Tips for Using the QualityCore® English Benchmark Assessments
Each QualityCore® course has its own set of Benchmark Assessments based on the
QualityCore Formative Item Pool. There are four to five multiple-choice assessments,
consisting of 15 to 25 items (and associated passages) organized by genre. There is
also a separate 45-minute constructed-response assessment, consisting of a single
prompt, similar to what students might take as part of a QualityCore End-of-Course
Assessment.
The assessments are presented as a PDF file to maintain the visual consistency of
graphics, special characters, and symbols. Each assessment is “bookmarked” for easy
navigation through the PDF file.
Each Benchmark Assessment is introduced by a cover page that lists the item
Identification Number (ID), the correct answer (Key), the cognitive level, and the
alphanumeric code for the ACT Course Standard measured by that item. (See the
applicable ACT Course Standards document.) The scoring criteria and a scoring rubric
(when applicable) follow the constructed-response prompt.
©2008 by ACT, Inc. Permission granted to reproduce this page for QualityCore® educational purposes only.
QualityCore® Benchmark Assessment
English 11 – Benchmark 1 – Fiction
The following pages contain one of the Benchmark Assessments for this course. The
table below gives the ID number for each item, the correct answer (Key), the cognitive
level, and the alphanumeric code for each ACT Course Standard measured by the item.
(The language associated with each code appears in the ACT Course Standards
document for this course.)
The items in this PDF file appear in the order presented in the table. Multiple-choice (MC)
directions follow the table and are followed by a name sheet and the MC items.
ID
00048-00
00048-01
00048-02
00048-03
00048-04
00048-05
00048-06
00048-07
00042-00
00042-01
00042-02
00042-03
00042-04
00042-05
00042-06
00042-07
00042-08
00042-09
Key
Cognitive
Level
Standard
C
D
D
A
B
A
C
L1
L1
L2
L2
L2
L2
L2
A.5.c
A.6.c
A.8.h
A.6.b
A.5.h
A.5.c
B.1.a
D
C
B
A
D
C
D
A
A
L1
L2
L2
L2
L2
L2
L1
L2
L1
B.2.a
A.5.e
A.2.d
A.2.c
A.8.h
B.3.c
A.2.c
A.5.e
B.4.g
© 2008 by ACT, Inc. Permission granted to reproduce this page for QualityCore® educational purposes only.
Directions:
Each passage in this test is followed by several questions. After reading a passage,
choose the best answer provided for each question and circle the corresponding letter.
You may refer to the passages as often as necessary.
© 2008 by ACT, Inc. Permission granted to reproduce this page for QualityCore® educational purposes only.
Name: Date:
Teacher: Class/P
eriod:
Our House in the Last World
Down in the cool basement of the
hotel restaurant, Alejo Santinio looked
over a yellowed newspaper clipping
dating back to 1961. He had not looked
5 at it recently, although in the past had
always been proud to show it to visitors.
And why? Because it was a brief moment
of glory. In the picture Alejo and his
friend Diego were in their best dress
10 whites standing before a glittering case
of desserts. Beside them was a fat,
cheery beaming face, the Soviet premier
Nikita Khrushchev, who was attending a
luncheon in his honor at the hotel.
Alejo always told the story: The
governor and mayor were there with the
premier, who had “great big ears and a
bright red nose.” The premier had dined
on a five-course meal. The waiters and
20 cooks, all nervous wrecks, had fumbled
around in the kitchen getting things in
order. But outside they managed an
orderly composed appearance. After the
meal had been served, the cooks drew
25 lots to see who would wheel out the
dessert tray. Diego and Alejo won.
15
Alejo put on his best white uniform
and apron and waited in the foyer, while,
outside, news reporters fired off their
30 cameras and bodyguards stood against
the walls, watching. Alejo and Diego did
not say anything. Alejo was bewildered
by the situation: Only in America could a
worker get so close to a fat little guy with
35 enormous power.
When the time came they filled up
shiny bowls with ice cream, brought out
the sauces and hot fudge, and loaded
them all onto a dessert cart. Alejo was in
40 charge of cherries. They went out behind
the maitre d’ and stood before the
premier’s table. They humbly waited as
the smiling premier looked over the
different desserts. Through a translator
45 the premier asked for a bowl of chocolate
and apricot ice cream topped with hot
fudge, cocoanut, and a high swirl of fresh
whipped cream. This being served, Alejo
picked out the plumpest cherry from a
50 bowl and nimbly placed it atop the
dessert.
Delighted, the premier whispered to
the translator, who said, “The premier
wishes to thank you for this
55 masterpiece.”
As Diego and Alejo bowed, lightbulbs
and cameras flashed all around them.
They were ready to wheel the cart back
when the premier rose from the table to
60 shake Diego’s and Alejo’s hands. Then
through the translator he asked a few
questions. To Alejo: “And where do you
come from?”
“Cuba,” Alejo answered in a soft
65 voice.
“Oh yes, Cuba,” the premier said in
halting English. “I would like to go there
one day. Cuba.” And he smiled and
patted Alejo’s back and then rejoined the
70 table. A pianist, a violinist, and a cellist
played a Viennese waltz.
Afterward reporters came back into the
kitchen to interview the two cooks, and
the next morning the Daily News carries
75 a picture of Alejo, Diego, and
Khrushchev with a caption that read:
DESSERT CHEFS CALL PREMIER
HEAP BIG EATER. It made them into
celebrities for a few weeks.
Adapted from Oscar Hijuelos, Our House in the
Last World. © 1983 by Oscar Hijuelos.
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
jar of Russian caviar; they ate things
called anchovies, and capers. . . .
Maud Martha and New York
The name “New York” glittered in
front of her like the silver in the shops on
Michigan Boulevard. It was silver, and it
was solid, and it was remote: it was
5 behind glass, it was behind bright glass
like the silver in shops. It was not for her.
Yet.
When she was out walking, and with
grating iron swish a train whipped by, off,
10 above, its passengers were always, for
her comfort, New York-bound. She sat
inside with them. She leaned back in the
plush. She sped, past farms, through tiny
towns, where people slept, kissed,
15 quarreled, ate midnight snacks;
unfortunate people who were not New
York-bound and never would be.
20
25
30
35
40
Maud Martha loved it when her
magazines said “New York,” described
“good” objects there, wonderful people
there, recalled fine talk, the bristling or
the creamy or the tactfully shimmering
ways of life. They showed pictures of
rooms with wood paneling, softly
glowing, touched up by the compliment
of a spot of auburn here, the low burn of
a rare binding there. There were ferns in
these rooms, and Chinese boxes; bits of
dreamlike crystal; a taste of leather. In
the advertisement pages, you saw where
you could buy six Italian plates for eleven
hundred dollars . . . Her whole body
became a hunger, she would pore over
these pages. The clothes interested her,
too; especially did she care for the
pictures of women wearing carelessly, as
if they were rags, dresses that were plain
but whose prices were not. And the
foolish food (her mother’s description)
enjoyed by New Yorkers fascinated her.
They paid ten dollars for an eight-ounce
She bought the New York papers
45 downtown, read of the concerts and
plays, studied the book reviews, was
intent over the announcements of
auctions. She was on Fifth Avenue
whenever she wanted to be, and she it
50 was who rolled up, silky or furry, in the
taxi, was assisted out, and stood, her
next step nebulous, before the theaters
of the thousand lights, before velvet-lined
impossible shops; she it was.
55
New York, for Maud Martha, was a
symbol. Her idea of it stood for what she
felt life ought to be. Jeweled. Polished.
Smiling. Poised. Calmly rushing! Straight
up and down, yet graceful enough.
She thought of them drinking coffee
there—or tea, as in England. Lustrous
people glided over perfect floors,
correctly smiling. Their host or hostess
poured, smiling too, nodding quickly to
65 this one and that one, inquiring gently
whether it should be sugar, or cream, or
both, or neither. All was very gentle. The
voices, no matter how they rose, or even
sharpened, had fur at the base. The
70 people drank and nibbled, while they
discussed issues of the day. Then they
went home, quietly, elegantly. They
retired to homes not one whit less solid
or embroidered than the home of their
75 host or hostess.
60
What she wanted to dream, and
dreamed, was her affair.
She was eighteen years old, and the
world waited. To caress her.
Adapted from Gwendolyn Brooks, “Maud Martha
and New York.” ©1953 by Gwendolyn Brooks.
8)
9)
10)
11)
12)
13)
14)
15)
16)
QualityCore® Benchmark Assessment
English 11 – Benchmark 2 – Nonfiction
The following pages contain one of the Benchmark Assessments for this course. The
table below gives the ID number for each item, the correct answer (Key), the cognitive
level, and the alphanumeric code for each ACT Course Standard measured by the item.
(The language associated with each code appears in the ACT Course Standards
document for this course.)
The items in this PDF file appear in the order presented in the table. Multiple-choice (MC)
directions follow the table and are followed by a name sheet and the MC items.
ID
00027-00
00027-01
00027-02
00027-03
00027-04
00027-05
00027-06
00027-07
00027-08
00027-09
00027-10
00046-00
00046-01
00046-02
00046-03
00046-04
00046-05
00046-06
00046-07
00046-08
00046-09
00046-10
Key
Cognitive
Level
Standard
D
A
B
B
D
D
A
D
C
D
L2
L2
L1
L3
L2
L3
L3
L2
L2
L2
A.5.e
A.8.h
A.6.c
A.5.g
A.6.c
A.6.b
A.6.b
B.2.a
B.5.e
A.8.d
B
D
D
C
B
B
B
A
D
A
L1
L2
L2
L1
L2
L1
L3
L1
L2
L3
A.5.c
B.2.a
A.5.g
A.5.c
B.2.d
A.5.c
A.5.c
A.5.g
A.5.c
A.2.c
© 2008 by ACT, Inc. Permission granted to reproduce this page for QualityCore® educational purposes only.
Directions:
Each passage in this test is followed by several questions. After reading a passage,
choose the best answer provided for each question and circle the corresponding letter.
You may refer to the passages as often as necessary.
© 2008 by ACT, Inc. Permission granted to reproduce this page for QualityCore® educational purposes only.
Name: Date:
Teacher: Class/P
eriod:
The Indian Dog
When I was growing up I lived in a
pueblo in New Mexico. There one day I
bought a dog. I was twelve years old, the
bright autumn air was cold and delicious,
5 and the dog was an unconscionable
bargain at five dollars.
It was an Indian dog; that is, it
belonged to a Navajo man who had
come to celebrate the Feast of San
10 Diego. It was one of two or three rangy
animals following in the tracks of the
man’s covered wagon as he took leave
of our village on his way home. Indian
dogs are marvelously independent and
15 resourceful, and they have an idea of
themselves, I believe, as knights and
philosophers.
The dog was not large, but neither
was it small. It was one of those
20 unremarkable creatures that one sees in
every corner of the world, the common
denominator of all its kind. But on that
day—and to me—it was noble and brave
and handsome.
It was full of resistance, and yet it was
ready to return my deep, abiding love; I
could see that. It needed only to make a
certain adjustment in its lifestyle, to shift
the focus of its vitality from one frame of
30 reference to another. But I had to drag
my dog from its previous owner by
means of a rope. Its bushy tail wagged
happily all the while.
25
That night I secured my dog in the
35 garage, where there was a warm clean
pallet, wholesome food, and fresh water,
and I bolted the door. And the next
morning the dog was gone, as in my
heart I knew it would be; I had read such
40 a future in its eyes. It had squeezed
through a vent, an opening much too
small for it, or so I had thought. But as
they say, where there is a will there is a
way—and the Indian dog was possessed
45 of one indomitable will.
I was crushed at the time, but
strangely reconciled, too, as if I had
perceived intuitively some absolute truth
beyond all the billboards of illusion.
The Indian dog had done what it had
to do, had behaved exactly as it must,
had been true to itself and to the sun and
moon. It knew its place in the scheme of
things, and its place was there, with its
55 right destiny, in the tracks of the wagon.
In my mind’s eye I could see it at that
very moment, miles away, plodding in the
familiar shadows, panting easily with
relief, after a bad night, contemplating
60 the wonderful ways of man.
50
Caveat emptor. But from that
experience I learned something about
the heart’s longing. It was a lesson worth
many times five dollars.
Adapted from N. Scott Momaday, “The Indian
Dog.” © 1997 by N. Scott Momaday.
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)
9)
10)
Fish Cheeks
I fell in love with the minister’s son the
winter I turned fourteen. He was not
Chinese. For Christmas I prayed for this
blond-haired boy, Robert, and a slim new
5 American nose.
When I found out that my parents had
invited the minister’s family over for
Christmas Eve dinner, I cried. What
would Robert think of our shabby
10 Chinese Christmas? What would he think
of our noisy Chinese relatives, who
lacked proper American manners? What
terrible disappointment would he feel
upon seeing not a roasted turkey and
15 sweet potatoes but Chinese food?
On Christmas Eve I saw that my
mother had outdone herself in creating a
strange menu. She was pulling black
veins out of the backs of fleshy prawns.
20 The kitchen was littered with appalling
mounds of raw food: A slimy rock cod
with bulging eyes. Tofu, which looked
like stack wedges of rubbery white
sponges. A bowl soaking dried fungus
25 back to life. A plate of squid, their backs
crisscrossed with knife markings so they
resembled bicycle tires.
And then they arrived—the minister’s
family and all my relatives in a clamor of
30 doorbells and rumpled Christmas
packages. Robert grunted hello, and I
pretended he was not worthy of
existence.
Dinner threw me deeper into despair.
35 My relatives licked the ends of their
chopsticks and reached across the table,
dipping them into the dozen or so plates
of food. Robert and his family waited
patiently for platters to be passed to
40 them. My relatives murmured with
pleasure when my mother brought out
the whole steamed fish. Robert
grimaced. Then my father poked his
chopsticks just below the fish eye and
45 plucked out the soft meat. “Amy, your
favorite,” he said, offering me the tender
fish cheek. I wanted to disappear.
At the end of the meal, my father
leaned back and belched loudly, thanking
50 my mother for her fine cooking. “It’s a
polite Chinese custom to show you are
satisfied,” explained my father to our
astonished guests. Robert was looking
down at his plate with a reddened face.
55 The minister managed to muster up a
quiet burp. I was stunned into silence for
the rest of the night.
After everyone had gone, my mother
said to me, “You want to be the same as
60 American girls on the outside.” She
handed me an early gift. It was a
miniskirt in beige tweed. “But inside you
will always be Chinese. You must be
proud you are different. Your only shame
65 is to have shame.”
And even though I didn’t agree with
her then, I knew that she understood how
much I had suffered during the evening’s
dinner. It wasn’t until many years later—
70 long after I had gotten over my crush on
Robert—that I was able to fully
appreciate her lesson and the true
purpose behind our particular menu. For
Christmas Eve that year, she had chosen
75 all my favorite foods.
Adapted from Amy Tan, “Fish Cheeks.” © 1989
by Amy Tan.
11)
12)
13)
14)
15)
16)
17)
18)
19)
20)
QualityCore® Benchmark Assessment
English 11 – Benchmark 3 – Poetry
The following pages contain one of the Benchmark Assessments for this course. The
table below gives the ID number for each item, the correct answer (Key), the cognitive
level, and the alphanumeric code for each ACT Course Standard measured by the item.
(The language associated with each code appears in the ACT Course Standards
document for this course.)
The items in this PDF file appear in the order presented in the table. Multiple-choice (MC)
directions follow the table and are followed by a name sheet and the MC items.
ID
00037-00
00037-01
00037-02
00037-03
00037-04
00037-05
00037-06
00034-00
00034-01
00034-02
00034-03
00034-04
00034-05
00034-06
00034-07
00034-08
00034-09
00034-10
Key
Cognitive
Level
Standard
A
B
B
C
C
D
L2
L1
L3
L2
L2
L1
A.2.d
A.8.h
B.2.a
A.5.e
A.6.b
B.3.c
C
D
A
C
D
A
C
C
A
C
L1
L2
L2
L2
L2
L2
L1
L1
L2
L2
A.5.c
A.3.d
A.5.h
A.6.c
A.6.b
B.5.d
A.5.e
B.2.a
A.6.c
A.5.h
© 2008 by ACT, Inc. Permission granted to reproduce this page for QualityCore® educational purposes only.
Directions:
Each passage in this test is followed by several questions. After reading a passage,
choose the best answer provided for each question and circle the corresponding letter.
You may refer to the passages as often as necessary.
© 2008 by ACT, Inc. Permission granted to reproduce this page for QualityCore® educational purposes only.
Name: Date:
Teacher: Class/P
eriod:
We are the clumsy passersby
5
10
15
20
25
We are the clumsy passersby, we push
past each other with elbows,
with feet, with trousers, with suitcases,
we get off the train, the jet plane, the
ship, we step down
in our wrinkled suits and sinister hats.
We are all guilty, we are all sinners,
we come from dead-end hotels or
industrial peace,
this might be our last clean shirt,
we have misplaced our tie,
yet even so, on the edge of panic,
pompous
so-and-sos who move in the highest
circles
or quiet types who don’t owe anything to
anybody,
we are one and the same, the same in
time’s eyes,
or in solitude’s: we are the poor devils
who earn a living and a death working
bureautragically or in the usual ways,
sitting down or packed together in
subway stations,
boats, mines, research centers, jails,
universities, breweries,
(under our clothes the same thirsty skin),
(the hair, the same hair, only in different
colors).
Adapted from Pablo Neruda, “IV: Men” in The
Separate Rose (William O’Daly, Trans.). ©1985
by William O’Daly.
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
Cruising with the Beach Boys
5
10
15
20
25
30
So strange to hear that song again tonight
Travelling on business in a rented car
Miles from anywhere I’ve been before.
And now a tune I haven’t heard for years
Probably not since it last left the charts
Back in L.A. in 1969.
I can’t believe I know the words by heart
And can't think of a girl to blame them on.
Every lovesick summer has its song,
And this one I pretended to despise,
But if I was alone when it came on,
I turned it up full-blast to sing along—
A primal scream in croaky baritone,
The notes all flat, the lyrics mostly slurred
No wonder I spent so much time alone
Making the rounds in Dad’s old Thunderbird.
Some nights I drove down to the beach to park
And walk along the railings of the pier.
The water down below was cold and dark,
The waves monotonous against the shore.
The darkness and the mist, the midnight sea
The flickering lights reflected from the city—
A perfect setting for a boy like me,
The Cecil B. DeMille of my self-pity.
I thought by now I’d left those nights behind,
Lost like the girls that I could never get,
Gone with the years, junked with the old T-Bird.
But one old song, a stretch of empty road,
Can open up a door and let them fall
Tumbling like boxes from a dusty shelf,
Tightening my throat for no reason at all
Bringing on tears shed only for myself.
Dana Gioia, “Cruising with the Beach Boys.” © 1986 by Dana Gioia.
7)
8)
9)
10)
11)
12)
13)
14)
15)
16)
QualityCore® Benchmark Assessment
English 11 – Benchmark 4 – Drama
The following pages contain one of the Benchmark Assessments for this course. The
table below gives the ID number for each item, the correct answer (Key), the cognitive
level, and the alphanumeric code for each ACT Course Standard measured by the item.
(The language associated with each code appears in the ACT Course Standards
document for this course.)
The items in this PDF file appear in the order presented in the table. Multiple-choice (MC)
directions follow the table and are followed by a name sheet and the MC items.
ID
00039-00
00039-01
00039-02
00039-03
00039-04
00039-05
00039-06
00033-00
00033-01
00033-02
00033-03
00033-04
00033-05
00033-06
00033-07
00033-08
00033-09
00033-10
00033-11
Key
Cognitive
Level
Standard
D
C
D
B
D
C
L2
L1
L2
L2
L2
L1
A.5.c
A.6.b
B.2.a
A.5.c
A.5.c
A.6.c
B
C
D
B
A
B
D
B
C
A
D
L3
L2
L2
L1
L2
L3
L2
L2
L3
L2
L1
A.5.e
A.5.g
A.5.c
A.5.c
A.6.c
A.5.c
B.2.a
A.5.c
B.2.a
A.5.c
A.3.c
© 2008 by ACT, Inc. Permission granted to reproduce this page for QualityCore® educational purposes only.
Directions:
Each passage in this test is followed by several questions. After reading a passage,
choose the best answer provided for each question and circle the corresponding letter.
You may refer to the passages as often as necessary.
© 2008 by ACT, Inc. Permission granted to reproduce this page for QualityCore® educational purposes only.
Name: Date:
Teacher: Class/P
eriod:
The Dancers
40 Horace:
I don’t know.
Herman:
Inez. Inez. We’re here. (He puts the
bag down in the living room. Inez
comes running in from the right.)
5 Inez:
You’re early.
Inez:
Well, just try guessing . . .
45
Horace:
Hello, Sis.
Inez:
10
You look fine. You haven’t put on a bit
of weight though.
Horace:
Haven’t I?
Inez:
15
Not a bit. I’m just going to stuff food
down you and put some weight on
you while you’re here. Oh, Herman,
did you ask him?
20
Herman:
Ask him what?
Inez:
Ask him what? About his tux.
Herman:
No, I didn’t . . .
50
30
Horace:
Bring what?
Inez:
And the most popular girl in this town.
You know her mother is a very close
friend of mine and she called me day
before yesterday and she said, “I hear
Horace is coming to town,” and I said
60
yes you were, and she said that the
boy Emily is going with is in summer
school and couldn’t get away this
weekend, and Emily said she wouldn’t
go to the dance at all but her mother
65
said that she had insisted and
wondered if you’d take her . . .
55
Horace:
Her mother said. Does Emily want me
to take her?
70 Inez:
That isn’t the point, Bubber. The point
is that her mother doesn’t approve of
the boy Emily is in love with and she
likes you . . .
75 Horace:
Who likes me?
Inez:
Your tux.
Inez:
Emily’s mother.
35 Horace:
Oh, sure.
Inez:
Well, guess who I’ve got you a date
with.
Inez:
Emily Crews. Now isn’t she a pretty
girl?
Horace:
Yes. She is.
25 Inez:
Honestly, Herman. Here we have him
a date with the prettiest and most
popular girl in Harrison and Herman
says ask him what. You did bring it,
didn’t you, Bubber?
Horace:
Well . . . uh . . . uh . . . (He is a little
embarrassed. He stands, trying to
think. No names come to him.) I don’t
know.
80
Horace:
Where am I supposed to take her to?
Inez:
The dance.
Horace:
But, Inez, I don’t dance well enough
85
. . . I don’t like to go to dances . . . yet
...
Inez:
Oh, Horace. Mother wrote me you
were learning.
90 Horace:
Well . . . I am learning. But I don’t
dance well enough yet.
Inez:
Horace, you just make me sick. The
95
trouble with you is that you have no
confidence in yourself. I bet you can
dance.
Horace:
No, I can’t . . .
100 Inez:
Now, let’s see. (Inez goes to the radio
and turns it on. She comes back to
him.) Now come on. Show me what
you’ve learned . . .
105 Herman:
Inez. Why don’t you let the boy
alone?
Inez:
Now you keep out of this, Herman
110
Stanley. He’s my brother and he’s a
stick. He’s missing all the fun in life
and I’m not going to have him a stick.
I’ve sat up nights thinking of social
engagements to keep him busy every
115
minute of these next two weeks—So
he cannot not dance. Now come on,
dance with me . . . (He takes her by
the arm awkwardly. He begins to lead
her around the room.) Now that’s fine.
120
Isn’t that fine, Herman?
Herman:
Uh huh.
Inez:
You see, all you need is confidence.
And I want you to promise me you’ll
125
talk plenty when you’re with the girl,
not just sit there in silence and only
answer when you’re asked a question
. . . Now promise me.
130 Horace:
I promise.
Inez:
Fine. Why, I think he dances real well.
Don’t you, Herman?
135 Herman:
Yes, I do. Just fine, Inez.
Inez:
Just a lovely dancer, all he needs is
confidence. He is very light on his
feet. And he has a fine sense of
140
rhythm—why, Brother, you’re a born
dancer—
(He is dancing with her around the room
as the lights fade.)
Adapted from Horton Foote, The Dancers. ©
1955 by Horton Foot.
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
Death of a Salesman
[Light has risen on the boys’ room. Biff
gets out of bed, comes downstage a bit,
and stands attentively. Biff is two years
older than his brother Happy, but bears a
5 worn air and seems less self-assured. He
has succeeded less, and his dreams are
stronger and less acceptable than
Happy’s. Happy is tall, powerfully made.
He, like his brother, is lost, but in a
10 different way, for he has never allowed
himself to turn his face toward defeat and
is thus more confused and hard-skinned,
although seemingly more content.]
Biff:
15
I tell ya, Hap, I don’t know what the
future is. I don’t know—what I’m
supposed to want.
Happy:
What do you mean?
20 Biff:
25
30
Well, I spent six or seven years after
high school trying to work myself up.
Shipping clerk, salesman, business of
one kind or another. And it’s a measly
existence. To get on that subway on
the hot mornings in summer. To
devote your whole life to keeping
stock, or selling or buying. To suffer
fifty weeks for the sake of a two-week
vacation, when all you really desire is
to be outdoors. And still—that’s how
you build a future.
Happy:
Well, you really enjoy it on a farm?
35 Biff:
40
45
50
(with rising agitation) Hap, I’ve had
twenty or thirty different jobs since I
left home, and it always turns out the
same. This farm I work on, it’s spring
there now, see? And they’ve got
about fifteen new colts. There’s
nothing more inspiring or—beautiful
than the sight of a mare and a new
colt. And whenever spring comes to
where I am, I suddenly get the
feeling, my God, I’m not gettin’
anywhere! What the heck am I doing,
playing around with horses, twentyeight dollars a week! That’s when I
come running home. And now, I get
here, and I don’t know what to do with
myself.
Happy:
You’re a poet, you know that, Biff!
55
You’re a—you’re an idealist!
Biff:
No, I’m mixed up very bad. Maybe I
oughta get stuck into something. I’m
like a boy. I’m not married, I’m not in
60
business, I just—I’m like a boy.
You’re a success, aren’t you? Are you
content?
Happy:
Heck, no!
65 Biff:
Why? You’re making money, aren’t
you?
Happy:
(moving about with energy,
expressiveness) All I can do now is
70
wait for the merchandise manager to
leave. And suppose I get to be
merchandise manager? He just built a
terrific estate on Long Island. And he
75
lived there about two months and sold
it, and now he’s building another one.
He can’t enjoy it once it’s finished. I
don’t know what I’m workin’ for.
Sometimes I sit in my apartment—all
80
alone. And I think of the rent I’m
paying. But then, it’s what I always
wanted. My own apartment, a car,
and plenty of money. And still, I’m
lonely.
85 Biff:
Biff:
I’m tellin’ you, kid, if you were with me
I’d be happy out there.
110 Happy:
If I were around you…
Biff:
Hap, the trouble is we weren’t brought
up to grub for money. I don’t know
how to do it.
115
Happy:
Neither can I!
Biff:
Then let’s go!
120 Happy:
The only thing is—what can you make
out there?
(with enthusiasm) Listen, why don’t
you come out West with me?
Happy:
You and I, heh?
90 Biff:
Sure, maybe we could buy a ranch.
Raise cattle, use our muscles. Men
built like we are should be working
out in the open.
95 Happy:
Biff:
But look at your manager. Builds an
estate and then hasn’t the peace of
125
mind to live in it.
Happy:
Yeah, but then he walks into the store
the waves part in front of him. That’s
fifty-two thousand dollars a year
130
coming through the revolving door.
(avidly) The Loman Brothers, heh?
Biff:
(with vast affection) Sure, we’d be
known all over the counties!
100 Happy:
105
(enthralled) That’s what I dream
about, Biff. I mean I can outbox,
outrun, and outlift anybody in that
store, and I have to take orders from
those common, petty so-and-so’s till I
can’t stand it any more.
Biff:
Yeah, but you just said…
Happy:
I gotta show some of those pompous,
self-important executives over there
that Hap Loman can make the grade.
I want to walk into the store the way
he walks in. Then I’ll go with you, Biff.
We’ll be together yet, I swear.
140
135
Adapted from Arthur Miller, Death of a Salesman.
© renewed 1977 by Arthur Miller.
7)
8)
9)
10)
11)
12)
13)
14)
15)
16)
17)
QualityCore® Benchmark Assessment
English 11 – Benchmark 5 – Essay: Writing to Persuade
The following pages contain one of the Benchmark Assessments for this course. This particular
Benchmark Assessment is a 45-minute essay that mirrors the constructed-response portion of the
QualityCore End-of-Course Assessment. (For other, less demanding constructed-response
tasks, see the Formative Item Pool for this course.)
The scoring criteria and scoring rubric appear at the end of this assessment. DO NOT
DISTRIBUTE SCORING CRITERIA TO STUDENTS. The scoring rubric can be included
or excluded at your discretion
© 2008 by ACT, Inc. Permission granted to reproduce this page for QualityCore® educational purposes only.
Name: Date:
Teacher: Class/P
eriod:
1)
Please use the space below to write your response(s) to the writing assignment provided by your
teacher. If there are multiple tasks to the question, please clearly label the number or letter of each
task in the column to the left of your answers. If you need additional pages for your response, your
teacher can provide them.
Please write the name of the writing assignment here: _____________________________________
Task
Answer Key
1) English 11 Computers in Education Scoring Criteria
•
There are two components required for a clear position throughout a response: 1) students
must specify, qualify, or distinguish what “educational problems” refers to; and 2) they must
take a clear and consistent position on whether the use of computers in school mitigates or
exacerbates these concerns. Students may argue that computers help diminish certain
educational problems; that computers highlight certain educational problems; that
computers solve some problems, but either do not address other existing problems or
create new problems; or that computers have no effect, positive or negative, on educational
problems that exist for reasons other than computers.
•
Student should comprehend any or all of the arguments in the passage: 1) that computers
cannot remedy any of the biggest challenges currently hampering the education of young
people in this country; 2) that computers do little to create stimulating or valuable learning;
3) that students do not need to use computers in school because they are learning how to
use them outside of it; 4) that the popularity and universality of computers is not reason
enough to dedicate class time, physical resources, and money to using them.
•
To address the significance of ideas and/or values reflected in the passage, students may
choose to discuss what the most pressing problems are in American schools and whether
computers help or hinder solutions to these problems; whether school should prepare
students for the real world or help develop their understanding of human knowledge in core
subject areas; whether technology enhances or diminishes the intellectual qualities of
education; whether computers should be seen differently than other technologies that are
not as fully integrated into schools (e.g., television); what students need to know and be
able to do before graduating, and so on.
•
Student responses should explicitly address whether or not computers make existing
educational problems worse by analyzing specific educational problems. Responses that
address one of the author’s examples (such as whether studying computers is as worthy a
pursuit as studying English) or lines of argument (such as the idea that the ubiquity of a
technology does not always warrant its placement in schools) do not convey an
understanding of the task unless they discuss computers in relationship to educational
problems.
•
Likely ideas for educational problems that students may draw upon include (but are not
limited to) college preparation, job training, overcrowding, discipline, school violence, drugs,
peer pressures, gangs, relevance of curriculum, and availability of technology. It is unlikely
that students will address problems commonly identified by adult society, such as low test
scores, discipline, antisocial behavior, etc. Students will likely draw heavily upon personal
experience for this particular prompt.
Viewpoint
QualityCore® Analytic Scoring Rubric for English 11
Purpose: To Persuade
Development
Organization
Language
Score: 6
Essays at this
score point
demonstrate
effective skill in
writing to
persuade.
The essay takes a clear position
in response to the reading
passage, demonstrates
insightful understanding of the
passage, and addresses the
significance of the ideas and/or
values reflected in the passage.
The essay effectively supports
the writer’s position with ample
convincing evidence drawn
from the reading passage
and/or the writer’s own
knowledge and experience.
Ideas are thoroughly explained.
The essay maintains a clear and
consistent focus on critical
ideas.
Organization is unified
and coherent, with a
logical progression of
ideas and effective
transitions that clarify
relationships among ideas.
The essay includes a clear,
engaging introduction and
an effective conclusion
that may extend or
elaborate ideas.
A variety of well-constructed
sentences and precise word choice
clearly and effectively convey
ideas. The writer’s voice and tone
are appropriate for the persuasive
purpose and are maintained
throughout the essay. Although
there may be a few minor errors
in grammar, usage, and
mechanics, meaning is clear
throughout the essay.
Score: 5
Essays at this
score point
demonstrate
competent skill
in writing to
persuade.
The essay takes a clear position
in response to the reading
passage, demonstrates clear
understanding of the passage,
and partially addresses the
significance of the ideas and/or
values reflected in the passage.
The essay competently
supports the writer’s position
with sufficient relevant
evidence drawn from the
reading passage and/or the
writer’s own knowledge and
experience. Ideas are clearly
explained. The essay maintains
focus on critical ideas.
Organization is coherent,
with some logical
progression of ideas and
clear transitions that
clarify relationships
among ideas. The essay
includes a clear, welldeveloped introduction
and a developed
conclusion.
Varied sentence construction and
some precise word choice clearly
convey ideas. The writer’s voice
and tone are appropriate for the
persuasive purpose and are
maintained throughout most of
the essay. There may be a few
errors in grammar, usage, and
mechanics, but they are rarely
distracting and meaning is clear.
Score: 4
Essays at this
score point
demonstrate
adequate skill
in writing to
persuade.
The essay takes a clear position
in response to the reading
passage, demonstrates
satisfactory understanding of
the passage, and establishes the
significance of the ideas and/or
values reflected in the passage.
The essay adequately supports
the writer’s position with some
relevant evidence drawn from
the reading passage and/or the
writer’s own knowledge and
experience. Ideas are
adequately explained. The
essay maintains focus on ideas
appropriate to the task.
Organization is apparent,
with ideas logically
grouped and some
transitions that clarify
relationships among ideas.
The essay includes a clear,
somewhat developed
introduction and
conclusion.
Sentences and word choice are
usually clear and adequately
convey ideas. The writer’s voice
and tone are appropriate for the
persuasive purpose, though they
may not be consistently
maintained. There may be some
distracting errors in grammar,
usage, and mechanics, but
meaning is usually clear.
Score: 3
Essays at this
score point
demonstrate
some
developing skill
in writing to
persuade.
The essay takes a position in
response to the reading passage
and demonstrates basic
understanding of the passage,
but offers little recognition of
the significance of the ideas
and/or values reflected in the
passage.
The essay somewhat supports
the writer’s position with a
little relevant evidence drawn
from the reading passage
and/or the writer’s own
knowledge and experience.
Ideas are only somewhat
explained. The essay usually
focuses on ideas appropriate to
the task.
Organization is simple,
with most ideas logically
grouped. A few transitions
are used to clarify
relationships among ideas.
The essay includes an
underdeveloped
introduction and a brief
conclusion.
Most sentences convey ideas
clearly, and word choice is
general. The writer’s voice and
tone are somewhat appropriate for
the persuasive purpose, but they
are inconsistently maintained.
Errors in grammar, usage, and
mechanics may be distracting and
may occasionally impede
understanding.
Score: 2
Essays at this
score point
demonstrate
inconsistent or
weak skill in
writing to
persuade.
The essay takes a position,
though the writer’s position is
not entirely relevant to the
reading passage and only
limited understanding of the
passage is demonstrated. There
is little or no recognition of the
significance of the ideas and/or
values reflected in the passage.
The essay minimally supports
the writer’s position with weak
or irrelevant evidence drawn
from the reading passage
and/or the writer’s own
knowledge and experience.
Explanations are unclear or
incomplete. The essay only
sometimes focuses on ideas
appropriate to the task.
Organization is simple,
with some ideas logically
grouped and a few
transitions used. The essay
has a brief introduction
and may have a brief
conclusion.
Some sentences convey ideas
clearly, and word choice is basic.
Voice and tone are inconsistent
and may not be appropriate for
the persuasive purpose. Errors in
grammar, usage, and mechanics
may frequently be distracting and
may sometimes impede
understanding.
Score: 1
Essays at this
score point
demonstrate
little or no skill
in writing to
persuade.
The essay may not take a
position; if it does, the writer’s
position is not clearly relevant
to the reading passage. No
accurate understanding of the
passage is demonstrated. There
is no recognition of the
significance of the ideas and/or
values reflected in the passage.
The essay provides minimal
support for any claims and may
not provide any evidence
drawn from the reading passage
or the writer’s own knowledge
or experience. The essay lacks
explanation of ideas and
focuses very little on ideas
appropriate to the task.
Organization of ideas is
not clear, with little or no
evidence of the logical
grouping of ideas. The
essay has a very brief
introduction but may have
no conclusion.
A few sentences and some word
choices convey ideas clearly.
Voice and tone are not
appropriate for the persuasive
purpose. Errors in grammar,
usage, and mechanics may
frequently be distracting and may
significantly impede
understanding.
Score: 0
Unscorable: essay is blank, off-topic, illegible, or written in another language.
The ResearchDriven Solution
to Raise the
Quality of High
School Core
Courses
English 11
Course Description and Syllabus
Course Description and Syllabus
English 11
Description
A rigorous English 11 course marks an important step in students’ development as readers and
writers. In English 11 students learn to read literature’s multiple contexts. Not only do they
explore the historical, philosophical, and rhetorical circumstances in which texts were written, but
they also investigate the circumstances in which texts are read. When they write, students refine
their interpretive and persuasive skills, develop facility with research, and explore structure and
style. As students in a rigorous course explore reading and writing, they develop aptitude with
language and its use.
The practice of investigating literature in context can take several forms. For example, exploring
a work historically might contrast its author’s claims with those of historians. “The Raven” made
Edgar Allan Poe internationally famous when he published it in 1845—famous enough that, a
year later, he revisited the poem in his essay “The Philosophy of Composition.” In the essay, he
claimed that he wrote “The Raven” “step by step, to its completion, with the precision and rigid
consequence of a mathematical problem” (1846, ¶ 7). “The Philosophy of Composition” is a
fascinating story about how one of the United States’ most famous nineteenth-century writers
wrote his most famous poem. It is probably also fiction. As Poe scholar Jeffrey Savoye remarked
in an interview with National Public Radio (Blair, 2002), “He doesn’t seem to have written
anything that way.” Exploring “The Raven” in light of Poe’s claims and of historical knowledge
invites students into a deep understanding of the author and his work. Speculating about such
discrepancies encourages them to realize that literature is the cumulative result of writers
working in the context of their times.
Awareness of context matters. English 11 typically focuses on United States literature and literary
history and is frequently interdisciplinary. In addition to poetry and fiction, students read and
analyze important historical documents such as Jonathan Edwards’ sermon “Sinners in the
Hands of an Angry God”; the Declaration of Independence; Benjamin Banneker’s letter to
Thomas Jefferson; Native American oral narratives; slave narratives such as the Narrative of the
Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave; the Declaration of Sentiments from the 1848
Seneca Falls Conference; the Gettysburg Address; Martin Luther King Jr.’s speech “I Have a
Dream”; Ronald Reagan’s 1984 campaign advertisement “It’s morning again in America . . .”; and
many other texts that make up the rhetorical history of the United States. As students interpret
and evaluate persuasive rhetoric, they learn to recognize themes that persist across United
States literary culture. The motif of new beginnings celebrated by the Puritans is echoed in Walt
Whitman’s expansive self in “Song of Myself”; the tradition of social justice advocacy that Jane
Addams and Martin Luther King Jr. participated in is joined by Tom Joad in The Grapes of Wrath.
In other words, students in a rigorous course learn more than simple chronology of literary
history. They discover the ways that writers and their works influence and are influenced by each
other.
Students’ understanding is built by emphasizing inquiry. Essential questions, such as “What was
it like to live and work as an African American author during the Harlem Renaissance?” help to
guide exploration. The exploration of the question alone enriches their understanding about
writers such as Langston Hughes and Ralph Ellison. Inquiry likewise happens through the study
of literary theory. An introduction to New Historicism might invite students to see Prospero’s
island in The Tempest as a setting in which common assumptions about the New World are
explored. As students become increasingly confident with interpretive strategies, they add
2
© 2011 by ACT, Inc. All rights reserved.
Course Description & Syllabus—English 11
philosophical understanding to their developing abilities to interpret literature in context. Students
in a rigorous course learn to use tools that help them to inquire further into the texts they read.
Many of the inquiries in a rigorous English 11 course are collaborative. For example, students
working together might research critical responses to Zora Neale Hurston’s novel Their Eyes
Were Watching God. One student in a group would read and evaluate the initial reviews; another
might seek out commentary about the novel when it was out of print; and a third might investigate
the circumstances surrounding the novel’s republication in the late 1970s and its subsequent
renaissance. Together, the students might then prepare a presentation that develops a nuanced
portrait of the ways Their Eyes Were Watching God has been read over time. Collaborative
learning not only encourages students to think and work together—crucial skills for their future
work—but also invests them in the construction of each other’s knowledge.
The writing in a rigorous course is as diverse as the reading. From the first day, students are
immersed in a continuous conversation about writing as a process. Informal writing, for example,
is central to the classroom. Asking students to write, in 3–5 minutes, as much as they can in
response to a prompt helps to focus their thinking; longer assignments build students’ confidence
with ideas and give them time and opportunity to try out new rhetorical appeals and figurative
language. Meanwhile, students are introduced to and encouraged to use prewriting strategies
both individual, such as freewriting and webbing, and collaborative, such as brainstorming.
Writer’s workshops further enable students to work together to develop each other’s ideas and
refine each other’s writing. From generating ideas to writing, revising, and finishing drafts, writing
in a rigorous course clarifies students’ thinking and develops their aptitude with language and
ideas.
Students in English 11 do write in multiple genres such as poetry and fiction, but much of the
course’s writing is argumentative. Formal essay prompts ask students to make sense of the
many different texts they read. For instance, a prompt that asks students to evaluate whether
Allen Ginsberg’s “A Supermarket in California” is a successful homage to Walt Whitman requires
them to interpret and evaluate its purpose. It also relies upon synthesis: students must
comprehend Whitman’s work in order to judge Ginsberg’s. Other prompts ask students to apply
the rhetorical skills they study. Part of an analysis of John F. Kennedy’s inaugural address might
include a prompt that asks them to write a speech that imitates the style of Kennedy’s rhetorical
appeals. Writing in a variety of academic forms such as brief constructed-response and lengthier
comparison/contrast essays further encourages students to practice their rhetorical skills. And
situational writing invites students to push their analytical and rhetorical skills in new directions.
For example, writing a cover letter and résumé for Daisy Buchanan, a character in F. Scott
Fitzgerald’s novel The Great Gatsby, requires a fair understanding of the novel, a clear analysis
of the writing situation, and an understanding of each document’s form. Because such
assignments emphasize the dynamic nature of argument and persuasion, they prepare students
for sophisticated research essays that require them to analyze, evaluate, and synthesize primary
and secondary sources into coherent, reasonable, responsible arguments. As they learn how to
write with different styles and using various structures, students become versatile writers.
In many ways a rigorous English 11 course treats both reading and writing as components of an
ongoing, directed conversation about literature and language. Grammatical instruction, which
takes on added significance during eleventh grade because of college-entrance exams, occurs in
the context of language’s use: not only do students learn from their own writing, but they also
3
© 2011 by ACT, Inc. All rights reserved.
Course Description & Syllabus—English 11
learn by carefully analyzing the styles of the writers they read. Meanwhile, assessments are
used to identify what students are learning and to ascertain how instruction can be adjusted to
compensate for those students who might be falling behind. The course thus recognizes that
learning is recursive: understanding is developed by revisiting, revising, and adding to what
has already been learned.
By encouraging students’ critical literacy and the development of their mastery of language, a
rigorous English 11 course enables students to take responsibility for their learning. Rigorous
study encourages students to move past superficial interpretations and analyses of literature
toward deep understanding and a stronger aptitude with language. Moreover, it does so by
asking students to work together to discover how literature and writing fit into the context of
their lives and their culture. Because it enables them as thinkers, a rigorous English 11 course
puts students in position to succeed.
Model Course Syllabus
On Course for Success (2004) revealed that rigorous English 11 syllabi share several
important characteristics. Not only do they describe the course and identify the content it will
cover, but also they outline policies to which teachers and students are held accountable. This
model syllabus is a composite drawn from the syllabi studied in On Course for Success. As a
model, it is addressed to students and should be used as a general guideline, adapted
according to a particular district’s, school’s, or teacher’s policies.
Course Overview
In English 11 we will read the traditional genres of literature—novels, short stories, poems,
essays—as well as important documents from the cultural history of the United States. At the
same time, we will study a variety of ways of writing and explore methods of argument and
persuasion. The course aims to help you become a skilled reader and writer.
Course Content
Reading
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Reading Across the Curriculum
Reading Strategies
Knowledge of Literary and Nonliterary Forms
Influences on Texts
Author’s Voice and Method
Persuasive Language and Logic
Literary Criticism
Words and Their History
Writing
•
•
•
•
•
•
Writing Process
Modes of Writing for Different Purposes and Audiences
Organization, Unity, and Coherence
Sentence-Level Constructions
Conventions of Usage
Conventions of Punctuation
4
© 2011 by ACT, Inc. All rights reserved.
Course Description & Syllabus—English 11
Research
Listening, Viewing, and Speaking
•
•
Comprehension and Analysis
Application
Study Skills and Test Taking
Course Materials
•
•
•
Pen or pencil
The book and/or essays we’re reading
Class notebook: You’ll need a three-ring binder to organize your class materials. Divide
your binder into the following sections:
 Class Notes
 Writing
 Grammar and Vocabulary
 Highlighted and Annotated Texts
 Graded Tests and Quizzes
Course Policies
Attendance/Absences/Makeup Work: Your presence (mind and body) in class is essential. If you
must miss class due to illness or other circumstances beyond your control, it is your responsibility
to find out which assignments you missed, to acquire the handouts, and to borrow and copy the
class notes for the day(s) you were absent. Because you will have at least a week’s lead time for
papers and other major assignments, the due date remains the same regardless of your absence.
If you are ill the day a paper is due, ask a friend to turn it in for you. If an emergency arises
(illness or otherwise) and you absolutely cannot complete an assignment, I will need a note from
your parent/guardian explaining the situation.
Late Assignments: Your responsibilities in this class include keeping your own up-to-date
assignment notebook, maintaining pace with the reading, and turning in all assignments on time.
If you do not understand an assignment, ask for help far enough in advance to have time to finish
the assignment. If you are having personal difficulties apart from class, talk to me before an
assigned due date so that we can make other arrangements. Otherwise, each day an assignment
is late, I will subtract 10% from the grade. Once I have graded and returned an assignment, you
cannot turn that assignment in for credit.
You will be given at least a week’s lead time for out-of-class papers and other major assignments,
so plan accordingly. If you spend most weeknights working on daily homework for other classes,
you will probably need to block out a significant amount of time on the weekend for prewriting,
writing, and revising your work.
Classroom Rules/Expectations: I expect you to be in class and ready to work when the bell
rings. Have your assignment ready to hand in if one is due. Finally, show as much respect
toward one another and toward me as I show for you.
Reading: Keeping up with reading assignments is crucial to your success in this class. If you have
not read the assignment, you cannot thoughtfully participate in class discussion. If you fall
5
© 2011 by ACT, Inc. All rights reserved.
Course Description & Syllabus—English 11
behind in the reading, you will become overwhelmed and set yourself up for frustration when it
comes time to write a paper. Bear in mind that some of the reading will be difficult, and you may
not understand it all the first time. That’s OK; I want the reading to stretch your thinking. Do the
best you can to understand; meanwhile, write down questions in your notebook that we can
address in class. I am always happy to help anyone who asks for help.
Plagiarism/Cheating: I begin the year with complete trust and faith in each of you. Please do not
abuse that trust by being dishonest. Learning cooperatively is great, and I encourage you to get
together to brainstorm and discuss assignments. When you sit down to complete an individual
assignment, however, let the work be yours alone. Penalties for plagiarism—another word for
cheating—are stiff. If two papers resemble each other too closely, I will split the points. If a paper
is obviously copied, whether from a classmate’s work or from the Internet, it will receive no credit.
Grading Policy
Evaluation: For major assignments I will provide the rubrics or explain the expectations that I will
use to assess your work. For general reference, however, here are four similes and a metaphor
to represent my expectations for assignments:
A Like a double mocha cappuccino with whipped cream and sprinkles, “A” work goes above
and beyond expectations. It not only demonstrates an understanding of concepts discussed
in class, but also takes risks and presents additional insights.
B Like a really good cup of coffee, “B” demonstrates understanding of the concepts presented in
class and shows thought and effort, but it doesn’t take any risks or offer fresh insight.
C Like decaf, “C” work is solid, but doesn’t pack the punch of “A” or “B” work. It’s competent,
but not dazzling.
D Like the burnt dregs from a gas-station coffee pot, a “D” paper is there, but leaves a bad taste.
“D” work just doesn’t hang together and probably shows lack of thought and effort.
F As Ani Difranco says, “The coffee is just water dressed in brown.” While “F” is definitely better
than zero, it is clearly not up to snuff. “F” work is the result of carelessness and poor planning.
Extra Credit: Extra work, at times, merits extra points. I will offer various extra credit
opportunities throughout the year.
Freebies: I expect your work to be in on time. Still, I know I occasionally get bogged down in
work, or something unexpected comes up and I cannot get your papers back to you as quickly
as I’d like. I assume the same things happen to you, so each semester I’ll give you one
“Freebie”—i.e., a one-school-day extension without penalty.
Course Procedures
Format of Papers: I expect all papers written outside of class to be typed. Hand in to me the
final draft along with all previous drafts stapled to the back. Please adhere to the following
guidelines:
•
•
•
•
Use white paper and black ink.
Use a sensible font (for example, 12-point Times New Roman).
Double-space all text.
Use one-inch page margins.
6
© 2011 by ACT, Inc. All rights reserved.
Course Description & Syllabus—English 11
•
•
Include on the first page the title of your paper, your name, and your period number.
Include page numbers on the upper right-hand corner of the page.
Grammar: Good grammar is essential to your success in all classes throughout your high school
career. It will also serve you beyond high school, in the real world, where you will have to write
letters, memos, and other documents. Teaching grammar, however, always presents a
conundrum: out of context it seems artificial and pointless; in context it can seem punitive. In this
class we will compromise by studying grammar in context but without penalty. You will be held
especially responsible for correctly applying the grammatical conventions we review in class in all
your written work.
Personal Statement
It is very important that you review your notes and homework frequently! The homework I assign
will have one or more of the following aims:
•
•
•
•
Practice reinforces the learning of material presented in class and helps you
master specific skills.
Preparation provides supporting information—history, skills, definitions—for
what’s forthcoming; it will help when new material is covered in class.
Extension or elaboration involves the transfer of previously learned skills to new
situations.
Integration asks you to apply skills and concepts to produce a single product.
I will make every effort to communicate the purpose of homework assignments to you. If you are
having difficulties with anything covered in this course, see me as soon as possible. Times when
I am available for extra help are included below.
I am excited and proud to be teaching this course. The nature of this course is to challenge and
to push you to stretch beyond what you already know and can do. Although I expect you to work
hard this year, I will never give you an assignment or expect you to do anything I haven’t already
done or wouldn’t/couldn’t have done myself when I was your age. I also want to say now that I
appreciate your effort and value each of you as important members of the class, regardless of
the grade you earn from me. Your grade does not equate to your value as a person. My wish is
to help you discover and cultivate your gifts for use in a meaningful life.
Additional Information
I prefer that you ask questions in class. If you do not want to ask a specific question in class,
please see me after class or after school. If questions come up outside of regular school hours
that cannot wait until the next day, please use the following guidelines:
•
•
E-mail—I prefer out-of-school questions be submitted by e-mail. My e-mail address
is: [email protected]. I will try to respond to an e-mailed question within
one school day.
Telephone—If you have a question that simply cannot wait, you may call me at home
(555- 1234) no later than 9:00 p.m. Please do not abuse this privilege by waiting until
the last minute to start homework and then finding out you have questions.
7
© 2011 by ACT, Inc. All rights reserved.
Course Description & Syllabus—English 11
Signature(s): Discuss this course syllabus with your parent(s) or guardian(s). The yellow copy is
for you to keep. Please sign and return the blue copy to me by next Friday. I am looking forward
to working with you this year.
I, ______________________ (Student), have read and understand the Geometry course
syllabus and the course expectations.
I, ______________________ (Parent/Guardian), have read and understand the Geometry
course syllabus and the course expectations.
Student Signature: ___________________________________ Date: _____________
Parent/Guardian Signature: ____________________________ Date: _____________
PLEASE PLACE THIS DOCUMENT IN YOUR CLASS NOTEBOOK FOR FUTURE
REFERENCE.
8
© 2011 by ACT, Inc. All rights reserved.
Course Description & Syllabus—English 11
Suggested Texts for a Rigorous English 11 Course
Like the syllabus, the list of suggested texts was compiled through the On Course for Success
study. It is not intended to be a comprehensive booklist for any single English 11 course.
Rather, it represents a diverse collection of texts that have been taught in successful
classrooms. It can be used as a point of comparison to a particular district’s, school’s, or
teacher’s current English 11 curriculum and as a means to prompt conversation and reflection
among teachers within and across school districts.
Author
Drama
Euripides
Federico García Lorca
Lorraine Hansberry
David Henry Hwang
Henrik Ibsen
Jerome Lawrence & Robert E. Lee
Arthur Miller
Eugene O’Neill
Jean Paul Sartre
William Shakespeare
George Bernard Shaw
Sophocles
Tom Stoppard
Oscar Wilde
Tennessee Williams
August Wilson
Essay
Mortimer Adler
James Baldwin
Sarah Boxer
Judy Brady
Bernard Drabeck
T. S. Eliot
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Ellen Goodman
Barbara Grizzuti Harrison
Zora Neale Hurston
George Orwell
Paul Roberts
Title
Medea
Blood Wedding
A Raisin in the Sun
M. Butterfly
A Doll’s House
Hedda Gabler
The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail
The Crucible
Death of a Salesman
Desire Under the Elms
No Exit
Hamlet
Othello
Macbeth
The Tempest
Arms and the Man
Oedipus Rex
Oedipus at Colonus
Arcadia
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead
The Importance of Being Earnest
The Glass Menagerie
The Piano Lesson
Two Trains Running
“How to Mark a Book”
“My Dungeon Shook: Letter to my Nephew on the
One Hundredth Anniversary of the Emancipation”
“Dark Forces”
“Why I Want a Wife”
“Ban Shakespeare”
“What Is Poetry?”
“Self-Reliance”
“The Company Man”
“Moral Ambiguity”
“How It Feels To Be Colored Me”
“Politics and the English Language”
“How to Say Nothing in 500 Words”
9
© 2011 by ACT, Inc. All rights reserved.
Course Description & Syllabus—English 11
Author
Suzanne Ruta
Wallace Stegner
Gloria Steinem
Jonathan Swift
Jo Goodwin Parker
Bailey White
Fiction
Chinua Achebe
Paula Gunn Allen
Rudolfo A. Anaya
Margaret Atwood
Jane Austen
John Barth
Ray Bradbury
Olive Ann Burns
Octavia Butler
Lewis Carroll
Willa Cather
Kate Chopin
Joseph Conrad
Stephen Crane
Tsitsi Dangarembga
Fyodor Dostoyevsky
Ralph Ellison
Fumiko Enchi
F. Scott Fitzgerald
Gustave Flaubert
Pat Frank
Ernest J. Gaines
Thomas Hardy
Nathaniel Hawthorne
Ernest Hemingway
Hermann Hesse
Zora Neale Hurston
Aldous Huxley
James Joyce
Barbara Kingsolver
C. S. Lewis
Claire Lispector
Sir Thomas Malory
Gábriel García Marquez
Herman Melville
Toni Morrison
Alan Paton
Chaim Potok
J. D. Salinger
Title
“A Life of Resistance”
“The Town Dump”
“Sisterhood”
“A Modest Proposal”
“What is Poverty?”
“Good Housekeeping”
Things Fall Apart
Deer Woman
Bless Me, Ultima
The Handmaid’s Tale
Sense and Sensibility
Chimera
Fahrenheit 451
Cold Sassy Tree
Kindred
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
Death Comes for the Archbishop
The Awakening
The Heart of Darkness
The Red Badge of Courage
Nervous Conditions
The Grand Inquisitor
Invisible Man
The Waiting Years
The Great Gatsby
Madame Bovary
Alas, Babylon
A Lesson Before Dying
The Mayor of Casterbridge
The Scarlet Letter
A Farewell to Arms
The Old Man and the Sea
The Sun Also Rises
Siddhartha
Their Eyes Were Watching God
Brave New World
Dubliners
Animal Dreams
The Screwtape Letters
The Hour of the Star
Le Morte d’Arthur
One Hundred Years of Solitude
Moby-Dick
The Song of Solomon
Cry, The Beloved Country
The Chosen
The Catcher In The Rye
10
© 2011 by ACT, Inc. All rights reserved.
Course Description & Syllabus—English 11
Author
Mary Shelley
Alexander Solzhenitsyn
John Steinbeck
Jonathan Swift
Mark Twain
Kurt Vonnegut
Margaret Walker
Edith Wharton
Richard Wright
Nonfiction
Aristotle
Charles L. Blockson
William Bradford
Rachel Carson
Center for World Indigenous Studies
Merlin Donald
W. E. B. DuBois
Frederick Douglass
Benjamin Franklin
Robert Johnson
Martin Luther King Jr.
Niccolò Machiavelli
Anne Moody
Andrew Newberg, Eugene D’Aquili,
& Vince Rause
Friedrich Nietzsche
Thomas Paine
Plato
William Strunk & E. B. White
Henry David Thoreau
Biblical Literature
Title
Frankenstein
One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich
The Grapes of Wrath
Of Mice and Men
Gulliver’s Travels
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
Slaughterhouse Five
Jubilee
Ethan Frome
Native Son
The Poetics
The Underground Railroad
Of Plymouth Plantation
The Sea Around Us
Indians of All Nations: The Alcatraz Proclamation to
the Great White Father and His People, 1969
A Mind So Rare: The Evolution of Human
Consciousness
The Souls of Black Folk
Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An
American Slave
The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin
Poor Richard’s Almanac
He: Understanding Masculine Psychology
The Fisher King and the Handless Maiden:
Understanding the Wounded Feeling Function in
Masculine and Feminine Psychology
Stride Toward Freedom: The Montgomery Story
The Prince
Coming of Age in Mississippi: An Autobiography
Why God Won’t Go Away: Brain Science and the
Biology of Belief
The Birth of Tragedy
Common Sense
The Republic
The Elements of Style
Walden
The Book of Exodus
The Book of Job
The Book of Matthew
Psalm 32:1–5
Sermon
Jonathan Edwards
Historical Document
Benjamin Banneker
“Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God”
Letter to Thomas Jefferson
11
© 2011 by ACT, Inc. All rights reserved.
Course Description & Syllabus—English 11
Author
Title
Declaration of Independence of the United States of
America
Elizabeth Cady Stanton & Lucretia Mott The Declaration of Sentiments
Epic
Dante Alighieri
The Inferno
Anonymous
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
Geoffrey Chaucer
The Canterbury Tales
Seamus Heaney (Trans.)
Beowulf
Homer
The Iliad
Stephen Mitchell (Trans.)
Gilgamesh: A New English Version
Poem
E. E. Cummings
“Ode to Phoebe (What Is a poet?)”
John Donne
“Death be not proud, though some have called thee”
Robert Frost
“Acquainted with the Night”
“Mending Wall”
“Out, Out”
Allen Ginsberg
“A Supermarket in California”
Pablo Neruda
“Full Powers”
Edgar Allan Poe
“The Bells”
“Annabel Lee”
“The Raven”
“To Helen”
E. A. Robinson
“Karma”
Jimmy Santiago Baca
“Who Understands Me But Me”
William Shakespeare
Sonnets
Edward Taylor
“Upon A Spider Catching a Fly”
Walt Whitman
“Song of Myself”
Short Story
Ambrose Bierce
“An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge”
“A Horseman in the Sky”
Ray Bradbury
“The Murderer”
Willa Cather
“A Wagner Matinee”
Julio Cortázar
“House Taken Over”
Charlotte Perkins Gilman
“The Yellow Wallpaper”
Nathaniel Hawthorne
“The Minister’s Black Veil”
Lucy Honig
“English as a Second Language”
Washington Irving
“The Devil and Tom Walker”
Franz Kafka
“Metamorphosis”
Bernard Malamud
“Armistice”
Herman Melville
“Bartleby the Scrivener”
Flannery O’Connor
“The Life You Save May Be Your Own”
Edgar Allan Poe
“The Black Cat”
“The Fall of the House of Usher”
“The Masque of the Red Death”
“The Pit and the Pendulum”
“The Tell-Tale Heart”
Mark Twain
“The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County”
John Updike
“Separating”
Thomas Jefferson
12
© 2011 by ACT, Inc. All rights reserved.
Course Description & Syllabus—English 11
Author
Kurt Vonnegut
Speech
John F. Kennedy
Abraham Lincoln
Martin Luther King Jr.
Documentary Film
James Fortier & Millie Ketcheshawno
Motion Picture
Michael Curtiz (Dir.)
Title
“Harrison Bergeron”
Inaugural Address
The Gettysburg Address
“I Have a Dream”
We Hold The Rock
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
13
© 2011 by ACT, Inc. All rights reserved.
Course Description & Syllabus—English 11
References
ACT, Inc., & The Education Trust. (2004). On course for success: A close look at selected high
school courses that prepare all students for college. Iowa City, IA: Author.
Blair, E. (2002, January 14). Present at the creation: “The Raven.” Retrieved from
http://www.npr.org/ramfiles/me/20020114.me.13.ram
Poe, E. A. (1846). The philosophy of composition. Retrieved from
http://xroads.virginia.edu/poe/composition.html
14
© 2011 by ACT, Inc. All rights reserved.
ER-E11-CD.2.1
The ResearchDriven Solution
to Raise the
Quality of High
School Core
Courses
English 11
ACT Course Standards
ACT Course Standards
English 11
A set of empirically derived course standards is the heart of each QualityCore® English course.
The ACT Course Standards represent a solid evidence-based foundation in English. They were
developed from an intensive study of high-performing high schools with significant minority and
low-income enrollments that produced many graduates who met or exceeded ACT College
Readiness Benchmark Scores (See http://www.act.org/path/policy/reports/success.html).
This document contains a list of ACT Course Standards for a rigorous English 11 course—what
students should know and be able to do in the course—and a worksheet teachers can use to
compare their course content to these standards. The ACT standards encompass the following
overarching themes and/or foundational concepts:
A. Reading
B. Writing
C. Research
D. Listening, Viewing, and Speaking
E. Study Skills and Test Taking
ACT Course Standards—English 11
Becoming well versed in the English Language Arts requires students to develop
skills and understandings that are closely intertwined; such connectedness helps students become
discerning and thoughtful readers, writers, listeners, speakers, and viewers of texts both inside and outside
of the classroom.
A. Reading
1. Reading Across the Curriculum
a. Choose materials for independent reading on the basis of specific criteria (e.g., personal interest, own reading
level, knowledge of authors and literary or nonliterary forms)
b. Read independently for a variety of purposes (e.g., for enjoyment, to gain information, to perform a task)
c. Read increasingly challenging whole texts in a variety of literary (e.g., poetry, drama, fiction, nonfiction) and
nonliterary (e.g., textbooks, news articles, memoranda) forms
2. Reading Strategies
a. Apply strategies before, during, and after reading to increase fluency and comprehension (e.g., adjusting
purpose, previewing, scanning, making predictions, comparing, inferring, summarizing, using graphic
organizers) with increasingly challenging texts
b. Use metacognitive skills (i.e., monitor, regulate, and orchestrate one’s understanding) when reading increasingly
challenging texts, using the most appropriate “fix-up” strategies (e.g., rereading, reading on, changing rate of
reading, subvocalizing)
c. Demonstrate comprehension of increasingly challenging texts (both print and nonprint sources) by asking and
answering literal, interpretive, and evaluative questions
2
© 2011 by ACT, Inc. All rights reserved.
ACT Course Standards—English 11
d. Use close-reading strategies (e.g., visualizing, annotating, questioning) in order to interpret increasingly
challenging texts
e. Compare texts to previously read texts, past and present events, and/or content learned in other coursework
3. Knowledge of Literary and Nonliterary Forms
a. Identify, analyze, and evaluate the defining characteristics of specific literary and nonliterary forms (e.g., satire,
allegory, parody, editorial, essay, memorandum) and describe how form affects the meaning and function of the
texts
b. Read contrasting literary works (e.g., romantic and ironic, comic and tragic) and determine how the forms
influence structure and movement within the texts (e.g., reading William Shakespeare’s tragic play Hamlet and
Tom Stoppard’s comedic play Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead)
c. Read dramatic literature (e.g., M. Butterfly, The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail) and analyze its conventions to
identify how they express a writer’s meaning
d. Identify and interpret works in various poetic forms (e.g., ballad, ode, sonnet) and explain how meaning is
conveyed through features of poetry, including sound (e.g., rhythm, repetition, alliteration), structure (e.g., meter,
rhyme scheme), graphic elements (e.g., punctuation, line length, word position), and poetic devices (e.g.,
metaphor, imagery, personification, tone, symbolism)
4. Influences on Texts
a. Explain the relationship between the time in which a literary work is set, the time during which the author wrote,
and the time in which the reader reads (e.g., Arthur Miller’s play The Crucible as a comment on the McCarthy
era)
b. Analyze and evaluate the influence of traditional and mythic literature on later literature and film (e.g., the quest
for the holy grail as depicted in Terry Gilliam’s film The Fisher King)
c. Explain the effects of the author’s life upon his or her work (e.g., Alexander Solzhenitsyn’s experience in the
gulag as reflected in his novel One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich)
5. Author’s Voice and Method
a. Critique the effectiveness of the organizational pattern (e.g., comparison/contrast, cause/effect,
problem/solution) and how clarity of meaning is affected by the writer’s techniques (e.g., repetition of ideas,
syntax, word choice) in increasingly challenging texts
b. Recognize an author’s choice of narration and evaluate how it affects characterization and credibility in
increasingly challenging texts
c. Identify, analyze, and evaluate plot, character development, setting, theme, mood, and point of view as they are
used together to create meaning in increasingly challenging texts
d. Identify, analyze, and evaluate the author’s use of parallel plots and subplots in increasingly challenging texts
e. Identify, analyze, and evaluate the ways in which the devices the author chooses (e.g., irony, imagery, tone,
sound techniques, foreshadowing, symbolism) achieve specific effects and shape meaning in increasingly
challenging texts
f.
Critique the treatment and scope of ideas from multiple sources on the same topic, noting the authors’ implicit
and explicit philosophical assumptions and beliefs (e.g., analyze the treatment of Africa in Chinua Achebe’s
novel Things Fall Apart and Joseph Conrad’s novel Heart of Darkness)
g. Evaluate ways authors develop style to achieve specific rhetorical and aesthetic purposes, noting the impact of
diction and figurative language on tone, mood, and theme; cite specific examples from increasingly challenging
texts
h. Identify the author’s stated or implied purpose in increasingly challenging texts
6. Persuasive Language and Logic
a. Distinguish between valid and invalid arguments; provide evidence to support the author’s findings; and note
instances of unsupported inferences, fallacious reasoning, and propaganda techniques used in literature, film,
advertising, and/or speeches
3
© 2011 by ACT, Inc. All rights reserved.
ACT Course Standards—English 11
b. Summarize and paraphrase information in increasingly challenging texts, identifying key ideas, supporting
details, inconsistencies, and ambiguities
c. Locate important details and facts that support ideas, arguments, or inferences in increasingly challenging texts
and substantiate analyses with textual examples that may be in widely separated sections of the text or in other
sources
d. Distinguish between fact and opinion, basing judgments on evidence and reasoning
7. Literary Criticism
a. Select and apply to increasingly challenging texts the relevant terms (e.g., archetypal, oedipal, hegemony) from
a number of critical theories
b. Evaluate a work of literature from a variety of perspectives (e.g., applying a feminist perspective to Kate
Chopin’s novel The Awakening)
c. Read literary criticism to learn different ways of interpreting increasingly challenging literary texts
8. Words and Their History
a. Apply knowledge of Greek, Latin, and Anglo-Saxon affixes, inflections, and roots to understand unfamiliar words
and new subject matter vocabulary in increasingly challenging texts (e.g., words in science, mathematics, and
social studies)
b. Infer word meanings by analyzing relationships between words (e.g., synonyms, antonyms, metaphors,
analogies) in increasingly challenging texts
c. Use general and specialized dictionaries, thesauruses, and glossaries (print and electronic) to determine the
definition, pronunciation, derivation, spelling, and usage of words
d. Use context clues (e.g., author’s restatement, example) to understand unfamiliar words in increasingly
challenging texts
e. Comprehend foreign words and phrases in texts that are commonly used in English
f.
Identify and interpret common idioms and literary, classical, and biblical allusions (e.g., the garden of Eden as it
is used in Thomas Hardy’s novel Tess of the D’Urbervilles) in increasingly challenging texts
g. Describe and provide examples of the ways past and present events (e.g., cultural, political, technological,
scientific) have influenced the English language
h. Apply knowledge of connotation and denotation to determine the meanings of words and phrases in increasingly
challenging texts
B. Writing
1. Writing Process
a. Use prewriting strategies (e.g., brainstorming, webbing, note taking, interviewing, background reading) to
generate, focus, and organize ideas as well as to gather information
b. Analyze writing assignments in terms of purpose and audience to determine which strategies to use (e.g., writing
a speech to inform versus a speech to persuade)
c. Create and use various tools (e.g., rubrics, checklists, models, writing conferences) to revise, refine, edit, and
proofread own and others’ writing, using appropriate rhetorical, logical, and stylistic criteria for assessing the
final versions of compositions
d. Prepare writing for publication by choosing the most appropriate format, considering principles of design (e.g.,
margins, tabs, spacing, columns) and the use of various fonts and graphics (e.g., drawings, charts, graphs); use
electronic resources to enhance the final product
2. Modes of Writing for Different Purposes and Audiences
a. Craft first and final drafts of expressive, reflective, or creative texts (e.g., poetry, scripts) that use a range of
literary devices (e.g., figurative language, sound devices, stage directions) to convey a specific effect
b. Craft first and final drafts of informational essays or reports that provide clear and accurate perspectives on the
subject; support the main ideas with facts, details, and examples; and make distinctions about the relative value
and significance of those facts, details, and examples
4
© 2011 by ACT, Inc. All rights reserved.
ACT Course Standards—English 11
c. Craft first and final drafts of persuasive papers that articulate a clear position; support assertions using rhetorical
devices, including personal anecdotes and appeals to emotion or logic; and develop arguments using a variety
of methods
d. Craft first and final drafts of responses to literature that organize an insightful interpretation around several clear
ideas, premises, or images and support judgments with specific references to the original text and to other texts
or authors
e. Craft first and final drafts of workplace and other real-life writing (e.g., resumes, editorials, college entrance
and/or scholarship essays) that are appropriate to the audience, provide clear and purposeful information, and
use a format appropriate to the task
3. Organization, Unity, and Coherence
a. Establish and develop a clear thesis statement for informational writing or a clear plan or outline for narrative
writing
b. Organize writing to create a coherent whole with effective, fully developed paragraphs, similar ideas grouped
together for unity, and paragraphs arranged in a logical sequence
c. Add important information and delete irrelevant information and details to more clearly establish a central idea
d. Rearrange words, sentences, and/or paragraphs and add transitional words and phrases to clarify meaning and
to achieve specific aesthetic and rhetorical purposes
e. Write an introduction that engages the reader and a conclusion that summarizes, extends, or elaborates points
or ideas in the writing
4. Sentence-Level Constructions
a. Recognize and correct errors that weaken writing, including nonparallel structure, shifts from active to passive
voice, misused modifiers, and awkward sentence construction
b. Combine phrases and clauses to create sentences of varying lengths and sophistication (e.g., simple,
compound-complex, balanced, periodic, cumulative) and to coordinate or subordinate meaning for effect
c. Use parallel structure to present items in a series and items juxtaposed for emphasis
d. Evaluate own sentence style by identifying common sentence patterns and constructions
e. Use resources and reference materials (e.g., dictionaries and thesauruses) to select effective and precise
vocabulary that maintains consistent style, tone, and voice
f.
Use formal, informal, standard, and technical language effectively to meet the needs of audience and purpose
g. Use strong action verbs, sensory details, vivid imagery, and precise words
5. Conventions of Usage
a. Correctly spell commonly misspelled/confused words
b. Correctly choose verb forms in terms of tense, voice (i.e., active and passive), and mood for continuity
c. Make subject and verb agree in number, even when a phrase or clause between the two suggests a different
number for the verb
d. Use pronouns correctly (e.g., appropriate case, pronoun-antecedent agreement, clear pronoun reference)
e. Correctly choose adjectives, adjective phrases, adjective clauses, adverbs, adverb phrases, and adverb clauses
and their forms for logical connection to word(s) modified
f.
Correctly use parts of speech
6. Conventions of Punctuation
a. Recognize that several correct punctuation choices create different effects (e.g., joining two independent
clauses in a variety of ways)
b. Use punctuation correctly within sentences and words
c. Demonstrate correct use of capitalization
C. Research
a. Use research methods (e.g., background reading, online searches, surveys, interviews) to locate and collect
reliable information from print and nonprint sources
5
© 2011 by ACT, Inc. All rights reserved.
ACT Course Standards—English 11
b. Decide on a research question and develop a hypothesis, modifying questions as necessary during the project
to further narrow the focus or extend the investigation
c. Evaluate multiple sources of information for accuracy, credibility, currency, utility, relevance, reliability, and
perspective
d. Identify discrepancies in information, recognize the complexities of issues conveyed about the topic, and
systematically organize the information to support central ideas, concepts, or themes
e. Summarize, paraphrase, and directly quote from sources, including the Internet, to support the thesis of the
paper and/or presentation; accurately cite every source to avoid compromising others’ intellectual property (i.e.,
plagiarism)
f.
Compose a research paper that maintains an appropriate balance between researched information and original
ideas, anticipates counterarguments, blends quotations into its body gracefully, and includes title page, outline,
first and final drafts, and works-cited page, adhering to MLA or other stylebook guidelines
D. Listening, Viewing, and Speaking
1. Comprehension and Analysis
a. Recognize the main ideas in a variety of oral presentations and draw valid conclusions
b. Identify and evaluate the effect of logical fallacies (e.g., overgeneralization, bandwagon) and the presence of
biases and stereotypes in television and print advertising, speeches, newspaper articles, and Internet
advertisements
c. Analyze the effectiveness and validity of arguments (e.g., causation, analogy, inductive and deductive
reasoning, appeals to emotion or authority) in visual and oral texts
d. Compare how different media forms (e.g., television news, news magazines, documentaries, online news
sources) cover the same event
e. Analyze and evaluate the way language choice (e.g., repetition, use of rhetorical questions) and delivery style
(e.g., eye contact, nonverbal messages) affect the mood and tone of the communication and make an impact on
the audience
2. Application
a. Use elements of speech forms—introduction, transitions, body, and conclusion—including the use of facts,
literary quotations, anecdotes, and/or references to authoritative sources
b. Use effective delivery skills (e.g., appropriate volume, inflection, articulation, gestures, eye contact, posture,
facial expression)
c. Give impromptu and planned presentations (e.g., debates, formal meetings) that stay on topic and/or adhere to
prepared notes
d. Write and deliver informational speeches that present a clear and distinctive perspective on the subject and
support the controlling idea with well-chosen and well-organized facts and details from a variety of sources
e. Write and deliver persuasive speeches that use logical, emotional, and ethical appeals; establish and develop a
logical and structured argument; anticipate audience concerns and counterarguments; and include relevant
evidence from a variety of sources
f.
Apply analytic and active listening strategies (e.g., paraphrasing, monitoring messages for clarity, selecting and
organizing essential information, noting change-of-pace cues) in formal and informal settings
g. Actively participate in small-group and large-group discussions, assuming various roles
E. Study Skills and Test Taking
a. Apply active reading, listening, and viewing techniques by taking notes on classroom discussions, lectures, oral
and/or video presentations, or assigned at-home reading, and by underlining key passages and writing
comments in journals or in margins of texts, where permitted
b. Demonstrate organizational skills such as keeping a daily calendar of assignments and activities and
maintaining a notebook of classwork
c. Use appropriate essay-test-taking and timed-writing strategies that address and analyze the question (prompt)
d. Demonstrate familiarity with test formats and test administration procedures to increase speed and accuracy
6
© 2011 by ACT, Inc. All rights reserved.
ACT Course Standards Worksheet—English 11
This worksheet gives teachers an opportunity to compare their course content to ACT’s
QualityCore® program. Completing the worksheet also allows teachers who teach the same
course to ensure their courses have similar outcomes.
Gap Analysis 1—Individual Teacher Review
This analysis allows individual teachers to identify “gaps” between ACT Course Standards and
their course content. They should review the ACT standards on the following worksheet, then
determine whether the ACT standard is or is not included in the course as it is currently taught.
“Included” means the standard is taught and students are expected to demonstrate proficiency
by the end of the course. “Not Included” means the standard is not taught in the course, is
taught in another course, or is already mastered. In the “Gap 1” column on the worksheet, place
an “I” for “Included” or an “NI” for “Not Included.” Analyze any gaps between the current course
standards and the ACT Course Standards. Identify reasons the standards receiving a “Not
Included” designation are not included in the course.
Gap Analysis 2—Group Consensus
This analysis allows groups of teachers who teach the same course and who have completed
Gap Analysis 1 individually to identify differences in how they evaluated the gaps between ACT
Course Standards and current course standards. In the “Gap 2” column of the worksheet, place
an “X” where members of the group differed in their assessment of whether a particular ACT
standard is included in the course as it is currently taught.
The following questions can guide discussion of the gaps:
Overarching Questions
1. What should students know and be able to do before going to the next course?
2. Do all teachers teaching this course have a shared understanding of the intent or
meaning of each course standard and topic area?
Gap Analysis 1 Questions
1. Which ACT Course Standards were identified as not included in the course?
2. What is the level of agreement among the group of teachers about the skills and
knowledge that is or is not taught in the course?
3. Are there sound pedagogical reasons for not including specific ACT standards in the
course?
4. What implications will any decisions have on students’ future learning and academic
achievement?
Gap Analysis 2 Questions
1. Which of the ACT Course Standards elicited differences of opinion?
2. What are the possible reasons for different opinions about the standards that are or are
not included in the course?
3. Are there sound pedagogical reasons for including or not including these disputed
standards in the course?
4. What implications will any decisions have on students’ future learning and academic
achievement?
7
© 2011 by ACT, Inc. All rights reserved.
ACT Course Standards Worksheets—English 11
Finally, document the necessary steps to address the outcomes of the discussion. Be sure to
note whether course standards will be added, deleted, or modified; identify who will be
responsible for communicating any changes to other teachers; and note any other decisions.
Document responsibilities and establish a timetable for continuing the discussion and
implementing the decisions.
NOTE: This course content review is most effective as a continuous process that generates
feedback throughout the year. ACT recommends, at minimum, monthly status update meetings
for teachers and departments involved in the review.
8
© 2011 by ACT, Inc. All rights reserved.
English 11 Course Standards
Gap 1
Gap 2
A. Reading
1. Reading Across the Curriculum
a. Choose materials for independent reading on the basis
of specific criteria (e.g., personal interest, own reading
level, knowledge of authors and literary or nonliterary
forms)
b. Read independently for a variety of purposes (e.g., for
enjoyment, to gain information, to perform a task)
c. Read increasingly challenging whole texts in a variety of
literary (e.g., poetry, drama, fiction, nonfiction) and
nonliterary (e.g., textbooks, news articles, memoranda)
forms
2. Reading Strategies
a. Apply strategies before, during, and after reading to
increase fluency and comprehension (e.g., adjusting
purpose, previewing, scanning, making predictions,
comparing, inferring, summarizing, using graphic
organizers) with increasingly challenging texts
b. Use metacognitive skills (i.e., monitor, regulate, and
orchestrate one’s understanding) when reading
increasingly challenging texts, using the most
appropriate “fix-up” strategies (e.g., rereading, reading
on, changing rate of reading, subvocalizing)
c. Demonstrate comprehension of increasingly challenging
texts (both print and nonprint sources) by asking and
answering literal, interpretive, and evaluative questions
d. Use close-reading strategies (e.g., visualizing,
annotating, questioning) in order to interpret increasingly
challenging texts
e. Compare texts to previously read texts, past and present
events, and/or content learned in other coursework
3. Knowledge of Literary and Nonliterary Forms
a. Identify, analyze, and evaluate the defining
characteristics of specific literary and nonliterary forms
(e.g., satire, allegory, parody, editorial, essay,
memorandum) and describe how form affects the
meaning and function of the texts
b. Read contrasting literary works (e.g., romantic and ironic,
comic and tragic) and determine how the forms influence
structure and movement within the texts (e.g., reading
William Shakespeare’s tragic play Hamlet and Tom
Stoppard’s comedic play Rosencrantz and Guildenstern
Are Dead)
9
© 2011 by ACT, Inc. All rights reserved.
Comments
English 11 Course Standards
Gap 1
Gap 2
c. Read dramatic literature (e.g., M. Butterfly, The Night
Thoreau Spent in Jail) and analyze its conventions to
identify how they express a writer’s meaning
d. Identify and interpret works in various poetic forms (e.g.,
ballad, ode, sonnet) and explain how meaning is
conveyed through features of poetry, including sound
(e.g., rhythm, repetition, alliteration), structure (e.g.,
meter, rhyme scheme), graphic elements (e.g.,
punctuation, line length, word position), and poetic
devices (e.g., metaphor, imagery, personification, tone,
symbolism)
4. Influences on Texts
a. Explain the relationship between the time in which a
literary work is set, the time during which the author
wrote, and the time in which the reader reads (e.g.,
Arthur Miller’s play The Crucible as a comment on the
McCarthy era)
b. Analyze and evaluate the influence of traditional and
mythic literature on later literature and film (e.g., the
quest for the holy grail as depicted in Terry Gilliam’s film
The Fisher King)
c. Explain the effects of the author’s life upon his or her
work (e.g., Alexander Solzhenitsyn’s experience in the
gulag as reflected in his novel One Day in the Life of Ivan
Denisovich)
5. Author’s Voice and Method
a. Critique the effectiveness of the organizational pattern
(e.g., comparison/contrast, cause/effect,
problem/solution) and how clarity of meaning is affected
by the writer’s techniques (e.g., repetition of ideas,
syntax, word choice) in increasingly challenging texts
b. Recognize an author’s choice of narration and evaluate
how it affects characterization and credibility in
increasingly challenging texts
c. Identify, analyze, and evaluate plot, character
development, setting, theme, mood, and point of view as
they are used together to create meaning in increasingly
challenging texts
d. Identify, analyze, and evaluate the author’s use of
parallel plots and subplots in increasingly challenging
texts
e. Identify, analyze, and evaluate the ways in which the
devices the author chooses (e.g., irony, imagery, tone,
sound techniques, foreshadowing, symbolism) achieve
specific effects and shape meaning in increasingly
challenging texts
10
© 2011 by ACT, Inc. All rights reserved.
Comments
English 11 Course Standards
Gap 1
Gap 2
f. Critique the treatment and scope of ideas from multiple
sources on the same topic, noting the authors’ implicit
and explicit philosophical assumptions and beliefs (e.g.,
analyze the treatment of Africa in Chinua Achebe’s novel
Things Fall Apart and Joseph Conrad’s novel Heart of
Darkness)
g. Evaluate ways authors develop style to achieve specific
rhetorical and aesthetic purposes, noting the impact of
diction and figurative language on tone, mood, and
theme; cite specific examples from increasingly
challenging texts
h. Identify the author’s stated or implied purpose in
increasingly challenging texts
6. Persuasive Language and Logic
a. Distinguish between valid and invalid arguments; provide
evidence to support the author’s findings; and note
instances of unsupported inferences, fallacious
reasoning, and propaganda techniques used in literature,
film, advertising, and/or speeches
b. Summarize and paraphrase information in increasingly
challenging texts, identifying key ideas, supporting
details, inconsistencies, and ambiguities
c. Locate important details and facts that support ideas,
arguments, or inferences in increasingly challenging
texts and substantiate analyses with textual examples
that may be in widely separated sections of the text or in
other sources
d. Distinguish between fact and opinion, basing judgments
on evidence and reasoning
7. Literary Criticism
a. Select and apply to increasingly challenging texts the
relevant terms (e.g., archetypal, oedipal, hegemony)
from a number of critical theories
b. Evaluate a work of literature from a variety of
perspectives (e.g., applying a feminist perspective to
Kate Chopin’s novel The Awakening)
c. Read literary criticism to learn different ways of
interpreting increasingly challenging literary texts
11
© 2011 by ACT, Inc. All rights reserved.
Comments
English 11 Course Standards
Gap 1
Gap 2
8. Words and Their History
a. Apply knowledge of Greek, Latin, and Anglo-Saxon
affixes, inflections, and roots to understand unfamiliar
words and new subject matter vocabulary in increasingly
challenging texts (e.g., words in science, mathematics,
and social studies)
b. Infer word meanings by analyzing relationships between
words (e.g., synonyms, antonyms, metaphors,
analogies) in increasingly challenging texts
c. Use general and specialized dictionaries, thesauruses,
and glossaries (print and electronic) to determine the
definition, pronunciation, derivation, spelling, and usage
of words
d. Use context clues (e.g., author’s restatement, example)
to understand unfamiliar words in increasingly
challenging texts
e. Comprehend foreign words and phrases in texts that are
commonly used in English
f. Identify and interpret common idioms and literary,
classical, and biblical allusions (e.g., the garden of Eden
as it is used in Thomas Hardy’s novel Tess of the
D’Urbervilles) in increasingly challenging texts
g. Describe and provide examples of the ways past and
present events (e.g., cultural, political, technological,
scientific) have influenced the English language
h. Apply knowledge of connotation and denotation to
determine the meanings of words and phrases in
increasingly challenging texts
B. Writing
1. Writing Process
a. Use prewriting strategies (e.g., brainstorming, webbing,
note taking, interviewing, background reading) to
generate, focus, and organize ideas as well as to gather
information
b. Analyze writing assignments in terms of purpose and
audience to determine which strategies to use (e.g.,
writing a speech to inform versus a speech to persuade)
c. Create and use various tools (e.g., rubrics, checklists,
models, writing conferences) to revise, refine, edit, and
proofread own and others’ writing, using appropriate
rhetorical, logical, and stylistic criteria for assessing the
final versions of compositions
12
© 2011 by ACT, Inc. All rights reserved.
Comments
English 11 Course Standards
Gap 1
Gap 2
d. Prepare writing for publication by choosing the most
appropriate format, considering principles of design (e.g.,
margins, tabs, spacing, columns) and the use of various
fonts and graphics (e.g., drawings, charts, graphs); use
electronic resources to enhance the final product
2. Modes of Writing for Different Purposes and Audiences
a. Craft first and final drafts of expressive, reflective, or
creative texts (e.g., poetry, scripts) that use a range of
literary devices (e.g., figurative language, sound devices,
stage directions) to convey a specific effect
b. Craft first and final drafts of informational essays or
reports that provide clear and accurate perspectives on
the subject; support the main ideas with facts, details,
and examples; and make distinctions about the relative
value and significance of those facts, details, and
examples
c. Craft first and final drafts of persuasive papers that
articulate a clear position; support assertions using
rhetorical devices, including personal anecdotes and
appeals to emotion or logic; and develop arguments
using a variety of methods
d. Craft first and final drafts of responses to literature that
organize an insightful interpretation around several clear
ideas, premises, or images and support judgments with
specific references to the original text and to other texts
or authors
e. Craft first and final drafts of workplace and other real-life
writing (e.g., resumes, editorials, college entrance and/or
scholarship essays) that are appropriate to the audience,
provide clear and purposeful information, and use a
format appropriate to the task
3. Organization, Unity, and Coherence
a. Establish and develop a clear thesis statement for
informational writing or a clear plan or outline for
narrative writing
b. Organize writing to create a coherent whole with
effective, fully developed paragraphs, similar ideas
grouped together for unity, and paragraphs arranged in a
logical sequence
c. Add important information and delete irrelevant
information and details to more clearly establish a central
idea
d. Rearrange words, sentences, and/or paragraphs and
add transitional words and phrases to clarify meaning
and to achieve specific aesthetic and rhetorical purposes
e. Write an introduction that engages the reader and a
conclusion that summarizes, extends, or elaborates
points or ideas in the writing
13
© 2011 by ACT, Inc. All rights reserved.
Comments
English 11 Course Standards
Gap 1
Gap 2
4. Sentence-Level Constructions
a. Recognize and correct errors that weaken writing,
including nonparallel structure, shifts from active to
passive voice, misused modifiers, and awkward
sentence construction
b. Combine phrases and clauses to create sentences of
varying lengths and sophistication (e.g., simple,
compound-complex, balanced, periodic, cumulative) and
to coordinate or subordinate meaning for effect
c. Use parallel structure to present items in a series and
items juxtaposed for emphasis
d. Evaluate own sentence style by identifying common
sentence patterns and constructions
e. Use resources and reference materials (e.g., dictionaries
and thesauruses) to select effective and precise
vocabulary that maintains consistent style, tone, and
voice
f. Use formal, informal, standard, and technical language
effectively to meet the needs of audience and purpose
g. Use strong action verbs, sensory details, vivid imagery,
and precise words
5. Conventions of Usage
a. Correctly spell commonly misspelled/confused words
b. Correctly choose verb forms in terms of tense, voice (i.e.,
active and passive), and mood for continuity
c. Make subject and verb agree in number, even when a
phrase or clause between the two suggests a different
number for the verb
d. Use pronouns correctly (e.g., appropriate case, pronounantecedent agreement, clear pronoun reference)
e. Correctly choose adjectives, adjective phrases, adjective
clauses, adverbs, adverb phrases, and adverb clauses
and their forms for logical connection to word(s) modified
14
© 2011 by ACT, Inc. All rights reserved.
Comments
English 11 Course Standards
Gap 1
Gap 2
f. Correctly use parts of speech
6. Conventions of Punctuation
a. Recognize that several correct punctuation choices
create different effects (e.g., joining two independent
clauses in a variety of ways)
b. Use punctuation correctly within sentences and words
c. Demonstrate correct use of capitalization
C. Research
a. Use research methods (e.g., background reading, online
searches, surveys, interviews) to locate and collect
reliable information from print and nonprint sources
b. Decide on a research question and develop a
hypothesis, modifying questions as necessary during the
project to further narrow the focus or extend the
investigation
c. Evaluate multiple sources of information for accuracy,
credibility, currency, utility, relevance, reliability, and
perspective
d. Identify discrepancies in information, recognize the
complexities of issues conveyed about the topic, and
systematically organize the information to support central
ideas, concepts, or themes
e. Summarize, paraphrase, and directly quote from
sources, including the Internet, to support the thesis of
the paper and/or presentation; accurately cite every
source to avoid compromising others’ intellectual
property (i.e., plagiarism)
f. Compose a research paper that maintains an
appropriate balance between researched information
and original ideas, anticipates counterarguments, blends
quotations into its body gracefully, and includes title
page, outline, first and final drafts, and works-cited page,
adhering to MLA or other stylebook guidelines
D. Listening, Viewing, and Speaking
1. Comprehension and Analysis
a. Recognize the main ideas in a variety of oral
presentations and draw valid conclusions
15
© 2011 by ACT, Inc. All rights reserved.
Comments
English 11 Course Standards
Gap 1
Gap 2
b. Identify and evaluate the effect of logical fallacies (e.g.,
overgeneralization, bandwagon) and the presence of
biases and stereotypes in television and print
advertising, speeches, newspaper articles, and Internet
advertisements
c. Analyze the effectiveness and validity of arguments (e.g.,
causation, analogy, inductive and deductive reasoning,
appeals to emotion or authority) in visual and oral texts
d. Compare how different media forms (e.g., television
news, news magazines, documentaries, online news
sources) cover the same event
e. Analyze and evaluate the way language choice (e.g.,
repetition, use of rhetorical questions) and delivery style
(e.g., eye contact, nonverbal messages) affect the mood
and tone of the communication and make an impact on
the audience
2. Application
a. Use elements of speech forms—introduction, transitions,
body, and conclusion—including the use of facts, literary
quotations, anecdotes, and/or references to authoritative
sources
b. Use effective delivery skills (e.g., appropriate volume,
inflection, articulation, gestures, eye contact, posture,
facial expression)
c. Give impromptu and planned presentations (e.g.,
debates, formal meetings) that stay on topic and/or
adhere to prepared notes
d. Write and deliver informational speeches that present a
clear and distinctive perspective on the subject and
support the controlling idea with well-chosen and wellorganized facts and details from a variety of sources
e. Write and deliver persuasive speeches that use logical,
emotional, and ethical appeals; establish and develop a
logical and structured argument; anticipate audience
concerns and counterarguments; and include relevant
evidence from a variety of sources
f. Apply analytic and active listening strategies (e.g.,
paraphrasing, monitoring messages for clarity, selecting
and organizing essential information, noting change-ofpace cues) in formal and informal settings
g. Actively participate in small-group and large-group
discussions, assuming various roles
16
© 2011 by ACT, Inc. All rights reserved.
Comments
English 11 Course Standards
Gap 1
Gap 2
Comments
E. Study Skills and Test Taking
a. Apply active reading, listening, and viewing techniques
by taking notes on classroom discussions, lectures, oral
and/or video presentations, or assigned at-home
reading, and by underlining key passages and writing
comments in journals or in margins of texts, where
permitted
b. Demonstrate organizational skills such as keeping a
daily calendar of assignments and activities and
maintaining a notebook of classwork
c. Use appropriate essay-test-taking and timed-writing
strategies that address and analyze the question
(prompt)
d. Demonstrate familiarity with test formats and test
administration procedures to increase speed and
accuracy
17
© 2011 by ACT, Inc. All rights reserved.
ER.E11-CS.1.1
The ResearchDriven Solution
to Raise the
Quality of High
School Core
Courses
English 11
Course Outline
Read independently for a variety of purposes (e.g., for enjoyment, to gain information, to perform a task)
Read increasingly challenging whole texts in a variety of literary (e.g., poetry, drama, fiction, nonfiction) and nonliterary (e.g., textbooks, news articles, memoranda) forms
b.
c.
Use metacognitive skills (i.e., monitor, regulate, and orchestrate one’s understanding) when reading increasingly challenging texts, using the most appropriate “fix-up” strategies
(e.g., rereading, reading on, changing rate of reading, subvocalizing)
Demonstrate comprehension of increasingly challenging texts (both print and nonprint sources) by asking and answering literal, interpretive, and evaluative questions
Use close-reading strategies (e.g., visualizing, annotating, questioning) in order to interpret increasingly challenging texts
Compare texts to previously read texts, past and present events, and/or content learned in other coursework
b.
c.
d.
e.
Read contrasting literary works (e.g., romantic and ironic, comic and tragic) and determine how the forms influence structure and movement within the texts (e.g., reading William
Shakespeare’s tragic play Hamlet and Tom Stoppard’s comedic play Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead)
Read dramatic literature (e.g., M. Butterfly, The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail) and analyze its conventions to identify how they express a writer’s meaning
Identify and interpret works in various poetic forms (e.g., ballad, ode, sonnet) and explain how meaning is conveyed through features of poetry, including sound (e.g., rhythm,
repetition, alliteration), structure (e.g., meter, rhyme scheme), graphic elements (e.g., punctuation, line length, word position), and poetic devices (e.g., metaphor, imagery,
personification, tone, symbolism)
b.
c.
d.
Introduction to English 11:
Persuading with Style
© 2011 by ACT, Inc. All rights reserved.
English 11
= Course Standards addressed in the Model Instructional Unit or in other Model Instructional
Units available through the Professional Development package
 = Course Standards included in the Instructional Units Plan

Edgar Allan Poe’s Journey
Through Life and Literature
d. Identify, analyze, and evaluate the author’s use of parallel plots and subplots in increasingly challenging texts
Searching for “Everybody’s
Zora” in Zora Neale Hurston’s
Life and Work









Critical Encounters with
The Great Gatsby
c. Identify, analyze, and evaluate plot, character development, setting, theme, mood, and point of view as they are used together to create meaning in increasingly challenging texts
b. Recognize an author’s choice of narration and evaluate how it affects characterization and credibility in increasingly challenging texts
a. Critique the effectiveness of the organizational pattern (e.g., comparison/contrast, cause/effect, problem/solution) and how clarity of meaning is affected by the writer’s techniques
(e.g., repetition of ideas, syntax, word choice) in increasingly challenging texts
5. Author’s Voice and Method
c. Explain the effects of the author’s life upon his or her work (e.g., Alexander Solzhenitsyn’s experience in the gulag as reflected in his novel One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich)
b. Analyze and evaluate the influence of traditional and mythic literature on later literature and film (e.g., the quest for the holy grail as depicted in Terry Gilliam’s film The Fisher
King)
a. Explain the relationship between the time in which a literary work is set, the time during which the author wrote, and the time in which the reader reads (e.g., Arthur Miller’s play
The Crucible as a comment on the McCarthy era)
4. Influences on Texts
Identify, analyze, and evaluate the defining characteristics of specific literary and nonliterary forms (e.g., satire, allegory, parody, editorial, essay, memorandum) and describe how
form affects the meaning and function of the texts
a.
3. Knowledge of Literary and Nonliterary Forms
Apply strategies before, during, and after reading to increase fluency and comprehension (e.g., adjusting purpose, previewing, scanning, making predictions, comparing, inferring,
summarizing, using graphic organizers) with increasingly challenging texts
a.
2. Reading Strategies
Choose materials for independent reading on the basis of specific criteria (e.g., personal interest, own reading level, knowledge of authors and literary or nonliterary forms)
a.
1. Reading Across the Curriculum
A. Reading
ACT Course Standards—English 11
Drama and Politics











Research
Unit 4
Unit 5
Unit 6
Unit 7
Unit 1
Unit 2
Unit 3
(20 days) (20 days) (27 days) (20 days) (15 days) (25 days) (15 days)
English 11 Course Outline






Speeches
ER.E11-OU.1.2
Page 2 of 6
Introduction to English 11:
Persuading with Style

c. Read literary criticism to learn different ways of interpreting increasingly challenging literary texts

© 2011 by ACT, Inc. All rights reserved.
English 11
= Course Standards addressed in the Model Instructional Unit or in other Model Instructional
Units available through the Professional Development package
h. Apply knowledge of connotation and denotation to determine the meanings of words and phrases in increasingly challenging texts
g. Describe and provide examples of the ways past and present events (e.g., cultural, political, technological, scientific) have influenced the English language
 = Course Standards included in the Instructional Units Plan
f. Identify and interpret common idioms and literary, classical, and biblical allusions (e.g., the garden of Eden as it is used in Thomas Hardy’s novel Tess of the D’Urbervilles) in
increasingly challenging texts
e. Comprehend foreign words and phrases in texts that are commonly used in English


c. Use general and specialized dictionaries, thesauruses, and glossaries (print and electronic) to determine the definition, pronunciation, derivation, spelling, and usage of words


b. Infer word meanings by analyzing relationships between words in analogical/metaphorical statements in increasingly challenging texts
d. Use context clues (e.g., author’s restatement, example) to understand unfamiliar words in increasingly challenging texts


a. Apply knowledge of Greek, Latin, and Anglo-Saxon affixes, inflections, and roots to understand unfamiliar words and new subject matter vocabulary in increasingly challenging
texts (e.g., words in science, mathematics, and social studies)


b. Evaluate a work of literature from a variety of perspectives (e.g., applying a feminist perspective to Kate Chopin’s novel The Awakening)
8. Words and Their History

a. Select and apply to increasingly challenging texts the relevant terms (e.g., archetype, oedipal, hegemony) from a number of critical theories


d. Distinguish between fact and opinion, basing judgments on evidence and reasoning
7. Literary Criticism

c. Locate important details and facts that support ideas, arguments, or inferences in increasingly challenging texts and substantiate analyses with textual examples that may be in
widely separated sections of the text or in other sources




b. Summarize and paraphrase information in increasingly challenging texts, identifying key ideas, supporting details, inconsistencies, and ambiguities
a. Distinguish between valid and invalid arguments; provide evidence to support the author’s findings; and note instances of unsupported inferences, fallacious reasoning, and
propaganda techniques used in literature, film, advertising, and/or speeches
6. Persuasive Language and Logic

h. Identify the author’s stated or implied purpose in increasingly challenging texts




Drama and Politics
g. Evaluate ways authors develop style to achieve specific rhetorical and aesthetic purposes, noting the impact of diction and figurative language on tone, mood, and theme; cite
specific examples from increasingly challenging texts

Edgar Allan Poe’s Journey
Through Life and Literature
f. Critique the treatment and scope of ideas from multiple sources on the same topic, noting the authors’ implicit and explicit philosophical assumptions and beliefs (e.g., analyze the
treatment of Africa in Chinua Achebe’s novel Things Fall Apart and Joseph Conrad’s novel Heart of Darkness)
Searching for “Everybody’s
Zora” in Zora Neale Hurston’s
Life and Work

Critical Encounters with
The Great Gatsby
e. Identify, analyze, and evaluate the ways in which the devices the author chooses (e.g., irony, imagery, tone, sound techniques, foreshadowing, symbolism) achieve specific
effects and shape meaning in increasingly challenging texts
5. Author’s Voice and Method (continued)
A. Reading (continued)
ACT Course Standards—English 11
Research
Unit 4
Unit 5
Unit 6
Unit 7
Unit 1
Unit 2
Unit 3
(20 days) (20 days) (27 days) (20 days) (15 days) (25 days) (15 days)
English 11 Course Outline
Speeches
ER.E11-OU.1.2
Page 3 of 6


d. Craft first and final drafts of responses to literature that organize an insightful interpretation around several clear ideas, premises, or images and support judgments with specific
references to the original text and to other texts or authors
e. Craft first and final drafts of workplace and other real-life writing (e.g., resumes, editorials, college entrance and/or scholarship essays) that are appropriate to the audience,
provide clear and purposeful information, and use a format appropriate to the task

f. Use formal, informal, standard, and technical language effectively to meet the needs of audience and purpose
© 2011 by ACT, Inc. All rights reserved.
English 11
= Course Standards addressed in the Model Instructional Unit or in other Model Instructional
Units available through the Professional Development package
 = Course Standards included in the Instructional Units Plan

e. Use resources and reference materials (e.g., dictionaries and thesauruses) to select effective and precise vocabulary that maintains consistent style, tone, and voice
g. Use strong action verbs, sensory details, vivid imagery, and precise words

d. Evaluate own sentence style by identifying common sentence patterns and constructions
c. Use parallel structure to present items in a series and items juxtaposed for emphasis
b. Combine phrases and clauses to create sentences of varying lengths and sophistication (e.g., simple, compound-complex, balanced, periodic, cumulative) and to coordinate or
subordinate meaning for effect
a. Recognize and correct errors that weaken writing, including nonparallel structure, shifts from active to passive voice, misused modifiers, and awkward sentence construction






e. Write an introduction that engages the reader and a conclusion that summarizes, extends, or elaborates points or ideas in the writing
4. Sentence-Level Constructions




d. Rearrange words, sentences, and/or paragraphs and add transitional words and phrases to clarify meaning and to achieve specific aesthetic and rhetorical purposes


b. Organize writing to create a coherent whole with effective, fully developed paragraphs, similar ideas grouped together for unity, and paragraphs arranged in a logical sequence
c. Add important information and delete irrelevant information and details to more clearly establish a central idea

a. Establish and develop a clear thesis statement for informational writing or a clear plan or outline for narrative writing
3. Organization, Unity, and Coherence

c. Craft first and final drafts of persuasive papers that articulate a clear position; support assertions using rhetorical devices, including personal anecdotes and appeals to emotion or
logic; and develop arguments using a variety of methods
b. Craft first and final drafts of informational essays or reports that provide clear and accurate perspectives on the subject; support the main ideas with facts, details, and examples;
and make distinctions about the relative value and significance of those facts, details, and examples
a. Craft first and final drafts of expressive, reflective, or creative texts (e.g., poetry, scripts) that use a range of literary devices (e.g., figurative language, sound devices, stage
directions) to convey a specific effect









d. Prepare writing for publication by choosing the most appropriate format, considering principles of design (e.g., margins, tabs, spacing, columns) and the use of various fonts and
graphics (e.g., drawings, charts, graphs); use electronic resources to enhance the final product
2. Modes of Writing for Different Purposes and Audiences

Introduction to English 11:
Persuading with Style
c. Create and use various tools (e.g., rubrics, checklists, models, writing conferences) to revise, refine, edit, and proofread own and others’ writing, using appropriate rhetorical,
logical, and stylistic criteria for assessing the final versions of compositions
Edgar Allan Poe’s Journey
Through Life and Literature

Searching for “Everybody’s
Zora” in Zora Neale Hurston’s
Life and Work
b. Analyze writing assignments in terms of purpose and audience to determine which strategies to use (e.g., writing a speech to inform versus a speech to persuade)
Critical Encounters with
The Great Gatsby


Drama and Politics
a. Use prewriting strategies (e.g., brainstorming, webbing, note taking, interviewing, background reading) to generate, focus, and organize ideas as well as to gather information
1. Writing Process
B. Writing
ACT Course Standards—English 11
Research
Unit 4
Unit 5
Unit 6
Unit 7
Unit 1
Unit 2
Unit 3
(20 days) (20 days) (27 days) (20 days) (15 days) (25 days) (15 days)
English 11 Course Outline

Speeches
ER.E11-OU.1.2
Page 4 of 6



d. Use pronouns correctly (e.g., appropriate case, pronoun-antecedent agreement, clear pronoun reference)
e. Correctly choose adjectives, adjective phrases, adjective clauses, adverbs, adverb phrases, and adverb clauses and their forms for logical connection to word(s) modified
f. Correctly use parts of speech


b. Use punctuation correctly within sentences and words
c. Demonstrate correct use of capitalization

d. Identify discrepancies in information, recognize the complexities of issues conveyed about the topic, and systematically organize the information to support central ideas,
concepts, or themes

f. Compose a research paper that maintains an appropriate balance between researched information and original ideas, anticipates counterarguments, blends quotations into its
body gracefully, and includes title page, outline, first and final drafts, and works-cited page, adhering to MLA or other stylebook guidelines


d. Compare how different media forms (e.g., television news, news magazines, documentaries, online news sources) cover the same event
e. Analyze and evaluate the way language choice (e.g., repetition, use of rhetorical questions) and delivery style (e.g., eye contact, nonverbal messages) affect the mood and tone of
the communication and make an impact on the audience
© 2011 by ACT, Inc. All rights reserved.
 = Course Standards included in the Instructional Units Plan

c. Analyze the effectiveness and validity of arguments (e.g., causation, analogy, inductive and deductive reasoning, appeals to emotion or authority) in visual and oral texts
= Course Standards addressed in the Model Instructional Unit or in other Model Instructional
Units available through the Professional Development package

b. Identify and evaluate the effect of logical fallacies (e.g., overgeneralization, bandwagon) and the presence of biases and stereotypes in television and print advertising, speeches,
newspaper articles, and Internet advertisements
English 11

a. Recognize the main ideas in a variety of oral presentations and draw valid conclusions
1. Comprehension and Analysis
D. Listening, Viewing, and Speaking

e. Summarize, paraphrase, and directly quote from sources, including the Internet, to support the thesis of the paper and/or presentation; accurately cite every source to avoid
compromising others’ intellectual property (i.e., plagiarism)



c. Evaluate multiple sources of information for accuracy, credibility, currency, utility, relevance, reliability, and perspective




















Drama and Politics
b. Decide on a research question and develop a hypothesis, modifying questions as necessary during the project to further narrow the focus or extend the investigation
a. Use research methods (e.g., background reading, online searches, surveys, interviews) to locate and collect reliable information from print and nonprint sources
C. Research

a. Recognize that several correct punctuation choices create different effects (e.g., joining two independent clauses in a variety of ways)
6. Conventions of Punctuation

c. Make subject and verb agree in number, even when a phrase or clause between the two suggests a different number for the verb
Introduction to English 11:
Persuading with Style

Edgar Allan Poe’s Journey
Through Life and Literature
b. Correctly choose verb forms in terms of tense, voice (i.e., active and passive), and mood for continuity
Searching for “Everybody’s
Zora” in Zora Neale Hurston’s
Life and Work

Critical Encounters with
The Great Gatsby
a. Correctly spell commonly misspelled/confused words
5. Conventions of Usage
B. Writing (continued)
ACT Course Standards—English 11
Research
Unit 4
Unit 5
Unit 6
Unit 7
Unit 1
Unit 2
Unit 3
(20 days) (20 days) (27 days) (20 days) (15 days) (25 days) (15 days)
English 11 Course Outline



Speeches
ER.E11-OU.1.2
Page 5 of 6



f. Apply analytic and active listening strategies (e.g., paraphrasing, monitoring messages for clarity, selecting and organizing essential information, noting change-of-pace cues) in
formal and informal settings
g. Actively participate in small-group and large-group discussions, assuming various roles
© 2011 by ACT, Inc. All rights reserved.
English 11
= Course Standards addressed in the Model Instructional Unit or in other Model Instructional
Units available through the Professional Development package
d. Demonstrate familiarity with test formats and test administration procedures to increase speed and accuracy
c. Use appropriate essay-test-taking and timed-writing strategies that address and analyze the question (prompt)
b. Demonstrate organizational skills such as keeping a daily calendar of assignments and activities and maintaining a notebook of classwork
 = Course Standards included in the Instructional Units Plan
a. Apply active reading, listening, and viewing techniques by taking notes on classroom discussions, lectures, oral and/or video presentations, or assigned at-home reading, and by
underlining key passages and writing comments in journals or in margins of texts, where permitted
E. Study Skills and Test Taking


d. Write and deliver informational speeches that present a clear, distinctive perspective on the subject and support the controlling idea with well-chosen and well-organized facts and
details from a variety of sources


e. Write and deliver persuasive speeches that use logical, emotional, and ethical appeals; establish and develop a logical and structured argument; anticipate audience concerns
and counterarguments; and include relevant evidence from a variety of sources

Introduction to English 11:
Persuading with Style
c. Give impromptu and planned presentations (e.g., debates, formal meetings) that stay on topic and/or adhere to prepared notes
Edgar Allan Poe’s Journey
Through Life and Literature

Searching for “Everybody’s
Zora” in Zora Neale Hurston’s
Life and Work
b. Use effective delivery skills (e.g., appropriate volume, inflection, articulation, gestures, eye contact, posture, facial expression)

Critical Encounters with
The Great Gatsby

Drama and Politics
a. Use elements of speech forms—introduction, transitions, body, and conclusion—including the use of facts, literary quotations, anecdotes, and/or references to authoritative
sources
2. Application
D. Listening, Viewing, and Speaking (continued)
ACT Course Standards—English 11
Research
Unit 4
Unit 5
Unit 6
Unit 7
Unit 1
Unit 2
Unit 3
(20 days) (20 days) (27 days) (20 days) (15 days) (25 days) (15 days)
English 11 Course Outline
Speeches
ER.E11-OU.1.2
Page 6 of 6
The ResearchDriven Solution
to Raise the
Quality of High
School Core
Courses
English 11
End-of-Course Test Blueprint
Test Blueprint
QualityCore End-of-Course Assessment
®
English 11
®
The QualityCore End-of-Course (EOC) system is modular, consisting of either two 35–38 item
multiple-choice components or one 35–38 item multiple-choice component combined with a
constructed-response component. This approach to measuring achievement of ACT Course
Standards allows users to select the configuration that best meets their particular needs, while
still receiving scores on a standardized QualityCore scale.
The EOC Test Blueprint tables below show how the test items are distributed across reporting
categories and depth-of-knowledge levels. The tables display ranges of the percentages of
operational multiple-choice items and the number of operational constructed-response items per
test. Sample standards by reporting category are provided, along with definitions of the depthof-knowledge thinking processes covered by the assessment. The constructed-response
scoring guide is also presented.
Percent of
multiple-choice
items
Number of
constructedresponse items
Reading Comprehension
25–50
—
Critical Reading
35–55
—
Modes of Writing
0–10
—
Mechanics of Writing
10–20
—
—
1
100
1
Percent of
multiple-choice
items
Number of
constructedresponse items
Level 1 — Literal
15–25
—
Level 2 — Interpretive
50–70
—
Level 3 — Evaluative
15–25
1
100
1
Reporting category
Essay
Total
Depth of Knowledge
Total
Sample ACT Course Standards by Reporting Category
Reading Comprehension
• Identify key characteristics of various literary genres; evaluate impact on meaning in
increasingly complex texts
• Identify, analyze, and evaluate impact on meaning of character development, setting,
theme, mood, and point of view in increasingly challenging texts
2
© 2011 by ACT, Inc. All rights reserved.
Test Blueprint—English 11
•
•
•
•
Summarize and evaluate information in increasingly challenging texts
Identify and analyze impact of tone, diction, and figurative language on meaning in
increasingly challenging texts
Infer word meanings by analyzing relationships between words
Evaluate and analyze how organization, word choice, and persuasive techniques impact
meaning in increasingly challenging texts
Critical Reading
• Evaluate and analyze various common literary devices
• Analyze various common poetic devices; evaluate impact on meaning in increasingly
challenging texts
• Analyze persuasive techniques; evaluate impact on bias in complex arguments
• Evaluate and analyze important details in texts, drawing inferences from textual
examples
• Analyze and explain important textual details to support conclusions
Modes of Writing (only if second multiple-choice component is administered)
• Analyze effective use of such literary devices as figurative language, sound devices, and
stage directions in increasingly complex texts
• Evaluate effective use of organizational techniques in writing and identify impact on
meaning in texts
• Analyze information; evaluate relevance to author’s argument
• Analyze and use effective organizational strategies to clarify meaning and maintain
consistency
Mechanics of Writing
• Identify and correct errors in sentence construction and evaluate how various
constructions impact meaning, style, and tone
• Correctly use pronouns, such as appropriate case, pronoun-antecedent agreement,
clear pronoun reference; correct errors in punctuation and capitalization
• Evaluate impact of punctuation choices on meaning in increasingly challenging texts
Essay (only if constructed-response component is administered)
• Craft a first draft of a persuasive essay that articulates a clear position in response to a
reading passage; demonstrate insightful understanding of the passage
• Effectively develop and support a position using convincing evidence; maintain clear
focus on critical ideas
• Effectively organize a discussion using logical progression of ideas and effective
transitions; employ an engaging introduction and effective conclusion
• Demonstrate good command of language through well-constructed sentences and
precise word choice; maintain appropriate voice and tone; express ideas clearly with
correct grammar, usage, and mechanics
Thinking Processes
ACT uses the depth-of-knowledge (DOK) levels (Webb, 2002) to describe the thinking
processes assessed by the EOC tests. Webb developed labels and descriptions of the DOK
levels specifically for English Language Arts.†
†
Webb, Norman L. (2002). Depth-of-Knowledge Levels for Four Content Areas. Retrieved from
http://facstaff.wcer.wisc.edu/normw/All%20content%20areas%20%20DOK%20levels%2032802.doc
3
© 2011 by ACT, Inc. All rights reserved.
Test Blueprint—English 11
Level 1: Recall (Literal) requires students to recite facts or to use simple skills or abilities.
Items require only a literal understanding of text and often consist of verbatim recall from text.
Level 1 items require students to:
• Support ideas by reference to details in a passage
• Identify figurative language in a passage
• Use appropriate grammar, punctuation, capitalization, and spelling
• Recall elements and details of passage structure, such as sequence of events,
character, plot, and setting
Level 2: Skill/Concept (Interpretive) requires mental processing that goes beyond recalling or
reproducing an answer. It involves comprehension and subsequent processing of text;
intersentence analysis and inference are required. The cognitive demands are more complex
than in Level 1. Level 2 items require students to:
• Identify and summarize major events, main ideas, and pertinent details
• Use context clues to determine the meaning of a word
• Predict a logical outcome based on information in a passage
• Use organizational strategies to structure written work
Level 3: Strategic Thinking (Evaluative) requires planning, thinking, explaining, justifying,
using evidence, conjecturing, and postulating. The cognitive demands are complex and
abstract, going beyond Level 2. Level 3 items require students to:
• Evaluate writing and writing strategies
• Describe the author’s purpose and how it affects the interpretation of a passage
• Analyze and describe the characteristics of a passage
• Infer across an entire passage
• Identify abstract themes
• Use voice appropriate to the purpose and audience
• Edit writing to produce a logical progression of ideas
• Analyze and synthesize information
QualityCore English 11 Analytic Scoring Guide
Purpose of Task: To Persuade
For each English constructed-response item, four separate analytic scores (ranging from 1 to 6)
are given: viewpoint, development, organization, and language. These scores are added
together and are reported as the Essay subscore. No score is given to an essay that is blank,
off-topic, illegible, or written in another language.
VIEWPOINT SCORE
Score of 6: Essays at this score point demonstrate effective skill in writing to persuade.
The essay takes a clear position in response to the reading passage, demonstrates insightful
understanding of the passage, and addresses the significance of the ideas and/or values
reflected in the passage.
Score of 5: Essays at this score point demonstrate competent skill in writing to
persuade. The essay takes a clear position in response to the reading passage, demonstrates
clear understanding of the passage, and partially addresses the significance of the ideas and/or
values reflected in the passage.
4
© 2011 by ACT, Inc. All rights reserved.
Test Blueprint—English 11
Score of 4: Essays at this score point demonstrate adequate skill in writing to persuade.
The essay takes a clear position in response to the reading passage, demonstrates satisfactory
understanding of the passage, and establishes the significance of the ideas and/or values
reflected in the passage.
Score of 3: Essays at this score point demonstrate some developing skill in writing to
persuade. The essay takes a position in response to the reading passage and demonstrates
basic understanding of the passage, but offers little recognition of the significance of the ideas
and/or values reflected in the passage.
Score of 2: Essays at this score point demonstrate inconsistent or weak skill in writing to
persuade. The essay takes a position, though the writer’s position is not entirely relevant to the
reading passage and only limited understanding of the passage is demonstrated. There is little
or no recognition of the significance of the ideas and/or values reflected in the passage.
Score of 1: Essays at this score point demonstrate little or no skill in writing to persuade.
The essay may not take a position; if it does, the writer’s position is not clearly relevant to the
reading passage. No accurate understanding of the passage is demonstrated. There is no
recognition of the significance of the ideas and/or values reflected in the passage.
DEVELOPMENT SCORE
Score of 6: Essays at this score point demonstrate effective skill in writing to persuade.
The essay effectively supports the writer’s position with ample convincing evidence drawn from
the reading passage and/or the writer's own knowledge and experience. Ideas are thoroughly
explained. The essay maintains a clear and consistent focus on critical ideas.
Score of 5: Essays at this score point demonstrate competent skill in writing to
persuade. The essay competently supports the writer’s position with sufficient relevant
evidence drawn from the reading passage and/or the writer's own knowledge and experience.
Ideas are clearly explained. The essay maintains focus on critical ideas.
Score of 4: Essays at this score point demonstrate adequate skill in writing to persuade.
The essay adequately supports the writer’s position with some relevant evidence drawn from
the reading passage and/or the writer's own knowledge and experience. Ideas are adequately
explained. The essay maintains focus on ideas appropriate to the task.
Score of 3: Essays at this score point demonstrate some developing skill in writing to
persuade. The essay somewhat supports the writer’s position with a little relevant evidence
drawn from the reading passage and/or the writer's own knowledge and experience. Ideas are
only somewhat explained. The essay usually focuses on ideas appropriate to the task.
Score of 2: Essays at this score point demonstrate inconsistent or weak skill in writing to
persuade. The essay minimally supports the writer’s position with weak or irrelevant evidence
drawn from the reading passage and/or the writer's own knowledge and experience.
Explanations are unclear or incomplete. The essay only sometimes focuses on ideas
appropriate to the task.
Score of 1: Essays at this score point demonstrate little or no skill in writing to persuade.
The essay provides minimal support for any claims and may not provide any evidence drawn
from the reading passage or the writer's own knowledge or experience. The essay lacks
explanation of ideas and focuses very little on ideas appropriate to the task.
5
© 2011 by ACT, Inc. All rights reserved.
Test Blueprint—English 11
ORGANIZATION SCORE
Score of 6: Essays at this score point demonstrate effective skill in writing to persuade.
Organization is unified and coherent, with a logical progression of ideas and effective transitions
that clarify relationships among ideas. The essay includes a clear, engaging introduction and an
effective conclusion that may extend or elaborate ideas.
Score of 5: Essays at this score point demonstrate competent skill in writing to
persuade. Organization is coherent, with some logical progression of ideas and clear transitions
that clarify relationships among ideas. The essay includes a clear, well-developed introduction
and a developed conclusion.
Score of 4: Essays at this score point demonstrate adequate skill in writing to persuade.
Organization is apparent, with ideas logically grouped and some transitions that clarify
relationships among ideas. The essay includes a clear, somewhat developed introduction and
conclusion.
Score of 3: Essays at this score point demonstrate some developing skill in writing to
persuade. Organization is simple, with most ideas logically grouped. A few transitions are used
to clarify relationships among ideas. The essay includes an underdeveloped introduction and a
brief conclusion.
Score of 2: Essays at this score point demonstrate inconsistent or weak skill in writing to
persuade. Organization is simple, with some ideas logically grouped and a few transitions used.
The essay has a brief introduction and may have a brief conclusion.
Score of 1: Essays at this score point demonstrate little or no skill in writing to persuade.
Organization of ideas is not clear, with little or no evidence of the logical grouping of ideas. The
essay has a very brief introduction but may have no conclusion.
LANGUAGE SCORE
Score of 6: Essays at this score point demonstrate effective skill in writing to persuade. A
variety of well-constructed sentences and precise word choice clearly and effectively convey
ideas. The writer’s voice and tone are appropriate for the persuasive purpose and are
maintained throughout the essay. Although there may be a few minor errors in grammar, usage,
and mechanics, meaning is clear throughout the essay.
Score of 5: Essays at this score point demonstrate competent skill in writing to
persuade. Varied sentence construction and some precise word choice clearly convey ideas.
The writer’s voice and tone are appropriate for the persuasive purpose and are maintained
throughout most of the essay. There may be a few errors in grammar, usage, and mechanics,
but they are rarely distracting and meaning is clear.
Score of 4: Essays at this score point demonstrate adequate skill in writing to persuade.
Sentences and word choice are usually clear and adequately convey ideas. The writer’s voice
and tone are appropriate for the persuasive purpose, though they may not be consistently
maintained. There may be some distracting errors in grammar, usage, and mechanics, but
meaning is usually clear.
6
© 2011 by ACT, Inc. All rights reserved.
Test Blueprint—English 11
Score of 3: Essays at this score point demonstrate some developing skill in writing to
persuade. Most sentences convey ideas clearly, and word choice is general. The writer’s voice
and tone are somewhat appropriate for the persuasive purpose, but they are inconsistently
maintained. Errors in grammar, usage, and mechanics may be distracting and may occasionally
impede understanding.
Score of 2: Essays at this score point demonstrate inconsistent or weak skill in writing to
persuade. Some sentences convey ideas clearly, and word choice is basic. Voice and tone are
inconsistent and may not be appropriate for the persuasive purpose. Errors in grammar, usage,
and mechanics may frequently be distracting and may sometimes impede understanding.
Score of 1: Essays at this score point demonstrate little or no skill in writing to persuade.
A few sentences and some word choices convey ideas clearly. Voice and tone are not
appropriate for the persuasive purpose. Errors in grammar, usage, and mechanics may
frequently be distracting and may significantly impede understanding.
ACT endorses the Code of Fair Testing Practices in Education and the Code of Professional Responsibilities in
Educational Measurement, guides to the conduct of those involved in educational testing. ACT is committed to
ensuring that each of its testing programs upholds the guidelines in each Code. A copy of each Code may be
obtained free of charge from ACT Customer Services (68), P.O. Box 1008, Iowa City, IA 52243-1008, 319/337-1429.
7
© 2011 by ACT, Inc. All rights reserved.
ER.E11-BP.3.1
The ResearchDriven Solution
to Raise the
Quality of High
School Core
Courses
English 11
Instructional Units Plan
Instructional Units Plan
English 11
This set of plans presents the topics and selected ACT Course Standards for ACT’s rigorous English 11 course.
The topics and standards are arranged in seven units by suggested instructional sequence. Unit 1 is a Model
Instructional Unit developed by ACT that illustrates exemplary practice and shows how the Course Standards are
best connected to classroom instruction. Teachers can use the Guidelines for Developing an Instructional Unit to
develop additional instructional units based on the topics listed in this document.
Unit No.
Unit Topic
1
Introduction to English 11: Persuading with Style
2
Edgar Allan Poe’s Journey Through Life and
Literature
3
Searching for “Everybody’s Zora” in Zora Neale
Hurston’s Life and Work
4
Critical Encounters with The Great Gatsby
5
Drama and Politics
6
Research
7
Speeches
2
© 2011 by ACT, Inc. All rights reserved.
Instructional Units Plan—English 11
Unit 1
Introduction to English 11: Persuading with Style
ACT Course Standards
Unit 1 Introduction to English 11: Persuading with Style
A.1.
Reading
Across the
Curriculum
a. Choose materials for independent reading on the basis of specific criteria (e.g., personal interest, own
reading level, knowledge of authors and literary or nonliterary forms)
A.4.
Influences on
Text
a. Explain the relationship between the time in which a literary work is set, the time during which the author
wrote, and the time in which the reader reads (e.g., Arthur Miller’s play The Crucible as a comment on the
McCarthy era)
A.5.
Author’s Voice
and Method
a. Critique the effectiveness of the organizational pattern (e.g., comparison/contrast, cause/effect,
problem/solution) and how clarity of meaning is affected by the writer’s techniques (e.g., repetition of ideas,
syntax, word choice) in increasingly challenging texts
b. Read independently for a variety of purposes (e.g., for enjoyment, to gain information, to perform a task)
g. Evaluate ways authors develop style to achieve specific rhetorical and aesthetic purposes, noting the
impact of diction and figurative language on tone, mood, and theme; cite specific examples from
increasingly challenging texts
A.6.
Persuasive
Language and
Logic
a. Distinguish between valid and invalid arguments; provide evidence to support the author’s findings; and
note instances of unsupported inferences, fallacious reasoning, and propaganda techniques used in
literature, film, advertising, and/or speeches
c. Locate important details and facts that support ideas, arguments, or inferences in increasingly challenging
texts and substantiate analyses with textual examples that may be in widely separated sections of the text
or in other sources
d. Distinguish between fact and opinion, basing judgments on evidence and reasoning
B.1.
Writing Process a. Use prewriting strategies (e.g., brainstorming, webbing, note taking, interviewing, background reading) to
generate, focus, and organize ideas as well as to gather information
b. Analyze writing assignments in terms of purpose and audience to determine which strategies to use (e.g.,
writing a speech to inform versus a speech to persuade)
c. Create and use various tools (e.g., rubrics, checklists, models, writing conferences) to revise, refine, edit,
and proofread own and others’ writing, using appropriate rhetorical, logical, and stylistic criteria for
assessing the final versions of compositions
B.2.
Modes of
Writing for
Different
Purposes and
Audiences
c. Craft first and final drafts of persuasive papers that articulate a clear position; support assertions using
rhetorical devices, including personal anecdotes and appeals to emotion or logic; and develop arguments
using a variety of methods
B.3.
Organization,
Unity, and
Coherence
a. Establish and develop a clear thesis statement for informational writing or a clear plan or outline for
narrative writing
b. Organize writing to create a coherent whole with effective, fully developed paragraphs, similar ideas
grouped together for unity, and paragraphs arranged in a logical sequence
c. Add important information and delete irrelevant information and details to more clearly establish a central
idea
d. Rearrange words, sentences, and/or paragraphs and add transitional words and phrases to clarify
meaning and to achieve specific aesthetic and rhetorical purposes
e. Write an introduction that engages the reader and a conclusion that summarizes, extends, or elaborates
points or ideas in the writing
3
© 2011 by ACT, Inc. All rights reserved.
Instructional Units Plan—English 11
Unit 1 Introduction to English 11: Persuading with Style (continued)
B.4.
SentenceLevel
Constructions
a. Recognize and correct errors that weaken writing, including nonparallel structure, shifts from active to
passive voice, misused modifiers, and awkward sentence construction
b. Combine phrases and clauses to create sentences of varying lengths and sophistication (e.g., simple,
compound-complex, balanced, periodic, cumulative) and to coordinate or subordinate meaning for effect
c. Use parallel structure to present items in a series and items juxtaposed for emphasis
d. Evaluate own sentence style by identifying common sentence patterns and constructions
g. Use strong action verbs, sensory details, vivid imagery, and precise words
B.5.
Conventions of a. Correctly spell commonly misspelled/confused words
Usage
b. Correctly choose verb forms in terms of tense, voice (i.e., active and passive), and mood for continuity
c. Make subject and verb agree in number, even when a phrase or clause between the two suggests a
different number for the verb
d. Use pronouns correctly (e.g., appropriate case, pronoun-antecedent agreement, clear pronoun reference)
e. Correctly choose adjectives, adjective phrases, adjective clauses, adverbs, adverb phrases, and adverb
clauses and their forms for logical connection to word(s) modified
f. Correctly use parts of speech
B.6.
Conventions of a. Recognize that several correct punctuation choices create different effects (e.g., joining two independent
clauses in a variety of ways)
Punctuation
b. Use punctuation correctly within sentences and words
c. Demonstrate correct use of capitalization
D.2.
E.
Applications
g. Actively participate in small-group and large-group discussions, assuming various roles
Study Skills
and Test
Taking
a. Apply active reading, listening, and viewing techniques by taking notes on classroom discussions, lectures,
oral and/or video presentations, or assigned at-home reading, and by underlining key passages and writing
comments in journals or in margins of texts, where permitted
b. Demonstrate organizational skills such as keeping a daily calendar of assignments and activities and
maintaining a notebook of classwork
d. Demonstrate familiarity with test formats and test administration procedures to increase speed and
accuracy
4
© 2011 by ACT, Inc. All rights reserved.
Instructional Units Plan—English 11
Unit 2
Edgar Allan Poe’s Journey Through Life and Literature
ACT Course Standards
Unit 2 Edgar Allan Poe’s Journey Through Life and Literature
A.1.
Reading
Across the
Curriculum
a. Choose materials for independent reading on the basis of specific criteria (e.g., personal interest, own
reading level, knowledge of authors and literary or nonliterary forms)
b. Read independently for a variety of purposes (e.g., for enjoyment, to gain information, to perform a task)
c. Read increasingly challenging whole texts in a variety of literary (e.g., poetry, drama, fiction, nonfiction)
and nonliterary (e.g., textbooks, news articles, memoranda) forms
A.2.
Reading
Strategies
a. Apply strategies before, during, and after reading to increase fluency and comprehension (e.g., adjusting
purpose, previewing, scanning, making predictions, comparing, inferring, summarizing, using graphic
organizers) with increasingly challenging texts
c. Demonstrate comprehension of increasingly challenging texts (both print and nonprint sources) by asking
and answering literal, interpretive, and evaluative questions
d. Use close-reading strategies (e.g., visualizing, annotating, questioning) in order to interpret increasingly
challenging texts
e. Compare texts to previously read texts, past and present events, and/or content learned in other
coursework
Knowledge of
Literary and
Nonliterary
Forms
a. Identify, analyze, and evaluate the defining characteristics of specific literary and nonliterary forms (e.g.,
satire, allegory, parody, editorial, essay, memorandum) and describe how form affects the meaning and
function of the texts
A.4.
Influences on
Text
c. Explain the effects of the author’s life upon his or her work (e.g., Alexander Solzhenitsyn’s experience in
the gulag as reflected in his novel One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich)
A.5.
Author’s Voice
and Method
c. Identify, analyze, and evaluate plot, character development, setting, theme, mood, and point of view as
they are used together to create meaning in increasingly challenging texts
A.3.
d. Identify and interpret works in various poetic forms (e.g., ballad, ode, sonnet) and explain how meaning is
conveyed through features of poetry, including sound (e.g., rhythm, repetition, alliteration), structure (e.g.,
meter, rhyme scheme), graphic elements (e.g., punctuation, line length, word position), and poetic devices
(e.g., metaphor, imagery, personification, tone, symbolism)
e. Identify, analyze, and evaluate the ways in which the devices the author chooses (e.g., irony, imagery,
tone, sound techniques, foreshadowing, symbolism) achieve specific effects and shape meaning in
increasingly challenging texts
h. Identify the author’s stated or implied purpose in increasingly challenging texts
A.6.
Persuasive
Language and
Logic
c. Locate important details and facts that support ideas, arguments, or inferences in increasingly challenging
texts and substantiate analyses with textual examples that may be in widely separated sections of the text
or in other sources
A.7.
Literary
Criticism
c. Read literary criticism to learn different ways of interpreting increasingly challenging literary texts
A.8.
Words and
Their History
a. Apply knowledge of Greek, Latin, and Anglo-Saxon affixes, inflections, and roots to understand unfamiliar
words and new subject matter vocabulary in increasingly challenging texts (e.g., words in science,
mathematics, and social studies)
b. Infer word meanings by analyzing relationships between words (e.g., synonyms, antonyms, metaphors,
analogies) in increasingly challenging texts
c. Use general and specialized dictionaries, thesauruses, and glossaries (print and electronic) to determine
the definition, pronunciation, derivation, spelling, and usage of words
d. Use context clues (e.g., author’s restatement, example) to understand unfamiliar words in increasingly
challenging texts
f. Identify and interpret common idioms and literary, classical, and biblical allusions (e.g., the garden of Eden
as it is used in Thomas Hardy’s novel Tess of the D’Urbervilles) in increasingly challenging texts
h. Apply knowledge of connotation and denotation to determine the meanings of words and phrases in
increasingly challenging texts
5
© 2011 by ACT, Inc. All rights reserved.
Instructional Units Plan—English 11
Unit 2 Edgar Allan Poe’s Journey Through Life and Literature (continued)
B.1.
Writing Process a. Use prewriting strategies (e.g., brainstorming, webbing, note taking, interviewing, background reading) to
generate, focus, and organize ideas as well as to gather information
B.2.
Modes of
Writing for
Different
Purposes and
Audiences
d. Craft first and final drafts of responses to literature that organize an insightful interpretation around several
clear ideas, premises, or images and support judgments with specific references to the original text and to
other texts or authors
B.3.
Organization,
Unity, and
Coherence
a. Establish and develop a clear thesis statement for informational writing or a clear plan or outline for
narrative writing
b. Organize writing to create a coherent whole with effective, fully developed paragraphs, similar ideas
grouped together for unity, and paragraphs arranged in a logical sequence
c. Add important information and delete irrelevant information and details to more clearly establish a central
idea
d. Rearrange words, sentences, and/or paragraphs and add transitional words and phrases to clarify
meaning and to achieve specific aesthetic and rhetorical purposes
e. Write an introduction that engages the reader and a conclusion that summarizes, extends, or elaborates
points or ideas in the writing
B.4.
SentenceLevel
Constructions
a. Recognize and correct errors that weaken writing, including nonparallel structure, shifts from active to
passive voice, misused modifiers, and awkward sentence construction
b. Combine phrases and clauses to create sentences of varying lengths and sophistication (e.g., simple,
compound-complex, balanced, periodic, cumulative) and to coordinate or subordinate meaning for effect
c. Use parallel structure to present items in a series and items juxtaposed for emphasis
d. Evaluate own sentence style by identifying common sentence patterns and constructions
e. Use resources and reference materials (e.g., dictionaries and thesauruses) to select effective and precise
vocabulary that maintains consistent style, tone, and voice
f. Use formal, informal, standard, and technical language effectively to meet the needs of audience and
purpose
g. Use strong action verbs, sensory details, vivid imagery, and precise words
B.5.
Conventions of a. Correctly spell commonly misspelled/confused words
Usage
b. Correctly choose verb forms in terms of tense, voice (i.e., active and passive), and mood for continuity
c. Make subject and verb agree in number, even when a phrase or clause between the two suggests a
different number for the verb
d. Use pronouns correctly (e.g., appropriate case, pronoun-antecedent agreement, clear pronoun reference)
e. Correctly choose adjectives, adjective phrases, adjective clauses, adverbs, adverb phrases, and adverb
clauses and their forms for logical connection to word(s) modified
f. Correctly use parts of speech
B.6.
Conventions of b. Use punctuation correctly within sentences and words
Punctuation
c. Demonstrate correct use of capitalization
D.2.
Application
g. Actively participate in small-group and large-group discussions, assuming various roles
6
© 2011 by ACT, Inc. All rights reserved.
Instructional Units Plan—English 11
Unit 3
Searching for “Everybody’s Zora” in Zora Neale Hurston’s Life and Work
ACT Course Standards
Unit 3 Searching for “Everybody’s Zora” in Zora Neale Hurston’s Life and Work
A.1.
Reading
Across the
Curriculum
a. Choose materials for independent reading on the basis of specific criteria (e.g., personal interest, own
reading level, knowledge of authors and literary or nonliterary forms)
b. Read independently for a variety of purposes (e.g., for enjoyment, to gain information, to perform a task)
c. Read increasingly challenging whole texts in a variety of literary (e.g., poetry, drama, fiction, nonfiction)
and nonliterary (e.g., textbooks, news articles, memoranda, forms)
A.2.
Reading
Strategies
a. Apply strategies before, during, and after reading to increase fluency and comprehension (e.g., adjusting
purpose, previewing, scanning, making predictions, comparing, inferring, summarizing, using graphic
organizers) with increasingly challenging texts
b. Use metacognitive skills (i.e., monitor, regulate, and orchestrate one’s understanding) when reading
increasingly challenging texts, using the most appropriate “fix-up” strategies (e.g., rereading, reading on,
changing rate of reading, subvocalizing)
c. Demonstrate comprehension of increasingly challenging texts (both print and nonprint sources) by asking
and answering literal, interpretive, and evaluative questions
d. Use close-reading strategies (e.g., visualizing, annotating, questioning) in order to interpret increasingly
challenging texts
e. Compare texts to previously read texts, past and present events, and/or content learned in other
coursework
A.4.
Influences on
Text
a. Explain the relationship between the time in which a literary work is set, the time during which the author
wrote, and the time in which the reader reads (e.g., Arthur Miller’s play The Crucible as a comment on the
McCarthy era)
b. Analyze and evaluate the influence of traditional and mythic literature on later literature and film (e.g., the
quest for the holy grail as depicted in Terry Gilliam’s film The Fisher King)
c. Explain the effects of the author’s life upon his or her work (e.g., Alexander Solzhenitsyn’s experience in
the gulag as reflected in his novel One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich)
A.5.
Author’s Voice
and Method
b. Recognize an author’s choice of narration and evaluate how it affects characterization and credibility in
increasingly challenging texts
c. Identify, analyze, and evaluate plot, character development, setting, theme, mood, and point of view as
they are used together to create meaning in increasingly challenging texts
e. Identify, analyze, and evaluate the ways in which the devices the author chooses (e.g., irony, imagery,
tone, sound techniques, foreshadowing, symbolism) achieve specific effects and shape meaning in
increasingly challenging texts
g. Evaluate ways authors develop style to achieve specific rhetorical and aesthetic purposes, noting the
impact of diction and figurative language on tone, mood, and theme; cite specific examples from
increasingly challenging texts
A.6.
Persuasive
Language and
Logic
b. Summarize and paraphrase information in increasingly challenging texts, identifying key ideas, supporting
details, inconsistencies, and ambiguities
A.7.
Literary
Criticism
b. Evaluate a work of literature from a variety of perspectives (e.g., applying a feminist perspective to Kate
Chopin’s novel The Awakening)
A.8.
Words and
Their History
g. Describe and provide examples of the ways past and present events (e.g., cultural, political, technological,
scientific) have influenced the English language
B.2.
Modes of
Writing for
Different
Purposes and
Audiences
a. Craft first and final drafts of expressive, reflective, or creative texts (e.g., poetry, scripts) that use a range of
literary devices (e.g., figurative language, sound devices, stage directions) to convey a specific effect
b. Craft first and final drafts of informational essays or reports that provide clear and accurate perspectives on
the subject; support the main ideas with facts, details, and examples; and make distinctions about the
relative value and significance of those facts, details, and examples
7
© 2011 by ACT, Inc. All rights reserved.
Instructional Units Plan—English 11
Unit 3 Searching for “Everybody’s Zora” in Zora Neale Hurston’s Life and Work (continued)
B.3.
Organization,
Unity, and
Coherence
a. Establish and develop a clear thesis statement for informational writing or a clear plan or outline for
narrative writing
b. Organize writing to create a coherent whole with effective, fully developed paragraphs, similar ideas
grouped together for unity, and paragraphs arranged in a logical sequence
c. Add important information and delete irrelevant information and details to more clearly establish a central
idea
d. Rearrange words, sentences, and/or paragraphs and add transitional words and phrases to clarify
meaning and to achieve specific aesthetic and rhetorical purposes
e. Write an introduction that engages the reader and a conclusion that summarizes, extends, or elaborates
points or ideas in the writing
B.4.
B.5.
SentenceLevel
Constructions
a. Recognize and correct errors that weaken writing, including nonparallel structure, shifts from active to
passive voice, misused modifiers, and awkward sentence construction
b. Combine phrases and clauses to create sentences of varying lengths and sophistication (e.g., simple,
compound-complex, balanced, periodic, cumulative) and to coordinate or subordinate meaning for effect
Conventions of a. Correctly spell commonly misspelled/confused words
Usage
b. Correctly choose verb forms in terms of tense, voice (i.e., active and passive), and mood for continuity
c. Make subject and verb agree in number, even when a phrase or clause between the two suggests a
different number for the verb
d. Use pronouns correctly (e.g., appropriate case, pronoun-antecedent agreement, clear pronoun reference)
e. Correctly choose adjectives, adjective phrases, adjective clauses, adverbs, adverb phrases, and adverb
clauses and their forms for logical connection to word(s) modified
f. Correctly use parts of speech
B.6.
Conventions of a. Recognize that several correct punctuation choices create different effects (e.g., joining two independent
clauses in a variety of ways)
Punctuation
b. Use punctuation correctly within sentences and words
c. Demonstrate correct use of capitalization
C.
Research
a. Use research methods (e.g., background reading, online searches, surveys, interviews) to locate and
collect reliable information from print and nonprint sources
b. Decide on a research question and develop a hypothesis, modifying questions as necessary during the
project to further narrow the focus or extend the investigation
c. Evaluate multiple sources of information for accuracy, credibility, currency, utility, relevance, reliability, and
perspective
d. Identify discrepancies in information, recognize the complexities of issues conveyed about the topic, and
systematically organize the information to support central ideas, concepts, or themes
e. Summarize, paraphrase, and directly quote from sources, including the Internet, to support the thesis of
the paper and/or presentation; accurately cite every source to avoid compromising others’ intellectual
property (i.e., plagiarism)
f. Compose a research paper that maintains an appropriate balance between researched information and
original ideas, anticipates counterarguments, blends quotations into its body gracefully, and includes title
page, outline, first and final drafts, and works-cited page, adhering to MLA or other stylebook guidelines
D.2.
Application
b. Use effective delivery skills (e.g., appropriate volume, inflection, articulation, gestures, eye contact,
posture, facial expression)
c. Give impromptu and planned presentations (e.g., debates, formal meetings) that stay on topic and/or
adhere to prepared notes
g. Actively participate in small-group and large-group discussions, assuming various roles
E.
Study Skills
and Test
Taking
a. Apply active reading, listening, and viewing techniques by taking notes on classroom discussions, lectures,
oral and/or video presentations, or assigned at-home reading, and by underlining key passages and writing
comments in journals or in margins of texts, where permitted
8
© 2011 by ACT, Inc. All rights reserved.
Instructional Units Plan—English 11
Unit 4
Critical Encounters with The Great Gatsby
ACT Course Standards
Unit 4 Critical Encounters with The Great Gatsby
A.1.
Reading
Across the
Curriculum
a. Choose materials for independent reading on the basis of specific criteria (e.g., personal interest, own
reading level, knowledge of authors and literary or nonliterary forms)
b. Read independently for a variety of purposes (e.g., for enjoyment, to gain information, to perform a task)
c. Read increasingly challenging whole texts in a variety of literary (e.g., poetry, drama, fiction, nonfiction)
and nonliterary (e.g., textbooks, news articles, memoranda, forms)
A.3.
Knowledge of
Literary and
Nonliterary
Forms
a. Identify, analyze, and evaluate the defining characteristics of specific literary and nonliterary forms (e.g.,
satire, allegory, parody, editorial, essay, memorandum) and describe how form affects the meaning and
function of the texts
b. Read contrasting literary works (e.g., romantic and ironic, comic and tragic) and determine how the forms
influence structure and movement within the texts (e.g., reading William Shakespeare’s tragic play Hamlet
and Tom Stoppard’s comedic play Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead)
d. Identify and interpret works in various poetic forms (e.g., ballad, ode, sonnet) and explain how meaning is
conveyed through features of poetry, including sound (e.g., rhythm, repetition, alliteration), structure (e.g.,
meter, rhyme scheme), graphic elements (e.g., punctuation, line length, word position), and poetic devices
(e.g., metaphor, imagery, personification, tone, symbolism)
A.4.
Influences on
Text
a. Explain the relationship between the time in which a literary work is set, the time during which the author
wrote, and the time in which the reader reads (e.g., Arthur Miller’s play The Crucible as a comment on the
McCarthy era)
c. Explain the effects of the author’s life upon his or her work (e.g., Alexander Solzhenitsyn’s experience in
the gulag as reflected in his novel One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich)
A.5.
Author’s Voice
and Method
c. Identify, analyze, and evaluate plot, character development, setting, theme, mood, and point of view as
they are used together to create meaning in increasingly challenging texts
d. Identify, analyze, and evaluate the author’s use of parallel plots and subplots in increasingly challenging
texts
e. Identify, analyze, and evaluate the ways in which the devices the author chooses (e.g., irony, imagery,
tone, sound techniques, foreshadowing, symbolism) achieve specific effects and shape meaning in
increasingly challenging texts
f. Critique the treatment and scope of ideas from multiple sources on the same topic, noting the authors’
implicit and explicit philosophical assumptions and beliefs (e.g., analyze the treatment of Africa in Chinua
Achebe’s novel Things Fall Apart and Joseph Conrad’s novel Heart of Darkness)
h. Identify the author’s stated or implied purpose in increasingly challenging texts
A.7.
Literary
Criticism
a. Select and apply to increasingly challenging texts the relevant terms (e.g., archetypal, oedipal, hegemony)
from a number of critical theories
b. Evaluate a work of literature from a variety of perspectives (e.g., applying a feminist perspective to Kate
Chopin’s novel The Awakening)
c. Read literary criticism to learn different ways of interpreting increasingly challenging literary texts
A.8.
B.2.
Words and
Their History
e. Comprehend foreign words and phrases in texts that are commonly used in English
Modes of
Writing for
Different
Purposes and
Audiences
c. Craft first and final drafts of persuasive papers that articulate a clear position; support assertions using
rhetorical devices, including personal anecdotes and appeals to emotion or logic; and develop arguments
using a variety of methods
h. Apply knowledge of connotation and denotation to determine the meanings of words and phrases in
increasingly challenging texts
d. Craft first and final drafts of responses to literature that organize an insightful interpretation around several
clear ideas, premises, or images and support judgments with specific references to the original text and to
other texts or authors
e. Craft first and final drafts of workplace and other real-life writing (e.g., resumes, editorials, college entrance
and/or scholarship essays) that are appropriate to the audience, provide clear and purposeful information,
and use a format appropriate to the task
9
© 2011 by ACT, Inc. All rights reserved.
Instructional Units Plan—English 11
Unit 4 Critical Encounters with The Great Gatsby (continued)
B.3.
Organization,
Unity, and
Coherence
a. Establish and develop a clear thesis statement for informational writing or a clear plan or outline for
narrative writing
b. Organize writing to create a coherent whole with effective, fully developed paragraphs, similar ideas
grouped together for unity, and paragraphs arranged in a logical sequence
e. Write an introduction that engages the reader and a conclusion that summarizes, extends, or elaborates
points or ideas in the writing
B.4.
SentenceLevel
Constructions
a. Recognize and correct errors that weaken writing, including nonparallel structure, shifts from active to
passive voice, misused modifiers, and awkward sentence construction
d. Evaluate own sentence style by identifying common sentence patterns and constructions
e. Use resources and reference materials (e.g., dictionaries and thesauruses) to select effective and precise
vocabulary that maintains consistent style, tone, and voice
f. Use formal, informal, standard, and technical language effectively to meet the needs of audience and
purpose
B.5.
Conventions of a. Correctly spell commonly misspelled/confused words
Usage
b. Correctly choose verb forms in terms of tense, voice (i.e., active and passive), and mood for continuity
c. Make subject and verb agree in number, even when a phrase or clause between the two suggests a
different number for the verb
d. Use pronouns correctly (e.g., appropriate case, pronoun-antecedent agreement, clear pronoun reference)
e. Correctly choose adjectives, adjective phrases, adjective clauses, adverbs, adverb phrases, and adverb
clauses and their forms for logical connection to word(s) modified
f. Correctly use parts of speech
B.6.
Conventions of a. Recognize that several correct punctuation choices create different effects (e.g., joining two independent
clauses in a variety of ways)
Punctuation
b. Use punctuation correctly within sentences and words
c. Demonstrate correct use of capitalization
10
© 2011 by ACT, Inc. All rights reserved.
Instructional Units Plan—English 11
Unit 5
Drama and Politics
ACT Course Standards
Unit 5 Drama and Politics
A.1.
A.3.
Reading
Across the
Curriculum
Knowledge of
Literary and
Nonliterary
Forms
a.
Choose materials for independent reading on the basis of specific criteria (e.g., personal interest, own
reading level, knowledge of authors and literary forms)
b.
Read independently for a variety of purposes (e.g., for enjoyment, to gain information, to perform a task)
c.
Read increasingly challenging whole texts in a variety of literary (e.g., poetry, drama, fiction, nonfiction)
and nonliterary (e.g., textbooks, news articles, memoranda, forms)
a.
Identify, analyze, and evaluate the defining characteristics of specific literary and nonliterary forms (e.g.,
satire, allegory, parody, editorial, essay, memorandum) and describe how form affects the meaning and
function of the texts
b.
Read contrasting literary works (e.g., romantic and ironic, comic and tragic) and determine how the forms
influence structure and movement within the texts (e.g., reading William Shakespeare’s tragic play Hamlet
and Tom Stoppard’s comedic play Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead)
c.
Read dramatic literature (e.g., M. Butterfly, The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail) and analyze its conventions to
identify how they express a writer’s meaning
A.4.
Influences on
Text
a.
Explain the relationship between the time in which a literary work is set, the time during which the author
wrote, and the time in which the reader reads (e.g., Arthur Miller’s play The Crucible as a comment on the
McCarthy era)
A.5.
Author’s Voice
and Method
c.
Identify, analyze, and evaluate plot, character development, setting, theme, mood, and point of view as
they are used together to create meaning in increasingly challenging texts
d.
Identify, analyze, and evaluate the author’s use of parallel plots and subplots in increasingly challenging
texts
e.
Identify, analyze, and evaluate the ways in which the devices the author chooses (e.g., irony, imagery,
tone, sound techniques, foreshadowing, symbolism) achieve specific effects and shape meaning in
increasingly challenging texts
f.
Critique the treatment and scope of ideas from multiple sources on the same topic, noting the authors’
implicit and explicit philosophical assumptions and beliefs (e.g., analyze the treatment of Africa in Chinua
Achebe’s novel Things Fall Apart and Joseph Conrad’s novel Heart of Darkness)
g.
Evaluate ways authors develop style to achieve specific rhetorical and aesthetic purposes, noting the
impact of diction and figurative language on tone, mood, and theme; cite specific examples from
increasingly challenging texts
h.
Identify the author’s stated or implied purpose in increasingly challenging texts
A.6.
Persuasive
Language and
Logic
a.
Distinguish between valid and invalid arguments; provide evidence to support the author’s findings; and
note instances of unsupported inferences, fallacious reasoning, and propaganda techniques used in
literature, film, advertising, and/or speeches
A.7.
Literary
Criticism
b.
Evaluate a work of literature from a variety of perspectives (e.g., applying a feminist perspective to Kate
Chopin’s novel The Awakening)
c.
Read literary criticism to learn different ways of interpreting increasingly challenging literary texts
a.
Craft first and final drafts of expressive, reflective, or creative texts (e.g., poetry, scripts) that use a range of
literary devices (e.g., figurative language, sound devices, stage directions) to convey a specific effect
c.
Craft first and final drafts of persuasive papers that articulate a clear position; support assertions using
rhetorical devices, including personal anecdotes and appeals to emotion or logic; and develop arguments
using a variety of methods
d.
Craft first and final drafts of responses to literature that organize an insightful interpretation around several
clear ideas, premises, or images and support judgments with specific references to the original text and to
other texts or authors
B.2.
Modes of
Writing for
Different
Purposes and
Audiences
11
© 2011 by ACT, Inc. All rights reserved.
Instructional Units Plan—English 11
Unit 5 Drama and Politics (continued)
B.3.
Organization,
Unity, and
Coherence
a. Establish and develop a clear thesis statement for informational writing or a clear plan or outline for
narrative writing
d. Rearrange words, sentences, and/or paragraphs and add transitional words and phrases to clarify
meaning and to achieve specific aesthetic and rhetorical purposes
e. Write an introduction that engages the reader and a conclusion that summarizes, extends, or elaborates
points or ideas in the writing
B.4.
Sentence-Level a. Recognize and correct errors that weaken writing, including nonparallel structure, shifts from active to
passive voice, misused modifiers, and awkward sentence construction
Constructions
b. Combine phrases and clauses to create sentences of varying lengths and sophistication (e.g., simple,
compound-complex, balanced, periodic, cumulative) and to coordinate or subordinate meaning for effect
d. Evaluate own sentence style by identifying common sentence patterns and constructions
g. Use strong action verbs, sensory details, vivid imagery, and precise words
B.5.
Conventions of
Usage
a. Correctly spell commonly misspelled/confused words
b. Correctly choose verb forms in terms of tense, voice (i.e., active and passive), and mood for continuity
c.
Make subject and verb agree in number, even when a phrase or clause between the two suggests a
different number for the verb
d. Use pronouns correctly (e.g., appropriate case, pronoun-antecedent agreement, clear pronoun reference)
e. Correctly choose adjectives, adjective phrases, adjective clauses, adverbs, adverb phrases, and adverb
clauses and their forms for logical connection to word(s) modified
f.
B.6.
Conventions of
Punctuation
Correctly use parts of speech
a. Recognize that several correct punctuation choices create different effects (e.g., joining two independent
clauses in a variety of ways)
b. Use punctuation correctly within sentences and words
c. Demonstrate correct use of capitalization
C.
Research
a. Use research methods (e.g., background reading, online searches, surveys, interviews) to locate and
collect reliable information from print and nonprint sources
c.
Evaluate multiple sources of information for accuracy, credibility, currency, utility, relevance, reliability, and
perspective
d. Identify discrepancies in information, recognize the complexities of issues conveyed about the topic, and
systematically organize the information to support central ideas, concepts, or themes
D.1.
Comprehension a. Recognize the main ideas in a variety of oral presentations and draw valid conclusions
and Analysis
b. Identify and evaluate the effect of logical fallacies (e.g., overgeneralization, bandwagon) and the presence
of biases and stereotypes in television and print advertising, speeches, newspaper articles, and Internet
advertisements
c.
Analyze the effectiveness and validity of arguments (e.g., causation, analogy, inductive and deductive
reasoning, appeals to emotion or authority) in visual and oral texts
d. Compare how different media forms (e.g., television news, news magazines, documentaries, online news
sources) cover the same event
e. Analyze and evaluate the way language choice (e.g., repetition, use of rhetorical questions) and delivery
style (e.g., eye contact, nonverbal messages) affect the mood and tone of the communication and make an
impact on the audience
12
© 2011 by ACT, Inc. All rights reserved.
Instructional Units Plan—English 11
Unit 6
Research
ACT Course Standards
Unit 6 Research
Reading
Across the
Curriculum
a. Choose materials for independent reading on the basis of specific criteria (e.g., personal interest, own
reading level, knowledge of authors and literary or nonliterary forms)
A.8.
Words and
Their History
g. Describe and provide examples of the ways past and present events (e.g., cultural, political, technological,
scientific) have influenced the English language
B.1.
Writing Process a. Use prewriting strategies (e.g., brainstorming, webbing, note taking, interviewing, background reading) to
generate, focus, and organize ideas as well as to gather information
A.1.
b. Read independently for a variety of purposes (e.g., for enjoyment, to gain information, to perform a task)
b. Analyze writing assignments in terms of purpose and audience to determine which strategies to use (e.g.,
writing a speech to inform versus a speech to persuade)
c. Create and use various tools (e.g., rubrics, checklists, models, writing conferences) to revise, refine, edit,
and proofread own and others’ writing, using appropriate rhetorical, logical, and stylistic criteria for
assessing the final versions of compositions
d. Prepare writing for publication by choosing the most appropriate format, considering principles of design
(e.g., margins, tabs, spacing, columns) and the use of various fonts and graphics (e.g., drawings, charts,
graphs); use electronic resources to enhance the final product
B.2.
B.3.
Modes of
Writing for
Different
Purposes and
Audiences
b. Craft first and final drafts of informational essays or reports that provide clear and accurate perspectives on
the subject; support the main ideas with facts, details, and examples; and make distinctions about the
relative value and significance of those facts, details, and examples
Organization,
Unity, and
Coherence
a. Establish and develop a clear thesis statement for informational writing or a clear plan or outline for
narrative writing
e. Craft first and final drafts of workplace and other real-life writing (e.g., resumes, editorials, college entrance
and/or scholarship essays) that are appropriate to the audience, provide clear and purposeful information,
and use a format appropriate to the task
b. Organize writing to create a coherent whole with effective, fully developed paragraphs similar ideas
grouped together for unity and paragraphs arranged in a logical sequence
e. Write an introduction that engages the reader and a conclusion that summarizes, extends, or elaborates
points or ideas in the writing
B.4.
SentenceLevel
Constructions
b. Combine phrases and clauses to create sentences of varying lengths and sophistication (e.g., simple,
compound-complex, balanced, periodic, cumulative) and to coordinate or subordinate meaning for effect
d. Evaluate own sentence style by identifying common sentence patterns and constructions
f. Use formal, informal, standard, and technical language effectively to meet the needs of audience and
purpose
B.5.
Conventions of a. Correctly spell commonly misspelled/confused words
Usage
b. Correctly choose verb forms in terms of tense, voice (i.e., active and passive), and mood for continuity
c. Make subject and verb agree in number, even when a phrase or clause between the two suggests a
different number for the verb
d. Use pronouns correctly (e.g., appropriate case, pronoun-antecedent agreement, clear pronoun reference)
e. Correctly choose adjectives, adjective phrases, adjective clauses, adverbs, adverb phrases, and adverb
clauses and their forms for logical connection to word(s) modified
B.6.
Conventions of a. Recognize that several correct punctuation choices create different effects (e.g., joining two independent
clauses in a variety of ways)
Punctuation
b. Use punctuation correctly within sentences and words
c. Demonstrate correct use of capitalization
13
© 2011 by ACT, Inc. All rights reserved.
Instructional Units Plan—English 11
Unit 6 Research (continued)
C.
Research
a. Use research methods (e.g., background reading, online searches, surveys, interviews) to locate and
collect reliable information from print and nonprint sources
b. Decide on a research question and develop a hypothesis, modifying questions as necessary during the
project to further narrow the focus or extend the investigation
c. Evaluate multiple sources of information for accuracy, credibility, currency, utility, relevance, reliability, and
perspective
d. Identify discrepancies in information, recognize the complexities of issues conveyed about the topic, and
systematically organize the information to support central ideas, concepts, or themes
e. Summarize, paraphrase, and directly quote from sources, including the Internet, to support the thesis of
the paper and/or presentation; accurately cite every source to avoid compromising others’ intellectual
property (i.e., plagiarism)
f. Compose a research paper that maintains an appropriate balance between researched information and
original ideas, anticipates counterarguments, blends quotations into its body gracefully, and includes title
page, outline, first and final drafts, and works-cited page, adhering to MLA or other stylebook guidelines
D.2.
Application
a. Use elements of speech forms—introduction, transitions, body, and conclusion—including the use of facts,
literary quotations, anecdotes, and/or references to authoritative sources
b. Use effective delivery skills (e.g., appropriate volume, inflection, articulation, gestures, eye contact,
posture, facial expression)
c. Give impromptu and planned presentations (e.g., debates, formal meetings) that stay on topic and/or
adhere to prepared notes
d. Write and deliver informational speeches that present a clear, and distinctive perspective on the subject
and support the controlling idea with well-chosen and well-organized facts and details from a variety of
sources
f. Apply analytic and active listening strategies (e.g., paraphrasing, monitoring messages for clarity, selecting
and organizing essential information, noting change-of-pace cues) in formal and informal settings
g. Actively participate in small-group and large-group discussions, assuming various roles
14
© 2011 by ACT, Inc. All rights reserved.
Instructional Units Plan—English 11
Unit 7
Speeches
ACT Course Standards
Unit 7 Speeches
A.1.
Reading
Across the
Curriculum
a. Choose materials for independent reading on the basis of specific criteria (e.g., personal interest, own
reading level, knowledge of authors and literary or nonliterary forms)
b. Read independently for a variety of purposes (e.g., for enjoyment, to gain information, to perform a task)
c. Read increasingly challenging whole texts in a variety of literary (e.g., poetry, drama, fiction, nonfiction)
and nonliterary (e.g., textbooks, news articles, memoranda, forms)
A.2.
Reading
Strategies
b. Use metacognitive skills (i.e., monitor, regulate, and orchestrate one’s understanding) when reading
increasingly challenging texts, using the most appropriate “fix-up” strategies (e.g., rereading, reading on,
changing rate of reading, subvocalizing)
A.3.
Knowledge of
Literary and
Nonliterary
Forms
a. Identify, analyze, and evaluate the defining characteristics of specific literary and nonliterary forms (e.g.,
satire, allegory, parody, editorial, essay, memorandum) and describe how form affects the meaning and
function of the texts
A.5.
Author’s Voice
and Method
g. Evaluate ways authors develop style to achieve specific rhetorical and aesthetic purposes, noting the
impact of diction and figurative language on tone, mood, and theme; cite specific examples from
increasingly challenging texts
A.6.
Persuasive
Language and
Logic
a. Distinguish between valid and invalid arguments; provide evidence to support the author’s findings; and
note instances of unsupported inferences, fallacious reasoning, and propaganda techniques used in
literature, film, advertising, and/or speeches
b. Read contrasting literary works (e.g., romantic and ironic, comic and tragic) and determine how the forms
influence structure and movement within the texts (e.g., reading William Shakespeare’s tragic play Hamlet
and Tom Stoppard’s comedic play Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead)
b. Summarize and paraphrase information in increasingly challenging texts, identifying key ideas, supporting
details, inconsistencies, and ambiguities
c. Locate important details and facts that support ideas, arguments, or inferences in increasingly challenging
texts and substantiate analyses with textual examples that may be in widely separated sections of the text
or in other sources
d. Distinguish between fact and opinion, basing judgments on evidence and reasoning
A.8.
Words and
Their History
a. Apply knowledge of Greek, Latin, and Anglo-Saxon affixes, inflections, and roots to understand unfamiliar
words and new subject matter vocabulary in increasingly challenging texts (e.g., words in science,
mathematics, and social studies)
b. Infer word meanings by analyzing relationships between words (e.g., synonyms, antonyms, metaphors,
analogies) in increasingly challenging texts
c. Use general and specialized dictionaries, thesauruses, and glossaries (print and electronic) to determine
the definition, pronunciation, derivation, spelling, and usage of words
g. Describe and provide examples of the ways past and present events (e.g., cultural, political, technological,
scientific) have influenced the English language
B.1.
Writing Process b. Analyze writing assignments in terms of purpose and audience to determine which strategies to use (e.g.,
writing a speech to inform versus a speech to persuade)
D.1.
Comprehension b. Identify and evaluate the effect of logical fallacies (e.g., overgeneralization, bandwagon) and the presence
of biases and stereotypes in television and print advertising, speeches, newspaper articles, and Internet
and Analysis
advertisements
c. Analyze the effectiveness and validity of arguments (e.g., causation, analogy, inductive and deductive
reasoning, appeals to emotion or authority) in visual and oral texts
e. Analyze and evaluate the way language choice (e.g., repetition, use of rhetorical questions) and delivery
style (e.g., eye contact, nonverbal messages) affect the mood and tone of the communication and make an
impact on the audience
15
© 2011 by ACT, Inc. All rights reserved.
Instructional Units Plan—English 11
Unit 7 Speeches (continued)
D.2.
Application
a. Use elements of speech forms—introduction, transitions, body, and conclusion—including the use of facts,
literary quotations, anecdotes, and/or references to authoritative sources
b. Use effective delivery skills (e.g., appropriate volume, inflection, articulation, gestures, eye contact,
posture, facial expression)
e. Write and deliver persuasive speeches that use logical, emotional, and ethical appeals; establish and
develop a logical and structured argument; anticipate audience concerns and counterarguments; and
include relevant evidence from a variety of sources
f. Apply analytic and active listening strategies (e.g., paraphrasing, monitoring messages for clarity, selecting
and organizing essential information, noting change-of-pace cues) in formal and informal settings
16
© 2011 by ACT, Inc. All rights reserved.
ER-E11-UP.2.1
The ResearchDriven Solution
to Raise the
Quality of High
School Core
Courses
Introduction to English 11:
Persuading with Style
English 11
Model Instructional Unit 1
ACT endorses the Code of Fair Testing Practices in Education and the Code of Professional
Responsibilities in Educational Measurement, guides to the conduct of those involved in
educational testing. ACT is committed to ensuring that each of its testing programs
upholds the guidelines in each Code. A copy of each Code may be obtained free of
charge from ACT Customer Services (68), P.O. Box 1008, Iowa City, IA 52243-1008,
319/337-1429.
CONFIDENTIAL. This document is the confidential and proprietary property of
ACT, Inc. No part of it may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any
means without the express written permission of ACT, Inc.
© 2008 by ACT, Inc. All rights reserved.
ER.E11-1.1.2
iii
Note
QualityCore® instructional units illustrate how the rigorous, empirically
researched course objectives can be incorporated into the classroom. For more
information about how the instructional units fit into the QualityCore program,
please see the Educator’s Guide included with the other QualityCore
materials.
ACT recognizes that, as you determine how best to serve your students,
you will take into consideration your teaching style as well as the academic
needs of your students; the standards and policies set by your state, district,
and school; and the curricular materials and resources that are available to you.
Contents
Unit 1 Introduction to English 11:
Persuading with Style
Purpose ............................................................................................................vi
Overview .........................................................................................................vi
Time Frame......................................................................................................vi
Prerequisites......................................................................................................1
Selected Course Objectives ..............................................................................1
Research-Based Strategies................................................................................3
Essential Questions...........................................................................................3
Suggestions for Assessment .............................................................................3
Preassessment.............................................................................................4
Embedded Assessments .............................................................................4
Unit Assessment.........................................................................................4
Unit Description ...............................................................................................4
Introduction ................................................................................................4
Suggested Teaching Strategies/Procedures................................................6
Enhancing Student Learning
Selected Course Objectives......................................................................29
Unit Extension..........................................................................................29
Reteaching................................................................................................30
Bibliography ...................................................................................................31
Appendix A: Record Keeping ......................................................................A-1
Appendix B: Day 1 .......................................................................................B-1
Appendix C: Days 2–4 .................................................................................C-1
Appendix D: Days 5–9 .................................................................................D-1
Appendix E: Days10–11............................................................................... E-1
Appendix F: Days 12–14 .............................................................................. F-1
Appendix G: Days 15–17 .............................................................................G-1
Appendix H: Days 18–20 .............................................................................H-1
Appendix I: Secondary Course Objectives.................................................... I-1
Appendix J: Course Objectives Measured by Assessments ..........................J-1
v
vi
Purpose, Overview, Time Frame
Purpose
The purpose of this unit is to assess students’ prior knowledge, to build
classroom community, to explore test-taking strategies, and to teach students
how to analyze, learn from, and write persuasive essays.
Overview
In order to begin a unit-long conversation about the methods and uses of
persuasion, and to build community, students will create posters in small
groups and present them to the class. Then, they will write persuasive essays
arguing why the poster deserves an “A.”
A significant part of the conversation will be inspired by reading.
Students will read and analyze persuasive essays by contemporary writers. In
the analysis, they will find and annotate thesis statements, the evidence used to
support the arguments, and the amplification of the evidence. They will also
read and explore the differences between informative and persuasive essays.
Finally, students will read newspapers to identify ideas for persuasive essays
they might want to write.
Students will then draft persuasive essays about one problem or promise
they see in the United States. The class will become a writer’s workshop. Brief
student-teacher conferences will be conducted as students write. Once students
have written complete drafts, they will compare them to the published
persuasive essays they annotated earlier in order to ask themselves where their
own essays need amplifying, cutting, reorganizing, or rethinking. Based upon
their analyses, they will revise their essays. Then, students will read and
discuss their essays in peer-to-peer conferences, revise them, and turn them in.
They will be required to revise the essays again, answering the teacher’s
comments and turning in reflections on their revisions along with all drafts of
the essay.
Finally, students will conclude this initial conversation about persuasion
by analyzing an address that Patrick Henry delivered in 1775 and a letter from
Benjamin Banneker to Thomas Jefferson. They will compare the texts in terms
of rhetorical techniques, content, and organizational structure. Students will
thus practice the important skills of summarization and comparison and
continue to work with the concepts of evidence and argumentation.
Time Frame
This unit requires approximately twenty 45–50 minute class periods.
1
Writing can give us the feeling that we are becoming more real, that
experience is no longer quite so transitory. Ironically then, the very
experience of writing—what it’s actually like to do it—flees our minds.
In order to stabilize that experience, we write about our writing.
—Randy Bomer (1995, p. 66)
Paradoxically, maximizing the benefits of grammar instruction to writing
requires less, not more grammar. This means making grammar
instruction both less expansive and more cost-efficient, which, in turn,
should create more time for other kinds of writing instruction.
—Rei R. Noguchi (1991, p. 16)
UNIT 1
INTRODUCTION TO ENGLISH 11:
PERSUADING WITH STYLE
Prerequisites
 Completed a tenth-grade English course
Selected Course Objectives
The primary objectives, which represent the central focus of this unit, are
listed below and highlight skills useful not only in English, but in other
disciplines as well. Secondary objectives are listed in Appendix I.
A.1. Reading Across the Curriculum
a. Choose materials for independent reading on the basis of specific
criteria (e.g., personal interest, own reading level, knowledge of
authors and literary or nonliterary forms)
b. Read independently for a variety of purposes (e.g., for enjoyment,
to gain information, to perform a task)
A.4. Influences on Texts
a. Explain the relationship between the time in which a literary work
is set, the time during which the author wrote, and the time in
which the reader reads (e.g., Arthur Miller’s play The Crucible as
a comment on the McCarthy era)
A.5. Author’s Voice and Method
a. Critique the effectiveness of the organizational pattern (e.g.,
comparison/contrast, cause/effect, problem/solution) and how
clarity of meaning is affected by the writer’s techniques (e.g.,
repetition of ideas, syntax, word choice) in increasingly
challenging texts
g. Evaluate ways authors develop style to achieve specific rhetorical
and aesthetic purposes, noting the impact of diction and figurative
2
language on tone, mood, and theme; cite specific examples from
increasingly challenging texts
A.6. Persuasive Language and Logic
a. Distinguish between valid and invalid arguments; provide
evidence to support the author’s findings; and note instances of
unsupported inferences, fallacious reasoning, and propaganda
techniques used in literature, film, advertising, and/or speeches
c. Locate important details and facts that support ideas, arguments,
or inferences in increasingly challenging texts and substantiate
analyses with textual examples that may be in widely separated
sections of the text or in other sources
d. Distinguish between fact and opinion, basing judgments on
evidence and reasoning
B.1. Writing Process
a. Use prewriting strategies (e.g., brainstorming, webbing, note
taking, interviewing, background reading) to generate, focus, and
organize ideas as well as to gather information
b. Analyze writing assignments in terms of purpose and audience to
determine which strategies to use (e.g., writing a speech to inform
versus a speech to persuade)
c. Create and use various tools (e.g., rubrics, checklists, models,
writing conferences) to revise, refine, edit, and proofread own and
others’ writing, using appropriate rhetorical, logical, and stylistic
criteria for assessing the final versions of compositions
B.2. Modes of Writing for Different Purposes
and Audiences
c. Craft first and final drafts of persuasive papers that articulate a
clear position; support assertions using rhetorical devices,
including personal anecdotes and appeals to emotion or logic; and
develop arguments using a variety of methods
B.3. Organization, Unity, and Coherence
a. Establish and develop a clear thesis statement for informational
writing or a clear plan or outline for narrative writing
b. Organize writing to create a coherent whole with effective, fully
developed paragraphs, similar ideas grouped together for unity,
and paragraphs arranged in a logical sequence
c. Add important information and delete irrelevant information and
details to more clearly establish a central idea
d. Rearrange words, sentences, and/or paragraphs and add
transitional words and phrases to clarify meaning and to achieve
specific aesthetic and rhetorical purposes
e. Write an introduction that engages the reader and a conclusion
that summarizes, extends, or elaborates points or ideas in
the writing
B.4. Sentence-Level Constructions
3
a. Recognize and correct errors that weaken writing, including
nonparallel structure, shifts from active to passive voice, misused
modifiers, and awkward sentence construction
b. Combine phrases and clauses to create sentences of varying
lengths and sophistication (e.g., simple, compound-complex,
balanced, periodic, cumulative) and to coordinate or subordinate
meaning for effect
c. Use parallel structure to present items in a series and items
juxtaposed for emphasis
d. Evaluate own sentence style by identifying common sentence
patterns and constructions
g. Use strong action verbs, sensory details, vivid imagery, and
precise words
D.2. Application
g. Actively participate in small-group and large-group discussions,
assuming various roles
E. Study Skills and Test Taking
a. Apply active reading, listening, and viewing techniques by taking
notes on classroom discussions, lectures, oral and/or video
presentations, or assigned at-home reading, and by underlining
key passages and writing comments in journals or in margins of
texts, where permitted
b. Demonstrate organizational skills such as keeping a daily calendar
of assignments and activities and maintaining a notebook of
classwork
d. Demonstrate familiarity with test formats and test administration
procedures to increase speed and accuracy
Research-Based Strategies
 Exit Slips (p. 8)
 Muddiest Point (p. 11)
 Visual Representation: Poster (pp. 12–14)
 Group Work (pp. 12–14, 16–17, 19, 27–28)
 Think-Pair-Share (pp. 13, 27)
 3-2-1 Assessment (p. 18)
 Round Robin Brainstorming (p. 27)
Essential Questions
Tips for
Teachers
The essential questions and the primary course
1. How does an understanding of argument help me
objectives for this unit should be prominently displayed in
discuss my work with others?
the classroom.
2. What are the differences between a persuasive and
an informative essay?
3. What is my particular process when I write an essay?
4. What kinds of persuasion did writers use when the United States
was a new country?
Suggestions for Assessment
Except where otherwise noted, assessments can be given a point value,
or they can simply be marked off as completed.
4
Preassessment
Writing—Asking students to write an autobiography (Writing an
Autobiography, p. B-4) during the first week of school provides a way to
assess students’ writing ability. (Days 1, 2)
Embedded Assessments
Class Notebook—Keeping a well-organized notebook is an important
part of being an effective student. Use the Class Notebook Rubric (p. C-2) to
assess students’ work in this area. (Days 2, 3, 4)
Journal Writing—Frequent journal writing increases writing fluency.
Journals should be scored based on completion and the depth of thought put
into them. (Days 5, 9, 10, 12, 15)
Visual Representation, Presentation, and Written Argument—The PhotoStory and Identity Poster prompt (p. D-2) asks students to express their
different identities or to create a narrative through photographs. The project
challenges their collaboration and presentation skills. Students’ ability to write
persuasively is measured by a written defense of their posters. (Days 3–6)
Rubric—The Group Participation and Collaboration Rubric (p. D-4)
provides a way to assess students’ work in small groups. (Days 3–6)
Practice Tests—Students take abbreviated Reading and English practice
tests (The Case for More School Days, pp. E-2–E-3; From the Kitchen to the
Lab, pp. E-6–E-8, respectively), which are derived from the ACT® test.
Analyzing answers to the questions and discussing test-taking skills will help
prepare students for the ACT. (Days 10–11)
Worksheet—The Essay Analysis worksheet (p. E-5) helps students take
notes as they analyze an essay. It is intended to help them learn how to
structure the persuasive essays they write. (Days 7–8)
Unit Assessment
Essay—With their final essay (The Greatest Problem or Promise of the
United States prompt, p. F-3) students turn in drafts, as well as their own
reflections on writing. (Days 9–14)
Unit Description
Introduction
Materials & Resources
Unit Assignments and Assessments example (p. A-2)
Unit Assignments and Assessments (p. A-3)
This unit helps reorient students to school and to English class in
particular. Students engage in several community-building exercises that
encourage them to think about their identities. In addition, they begin a
yearlong discussion about test-taking strategies. Finally, several major themes
for the year are introduced through reading and writing assignments.
The first weeks of any class should focus on building classroom
community. Group work, for example, helps students get to know each other
by working together. In addition, it is important to promote a sense of
appreciation for their work and to encourage students to speak kindly to each
other. Carol Longhenry, an eleventh-grade teacher from Rockford, Illinois,
5
emphasizes this sense of appreciation by telling students, as
they review the class syllabus early in the year, to write a
statement in their notebooks:
Frequently, when I respond to your work in
writing, my words will be critical. However,
because I will get caught up in the details of daily
classes and may forget to say it, I want you to
know that I notice and appreciate your effort. I
value each of you as an important member of the
class, regardless of the criticism or grades you
receive. Your grade does not in any way equate to
you. I wish to help you discover your gifts and
cultivate them for use in a meaningful life.
Longhenry asks her students to look back at this statement
often as a way of mitigating the sting of criticism. Building
community early is important because the entire year will
be spent deepening and widening students’ perspectives on
different ways of reading. Learning to see that the world is
a steadily unfolding text demanding interpretation can be a
daunting task for a student who thinks he or she is
undertaking it alone.
In addition to community-building assignments and
other warm-ups for the year’s work, students begin reading
and writing persuasive essays. In the process, they learn to
recognize argument structures and to evaluate arguments
for their use of support. Students will refine their
understanding of persuasion throughout the year, but the
unit’s introduction to rhetorical analysis and to rigorous
writing will reveal the kind of work that you expect.
The unit’s final introduction to English 11 is an
analysis of two important documents from United States
history: Patrick Henry’s 1775 address to the Virginia
Convention and a letter from Benjamin Banneker to
Thomas Jefferson, written in 1791. Students’ analysis of
both texts will initiate them into the study of the literature
and culture of the United States.
Tips for
Teachers
Carol Longhenry also uses a five-word code to respond
quickly to her students’ writing. Explaining to her students
how badly she felt when a teacher called her work
“pedestrian,” she then reveals her code:
Yuk! means “This is boring.”
Eek! means “This is a blatant error” or “This thesis
is impossible to prove!”
Duh! means “This point is obvious.”
Wow! is used to support creative or divergent
thinking.
Yes! means “This is exciting!”
Longhenry says students understand that they are to take
these comments in a lighthearted manner and are thrilled
when they see “Yes!” beside their writing.
Tips for
Teachers
Prior to the first day of school, use the following
checklist (Wright, 1999) to identify tasks not yet
accomplished or to spark new ways of starting off the
school year.
Am I energized to be enthusiastic about this class?
Is the classroom arranged properly for the day’s
activities?
Are my name, course title, and room number on
the chalkboard?
Do I have an icebreaker planned?
Do I have a way to start learning names?
Do I have a way to gather information on student
backgrounds, interests, course expectations,
questions, concerns?
Is the syllabus complete and clear?
Have I outlined how students will be evaluated?
Do I have announcements of needed information
for the day?
Do I have a way of gathering student feedback?
When the class is over, will students want to come
back? Will I want to come back?
6
Day 1
Suggested Teaching Strategies/Procedures
Day 1
On the first day of class, students interview each other. Then, they share
what they have learned with the class. This leads to a discussion of
organizational patterns in writing and a general exploration of the
study of English.
Materials & Resources
Overhead projector*
Seating chart transparency*
Sample autobiography*
Mr. Linden’s Library by Chris Van Allsburg (p. B-2)
The House on Maple Street by Chris Van Allsburg (p. B-3)
Class notebooks* (Students should bring their class notebooks every day.)
Notebook paper*
Envelope*
Writing an Autobiography (p. B-4)
*Materials or resources not included in the published unit
Prepare for class by creating a student seating chart to place on an
overhead transparency (Wong & Wong, 2003). Also create transparencies of
Mr. Linden’s Library (p. B-2) and The House on Maple Street (p. B-3),
illustrations by Chris Van Allsburg (1984). In addition, write a 3–4 paragraph
autobiography. (This autobiography should serve as a model for the one
students will write; thus, it should focus on a specific memory and contain
dialogue and vivid sensory descriptions.) Finally, immediately before class,
place a piece of paper at each desk.
Greet each student at the door. Students can find their seats by referring
to the chart projected onto the wall. Explain that the purpose of the chart is
primarily to help you learn their names; they may choose their own seats once
you have matched names with faces.
When most students have found their seats, display on the overhead
projector Mr. Linden’s Library and then The House on Maple Street. These
unusual, almost surreal scenes, which suggest fantastic stories, should arouse
students’ curiosity. They will help draw in students who think and learn
visually.
Ask students to caption either of the illustrations. Give them a few
minutes to think and write; this is, in part, a way for you to tell the literalminded students from those who easily think with metaphors. Walk around the
room taking notes as students work. Then ask students to discuss their captions
with a neighbor. In this way, students will begin to get to know one another
and be reminded that people can see the world differently. The captions will
be the first entry in their journals.
Welcome students again to the first day of eleventh-grade English. Ask if
students know what essential questions are; if they do not, explain that they
are questions that will guide their learning in this unit and throughout the
course. As you talk, point out the essential questions posted in the room.
Essential questions draw attention to the most important concepts of a unit.
They help teachers avoid lessons that are little more than assortments of facts.
Day 1
According to Heidi Hayes Jacobs, “An essential question is at the heart of the
curriculum. It is the essence of what you believe students should examine and
know in the short time they have with you” (1997, p. 26). Essential questions
are not designed to have one single answer; instead, they are intended to be
explored by students and teachers alike. Nor are they questions with easy
answers. They are questions that students should be closer to understanding by
the end of a unit than at the beginning. Using essential
questions in the classroom will gradually help students
Tips for
value the quality and depth of their questions more than the
Teachers
correctness of their answers.
Next, ask students to brainstorm a list of passions,
Brainstorming is a useful way to get students to think of
such as sports, clothes, video games, books, places they
new ideas. According to Manktelow (2005), effective
like to go, movies they enjoy most, chat rooms they visit,
brainstorming has the following characteristics:
music they listen to—things that excite them. Match
The problem or question you want addressed is
students in pairs based on their passions. For example, pair
well-defined.
two science fiction or fantasy readers together, or two
Students remain focused on the problem or
students who are interested in fashion. Allow students
question.
seven to eight minutes to interview their partners about
No
one (including you) is allowed to criticize or
ways in which this particular passion defines them, then
evaluate
the ideas that are offered.
have them switch roles for another seven to eight minutes.
Enthusiasm is encouraged.
Each interviewer should take notes. Walk around the room,
No train of thought is allowed to go on too long.
listening in on conversations, encouraging students, and
Students are encouraged to build on each other’s
making sure they are comfortable. If there is a student left
ideas or to use one idea to generate a new idea.
over, interview him or her yourself.
A student is appointed to write down ideas where
Give students 10 minutes to write a paragraph that
all can see them.
introduces their partners’ passions to the class. Because
they read the drafts aloud, the whole class is the audience
they should write for. This writing is not for a grade; rather,
it is to explain their partners’ passions. It is also a chance for each student to
see how well she or he can stir the rest of the class to appreciate that passion.
Once students have finished, ask each set of partners to read their
paragraphs aloud. If having everyone read will take too much time, ask for a
volunteer from each pair. Listen to these readings and offer comments and
appreciations that emphasize each paragraph’s structure. After half of the
students have read, stop and ask the class if they can define
a paragraph. This will probably be difficult for students to
Tips for
do successfully; point out that it is possible to know how to
Teachers
do something, such as how to write a paragraph or play a
guitar, but not know how to explain it. Reiterate that they
Randy Bomer (1995) recommends keeping notes
have a lot of implicit knowledge about writing that they
about students on a clipboard while in class. Bomer makes
may not be able to articulate. Before the rest of the students
note of the situations in which each student seems
read their paragraphs, ask everyone to listen carefully this
comfortable or uncomfortable, areas of knowledge he or
time. Ask them to learn about their peers and to discover
she might bring to the class, reading or other interests
the structure of each paragraph read. If you were
outside of school, what he or she says about school, or
interviewed by a student, ask that student to read the
anything else that may help him know students better. Even
paragraph about you last.
though these notes are always imperfect and incomplete,
Ask students to describe the patterns in their
they nevertheless provide a running history of the students’
classmates’ paragraphs: for example, who followed the
class experiences. Bomer explains to students that his
five-sentence pattern of one topic sentence, three
notes are a form of valuing what they say. At the end of
supporting sentences, and one concluding sentence? Most
each week, Bomer places his notes into three-ring binders,
likely very few did, as most paragraphs are not written to a
one binder for each class.
7
8
Day 1
Tips for
Teachers
In order to be a model and to remind yourself of the
frustrations of writing, write with your students. Spandel
(2005) suggests several techniques for modeling the writing
process:
Share topics you are thinking of writing about,
explaining how you invented those topics and how
the topics changed as you worked with them.
Show students prewriting strategies that work for
you.
Draft one or more paragraphs so that your
students can see how you generate copy.
Read a draft of your writing aloud so students can
give you their responses.
Show students various ways that you and other
writers organize writing—physically cutting and
pasting an essay and moving the cut-up
paragraphs into a different order; writing a brief
outline before writing the actual essay; or writing
voluminously and then extracting parts to use for a
different essay.
Work out a typical writer’s problem—a lack of
detail, awkward sentence structures, important
information left out—and ask for students’ help as
you do so.
Ask for students’ opinions about possible
conclusions or introductions to a draft.
Ask students, after a major writing assignment, to
describe the different steps they took and to share
those steps and stages with their classmates so
that all can contrast the varying ways they write
and learn from others’ procedures.
Having students model the various ways they write would
also show them the necessity of finding their own writing
processes.
formula (Zemelman & Daniels, 1988). Writers rarely use
formulaic processes, either; in fact, each writer’s process is
unique.
Read your autobiography next. As you read, ask
students to listen to its structure. Before reading, however,
let students know that your intention is to provide a model
for the homework assignment.
After you read your own autobiography, distribute the
Writing an Autobiography prompt (p. B-4). Students will
write a three-page autobiography that will be due on Day 6.
Having a volunteer read this prompt aloud allows you to
ascertain how well students understand the instructions by
observing their body language. In general, the assignment
serves as an informal preassessment and writing diagnostic.
Furthermore, it is a way for you to learn more about your
students’ lives.
As a wrap-up for the day, ask students to complete an
Exit Slip, which is a sense-making strategy in which
students write on slips of paper a summary of or reflection
upon the day’s work. For this exit slip, students should
identify one English Language Arts-related skill they
believe they need to learn or improve upon this year. Put
the exit slips in an envelope and read them at the beginning
of the second semester. At that time, you will ask students
to determine if the skill they identified has been improved
upon or has otherwise changed.
Before students leave, preview the fact that you will
discuss the syllabus in detail on Day 3.
Days 2–4
Days 2–4
The syllabus is discussed, as is the grading scale, the themes for the unit,
Sustained Silent Reading (SSR), and the use of portfolios. Students
also spend time in the school library finding books to read for SSR.
Materials & Resources
Class notebooks*
Hat*
English 11 syllabus*
Annotated bibliography of books for Sustained Silent Reading (SSR)*
Mock class notebook*
Class Notebook Rubric (p. C-2)
Overhead projector*
Seating chart transparency*
Internet Guidelines (pp. C-3–C-5)
*Materials or resources not included in the published unit
Prior to class, arrange with the librarian for the class to spend Day 4 in
the library. Let the librarian know of your plans for Sustained Silent Reading
(SSR) and request that he or she talk with your class—either in your classroom
or in the library—about 5–10 books that eleventh-grade students have enjoyed
in the past and about the library’s rules.
Tell students that they will often warm up by writing in their journals.
Today they will write for five minutes in response to the prompt on the board:
The Declaration of Independence says that there are unalienable rights
to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Describe your experience
of two limits put on your pursuit of happiness.
After time is up, ask a few students to share their responses with the class.
Then, preview some of the themes of the works students will read in the unit.
The readings contrast the promise the United States offered to its early citizens
with those it refused to other people. Citizenship, for example, has been a
focus of argument since the nation was founded. Even if they are not aware
that they are thinking about the themes, your description will encourage them
to ruminate over them subconsciously, which will make the papers they write
that much better. Suggest to students that, when they write, they choose topics
they are passionate about. It will help them focus their thoughts. For this unit,
they will write persuasive essays in which they will choose a problem that
needs to be solved or a promise that the United States has fulfilled. Students
will defend the position they take.
After the preview, ask students to describe, on slips of paper, how they
choose a book to read. Do they take advice from friends? Do they judge the
book by its cover? Do they read books based on movies they have seen? Do
they browse comic book stores? After five minutes, pass a hat for students to
drop their slips in. As you read the slips aloud, ask students to identify
themselves, if they want, and talk about why their strategies work. Encourage
students to note new strategies in their journals. After 10–15 minutes, describe
the way you choose the books you read for pleasure. Then, shift the discussion
to explore the ways reading changes over time. Encourage students to share
9
10
Days 2–4
their experiences as you share your own. This discussion will be the first of
many intended to encourage students to read outside of class and to help them
see that they own their acts of reading.
Because there will be time during class—perhaps one class period a
week—to engage in Sustained Silent Reading (SSR), students should always
have a book with them. As part of the SSR program, they will
 receive suggestions of books to read,
 go to the library as a class in order to check out books,
 give book talks about the books they read, and
 be monitored periodically to ensure that they have books to read.
Provide students with an annotated list of books they might want to
choose from. Let students know that they will go to the library on Day 4 to
check out books to read.
Students’ homework is to work on their autobiographies, which are due
on Day 6. If there is time, wrap up by answering any questions students might
have about writing.
Before students enter class on Day 3, create a mock notebook. Also,
place a copy of the English 11 syllabus on each of their desks. As a warm-up,
students should review the syllabus. Answer any questions they have.
Explain the grading scale and academic requirements for the course. If a
textbook is being used, identify what makes it a good text. In addition, explain
that homework will have three primary goals: to prepare students for coming
lessons, to extend the skills they have or to transfer them to
new situations, or to synthesize the skills they are learning.
Tips for
Inform students of your homework and makeup
Teachers
work policies.
Then, tell students that they need to bring their class
Marzano, Norford, Paynter, Pickering, and Gaddy
notebooks every day. All of a student’s notes and handouts
(2001, p. 128) created a list of eight statements for guiding
should be organized into their notebooks. Show the mock
educators’ analysis of their homework practices. Using a
notebook you have made to explain the different sections.
scale from zero to four, with zero being “not at all” and four
One method of organizing the notebook follows:
being “to a great extent,” respond to the following
 Class Notes: Keep daily class notes. Each day’s
statements. Your responses to these statements will identify
notes should be titled and dated. Notes should also
whether your strategies are designed to make homework
be legible, numbered, and written on college-ruled
more effective or whether you need to improve in any of the
paper.
eight areas.
 Writing: Keep handouts, rubrics that pertain
1. I have a clearly articulated homework policy that
specifically to writing, a writer’s log or journal, all
describes my expectations for students and
drafts of essays, and other writing in this section of
parents.
the class notebook. When a new essay is assigned,
2. I clearly communicate my homework policy to
students will be expected to review past papers to
students.
avoid repeating the same usage and mechanical
3. I clearly communicate my homework policy to
mistakes.
parents.
 Grammar and Vocabulary: Keep all grammar
4. I clearly communicate to students the knowledge
handouts, vocabulary lists, and returned
they will be learning.
vocabulary quizzes in this section.
5. I have a specific purpose for the homework
 Highlighted and Annotated Texts: Keep all
assignment.
highlighted and annotated texts in this section.
6. My students are aware of the purpose of the
Students will be able to see how their annotations
homework assignment.
change over the course of the year.
7. I provide feedback on the homework assignment.
 Graded Tests and Quizzes: Keep all tests and
8. Over time, I collect evidence about the effect of
nonvocabulary quizzes in this section to help
homework on my students’ learning.
Days 2–4
11
students monitor their
Tips for
improvement throughout the
Teachers
year.
Students should keep all of their in-class writing in
The QualityCore model English 11 syllabus comes
their notebooks, which will be helpful when putting
from
a study, On Course for Success (2004), that ACT and
together their portfolios. Students’ portfolios will consist of
The
Education
Trust conducted during the 2003–2004
two papers revised and submitted at the end of each grading
school
year.
The
10 schools studied were providing
period. Their portfolios should showcase their best work
rigorous college-preparatory educations to their lowbecause they will be presented to parents or guardians at
income, high-minority student populations. Along with
end-of-year meetings. Students should think of the portfolio
surveying, observing, and interviewing the teachers of these
as a final argument, presenting evidence of their progress
successful students, ACT and The Education Trust
and accomplishments in class (Burke, 2003). Explain that
collected many instructional materials from each teacher
they will learn more about how to choose what to put in
who participated in the study, including syllabi. The model
their portfolios as the end of each grading period
English 11 syllabus is a synthesis of those syllabi.
approaches.
Finally, because the class notebook will be graded
periodically, distribute the Class Notebook Rubric (p. C-2).
Students should keep it in their notebooks and refer to it often. Students’
homework is to review the syllabus and course policies with their parents or
guardians and to return signed copies of both tomorrow.
On Day 4 allow time for students to visit the library as a class. If the
librarian is able to come to your class before the visit, he or she can learn more
about your students and deliver a book talk. If you provide students with a list
of websites prior to the library visit, students can spend time reviewing the
sites using the Internet Guidelines worksheet (pp. C-3–C-5) after they have
found SSR books. Students will thus learn about the kinds of critical questions
they should ask when finding source material on the World Wide Web, a skill
they will need when researching in this course and others.
Make sure students know that their homework for Day 4—and for any
day when there is not more specific homework—is to spend at least half an
hour reading.
As a wrap-up, have students identify and write down a concept that was
“muddiest,” or most unclear to them during the first three days. You will
address their Muddiest Points in class on Day 5.
12
Days 5–9
Days 5–9
In groups, students create either a photo-story or an identity portrait.
Then, each student writes a short, persuasive essay explaining why he
or she deserves an “A” on the project. Students present their photostories and identity portraits to the class.
Materials & Resources
Photo-Story and Identity Poster (p. D-2)
Photo-Story and Identity Poster Rubric (p. D-3)
Group Participation and Collaboration Rubric (p. D-4)
Cameras*
Costumes or props*
Scissors, poster board, markers, colored pencils, glue*
Perfect Words (p. D-5)
SSR chart (p. D-6)
*Materials or resources not included in the published unit
Before class, place the Photo-Story and Identity Poster prompt (p. D-2)
and the Photo-Story and Identity Poster Rubric (p. D-3) on students’ desks (or
in a designated area for students to pick up). When they arrive, respond to
students’ muddiest points from Day 4. Then announce that, for the next few
days, students will be doing a kind of communal writing using photographs.
Before explaining, however, remind them that their autobiographies are due on
Day 6.
Read aloud the Photo-Story and Identity Poster prompt. In small groups,
students will create either a photo-story—with frames for each photo and
dialogue bubbles that advance the story—or an identity portrait—a collage of
photographs that reveal the different roles they play. Allow students to choose
groups according to the assignment they want to complete. Students’ work
will be assessed using the Group Participation and Collaboration Rubric
(p. D-3). Because working collaboratively is an important skill in the world of
work, students need to develop and refine the ability to work in groups, by
sharing their thoughts, writing with others, and giving and receiving feedback.
To facilitate the work, borrow cameras from the yearbook or newspaper
staff, ask students to use their own cameras, or tell them where they can buy
inexpensive disposables. As they begin to plan, remind students that they can
write stories with their photographs in any genre they please: mysteries, hero
stories, comedies, love stories, satires, even horror stories. At the same time,
however, discuss propriety. Students’ posters may be humorous, ironic, or
satirical, but they should understand that some topics are inappropriate for the
classroom.
Students who create the identity posters also work in small groups,
although each student will create an individual poster. Students should take a
series of posed shots of themselves and then paste the photographs onto the
poster board. Students’ group work as they create their identity posters will be
more supportive than creative. A group might brainstorm types of photographs
that individual students might take or discuss the symbolism of different shots
and locations; groups might also function as sounding boards for ideas.
As they work, remind students about the captions they wrote in response
to the Chris Van Allsburg illustrations. Although captions are very different
Days 5–9
13
from dialogue bubbles, a comparison between the two can be useful. Ask
students to talk about how the captions they wrote clarified what they saw in
the illustrations, just as captions on their posters might.
Throughout Days 5–7, emphasize the connection between writing with
pictures and writing with words. Suggest to students that, in making these
posters, they are narrating. As they work, ask, “In which medium, photographs
or words, do you feel most comfortable?” Keep notes about their responses. In
this project, students will probably find themselves saying things through
photographs that they would not be able to say in words because photos allow
those who feel less comfortable with language to express
Tips for
themselves. Seek out teachable moments as you watch the
Teachers
groups work. Connect issues that arise to larger cultural
ideas that students may not realize they are reacting to or
English teacher Jim Burke (2003) calls the journals (or
participating in.
personal
writers’ logs) his students use “the petri dish of the
After the groups have finished the posters, they
mind.” He asks his students to write every day when they
should begin to work on the essay component of the
first come into class. Often students respond to a
assignment. Encourage students to discuss the criteria by
photograph on the board, a question, a quotation, a text
which the posters should be evaluated. Doing so will help
they read the day before, or a painting. Burke has explored,
them think through the criteria to discuss in their essays.
through journals with students, “the deep terrain of
They should ask each other questions: “What qualities of
important ideas,” such as what freedom might mean after
the posters are most important: the placement of the
the destruction of the World Trade Center on
photographs; the skill with which the photographs were
September 11, 2001.
taken; the complexity, wit, or imaginative qualities of the
Burke says that journals become a record of students’
narrative that the photographs describe; the depth of the
thinking
and can be used by them to provide ideas for
story or identity expressed by the photographs?” Students
papers
that
they will write in class and to think out questions
will use the criteria in a persuasive essay that argues why
about
who
they
are, where they plan to go in life, and what
their posters deserve “A’s.” The essay should provide good
they most value. In his classes, Burke uses journals in a
reasons and evidence that supports those reasons. The essay
variety of ways:
should also anticipate counterarguments to their claims.
Students pair up and share different journal
The essay is informal, however, and intended to help
responses to the same text.
students think about and practice the skills involved in
Students write about the differences between a
writing a persuasive essay before they write a more formal
film version and a written version of the same text.
one later in the unit. Students should complete the essay at
Students
write letters to each other about a
home prior to presenting the posters, and they should turn
paragraph
they have just read.
them in with the posters after the presentation.
Periodically, Burke models journal writing to students
Wrap up students’ work on the photo-stories and
by
reading
aloud his own journal entries about, for example,
identity posters by employing the Think-Pair-Share strategy
the
novel
Bless
Me, Ultima, or his responses to the
(Lyman, 1981). In this research-based strategy, students
characters
in
The
Glass Menagerie.
independently brainstorm ideas and then share those ideas
Burke argues that, in the English class, journals serve
with a partner or small group before reporting out to the
many
purposes:
entire class. This removes the pressure of being put on the
They
promote fluency of language and thus are
spot to share ideas that are only their own. Students should
never
graded based on conventions.
write individually for about five minutes about the
They are used as a place to think out a subject or
experience of creating the posters. Then, they should share
text to be discussed in class.
those ideas with a partner or a small group before
They
promote experimentation as a means of
presenting their thoughts to the class. This writing
learning
to write without fear of judgment.
assignment is purposefully vague in order to see if students
They belong to the student, and thus can be
fall into the trap of relying on overused words, such as fun,
personalized.
interesting, or boring. As they read their writing, help them
They
can be used as an informal way to assess
think of other words they might use to describe their
how
much
students are understanding a particular
experience.
reading or topic.
14
Days 5–9
Allow students to spend Day 8 planning how to present their posters.
After they plan, you may want to pair groups together to critique each other’s
presentations. As one group presents, the other should offer suggestions about
ways the presentation might be improved. While they practice, walk around
the room and encourage students to become involved. Insist that each group
member contribute to the presentation: a shy student can hold up the poster;
another student can point to photographs being showcased; a third can narrate
the story of making the poster. Allow students these kinds of choices because
you are still getting to know them during these first days of school. Shy
students will learn presentation skills and overcome their anxieties as the year
progresses. For now, however, because student’s speaking abilities are not
under review, keep the presentations informal.
On Day 9, greet students at the door. On their desks have two
worksheets: first, a list of words like those Nancy Dean identifies in
Discovering Voice (2006)—good, nice, beautiful, fun, bad, thing, very,
interesting—that are so overused they have little meaning; second, the Perfect
Words worksheet (p. D-5). As a warm-up for the day, let students know that
they should be collecting two types of words throughout the year. First, they
should collect words that are ineffective because they are overused. Second,
they should collect effective verbs and adjectives, such as slouch or stinky, that
communicate well. Ask them to review their persuasive “Why I deserve an A”
papers to see if any of the words are overused. Give them five minutes to add
the words they find to their worksheets.
You may want to introduce the presentations by telling students that,
after each group presents, you will ask volunteers to describe aspects of the
posters or presentations that they liked. In addition, remind students that they
should applaud after each presentation. This reinforces a positive and friendly
atmosphere in the class.
Standing in their small groups in front of their classmates, students
should explain their posters. Work to make the experience as nonthreatening
and enjoyable as possible: a primary reason to complete the activity is to
create a sense of safety and community in the classroom. After posters have
been submitted to you at the end of the class, you may want to respond to them
positively. After all, you are still getting to know your students, and your
primary aim at this point is to help everyone feel comfortable.
The homework for Day 9 is to read for at least half an hour. Distribute
the SSR Chart worksheet (p. D-6), which provides space for students to fill in
the title, author, and publication date of the book they are
Tips for
reading, a 1–2 sentence synopsis of the plot, the number of
Teachers
pages they have read, and a brief evaluation of the book.
In order to wrap up and reinforce the learning, explain
For daily warm-ups or wrap-ups, you may want to use
to students that they have begun to answer Essential
a page from Nancy Dean’s Discovering Voice: Voice
Question 1: “How does an understanding of argument help
Lessons for Middle and High School (2006) or her more
me discuss my work with others?” Emphasize that, by
advanced Voice Lessons: Classroom Activities to Teach
presenting their posters and writing informal arguments,
Diction, Detail, Imagery, Syntax, and Tone (2000). Both
they have begun thinking about and practicing the process
books recommend a number of helpful elements for
of writing persuasively. Both skills will be useful later in
teaching voice: diction, detail, figurative language, imagery,
the unit.
syntax, and tone.
Days 10–11
Days 10–11
Students take and discuss practice Reading and English Tests from the
ACT. They read and annotate several persuasive essays, and they
generate topics for the essays they will write.
Materials & Resources
Machine-scorable answer sheets *
The Case for More School Days (pp. E-2–E-3)
The Case for More School Days Key (p. E-4)
Timer*
Persuasive essays*
Essay Analysis (p. E-5)
Colored pencils or highlighters* (also used on Day 14)
Butcher paper*
From the Kitchen to the Lab (pp. E-6–E-8)
From the Kitchen to the Lab Key (p. E-9)
Newspapers*
Scissors*
Sticky notes*
*Materials or resources not included in the published unit
Prior to the start of class, place machine-scorable answer sheets
somewhere students can pick them up. They will be completing a reading
passage and 10 test questions from the ACT as a warm-up. The topic of the
test, like the topic of the English test they will take tomorrow, is “school.”
One purpose for giving practice tests is to familiarize students with
standardized tests such as the End-of-Course assessment and the ACT.
Familiarity with the test format can help make the tests less trying. Another
purpose is to encourage students to set goals for their own improvement. A
third purpose is to obtain more information about students’ reading and
writing skills. Giving practice tests periodically throughout the year also
allows students to track how their skills are improving. Remind students that,
because college entrance exams are important to their postsecondary plans,
one goal they should have for this class is to raise their scores on such tests.
Explain that these tests require a precision of language that is important for
them to attain. Just as a brain surgeon cannot remove a tumor by wielding a
dull scalpel, a test-taker cannot succeed on the ACT without a sharp command
of language.
Begin a discussion of test-taking strategies. Ask students to share any
test-taking strategies they have. As they share, add others:
 Read the advance organizer.
 Answer easy questions first and return to hard questions later.
 Answer every question (students are not penalized for guessing on
the ACT).
Next, introduce the test. On the ACT Reading Test there are four
passages: prose fiction, social science, humanities, and natural science. At an
official test administration, students have 35 minutes to answer 40 multiplechoice questions. In this instance, they will have 12 minutes to read one social
science passage and answer 10 questions. Social science is not often covered
in English classes, but reading texts of this type will be very important in
15
16
Days 10–11
students’ college careers. After the introduction, distribute The Case for More
School Days practice test (pp. E-2–E-3). Start a timer and let students get to
work.
Once the timer has rung, discuss the reading passage and questions with
students. Ask them to explain the thinking processes and test-taking strategies
they used. If students do not bring it up on their own, point out that the reading
passage is a persuasive essay. After asking them to identify the thesis
statement, be sure to cover the following questions:
 How well did the writer make his case for more school days?
 What are some equally strong arguments against adding more
school days?
 Which of the writer’s claims are unwarranted?
 Is any of the evidence the writer cites flimsy? Why? Why not?
After the discussion, have students turn in their practice tests; tell them you
will record their scores and return the tests the next day.
Working in groups, students will next analyze one of two persuasive
essays. Stephen Jay Gould’s “Women’s Brains” (1980) and Vicki Hearne’s
“What’s Wrong with Animal Rights” (1991) would be good texts to use for
the exercise, which is adapted from an activity in Carol Jago’s Cohesive
Writing: Why Concept Is Not Enough (2002). Students should gather in groups
based on which essay they choose to study. In addition to the essay, provide
each student with the Essay Analysis worksheet (p. E-5) as a guide for their
reading. Students’ first task is to note the title and author of the essay. The
second task is to agree upon the thesis of the essay. Prepare students for the
fact that the thesis statement may not be in the first paragraph. There may be
an enticing anecdote that continues for a few paragraphs before the thesis is
stated; the thesis may even come at the end of the essay. As they work,
circulate around the room; listen, but try not to interject. The conversation that
this find-the-thesis task generates is important. You want students to decide
among themselves what the main idea of the essay is. You want them to
discover that professional writers often do not state the thesis and three points
of proof in the first paragraph. Depending on the length of each essay, the
reading and discussion may take some time. But as soon as students have
agreed upon the essay’s thesis statement, ask them to highlight it in green.
Next, ask them to underline, in yellow, all of the evidence the essayist uses to
defend his or her thesis.
Direct students to highlight in blue the commentaries and explanations.
To reinforce the difference between factual evidence or explanation and
arguments based on opinion, ask students to underline in pen any statements of
fact and to explain in the margin why the statements are factual. This might be
a point at which to discuss the difference between fact and opinion. In The
Five Hundred Word Theme, Martin and Kroitor (1984, pp. 118–119) define
fact as “a verifiable statement, an accurate report of happenings, or accurate
comments about persons, objects, or ideas. It is something everyone will agree
to.” They define opinion as “a conclusion or conviction formed about any
matter. An opinion is stronger than a mere impression but less strong than
positive knowledge. It is usually based on evidence of some kind.” These are
both different from a judgment, which is “an opinion expressing a person’s
approval or disapproval of objects, happenings, persons, or ideas. It is a
limited form of opinion, also usually based on evidence of some kind, and also
Days 10–11
open to dispute because the evidence can be logically sound or logically
fallacious.”
Once all groups have highlighted their essays, have groups copy the
following information from their worksheets onto butcher paper:
 The thesis statement
 Brief descriptions of evidence the essayist used to defend his or
her thesis
 Whether or not they found the argument convincing and why
Have each group come up to the front of the room and share their findings; the
rest of the class should critique and discuss their peers’ reviews.
The analysis and discussion should help students see how an argument
can be built. It may reassure them that writing a persuasive essay is something
they can do now that they have analyzed the parts from which persuasive
essays are made.
Encourage students to talk about aspects of the essays that they liked,
that were surprising, and that they may want to imitate. Point out to students
how carefully structured and tightly organized the introductions to the
essays are.
For a wrap-up of the day’s work, ask students to respond in their journals
to the following questions:
 What was it like for you to share your findings with the class?
 How would you teach this exercise differently?
For homework, have students read the essay they did not analyze in
class, highlight it, and fill out an Essay Analysis worksheet for it. The reason
for this homework is to practice the analytical tools they used in class and to
provide an opportunity to read another persuasive essay. Assure students that
having more than one model against which to judge their own persuasive
writing will help them write more incisively.
On Day 11, after students’ homework is handed in, have them take an
English practice test. Today, they will answer 15 questions in 10 minutes. The
ACT English Test has five passages and 75 multiple-choice questions.
Students have 45 minutes to complete all five passages. The English Test
measures students’ understanding of the purpose and focus of the passage as
well as its organization, word choice, sentence structure, conventions of usage,
and punctuation. Remind students that practice tests will help prepare them for
the real thing. In this instance, the test will also provide information about
their editing skills, which will be discussed later in the unit.
Make sure each student has an answer sheet and a copy of the practice
test, “From the Kitchen to the Lab” (pp. E-6–E-8). Set a timer and have the
class begin. When time is called, review students’ answers and ask them to
explain their reasoning to each other. This discussion encourages students to
take responsibility for their own learning and emphasizes that learning is an
active process. Students begin to see how they can learn from each other as
well as from you. Collect the practice tests. Record the scores and return the
practice tests. The class will review these questions in greater depth later.
Then, implementing another idea suggested by Carol Jago (2002),
announce that students are to begin generating topics for an essay designed to
persuade the reader of the United States’ greatest problem or greatest promise.
To help generate topics, distribute copies of the New York Times, the Christian
Science Monitor, and the Washington Post from the past two or three weeks.
For the rest of the class period, allow students to skim the papers and circle or
cut out articles that give them ideas about the biggest problems in and
17
18
Days 10–11
promises of the United States. Each student should choose at least five stories
and should then write their ideas in their journals. Encourage them to look
beyond the first page. This focused reading is a form of prewriting. You may
want to illustrate how their reading today might generate ideas for their essay
by drawing a web on the board.
As a wrap-up of the day’s activities, distribute sticky notes and ask
students to complete a 3-2-1 Assessment by writing
 three new ideas they have learned in class,
 two directions they do not understand, and
 one question they still have.
Collect the sticky notes, read them, and respond to students’ questions and
misunderstandings at the beginning of class the next day.
Days 12–14
19
Days 12–14
Students practice writing thesis statements and begin drafting
their essays.
Materials & Resources
An editorial and a news article on the same topic (one each per student)*
Checklist for Persuasive Writing (p. F-2)
The Greatest Problem or Promise of the United States (p. F-3)
*Materials or resources not included in the published unit
Write on the board prior to students’ arrival Essential
Tips for
Question 2, “What are the differences between a persuasive
Teachers
and an informative essay?” Greet students at the door and,
as a warm-up for the day, have students write in their
When you ask questions in the classroom, make
journals their thoughts on the essential question. Encourage
thoughtful observations about students’ ideas such as, “I
them to think about what they have learned in this and
hadn’t considered that perspective before,” or “That’s an
other courses thus far.
interesting observation.” Encourage discussion by asking
Then, group stronger writers with weaker writers.
questions such as “What do you think the author meant by
Each group should be given two documents: an editorial
this statement?”; “Do you agree with the author of this
about a local controversy and a news story about the same
quote?”; “Do you think this is more or less true today?”; and
controversy. (All groups should work with the same texts.)
“How do the two statements relate to each other?”
Ask students to read both texts aloud to ensure that they
Questions such as these help students clearly articulate
understand them. Students should then test their ideas about
their thoughts.
the differences between informative (the news story) and
In addition, remember to use wait-time. That means
persuasive writing (the editorial). One student should be the
waiting after asking a question, refraining from asking the
group secretary and record the group’s findings. After
same question of another person, or answering it yourself.
groups have discussed, lead a general discussion about the
Increasing wait-time for responses beyond three seconds is
different rhetorical styles. One student should record the
positively correlated to improvements in student
different characteristics that the groups identified. Organize
achievement and increases in the quality and amount of
students’ ideas into two lists, one for the characteristics of
student contributions (Cotton, 2001). When increasing waitthe news story and the other for the characteristics of the
time does not seem to work, or if the silence begins to feel
editorial. The lists should include concrete examples from
deadly, rephrasing the question can help students
the articles. Then, compare the lists with students’ journal
understand what you are asking; in other cases, a metaphor
entries. Give students time to talk about which kind of
or an example will make your meaning clear.
writing primarily works with factual material and which
involves expressing opinions or judgments. Have students
discuss any other differences they now see.
Ask students to outline, on the board, the structure of the editorial—its
thesis, evidence, and commentary—and compare that structure to the news
story. (If any students have taken a journalism class or work on the school
newspaper, ask them to describe a typical news story’s inverted-pyramid
style.) Then, ask students to identify any similarities between the editorials and
the persuasive essays they read the day before. Encourage them to address
claims and support and—if applicable—counterarguments. This conversation
could last the rest of the class period.
Wrap up the day’s conversation by distributing the Checklist for
Persuasive Writing worksheet (p. F-2), which is from Creating Writers
Through 6-Trait Writing Assessment and Instruction (Spandel, 2005). Give
students five minutes to read the checklist and compare it to the editorial.
20
Days 12–14
The homework for the night is to write a thesis statement for an
argumentative essay that is in direct opposition to the subject of one of the
newspaper articles clipped on Day 11.
Prior to the start of class on Day 13, write a weak thesis statement on the
board. After greeting students at the door, direct their attention to it. Warm up
for the day by asking them to critique the thesis in their journals. After a few
minutes, initiate a discussion about what students found wrong.
Build upon the previous discussion by reminding students that the word
thesis is in the word hypothesis. Ask them to explain how they write
hypotheses in science class. Then, develop the definition of a thesis. On the
board, list several characteristics of a strong thesis:
 Is debatable
 Can withstand peer review
 Is based on observation or problem
 Has convincing support from the text
 Is clear
 Is a statement, not a question
 Can be divided into a subject—a single, limited topic—and a
predicate that says something meaningful, exact, and
argumentative about the subject (Martin & Kroitor, 1984)
Make sure students take notes. Help them rewrite their notes as questions that
will give them a tool for analyzing thesis statements. They can then use this
tool to write and revise their own thesis statements.
Next, return to the weak thesis on the board. Ask students to revise it
until it fits the criteria of a strong thesis. When the class is satisfied with the
revision, ask three volunteers to record the thesis statements they wrote for
homework on the board. Analyze the statements the same way you analyzed
the first weak thesis. Though some questions (such as “Does this hypothesis
have convincing support from the text?”) cannot be answered, encourage the
class to rewrite the theses to make them more clear, direct, and argumentative.
As the class revises, contrast strong thesis statements with weak ones.
Statements that make no claim, that are obviously true statements of fact, that
are statements of opinion or offer personal convictions as the basis for the
claim, or that are overly broad cause writers problems. Changing the verb is to
an action verb or verb phrase using a specific subject (e.g., tax policies) rather
than a broader one (e.g., economic situation) can also make a thesis statement
sharp. In addition, remind students that the Perfect Words list is one way they
can help themselves write with concrete language. After the class has worked
to strengthen the thesis statements on the board, allow other students to submit
their own thesis statements to the same process of revision and discussion.
When all students who want their thesis statements reviewed have had
that opportunity, pass out the essay prompt (p. F-3):
The United States has many problems; it is also a country that holds
promise for many people. Choose one particular problem that you
believe needs to be solved or one promise that you believe has been
fulfilled. In a persuasive essay argue that your chosen problem or
promise is America’s greatest, and provide three reasons why you
believe this. Use varied evidence to support your thesis.
Take students through the prompt. Help them see that they must, in writing
their essays, analyze prompts thoroughly. Students’ ideas may be garnered
Days 12–14
from their newspaper reading on Day 11, from their statements about things
they are passionate about, or from the Day 2 journal entry on the pursuit of
happiness. Writing draft thesis statements in their journals should be students’
wrap-up for the day.
On Day 14, students should continue to work on their thesis statements
and begin to draft their essays.
This is the point at which you should hold writing conferences with
students. As students work, they should rotate in an orderly fashion to talk
with you for a few minutes. Think of these short conferences as collaborative
rather than critical. A good way to signal this relationship is by sitting on the
same side of the table or desk as the student during the conference. Ask
process questions that encourage students to talk such as “What topic did you
choose to write your paper on?”; “What part of the paper are you working on
now?”; and “What’s the main thing you’re trying to say?” Try not to ask
questions that put students on the spot, but ones that encourage them to go
back to their work with renewed enthusiasm (Zemelman & Daniels, 1988).
During the conferences, remind students that, at this point in their writing, they
are primarily getting their thoughts down. They can work on organization,
introducing and concluding arguments, grammar, and the correctness of other
conventions during revision.
As students work through their drafts, continue to ask questions that will
help them analyze the writing prompt:
 Who do you imagine your readers are?
 What is your purpose for writing?
 What attitude do you want your readers to have toward your
topic?
 Have you ever read anything like the argument you are trying to
write?
At the same time, do not provide students with too much time to work on their
drafts. After students have thesis statements that meet with your approval, they
should need only one class period for drafting. The real work is in the revision.
21
22
Days 15–17
Days 15–17
Students highlight their essays and compare them to the professional
essays studied earlier. They revise their essays, conduct peer reviews,
revise them again, and turn them in. Students revise the essays a final
time based on their teacher’s review.
Materials & Resources
Persuasive Essay Rating Scale (p. G-2)
Scissors*
Transparency essay*
Overhead projector*
Colored pencils or highlighters*
Top 20 College-Level Grammatical Errors (p. G-3)
Grammatically incorrect sentences*
Introductions and Conclusions (p. G-4)
Peer Response (p. G-5)
Evaluating Revisions (p. G-6)
*Materials or resources not included in the published unit
Greet students at the door. After informing them that typed drafts of their
essays are due at the beginning of class on Day 17, warm up by asking
students to write for five minutes about what they like most
about their drafts so far. Do they like specific details of proof
Tips for
they have used? Are they fond of the general style they are
Teachers
using in the draft? Do they feel comfortable with the argument
they are promoting? They will return to these comments later
In Grammar Plan Book: A Guide to Smart Teaching
in the unit.
(2007, p. 23), Western Michigan University professor
Distribute the Persuasive Essay Rating Scale (p. G-2)
Constance Weaver provides a framework for teaching
with which you will grade students’ persuasive essays.
grammar throughout the writing process. Below is a
Review it with them. Suggest that students use it to evaluate
summary of her plan:
the professional essays they have read. The professional
Share a model from literature, a previous or
essays should stand as exemplars of the kinds of writing the
current student, or one created by the teacher.
Persuasive Essay Rating Scale describes. As you teach this
Create another model with the student.
unit over time, supplement the review with examples of
Write, in small groups or pairs, using the model to
students’ best work. Hold those examples up as exemplars,
guide the process; share as needed.
too.
Write, individually, a sentence or sentences using
Students often think revision is just a matter of
the model as a guide; share.
changing a few words or correcting misspellings. In fact,
Ask students to apply the model’s grammatical
revision is the most important part of writing. If they want to
element or writing skill to their own writing.
add or delete chunks of material, or even reorganize all the
Feature the modeled concept in a checklist that
paragraphs in their essays, they can. Demonstrate to students
students can use to evaluate their drafts.
how you do this in your own writing. Using scissors, cut apart
Provide time for peers to give each other
paragraphs of an essay you have prepared on a transparency.
feedback.
Demonstrate revision by arranging and rearranging the essay
Teach a new mini-lesson or hold revising or editing
on the overhead projector. As you move the chunks of text,
conferences to reteach the concept as needed.
explain your thinking: arguments are more effective when the
If needed, go through the process again with a
most powerful evidence is placed at the end; rhetorical
different writing assignment. At the very least,
techniques, such as rhetorical questions, may be more
continue helping students apply the concept as
effective if distributed more evenly throughout the essay. Be
they revise and edit other work.
sure to mention that not everyone works in this way. A writer
Days 15–17
23
with a different writing process might create an outline—which you can also
illustrate using a transparency—before writing a first draft.
Ask students to begin their own revision process by highlighting their
drafts as they highlighted the professional essays: the thesis statement in
green, evidence to prove the thesis in yellow, and commentary or analysis in
blue. Students should then compare their essays with the
professional ones. This comparison should help them see
Tips for
how and where they need to develop the essay. Students
Teachers
might look for those points where their highlighted drafts
change color; you might also ask them if any logical or
Lunsford and Connors first published the 20 most
stated connection exists as their writing moves from topic
common
college-level errors in 1986 in the St. Martin’s
to evidence to commentary. Ask students if they can now
Handbook (reprinted in the New St. Martin’s Handbook,
tell what might have been the professional writers’ reasons
2003, p. 14). Since then, Lunsford and Lunsford (in press)
for organizing paragraphs as they did. Given what they
have devised a new list representing new research. The
have discovered in the comparison, encourage them to
Top 20 College-Level Grammatical Errors (p. G-3)
reorganize their own arguments to make their essays more
reproduces the latest research, but a comparison between
powerful.
the two lists is instructive. High on Lunsford’s and Connors’
As a wrap-up, ask students to respond in their
list were mechanics errors:
journals, in two sentences or less, to Essential Question 3:
1. Missing comma after introductory element
“What is my particular process when I write an essay?”
2. Vague pronoun reference
Ask students to pair up and share what they have written.
3. Missing comma in a compound sentence
Finally, lead a class discussion about writing processes.
4. Wrong word
Before students enter the room on Day 16, write
5. Missing comma(s) with a nonrestrictive element
several grammatically incorrect sentences on the board—if
6. Wrong or missing verb ending
you have enough examples, use errors you have seen
7. Wrong or missing preposition
students make. In addition, place on each student’s desk the
8. Comma splice
Top 20 College-Level Grammatical Errors handout
9. Missing or misplaced possessive apostrophe
(p. G-3), which reproduces a list compiled by Lunsford and
10. Unnecessary shift in tense
Lunsford (in press). The errors listed are those most
11. Unnecessary shift in pronoun
frequently marked by college teachers.
12. Sentence fragment
After greeting students at the door, give them a few
13. Wrong tense or verb form
moments to look over the error list. On Day 15 they worked
14. Lack of subject-verb agreement
on making major revisions to their essays; today they are
15. Missing comma in a series
going to work on editing and proofreading, which are the
16. Lack of agreement between pronoun and
points at which a writer checks grammatical errors. Read
antecedent
through the list of errors and point out corresponding errors
17. Unnecessary comma(s) with a restrictive element
on the board so students understand any new or forgotten
18. Fused sentence
grammatical terminology. Encourage students to look for
19. Misplaced or dangling modifier
examples of the errors from their own journals.
20. Its/It’s confusion
Deliver a 15-minute mini-lesson on vague pronoun
According to Lunsford and Lunsford, spelling and other
references. If necessary, review the definition of a pronoun.
mechanics errors have diminished because of technology.
Provide one or two examples of vague pronoun references.
They credit the change to the spell-check features of word
For example, refer back to the practice tests. In “From the
processors.
Kitchen to the Lab,” Question 6 tests students’ ability to
There are, however, new problems related to research
see that using a pronoun (they) rather than a noun (their
and
documentation
because students are writing more
students) would create vagueness in the sentence and
argumentative
and
research-based
prose today then when
uncertainty in the reader’s mind.
the
first
study
was
conducted.
Lunsford
and Lunsford also
Next, have students fix the example sentences on the
show that students are writing longer and more complex
board. Ask questions to check for understanding. Compare
works without a significant increase in error. This change is
the kind of precision students need to use in writing to the
at least partly attributable to the ease with which students
kind of precision needed in surgery. How many patients
write using computers.
would like to hear a brain surgeon ask her assistant to hand
24
Days 15–17
her the “whatsit” or a “thingamajigger” in the middle of surgery? Few, if any,
will.
Because you do not yet know the level of errors students make at this
point, and because the errors listed in the Top 20 College-Level Grammatical
Errors handout are important, spend 15 minutes each week working through
one of the errors with students. That week, focus on responding to that error in
any writing handed in. So students understand that they will be held
accountable for this learning, both in their writing and in other ways, quiz
students regularly. After you have given lessons on all 20 errors and corrected
students’ papers with a focus on each, review them all. By the time you have
covered each error, you will have a good sense of the kinds of errors particular
students are prone to and will be able to address grammar lessons accordingly.
As students produce new kinds of writing, they will probably make new
kinds of errors. Reassure them that you plan to focus as much on what you see
them doing well as on their errors. Meanwhile, at home, once their essays have
been typed, students should check carefully for vague pronoun references like
this and which; they should circle and correct the errors. It is a good policy to
allow students who do not have access to a computer to have time to type their
essays in class. Make arrangements with individual students to complete this
work before, during, or after class.
Move on to address introductions and conclusions of essays. Distribute
the Introductions and Conclusions handout (p. G-4). Read the document over
and talk with students about how these ideas differ from what they learned in
tenth grade. Direct students back to the professional essays as well, pointing
out the ways they began and concluded.
On Day 17 students should bring their typed essays for a peer review.
Warm up by asking them to write in their journals for five minutes, describing
a time they persuaded an older person to do—or to allow them to do—
something. Ask them to identify the persuasive techniques they used and to
compare them to the rhetorical devices in their essays.
Students should pair up to read each other’s essays and discuss
substantial writing issues such as thesis development and organization. Think
of this not so much as “peer editing” but as a way for
Tips for
students to get genuine responses to their work from their
Teachers
peers (Jago, 2000). One person in the pair should read her
draft to her partner; the partner should listen and take notes.
After the draft has been read, the listener should list 5–10
Constance Weaver (2007, p. 30) suggests five ways to
questions he has about the draft. Partners should then
make editing a positive experience:
switch, and the person who listened first should read his
1. Spend more time highlighting what is right and
draft while his partner listens and lists 5–10 questions she
beautiful than hunting for errors.
has. After the listing, students should ask their questions
2. Make grammar about meaning. There is a purpose
while the essay’s author takes notes.
for the marks we use, and writers are responsible
Another way to do this exercise is to have students use
for knowing why they do what they do. Then,
the
Peer
Response worksheet (p. G-5). In this scenario,
sometimes, we can break the rules.
partners swap essays and each person reads her partner’s
3. Constantly write and collect and refer back to
essay, writing the answers to the questions on the
literature and students’ own writing.
worksheet. Then, each partner returns the essay with the
4. Teach concepts and patterns with examples.
Peer Response worksheet stapled to it. Allow students to
5. Provide students with “focused editing
talk quietly as they work.
experiences,” picking only one or two items—
As students review each other’s work, walk around
compound sentences or comma splices—to focus
and listen to the questions they are asking. Remind them
on. Have students correct these items in their own
that grammar and conventions should not be their focus just
writing.
Days 15–17
yet. (Students often give each other wildly incorrect advice about
conventions.) Because many students will have little experience with peer
review, they will probably give questionable advice that you will want to
temper or correct. At the end of class, have students take home their partners’
critiques and revise their papers accordingly. When students turn their papers
in on Day 18, they should attach all drafts and their peers’ questions or
comments to their essay.
Score the essays against the Persuasive Essay Rating Scale over the next
several days, making comments and asking leading questions in the margins
(e.g., “What support did you use for this assertion?” or “What is the topic
sentence for this paragraph?”). Return the essays and require students to
rewrite them, explaining, in the margins, the corrections they made, just as you
asked questions and made comments in the margins. Give students one week
to complete this revision. Afterwards, students should compare their first and
final drafts and complete the Evaluating Revisions worksheet (p. G-6).
Encourage students to review their journal entries from Day 15 to see what
they liked best in their early drafts. If their favorite part of the essay is no
longer there, explain that it is not the end of the game yet. As in many video
games, there is an extra life that can be used in the future. In other words,
students should keep what they revise out of the text of this essay in a writer’s
log or journal; it may be useful in the future.
All drafts of the essay, including the first-graded and the corrected drafts,
the scored Persuasive Essay Rating Scale, and the Evaluating Revisions
worksheet should be turned in within one week. Rather than read the entirety
of each essay again, save grading time by comparing your comments to the
explanations its writer made in the margins of the draft.
25
26
Days 18–20
Days 18–20
Students compare the persuasive use of evidence in Patrick Henry’s
address to the Second Virginia Convention and compare it to
Benjamin Banneker’s letter to Thomas Jefferson.
Materials & Resources
Address to the Second Virginia Convention by Patrick Henry (pp. H-2–H-3)
Recording of a performance of Patrick Henry’s address*
Annotation handout (p. H-4)
Letter to Thomas Jefferson by Benjamin Banneker (pp. H-5–H-7)
Butcher paper*
*Materials or resources not included in the published unit
Prior to class, on the board write “Give me liberty or give me death!”, the
most famous line from a speech delivered by Patrick Henry on May 23, 1775,
at the Virginia House of Burgesses. As a warm-up, introduce the etymologies
of the words freedom and liberty. The word freedom comes from the Old
English fréodom´, with the Old English root fréon, which means “to love.”
Liberty arises from the Latin word liber or libertatem, meaning “generous.” In
fact, liberty may have come from the Greek and Roman social structure, in
which the family was the source of freedom (as opposed to servitude) and free
people participated in the public sphere. Students could, for five minutes, in
writing speculate on how each word gained its current meaning. Students
might also write about the difference in meaning between these two words
based on their roots. After students read their journal entries aloud, ask the
whole class to speculate why Patrick Henry chose the word liberty instead of
freedom. Students might try saying the phrase using each word to discover
possible answers.
Explain that today the class will read and listen to a performance of
Patrick Henry’s address to the Second Virginia Convention (pp. H-2–H-3),
from which the quotation comes. Much of eleventh-grade English will focus
on reading works written in the United States. Throughout the history of the
United States there are beautifully structured point/counterpoint arguments,
such as the 1848 “Declaration of Sentiments” by Elizabeth Cady Stanton and
Lucretia Mott. It parallels the Declaration of Independence which, Stanton and
Mott claimed, omitted women. In the next two days, students will read a
similar pair of point/counterpoint arguments. The first argument is by Patrick
Henry, one of the leaders of the opposition to British rule in the American
colonies. His speech was given to support his own resolution that Virginia
immediately be put in a posture of defense against the British.
Play an audio recording of Patrick Henry’s address while students read
along with the recording. (An audio version of the speech, as well as
background information about Henry, can be found at the website of the
Colonial Williamsburg Foundation.) Afterward, make sure students know
what a rhetorical question is. As they discuss the uses to which such a question
might be put in a speech, ask them also to discuss the difference between a
persuasive essay written to be read and a persuasive speech written to be
spoken. Encourage them to reread Henry’s speech looking for different
rhetorical strategies he used. As they read, they should annotate their copies.
Students should use the Annotation handout (p. H-4) to guide them as they
Days 18–20
write comments in the margins. (Since students have been annotating their
texts since tenth grade, they should have begun to make the process their own.
There is no need to formally assess their use of annotation at this point,
however, because they will be learning new annotation techniques.) Ask them
to think about the persuasive essays they have just written. To assess students’
knowledge further, ask them to underline or highlight examples of the
following rhetorical devices:
 Repetition
 Rhetorical questions
 Parallelism
 Metaphor
Then, separate the class into groups of three students each. Students
should pass their annotated copies of the speech to the right. Each student
should read, add to, and expand upon the original commentary. Then, passing
the speech to the right again, they should repeat the process until each person
has his or her own copy of the speech back. This technique, sometimes called
Round Robin Brainstorming, should help engage students and encourage
conversation. As they work, walk around the room and listen. When the time
seems right, conduct a brief class discussion. Encourage each student to
identify something they learned about annotation or about the speech from
reading each other’s notes.
For a wrap-up of the day’s work, ask students to take one paragraph from
their persuasive essays and rewrite it using repetition and parallelism as
modeled in Patrick Henry’s address. This will help them see that, although
Henry’s speech was written more than 200 years ago, they can learn rhetorical
strategies from reading it and apply those strategies to their own writing.
Imitating good writing is one of the best ways to improve writing.
For homework, have students read Benjamin Banneker’s letter to
Thomas Jefferson (pp. H-5–H-7). They should highlight one quotation from
Banneker’s letter that epitomizes the essay or captures the essence of
Banneker’s voice. This technique, sometimes called Five Star Quote, is a way
of focusing students’ reading. Ask them to explain their choices.
Warm up on Day 19 by asking students to describe the difference
between reading Henry’s and Banneker’s essays now and when they were
originally written. Reminding students of the list of characteristics generated
on Day 12, ask them to comment, in their journals, on the ways in which this
writing is different from the kind of prose one finds in a newspaper today.
Contemporary newspaper articles are much more syntactically and
conceptually simple than Banneker’s prose. Have students share their opinions
in pairs for five minutes or so, then ask them to share their ideas with the class
(Think-Pair-Share).
Extend the discussion. Help students see how time affects understanding.
We will probably never be able to fully understand how readers understood
this text when it was read for the first time. Using some of the concepts of
New Historicism, help illuminate students’ interpretations of these documents
by informing them of the historical conversations in which Banneker and
Henry participated.
Separate the class into groups of three or four students each. They should
read the essays aloud to each other and define the vocabulary through context
clues. Ask them to highlight Banneker’s letter as they have done with previous
texts and to create a chart on butcher paper that compares Henry’s speech with
Banneker’s letter in terms of content, tone, structure, the persuasive techniques
27
28
Days 18–20
(e.g., allusions, analogies, metaphors, or rhetorical questions), and the kinds of
evidence (e.g., quotations from authoritative documents, examples,
comparisons, statistics) that each writer uses. Groups should put the names of
everyone in their group on their charts and turn them in for a grade.
To wrap up, ask students to write a paragraph summarizing each of the
two readings. On the board or butcher paper, list the kinds of questions
students should ask when they summarize a text:
 Who did what?
 Where did this event take place?
 When did this event take place?
 What caused the action?
 What changes occurred between the beginning and the end of
the passage?
 What are the crucial moments in the passage, and why are
they crucial?
In addition, encourage students to incorporate the following words—and the
concepts they represent—when writing a summary:
 Classify
 Define
 Describe
 Explain
 Illustrate
 Outline
For homework, students should write a paragraph comparing the main idea of
Banneker’s letter to Henry’s claims about the absence of liberty in the colonies
under Great Britain. An additional paragraph should connect the issues they
discussed in their essays to the claims Henry and Banneker are making about
the United States.
As a warm-up for the last day of the unit, ask students to reflect, in
writing, upon the unit. What did they like about what they studied? What do
they suggest you might change the next time you teach it? Reading students’
answers helps you learn about students’ experience with the unit and suggests
to students that you value their opinions.
Before students turn in their homework, ask for one or two volunteers to
read the summary paragraphs aloud. Encourage the class to discuss their
responses to the assignment. What promise did Henry seem to see in the
United States? What problems did Banneker see? Did anyone in the class
describe, in their own persuasive essays about the United States, problems or
promises similar to the problems and promises these early Americans
described?
Use the last five minutes of the day to ask students to review what they
have learned. Begin by asking the essential questions: “How does an
understanding of argument help me discuss my work with others?”; “What are
the differences between a persuasive and an informative essay?”; “What is my
particular process when I write an essay?”; and “What kinds of persuasion did
writers use when the United States was a new country?” The goal is for
students to understand that everything is indeed an argument.
Finally, celebrate students’ work by citing specific examples taken from
the informal notes you have made on your clipboard regarding students’
comments, writing, and ideas.
Enhancing Student Learning
ENHANCING STUDENT LEARNING
Selected Course Objectives
A.2. Reading Strategies
c. Demonstrate comprehension of increasingly challenging texts
(both print and nonprint sources) by asking and answering literal,
interpretive, and evaluative questions
d. Use close-reading strategies (e.g., visualizing, annotating,
questioning) in order to interpret increasingly challenging texts
B.3. Organization, Unity, and Coherence
a. Establish and develop a clear thesis statement for informational
writing or a clear plan or outline for narrative writing
b. Organize writing to create a coherent whole with effective, fully
developed paragraphs, similar ideas grouped together for unity,
and paragraphs arranged in a logical sequence
E. Study Skills and Test Taking
a. Apply active reading, listening, and viewing techniques by taking
notes on classroom discussions, lectures, oral and/or video
presentations, or assigned at-home reading, and by underlining
key passages and writing comments in journals or in margins of
texts, where permitted
Unit Extension
Suggested Teaching Strategies/Procedures
Materials & Resources
Molly Ivins Can’t Say That, Can She? by Molly Ivins*
The Onion*
*Materials or resources not included in the published unit
Students who want to extend their learning about argumentative essays
might be encouraged to read humorous arguments such as articles from the
satirical newspaper The Onion or Molly Ivins Can’t Say That, Can She? by
Molly Ivins (1992). Assign students to groups in which they analyze the
essays to discover what argument the writer is making, where the thesis
statement is, and what evidence the writer uses. Encourage students to write
their own Ivins-like columns on topics of importance to them or to create their
own satirical newspaper.
29
30
Enhancing Student Learning
Reteaching
Suggested Teaching Strategies/Procedures
Materials & Resources
Graphic organizers*
*Materials or resources not included in the published unit
If there are students who need more help thinking through the ways
argumentative papers should be structured, provide them with graphic
organizers. Seeing a layout of the structure of an essay can help students write
more forceful and organized essays.
Reflecting on Classroom Practice
 Are students progressing in their understanding of the elements of
a persuasive essay and how those elements are best put together?
 How well do students use opportunities to do informal, ungraded,
reflective writing as well as school-based, extensive writing?
 Are the activities presented encouraging a collaborative learning
environment? How well are students working together?
 How can you continue to keep things moving so students don’t get
bored?
Bibliography
Bibliography
Readings
Allsburg, C. V. (1984a). The house on Maple street. In The mysteries of
Harris Burdick. New York: Houghton Mifflin.
Allsburg, C. V. (1984b). Mr. Linden’s library. In The mysteries of Harris
Burdick. New York: Houghton Mifflin.
Banneker, B. (1791). Copy of a letter from Benjamin Banneker to the
Secretary of State, with his answer. Available from http://
etext.lib.virginia.edu/readex/24073.html
Henry, P. (1775). Give me liberty or give me death! Available from http://
www.history.org/Almanack/life/politics/giveme.cfm
References
ACT, Inc., & The Education Trust. (2004). On course for success: A close
look at selected high school courses that prepare all students for college.
Iowa City, IA: Author.
Allsburg, C. V. (1984). The mysteries of Harris Burdick. New York:
Houghton Mifflin.
Bomer, R. (1995). Time for meaning: Crafting literate lives in middle and high
school. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
Burke, J. (2003). Writing reminders: Tools, tips, and techniques. Portsmouth,
NH: Boynton/Cook Publishers, Inc.
Cotton, K. (2001). Close-Up #5: Classroom Questioning. Retrieved from
http://www.nwrel.org/scpd/sirs/3/cu5.html
Currier & Ives. (1876). “Give me liberty, or give me death!” [Digital
reproduction of a lithograph]. Available from the Library of Congress,
Prints & Photographs Online Catalog (PPOC).
Dean, N. (2000). Voice lessons: Classroom activities to teach diction, details,
imagery, syntax, and tone. Gainesville, FL: Maupin House.
Dean, N. (2006). Discovering voice: Voice lessons for middle and high school.
Gainesville, FL: Maupin House.
Gould, S. J. (1980). Women’s brains. In The panda’s thumb. New York:
W. W. Norton.
Hearne, V. (1991, September). What’s wrong with animal rights: Of hounds,
horses and Jeffersonian happiness. Harper’s, 59–64.
Ivins, M. (1992). Molly Ivins can’t say that, can she? New York: Vintage.
31
32
Bibliography
Jacobs, H. H. (1997). Mapping the big picture. Alexandria, VA: Association
for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
Jago, C. (2000). With rigor for all: Teaching the classics to contemporary
students. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
Jago, C. (2002). Cohesive writing: Why concept is not enough. Portsmouth,
NH: Heinemann.
Lunsford, A., & Connors, R. (2003). The new St. Martin’s handbook (5th ed.).
Boston: St. Martin’s.
Lunsford, A., & Lunsford, K. (in press). Mistakes are a fact of life: A
comparative national study. College Composition and Communication.
Lyman, F. (1981). The responsive classroom discussion. In A. S. Anderson
(Ed.), Mainstreaming Digest (pp. 109–113). College Park, Maryland:
University of Maryland College of Education.
Martin, L. J., & Kroitor, H. P. (1984). The five hundred word theme (4th ed.).
Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Manktelow, J. (2005). Brainstorming: Generating many radical and useful
ideas. Retrieved from http://www.mindtools.com/brainstm.html
Marzano, R. J., Norford, J. S., Paynter, D. E., Pickering, D. J., & Gaddy, B. B.
(2001). A handbook for classroom instruction that works. Alexandria, VA:
Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
Noguchi, R. R. (1991). Grammar and the teaching of writing: Limits and
possibilities. Urbana, IL: National Council of Teachers of English.
Spandel, V. (2005). Creating writers through 6-trait writing assessment and
instruction (4th ed.). Boston: Pearson.
Weaver, C. (2007). The grammar plan book: A guide to smart teaching.
Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
Wong, H. K., & Wong, R. T. (2004). The first days of school: How to be an
effective teacher. Mountain View, CA: Harry K. Wong Publications.
Wright, D. L. (1999). The most important day: Starting well. Retrieved from
http://honolulu.hawaii.edu/intranet/committees/FacDevCom/guidebk/
teachtip/dayone.htm
Zemelman, S., & Daniels, H. (1988). A community of writers: Teaching
writing in the junior and senior high school. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
33
Bibliography
Resources
Burke, J. (2003). The English teacher’s companion: A complete guide to
classroom, curriculum, and the profession (2nd ed.). Portsmouth, NH:
Heinemann.
The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. (2007). Patrick Henry. Retrieved
from http://www.history.org/Almanack/people/bios/biohen.cfm
McCloud, S. (n.d.).
scottmccloud.com
scottmccloud.com.
Retrieved
from
http://
Appendix A: Record Keeping
Contents
Unit Assignments and Assessments ................................................................................................................A-2
Example
Unit Assignments and Assessments ................................................................................................................A-3
Record Keeping
A-1
Example
A-2
Unit Assignments and Assessments
Name: _____________________________ Period:
Unit 1: Introduction to English 11
Directions: Prior to starting the unit, complete the log on the next page
according to the example below and distribute it to students as an
organizational tool.
Day
Assigned
Assignment/Assessment
In HomeClass work
1
Autobiography
5
Photo-Story and Identity Poster
X
X
6
Persuasive essay about poster
X
X
10
The Case for More School Days practice test
X
Read and highlight persuasive essay
X
From the Kitchen to the Lab practice test
X
Searching newspapers for articles
X
11
12, 13
X
Writing a thesis statement
14
Persuasive essay drafts
15
Persuasive essays revisions
Read and highlight a second persuasive essay
X
X
X
X
Vague pronouns
17
Peer editing
X
Evaluating Your Revision worksheet
X
Reading Patrick Henry’s address to the Second
Virginia Convention
X
19
X
X
16
18
X
X
Reading Benjamin Banneker’s letter to Thomas
Jefferson
X
Summaries
X
Feedback
(Completed/
Date Due
Points)
Record Keeping
A-3
Unit Assignments and Assessments
Name: _____________________________ Period:
Day
Assigned
Assignment/Assessment
Unit 1: Introduction to English 11
In HomeClass work
Feedback
(Completed/
Date Due
Points)
Appendix B: Day 1
Contents
Mr. Linden’s Library .......................................................................................................................................B-2
Transparency
The House on Maple Street..............................................................................................................................B-3
Transparency
Writing an Autobiography ...............................................................................................................................B-4
Prompt
B-1
Chris Van Allsburg, Mr. Linden’s Library. ©1984 by Chris Van Allsburg.
Transparency
B-2
Mr. Linden’s Library
Chris Van Allsburg
Chris Van Allsburg, The House on Maple Street. ©1984 by Chris Van Allsburg.
Transparency
B-3
The House on Maple Street
Chris Van Allsburg
Prompt
B-4
Writing an Autobiography
Name: _________________________________________ Period: ________ Date:
Directions: Autobiographies and memoirs are commonplace these days.
Some classic and more contemporary examples include Maya Angelou’s
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings; Mark Twain’s Roughing It, Jack Gantos’
A Hole in My Life, and Jeannette Walls’ The Glass Castle. Politicians such as
Bill Clinton and Barack Obama have placed autobiographies on the bestseller
list, and the life stories of movie stars like Katherine Hepburn, Candice Bergen,
and Christopher Reeve are also widely read. Why shouldn’t you join the crowd
and write one of your own?
Write a 3-page autobiography that focuses on a particular place, person,
object, memory, or relationship that has colored your life. Represent your
important experiences with literary conventions:
Vivid sensory details—words that evoke sound, taste, smell, sight or
touch
Scene descriptions—include feelings evoked by the scene
Dialogue—exact reproduction of important, funny, unusual things said
Internal thoughts and personal commentary—what you thought about the
experience then, and what you think about the same experience now
An autobiography or memoir answers the question, “What happened when?” It
emphasizes the chronology of your life while explaining why it is important. It
expresses your point of view and can vary in mood and tone to convey a range
of emotions (e.g., anger, gratitude, curiosity, humor). Hypothesize about how
your experience made you who you are today. Try to write an autobiography
that is both factually true and one you would enjoy reading.
Your autobiography should have a beginning, middle, and end; it should
contain paragraphs of reasonable length. It should also be typed using
12-point type.
Appendix C: Day 2–4
Contents
Class Notebook Rubric ....................................................................................................................................C-2
Rubric
Internet Guidelines...........................................................................................................................................C-3
Worksheet
C-1
Rubric
C-2
Class Notebook Rubric
Name: _________________________________________ Period: ________ Date:
Directions: Keep this rubric with you to guide you as you build your
notebook. At the end of each quarter, your notebook will be collected and then
graded based on this rubric.
Points
Available Earned
Criteria
Class Notes
35
Quality
 Is legible and coherent
 Shows conscientious effort toward recording course material
 Shows evidence of understanding by creating or exploring new ideas learned
 Uses good note-taking strategies
25
Format
 Includes date of notes
 Includes title of notes
 Has numbered pages
Organization
5
10
Writing—handouts, rubrics, and writer’s log
Writer’s log completed for all writing assignments
5
Grammar and Vocabulary—grammar handouts, vocabulary lists, returned quizzes
5
Highlighted and Annotated Essays
5
Graded Tests and Quizzes
10
100
Evidence that effort goes above and beyond (e.g., notes on reading beyond those
required)
TOTAL POINTS
Additional Comments
Worksheet
C-3
Internet Guidelines
Name: _________________________________________ Period: ________ Date:
Directions: Use the following questions to guide your review of Internet
sources and their information. Take notes to support your responses for each
series of questions.
Address of website: ___________________________________________________________________________
Title of page on website: _______________________________________________________________________
The Source:
Notes
1. Is it clear who the website author is?
Yes _____ No _____
2. Does the author provide several forms of
contact information (email address,
telephone number, street address)?
Yes _____ No _____
3. Does the author state his/her qualifications, Yes _____ No _____
credentials, or information on why he/she
is a credible source on the subject?
4. Is the website published by an educational
institution, a nonprofit organization, or a
commercial group?
Yes _____ No _____
5. Does the publisher list his/her
qualifications, credentials, or information
on why he/she is a credible source on the
subject?
Yes _____ No _____
Internet Guidelines
Worksheet
C-4
The Content:
Notes
6. Does the website share its mission, goal, or Yes _____ No _____
intent?
7. Does the website’s content support the
website’s purpose?
Yes _____ No _____
8. Is the website well organized and easy to
navigate?
Yes _____ No _____
9. Are topics explored in depth?
Yes _____ No _____
10. Does the website use statistics or other
Yes _____ No _____
factual information, and does it cite proper
sources?
11. Is the information current and reliable?
(Check to see when the site was last
updated and if the author is affiliated with
a particular institution to help answer this
question.)
Yes _____ No _____
12. Is the information on the website
up-to-date?
Yes _____ No _____
13. Are the links up-to-date and reliable?
Yes _____ No _____
14. Is a reference list included on the website? Yes _____ No _____
15. Based on your knowledge, does the
website’s information seem accurate?
Yes _____ No _____
16. Is the website a valuable source of
information when compared to other sites
on the subject?
Yes _____ No _____
Internet Guidelines
Worksheet
C-5
The Reader:
Notes
17. Is the website geared toward a particular
audience?
Yes _____ No _____
18. Is the website’s information presented
without bias?
Yes _____ No _____
19. Does the author avoid expressing opinions
that have no factual basis?
Yes _____ No _____
20. Does the website avoid swaying the reader in Yes _____ No _____
a certain direction through non-factual
means?
21. Does the website avoid swaying the reader
through unrelated pictures or graphics?
Yes _____ No _____
22. Does the website avoid advertising that may
be a conflict of interest with the website’s
content?
Yes _____ No _____
23. Does the website try to avoid selling or
promoting things or ideas?
Yes _____ No _____
Analysis and Conclusion:
Given your responses to the questions above is this site appropriate for your research? Why or why not?
Appendix D: Days 5–9
Contents
Photo-Story and Identity Poster ......................................................................................................................D-2
Prompt
Photo-Story and Identity Poster Rubric ...........................................................................................................D-3
Rubric
Group Participation and Collaboration Rubric ................................................................................................D-4
Rubric
Perfect Words. .................................................................................................................................................D-5
Worksheet
SSR Chart. .......................................................................................................................................................D-6
Worksheet
D-1
Prompt
D-2
Photo-Story and Identity Poster
Name: _________________________________________ Period: ________ Date:
Directions: Choose one of the following posters to create, then write a
persuasive essay about why your poster deserves an “A.” Finally, as a group,
present your poster(s) to the class.
Photo-Story
Like a cartoon or graphic novel, this chronological layout of photographs tells a story in a series of frames.
Working as a group and using a maximum of 24 photographs, tell a story. The story you tell can be about anything you
choose: serious, humorous, satirical, dramatic. It can be based on a movie you have seen or story you have read.
Use dialogue bubbles to represent characters’ dialogue. Feel free to use props, such as costumes, to develop the
story further. The photo-story can be acted out in class, in the hall, or outside.
If you need ideas for your story, look at the work of comic book artist Scott McCloud at his website,
scottmccloud.com.
Identity Poster
We all play different roles. For example, who you are at school might surprise the persons who only see you at
home. What are the many different aspects of your self? Each of you should create a collage that reveals different
aspects of your persona. This poster could contain a photograph of you in your uniform at work, behind the wheel of
your family’s tractor, in a fancy dress at a school dance, sitting at your computer, and talking to your mom. It could
show you in various moods—silly, serious, angry; it could reveal who you are with others or alone. The way you
organize the photographs of your poster will help indicate to the poster’s readers what you think about your many
identities.
Persuasive Essay
Write a one-page essay arguing why your poster deserves an “A.” In your essay be sure to state your claim,
provide evidence to support that claim, and anticipate counterarguments.
Note
If you enjoy creating posters such as these and want a real-world audience, consider making a poster for one of
the many high school poster contests that are run annually. Ask me for more information.
Rubric
D-3
Photo-Story and Identity Poster Rubric
Name: _________________________________________ Period: ________ Date:
Poster Design
30%
 Underlying message is creative, interesting, and powerful.
 Layout is logical and unified.
 Poster catches the eye through its use of color, shape, line, and composition.
Content of Poster
30%
 Story or identity information is easily read.
 The poster is legible.
 The content is lively and thoughtful.
 The poster has achieved its purpose.
Persuasive Essay
30%
 Establishes the claim that their work deserves an “A.”
 Provides good reasons and evidence why the poster deserves an “A.”
 Anticipates counterarguments about the grade proposed.
Presentation
10%
 Is clear, well-organized, and easy to understand.
 Indicates evidence of advance planning.
 All group members have a role and seem to work well together.
Total
Rubric
D-4
Group Participation and Collaboration Rubric
Name: _________________________________________ Period: ________ Date:
Directions: Rate your group’s performance by marking an X along the
continuum. Use the descriptions below each continuum as guides.
Group Participation and Collaboration
Interaction of Group
|---------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------|
 Little interaction, one person
 Some interaction, a few people
 Enthusiastic interaction,
dominating
contributing ideas
everyone contributing ideas
Focus On Topic
|---------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------|
 Conversations usually focused on  Involved conversations on topic
topic
 Conversations not always on
topic
Reflective Thinking
|---------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------|
 Some ideas contributed that
 Many ideas contributed that
encourage reflective thinking
encourage reflective thinking
encourage reflective thinking
 Few ideas contributed that
Social Interaction
|---------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------|
 Interactions show evidence of
 Interactions show strong
of turn taking or respect for
evidence of turn taking and
turn taking or respect for others
others
respect for others
 Interactions show little evidence
On-Task Behavior
|---------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------|
 Most students on task
 All students on task
 Few students on task
Comments
Worksheet
D-5
Perfect Words
Name: _________________________________________ Period: ________ Date:
Directions: Use this table to keep a list of strong, unusual, or descriptive
words. Find these words while reading in-class or at home for your own
enjoyment, during class discussions, or anywhere. The important thing is to
record interesting words as professional writers do.
Overused/Perfect Action Verbs
Example: stand/slouch
Overused/Perfect Adjectives
Example: pretty/delicate
Nancy Dean, Discovering Voice: Voice Lessons for Middle and
High School. ©2006 by Nancy Dean.
Worksheet
D-6
SSR Chart
Name: _________________________________________ Period: ________ Date:
Directions: For each book you read for SSR, in the space provided identify
its title, author, publication date, and the number of pages you read over the
total pages (you might choose not to read all of a book that does not capture
your interest). In addition, write a brief plot synopsis and evaluation of
the book.
Example
Title
Author
Jennifer Donnelly
A Northern Light
Synopsis
2005
Pages
Sixteen-year-old Mattie works at a hotel in the Adirondacks. She
learns about the disappearance of a young girl on a rowboat and tries to
solve the mystery.
Title
Year of Publication
Author
Synopsis
408/408
Evaluation
Good! Kept my interest.
Year of Publication
Pages
Evaluation
Title
Author
Synopsis
Year of Publication
Pages
Evaluation
Title
Synopsis
Author
Year of Publication
Pages
Evaluation
Appendix E: Days 10–11
Contents
The Case for More School Days...................................................................................................................... E-2
Practice Test
The Case for More School Days Key .............................................................................................................. E-4
Key
Essay Analysis ................................................................................................................................................. E-5
Worksheet
From the Kitchen to the Lab ............................................................................................................................ E-6
Practice Test
From the Kitchen to the Lab Key .................................................................................................................... E-9
Key
E-1
Practice Test
E-2
The Case for More School Days
12 Minutes—10 Questions
DIRECTIONS: There is one passage in this test. It is followed by several
questions. After reading it, choose the best answer to each question and fill in
the corresponding oval on your answer document. You may refer to the
passage as often as necessary.
Social Science: This passage is adapted from the
article “The Case for More School Days” by Michael J.
Barrett (©1990 by The Atlantic Monthly Company).
As the debate over lengthening the school year is
joined, how is public apprehension to be overcome, a public
consensus to be formed?
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
First, there is the matter of leadership. This nation has
always reacted well to competitions summed up in muscular
imagery by our leaders: Americans run races, go for the
gold, vie for championships, all with admirable zest.
But these days the message of civic, political, and
intellectual leaders is different. The tone is unrelentingly
dour. Americans are not dared to run a race; they are told
that the race has already been run, the United States has lost,
and they are to blame—because they did not “work harder.”
Both the political right and the political left have generated
cottage industries centered on the person of the scold, the
critic, the moralist. These entrepreneurs of gloom engender a
very mixed reaction, because people are ambivalent about
being lectured to. When Roger Porter, a presidential aide for
economic and domestic policy, labels American education
“depressing and uninspiring,” dismay at our prospects
dampens our appetite for meeting the challenge. The end-ofthe-American-century, fall-of-a-great-power talk has gone
too far.
Where education is concerned, the Gallup polls tell us
that people are now open to a message of change.
Complacency is no longer holding us back. But the tone of
the message must be optimistic, and resonant with the
American themes that lend themselves to the task of
mobilizing for change—specifically, the notions that we
have always risen to the challenge of competition, felt free to
adapt the good ideas of others, worked like demons when the
prize was self-improvement, and had a special knack for
exploiting the practical fruits of learning.
Americans are up to the game of international
educational competition, but we need to know what the rules
are. When the rest of the world plays a twenty-minute
period, American students cannot be expected to rack up as
many points in fifteen. Our toughest competitors are, in fact,
playing a school year of 220 days or so, with results that
bode poorly for America’s future. It is up to this country’s
leaders to get the word out, in a way that inspires rather than
dispirits their audiences.
Once these leaders make the effort, they will find that
many people are way ahead of them, and not only because of
concern about international competition. An entirely
45
50
55
60
65
70
75
80
different dynamic is also at work, one that promises to tip
popular opinion further in favor of more schooling. Aspects
of it were detected by the 1988 Gallup poll on education, in
response to the question “Would you favor or oppose the
local public schools’ offering before-school and after-school
programs where needed for so-called latchkey children, that
is, those whose parents do not return home until late in the
day?”
To those familiar with public resistance to extending the
school year and school day, the response was stunning.
Seventy percent of the sample were in favor, 23 percent
opposed—a spread repeated when Gallup asked the question,
in slightly different form, last year.
The forces at work here are formidable. Latchkey
children, who spend some part of the working day at home
without adult supervision, arouse particular concern. A 1987
Harris survey indicates that 12 percent of elementary, 30
percent of middle school, and 38 percent of high school
students are left to care for themselves after school “almost
every day.”
In the seventh-grade class I taught for a day, the
majority of the students lived in housing projects. They were
not averse to the idea of a longer school year. Instead, they
volunteered that kids would be kept off the streets, that now
they were “spoiled” by too much TV and too much
Nintendo, and that there was nothing to do over the long
summer vacation. The students also had suggestions about
what a longer school year might include: more sports, more
time to study, and more opportunity to take courses in
subjects that interest them.
The issue here extends beyond latchkey children to
touch all manner of middle-class, working-class, and poor
families. Many parents who cover all the bases for their
children are doing so just barely, and at a cost in terms of
missed wages that they cannot sustain forever. All told, an
enormous potential constituency exists for a longer school
day, folded into a longer school year.
The Case for More School Days
Practice Test
1.
The phrase “our toughest competitors” (line 37) points
out a comparison between:
A. in-school time for students in the United States, and
in other parts of the world.
B. parental support of education in the United States
and in other parts of the world.
C. teacher effectiveness in the United States and in
other parts of the world.
D. financial commitment to education in the United
States and in other parts of the world.
2.
F. sound the alarm about the U.S.’s inferior
educational system.
G. scold U.S. leaders for their unproductive
approaches to educational reform.
H. point out sources of support for lengthening the
U.S. school year.
J. call attention to the plight of latchkey youngsters in
the U.S.
5.
7.
8.
The passage presents several perspectives on
lengthening in-school time for U.S. students. These
points of view come from:
A. parents, educators, and political leaders.
B. the public, working parents, and students in a
seventh-grade class.
C. civic, political, and intellectual leaders in the United
States.
D. Roger Porter, Gallup polls, and the author of the
passage.
the results of previous Gallup polls.
information from other countries.
previous public resistance to more school days.
results that bode poorly for the United States’s
future.
As it is used in line 20–21, the expression “end-of-theAmerican-century” refers to the end of:
A.
B.
C.
D.
the next, that is, the twenty-first century.
the U.S.’s first 100 years.
traditional U.S. educational approaches.
U.S. world dominance.
According to the passage, the current public
receptiveness to considering expanded in-school time
for U.S. students is due in part to the fact that
Americans:
F. now have civic, political, and intellectual leaders
who can interest them in educational reform.
G. are worried about leaving children unattended
before and after school hours.
H. are ambivalent about being lectured to unless the
challenge of change is presented positively.
J. are willing to work harder now than in the past.
forcing apart.
thin covering.
distribution.
feast.
It can be inferred that the author’s primary intent in the
passage is to:
The author indicates in line 54 that “the response was
stunning” when compared to:
F.
G.
H.
J.
As it is used in line 56, the word spread most nearly
means:
A.
B.
C.
D.
4.
6.
The ninth paragraph (lines 65–74) establishes that:
F. the majority of students live in housing projects.
G. students are dissatisfied with their education.
H. seventh graders spend too much time with TV and
Nintendo.
J. some students think more school time could be used
positively.
3.
E-3
9.
Stereotypical Americans, as described in the fourth
paragraph (lines 23–32), are:
A.
B.
C.
D.
competitive, hardworking, and practical.
complacent, optimistic, and self-improved.
open, adaptable, and noncompetitive.
exploitive, self-improved, and complacent.
10. According to the author, the messages of educational
doom from U.S. leaders foster:
F.
G.
H.
J.
fear, which stimulates corrective action.
anger, which motivates needed change.
competitive zeal to rise to the challenge.
discouragement, which inhibits positive response.
Key
E-4
The Case for More School Days Key
1. A
2. J
3. C
4. H
5. B
6. H
7. D
8. G
9. A
10. J
Worksheet
E-5
Essay Analysis
Name: _________________________________________ Period: ________ Date:
Directions:
As you analyze the essay, indentify the following information.
Title: ________________________________________________________________________________________
Author:_______________________________________________________________________________________
Thesis Statement:_______________________________________________________________________________
Evidence:
1.
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
Commentary, Explanation, or Expansion:________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
Evidence:
2.
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
Commentary, Explanation, or Expansion:________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
Evidence:
3.
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
Commentary, Explanation, or Expansion:________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
Evidence:
4.
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
Commentary, Explanation, or Expansion:________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
Evaluate the quality of the argument. (Are you convinced? Why or why not?)
Carol Jago, Cohesive Writing: Why Concept is Not Enough.
©2002 by Carol Jago.
Practice Test
E-6
From the Kitchen to the Lab
10 Minutes—15 Questions
Directions: In the passage that follows, certain
words and phrases are underlined and numbered.
In the right-hand column, you will find alternatives
for each underlined part. You are to choose the
one that best expresses the idea, makes the
statement appropriate for standard written
English, or is worded most consistently with the
style and tone of the passage as a whole. If you
think the original version is best, choose “NO
CHANGE.”
You will also find questions about a section of the
passage, or about the passage as a whole. These
questions do not refer to an underlined portion of
the passage, but rather are identified by a number
or numbers in a box.
For each question, choose the alternative you
consider best and fill in the corresponding oval on
your answer document. Read each passage
through once before you begin to answer the
questions that accompany it. You cannot
determine most answers without reading several
sentences beyond the question. Be sure that you
have read far enough ahead each time you
choose an alternative.
From the Kitchen to the Lab
I read in yesterdays newspaper that only
1.
A.
B.
C.
D.
NO CHANGE
yesterday’s,
yesterdays’
yesterday’s
2.
F.
G.
H.
J.
NO CHANGE
can remember.
woken up to the fact.
could of known what one was.
3.
A.
B.
C.
D.
NO CHANGE
kid, I loved to mix kitchen ingredients;
kid: I loved to mix kitchen ingredients
kid I loved to mix kitchen ingredients;
4.
Which choice most vividly describes the reactions of the
mixed kitchen ingredients?
1
18 percent of all high school students are sure what
career they will pursue. Well, I’ve wanted to be a
chemical engineer ever since I taken an interest in it.
2
When I was kid, I loved to mix kitchen ingredients and
3
then watch the combinations spatter and fizz. I wondered why
4
the chemicals reacted a certain way.
In high school, when I saw the movie Stand and
Deliver, I realized that I was capable of handling the
F.
G.
H.
J.
NO CHANGE
do what they did.
react in interesting ways.
OMIT the underlined portion and end the sentence
with a period.
A.
B.
C.
D.
NO CHANGE
administrator’s thought,
administrators thought
administrators thought,
math that I’d need. The movie is about Jaime
Escalante, a math teacher at East Los Angeles Garfield
High School. The school’s administrators, thought that
5
5.
From the Kitchen to the Lab
Practice Test
E-7
they, who had performed poorly before, could not succeed in
6.
F.
G.
H.
J.
NO CHANGE
he or she,
any one of them,
their students,
7.
A.
B.
C.
D.
NO CHANGE
(Begin new paragraph) In the first place, Mr.
(Do NOT begin new paragraph) Mr.
(Do NOT begin new paragraph) Besides, Mr.
8.
F.
G.
H.
J.
NO CHANGE
thinking
thinking:
thinking, however,
9.
The most appropriate placement of the underlined portion
would be:
6
advanced math classes.
In addition, Mr. Escalante changed the administrators’
7
thinking, the students who took his classes had some of the
8
highest math test scores in the United States. This year I’ll
graduate from college with a degree in chemical engineering,
and I'll remember the movie as a driving career force behind
9
my decision. Eventually, I hope to earn my Ph.D. and then
teach at a large university.
My sister Lil always asks, “Claudia, what do
A.
B.
C.
D.
where it is now.
before the word driving.
before the word decision.
after the word decision (ending the sentence with a
period).
chemical engineers do?” I tell her that whenever
someone creates or discovers a new product in the
lab, chemical engineers help figure out how
they can make a whole bunch of them. For example,
10
when penicillin was discovered, chemical engineers
decided how to produce large quantities at an affordable
price with as little impact on the environment as possible.
11
10. F.
G.
H.
J.
NO CHANGE
they can mass-produce a lot of the same item.
to mass-produce it.
to multiply the new item over and over.
11. A.
B.
C.
D.
NO CHANGE
while still being there for the environment.
without making Mother Nature hold a protest march.
while in the meantime holding the line on big-time
environmental damage.
12. F.
G.
H.
J.
NO CHANGE
everything from
things like
not only
For the past two summers, I’ve been an intern for a
company that produces a variety of transparent household
12
tape to the abrasives used in sandpaper and the granules
used in roofing shingles. I even worked on the production
line, which slowly releases medication by the use of
13
nitroglycerin transdermal time-release patches into a
13
patient’s system to regulate the heartbeat or keep blood
13
13. A. NO CHANGE
B. line that makes nitroglycerin transdermal time-release
patches, which slowly release medication into a
patient's system
C. line, which makes nitroglycerin time-release patches
and slowly releases medication into a patient's system
D. line that releases medication slowly into a patient's
system through a nitroglycerin transdermal timerelease patch
From the Kitchen to the Lab
Practice Test
thinned and flowing.
my career!
E-8
14
Experience tells me I’ll enjoy
14. The writer is considering adding the following sentence at
this point in the essay:
You wouldn't believe the range of products we
made—it was unreal!
Should the writer make this addition?
F. Yes, because it shows the writer's knowledge about
chemical engineering.
G. Yes, because it gives the reader a better sense of what
chemical engineers do.
H. No, because it does not mention the specific products listed in the preceding sentence.
J. No, because it does not add any new information to
the essay.
Question 15 asks about the preceding passage
as a whole.
15. Suppose the writer had intended to write a brief essay
focusing on the contributions of chemical engineers.
Would this essay successfully fulfill the writer's goal?
A. Yes, because the writer has been able to stress her
own enthusiasm for the field of chemical
engineering.
B. Yes, because the essay emphasizes how chemical
engineers discovered penicillin.
C. No, because the essay’s main focus is on how the
writer became involved in the field of chemical
engineering.
D. No, because the essay mentions several
contributions but mainly focuses on job
challenges faced by chemical engineers.
Key
E-9
From the Kitchen to the Lab Key
1. D
2. G
3. A
4. F
5. C
6. J
7. C
8. H
9. C
10. H
11. A
12. G
13. B
14. J
15. B
Appendix F: Days 12–14
Contents
Checklist for Persuasive Writing ..................................................................................................................... F-2
Worksheet
The Greatest Problem or Promise of the United States ................................................................................... F-3
Prompt
F-1
Worksheet
F-2
Checklist for Persuasive Writing
Name: _________________________________________ Period: ________ Date:
Directions:
Use the checklist below to review a persuasive essay.
The writing takes the reader on a journey of understanding through an issue or set of issues.
The writer makes his or her position clear from the outset and sticks with that position.
The writer’s main position (argument) is supported by evidence: facts, statistics, studies, quotations from
experts, personal observations, and conclusions.
The writer does not rely on opinion as evidence (e.g., “This is true because I think so”).
The writer cites multiple reliable sources to make an argument convincing.
The paper summarizes clearly, fairly, and thoroughly any opposing points of view and addresses them in a
clear and convincing manner.
The writer saves the strongest argument (or piece of evidence) for last, where it has maximum impact.
The writer leads the reader to a conclusion that seems all but inevitable given the evidence presented.
Vickie Spandel, Creating Writers Through 6-Trait Writing
Assessment and Instruction. ©2005 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Prompt
F-3
The Greatest Problem or Promise of the United States
Name: _________________________________________ Period: ________ Date:
Directions: Analyze the prompt below. Address all of its aspects. In your
journal, draft thesis statements for a persuasive essay in response to the
prompt. Use the back of this paper to begin drafting your essay.
The United States has many problems; it is also a country that holds promise for many people. Choose
one particular problem that you believe needs to be solved or one promise that you believe has been fulfilled. In a
persuasive essay argue that your chosen problem or promise is America’s greatest, and provide three reasons why
you believe this. Use varied evidence to support your thesis.
Appendix G: Days 15–17
Contents
Persuasive Essay Rating Scale.........................................................................................................................G-2
Handout
Top 20 College-Level Grammatical Errors .....................................................................................................G-3
Handout
Introductions and Conclusions.........................................................................................................................G-4
Handout
Peer Response ..................................................................................................................................................G-5
Worksheet
Evaluating Revisions.. .....................................................................................................................................G-6
Worksheet
G-1
Handout
G-2
Persuasive Essay Rating Scale
Name: _________________________________________ Period: ________ Date:
Score
Points
Criteria
1 2 3 4 5 Requirements: Contains all notes, drafts, and final drafts.
1 2 3 4 5 Focus: Your persuasive essay clearly and effectively establishes its thesis (or position) early and
maintains focus throughout. Each paragraph is logically linked to the thesis and all sentences within the
paragraphs serve to further develop and maintain this focus. Your essay includes at least three powerful
statements of fact, value, or policy as well as examples, stories, quotations from experts, and visual
images to argue your position. Evidence is from multiple sources.
1 2 3 4 5 Conventions: Your essay’s prose is written in grammatically correct English; it has few spelling or
grammatical errors; it shows a sound understanding of the structure of a good sentence and paragraph.
1 2 3 4 5 Organization: Your ideas follow and relate to each other in a logical and effective way. Information is
organized within the sentence and paragraph, as well as in the paper itself, for maximum rhetorical
effectiveness, with the most powerful arguments at the end of the piece. Also, ideas and topics within
the piece are well balanced.
1 2 3 4 5 Development: Your essay uses specific, concrete examples to illustrate the ideas or events it develops
or describes. You elaborate on the different arguments you present. Each paragraph contains at least
four sentences. You acknowledge the other position’s point of view fairly; you anticipate
counterarguments.
1 2 3 4 5 Process: Your work reveals evidence of revision, planning, and careful work, and it does not look as if
it were written at the last minute. You worked well in writing-response groups throughout the different
stages of the process.
1 2 3 4 5 Benchmark: Your work reflects the quality of work that I expect you to be able to do in this class at
this time on such an assignment.
Total
points:
Comments:
_______
Jim Burke, Writing Reminders. ©2003 by Jim Burke.
Handout
G-3
Top 20 College-Level Grammatical Errors
1. Missing comma after introductory element
2. Vague pronoun reference
3. Missing comma in a compound sentence
4. Wrong word
5. Missing comma(s) with a nonrestrictive element
6. Wrong or missing verb ending
7. Wrong or missing preposition
8. Comma splice
9. Missing or misplaced possessive apostrophe
10. Unnecessary shift in tense
11. Unnecessary shift in pronoun
12. Sentence fragment
13. Wrong tense or verb form
14. Lack of subject-verb agreement
15. Missing comma in a series
16. Lack of agreement between pronoun and antecedent
17. Unnecessary comma(s) with a restrictive element
18. Fused sentence
19. Misplaced or dangling modifier
20. Its/It’s confusion
Andrea Lunsford and Karen Lunsford, “Mistakes are a Fact of
Life: A Comparative National Study.” In Press. College
Composition and Communication.
Handout
G-4
Introductions and Conclusions
Tips for Writing an Introduction
The introduction makes your paper’s first impression. Think of your introduction as a bridge from the
world to your paper, as a way to engage your readers’
attention and invite them to pay attention your work.
Write your introduction as if readers were approaching
your work voluntarily. In other words, write it in a way
that shows your paper is worth reading.
Your introduction sets the stage for your readers.
It should therefore include background information and
explain any important terminology that your readers
need to understand your argument.
In order to capture your readers’ attention, you
may include any of the following elements in your introduction:
 A relevant quote that sheds light on the issue
you plan to discuss
 An historical overview of relevant facts or oc-
currences
 A review of a relevant controversy or debate
 A discussion of a perspective that differs from
your own
 A question that piques the reader’s curiosity
 A relevant anecdote or story
 An interesting fact or statistic
 An analogy
While it is acceptable to begin an introduction
with your thesis statement, it is more common to begin
with a general statement, perhaps using one of the
above elements. With each sentence that you write,
become more and more focused until you reach your
thesis statement. Visually, you can think of your introduction as a funnel or an inverted triangle, pointing
more and more directly to your paper’s main argument.
When writing your introduction, try to avoid
 repeating the language of the assignment verbatim. While you will likely need to use some
of the language from the writing prompt, allow
room for your own thoughts and ideas.
 including a history of your thought process
about the assignment. While it is important to
understand the means by which your argument
took shape, replaying this process may disinterest or bore your reader.
 beginning with “Webster defines _____ as
_______.” If you need to provide your reader
with a definition, use one from an expert.
 banal or trite statements.
Tips for Writing a Conclusion
The conclusion makes your paper’s final impression. Think of it as a bridge from your paper to the
world, as a way to point your readers toward an exploration of your paper’s broader significance. While it
may be tempting to restate the major points of your
paper in your conclusion, your conclusion should move
beyond a simple summation of what you have written.
While it is important to reinforce your main point
throughout your conclusion, use the following strategies to expand upon what you have written:
 Place your paper in a larger context by exploring its significance to other areas.
 Call readers to action. Given what you have
just presented, tell them what they can do
about a particular issue or situation.
 Present a warning or a hypothesis relevant to
your main points.
 Raise questions that move beyond the text of
your paper.
 Include relevant quotes or anecdotes.
Think of the structure of your conclusion as the
opposite of your introduction’s structure. That is, begin
with the specific and move to the general. First, remind
readers of what you have argued, then move to a discussion of your argument’s implications. End in a way
that grabs readers’ attention and encourages them to
continue thinking about what they have read.
When writing your conclusion, try to avoid the
following pitfalls:
 Starting a new topic
 Contradicting yourself
 Making obvious statements
 Repeating your thesis statement in its exact
words
Worksheet
G-5
Peer Response
Name: _________________________________________ Period: ________ Date:
Directions: Use the following questions and prompts to guide your
response to the essay.
1. Does the essay’s title make you want to read it? (Yes/No) If no, explain why and suggest a better title.
2. Underline the writer’s thesis statement. Does the thesis let you know what will be discussed in the paper? Is the
thesis put in context?
3. List the writer’s main points. Is there enough evidence, in your opinion? Are the quotations or examples explained
with sufficient context? Explain.
4. Check transitions between paragraphs. Are they effective? Could they be improved? Provide suggestions.
5. What are the two best things about this essay? Be very specific by making reference to specific statements. (Not, “I
liked it a lot.”)
Staple this worksheet to your partner’s draft.
Worksheet
G-6
Evaluating Revisions
Name: _________________________________________ Period: ________ Date:
Directions: Reread your graded draft, my comments, and the final revision
of your essay. Then, answer the following questions.
1. What changes did you make from graded draft to final revision?
2. How did these changes improve your essay?
3. What do you like best about your revised work?
4. What would you continue to work on if you had more time?
5. What else do you want me to know before I review your paper again?
6. How will you help yourself remember the aspects of your writing that you need to change?
Carol Jago, Cohesive Writing: Why Concept is Not Enough.
©2002 by Carol Jago.
Appendix H: Days 18–20
H-1
Contents
Address to the Second Virginia Convention....................................................................................................H-2
Reading by Patrick Henry
Annotation .......................................................................................................................................................H-4
Handout
Letter to Thomas Jefferson ..............................................................................................................................H-5
Reading by Benjamin Banneker
Reading
H-2
Address to the Second Virginia Convention
Patrick Henry
Patrick Henry gave this address on March
23, 1775, to fellow delegates to the Second
Virginia Convention. In the address, Henry
compares the colonists to slaves as part of
an argument for going to war against the
British. The text is from Patrick Henry, “Give
Me Liberty or Give Me Death,” as reprinted
by
The
Colonial
Williamsburg
Foundation, 2007.
Mr. President: No man thinks more
highly than I do of the patriotism, as well as
abilities, of the very worthy gentlemen who
have just addressed the house. But different
men often see the same subject in different
lights; and, therefore, I hope it will not be
thought disrespectful to those gentlemen, if,
entertaining, as I do, opinions of a character
very opposite to theirs, I shall speak forth
my sentiments freely and without reserve.
This is no time for ceremony. The question
before the house is one of awful moment to
this country. For my own part, I consider it
as nothing less than a question of freedom
or slavery. And in proportion to the
magnitude of the subject ought to be the
freedom of the debate. It is only in this way
that we can hope to arrive at truth, and
fulfill the great responsibility which we
hold to God and our country. Should I keep
back my opinions at such a time, through
fear of giving offense, I should consider
myself as guilty of treason toward my
country, and of an act of disloyalty toward
the Majesty of Heaven, which I revere
above all earthly kings.
Mr. President, it is natural for man to
indulge in the illusions of hope. We are apt
to shut our eyes against a painful truth, and
listen to the song of that siren, till she
transforms us into beasts. Is this the part of
wise men, engaged in a great and arduous
struggle for liberty? Are we disposed to be
of the number of those who, having eyes,
see not, and having ears, hear not, the
things which so nearly concern their
temporal salvation? For my part, whatever
anguish of spirit it may cost, I am willing to
know the whole truth; to know the worst
and to provide for it.
I have but one lamp by which my feet
are guided; and that is the lamp of
experience. I know of no way of judging of
the future but by the past. And judging by
the past, I wish to know what there has
been in the conduct of the British ministry
for the last ten years to justify those hopes
with which gentlemen have been pleased to
solace themselves and the House? Is it that
insidious smile with which our petition has
been lately received? Trust it not, sir; it will
prove a snare to your feet. Suffer not
yourselves to be betrayed with a kiss. Ask
yourselves how this gracious reception of
our petition comports with these warlike
preparations which cover our waters and
darken our land. Are fleets and armies
necessary to a work of love and
reconciliation? Have we shown ourselves
so unwilling to be reconciled, that force
must be called in to win back our love? Let
us not deceive ourselves, sir. These are the
implements of war and subjugation; the last
arguments to which kings resort. I ask
gentlemen, sir, what means this martial
array, if its purpose be not to force us to
submission? Can gentlemen assign any
other possible motives for it? Has Great
Britain any enemy, in this quarter of the
world, to call for all this accumulation of
navies and armies? No, sir, she has none.
They are meant for us; they can be meant
for no other. They are sent over to bind and
rivet upon us those chains which the British
ministry have been so long forging. And
what have we to oppose to them? Shall we
try argument? Sir, we have been trying that
for the last ten years. Have we anything
new to offer on the subject? Nothing. We
have held the subject up in every light of
which it is capable; but it has been all in
vain. Shall we resort to entreaty and humble
Address to the Second Virginia Convention
Reading
supplication? What terms shall we find
which have not been already exhausted?
Let us not, I beseech you, sir, deceive
ourselves longer. Sir, we have done
everything that could be done to avert the
storm which is now coming on. We have
petitioned; we have remonstrated; we have
supplicated; we have prostrated ourselves
before the tyrannical hands of the ministry
and parliament. Our petitions have been
slighted; our remonstrances have produced
additional violence and insult; our
supplications have been disregarded; and
we have been spurned, with contempt, from
the foot of the throne. In vain, after these
“Give Me Liberty, or Give Me Death!” Lithograph. Currier
& Ives, 1876. Available from the Library of Congress,
Prints & Photographs Division.
things, may we indulge the fond hope of
peace and reconciliation. There is no longer
any room for hope. If we wish to be free—
if we mean to preserve inviolate those
inestimable privileges for which we have
been so long contending—if we mean not
basely to abandon the noble struggle in
which we have been so long engaged, and
which we have pledged ourselves never to
abandon until the glorious object of our
contest shall be obtained, we must fight! I
repeat it, sir, we must fight! An appeal to
arms and to the God of Hosts is all that is
left us!
H-3
They tell us, sir, that we are weak;
unable to cope with so formidable an
adversary. But when shall we be stronger?
Will it be the next week, or the next year?
Will it be when we are totally disarmed,
and when a British guard shall be stationed
in every house? Shall we gather strength by
irresolution and inaction? Shall we acquire
the means of effectual resistance, by lying
supinely on our backs, and hugging the
delusive phantom of hope, until our
enemies shall have bound us hand and foot?
Sir, we are not weak if we make a proper
use of those means which the God of nature
hath placed in our power. Three millions of
people, armed in the holy cause of liberty,
and in such a country as that which we
possess, are invincible by any force which
our enemy can send against us. Besides, sir,
we shall not fight our battles alone. There is
a just God who presides over the destinies
of nations; and who will raise up friends to
fight our battles for us. The battle, sir, is not
to the strong alone; it is to the vigilant, the
active, the brave. Besides, sir, we have no
election. If we were base enough to desire
it, it is now too late to retire from the
contest. There is no retreat but in
submission and slavery! Our chains are
forged! Their clanking may be heard on the
plains of Boston! The war is inevitable and
let it come! I repeat it, sir, let it come.
It is in vain, sir, to extenuate the matter.
Gentlemen may cry, Peace, Peace but there
is no peace. The war is actually begun! The
next gale that sweeps from the north will
bring to our ears the clash of resounding
arms! Our brethren are already in the field!
Why stand we here idle? What is it that
gentlemen wish? What would they have? Is
life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be
purchased at the price of chains and
slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know
not what course others may take; but as for
me, give me liberty or give me death!
Handout
H-4
Annotation
AnnotatingAnnotatingAnnotatingAnnotatingAnnotatingAnnotatingAnnotatingAnnotatingAnnotating
READ WITH THE PEN IN HAND
Be an active reader . . .
Think when you read . . .
Pause and reflect . . .
In the Margin
What it Means
?
!
I don’t understand this.
This is new to me.
underline
This is really important.
I need to know this.
I’m surprised by this!
This is a shock!
I don’t know this word.
I need to get its meaning.
{}

This motif or information seems to contribute to
the text’s central theme(s).
#
This is a turning word, like “so” or “but.”
This is a time word, like “when” or “next.”
==
||
This is an example of a literary device.
I noticed these word patterns or repetitions.
I think this could be an important symbol
or metaphor.
Note in the margins:
 A response to the title
 Literary devices (e.g., repetition, imagery)
 Graphic elements (e.g., punctuation, line length)
 Interpretation or ideas suggested by text (e.g., associations suggested by specific words)
 Diction (e.g., informality, denotation, connotation)
 Thoughts about the writer and/or audience (e.g., purpose of text, writer’s knowledge of audience, relationship
between writer and reader, writer’s attitude toward subject, writer’s credibility)
 Thoughts about unity and coherence (e.g., organization and logic of thesis and supporting arguments)
 Thoughts about syntax (e.g., sentence length or type, sentence patterns, language patterns, voice)
Reading
H-5
Letter to Thomas Jefferson
Benjamin Banneker
Benjamin Banneker was a self-taught
mathematician and astronomer and one of
the first African American men to be
recognized for his scientific work. In 1791
he sent a manuscript copy of his first
almanac to Thomas Jefferson, then
Secretary of State, along with this letter,
which argues for the abolition of slavery.
The text is from Benjamin Banneker, “Copy
of a letter from Benjamin Banneker to the
Secretary of State,” as reprinted by the
Electronic Text Center of the University of
Virginia Library, 2006.
Maryland
Baltimore County Near Ellicotts’ Lower
Mills
August 19th, 1791.
Sir, I am fully sensible of the greatness of
that freedom, which I take with you on the
present occasion; a liberty which seemed to
me scarcely allowable, when I reflected on
that distinguished and dignified station in
which you stand, and the almost general
prejudice and prepossession which is so
prevalent in the world against those of my
complexion.
I suppose it is a truth too well attested
to you, to need a proof here, that we are a
race of beings, who have long labored
under the abuse and censure of the world;
that we have long been looked upon with an
eye of contempt; that we have long been
considered rather as brutish than human,
and scarcely capable of mental
endowments.
Sir, I hope I may safely admit, in
consequence of that report which hath
reached me, that you are a man far less
inflexible in sentiments of this nature, than
many others; that you are measurably
friendly, and well disposed towards us; and
that you are willing and ready to lend your
aid and assistance to our relief, from those
many distresses, and numerous calamities,
to which we are reduced.
Now Sir, if this is founded in truth, I
apprehend you will readily embrace every
opportunity, to eradicate that train of absurd
and false ideas and opinions, which so
generally prevails with respect to us; and
that your sentiments are concurrent with
mine, which are that one universal Father
hath given being to us all; and that he hath
not only made us all of one flesh, but that
he hath also without partiality, afforded us
all the same sensations, and endowed us all
with the same faculties; and that however
variable we may be in society or religion,
however diversified in situation or color,
we are all of the same family, and stand in
the same relation to him.
Sir, if these are sentiments of which
you are fully persuaded, I hope you cannot
but acknowledge, that it is the indispensable
duty of those, who maintain for themselves
the rights of human nature, and who profess
the obligations of Christianity, to extend
their power and influence to the relief of
every part of the human race, from
whatever burden or oppression they may
unjustly labor under; and this, I apprehend,
a full conviction of the truth and obligation
of these principles should lead all to.
Sir, I have long been convinced, that if
your love for yourselves and for those
inestimable laws, which preserve to you the
rights of human nature, was founded on
sincerity, you could not but be solicitous,
that every individual, of whatever rank or
distinction, might with you equally enjoy
the blessings thereof; neither could you rest
satisfied, short of the most active effusion
of your exertions, in order to their
promotions from any state of degradation,
to which the unjustifiable cruelty and
barbarism of men have reduced them.
Letter to Thomas Jefferson
Reading
Sir, I freely and cheerfully
acknowledge, that I am of the African race,
and in that color which is natural to them of
the deepest dye, and it is under a sense of
the most profound gratitude to the Supreme
Ruler of the universe, that I now confess to
you, that I am not under that state of
tyrannical thralldom, and inhuman
captivity, to which too many of my brethren
are doomed, but that I have abundantly
tasted of the fruition of those blessings,
which proceed from that free and
unequalled liberty with which you are
favored; and which, I hope, mercifully you
will willingly allow you have received from
the immediate hand of that Being, from
whom proceedeth every good and perfect
Gift.
Sir, suffer me to recall to your mind
that time, in which the arms and tyranny of
the British Crown were exerted, with every
powerful effort, in order to reduce you to a
State of Servitude; look back, I entreat you,
on the variety of dangers to which you were
exposed; reflect on that time, in which
every human aid appeared unavailable, and
in which even hope and fortitude wore the
aspect of inability to the conflict, and you
cannot but be led to a serious and grateful
sense of your miraculous and providential
preservation; you cannot but acknowledge,
that the present freedom and tranquility
which you enjoy you have mercifully
received, and that it is the peculiar blessing
of Heaven.
This, Sir, was a time in which you
clearly saw into the injustice of a state of
slavery and in which you had just
apprehensions of the horrors of its
condition. It was now that your abhorrence
thereof was so excited, that you publicly
held forth this true and valuable doctrine,
which is worthy to be recorded and
remembered in all succeeding ages; “We
hold these truths to be self-evident, that all
men are created equal; that they are
endowed by their creator with certain
unalienable rights, that among these are
life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”
H-6
Here was a time, in which your tender
feelings for yourselves had engaged you
thus to declare, you were then impressed
with proper ideas of the great violation of
liberty and the free possession of those
blessings, to which you were entitled by
nature; but, Sir, how pitiable is it to reflect
that although you were so fully convinced
of the benevolence of the Father of
Mankind, and of his equal and impartial
distribution of these rights and privileges,
which he hath conferred upon them, that
you should at the same time counteract his
mercies in detaining by fraud and violence
so numerous a part of my brethren, under
groaning captivity and cruel oppression,
that you should at the same time be found
guilty of that most criminal act, which you
professedly detested in others, with respect
to yourselves.
I suppose that your knowledge of the
situation of my brethren is too extensive to
need a recital here; neither shall I presume
to prescribe methods by which they may be
relieved, otherwise than by recommending
to you and all others, to wean yourselves
from those narrow prejudices which you
have imbibed with respect to them, and as
Job proposed to his friends, “put your
souls’ in their souls stead”; thus shall your
hearts be enlarged with kindness and
benevolence towards them; and thus shall
you need neither the direction of myself or
others, in what manner to proceed herein.
And now, Sir, although my sympathy
and affection for my brethren hath caused
my enlargement thus far, I ardently hope,
that your candor and generosity will plead
with you in my behalf, when I make known
to you, that it was not originally my design;
but having taken up my pen in order to
direct to you, as a present, a copy of an
Almanac, which I have calculated for the
succeeding year, I was unexpectedly and
unavoidably led thereto.
This calculation is the production of my
arduous study, in this my advanced stage of
life; for having long had unbounded desires
Letter to Thomas Jefferson
Reading
to become acquainted with the secrets of
nature, I have had to gratify my curiosity
herein, through my own assiduous
application to Astronomical Study, in
which I need not recount to you the many
difficulties and disadvantages, which I have
had to encounter.
And although I had almost declined to
make my calculation for the ensuing year,
in consequence of that time which I had
allotted therefor, being taken up at the
Federal Territory, by the request of Mr.
Andrew Ellicott, yet finding myself under
several engagements to Printers of this
state, to whom I had communicated my
design, on my return to my place of
residence, I industriously applied myself
thereto, which I hope I have accomplished
with correctness and accuracy; a copy of
which I have taken the liberty to direct to
you, and which I humbly request you will
favorably receive; and although you may
have the opportunity of perusing it after its
publication, yet I choose to send it to you in
manuscript previous thereto, that thereby
you might not only have an earlier
inspection, but that you might also view it
in my own hand writing.
And now, Sir, I shall conclude, and
subscribe myself, with the most profound
respect,
Your most obedient humble servant,
BENJAMIN BANNEKER.
H-7
Appendix I: Secondary Course Objectives
Secondary Course Objectives
A primary course objective
 is the central focus of the unit and
 is explicitly assessed in an embedded assessment and/or in the
summative assessment.
A secondary course objective
 is less important to the focus of the unit, but is one that students need
to know and use when completing activities for this unit and
 may or may not be explicitly assessed by the summative assessment or
an embedded assessment.
Course objectives considered primary for this unit are listed on
pages 1–3. Below is a list of secondary course objectives associated with this
unit.
Selected Secondary Course Objectives
B.5. Conventions of Usage
a. Correctly spell commonly misspelled/confused words
b. Correctly choose verb forms in terms of tense, voice (i.e., active and
passive), and mood for continuity
c. Make subject and verb agree in number, even when a phrase or clause
between the two suggests a different number for the verb
d. Use pronouns correctly (e.g., appropriate case, pronoun-antecedent
agreement, clear pronoun reference)
e. Correctly choose adjectives, adjective phrases, adjective clauses, adverbs,
adverb phrases, and adverb clauses and their forms for logical connection
to word(s) modified
f.
Correctly use parts of speech
B.6. Conventions of Punctuation
a. Recognize that several correct punctuation choices create different effects
(e.g., joining two independent clauses in a variety of ways)
b. Use punctuation correctly within sentences and words
c. Demonstrate correct use of capitalization
I-1
Appendix J: Course Objectives Measured by Assessments
J-1
Course Objectives Measured by Assessments
This table presents at a glance how the course objectives are employed throughout the entire unit. It identifies those
objectives that are explicitly measured by the embedded and unit assessments. The first column lists course objectives
by a three-character code (e.g., A.1.a.); columns 2–8 on this page and the next list the assessments.
Unit
Assessment
Embedded Assessments
Coded
Course
Objective
Class
Notebook
Rubric
Journal
Writing
A.1.a.
Group
Participation
and
Collaboration
Rubric
Poster and
Essay
X
Essay Analysis Practice Tests
Persuasive Essay
and Drafts
X
X
A.5.a.
X
X
A.5.g.
X
A.1.b.
X
A.4.a.
X
A.6.a.
X
A.6.c.
A.6.d.
X
X
X
X
X
X
B.1.a.
X
B.1.b.
X
B.1.c.
X
B.2.c.
X
X
B.3.a.
X
X
B.3.b.
X
X.
B.3.c.
X
B.3.d.
X
B.3.e.
X
B.4.a.
X
B.4.b.
X
B.4.c.
X
B.4.d.
X
B.4.g.
X
Course Objectives Measured by Assessments
Coded
Course
Objective
J-2
Unit
Assessment
Embedded Assessments
Class
Notebook
Rubric
Journal
Writing
Group
Participation
Rubric
B.5.a.
Poster and
Essay
Analyzing a
Professional
Essay
Practice
Tests
Persuasive Essay
and Drafts
X
B.5.b.
X
B.5.c.
X
B.5.d.
X
B.5.e.
X
B.5.f.
X
D.2.g.
X
E.a.
X
E.b.
X
E.d.
X
The ResearchDriven Solution
to Raise the
Quality of High
School Core
Courses
Guidelines for
Developing an
Instructional Unit
ACT endorses the Code of Fair Testing Practices in Education and
the Code of Professional Responsibilities in Educational Measurement,
guides to the conduct of those involved in educational testing. ACT is
committed to ensuring that each of its testing programs upholds the
guidelines in each Code. A copy of each Code may be obtained free
of charge from ACT Customer Services (68), P.O. Box 1008, Iowa City,
IA 52243-1008, 319/337-1429.
CONFIDENTIAL. This document is the confidential and proprietary property of ACT, Inc.
No part of it may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without the
express written permission of ACT, Inc.
© 2011 by ACT, Inc. All rights reserved.
Introduction
VI.
This booklet contains a set of guidelines for
developing an instructional unit. The guidelines are
divided into 15 sections that correspond to a unit’s
organizational structure. Use the following definitions
and questions, which address criteria important to
the unit’s success, to assist you in your work. Some
questions include additional descriptors, questions
identified with bullets, to clarify and expand the
criteria.
The Selected ACT Course Standards section
VII. identifies the specific knowledge and skills
the unit will focus on.
The Research-Based Strategies section lists
VIII. instructional practices recommended for use
in the unit; those that hold strong promise for
teachers to enhance achievement for all
students.
Questions that appear as boldfaced text address
primary criteria and are required elements of the
unit. Questions that are NOT boldfaced are criteria
that would provide supplementary information for
teachers and are not considered crucial.
IX.
Unit Development
Review each section of this document as you
develop a unit and its accompanying assessments.
By answering each of the questions and providing
written comments regarding your decisions, you will
ensure that each criterion has been adequately
addressed.
Unit Sections
I.
The Unit Number and Title allow readers to
identify at a glance the unit’s place in the
curriculum and its primary focus.
II.
The Purpose statement identifies the specific
knowledge and skills taught in the unit.
III.
The Time Frame states the number and
length of class periods needed for the
instructional unit.
IV.
V.
The Prerequisites section lists specific
knowledge or skills students need to have
learned or been introduced to before
engaging in the unit.
X.
The Overview describes the unit’s primary
focus, summarizes the unit, and explains
how the knowledge and skills listed in the
purpose statement will be taught. It serves
as a general introduction to the unit.
The Essential Questions section clearly and
precisely communicates the pivotal points in
the curriculum and helps avoid a random
assortment of well-intended activities with no
structure. When the curriculum is formed
around questions, the clear message to
students is that the teacher is probing
significant ideas with them. There are two
types of essential questions: topical
questions, which are specific and lead to
particular understandings of a unit; overarching questions, which point toward larger,
transferable ideas. Essential questions
cannot be answered with a simple “yes” or
“no”; they must be composed to encourage
higher-order thinking and to promote indepth investigation.
The Suggestions for Assessment section
offers ideas for documenting and recording
student learning. This section describes
three types of assessments:
preassessments, embedded assessments,
and unit assessments.
Preassessments are typically completed
before a unit is begun and provide
information about students’ level of
understanding or skill. They also are an
opportunity to identify students’ perceptions
or misconceptions and to preview the
information to be learned. The information
obtained from the assessment should be
used to adjust the instruction to better meet
students’ needs.
The Guiding Principles section consists of
one or more quotations about instruction,
assessment, thinking skills, student learning,
and other educationally relevant topics to
encourage conversation and reflection
among teachers.
Embedded assessments inform teachers of
where students are in the learning process.
An embedded assessment is a formative
1
assessment that is primarily teacherdeveloped and is integral to the instructional
process—at times the instruction and
assessment may be indistinguishable.
The Enhancing Student Learning section
XIII. provides additional assistance to students.
The selected ACT Course Standards may
duplicate Section VII or may include new
Course Standards. The section provides a
brief description of ways to extend and
reteach the skills or content previously
taught.
The third type of assessment is a unit
assessment, which provides a description of
the knowledge and skills that students
should master by the end of the unit and the
criteria by which they will be assessed.
XI.
Each unit concludes with Reflecting on
XIV. Classroom Practice. Given the complex
The next section, Unit Description, is divided
into three related parts: “Introduction,” which
presents the unit’s pedagogy and themes;
“Materials & Resources,” which lists all of the
materials recommended to teach the unit
successfully; and “Suggested Teaching
Strategies/Procedures,” which describes
teaching practices that teachers may use to
teach content and skills to students.
nature of instruction, it is important for
teachers and students to continually renew
themselves by reviewing their work and
reflecting on how best to promote learning.
To that end, this set of questions is included
to inspire the reflection process.
XV.
“Suggested Teaching Strategies/Procedures”
is the most involved part of the unit
description. Employing precise descriptions,
using concrete examples, and citing
authoritative research, it describes at length
exemplary classroom instruction. To that end
it suggests various ways to engage students,
describes topics and tasks relevant to the
unit’s goals and to students’ lives, addresses
a range of ACT Course Standards and
modes of instruction, and explains the
purposes of the teaching strategies the unit
employs. Because it is the lengthiest part of
the unit description, this part is often
organized chronologically by dividing the
unit’s time frame into manageable sections.
As a whole, the unit description emphasizes
reasoning and making connections, using
community resources and real-life learning,
and encouraging students both to ask
questions leading to analysis, reflection, and
further study and to construct individual
meanings and interpretations.
The Tips for Teachers section includes
XII. extension ideas and suggestions to help
activities succeed in the classroom.
2
The Appendix consists of all activities,
handouts, readings, transparencies,
worksheets, and other documents that
correspond to the unit instruction.
Unit Title: _______________________________________________
Date: ________________________
Developed by: ___________________________________________
Guidelines for Developing an Instructional Unit
I. Unit Number and Title
Y/N
Comments
Y/N
Comments
Y/N
Comments
Y/N
Comments
Y/N
Comments
Y/N
Comments
Y/N
Comments
1. Is the title engaging, informative, and
concise?
II. Purpose
2. Is the purpose statement clear and concise?
3. Does the purpose statement identify the
knowledge and skills taught?
III. Time Frame
4. Does the time frame state the number and
length of class periods needed to complete
the instructional unit?
IV. Overview
5. Is the overview clear and concise?
6. Does the overview identify and describe the
primary focus of the unit (i.e., what students
will know and be able to do at the unit’s
conclusion)?
7. Does the overview summarize how the unit’s
knowledge and skills will be taught?
8. Does the overview identify the unit’s primary
or distinctive techniques (e.g., math
manipulatives, using literature in science)
and do the techniques conform to the
principles of Universal Design (i.e., are they
designed for easy and equitable use by all
teachers and students)?
V. Guiding Principles
9. Are the guiding principles relevant to the
topic or focus of the unit?
10. Will the principles encourage discussion,
reflection, or further learning among
teachers?
VI. Prerequisites
11. Are the expectations reasonable with respect
to the knowledge and skills that students
need to have learned or been introduced to
before engaging in this unit?
VII. Selected ACT Course Standards
12. Do the Course Standards correspond to the
knowledge and skills summarized in the
purpose and overview?
13. Do the skills and concepts relate to larger
themes in the course; the curriculum; the
lives of students?
3
VIII. Research-Based Strategies
Y/N
Comments
Y/N
Comments
Y/N
Comments
Y/N
Comments
14. Are the research-based teaching strategies
used in the unit named and referenced with
the page numbers where each strategy can
be found?
IX. Essential Questions
15. Are the conceptual priorities of the instructional unit organized around essential
questions?

Is there at least one overarching essential
question?

Are the questions clearly worded for
students?

Do the questions invite connections
between different concepts, skills, or
ideas?

Are the questions relevant to students’
lives?

Given the time frame for the unit, is the
number of questions realistic? (There
should be approximately 2–5 questions
for a unit that ranges from 3–5 weeks.)
X. Suggestions for Assessment
16. Are the preassessments, embedded
assessments, and unit assessments labeled,
identified, and summarized?
17. Are the documents (handouts, worksheets, etc.)
that are used with the assessment named?
18. Have the assessments been examined for
rigor and relevance? 1
XI. Unit Description
Introduction
19. Is the list chronologically organized?
20. Does the introduction suggest ways to pique
students’ interests and motivate students to
learn?

Is there an effective preactivity (e.g.,
video clip, skit, or hook)?

Are references made to high-interest
topics or social issues that are typically
relevant to students’ lives?
21. Does the introduction reveal how the
knowledge and skills to be learned in the
unit build upon previous learning or preview
future learning?

Does the introduction review or introduce
key vocabulary to be learned?
22. Does the introduction briefly describe a
preassessment?
1
Refer to ACT’s booklet Template to Examine Assignments for Rigor and Relevance for definitions of both rigor and relevance.
4
XI.
Unit Description (continued)
Y/N
Comments
Materials & Resources
23. Is the list of materials and resources
required for the unit complete?

Does the list include appropriate and
varied reading selections below, at, and
above grade level?

Does the list include the necessary
equipment (e.g., lab supplies, books)?

Does the list include handouts and
worksheets (e.g., sample lab reports,
graphic organizers, homework
assignments)?

Does the list suggest other useful
resources (e.g., supplementary texts,
reference materials)?

Do the needed materials and resources
include technology equipment or
audiovisual tools (e.g. computers,
specific software, Internet access,
video)?
Suggested Teaching Strategies/Procedures
Writing
24. Is the unit logically organized and
sequenced to facilitate use by educators?
25. Does each day or series of days begin with a
brief summary of that section’s instruction,
assessments, and goals?
26. Is there text overtly addressing daily warm-up
and wrap-up activities?
27. Does the text provide clear, descriptive
details to guide teachers’ replication of the
strategies and procedures in the classroom?

Do appropriate examples help to clarify
difficult concepts?

Is detail or description necessary in other
areas?
28. Is every step in the process of the unit
adequately defined and described?
Content
29. Is the unit’s content accurate?
30. Are the unit’s activities rigorous and
relevant?
31. Is the content relevant to students’ lives
(e.g., connected to real-world situations or
the world of work)?
32. Does the unit suggest links between
disciplines (e.g., to history, mathematics, or
English)?
33. Does the unit adequately address the
primary ACT Course Standards?
5
XI.
Unit Description (continued)
Y/N
Comments
Assessments
34. Do the preassessment(s) assess students’
prior knowledge or current understanding of
a skill or concept?
35. Do embedded (formative) assessment(s)
represent multiple and varied opportunities
for assessment (e.g., graphic organizers,
quizzes, questionnaires, works-in-progress,
anecdotal notes)?
36. Do embedded assessments inform the
teacher where students currently are in the
learning process?
37. Do embedded assessments require students
to answer questions or perform tasks that
are meaningful and purposeful?
38. Do the embedded assessments reflect skills
and understandings that are important for
students to learn? Are they tied to the ACT
Course Standards?
39. Do the students have opportunities to
correct or clarify their performance as
needed based on observed results?
40. Does the unit assessment provide evidence
that yields information teachers can use to
make valid inferences about students’
learning?
41. Does the unit assessment include criteria
that are clearly stated and understood by
students?
42. Do assessments include directions that are
clearly stated and unambiguous, not easily
misunderstood by students?
43. Do the assessments that include a scoring
rubric explain how to score the assessment
and provide values for each score point?
44. Do assessments intended to provide
students with qualitative feedback suggest
ways for teachers to provide that feedback?
45. Do assessments include answer keys and/or
scoring criteria?
Teaching and Learning Styles
46. Are the essential questions asked and
explored in the unit?
47. Does the unit take into consideration
students’ varied learning styles?

Are there varied avenues for investigation
(e.g., by posing problems or discussing
issues) and instruction?

Does the unit utilize a variety of media
(e.g., music, paint, papier-mâché, video,
film) to help students learn skills or
content?

Are extensions, adaptations, or
interventions for students (e.g., special
needs or advanced) suggested?
6
XI.
Unit Description (continued)
Y/N
Comments
48. Are the teaching strategies or techniques
(e.g., note taking, using wait-time, skimming,
scanning, collaborative discourse, making
predictions) effective and efficient for
teaching the skills and/or concepts to be
learned?
49. Does the unit develop a range of thinking
skills (e.g., making inferences, drawing
conclusions, making generalizations,
looking for bias, analyzing the accuracy of
data)?
50. Is each research-based teaching strategy
described with sufficient detail for teachers
to understand or learn more about it?
51. Do teachers model learning for students?
52. Are alternatives to unit activities based on time,
cost, resource constraints, or the unique needs
of a given student population suggested?
Student Engagement
53. Does the unit engage students in thoughtful
processes of inquiry (e.g., research,
experimentation, background reading,
problem-based learning)?
54. Does the unit encourage students to find
answers to their own questions?
55. Do the instruction and student requirements,
such as in-class assignments or homework,
ask students to demonstrate proficiency
using the following types of tasks/evidence?

Are students asked to apply the content
and skills learned to new contexts or
situations?

Do students distill and analyze
information to solve or propose plausible
solutions to problems?

Do students adapt (i.e., modify, stretch,
transfer) knowledge and skills in order to
create innovative solutions to complex
problems or to develop creative
products?

Are students asked to understand and
recall knowledge of specific content?
56. Does the unit engage students in both
independent and collaborative learning?

Does the unit suggest collaborative work
with teachers or students from other
schools?
58. Is feedback from students about what they
have learned or their reactions to the unit
solicited?
7
XI. Unit Description (continued)
Y/N
Comments
Y/N
Comments
Y/N
Comments
Y/N
Comments
Y/N
Comments
References
59. Are the sources used to develop the unit and
resources properly cited?
60. Are all cited materials readily available?
61. Is the bibliography complete and every
citation in APA (American Psychological
Association) style?
XII.
Tips for Teachers
62. Are tips included in the unit description?
63. Do the tips provide useful suggestions to
teachers or information from students?
XIII.
Enhancing Student Learning
Selected ACT Course Standards
64. Do the Standards adequately represent the
primary focus of the suggested activities?
Suggested Teaching Strategies/Procedures
65. Do the activities suggest how to extend
students’ learning or how to reteach the
knowledge and skills previously learned?
Unit Extension
66. Do the activities extend the learning in the
unit?
Reteaching
67. Do the activities reteach important ACT
Course Standards from the unit?
XIV.
Reflecting on Classroom Practice
68. Are the questions listed appropriate and relevant
to this unit?
69. Do the questions encourage teachers to
evaluate their teaching and students’ levels of
engagement and academic learning?
XV.
Appendix
70. Do all materials (handouts, worksheets,
homework, and in-class activities) include
directions sufficient for students to
understand the task?
71. If readings are required, are source
documents included?

Is complete and correct bibliographic
information provided for each source?
72. Are the materials rigorous and relevant?

Have questions been tested (i.e., math
problems worked, experiments practiced,
questions about literary or other texts
answered)?
73. Are keys provided?
74. Are document types (e.g., transparency,
handout, worksheet) labeled?
8
The ResearchDriven Solution
to Raise the
Quality of High
School Core
Courses
English
Language Arts
Template to Examine Assignments
for Rigor and Relevance
© 2008 by ACT, Inc. All rights reserved.
Visit ACT’s website at: www.act.org
Contents
Template to Examine Assignments for Rigor and Relevance ........................................................................... 4
Rigor and Relevance Worksheet........................................................................................................................ 6
Bibliography ...................................................................................................................................................... 7
Template to Examine Assignments for Rigor and Relevance
This process is intended to critically analyze assignments for rigor and relevance while at the same time fostering
collaboration among colleagues.
Definition of Assignments
Tasks (activities and assessments) that require students to demonstrate depth of understanding of content or
concepts. Such assignments typically ask students to produce something, are linked to course objectives, include courselevel content, and may include a prompt and a rubric.
Responsibilities for Meeting
Facilitator
Participants
Assignment Writers
Select chair, timekeeper, and
recorder
Complete student assignment(s)
in advance
Prepare a brief summary that identifies
the place and purpose of the assignment:
Review the Facilitator’s Guide
Review template steps
1. How does the assignment fit into the
curriculum?
2. Which course objectives does the
assignment address?
Note assignment’s strengths and
weaknesses as well as potential
improvements on the Rigor and
Relevance Worksheet (p. 6)
Examination Process
Step 1: Evaluate the assignment’s place and purpose.
Discuss at what point the assignment is given within the instructional unit and the course.
Decide whether the course objectives represent the content and skills necessary to complete the assignment.
Determine weighting of course objectives (i.e., importance of each objective to overall student performance).
Revise the Assignment Writer’s summary, if necessary, to reflect discussion.
Step 2: Examine the assignment using the definitions of rigorous and relevant
assignments in Table 1 on page 5.
Determine whether the assignment moves beyond the reproduction of information to the construction of
knowledge and deep understanding (i.e., students are required to take what they already know and can do to create
and/or explore new problems and ideas).
Determine the relevance of the assignment to students’ lives.
Step 3: Decide whether the assignment should be more rigorous and/or
relevant.
If the assignment SHOULD be modified, make the necessary changes in substance and form using Table 1 as a
guide; then move on to Step 4.
If the assignment SHOULD NOT be modified, move on to Step 4.
If the assignment CANNOT be modified, begin the process again with another assignment.
4
Step 4: Review and, if necessary, revise the corresponding scoring guide; if
one does not exist, create one to meet the demands of the assignment.
Use Table 1 as a guide.
Determine students’ level of proficiency (consider situation, such as time of year).
Make scoring guide task specific.
Address content, form, and correctness.
Prepare file of student work to illustrate each score level, if time and circumstance allow.
Step 5: Identify ways to enhance and/or to eliminate barriers to student
success.
Review existing activities and corresponding teaching strategies that support both the content and the processes
associated with the assignment.
Ensure that appropriate supports (scaffolding) are in place.
Consider interconnections across units.
Table 1. Rigor and Relevance in English Language Arts
Rigorous Assignments
Call for student work that moves beyond the
mere reproduction of information to the
construction of knowledge. Assignments that
emphasize construction of knowledge require
students to do more than summarize or paraphrase
information they have read, heard, or viewed;
these assignments require students to take what
they already know and use that knowledge to
create or explore new ideas through
interpretation, analysis, synthesis, or evaluation of
information. Some assignments ask students to
construct knowledge and then to use this new
knowledge to generate additional new
understandings.
Emphasize elaborated communication,
prompting extended writing and asking
students to make assertions and support them
with evidence. These tasks ask students to make
an assertion by stating a claim, drawing a
conclusion, and/or suggesting a generalization,
and then to support the assertion with evidence.
Relevant Assignments
Emphasize real-world connections, prompting
students to take on plausible writing roles, go beyond
the demonstration of academic competence to
achieve real-world purposes, and submit their work
to real audiences other than the teacher or other
students.
Call on students to make choices about what they
will study and how they will demonstrate mastery.
This criterion examines the extent to which students
partner with faculty in crafting tasks that meet
students’ instructional goals. Scorers also look for
teachers’ guidance on how students make choices
about topics and methods.
Rigor and relevance criteria from Mitchell, Shkolnik, Song,
VeKawa, Murphy, Garet, et al. (2005, pp. 21, 23). Rigor,
Relevance, and Results: The Quality of Teacher Assignments
and Student Work in New and Conventional High Schools.
5
Rigor and Relevance Worksheet (for use in completing Step 2)
Directions:
Using Table 1 (p. 5) as a guide, note the assignment’s strengths and weaknesses as well as potential
improvements in the chart below.
Strengths
Rigor
Calls for student
work that moves
beyond the mere
reproduction of
information to the
construction of
knowledge.
Emphasizes
elaborated
communication,
prompts extended
writing, and asks
students to make
assertions and
support them with
evidence.
Relevance
Emphasizes realworld connections.
Calls on students to
make choices about
what they will study
and how they will
demonstrate mastery.
6
Weaknesses
Improvements
Bibliography
Mitchell, K., Shkolnik, J., Song, M., VeKawa, K., Murphy, R., Garet, M., et al. (2005). Rigor, Relevance, and Results,
The Quality of Teacher Assignments and Student Work in New and Conventional High Schools. Seattle, WA: The
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
7