STEP ONE: Initial reading
• Look at the text in front of you.
• What do you notice before reading the
document?
• Please read through the text independently one
time.
• Now, please follow along with the text as I read it
aloud to you.
Best responses
• Are complete sentences that restate the question
• Whenever possible, mention LINE NUMBERS in
parenthesis
STEP TWO:
Questions about the text
3 To the Second Convention of Delegates Richmond, Virginia
4
March 23, 1775
5 MR. PRESIDENT: No man thinks more highly than I do of the patriotism, as well as
6 abilities, of the very worthy gentlemen who have just addressed the House.
1. Who is this speech intended for? What word or words tell you
that?
STEP TWO CONTINUED:
QUESTIONS ABOUT THE TEXT
2. Many times during the speech Patrick Henry uses the
pronouns “we”, “our”, and “us”. To whom do these pronouns
refer?
6
But different
7 men often see the same subject in different lights; and, therefore, I hope it will not be
8 thought disrespectful to those gentlemen if, entertaining as I do, opinions of a character
9 very opposite to theirs, I shall speak forth my sentiments freely, and without reserve. This
10 is no time for ceremony. The question before the House is one of awful moment to this
11 country.
3. What did Patrick Henry mean when he said, “this is no time
for ceremony” in line 10?
QUESTIONS ABOUT THE TEXT
35
We have petitioned; we have
36 remonstrated; we have supplicated; we have prostrated ourselves before the throne, and
37 have implored its interposition to arrest the tyrannical hands of the ministry and Parliament.
38 Our petitions have been slighted; our remonstrances have produced additional violence and
39 insult; our supplications have been disregarded; and we have been spurned, with contempt,
40 from the foot of the throne.
4. How does Patrick Henry describe the British reaction to the
petition previously sent by the Convention of Delegates?
35
We have petitioned; we have
36 remonstrated; we have supplicated; we have prostrated ourselves before the throne, and
37 have implored its interposition to arrest the tyrannical hands of the ministry and Parliament.
38 Our petitions have been slighted; our remonstrances have produced additional violence and
39 insult; our supplications have been disregarded; and we have been spurned, with contempt,
40 from the foot of the throne. In vain, after these things, may we indulge the fond hope of
41 peace and reconciliation. There is no longer any room for hope.
5. Why does Patrick Henry believe that there is “ no longer any
room for hope” and action is necessary?
QUESTIONS ABOUT THE TEXT
58
Besides, sir, we have no election. If
59 we were base enough to desire it, it is now too late to retire from the contest. There is no
60 retreat but in submission and slavery! Our chains are forged! Their clanking may be heard
61 on the plains of Boston! The war is inevitable and let it come! I repeat it, sir, let it come.
6. What does Patrick Henry’s use of the word slavery mean in
this context?
41
If we wish to be free if we
42 mean to preserve inviolate those inestimable privileges for which we have been so long
43 contending if we mean not basely to abandon the noble struggle in which we have been so
44 long engaged, and which we have pledged ourselves never to abandon until the glorious
45 object of our contest shall be obtained, we must fight! I repeat it, sir, we must fight! An
46 appeal to arms and to the God of Hosts is all that is left us!
7. What is Patrick Henry’s purpose in giving this speech?
62 It is in vain, sir, to extenuate the matter. Gentlemen may cry, Peace, Peace but there is no
63 peace. The war is actually begun! The next gale that sweeps from the north will bring to
64 our ears the clash of resounding arms! Our brethren are already in the field! Why stand we
65 here idle? What is it that gentlemen wish? What would they have? Is life so dear, or peace
66 so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I
67 know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!
8. Why is this speech entitled “Give me liberty or give me
death?”
What does a good text-based response
look like?????
• Our thoughts:
STEP FOUR: Writing assessment
Q- What are the reasons Patrick Henry
wants his colleagues in the Convention of
Delegates to go to war with Britain?
• Using the guidelines we created for a great text-based paragraph,
collaborate to write your answer.
Paraphrasing vs. direct quotes
Paraphrasing
• Sample QUESTION: Prove this claim using evidence and reasoning:
The middle passage was a dangerous trip for slaves.
• Paraphrasing evidence means putting the evidence in your own
words. You should do this whenever possible:
• Example: If the document says “I was soon put down under the
decks, and there I received such a salutation in my nostrils as I had
never experienced in my life: so that, with the loathsomeness of the
stench, and with my crying together, I became so sick and low that I
was not able to eat.”
• You might say: For example, Oladuah Equiano described the smell
of a slave ship being so disgusting that he was sick to his stomach
(7-9).
• *You should paraphrase evidence whenever possible: In order to
do this, the beginning and end of your paraphrase should be
different from the actual passage, and no two words in a row
should be the same as the passage.
Paraphrasing vs. direct quotes
• Direct Quotes
• Direct quotes are when you cite the EXACT WORDS from the
document. Only do this when the information is stated in such a
way that you couldn’t possibly put it in your own words!
• For example: Oladuah Equiano described the dangerous
conditions aboard a slave ship “This deplorable situation was again
aggravated by the galling of the chains…and the filth of the
necessary tubs, into which children often fell, and were almost
suffocated. The shrieks of the women, and the groans of the dying,
rendered it a scene of horror almost inconceivable.” (31-34)
Look for EVIDENCE to support your word
CHOICE
• Evidence Patrick Henry wants his colleagues to go to war.
• Highlight YELLOW the evidence you want to
PARAPHRASE.
• Highlight ORANGE the evidence you plan on directly
quoting
Always must EXPLAIN your evidence,
called REASONING
• If your evidence says: For example, Oladuah Equiano described the smell
of a slave ship being so disgusting that he was sick to his stomach (7-9).
• Your reasoning might say: Considering this evidence, it can be concluded
that many slaves would be unable to hold down food during the middle
passage, and might die as a result
OR
• Oladuah Equiano described the dangerous conditions aboard a slave ship
“This deplorable situation was again aggravated by the galling of the
chains…and the filth of the necessary tubs, into which children often fell,
and were almost suffocated. The shrieks of the women, and the groans of
the dying, rendered it a scene of horror almost inconceivable.” (31-34)
• Your reasoning might then say: This shows that slave children often died
on the middle passage by falling into the tubs where everyone was going
to the bathroom.
Sentence starters:
Sentence starters for introducing
evidence:
-For example,
-Another example from the
documents
-Evidence for this can be seen…
-As _______ (author or document)
shows,
** Use your past writing
examples to improve this piece of
writing.
(Fix your past mistakes)
Sentence starters for reasoning:
-This shows
-This demonstrates
-This evidence suggests
-This evidence contributes
-This evidence supports
-This evidence confirms
-It is apparent this evidence
caused
-Considering this evidence, it can
be concluded…
-Based on the____ it can be
argued
-The connection
-Hence
-This proves
-This highlights
Paragraph outline
Claim:
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
Evidence # 1 (with line numbers)
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
Reasoning: Stop and EXPLAIN this evidence and how it relates
to your claim (This shows, This proves, This evidence
highlights…):
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
Evidence # 2 (with line numbers)
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
Reasoning #2: Stop and EXPLAIN this evidence and how it
relates to your claim (This shows, This proves, This evidence
highlights…):
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
Evidence # 3 (with line numbers)
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
Reasoning #3: Stop and EXPLAIN this evidence and how it
relates to your claim (This shows, This proves, This evidence
highlights…):
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
Summary Sentences
• A summary sentence goes at the END of a body
paragraph. The job of a summary sentence is to wrap up
the entire paragraph
• For example: Taken together, this evidence clearly shows the
middle passage was a dangerous and often deadly journey for
slaves.
Final sentence that wraps up your
paragraph:___________________________________________
___________________________________________________
________________________________________________
Now on the back of your paper, put all of the above together into
a complete paragraph! Claim goes first, then EVIDENCE # 1
(with line #’s), stop and explain, Evidence # 2, etc…
UNDERLINE YOUR CLAIM