of the text.
 I can understand the sequence and development of individuals, ideas, and
events.
 I can understand that individuals, ideas, and events can interact and develop
over the course of a text.
RI.11-12.7: Integrate and evaluate multiple sources of information
presented in different media or formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively) as
well as in words in order to address a question or solve a problem.
 I can evaluate multiple sources of information presented in different media or
formats to solve a problem.
 I can integrate multiple sources of information presented in different media or
formats (e.g. visually, quantitatively) to address a question or solve a problem.
ELA Core Standards
W.11-12.1: Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of
substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and
sufficient evidence.
W.11-12.1 (a). Introduce precise, knowledgeable claim(s), establish the
significance of the claim(s), distinguish the claim(s) from alternate or
opposing claims, and create an organization that logically sequences
claim(s), counterclaims, reasons, and evidence.
W.11-12.1 (b). Develop claim(s) and counterclaims fairly and thoroughly,
supplying the most relevant evidence for each while pointing out the
strengths and limitations of both in a manner that anticipates the
audience’s knowledge level, concerns, values, and possible biases.
WRITING
W.11-12.1 (c). Use words, phrases, and clauses as well as varied syntax to
link the major sections of the text, create cohesion, and clarify the
relationships between claim(s) and reasons, between reasons and
evidence, and between claim(s) and counterclaims.
W.11-12.1 (d). Establish and maintain a formal style and objective tone
while attending to the norms and conventions of the discipline in which
they are writing.
Student Learning Targets
 I can write an argument using valid reasoning with relevant and sufficient
evidence.
 I can identify significant and opposing arguments.
 I can logically sequence claims, counterclaims, reasons, and evidence.
 I can develop claims and counterclaims with relevant evidence.
 I can identify the strengths and limitations of claims and counterclaims while
anticipating the audience's knowledge level, concerns, values, and possible
biases.
 I can use syntax (sentence fluency) to clarify the relationships among my claims,
reasons, and counterclaims.
 I can use appropriate style and tone to create a written product.
 I can use correct and appropriate conventions in my writing.
W.11-12.1 (e). Provide a concluding statement or section that follows
from and supports the argument presented.
 I can provide a concluding statement that supports my argument.
W 11-12.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development,
organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
(Grade-specific expectations for writing types are defined in standards 1–
3 above.)
 I can develop, organize, and create clear and coherent writing in multiple
genres.
 I can write pieces that are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
W 11-12.5 Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning,
revising, editing, re-writing, or trying a new approach, focusing on
addressing on what is most significant for a specific purpose and
audience
W.11-12.6. Use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish,
and update individual or shared writing products in response to ongoing
feedback, including new arguments or information.
 I can use multiple techniques of editing and revision to develop writing
pieces with purpose
 I can use technology to produce, publish and update individual writing products
in response to ongoing feedback, including new arguments or information.
 I can use technology to produce, publish and update shared writing products in
response to ongoing feedback, including new arguments or information.
W.11-12.7: Conduct short (as well as more sustained) research projects to
answer a question (including a self-generated question) or solve a
problem; narrow or broaden the inquiry when appropriate; synthesize
multiple sources on the subject, demonstrating understanding of the
subject under investigation.
W.11-12.8: Gather relevant information from multiple authoritative print
and digital sources, using advanced searches effectively; assess the
strengths and limitations of each source in terms of the task, purpose, and
audience; integrate information into the text selectively to maintain the
flow of ideas, avoiding plagiarism and overreliance on any one source and
following a standard format for citation.
W.11-12.9. Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support
analysis, reflection, and research.
W 11-12.10 Write routinely over extended time frames (time for
research, reflection and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting
or a day or two) for a range of tasks, purposes, and audiences.
 I can answer a question (including self-generated) or solve a problem through
short as well as sustained research.
 I can narrow or broaden the inquiry when appropriate and combine multiple
sources to demonstrate my understanding of the topic.
 I can determine authoritative and accurate sources from inferior sources and
identify the strengths and weaknesses of each source.
 I can use a variety of print and digital sources and use advanced searches
effectively.
 I can identify the task, purpose, and audience of my research.
 I can include balanced research information smoothly into my piece.
 I can understand the difference between plagiarism and my own work and cite
my sources in a standard citation format.
 I can draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis,
reflection, and research.
 I can write over extended and shorter time frames for a range of purposes and
tasks.
ELA Core Standards
SPEAKING
&
LISTENING
SL.11-12.1: Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative
discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners
on grades 11–12 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and
expressing their own clearly and persuasively.
Student Learning Targets
 I can initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions
(one-on-one, in groups, teacher-led).
 I can initiate and participate with diverse partners on grade 11 topics, texts, and
issues.
 I can initiate and participate in discussions and build on others’ ideas.
 I can initiate and participate in discussions and express my own ideas clearly and
persuasively.
SL.11-12.1 (a): Come to discussions prepared, having read and researched
material under study; explicitly draw on that preparation by referring to
evidence from texts and other research on the topic or issue to stimulate
a thoughtful, well-reasoned exchange of ideas.
SL.11-12.1 (b): Work with peers to promote civil, democratic discussions
and decision-making, set clear goals and deadlines, and establish
individual roles as needed.
SL.11-12.1 (c): Propel conversations by posing and responding to
questions that probe reasoning and evidence; ensure a hearing for a full
range of positions on a topic or issue; clarify, verify, or challenge ideas and
conclusions; and promote divergent and creative perspectives.
SL.11-12.1 (d): Respond thoughtfully to diverse perspectives; synthesize
comments, claims, and evidence made on all sides of an issue; resolve
contradictions when possible; and determine what additional information
or research is required to deepen the investigation or complete the task.
SL.11-12.4: Present information, findings, and supporting evidence,
conveying a clear and distinct perspective, such that listeners can follow
the line of reasoning, alternative or opposing perspectives are addressed,
and the organization, development, substance, and style are appropriate
to purpose, audience, and a range or formal and informal tasks.
 I can come to class prepared, having read and researched the material.
 I can use my reading and research as evidence for a thought, well-reasoned
class discussion.
 I can work with peers to help create a civil and democratic discussion and
promote decision-making.
 I can work with peers to set clear goals, deadlines, and establish individual roles.







I can pose and respond to questions that examine reasoning and evidence.
I can listen to a variety of positions on a topic or issue.
I can clarify, verify, or challenge ideas and conclusions.
I can promote differing and creative perspectives.
I can respond thoughtfully to diverse perspectives.
I can blend comments, claims, and evidence made on all sides of an issue.
I can use research to provide additional information to investigate, resolve
contradictions, and complete the task.
 I can present the information and supporting evidence to convey a clear point of
view.
 I can present information so listeners can follow my line of reasoning.
 I can address alternative or opposing perspectives.
 I can use appropriate organization, development, substance, and style to
establish a purpose and audience.
SL.11-12.5: Make strategic use of digital media (e.g., textual, graphical,
audio, visual, and interactive elements) in presentations to enhance
understanding of findings, reasoning, and evidence and to add interest.
ELA Core Standards
LANGUAGE
L 11-12.4: Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiplemeaning words and phrases based on grades 11-12 reading and content,
choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.
L 11-12.4 (a): Use contexts (e.g., the overall meaning of a sentence,
paragraph, or text; a word’s position or function in a sentence) as a clue
to the meaning of a word or phrase.
 I can use digital media in presentations to increase understanding of evidence
and reasoning.
 I can effectively use digital media to add interest.
Student Learning Targets
● I can determine the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words
● I can use the strategy of context clues to determine the meaning of words.
Examples of Text Sets for Unit 3
**Feel free to create and use your own text sets. Text sets should center around your literary work for this unit and add complementary rhetorical
non-fiction texts. Please consider sharing your successful text sets with other 12th grade ELA teachers across the district.
Text Possibilities: Is Equality the Answer to All Our Problems?
●
Short Story: “Harrison Bergeron”
●
Short Story: Earth’s Holocaust, by Nathaniel Hawthorne
●
Opinion Article: “When Everyone Gets a Trophy, No One Wins” Huffington Post
●
Essay: “Wake Me Up When Men Get Pregnant” by Tim Cavanaugh, Reason (L 1200)
●
Debate: “At Issue: Genetic Engineering” by ProQuest Staff, ProQuest LLC (L 1180)
●
Essay: The Communist Manifesto, by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels
●
Article: “Choosing Babies” by Emily Singer, Technology Review (L 1340)
●
Image: Kristen Stewart Emotional Chart
●
Fine Art: The Garden of Earthly Delights
Text possibilities using The Road by Cormac McArthy as the anchor text (Suggested for Unit 6 as well):
●
Review: “Apocalypse Now” by Ron Charles
●
Image: The One Who Suffers by Damien Worm
●
Excerpt: Excerpt from The Road (read all the way until “Are we going to die?)
●
Article: Biography Cormac McCarthy
●
Interview: Cormac Oprah Interview
●
Readers Guide: Discussion Questions by Oprah
●
Comic: The Road If You’re a Parent by Sheldon
●
Article: Themes in The Road: Where Fiction and Science Meet
●
Article: Why We Love the Apocalypse in Fiction by WriteRightNow
●
Article: Cormac McCarthy’s The Road May Have the Scariest Passage in All of Literature by Benjamin
Percy
●
Image: Portrait of Crime by Santiago Caruso
Text possibilites using Lord of the Flies by William Golding as the anchor text (Suggested for Unit 6 as
well):
●
Cartoon: “Lord of the Flies” in 3 Panels
●
Article: “The Moral Instinct” by Steven Pinker
●
Article: “What Makes Us Moral” by Jeffrey Kluger
●
Article: “Tragedy As Child Play” by Lance Morrow
●
Article: “The Second Coming of Sigmund Freud” by Kat McGowan
●
Poem: “Boy With Frogs” by Sy Kahn
●
Poem: “I heard a Fly buzz - when I died (591)” by Emily Dickinson
●
Song: “Little Man Big Man” Toad the Wet Sprocket - Lyrics here
●
Poem: “On Turning 10” by Billy Collins
●
PowerPoint: “Lead-ins to Literature: Lord of the flies” by Prestwick House
●
Fine Art: The Garden of Earthly Delights
Novel Options:
Utopia, by Thomas More (L 1390)
Gulliver’s Travels, by Jonathan Swift (L 460)*
The Fountainhead, by Ayn Rand
Brave New World, by Aldus Huxley (L 1060)
Lord of the Flies
The Road
See Unit 6 for Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston Text
Set that also works for Unit 3.
Unit 3 Planning Notes:
Twelfth Grade Unit 4 Theme: Equity & Disparity
In this unit students will explore the causes of inequality citing textual evidence, author’s point of view while evaluating and analyzing text.
Essential Question
Supporting Questions
Social Studies Connections
Science Connections
How does literature depict
•
and inform the reader’s
perceptions of equity •and
disparity?
•
What is the role of equity
•
in society?
•
•
•
•
•
•
What is the difference between equity and
equality?
What are the positives and negatives of the
quest for equality?
Is equity attainable?
How does education and learning affect equity
and disparity?
To what degree am I responsible for equity in my
community?
How can individuals and societies protect human
rights and dignity?
What are the causes of inequity in a community?
What are the consequences of inequity in a
community?
What systems of segregation are
institutionalized in our society?
How does accessibility affect equity and
disparity?
How does science influence the
politics and economics of a
society?
How does scientific knowledge
and technology influence equity or
disparity between people?
ELA Core Standards
RL.11-12.1: Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis
of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text,
including determining where the text leaves matters uncertain.
READING
RL.11-12.7: Analyze multiple interpretations of a story, drama, or poem
(e.g., recorded or live production of a play or recorded novel or poetry),
evaluating how each version interprets the source text. (Include at least
one play by Shakespeare and one play by an American dramatist.)
How can individuals and societies
protect human rights and dignity?
To what degree am I responsible
for equity in my community?
What systems of segregation are
institutionalized in our society?
Student Learning Targets


I can cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis.
I can cite specific material from the text, draw inferences from the text, and
determine where the text leaves matters uncertain.


I can analyze multiple versions of a story, drama, or poem.
I can evaluate how multiple versions of a story, drama, or poem interpret the
source text.
RI.11-12.3: Analyze a complex set of ideas or sequence of events and
explain how specific individuals, ideas, or events interact and develop over
the course of the text.

I can analyze a complex set of ideas or sequence of events and explain how
specific individuals, ideas, or events interact and develop over the course of
the text.
RI.11-12.4: Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used
in a text, including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings; analyze
how an author uses and refines the meaning of a key term or terms over
the course of a text (e.g., how Madison defines faction in Federalist No. 10).

I can determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in text.
RI.11-12.7: Integrate and evaluate multiple sources of information
presented in different media or formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively) as
well as in words in order to address a question or solve a problem.

I can evaluate multiple sources of information presented in different media
or formats to solve a problem.
I can integrate multiple sources of information presented in different media
or formats (e.g. visually, quantitatively) to address a question or solve a
problem.
Student Learning Targets

ELA Core Standards
WRITING
W.11-12.1: Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive
topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.

I can write an argument using valid reasoning with relevant and sufficient
evidence.
W.11-12.1 (a). Introduce precise, knowledgeable claim(s), establish the
significance of the claim(s), distinguish the claim(s) from alternate or
opposing claims, and create an organization that logically sequences
claim(s), counterclaims, reasons, and evidence.


I can identify significant and opposing arguments.
I can logically sequence claims, counterclaims, reasons, and evidence.
W.11-12.1 (b). Develop claim(s) and counterclaims fairly and thoroughly,
supplying the most relevant evidence for each while pointing out the
strengths and limitations of both in a manner that anticipates the
audience’s knowledge level, concerns, values, and possible biases.


I can develop claims and counterclaims with relevant evidence.
I can identify the strengths and limitations of claims and counterclaims while
anticipating the audience’s knowledge level, concerns, values, and possible
biases.
W.11-12.1 I. Use words, phrases, and clauses as well as varied syntax to link
the major sections of the text, create cohesion, and clarify the relationships
between claim(s) and reasons, between reasons and evidence, and
between claim(s) and counterclaims.

I can use syntax (sentence fluency) to clarify the relationships among my
claims, reasons, and counterclaims.
W.11-12.1 (d). Establish and maintain a formal style and objective tone
while attending to the norms and conventions of the discipline in which
they are writing.


I can use appropriate style and tone to create a written product.
I can use correct and appropriate conventions in my writing.
W.11-12.1 (e). Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from
and supports the argument presented.

I can provide a concluding statement that supports my argument.
W 11-12.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development,
organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
(Grade-specific expectations for writing types are defined in standards 1–3
above.)

W 11-12.5 Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning,
revising, editing, re-writing, or trying a new approach, focusing on
addressing on what is most significant for a specific purpose and
audience.

I can use multiple techniques of editing and revision to develop
writing pieces with purpose

I can use technology to produce, publish and update individual writing
products in response to ongoing feedback, including new arguments or
information.
I can use technology to produce, publish and update shared writing products
in response to ongoing feedback, including new arguments or information.
I can answer a question (including self-generated) or solve a problem
through short as well as sustained research.
I can narrow or broaden the inquiry when appropriate and combine
multiple sources to demonstrate my understanding of the topic.
W.11-12.6. Use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and
update individual or shared writing products in response to ongoing
feedback, including new arguments or information.


W.11-12.7: Conduct short (as well as more sustained) research projects to
answer a question (including a self-generated question) or solve a problem;
narrow or broaden the inquiry when appropriate; synthesize multiple
sources on the subject, demonstrating understanding of the subject under
investigation.

W.11-12.8: Gather relevant information from multiple authoritative print
and digital sources, using advanced searches effectively; assess the
strengths and limitations of each source in terms of the task, purpose, and
audience; integrate information into the text selectively to maintain the
flow of ideas, avoiding plagiarism and overreliance on any one source and
following a standard format for citation.

W.11-12.9. Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support
analysis, reflection, and research.

W 11-12.10 Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research,
reflection and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or
two) for a range of tasks, purposes, and audiences.






I can develop, organize, and create clear and coherent writing in multiple
genres.
I can write pieces that are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
I can determine authoritative and accurate sources from inferior sources
and identify the strengths and weaknesses of each source.
I can use a variety of print and digital sources and use advanced searches
effectively.
I can identify the task, purpose, and audience of my research.
I can include balanced research information smoothly into my piece.
I can understand the difference between plagiarism and my own work and
cite my sources in a standard citation format.
I can draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis,
reflection, and research.
I can write over extended and shorter time frames for a range of purposes
and tasks.
ELA Core Standards
SPEAKING
&
LISTENING
SL.11-12.2: Integrate multiple sources of information presented in diverse
formats and media (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) in order to make
informed decisions and solve problems, evaluating the credibility and
accuracy of each source and noting any discrepancies among the data.
ELA Core Standards
LANGUA
GE
•
Student Learning Targets


•
I can include multiple sources of information, in a variety of formats and
media, to make decisions and solve problems.
I can evaluate the credibility of sources and note the differences among the
sources.
Student Learning Targets
L.11-12.2: Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English
capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.

I can demonstrate an understanding of standard English conventions
including capitalization, punctuation, and spelling.
L.11-12.2 (a): Observe hyphenation conventions



I can use hyphens correctly.



I can identify figures of speech in the text.
L.11-12.2 (b): Spell correctly.
L.11-12.5: Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word
relationships, and nuances in word meanings.
L.11-12.5 (a): Interpret figures of speech (e.g., hyperbole, paradox) in
context and analyze their role in the text.
L.11-12.5 (b): Analyze nuances in the meaning of words with similar
denotations.
I can use correct spelling.
I can demonstrate an understanding of figurative language, word
relationships, and the distinction in words meanings.
I can analyze the impact of figures of speech in the text.
I can analyze the nuances (tone) in the meaning of words with similar
meanings.
Examples of Text Sets for Unit 4
**Feel free to create and use your own text sets. Text sets should center around your literary work for this unit and add complementary rhetorical
non-fiction texts. Please consider sharing your successful text sets with other 12th grade ELA teachers across the district.
Unit Anchor Text Options
Text Possibilities: Social Responsibility and Ethics
●
Memoir: Night/Excerpts by Elie Wiesel
●
NPR: Social Media Changing The Nature Of Activism?
●
Essays:
○
Thirty-Eight Who Saw Murder Didn't Call the Police
○
Putting Action Back in Activism
○
Changing the Face(book) of Social Activism
○
In Defense of Dangerous Ideas
●
Speech: "The Perils of Indifference”
●
Website: Global Issues.org
●
Infographics: Water Rich vs. Water Poor
●
Videos:
○
The Miniature Earth Project
○
What is Health Equity?
○
Global Wealth Inequality
Play: Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw (1340L)
Novel: Tess of the D’Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy (1160L) *
Novel: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (1070L) *
Novel: Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver (900L)*
Literary nonfiction: Mao’s Last Dancer by Mao (810L)*
Children’s literature: If the World Were a Village (1350L)
Novel: A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry
Novel: Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai
Novel: Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See
Novel: Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese
Text Possibilities: Equity and Disparity
To focus on race Issues, Try these texts:
●
Speech / Eulogy: President Obama’s Eulogy for the SC Nine That Brought Down the House
●
Essay: “Graduation” by Maya Angelou (Bedford St. Martin)
●
Graphs and Charts: Graduation Rates by Race
●
Essay: "Notes of a Native Son" by James Baldwin (Bedford St. Martin)
●
Essay: “How it Feels to be Colored Me” by Zora Neale Hurston (Bedford St. Martin)
●
Essay: “The Myth of the Latin Woman: I Just Met a Girl Named Maria” by Judith Ortiz Cofer (Bedford St. Martin)
●
Memoir: “Notes of a Native Speaker” from The Accidental Asian by Eric Liu
●
Article: “Choosing to Be Black is the Epitome of White Privilege” (Current Event: Rachael Doleazal) Politico Magazine
●
Infographics, Charts, and Graphs: Racial Disparity in the Criminal Justice System
To include discussions of equity and disparity with regard to disability, sexual / gender orientation, and wealth, try these texts:
●
Essay: “On Being a Cripple” by Nancy Mairs (Bedford St. Martin)
●
Memoir: “A Clash of Tiny Sparks: Remembrances of a Gay Boyhood” by Bernard Cooper (Bedford St. Martin)
●
Speech: President Obama Declares National LGBT Month (Current Event)
●
Closing Statement: Justice Kennedy’s Closing Paragraph in the marriage equality ruling (Current Event)
●
Article (Opinion): All Men Are Created Equal? Really? by Nicholas Clairmont (Big Think)
●
Article: “Rich People Are the F--ing Worst: Rancho Santa Fe’s Response to California’s drought. (Current Event)
●
Essay: “Serving in Florida” by Barbara Eihrenreich
(Bedford St. Martin)
●
Magazine Article: “Nip, Tuck, or Else: Why You’ll Be Getting Cosmetic Procedures, Even If You May Not Want To” (Time, June
29th 2015) (Current Event)
Additional Non-Fiction Texts:
●
Essay: Meditation XVII by John Donne
●
Economic inequality is the wrong issue, The Washington Post
●
“Buffet Tax” and truth in numbers, The Washington Post
●
Down with rent, up with fairness, The Washington Post
●
Why Social Security is welfare, The Washington Post
●
Why Social Security is NOT welfare, Economist’s View
●
What is fair about 47 percent in U.S. paying no federal taxes?, The Deseret News
●
I’m counting every penny, The Daily Beast
●
Student loans require homework, The Washington Post
●
Cruel and unusual—a test case, The Washington Post
●
Texas man wrongly put away for 18 years denied compensation, Yahoo News
●
Should the U.S. legalize hard drugs?, The Washington Post
●
Getting back in the game, The Salt Lake Tribune
●
An end to AIDS is within our reach, The Washington Post
●
Solitary torture, The Washington Post
●
Same-sex marriage: empathy or right?, The Washington Post
Unit 4 Planning Notes:
Twelfth Grade Unit 5 Theme: Change and Tradition
In this unit students will explore the processes of constructing their own world views.
They will pose and answer a question or solve a problem through sustained, multi-media research.
Essential Question
How does the dissonance •
between tradition and change
shape individuals and societies?
•
How does my current knowledge
and experience fit with or •
conflict with new knowledge and
experience?
•
Supporting Questions
What are the variables that
•
discourage or encourage
change in society?
•
How has science shaped
career paths over history?
What is my mental
•
schema?
How do individuals react
• to
change and cognitive
dissonance?
Science Connections
How has science affect superstition and
shift perspectives and paradigms?
How does science affect the quality of life,
how have technology advances influence
the progress of science?
How are theories and scientific evidence
validated?
How does the quantity and quality of
evidence influence decision-making and
change?
ELA Core Standards
READING
Social Studies Connections
Who or what determines whether a
tradition is changed or sustained?
What factors and social movements
elicited social change, and what
factors have discouraged change?
Student Learning Targets
RL.11-12.1: Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support
analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from
the text, including determining where the text leaves matters uncertain.


RL.11-12.3: Analyze the impact of the author’s choices regarding how to
develop and relate elements of a story or drama (e.g., where a story is
set, how the action is ordered, how the characters are introduced and
developed).
RL.11-12.4: Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are
used in the text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze
the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone, including
words with multiple meanings or language that is particularly fresh,
engaging, or beautiful. (Include Shakespeare as well as other authors.)
RI.11-12.2: Determine two or more central ideas of a text and analyze
their development over the course of the text, including how they
interact and build on one another to provide a complex analysis; provide
an objective summary of the text.

I can cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis.
I can cite specific material from the text, draw inferences from the text,
and determine where the text leaves matters uncertain.
I can analyze how the author's choices impact the development of a story
or drama.



I can use text to determine the meaning of words and phrases.
I can determine an author's tone through analysis of word choice.
I can determine the figurative and connotative meaning of words and
phrases.


I can determine two or more central ideas of a text.
I can examine the central ideas of the text and how they interact together
to provide meaning.
I can summarize the text.

RI.11-12.7. Integrate and evaluate multiple sources of information
presented in different media or formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively) as
well as in words in order to address a question or solve a problem.


Student Learning Targets
ELA Core Standards
WRITING
I can evaluate multiple sources of information presented in different
media or formats to solve a problem.
I can integrate multiple sources of information presented in different
media or formats (e.g. visually, quantitatively) to address a question or
solve a problem.

I can write an argument using valid reasoning with relevant and
sufficient evidence.
W.11-12.1 (a). Introduce precise, knowledgeable claim(s), establish the
significance of the claim(s), distinguish the claim(s) from alternate or
opposing claims, and create an organization that logically sequences
claim(s), counterclaims, reasons, and evidence.


I can identify significant and opposing arguments.
I can logically sequence claims, counterclaims, reasons, and evidence.
W.11-12.1 (b). Develop claim(s) and counterclaims fairly and
thoroughly, supplying the most relevant evidence for each while
pointing out the strengths and limitations of both in a manner that
anticipates the audience’s knowledge level, concerns, values, and
possible biases.


I can develop claims and counterclaims with relevant evidence.
I can identify the strengths and limitations of claims and counterclaims
while anticipating the audience's knowledge level, concerns, values, and
possible biases.
W.11-12.1 (c). Use words, phrases, and clauses as well as varied syntax
to link the major sections of the text, create cohesion, and clarify the
relationships between claim(s) and reasons, between reasons and
evidence, and between claim(s) and counterclaims.

I can use syntax (sentence fluency) to clarify the relationships among my
claims, reasons, and counterclaims.
W.11-12.1 (d). Establish and maintain a formal style and objective tone
while attending to the norms and conventions of the discipline in which
they are writing.


I can use appropriate style and tone to create a written product.
I can use correct and appropriate conventions in my writing.
W.11-12.1 (e). Provide a concluding statement or section that follows
from and supports the argument presented.

I can provide a concluding statement that supports my argument.
W 11-12.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the
development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose,
and audience. (Grade-specific expectations for writing types are
defined in standards 1–3 above.)

I can develop, organize, and create clear and coherent writing in multiple
genres.
I can write pieces that are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
W.11-12.5: Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning,
revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on
addressing what is most significant for a specific purpose and
audience. (Editing for conventions should demonstrate command of
Language standards 1–3 up to and including grades 11–12 on page 54.)

W.11-12.1: Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of
substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and
sufficient evidence.

I can use multiple techniques of editing and revision to develop writing
pieces with purpose.
W.11-12.6. Use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish,
and update individual or shared writing products in response to
ongoing feedback, including new arguments or information.


W.11-12.7: Conduct (short as well as) more sustained research projects
to answer a question (including a self-generated question) or solve a
problem; narrow or broaden the inquiry when appropriate; synthesize
multiple sources on the subject, demonstrating understanding of the
subject under investigation.
W.11-12.8: Gather relevant information from multiple authoritative
print and digital sources, using advanced searches effectively; assess
the strengths and limitations of each source in terms of the task,
purpose, and audience; integrate information into the text selectively
to maintain the flow of ideas, avoiding plagiarism and over-reliance on
any one source and following a standard format for citation.

W.11-12.9: Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to
support analysis, reflection, and research.

W.11-12.10: Write routinely over extended time frames (time for
research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single
sitting or a day or two) for a range of tasks, purposes.







SL.11-12.2: Integrate multiple sources of information presented in
diverse formats and media (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) in order
to make informed decisions and solve problems, evaluating the
credibility and accuracy of each source and noting any discrepancies
among the data.
I can determine authoritative and accurate sources from inferior sources
and identify the strengths and weaknesses of each source.
I can use a variety of print and digital sources and use advanced searches
effectively.
I can identify the task, purpose, and audience of my research.
I can include balanced research information smoothly into my piece.
I can understand the difference between plagiarism and my own work
and cite my sources in a standard citation format.
I can draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support
analysis, reflection, and research.
I can write over extended and shorter time frames for a range of
purposes and tasks.
Student Learning Targets
ELA Core Standards
SPEAKING &
LISTENING
I can use technology to produce, publish and update individual writing
products in response to ongoing feedback, including new arguments or
information.
I can use technology to produce, publish and update shared writing
products in response to ongoing feedback, including new arguments or
information.
I can answer a question (including self-generated) or solve a problem
through short as well as sustained research.
I can narrow or broaden inquiry when appropriate and combine multiple
sources to demonstrate my understanding of the topic.


I can include multiple sources of information, in a variety of formats and
media, to make decisions and solve problems.
I can evaluate the credibility of sources and note the differences among the
sources.
SL.11-12.4: Present information, findings, and supporting evidence,
conveying a clear and distinct perspective, such that listeners can follow
the line of reasoning, alternative or opposing perspectives are
addressed, and the organization, development, substance, and style are
appropriate to purpose, audience, and a range or formal and informal
tasks.




I can present the information and supporting evidence to convey a clear
point of view.
I can present information so listeners can follow my line of reasoning.
I can address alternative or opposing perspectives.
I can use appropriate organization, development, substance, and style to
establish a purpose and audience.
ELA Core Standards
LANGUAGE
L.11-12.1: Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard
English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.
L.11-12.1 (a): Apply the understanding that usage is a matter of
convention, can change over time, and is sometimes contested.
L.11-12.1 (b): Resolve issues of complex or contested usage, consulting
references (e.g., Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary of English Usage,
Garner’s Modern American Usage) as needed.
Student Learning Targets

I can correctly use Standard English conventions, grammar, and usage in
writing and speaking.

I can understand that usage changes throughout time and apply it
appropriately.

I can use references to resolve issues of complex and contested usage.
Examples of Text Sets for Unit 5
**Feel free to create and use your own text sets. Text sets should center around your literary work for this unit and add complementary rhetorical
non-fiction texts. Please consider sharing your successful text sets with other 12th grade ELA teachers across the district.
Text Possibilities: Tradition vs. Change
Short Story: “Marriage is a Private Affair” by Chinua Achebe
Essay: How to Tame a Wild Tongue
Short Story: The Lottery by Shirley Jackson
Argument: “Why I Love Black and White” by Roger Ebert
Poem: “Mending Wall” by Robert Frost
Speech: South Carolina’s Governor, Nikki Haley, demands a removal of the Confederate Flag (Current
Event)
Article: Welcome Robot Overlords, Please Don’t Fire Us (Current Event)
OP-ED Argument: “The Case for Old Ideas” (NY Times)
Memoir: “Notes of a Native Speaker” from The Accidental Asian by Eric Liu
Unit 5 Anchor Texts Options
Novel:
Novel:
Novel:
Novel:
Novel:
Novel:
See
Novel:
Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan (L 940)*
A Light In August, by William Faulkner
A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini (L 830)
Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini (L 840)*
The Help by Kathryn Stockett
Snow Flower and the Secret Fan (Footbinding chapter) by Lisa
The Chosen by Chaim Potok (L 970)*
Additional Non-Fiction Texts:
The Myth of Assimilation (L 1300)
One Nation, Indivisible? (L 1530)
Sweat of their brows reshapes economy (L 1320)
Ethnic Shifts Graph
Foreigners Adapt Quickly (L 1350)
Powerpoint Immigration Survey
A Muslim American reflects on Osama bin Laden’s Death, The Washington Post
Showing My Color: Impolite Essays on Race and Identity, by Clarence Page
Transgender at 5, The Washington Post
The Afghan Girls Who Live as Boys, BBC News Magazine
Text Set for “A Rose for Emily” by William Faulkner (as anchor text):
●
Article: “Psychological Character Analysis of Miss Emily in ‘A Rose for Emily’ by Faulkner” by Nicole Smith
●
Article: “Faulkners A Rose for Emily: Fallen Monuments and Distorted Relics” by Nicole Smith
●
Article: “Comparison of Themes in ‘A Rose for Emily’ ‘The Yellow Wallpaper’ and ‘Sweat’” by Nicole
Smith
●
Video: Slide show with music-fun for introducing the story
●
and setting the “scene” and “mood” Click here
●
Video: “A Rose for Emily” starring Angelica Houston (26:31)
Unit 5 Planning Notes:
Novel: Bless Me Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya (L 840)*
Literary nonfiction: The Color of Water by James McBride
Twelfth Grade Unit 6 Theme: Transition to Adulthood
In this unit students will examine the internal and external forces that shape their identity and maturity.
Essential Question
What qualities,
characteristics, and
events contribute to
shaping your
identity?
•
•
•
•
•
Supporting Questions
What is maturity?
What external forces shape your
identity?
What personal choices shape your
identity?
How do we grow up by adapting to our
environment?
How do you navigate the journey from
adolescence to adulthood?
Social Studies Connections
Science Connections
Additional Writing Focus
How do we grow up by
What is the role of
Narrative
adapting to our environment? environment versus DNA in
Letter to Incoming
shaping identity?
Freshmen
OR
This I Believe Personal
Essay
ELA Core Standards
RL.11-12.2. Determine two or more themes or central ideas of a text and
analyze their development over the course of the text, including how
they interact and build on one another to produce a complex account;
provide an objective summary of the text.
RL.11-12.3. Analyze the impact of the author’s choices regarding how to
develop and relate elements of a story or drama (e.g., where a story is
set, how the action is ordered, how the characters are introduced and
developed).
READING
Student Learning Targets




I can determine two or more themes of a text and analyze their development
over the course of a text.
I can determine how texts interact and build on one another to produce a
complex account.
I can provide an unbiased summary of the text.
I can analyze how the author's choices impact the development of a story or
drama.
RL.11-12.6. Analyze a case in which grasping point of view requires
distinguishing what is directly stated in a text from what is really meant
(e.g., satire, sarcasm, irony, or understatement).

I can analyze a text's point of view that specifically requires using satire,
sarcasm, irony, or understatement.
RL.11-12.7: Analyze multiple interpretations of a story, drama, or poem
(e.g., recorded or live production of a play or recorded novel or poetry),
evaluating how each version interprets the source text. (Include at least
one play by Shakespeare and one play by an American dramatist.)


I can analyze multiple versions of a story, drama, or poem.
I can evaluate how multiple versions of a story, drama, or poem interpret the
source text.
RL.11-12.10. By the end of grade 12, read and comprehend literature,
including stories, dramas, and poems, at the high end of the grades 11–


I can read and comprehend difficult texts independently and proficiently.
CCR text complexity band independently and proficiently.
RI.11-12.3: Analyze a complex set of ideas or sequence of events and
explain how specific individuals, ideas, or events interact and develop
over the course of the text.
RI.11-12.4: Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are
used in a text, including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings;
analyze how an author uses and refines the meaning of a key term or
terms over the course of a text (e.g., how Madison defines faction in
Federalist No. 10).
RI.11-12.5. Analyze and evaluate the effectiveness of the structure an
author uses in his or her exposition or argument, including whether the
structure makes points clear, convincing, and engaging.

RI.11-12.10. By the end of grade 12, read and comprehend literary
nonfiction in at the high end of the grades 11-CCR text complexity band
independently and proficiently.

I can analyze a complex set of ideas or sequence of events and explain how
specific individuals, ideas, or events interact and develop over the course of
the text.
I can determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in text.



I can examine how the author chooses to structure the text.
I can determine how the structure contributes to the meaning of the text.
I can evaluate whether the structure is clear, convincing, and engaging.

I can read and comprehend difficult texts independently and proficiently.
ELA Core Standards
WRITING
Student Learning Targets
W.11-12.3: Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or
events using effective technique, well-chosen details, and wellstructured event sequences.


W.11-12.3 (a): Engage and orient the reader by setting out a problem,
situation, or observation and its significance, establishing one or
multiple point(s) of view, and introducing a narrator and/or characters;
create a smooth progression of experiences or events.

W.11-12.3 (b): Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue, pacing,
description, reflection, and multiple plot lines, to develop experiences,
events, and/or characters.
W.11-12.3 (c): Use a variety of techniques to sequence events so that
they build on one another to create a coherent whole and build toward
a particular tone and outcome (e.g., a sense of mystery, suspense,
growth, or resolution).
W.11-12.3 (d): Use precise words and phrases, telling details, and
sensory language to convey a vivid picture of the experiences, events,
setting, and/or characters.
W.11-12.3 (e): Provide a conclusion that follows from and reflects on
what is experienced, observed, or resolved over the course of the
narrative.




I can write narratives that develop real or imagined experiences or events.
I can use effective technique, well-chosen details, and well-structured event
sequences to write my narrative.
I can create a problem, situation, or observation that is engaging and
communicate its importance to the reader.
I can establish one or more points of view and introduce a narrator and/or
characters.
I can create a smooth progression of experiences or events.
I can use narrative techniques (such as dialogue, pacing, description,
reflection, and multiple plot lines) to develop experiences, events, and/or
characters.
I can use a variety of techniques to sequence events that build on one
another to create a meaningful whole and build toward a particular tone
and outcome.

I can use precise words and phrases, telling details, and sensory language to
convey a vivid picture of the events, setting, and/or characters.

I can write a conclusion that reflects on what is experienced and resolved
over the course of the narrative.
ELA Core Standards
SPEAKING &
LISTENING
Student Learning Targets


SL.11-12.1: Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative
discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse
partners on grades 11–12 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’
ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.
SPEAKING &
LISTENING

I can initiate and participate in discussions.
I can discuss with diverse partners about texts, and issues, while building on
others ideas.
I can express my ideas clearly and persuasively.
a. Come to discussions prepared, having read and researched material
under study; explicitly draw on that preparation by referring to evidence
from texts and other research on the topic or issue to stimulate a
thoughtful, well-reasoned exchange of ideas.


I can come to class prepared, having read and researched the material.
I can use my reading and research as evidence for a thoughtful, wellreasoned class discussion.
b. Work with peers to promote civil, democratic discussions and
decision-making, set clear goals and deadlines, and establish individual
roles as needed.

c. Propel conversations by posing and responding to questions that
probe reasoning and evidence; ensure a hearing for a full range of
positions on a topic or issue; clarify, verify, or challenge ideas and
conclusions; and promote divergent and creative perspectives.




I can work with peers to help create a civil and democratic discussion and
promote decision-making.
I can work with peers to set clear goals, deadlines, and establish individual
roles.
I can pose and respond to questions that examine reasoning and evidence.
I can listen to a variety of positions on a topic or issue.
I can clarify, verify, or challenge ideas and conclusions.
I can promote differing and creative perspectives.
d. Respond thoughtfully to diverse perspectives; synthesize comments,
claims, and evidence made on all sides of an issue; resolve contradictions
when possible; and determine what additional information or research is
required to deepen the investigation or complete the task.




I can respond thoughtfully to diverse perspectives.
I can blend comments, claims, and evidence made on all sides of an issue.
I can use research to provide additional information to investigate, resolve
contradictions, and complete the task.
Examples of Text Sets for Unit 6
**Feel free to create and use your own text sets. Text sets should center around your literary work for this unit and add complementary rhetorical
non-fiction texts. Please consider sharing your successful text sets with other 12th grade ELA teachers across the district.
Text possibilities using The Road by Cormac McArthy as the anchor text
●
Poem: “On Turning Ten” by Billy Collins
●
Review: “Apocalypse Now” by Ron Charles
●
Image: The One Who Suffers by Damien Worm
●
Excerpt: Excerpt from The Road (read all the way until “Are we going to die?)
●
Article: Biography Cormac McCarthy
●
Interview: Cormac Oprah Interview
●
Readers Guide: Discussion Questions by Oprah
●
Comic: The Road If You’re a Parent by Sheldon
●
Article: Themes in The Road: Where Fiction and Science Meet
●
Article: Why We Love the Apocalypse in Fiction by WriteRightNow
●
Article: Cormac McCarthy’s The Road May Have the Scariest Passage in All of Literature by
Benjamin Percy
Text possibilities using Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston as
anchor text:
● Article: “A Headstone for an Aunt: How Alice Walker Found Zora Neale
Hurston” by Geo Ong
● Article: “Looking for Zora” by Ann DuCille, NYTimes
● Short Story: Sweat by Zora Neale Hurston
● Teacher’s Guide: Their Eyes Were Watching God by The Big Read
● Letter: Letter to Countee Cullen by Zora Neale Hurston
● Teacher’s Guide: Excerpt from Teachers Guide by NCTE
● Website: Brief Guide to the Harlem Renaissance by poets.org
●
Image: Portrait of Crime by Santiago Caruso
See Unit 3 for Lord of the Flies Text Set (Text possibility for Unit 6)
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
Unit 6 Planning Notes:
Website: www.zoranealehurston.com
Documentary: The Rise of African Literature, Art and Music
Video: Harlem Renaissance “Crash Course” - focus on Langson Hughes
Video: Harlem Renaissance by PBS
Video: Harlem Renaissance Music (montage of artists)
Video: Alice Walker talks about Zora
Library of Congress: The Library of Congress American Memory Collection
- In the “search all collections” box, type in Zora Neale Hurston. It will
open a treasure chest of primary documents including photos and lots of
songs. Check out Zora introducing and singing “Mama Don’t Want No
Peas, No Rice,” the “Jook” song called “Halimuhfack,” and the most
widely distributed “work song” in the US called “mule on the Mount.”
Also cool is the document called “Proposed Recording Expedition into the
Flordas” written by Zora and submitted to the Works Progress
Administration in Jacksonville, Florida.
Video: Zora sings Crow Dance with pictures
Essay: Alice Walker’s 1975 essay, “Looking for Zora,” which reignited
interest in the author.
Website: Langston Hughes, contemporary & friend
Website: Countee Cullen, contemporary & friend
“You must be the change you want to see in the world.”
-Mahatma Ghandi
Table of Contents
Title
Senior Capstone Overview
Reference Guide for Research
Annotated Bibliography or AACC: Annotation, Abstract, Contextual Connection
Essay Outline
C.R.A.P. Test
Multi-Genre project- Possible Genres
Live Your Topic
Endnotes
Reflection Paper
SENIOR CAPSTONE PROJECT
"You must be the change you want to see in the world." –Mahatma Ghandi. This assignment asks how you plan to do just that. You are entering a world
with lots of problems; how will you contribute to the solutions?
Overview:
The Senior Capstone Project is a personalized and culminating project focused on a relevant and significant social/societal issue. As a citizen of this world, we
inherit a variety of social issues and debates. Your ability to evaluate and understand relevant social issues and to engage purposefully in debate and
discussion is necessary for your success as a 21st century learner. This project can also be a great experience for you to research something you are passionate
about and share with us what you and all of us can do about it!
Project Description:
The Senior Capstone Project is a compilation of student work that includes a variety of student writing as well as multi media products. You will move from
choosing a relevant topic that explores a significant social issue, to compiling and organizing research information, to writing a formal argumentative paper,
and finally to presenting research findings via a minimum of six different genres, such as poetry, editorial writing, interviews, web sites, photographic essays,
music, timelines, letters, Prezi/digital presentations, newscasts, charts, graphs, etc. One of your genres must show us how you “Live Your Topic,” meaning that
it reflects what you have personally done to effect change or work toward a solution. Your final portfolio will include a table of contents, topic proposal,
annotated research, research paper, four genres, endnotes, and reflection.
Student Learning Objectives:
● I can choose a topic, analyze the rhetoric of opposing views, and apply those views to support my own claim.
● I can determine if a source is useful and accurate for answering my research question; I can utilize information to from these sources without
plagiarizing other’s words and ideas.
● I can identify and apply the elements of writing rhetoric in order to:
o answer a self-generated question
o solve a problem
o narrow or broaden my inquiry when appropriate
o synthesize multiple sources on my subject of inquiry
o demonstrate understanding of the subject of investigation.
● I can write arguments to support claims using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence; alternate or opposing perspectives are explored
and addresses.
● I can identify strengths and limitations of claims and counterclaims while anticipating the audience’s knowledge level, concerns, values and possible
biases.
● I can present information, findings, and supporting evidence, conveying a clear and distinct perspective.
● I can make strategic use of digital media in a presentation to enhance understanding of findings, reasoning, and evidence and to add interest.
● I can adapt speech to the context of a formal Capstone Project presentation, demonstrating a command of formal English.
Power Common Core Standards:
Use the following standards to assess the Senior Capstone Project. The three highlighted standards were chosen for the SLO component to the map to show
how we are tracking argument writing for CTESS reporting purposes on student growth. Simplified Capstone rubrics will be created (hopefully) this fall after
senior teachers meet to calibrate papers for norming.
CFA #2
(L) Standard 1
Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar
and usage when writing or speaking.
a. apply the understanding that usage is a matter of convention, can
change over time, and is sometimes contested.
b. Resolve issues of complex or contested usage, consulting
references (e.g. Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary) as needed.
(L) Standard 6
Acquire and use accurately general academic and domain-specific words
and phrases sufficient for reading, writing, speaking, and listening at the
college and career readiness level; demonstrate independence in gathering
vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to
comprehension or expression.
(SL) Standard 2
Integrate multiple sources of information presented in diverse formats and
media (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) in order to make informed
decisions and solve problems, evaluating the credibility and accuracy of
each source and noting any discrepancies among the data.
(SL) Standard 4
Present information, findings, and supporting evidence, conveying a clear
and distinct perspective, such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning,
alternative or opposing perspectives are addressed, and the organization,
development, substance, and style are appropriate to purpose, audience,
and a range of formal and informal tasks.
(SL) Standard 5
Make strategic use of digital media (e.g., textual, graphical, audio, visual,
and interactive elements) in presentations to enhance understanding of
findings, reasoning, and evidence and to add interest.
(R) Standard 1
Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the
text says explicitly as well as inference drawn from the text, including
determining where the text leaves matters uncertain.
(R) Standard 7
Integrate and evaluate multiple sources of information presented in different
media or formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively) as well as in words in order
4
Highly
Proficient
3
Proficient
2
Minimally
Proficient
1
Below
Proficient
to address a question or solve a problem.
(W) Standard 1a
Introduce precise, knowledgeable claim(s), establish the significance of the
claim(s), distinguish the claim(s) from alternate or opposing claims, and
create an organization that logically sequences claim(s), counterclaims,
reasons, and evidence.
(W) Standard 1b
Develop claim(s) and counterclaims fairly and thoroughly, supplying the
most relevant evidence for each while pointing out the strengths and
limitations of both in a manner that anticipates the audience’s knowledge
level, concerns, values, and possible biases.
(W) Standard 1c
Use words, phrases, and clauses as well as varied syntax to link the major
sections of the text, create cohesion, and clarify the relationships between
claim(s) and reasons, between reasons and evidence, and between
claim(s) and counterclaims.
(W) Standard 1d
Establish and maintain a formal style and objective tone while attending to
the norms and conventions of the discipline in which they are writing.
(W) Standard 1e
Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports
the argument presented.
(W) Standard 6
Use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and update
individual or shared writing products in response to ongoing feedback,
including new arguments or information.
(W) Standard 7
Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects to answer a
question (including a self-generated question) or solve a problem; narrow or
broaden the inquiry when appropriate; synthesize multiple sources on the
subject, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation.
(W) Standard 8
Gather relevant information from multiple authoritative print and digital
sources, using advanced searches effectively; assess the strengths and
limitations of each source in terms of the task, purpose, and audience;
integrate information into the text selectively to maintain the flow of ideas,
avoiding plagiarism and overreliance on any one source and following a
standard format for citation.
REFERENCE GUIDE TO SEARCHING FOR RESEARCH
Note: When you are at school, you will have access to these databases without using the login and password, but at home, you will need to use
them as listed below:
TO BEGIN, GO TO:
DESTINY WEBSITE- http://destiny.canyonsdistrict.org
Use the same login as you do for school- 1st letter first name, 1st 3 last name, last 4 student id, then full student id number for password. The login is in the
upper right-hand corner. You can also get to these databases by going to cchs.canyonsdistrict.org and choosing Our School, then Media Center, then Online
Resources.
1.
Click on Pioneer Library
LOGIN: pioneer
PASSWORD: discover
Gale Reference Collection
● Go to the left side and choose Global Issues in Context- look up magazines, news articles, etc. related to your topic.
● Go to the right side and choose Opposing Viewpoints for more articles
● Citations for Works Cited page are at the bottom of the articles. Just copy/paste into your googledoc.
EBSCO (Magazine/Newspaper Periodical Search)
● Click EBSCO
● Choose All Databases (first one listed)
● Go down to MAS Complete or Student Research Center (gives high school magazines and articles)
● Where it says “Limit Your Results,” click on FULL TEXT. Then search topic.
● Citations for Works Cited page- click on “Cite” on the right side. Then scroll down for MLA and copy/paste into your googledoc.
2. Go back to the Destiny website- Click on SIRS Researcher
● LOGIN: CORNERCANYON
PASSWORD: chargers
● Click on your topic and you will see pro vs. con articles at the top, as well as other articles below.
● Citations for Works Cited page are at the top right- click on Citation and copy/past into your googledoc.
3. Go back to the Destiny website- Click on WebPath Express
● Choose Corner Canyon High School
● On the left hand side of the page, click on WebPath Express (3rd one down)
● Type your topic in the Find bar—this site will give you safe, academic Internet websites for any topic.
● Citations for the Works Cited page must be done on Easybib or citation machine. Then you can copy/paste the citation into your googledoc.
*If you choose to use a source that is not from one of these vetted databases,
you must do a C.R.A.A.P test (see instructions) and attach it to the article.
AACC Strategy for Close Reading and Reflection
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Annotate Closely
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Write an Abstract
(Precis / Summary)
CC
Write a
Contextual
Connection
(Reflection)
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Mark words, phrases or passages and reflect on their meanings in the margins
Identify new vocabulary words and define them.
Ask questions—and try to answer them--in the margins.
Write connection you made in the margins.
Identify main themes of the text.
Notice how the text is organized, and think about the purpose for the organization.
Respond to passages that are powerful or beautiful.
Agree or disagree with an idea.
Make note of literary and rhetorical strategies that are used, and identify their purpose in the text.
Consider the speaker and the audience.
Discuss the context/history in which the text was written.
Identify and evaluate claims and supporting evidence
And so much more . . .
Typed, ½ page, 12-point font, double-spaced, MLA format
Required: Use the topic sentence frame (below) and then follow it with a summary of all the main points from the
article.
Do not insert your opinion into the paragraph. The abstract is an objective summary of the text.
Topic Sentence Frame
“Article” by (author’s name) + (pick a perfect verb) + give main idea of text.
Example:
“Snowplow Parents” by Tess Tosteroni discusses the negative affects of “over-parenting” on young people’s emotional and
mental health.
● Typed, ½ page, 12-point font, double-spaced, MLA format (please type on the same sheet as your
abstract/summary.
● A contextual connection is a response to, analysis of, or evaluation of the piece.
Sentence Frames
✓ I strongly agree with_________because_______________.
✓ I strongly disagree with_____________because____________
✓ I never knew that____________.
✓ I wish the writer had included more information about_______________.
✓ The reason(s) the author wrote this text include_________________
✓ I think this text is important and relevant to my topic because____________.
CAPSTONE ARGUMENT ESSAY OUTLINE
Your essay should include the following sections:
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Introduction (1 paragraph)
◦ This could be a startling fact, problem statement, short story, or quote
◦ Please do NOT start your essay with your essential question
• Thesis (1 paragraph)
◦ This should be drawn from your research proposal thesis
◦ It should outline the main arguments you are going to present to prove your thesis
• Background (1 paragraphs)
◦ Should be very factual
◦ Explain the "big" problem
▪ Explain the harms - bad things happening right now related to the problem.
▪ Explain the significance - how big a deal this is (make it measurable)
◦ Explain how we got to this point
• Argument
1st main claim/argument that proves your thesis- Oreo paragraph
▪ Topic sentence
▪ Concrete detail (evidence/quote)
▪ Commentary (1-explain your evidence and 2-how it relates to your thesis)
▪ 2nd Concrete detail
▪ Commentary
▪ Concluding statement
2nd claim/argument
Follow same format as 1st argument Oreo paragraph
3rd claim/argument
Same format as 1st and 2nd arguments
4th claim/argument if you have one
• Counter Argument (1 paragraph addressing counter, 1 paragraph refutation)
Identify and explain another perspective on the issue— what would the other side say? Be detailed.
Address and refute their claims with your own evidence- why are they wrong?
One paragraph
• Solutions (at least 2 paragraphs)
What should be done about this issue?
Who should be involved?
How would these solutions work toward solving the problem?
At least two paragraphs- present multiple possible actions that can be taken
• Conclusion (1 paragraph)
Briefly restate your thesis and main points in a new way (not the exact language)
Make me feel good about what steps are being taken toward your solutions OR
Make a call to action - make me want to join you and do something to help
POSSIBLE GENRES
Directions: You will select four genres to tell the story of your research topic. Information about your subject should not be repeated in different genres.
Choose the best genres for the research information. The multi-genre pieces should look professional and authentic and be in some logical order in your
binder. You will be shown several samples of genre work by former students so you know what you are expected to do!
Informational
Trivia game
Biography
Speech
Poll/Survey
Brochure
Public Service Announcement
Creative
One Act Play
Short Story
The ABCs of. . .
Two Voice Poem
Blackout Poetry
Diary Entries
Monologue
Board Game
Song
Visual/Digital
Artwork
Collage (Glogster)
Facebook page
Prezi
Trailer/Video
Commercial
Website/blogspot
Podcast
Pinterest Board
Statistical
Graph
Chart
Timeline
Map
Flow Chart
Diagrams
Catalog
Journalism
Newspaper article
Editorial
Interview
Advertisement
Photo essay
Questions:
Does your genre contain facts
and new information related to
your topic?
Does it help to prove your
thesis?
Is this the best genre for the
information?
Does it look authentic?
Does it look professional?
Is it my original work?
Are the information and
purpose clear?
“Live Your Topic”- Does one of
your genres display how you have
personally made a difference
toward solving your issue?
LIVE YOUR TOPIC
For ONE of your FOUR genres, you will “live your topic,” meaning you will take action in some way to forward your thesis or solve the issue. The genre
you create to represent this proactive “something” could take a variety of forms, but it must focus on making a difference.
THREE COMPONENTS THIS GENRE MUST HAVE:
● This genre should demonstrate what action you have taken regarding your topic. In order words, it shows that you haven’t just talked about it,
you’ve “done something about it.”
● While you don’t have to have solved the problem or resolved the issue, you need to show that you have worked in some way to make a
difference. The genre should provide evidence of this.
● You need to provide an explanation below of what you propose to do, how you will do it and why it will make a difference. The actual genre
will be included with the other six in the portfolio.
SOME IDEAS FOR “LIVE YOUR TOPIC” GENRES
-Volunteer for an organization that deals with your issue
-Write a letter to your local, state, or national representative (Senator/Congress member) regarding the issue
-Gather donations and send them to a reputable organization.
-Create a Facebook page (or other social media format) to create awareness and start a conversation about your topic.
-Create and distribute a petition that is delivered to an appropriate agency or representative.
-Create and distribute a survey and report findings.
-Write an editorial or article and actually submit it to a news organization.
-Create a blog.
-Interview an expert or authority and report your findings. (you can do this through Skype and record it if your expert isn’t local)
*This is not a comprehensive list—just some suggestions to get you thinking. Choose something that fits your particular issue and clear it
with me if you are unsure.
This genre will require you to think ahead and do some planning. Describe here how you plan to live your topic. What do you propose to do?
How will you carry it out? Why will it make a difference?
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ENDNOTES
Your endnotes analyze your research experience at the conclusion of the Capstone Project. How did you decide to use this genre?
What difficulties did you have with finding/organizing information? What did you like best about it? Where is the source of
information for the piece?
This is the second to last page of your project, typed on a separate sheet. NOTE: This is not your works consulted or works cited
page. Each endnote should be at least 100+ words in length.
You will number your endnotes by genre number. This means that your first genre in your booklet will correspond to endnote #1 and
so on.
Two examples of endnotes:
1. This has to be my favorite genre. I documented many facts from Rogers and John Swick’s Boondock’s information. These
facts were scattered in various web sources, so I had to finally compile a complete impression I had of Uncle Sam. While
writing the poem, I had trouble rhyming phrases with “Wilson” though. In the end, it was worth the hours of rhyming to
produce such an impressive piece. In order to make Uncle Sam seem like a playful person, I used the ABAB rhyme scheme.
2. The first part of my research had contained an overwhelming amount of information about the Gilded Age. Cartoons arrived
in that period with the father of political cartoons, Thomas Nast. In The Ungentlemanly Art, the beginning chapters focused
on Nast’s accomplishments. I further used the Thomas Nast biography for specifics. I used a newspaper article for this genre
because Nast often drew for Harper’s Weekly. I also used the alternative writing style of double voice between Nast and
Tweed, as if the two were indirectly arguing. The genre went smoothly because of the amount of information I had.
HELPFUL HINTS
● Choose a point of view from which to convey the information (concerned citizen, activist, college student, small business
owner, taxpayer, etc.)
● Use effective transitions between genres-put genres in a logical sequence
● Make effective choices of genres
● Make sure the genres make sense with your topic
● Appearance matters- from the cover of your project to the fonts, colors pictures, etc. that you use affect your presentation in
every way.
SENIOR CAPSTONE PROJECT
Reflection Paper
Name:
/Topic
1. Why did you choose your topic? Do you think that this was a good decision? Why or why not?
2. What goals did you have for your research? Did you meet them?
3. What about your topic interested you the most?
4. How easy/hard was it to collect your information? Explain.
5. What did you learn about the research process from this project? Be specific.
6. What criteria did you use in deciding on the genres to include in your paper?
7. What genre was the hardest/most challenging to write? Why?
8. What genre was the most interesting/fun? Why?
9. How did you decide on the organization of the pieces into a cohesive whole?
10. Did you enjoy this project? Why or why not? What changes would you make?
Finally, please provide an overall assessment of your project based on content, organization, creativity, mechanics and effort. What
grade would you give yourself? Explain why.
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Self-Assessment Grade
The grade I believe I deserve for this project is: ______________
These materials are still available for you to use at your discretion.
College Application Essay
Tips for choosing a prompt
Have you selected a topic that describes something of personal importance in your life, with which you can use vivid personal
experiences as supporting details?
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Is your topic a gimmick? That is, do you plan to write your essay in iambic pentameter or make it funny? You should be very, very
careful if you are planning to do this. We recommend strongly that you do not do this. Almost always, this is done poorly and is
not appreciated by the admissions committee. Nothing is worse than not laughing or not being amused at something that was
written to be funny or amusing.
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Will your topic only repeat information listed elsewhere on your application? If so, pick a new topic. Don’t mention GPAs or
standardized test scores in your essay unless you feel your "stats" will be impressive and relevant to the essay.
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Can you offer vivid supporting paragraphs to your essay topic? If you cannot easily think of supporting paragraphs with concrete
examples, you should probably choose a different essay topic.
Can you fully answer the question asked of you? Can you address and elaborate on all points within the specified word limit, or will
you end up writing a poor summary of something that might be interesting as a report or research paper? If you plan on writing
something technical for college admissions, make sure you truly can back up your interest in a topic and are not merely throwing
around big scientific words. Unless you convince the reader that you actually have the life experiences to back up your interest in
neurobiology, the reader will assume you are trying to impress him/her with shallow tactics. Also, be sure you can write to
admissions officers and that you are not writing over their heads.
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Can you keep the reader's interest from the first word? The entire essay must be interesting, considering admissions officers will
probably only spend a few minutes reading each essay.
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Is your topic overdone? To ascertain this, peruse through old essays. However, most topics are overdone, and this is not a bad
thing. A unique or convincing answer to a classic topic can pay off big.
Will your topic turnoff a large number of people? If you write on how everyone should worship your God, how wrong or right
abortion is, or how you think the Republican or Democratic Party is evil, you will not get into the college of your choice. The only
thing worse than not writing a memorable essay is writing an essay that will be remembered negatively. Stay away from specific
religions, political doctrines, or controversial opinions. You can still write an essay about Nietzsche's influence on your life, but
express understanding that not all intelligent people will agree with Nietzsche's claims. Emphasize instead Nietzsche's influence on
your life, and not why you think he was wrong or right in his claims.
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In this vein, if you are presenting a topic that is controversial, you must acknowledge counter arguments without sounding arrogant.
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Will an admissions officer remember your topic after a day of reading hundreds of essays? What will the officer remember about
your topic? What will the officer remember about you? What will your lasting impression be?
College Application Essay Topics
1. What are your major accomplishments and why do you consider them accomplishments? Do not limit yourself to accomplishments that
were of a formal nature, the most interesting accomplishments are those that just occur and then become crucial and important to you in
that specific time of your life.
2. What attribute quality or skill do you possess that makes you unique? How did you develop and perfect this skill.
3. Consider your favorite book, movies, music, and art; how have they influenced your life in a positive and meaningful life?
4. What was the most difficult time of your life and why? How did your perspective on life change as a result of this challenge?
5. Have you ever struggled mightily and succeeded? What made you successful?
6. Of everything in the world what would you most like to be doing right now? Where would you most like to be? Who of everyone living or
dead would you most like to be with at this time in your life? These questions should help you to realize what you love most – what have
you discovered?
7. Have you experienced a moment of epiphany (an AH HA moment), as if your eyes were opened to something that you were previously
“blind” to?
8. What is your strongest, most unwavering personality trait? Do you maintain strong beliefs or adhere to a philosophy? How would your
friends characterize you? What your friends write about you if they were writing your admissions essay for you?
9. What have you done outside the classroom that demonstrates qualities sought after my universities? Of these which means most to
you?
10. What are your most important extracurricular or community activities? What made you join these activities? What made you continue to
contribute and participate in these activities?
11. What are your dreams of the future? When you look back on your life in thirty years, what would it take for you to consider your life
successful? What people, things, and accomplishments do you need? How does the university you are applying for fit into your plans for
the future.
College Application Essay
Writing Tips
1. If you are planning on writing an essay on how you survived poverty in Russia, your mother's suicide, your father's kidnapping, or your
immigration to America, you should be careful that your main goal is to address your own personal qualities. Just because something sad
or horrible has happened to you does not mean that you will be a good college or graduate school student. You don't want to be
remembered as the pathetic applicant. You want to be remembered as the applicant who showed impressive qualities under difficult
circumstances. It is for this reason that essays relating to this topic are considered among the best. Unless you only use the horrible
experience as a lens with which to magnify your own personal characteristics, you will not write a good essay. Graduate and professional
school applicants should generally steer clear of this topic altogether unless you can argue that your experience will make you a better
business person, doctor, lawyer, or scholar.
2. Essays should fit in well with the rest of a candidate's application, explaining the unexplained and steering clear of that which is already
obvious. For example, if you have a 4.0 GPA and a 1500 SAT, no one doubts your ability to do the academic work and addressing this
topic would be ridiculous. However, if you have an 850 SAT and a 3.9 GPA or a 1450 SAT and a 2.5 GPA, you would be wise to
incorporate in your essay an explanation for the apparent contradiction. For example, perhaps you were hospitalized or family concerns
prevented your dedication to academics; you would want to mention this in your essay. However, do not make your essay one giant
excuse. Simply give a quick, convincing explanation within the framework of your larger essay.
3. "Diversity" is the biggest buzzword of the 1990's. Every college, professional school, or graduate school wants to increase diversity. For
this reason, so many applicants are tempted to declare what makes them diverse. However, simply saying you are an American Indian
Buddhist female will not impress admissions officers in the least. While an essay incorporating this information would probably be your
best topic idea, you must finesse the issue by addressing your own personal qualities and how you overcame stigma, dealt with social
ostracism, etc. If you are a rich student from Beverly Hills whose father is an engineer and whose mother is a lawyer, but you happen to be
a minority, an essay about how you dealt with adversity would be unwise. You must demonstrate vividly your personal qualities, interests,
motivations, etc. Address specifically how your diversity will contribute to the realm of campus opinion, the academic environment, and
social life.
4. Don't mention weaknesses unless you absolutely need to explain them away. You want to make a positive first impression, and telling
an admissions officer anything about drinking, drugs, partying, etc. undermines your goal. College admissions read more essays on ADD
(Attention Deficit Disorder) than could ever be imagined. Why admit to weakness when you can instead showcase your strengths?
5. Be honest; your best, most passionate writing will be about events that actually occurred.
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Be Original. Even seemingly boring essay topics can sound interesting if creatively approached. If writing about a gymnastics
competition you trained for, do not start your essay: "I worked long hours for many weeks to train for XXX competition." Consider
an opening like, "Every morning I awoke at 5:00 to sweat, tears, and blood as I trained on the uneven bars hoping to bring the state
gymnastics trophy to my hometown."
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Be Yourself. Admissions officers want to learn about you and your writing ability. Write about something meaningful and describe
your feelings, not necessarily your actions. If you do this, your essay will be unique. Many people travel to foreign countries or win
competitions, but your feelings during these events are unique to you. Unless a philosophy or societal problem has interested you
intensely for years, stay away from grand themes that you have little personal experience with.
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Don't "Thesaurize" your Composition. For some reason, students continue to think big words make good essays. Big words are
fine, but only if they are used in the appropriate contexts with complex styles. Think Hemingway.
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Use Imagery and Clear, Vivid Prose. If you are not adept with imagery, you can write an excellent essay without it, but it's not
easy. The application essay lends itself to imagery since the entire essay requires your experiences as supporting details. Appeal
to the five senses of the admissions officers.
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Spend the Most Time on your Introduction. Expect admissions officers to spend 1-2 minutes reading your essay. You must use
your introduction to grab their interest from the beginning. You might even consider completely changing your introduction after
writing your body paragraphs.
o
Don't Summarize in your Introduction. Ask yourself why a reader would want to read your entire essay after reading your
introduction. If you summarize, the admissions officer need not read the rest of your essay.
o
Create Mystery or Intrigue in your Introduction. It is not necessary or recommended that your first sentence give away
the subject matter. Raise questions in the minds of the admissions officers to force them to read on. Appeal to their
emotions to make them relate to your subject matter.
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Body Paragraphs Must Relate to Introduction. Your introduction can be original, but cannot be silly. The paragraphs that follow
must relate to your introduction.
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Use Transition. Applicants continue to ignore transition to their own detriment. You must use transition within paragraphs and
especially between paragraphs to preserve the logical flow of your essay. Transition is not limited to phrases like "as a result, in
addition, while . . . , since . . . , etc." but includes repeating key words and progressing the idea. Transition provides the intellectual
architecture to argument building.
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Conclusions are Crucial. The conclusion is your last chance to persuade the reader or impress upon them your qualifications. In
the conclusion, avoid summary since the essay is rather short to begin with; the reader should not need to be reminded of what you
wrote 300 words before. Also do not use stock phrases like "in conclusion, in summary, to conclude, etc." You should consider the
following conclusions:
o
Expand upon the broader implications of your discussion.
o
Consider linking your conclusion to your introduction to establish a sense of balance by reiterating introductory phrases.
o
Redefine a term used previously in your body paragraphs.
o
End with a famous quote that is relevant to your argument. Do not try to do this, as this approach is overdone. This should
come naturally.
o
Frame your discussion within a larger context or show that your topic has widespread appeal.
o
Remember, your essay need not be so tidy that you can answer why your little sister died or why people starve in Africa; you
are not writing a "sit-com," but should forge some attempt at closure.
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Do Something Else. Spend a week or so away from your draft to decide if you still consider your topic and approach worthwhile.
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Give your Draft to Others. Ask editors to read with these questions in mind:
o
What is the essay about?
o
Have I used active voice verbs wherever possible?
o
Is my sentence structure varied or do I use all long or all short sentences?
o
Do you detect any clichés?
o
Do I use transition appropriately?
o
Do I use imagery often and does this make the essay clearer and more vivid?
o
What's the best part of the essay?
o
What about the essay is memorable?
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What's the worst part of the essay?
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What parts of the essay need elaboration or are unclear?
o
What parts of the essay do not support your main argument or are immaterial to your case?
o
Is every single sentence crucial to the essay? This MUST be the case.
o
What does the essay reveal about your personality?
o
Could anyone else have written this essay?
o
How would you fill in the following blank based on the essay: "I want to accept you to this college because our college
needs more."
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Revise, Revise, Revise. You only are allowed so many words; use them wisely. If H.D. Thoreau couldn't write a good essay
without revision, neither will you. Delete anything in the essay that does not relate to your main argument. Do you use transition?
Are your introduction and conclusions more than summaries? Did you find every single grammatical error?
o
Allow for the evolution of your main topic. Do not assume your subject must remain fixed and that you can only tweak
sentences.
o
Editing takes time. Consider reordering your supporting details, delete irrelevant sections, and make clear the broader
implications of your experiences. Allow your more important arguments to come to the foreground. Take points that might
only be implicit and make them explicit.
College Application Essay
Sample 1
Hello. I’m John Anonymous from a once rural, now sprawling suburbia named Draper, Utah, at the foot of the Wasatch Mountains.
As you peruse these applications piled before you, you’ll encounter candidates who will claim athletic prowess along with impressive
academic records; others will favor the arts: musicians, artists, writers; still others will shine through extensive community service and
impressive leadership.
You’ll no doubt scan application after application of dedicated, accomplished students vying for the envied laurels of national merit—but…
How many applications offer a young person forged from the fires of all these elements? A 17-year-old who places in a national wrestling
tournament and boasts over 100 wins, but who also can sit serenely at a Steinway and play a Chopin?
A teenager, who conquered three AP tests so far with perfect scores, nailed the ACT with a 33 composite and maintains a humble 4.0
GPA, but who can also slice Utah powder and plow waves on a wakeboard with a zeal and respect for nature that only an Eagle Scout and
Silver Palm recipient can have?
A young man who knows himself to be a deeply religious soul, with an allegiance to his Heavenly Father and an appreciation for the
beauty and life around him, but who also yearns to face the fearsome ravages of disease, pain, and death as a medical doctor someday.
Over the next several years, I long to make the absolute most of myself through all channels: physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual—to
be a modern “Renaissance Man.” Then it will be my privilege to give back…to my wife and children, my friends and neighbors, my
community and my world.
College Application Essay
Sample 2
Sometimes, the most significant accomplishments stem from a seemingly minor life event. My parents bought my first bicycle (a pink
Disney princess model) the summer of my 5th year. I rarely even tried it. The following two summers I tried, but failed. I remember
teetering along the sidewalk leaning heavily on my left training wheel watching the other kids my age zoom past on their sleek twowheelers. It was classic childhood humiliation.
Then, miraculously, one June morning before my 8th birthday, I simply got on my bike (the same one I received three years back) and
pedaled. Sure, I skidded into the holly bush and face-planted a time or two. But I was off! Zooming, speeding, with that wind-in-your-hair
and nothing-can-stop-me sensation that happens far too little in life. My parents tell me that the same deal happened when I potty-trained.
After months of parental cajoling, bribing, stickers on calendars, M&Ms, and Parent Choice Award DVDs and books, I just decided one day
to do it.
And I never looked back.
So what does all this mean? What have I learned? What really are my accomplishments? Well, let’s gently put aside for now my good
grades (Honor Roll and National Honor Society; GPA 3.86), my extra-curricular activities (Madrigals, School Musical, Key Club), and my
job experience (two years at Chili’s-bussing, waiting tables, and now manager trainee), and look at what I have learned about myself. I’m a
bit of a late bloomer…but, when I bloom, it’s 110%. I am social and outgoing, but I have to push myself to take risks and go out of my
comfort zone. I study hard, but I know that I could study even harder by taking the most challenging classes and by improving my time
management skills. So, yes, I have a shelf of “accomplishments,” but the most significant accomplishments occurred along the path to the
goal, the insights I gained about myself, and the desires to make the most of my opportunities—and make the most opportunities I possibly
could. To trust myself.
Accomplishments are always awards, trophies, and certificates, but rather frames of mind, an understanding of one’s weaknesses and
either compensating for them or completely overcoming them. Accomplishment is more of a journey of self-discovery, adaptation, and
acquisition of knowledge through experiences both small and great.
College Application Essay
Sample 3
A mighty struggle, you say? Ah, where to begin. I suppose Dickens is a good place…”it was the best of times, it was the worst of times... it
was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope,
it was the winter of despair...”
First, the best of times. I was a motivated and enthusiastic student taking challenging classes and participating on the school newspaper
staff my junior year. I was vivacious, clever, optimistic, funny, and dare I say a bit impish and immature. A typical fun-loving boyish lad who
absolutely enjoyed life and people and noise and movement. I recall one day wrapping myself in aluminum foil, jousting upon desks with
an imaginary light sword. My passions were two-fold: writing and Photoshop special effects. I created the most bizarre and entertaining
edited photographs for the paper, and my writing was light-hearted. I’m sure my teachers don’t remember me without a smile on my face.
In the fall of my senior year, the worst of times arrived.
Cancer.
I was summarily withdrawn from school, which included my AP Literature class, and placed on Home and Hospital leave. I had no idea
what to expect. In the following months, I was at my most vulnerable and my most victorious. The treatments were brutal, and I wasted
away. My body was shrinking, my skin translucent. Certain colors and smells nauseated me, my strength left. My hair shed. I started out
with stacks of makeup work and my English teacher, who volunteered to work with me on my Home and Hospital program…I was buried
under silly chapters in a Health book about eating nutritious foods and exercising and dating do’s and don’ts, short essays on government,
and endless explications of poetry.
It was soon obvious that I did not have the strength to keep up with the incessant string of assignments typical in a high school curriculum.
While my English teacher liaison agonized and debated and worked deals with teachers, I quietly wrote a letter to them explaining
precisely my condition and asked that they provide meaningful and substantive assignments for me rather than piles of busy work.
A new me was emerging. A young man, who with dignity and maturity, communicated his predicament and his needs, who wanted to learn
but realized the limitations he shouldered. And so, a new journey began. We forgot about study guides and chapter outlines and started
talking about life, and literature, and faith, and pain, and endurance, and fear, and survival. We drew connections between the real and the
surreal, the past and the future, the child and the adult.
I transformed from a carefree kid to an empathetic adult who walked “through the valley of the shadow of death” and discovered that
elusive “meaning of life.” I come to you with an unquenchable thirst for knowledge, a deep reservoir of compassion, an acute
understanding of life’s ironic humor and deep despair, and a bright, quick mind.
Cover Letter
Cover Letter Workshop - Formatting and Organization
Media File: Cover Letter Workshop - Formatting and Organization
This resource is enhanced by an Acrobat PDF file. Download the free Acrobat Reader
The cover letter is one of the most challenging documents you may ever write: you must write about yourself without sounding selfish and
self-centered. The solution to this is to explain how your values and goals align with the prospective organization's and to discuss how your
experience will fulfill the job requirements. Before we get to content, however, you need to know how to format your cover letter in a
professional manner.
Formatting your cover letter
Your cover letter should convey a professional message. Of course, the particular expectations of a professional format depend on the
organization you are looking to join. For example, an accounting position at a legal firm will require a more traditional document format. A
position as an Imagineer at Disney might require a completely different approach. Again, a close audience analysis of the company and
the position will yield important information about the document expectations. Let the organization's communications guide your work.
For this example, we are using a traditional approach to cover letters:
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Single-space your cover letter
Leave a space between each paragraph
Leave three spaces between your closing (such as "Sincerely" or "Sincerely Yours") and typed name
Leave a space between your heading (contact information) and greeting (such as, "Dear Mr. Roberts")
Either align all paragraphs to the left of the page, or indent the first line of each paragraph to the right
Use standard margins for your cover letter, such as one-inch margins on all sides of the document
Center your letter in the middle of the page; in other words, make sure that the space at the top and bottom of the page is the same
Sign your name in ink between your salutation and typed name
Organizing your cover letter
A cover letter has four essential parts: heading, introduction, argument, and closing.
The heading
In your heading, include your contact information:
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name
address
phone number
email address
The date and company contact information should directly follow your contact information. Use spacing effectively in order to keep this
information more organized and readable. Use the link at the top of this resource to view a sample cover letter - please note the letter is
double-spaced for readability purposes only.
Addressing your cover letter
Whenever possible, you should address your letter to a specific individual, the person in charge of interviewing and hiring (the hiring
authority). Larger companies often have standard procedures for dealing with solicited and unsolicited resumes and cover letters. Sending
your employment documents to a specific person increases the chances that they will be seriously reviewed by the company.
When a job advertisement does not provide you with the name of the hiring authority, call the company to ask for more information. Even if
your contact cannot tell you the name of the hiring authority, you can use this time to find out more about the company.
If you cannot find out the name of the hiring authority, you may address your letter to "hiring professionals" - e.g., "Dear Hiring
Professionals."
The introduction
The introduction should include a salutation, such as "Dear Mr. Roberts:" If you are uncertain of your contact's gender, avoid using Mr. or
Mrs. by simply using the person's full name.
The body of your introduction can be organized in many ways. However, it is important to include, who you are and why you are writing. It
can also state how you learned about the position and why you are interested in it. (This might be the right opportunity to briefly relate your
education and/or experience to the requirements of the position.)
Many people hear of job openings from contacts associated with the company. If you wish to include a person's name in your cover letter,
make certain that your reader has a positive relationship with the person.
In some instances, you may have previously met the reader of your cover letter. In these instances it is acceptable to use your introduction
to remind your reader of who you are and briefly discuss a specific topic of your previous conversation(s).
Most important is to briefly overview why your values and goals align with the organization's and how you will help them. You should also
touch on how you match the position requirements. By reviewing how you align with the organization and how your skills match what
they're looking for, you can forecast the contents of your cover letter before you move into your argument.
The argument
Your argument is an important part of your cover letter, because it allows you to persuade your reader why you are a good fit for the
company and the job. Carefully choose what to include in your argument. You want your argument to be as powerful as possible, but it
shouldn't cloud your main points by including excessive or irrelevant details about your past. In addition, use your resume (and refer to it)
as the source of "data" you will use and expand on in your cover letter.
In your argument, you should try to:
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Show your reader you possess the most important skills s/he seeks (you're a good match for the organization's mission/goals and
job requirements).
Convince your reader that the company will benefit from hiring you (how you will help them).
Include in each paragraph a strong reason why your employer should hire you and how they will benefit from the relationship.
Maintain an upbeat/personable tone.
Avoid explaining your entire resume but use your resume as a source of data to support your argument (the two documents should
work together).
Reminder: When writing your argument, it is essential for you to learn as much as possible about the company and the job (see the Cover
Letter Workshop - Introduction resource).
The closing
Your closing restates your main points and reveals what you plan to do after your readers have received your resume and cover letter. We
recommend you do the following in your closing:
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Restate why you align with the organization's mission/goals.
Restate why your skills match the position requirements and how your experience will help the organization.
Inform your readers when you will contact them.
Include your phone number and e-mail address.
Thank your readers for their consideration.
A sample closing:
I believe my coursework and work experience in electrical engineering will help your Baltimore division attain its goals, and I look forward
to meeting with you to discuss the job position further. I will contact you before June 5th to discuss my application. If you wish to contact
me, I may be reached at 765-555-6473, or by e-mail at jwillis3@e-mail-link.com. Thank you for your time and consideration.
Although this closing may seem bold, potential employers will read your documents with more interest if they know you will be calling them
in the future. Also, many employment authorities prefer candidates who are willing to take the initiative to follow-up. Additionally, by
following up, you are able to inform prospective employers that you're still interested in the position and determine where the company is in
the hiring process. When you tell readers you will contact them, it is imperative that you do so. It will not reflect well on you if you forget to
call a potential employer when you said you would. It's best to demonstrate your punctuality and interest in the company by calling when
you say you will.
If you do not feel comfortable informing your readers when you will contact them, ask your readers to contact you, and thank them for their
time. For example:
Please contact me at 765-555-6473, or by e-mail at jwillis3@e-mail-link.com. I look forward to speaking with you. Thank you for your time
and consideration.
Clarence Darrow and the Leopold & Loeb Trial
Argument Writing: Focus on Developing the Counterargument (Concession and Refutation)
For Students: Darrow R.A.F.T. Organizer
R
Your Role
You will play the part of a prosecuting attorney in the Leopold & Loeb
Trial; that is, you will compose a powerful closing statement that rebuts
(counters) defense attorney Clarence Darrow’s closing arguments.
A
Your
Audience
Your audience is the judge assigned to this case. He will decide what
sentence Leopold & Loeb deserve. In a larger sense, your audience is
also any part of the public who was swayed by Clarence Darrow’s
closing arguments.
F
Format
You will construct a written closing argument with at least six
paragraphs:
● An introduction
● A paragraph countering Darrow’s first argument
● A paragraph countering Darrow’s second argument
● A paragraph countering Darrow’s third argument
● A paragraph countering Darrow’s fourth argument
● A powerful conclusion
T
Topic
In your written closing argument, you will discuss why Clarence Darrow
is wrong, how Darrow tried to sway the judge, and why Leopold & Loeb
do, in fact, deserve to die for the crime they committed.
AmericanRhetoric.com
Transcription by Stephanie Worley. Property of AmericanRhetoric.com ©2010. All rights reserved. Page
1
Clarence Darrow
A Plea for Mercy
Delivered 24 September 1924
SECTION #1
Annotate (mark and write in margins) for
● Main argument
● Methods or strategies Darrow uses to make his argument powerful
○ Ethos, Logos, Pathos
○ Rhetorical Devices: figurative language, sound devices, sentence structures / syntax, etc.
(1) Now, your Honor, I have spoken about the war1. I believed in it. I don’t know whether I was crazy or not. Sometimes I
think perhaps I was. I approved of it; I joined in the general cry of madness and despair. I urged men to fight. I was safe
because I was too old to go. I was like the rest. What did they do? Right or wrong, justifiable or unjustifiable which I need
not discuss today it changed the world.
(2) For four long years the civilized world was engaged in killing men. Christian against Christian, barbarian uniting with
Christians to kill Christians; anything to kill. It was taught in every school, aye2 in the Sunday schools. The little children
played at war. The toddling children on the street. Do you suppose this world has ever been the same since? How long,
your Honor, will it take for the world to get back the humane emotions that were slowly growing before the war? How long
will it take the calloused3 hearts of men before the scars of hatred and cruelty shall be removed?
(3) We read of killing one hundred thousand men in a day. We read about it and we rejoiced in it if it was the other fellows
who were killed. We were fed on flesh and drank blood. Even down to the prattling 4 babe. I need not tell you how many
upright, honorable young boys have come into this court charged with murder, some saved and some sent to their death,
boys who fought in this war and learned to place a cheap value on human life. You know it and I know it. These boys were
brought up in it. The tales of death were in their homes, their playgrounds, their schools; they were in the newspapers that
they read; it was a part of the common frenzy. What was a life? It was nothing. It was the least sacred thing in existence
and these boys were trained to this cruelty.
1
The War: WWI
Aye: Yes or Indeed
3
Calloused: Hardened
4
Prattling: speaking nonsense or jibberish
2
(4) It will take fifty years to wipe it out of the human heart, if ever. I know this, that after the Civil War in 1865, crimes of
this sort increased, marvelously. No one needs to tell me that crime has no cause. It has as definite a cause as any other
disease, and I know that out of the hatred and bitterness of the Civil War crime increased as America had never seen
before. I know that Europe is going through the same experience today; I know it has followed every war; and I know it
has influenced these boys so that life was not the same to them as it would have been if the world had not made red with
blood. I protest against the crimes and mistakes of society being visited upon them. All of us have a share in it. I have
mine. I cannot tell and I shall never know how many words of mine might have given birth to cruelty in place of love and
kindness and charity.
(5) Your Honor knows that in this very court crimes of violence have increased growing out of the war. Not necessarily by
those who fought but by those that learned that blood was cheap, and human life was cheap, and if the State could take it
lightly why not the boy? There are causes for this terrible crime. There are causes as I have said for everything that
happens in the world. War is a part of it; education is a part of it; birth is a part of it; money is a part of it all these
conspired to compass the destruction of these two poor boys.
SECTION #2
Annotate (mark and write in margins) for
● Main argument
● Methods or strategies Darrow uses to make his argument powerful
○ Ethos, Logos, Pathos
○ Rhetorical Devices: figurative language, sound devices, sentence structures / syntax, etc.
(6) Has the court any right to consider anything but these two boys? The State5 says that your
Honor has a right to consider the welfare of the community, as you have. If the welfare of the community would be
benefited by taking these lives, well and good. I think it would work evil that no one could measure. Has your Honor a right
to consider the families of these defendants? I have been sorry, and I am sorry for the bereavement 6 of Mr. And Mrs.
Frank7, for those broken ties8 that cannot be healed. All I can hope and wish is that some good may come from it all. But
as compared with the families of Leopold and Loeb, the Franks are to be envied and everyone knows it.
5
The State: Referring to the laws of Illinois
Bereavement: The period of mourning after a death
7
Mr. and Mrs. Frank: The parents of the victim
8
Those broken ties: the death of their son
6
(7) I do not know how much salvage9 there is in these two boys. I hate to say it in their presence, but what is there to look
forward to? I do not know but what your Honor would be merciful to them, but not merciful to civilization, and not merciful if
you tied a rope around their necks and let them die; merciful to them, but not merciful to civilization, and not merciful to
those who would be left behind. To spend the balance of their days in prison is mighty little to look forward to, if anything.
Is it anything? They may have the hope that as the years roll around they might be released. I do not know. I do not know.
I will be honest with this court as I have tried to be from the beginning. I know that these boys are not fit to be at large 10. I
believe they will not be until they pass through the next stage of life, at forty-five or fifty. Whether they will then, I cannot
tell. I am sure of this; that I will not be here to help them. So far as I am concerned, it is over.
(8) I would not tell this court that I do not hope that some time, when life and age have changed their bodies, as they do,
and have changed their emotions, as they do that they may once more return to life. I would be the last person on earth to
close the door of hope to any human being that lives, and least of all to my clients. But what have they to look forward to?
Nothing.
And I think here of the stanza of Housman11:
Now hollow fires burn out to black,
And lights are fluttering low:
Square your shoulders, lift your pack
And leave your friends and go.
O never fear, lads, naught’s to dread,
Look not left nor right:
In all the endless road you tread
There’s nothing but the night.
(9) I care not, your Honor, whether the march begins at the gallows or when the gates of Joilet 12 close upon them, there is
nothing but the night, and that is little for any human being to expect.
9
How much salvage: how much worth saving there is . . .
At large: Free
11
A.E. Housman: A famous English poet of Darrow’s era
12
Joilet: The name of a prison in Illinois
10
SECTION #3
Annotate (mark and write in margins) for
● Main argument
● Methods or strategies Darrow uses to make his argument powerful
○ Ethos, Logos, Pathos
○ Rhetorical Devices: figurative language, sound devices, sentence structures / syntax, etc.
(10) But there are others to consider. Here are these two families, who have led honest lives, who will bear the name that
they bear, and future generations must carry it on.
(11) Here is Leopold’s father and this boy was the pride of his life. He watched him, he cared for him, he worked for him;
the boy was brilliant and accomplished, he educated him, and he thought that fame and position awaited him, as it should
have awaited. It is a hard thing for a father to see his life’s hopes crumble into dust.
(12) Should he be considered? Should his brothers be considered? Will it do society any good or make your life safer, or
any human being’s life safer, if it should be handed down from generation to generation, that this boy, their kin13, died
upon the scaffold14?
(13) And Loeb’s the same. Here are the faithful uncle and brother, who have watched here day by day, while Dickie’s 15
father and his mother are too ill to stand this terrific strain, and shall be waiting for a message which means more to them
than it can mean to you or me. Shall these be taken into account in this general bereavement?
(14) Have they any rights? Is there any reason, your Honor, why their proud names and all the future generations that
bear them shall have this bar sinister written across them? How many boys and girls, how many unborn children will feel
it? It is bad enough as it is, God knows.
(15) It is bad enough, however it is. But it’s not yet death on the scaffold16. It’s not that. And I ask your Honor, in addition
to all that I have said to save two honorable families from a disgrace that never ends, and which could be of no avail to
help any human being that lives.
13
Kin: relative
Scaffold: Platform used for hangings
15
Dickie: Richard Loeb, the defendant (nicknamed Dick Loeb)
16
Scaffold: Platform used for hanging
14
SECTION #4
Annotate (mark and write in margins) for
● Main argument
● Methods or strategies Darrow uses to make his argument powerful
○ Ethos, Logos, Pathos
○ Rhetorical Devices: figurative language, sound devices, sentence structures / syntax, etc.
(16) Now, I must say a word more and then I will leave this with you where I should have left it long ago. None of us are
unmindful of the public; courts are not, and juries are not. We placed our fate in the hands of a trained court, thinking that
he would be more mindful and considerate than a jury. I cannot say how people feel. I have stood here for three months
as one might stand at the ocean trying to sweep back the tide. I hope the seas are subsiding and the wind is falling, and I
believe they are, but I wish to make no false pretense to this court.
(17) The easy thing and the popular thing to do is to hang my clients. I know it. Men and women who do not think will
applaud. The cruel and thoughtless will approve. It will be easy today; but in Chicago, and reaching out over the length
and breadth of the land, more and more fathers and mothers, the humane, the kind and the hopeful, who are gaining an
understanding and asking questions not only about these poor boys, but about their own these will join in no acclaim 17 at
the death of my clients.
(18) These would ask that the shedding of blood be stopped, and that the normal feelings of man resume their sway. And
as the days and the months and the years go on, they will ask it more and more. But, your Honor, what they shall ask may
not count. I know the easy way. I know the future is with me, and what I stand for here; not merely for the lives of these
two unfortunate lads, but for all boys and all girls; for all of the young, and as far as possible, for all of the old. I am
pleading for life, understanding, charity, kindness, and the infinite mercy that considers all. I am pleading that we
overcome cruelty with kindness and hatred with love.
(19) I know the future is on my side. Your Honor stands between the past and the future. You may hang these boys; you
may hang them by the neck until they are dead. But in doing it you will turn your face toward the past. In doing it you are
making it harder for every other boy who in ignorance and darkness must grope his way through the mazes which only
childhood knows. In doing it you will make it harder for unborn children. You may save them and make it easier for every
child that sometime may stand where these boys stand. You will make it easier for every human being with an aspiration 18
and a vision and a hope and a fate. I am pleading for the future; I am pleading for a time when hatred and cruelty will not
control the hearts of men. When we can learn by reason and judgment and understanding and faith that all life is worth
saving, and that mercy is the highest attribute of man.
17
18
Acclaim: Praise
Aspiration: hopes and goals
(20) I feel that I should apologize for the length of time I have taken. This case may not be as important as I think it is, and
I am sure I do not need to tell this court, or to tell my friends that I would fight just as hard for the poor as for the rich. If I
should succeed, my greatest reward and my greatest hope will be that for the countless unfortunates who must tread the
same road in blind childhood that these poor boys have trod, that I have done something to help human understanding, to
temper19 justice with mercy, to overcome hate with love.
(21) I was reading last night of the aspiration20 of the old Persian poet, Omar Khayyam. It appealed to me as the highest
that I can vision. I wish it was in my heart, and I wish it was in the hearts of all:
So I be written in the Book of Love,
I do not care about that Book above.
Erase my name or write it as you will,
So I be written in the Book of Love.
19
20
Temper: neutralize or offset
Aspiration: Hope or Goal
Darrow’s Argument
● Summarize the argument
● Include a quote that
captures the main
argument
Section 1: (I Do)
Section 2: (We Do)
Analyze:
● Why is Darrow’s argument
powerful? What rhetorical
strategies did he use? (Mark
these strategies as part of
your annotation.)
Think:
● If you were the prosecution
(other side), how would you
refute this argument?
Think again:
● How could you make
your argument powerful?
What rhetorical
strategies could you use
in your writing?
Darrow’s Argument
● Summarize the argument
● Include a quote that
captures the main
argument
Section 3: (Y’all Do)
Section 4: (You Do)
Analyze:
● Why is Darrow’s argument
powerful? What rhetorical
strategies did he use?
Think:
● If you were the prosecution
(other side), how would you
refute this argument?
Think again:
● How could you make
your argument powerful?
What rhetorical
strategies could you use
in your writing?
Wrap-up: Students write their own introduction and concluding paragraphs using effective Opening and Closing strategies reviewed in class
ESSAY OPENING AND CLOSING STRATEGIES
ARGUMENT WRITING
Claim-a claim is your reasonable, defendable position or assertion; grab the reader’s attention with one of the following opening
strategies that best “fits” your claim, purpose, and audience.
OPENING PARAGRAPH STRATEGIES
1. Quotation, smoothly integrated
2. Acknowledgment of an opinion opposite to the one you will defend
3. Short anecdote or narrative
4. Analogy
5. Specific example or description
6. Personal experience
7. Startling statement (could be a paradoxical or ironic)
8. Interesting fact (NOT dictionary definition)
9. Pose a question that relates to your claim
CLOSING PARAGRAPH STRATEGIES
1. Confirm your main point-finish argument by drawing your best thoughts together into a logical conclusion; make a final appeal
to your audience as a clear and compelling reiteration of your claim.
2. Summarize/synthesize using different diction than what you used in the introduction, and add additional insight arrived at as a
result of your close examination of your topic. SYNTHESIZE—don’t just summarize. Show how the points you made and the
evidence you used fit together to add up to something more expansive than each individual item.
3. Show the importance of the implications your argument and evidence reveals; i.e. why should we care?
4. Make a proposal of the logical and next step given the current understanding of your topic; a “CALL TO ACTION”
5. End with a powerful quotation that sums up and encapsulates the claim.
6. Echo the beginning, tying your conclusion back to your introduction by repeating key words, phrases and ideas.
7. Envision the future given acceptance of your argument or findings.
8. Suggest how the conclusion might impact or apply to a larger audience or setting, a “universal” application of your findings.
9. Don’t end with a question or introduce a new comment that does not further your main claim…it’s your job to ANSWER the
questions and PROVE the assertions you present in your paper, not introduce new ones at the end.
Closing strategies: SAMPLES for fiction and nonfiction essays
1. Confirm your claim: So, based on the nauseating evidence of how oil, money, and power were the true motives behind the
Iraqi war, in spite of individuals’ honest patriotism, Americans cannot afford to not be more discriminating in the future when
politicians, liberal or conservative, “cry havoc and let slip the dogs of war.”
2. Summarize: So, whereas politicians’ perceptions of spreading freedom in Iraq are tarred and feathered with oil and money, and
while they starve for power, hopefully Americans begin to fear, rather than worship, war.
3. Emphasize importance of implications: Thus, Romantic idealism, manifested in Angel’s seemingly harmless idealization of Tess
as “Artemis,” can ironically and monstrously smother the subtler, more down-to-earth, but nonetheless breathtaking beauties and
wonders of the real life, or, in this case, the real girl.
4. A proposal: So, I gave some money to the beggar, realizing that my conscience is all I own; material possessions will dissolve in
time and space. And I urge conscientious people everywhere to not, by withholding their money, compromise their sole possession.
5. End with quotation that encapsulates claim: So while, “amid the grey half-tones of the morning,” Angel mistakes Tess
Durbeyfield for Artemis, flattering as that may be, his idealization of her blinds him to the complex, “gray,” layered depths of Tess’
womanhood. The beautifully tangible.
6. Different Scenario/same implications: Therefore, while inky, innate darkness, according to Golding, blackens humanity’s every
cell—to acknowledge and confront it face to face may redeem both the human condition and the human soul.
7. Circle back to opening strategy: So, while I don’t actually hate puppies, sunshine, and symmetry—ugly, broken things/people
have a shine and a symmetry that perhaps more strongly evokes our deeper emotional responses.
8. Envision the future: War is not inherently bad. But I envision a future where the reasons for waging war will be presented
objectively, and with illuminating clarity, to the general populous—before, not after, the war.
9. Conclusion applied to larger audience: Oedipus is mauled by bear-like Fate—eyeless. Songless. But the fear of fate’s arbitrary
will is relevant today and still affects peoples’ choices. Humanity, as a whole, broods on like one, big self-fulfilling prophecy.
10. Answer your question: Therefore, Angel did not truly love Tess, at least at the time of their marriage. Yet, with time and
profound reflection, he felt his loss of Love in the end.
Opening strategies: SAMPLES for fiction and nonfiction essays
1. Quote: “Fair is foul and foul is fair, hover through the fog and filthy air…” Indeed, into the air, Shakespeare’s Macbeth suspends
the possibility that Macbeth’s vision of himself as king—while being a prophetic and juicy idea—may, in reality, be a self-destructive
delusion.
2. Opposite opinion: Many Americans believe that going to war with Iraq in 2003 was a moral obligation to free the Iraqis from
oppression; however, this essay will explore how oil, money, and power, more than altruistic duty, incentivized the declaration of
war.
3. Analogy/Anecdotal: Like moonlight filtering through ocean waves— like brooding prisms, Golding’s Lord of the Flies gives
transparency to the frightening, organic evil swimming in the human psyche.
4. Specific example: As sweet as it may seem when Angel Clare calls Tess his “Artemis,” these flatteries forecast what Hardy later
reveals as the terrible consequences of Romantic Idealism.
5. Personal experience: Stumbling towards me in the darkness, the homeless man begged through twisted, toothless lips for
money. Uncomfortably, I reached for my wallet, realizing that more unnerving than his artless, groveling petition, would be for me
to think I am better than he and that I somehow deserve the possessions I own.
6. Startling statement: I hate puppies. I shrug off sunshine. I loathe symmetry. To me, beautiful things, while pleasing to the
senses, do not emotionally move me the way broken, ugly, heart-breaking things do.
7. Interesting fact: In Latin, the word “Philosophy” actually denotes the Love of Wisdom, which leads one to believe that
philosophers are more than just know-it-alls, but passionate learners.
8. Rhetorical Question: Did Angel truly Love Tess, or does Hardy’s novel reveal the tragic tendency of people to pursue an illusion
of perfection rather than embrace the imperfect but sweet realities.