Lesson 3 -Understanding the Construction of an Argument
No rest for the bleary - page 12
Experts & Actors
When reporting on an issue or writing a research paper, it’s important to consult experts.
But what makes someone an expert? And how do we know if they’re legit? Typically, an
expert is someone who has many years of experience with a particular topic, and often has
an occupation dedicated to the knowledge of this topic. For example, if we started seeing
a new kind of bug on the sidewalk and wanted to know if it was dangerous, we might
consult an entomologist at the University of Minnesota, or perhaps a ranger at one of
our local state parks. If we were writing a story about the treatment of manic depression
in Minnesota teens, we might talk with the local chapter of the National Alliance on
Mental Illness. We could also talk with a school social worker or a health professional
(like a pediatrician or psychiatrist) who works specifically with teenagers.
What’s in this issue?
Faith in a box
An essay about a student who grapples with the decision
to become confirmed in a faith she’s not sure is hers. The
author reflects on her spiritual journey as it creates tension
within her relationships and her sense of identity.
SKILLS: The handout “Figurative language and new
vocabulary” contains activities related to word choice.
These activities include practicing the use of metaphor
and inferring the meaning of new words based on context
clues. Reading skills for figurative language (9.5.4.4)
as well as vocabulary acquisition & use (9.11.4.4) are
addressed.
In addition to experts, another type of source we would consult when writing a story
is someone called an actor. No, it’s not what you’re thinking - we’re not consulting
movie stars or people in the theater industry. An actor is someone who has intimate
knowledge of a topic based on personal experience, but is not quite an expert. In our
above example of the story on manic depression in teens, an actor would be a teenager
(or parents of a teenager) who has been diagnosed with manic depression. For the bug
story, perhaps we would interview a kid from the neighborhood who collects insects.
The game within the game
Digging Deeper: Putting Together a Story
SKILLS: The handout “Objective vs. subjective
language” contains activities related to language and
bias. Students learn how point of view can be identified
in a piece of writing and are given the opportunity
to analyze point of view in a reported story. Students
are also asked to write a paragraph using objective
language, and may opt to submit this response
online to participate in a larger conversation about
sports and school. This lesson addresses the reading
standard for identifying point of view in informational
texts (9.5.6.6) and use of figurative language (9.5.4.4).
1.Think about a time when you stayed up really late, whether for school or something
entirely different. What were the benefits? Costs? List at least three of each.
2.Read the story “No rest for the bleary” and create a list of the author’s pros and cons
of trading sleep for studying. Based on your own experience, what would you add to
each column?
3.Identify the speakers in the story: The author uses the words of many. Who are the
experts? Actors? How does the inclusion of these multiple voices make the story
different than if she had only shared her own experience?
4.Drawing from the responses you’ve written in 2 and 3, write a highly-detailed paragraph
that effectively summarizes the article, No rest for the bleary.
THS0844_14
A story about the role of sports in high school. The
author interviews a student athlete, an athletic
director and a representative for the Minnesota State
High School League to give readers a perspective on
the expectations placed on athletes regarding character
and ethics, as well as the role of the media and advertising.
No rest for the bleary
This story addresses the costs and benefits of losing
sleep over schoolwork. The author interviews sleep and
education experts at the University of Minnesota to learn
more about the teenage brain and what it needs, while
also taking into account the perspective of students who
feel increased pressure to do more and more.
Teacher Resource Guide
Hello, again!
Welcome to the second issue of ThreeSixty Journalism’s Teacher
Resource Guide. For those who are new to our magazine, here’s the
scoop: ThreeSixty helps Minnesota teens tell their stories through
interviewing, personal essays and reporting in each issue. We
then create curricula to accompany three of the stories in order to
help our readers connect more deeply with the text and strengthen
academic skills. Our learning strategies are research-based,
classroom-tested and directly relate to skills required in Minnesota’s
Common Core standards.
After releasing our September issue, you gave us feedback on how
well the lessons worked for your classroom. We responded. Our
lessons are now geared toward 8th-10th grade English Language
Arts students reading at grade level. We address the Common Core
standards related to reading, informational texts, and writing.
Check us out! Try a lesson in your classroom or after-school
program and let us know what you think. Then visit
ThreeSixtyJournalism.org and click on the “For Teachers” link.
Your feedback helps us grow.
In partnership,
Katie Johnson, Community Outreach Editor, ThreeSixty Journalism
[email protected]
(651) 962-5225
SKILLS: The handout “Understanding the construction
of an argument” contains activities related to identifying
sources in research and writing. Students learn the
difference between the “voices” of experts, actors, and
the author in a story. Ultimately, students analyze the
claims in the story, note the pros and cons that are
presented, and connect the story to their own experiences.
These lessons address the standards for analyzing the
development of informational texts (9.5.2.2).
www.threesixtyjournalism.org
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Special thanks to Dr. Daryl Parks at Metropolitan State University
for his contributions to these materials.
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Lesson 1 -Figurative Language and New Vocabulary
Faith in a box - page 6
Lesson 2 - Objective vs. Subjective Language
The game within the game - page 23
Metaphors
Point of View
Sometimes we say exactly what we mean. Literally. Like, “My girlfriend and I split
up last weekend. It was emotionally painful.” But sometimes we dress it up and
compare what we’re feeling to something more graphic. For example, “That girl
broke my heart. Smashed it into a million pieces and now I’m trying to pick up the
broken shards.” Definitely more dramatic, right? This is what metaphors are for - to
lend more intensity and imagery to our communication.
Like each of us, authors have a point of view. Some writers explicitly state their
opinions, while others are more subtle about including their views. When journalists
are reporting on an event or issue, they are instructed to be as objective as possible.
This means that they are to tell the story only using the facts and opinions given to
them by their interview subjects and by research, and to not use their own bias to
sway the opinions of the readers. Sometimes this is very difficult to do, and many
news organizations have been criticized for having a particular political bias or other
conflicting influences that would compromise their journalistic integrity.
The Power of Words
Writers also pick and choose specific words to be as precise as possible. Should I say
good or awesome? Hungry or starving? The words are similar, but the slight difference
is important to the overall meaning. For example, in Faith in a box, author Madie Ley
starts out her essay with the sentence “A girl I used to know resides in a box.” In this
instance, she could have said “A girl I used to know lives in a box.” Resides and lives
have pretty similar definitions, right? “A girl I used to know lives in a box,” may create
the literal image of a girl living in a cardboard box. But replace “lives” with “resides,”
and the picture changes. The message is more subtle, less literal.
Digging Deeper: The Art of Words
1.Read Madie Ley’s story “Faith in a box.” In this story, the author explains how she
came to change her opinion about something that was important in her life. Can
you think of something in your life in which your perspective or opinion changed as
you got older? What events in your life caused you to change your opinion?
2.The author uses several uncommon words to describe her experience. Some of these
words are listed below. Pick five of these words and write them on a piece of paper, then
go back to the story to find them. Based on context clues, what do you think each of
these words means? Feel free to grab a dictionary to see how close your guesses were.
3.Many examples of metaphor can be found in this story. She talks about how her
confirmation teacher “lit a spark” in her, and that her mother’s response was “a slap in
the face.” What other examples can you find in her story? Cite at least three and explain
the benefit of each metaphor. Why do you think the author might have chosen each?
4.The author concludes that she is free from the influence of her religion, her parents,
and herself. What are your thoughts? Is she really “free”?
So what contributes to our own point of view? Life experience, for one. If you were bit
by a stray dog when you were a kid and your school newspaper now asks you to write a
story about the service dog who helps a low-vision student around the school, how will
you approach this story? Because of your negative experience with dogs, you may start
with questions like, “Isn’t it dangerous to have a dog around school?” On the other
hand, if you grew up with four dogs who were your best friends, you might start out
the interview with a question like, “Tell me about how this student’s relationship with
his dog has had a positive effect on his experience at school.”
Objective vs. Subjective Language
So how can we tell if an author’s point of view is creeping into the story? One clue we
can use is to identify subjective language or questions. Subjective language consists of
words that communicate value judgments. Let’s look at an example: if we’re describing
a soccer field, we might use objective words such as freshly-mowed, bright, crowded
or quiet. If we’re using subjective language, we would describe the scene as chaotic,
dangerous, or boring. Do you see the difference? Objective words are those that are
generally factual (and can be verified), while subjective words are those that express an
opinion or feeling about something.
Digging Deeper - Perspectives
1.Describe the role of sports in your life. What do sports mean to you? Do you watch live
or televised games? Do you play a pick-up game with friends in the neighborhood?
2.Read the story “The game within the game” by Brianna Skildum. Does the
author of this story have an obvious point of view? Can you identify specific words or
questions that the author uses that may subtly show her opinion (bias) on the topic.
Identify other words she uses that are neutral (non-biased).
3.Your job is to make this story biased by simply changing a few words here and there.
Change ten words in the story to subtly make this “objective, reported” story biased.
New
Vocabulary
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resides
intangible
scholar
facet
pastime
hindrance
mulled
summoned
turmoil
angst
atheist
desolate
multi-faceted
4.Based on your own experience and what you’ve observed, what role do you think
sports should have in high schools? Using objective language, craft a short paragraph in
response to this question.
5.Homework: Go to the website for this story: www.threesixtyjournalism.org/hssports.
Scroll down to the comments section of the story and submit your paragraph. Be
sure to include your name, school and grade at the bottom of your paragraph.
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