Lesson 10
Today’s Agenda
 SAT:
Reading Comprehension
Note
 Finish
and Practice
Activity 4.6 – Drafting My Credo
OBJECTIVES:
~become familiar with the Critical Reading Section of the SAT
` analyze the elements of a credo as a literary genre
~apply the conventions of the credo genre when writing a personal credo, using
effective syntax and punctuation
SAT: Critical Reading
Quick Overview



24-Question Critical Reading Section (25 minutes)

1-8 Sentence Completion

9-12 Reading Comprehension (2 short passages)

13-24 Reading Comprehension (1 long passages)
24-Question Critical Reading Section (25 minutes)

1-5 Sentence Completion

6-9 Reading Comprehension (paired short passages)

10-24 Reading Comprehension (2 long passages)
19-Question Critical Reading Section (20 minutes)

1-6 Sentence Completion

7-19 Reading Comprehension (paired long passages)
General Testing Tips

Read the Introductions

Almost every reading passage is preceded by an italicized introduction. DON’T SKIP IT.


Tackle passages with familiar subjects first.


You don’t have to answer questions in the order they are presented. Scan the passage
topics and start with the topic that seems easiest for you.
Try to answer all the questions on a particular passage.


The following passages are excerpted from books on America’s national pastime, baseball.
Passage 1 is taken from an account of a particularly memorable season. Passage 2 is from a
meditation on the game written in 1989 by the late literary scholar A. Barttlett Giamatti, then
commissioner of baseball.
Questions are not arranged in order of difficulty. Skip the ones that stump you and
continue to answer questions. Sometimes, answering a few other questions over the
same passage will help you on the one that originally stumped you.
When asked to choose a title, watch out for choices that are too specific or too
broad.

Title should include central theme that is developed.
General Testing Tips
Spot the major reading question types.

Main Idea

Check opening and
closing sentences of each
paragraph.


Whom or what is this
passage about?

What aspect of this subject
is the author talking about?

What is the author trying to
get across?
Specific Details
 Inferences
 Answer
will NOT be
explicitly stated in the
text.
 Tone/Attitude
 Vocabulary
in Context
 Technique
 Relationships
between
 Development
of the
paragraphs
passage
Practice
Lois Mailou Jones is one example of an answer to the charge that there
are no Black or female American artists to include in art history textbooks
and classes. Beginning her formal art education at the School of the
Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, Lois Jones found herself strongly attracted
to design rather than fine arts. After teaching for a awhile, she went to
Paris to study, on the advice of the sculptor Meta Warrick Fuller.
It was in Paris that she first felt free to paint. Following her return to
this country in 1938, Jones had an exhibit at the Vose Gallery in Boston, a
major breakthrough for a Black artist at that time. Her work during this
period consisted of excellent impressionist scene of Paris. It was not until
the early 1940s, after she met the Black aesthetician Alain Locke, that she
began to paint works like Mob Victim, which explicitly dealt with her own
background as a Black American. Later, in the 50s, she went often to Haiti,
which had yet another influence on her style. Then a sabbatical leave in
Africa again changed her imagery. Indeed, the scope of this distinguished
artist’s career so well spans the development of twentieth-century art that
her work could be a textbook in itself.
Main Idea Practice
1.
Read first and last sentences of the two paragraphs.
2.
What are those sentences about?
The passage primarily focuses on the
a.
influence of Lois Jones on other artists
b.
recognition given to Lois Jones for her work
c.
experiences that influenced the work of Lois Jones
d.
obstacles that Lois Jones surmounted in her career
e.
techniques that characterize the work of Lois Jones
Choosing a Title Practice
Which of the following is the best title for the passage?
a.
Unsung Black Artists of America
b.
A Hard Row to Hoe: The Struggles of Lois Jones
c.
Locke and Jones; Two Black Artistic Pioneers
d.
African and Haitian Influences on Lois Mailou Jones
e.
The Making of an Artist: Lois Mailou Jones
Specific Details Practice
In what way did her meeting with Alain Locke affect Jones’s
work as an artist?
a.
It inspired her to focus on French impressionist
landscapes.
b.
It influenced her to paint scenes from Black American life.
c.
It encouraged her use of Caribbean and African imagery.
d.
It led to a prestigious gallery showing of her paintings.
e.
It confirmed the feasibility of her pursuing a career as an
artist.
Activity 4.6 Drafting My Credo
Precepts


A precept is a rule,
instruction, or principle
that guides somebody’s
actions and/or moral
behavior.
In the graphic
organizer, list some of
the precepts you have
learned over the course
of your life that guide
your behavior, as well
as why they are
significant to you.
Precepts
1. Don’t cut in
front of people—
always wait your
turn.
Rationale,
Significance, or
Reflection
1. Timing is
everything. If we are
not patient and we cut
people off because we
are in a hurry, we
might miss out on a
great opportunity that
was waiting for us. We
will have missed it and
the person behind us
might benefit from it.
Predict
the TONE of the selection.
Credo from All I Really Need to Know I
Learned in Kindergarten (272)
As you read the credo, consider
what the precepts have in
common and highlight those that
most appeal to you personally.
Robert Fulghum (b. 1937) grew up in
Texas. He was a minister for many
years before turning to writing,
painting, and sculpting. He is the
author of several best-selling books
that primarily focus on thoughts
about how to live a full and happy
life. Fulghum has said, “The tragedy
of modern man is not that he knows
less and less about the meaning of
his own life but that it bothers him
less and less.”
After Reading - page 273

What are your reactions to Fulghum’s credo? What precepts
seem to make the most/least sense to you personally, and
why?

TERMS TO KNOW
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GENRE

GENRE CONVENTIONS
If a personal credo can be considered a literary genre, what
are some conventions that would characterize this genre?

EXPLANATION OF INSPIRATION

PRECEPTS

CALL TO ACTION
What is his TONE?


MATTER-OF-FACT
How did he create the tone?
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Simple Diction
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Dashes
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Ellipsis
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Imperative Sentences
Writing Prompt - HOMEWORK

Emulating Fulghum’s structure and conventions, draft a personal
credo that asserts your precepts about the basic values that
contribute to a meaningful life. The credo might begin with your
perception of life, identify where you learned important precepts
and what they are, and close with reflective commentary and a
related call to action. Be sure to:

Use the genre conventions you defined above.

Establish an appropriate tone through your syntax and
diction (must include DASHES, ELLIPSIS, IMPERATIVE SENTENCES,
SIMPLE DICTION).

End with a call to action like Fulghum’s.