9A Position Paper High School Dropouts...• Vocabulary—define words or slang; make them real for...

English 9A: Exposition

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9A Position Paper

High School Dropouts

Length – one semester

Inspiration – Common Core standards

Focus 1 – expository and argumentative writing

o We’ll learn how to

read and annotate

generate a working outline

find the best sources of information

extend ideas presented in primary and secondary sources

synthesize the content of several sources dealing with a single issue

evaluate the credibility of an author’s argument (fallacies)

deliver logical arguments

accurately integrate quotes

write using MLA format (cite sources/proper heading/ style)

Focus 2 – vocabulary development

o We’ll learn

300+ words appropriate for college and the professional world

how to distinguish between denotative and connotative meanings

technical terms related to analyzing arguments

Focus 3 – mechanics

o We’ll learn

grammar

the essential qualities of well-written paragraphs and essays

Focus 4 – reading

o We’ll learn

how to become better readers of expository and argumentative texts

Major Assignments

o position paper (comprised of three 3-5 page sections)

o vocabulary exercises, quizzes, and tests

o notes/quizzes/tests on readings

Grading Scale & Proportionality

A 90 – 100% essays 40%

B 80 – 89% homework assignments 20%

C 70 – 79% in-class assignments 15%

D 60 – 69% quizzes and tests 15%

F 59% and below final examination 10%


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Seven Strategies for Determining a Word’s Meaning from Context

1. Definition and Restatement: Synonym Students of the clarinet and other wind instruments have to work hard to perfect their embouchere, the correct positioning of the tongue and lips on the mouthpiece of the instrument.

He was a truly hirsute individual, with hair covering nearly every square inch of his skin.

Words/Phrases Signaling Definition and Restatement

which is or also known as that is in other words also called

2. Example The motel we stayed at provided all the amenities, such as clean sheets and towels, a television, and a swimming pool.

Words Signaling Examples

like for instance for example including especially these such as other these include

3. Comparison: Similarities 1. Like other reference books in the library, the Statistical Abstract is a helpful guide for researchers.

Words Signaling Comparisons

like resembling also in the same way as likewise identical similarly related

2. 4. Contrast: Antonym

You may think him intransigent, but he’s actually pretty easy-going.

Words Signaling Contrasts

but on the other hand however although unlike different on the contrary

however in contrast to

5. Cause and Effect Since a special treatment has made this fabric impervious to moisture, the fabric is now suitable for a raincoat.

Words Signaling Cause and Effect

because consequently when since therefore as a result

3. 6. Inference from General Context

Come enjoy the salubrious climate of California.

In this part of the country, spring is the most ephemeral of seasons. Summer is usually mild and starts in June.

Later, Labor Day marks the changing colors of fall, and the first real snowfall comes in early December. The

remainder of the winter is long and brutal. Spring, on the other hand, lasts only a few days, vanishing almost

before you know it has come.

4. 7. Cognates (words in different languages that come from the same root)

The contractor is clearly culpable for the collapse of the bridge. He was seldom on the job to check the

progress of the work. Records show that he authorized the use of inadequate materials in order to cut costs.

Furthermore, examination of the footings disclosed that they were not up to specifications.

(A person who knows Spanish, or any other Romance language, has a great advantage in learning English academic vocabulary,

which often derives from Latin roots. By contrast, the “easy” words in English are often Germanic in origin. So, English has “bug”

and “insect” (similar to “insecto” in Spanish); “guilty” and “culpable” (identical to “culpable” in Spanish; “easy” and “facile”)


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Overview of Rhetorical Patterns

rhetoric: the art/science of written/oral communication

rhetorician: what someone skilled in these areas might be called

rhetorical objective (or purpose): what one hopes to achieve with one’s speech or essay.

Common Rhetorical Patterns and How They Might Be Used

compare – contrast: world religions class: what are the similarities and differences between

Christianity and Islam?

cause and effect: environmental science class: what leads to global warming and why should we care?

summary: history class: what were the arguments for going to war against Iraq?

argument: criminal justice class: the United States should do away with the death penalty

description: geography class: the city of Zacatecas; the degree to which our rivers are polluted

proposal: (aka solution) sociology class: ideas for dealing with drug abuse

definition: philosophy class: what is justice?

classification: law class: should possession of marijuana be a misdemeanor or a felony? zoology:

should animal ‘X’ be considered a mammal or a reptile?

Process: engineering class: how does a diesel engine work?

Narration: psychology class: what was your childhood like?


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Rhetorical Patterns Review Exercise

Match the Essay Topic to the Rhetorical Pattern

a) Compare and Contrast

b) Cause and effect

c) Summary

d) Argument

e) Description

f) Proposal

g) Definition

h) Classification

i) Process

j) Narration

1. Write an autobiography.

2. “When I was nine years old, the toy I wanted the most was a Furby. A Furby is…”

3. What makes a great leader?

4. Some types of phone calls can be really annoying.

5. There is a big difference between real-life heroes and movie heroes.

6. A possible cause of high murder rates in cities is the abundance of easily obtained firearms.

7. The legal drinking age should be lowered to 18 in all states.

8. Public school students should wear uniforms.

9. Some sports/activities are really for daredevils.

10. The Northridge Mall is a very busy place.

11. What experience have you had that changed you?

12. Some people love to play “mind games.”

13. One of my brothers is very clean, but the other one is very messy.

14. When you are in a relationship, many types of problems can occur.

15. How does a cell phone work?

16. Write about a big storm, an earthquake, or a natural event you have lived through.

17. What are some things you should do to prepare for college?

18. I think most successful people are optimists.

19. Smoke-free work zones have resulted in some surprising consequences.

20. How do you keep your car in top condition?


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9th Grade Position Paper Description

The primary focus of this course will be the composition of a 10-15 page position paper on a topic pertaining to a

significant social problem. It will be written as a class and divided into three major sections as follows:

1. Exposition (3-5 pages): the first purpose of this section is to explain to the reader what it is, exactly, that you’re

writing about. The second purpose is to describe the seriousness of this social problem in such a way that the reader will agree that something needs to be done about it.

Within this section, you might consider including information related to:

Cause and Effect: in which you might explain to the reader WHY this problem developed and/or what some of

the consequences of this problem are. You must be sure that these causes/effects are valid and that you not simply

list things that happened before/after the event

This part of the paper will require you to do some research at the library, on the internet, etc. You’ll want to carefully record the sources of your information so that you can properly cite them in your paper. (We will follow the MLA guidelines in this class.)

2. Summary and Analysis (3-5 pages): like the Exposition part of the paper, this section also has two parts. In the first, you will describe approaches to dealing with the problem, and/or opinions people have for what ought to be done to

address it, which you disagree with. Once you have summarized these approaches and/or ideas, your job in the second

part of this section is to explain why you don’t like them.

3. Proposals (3-5 pages): once you’ve shown why current attitudes and/or approaches to dealing with the problem

are unsatisfactory, you will propose what you think are better ideas and explain why you think they ought to be considered.

Within this section, you might consider including information related to

Process: in which you will explain a series of steps, perhaps telling the reader how to solve the problem by

following certain steps or by explaining how something works.

These sections will be written as three separate essays over the course of the semester. None of them needs to include an introduction or conclusion, however, as they will be joined together using sub-headings. You should plan to write the introduction

and conclusion for the entire paper toward the end of the semester, once the three sections have been completed. Brainstorming and

outlining as a class will precede the composition of each part of the paper. If you come to class regularly, you should have no

trouble completing the assignment.

The 3 Parts of a Position Paper

Part I: Exposition:

Explain the issue. Tell who is to blame. Convince the reader that it’s a problem and that

something must be done about it.

↓

Part II: Summary and Analysis:

Describe approaches/opinions people have for dealing with the problem, and then explain

why you disagree. ↓

Part III: Proposals:

What do you think are better solutions, and why?


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Annotating for Success: How to Read Critically

Rationale:

Reading critically is about reading closely – looking for what is stated as well as what is implied. By doing so

we can understand the author’s rhetorical purpose as well as the way in which that purpose is expressed, i.e. the

writer’s stylistic choices.

Connect:

As you work with your text, consider all of the ways that you can connect with it. Here are some suggestions

that will help you with your brainstorming.

• Make connections to other parts of the book. Don’t be afraid to use quotes—just use MLA style.

• Make connections to other visual and graphic material, such as movies; comics; news events; and books,

stories, plays, poems, and even to your life.

Connect to world and engage yourself!!!

o Text to self

o Text to world

o Text to media

o Text to text

• For visual connections, include the artwork, photo, or drawing in the footnotes (don’t just describe it).

Annotate and Develop an Approach

• Vocabulary—define words or slang; make them real for us; explore why the author would have used those

words.

• Underline, star, highlight, box, or circle words, phrases, and sentences.

• Write brief comments in the margins:

o Main idea of text

o Rewrite, paraphrase, or summarize a particularly difficult part

o Thoughts, observations, comments, or ideas that occur to you

o Questions you have or things you may not understand

o Do you agree/disagree

• Give the historical context of situations described.

• Give an explanation of the text for clarity.

• Give an analysis of what is happening in the text.

• Do research on the Internet to see what others are saying about the text.

• Challenge yourself: Find some literary criticism on the author or text

Developing an Approach

WE all have different short hands and abbreviations we use for ourselves. In annotating, it is good to have a

regular system that you can use for ALL of your reading, NOT just English. Below is a suggested set of

markings you might use. But be sure to add or subtract as you need them.

Circle KEY CONCEPTS

! Exclamation marks for

IMPORTANT

Question marks for

those passages your don’t

understand

Note important issues,

problems, events in story

development

P.O.V. Note the point of view

of the writer

Assump. Identify the

assumptions the writer is

making

Respond to the writer;

do not summarize or

dis/agree; have a discussion

about the content, assumptions

and implications


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HOW “*FATt” IS YOUR TOPIC SENTENCE?

*= Rhetorical Objective Term (verb stating purpose)

F = Focus A = Author’s Name

T = Title

t = Text Type (news article, editorial, short story, novel, book, etc)

*FATt TOPIC SENTENCES: SOME POSSIBILITIES

1. YOU CAN DO A TEXT REFERENCE FIRST (t)

In the editorial “When the Juvenile System Becomes a Cure That Kills,” John Hurst reveals the trials and

tribulations of an adolescent in the troubled reformatory system in California.

In his editorial “When the Juvenile System Becomes a Cure That Kills,” John Hurst explores the failures

of the juvenile system through the eyes of a young, disturbed girl.

John Hurst’s editorial “When the Juvenile System Becomes a Cure That Kills,” explores the failures of

the juvenile system, through the eyes of a young, disturbed girl.

2. YOU CAN DO AN AUTHOR REFERENCE FIRST (A)

John Hurst described the trials and tribulations of an adolescent in the troubled reformatory system of

California in his editorial “When the Juvenile System Becomes a Cure That Kills.”

John Hurst, the author of the editorial “When the Juvenile System Becomes a Cure That Kills,” implies, through a young girl’s experiences, that the strictness in the reformatories could be a reason why the

patients become suicidal.

3. YOU CAN DO A TITLE REFERENCE FIRST (T)

“When the Juvenile System Becomes a Cure That Kills” is an editorial written by John Hurst that

conveys one girl’s story about how the harsh rules in a juvenile system result in suicide.

“When the Juvenile System Becomes a Cure That Kills,” an editorial by John Hurst, reveals the cruel disciplinary actions of the juvenile system that causes patients in a reformatory to become depressed and

suicidal.

4. YOU CAN DO A FOCUS FIRST (F)

Ridiculously strict rules cause young people retained in California reformatories to commit suicide, suggests reporter John Hurst in his editorial entitled “When the Juvenile System Becomes a Cure That

Kills.”


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TITLE:

AUTHOR:

TEXT TYPE:

FOCUS (How? Why? So?):

Rhetorical Objective Terms (Essay Terms):

Words

Analyzes

Assesses

Clarifies

Comments upon

Considers

Compares

Contrasts

Evaluates

Defines

Author Rhetorical Objective Term

Title and Text type Focus:

How?

Focus:

Why?

Focus:

So?

Rebeca Skloot

Frames Her book The Immortal Life of Henrietta Locks

Demonstrates

Describes

Discusses

Elaborates

Evaluates

Examines

Explains

Explores

Identifies

Illustrates

Interprets

Justifies

Outlines

Reviews

Shows

States

Summarizes

A *FATt topic sentence:


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Jane Schaffer Writing Guide

1. Read and Annotate 2. T-Chart 3. Graphic Organizer 4. 1st draft 5. Final draft

Topic (*FATt) Sentence (TS):

Subject + opinion – subject + purpose – (thesis) o The TS introduces the primary point of the paragraph.

Concrete Detail (CD):

Evidence, citations (direct quote), paraphrases, facts, illustrations, examples - (proof) o (Transition Words: Examples)

Commentary (CM):

Analysis, interpretation, opinion, reflection, insight, evaluation- (So what?-mean/matter) o It is the sentence that shows how the CD connects to TS.

Concluding/Closing Sentence (CS):

Summarizes whole point of paragraph o (Transition Words: Result)

(2+: 1) Expository Narrative Argumentation Synthesis

Social Studies & Science prefer this method.

(1:2+) Literary Analysis Persuasive

TS CD CD CMatter CS

TS CD CD CMatter CD CD CMatter CS

TS CD CMean CMatter CS

TS CD CMean CMatter CD CMean CMatter CS

Transition Words: (.Transition Word, ---) (; Transition word, --) (--, transition word, --) (Transition words---, ---)

Examples: Adding: Contrast: Similarity/Concession: Result: Emphasizing

-for example -specifically -in particular -as a matter of fact -for instance

-Moreover -Furthermore -In addition

-However -On the other hand -In contrast -Otherwise

-likewise -similarly -in the same way -yet -nevertheless -even so -however -although -even though -despite the fact that -despite

-as a result -therefore -in effect -thus -consequently

-in fact -actually -in other words -namely

T.I.E.S.: (Don’t DROP that quote)

Tag “Quote first,” context second ( ).

Introduce Context first, “quote second” ( ).

Embed Context, “quote,” context ( ).

Split “Quote,” context, “quote” ( ).

One Chunk

Two Chunk

One Chunk

Two Chunk


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They Say, I Say

Introducing “Standard Views”

Americans today tend to believe that______

Conventional wisdom has it that ______

Common sense seems to dictate that _______

The standard way for thinking about X has it that____

Capturing Authorial Action X…

Acknowledges Agrees Believes Denies/ does not deny Claims Complains …that…

X... Concedes Demonstrates Insists Observes Reports Suggests …that…

Introducing Something Implied or Assumed

Although X does not say so directly, he/she apparently assumes that ___

While they rarely admit as much, ______often take for granted that_______.

One implication of X’s treatment of ____ is that _____.

Introducing Quotations X states, “___” ( ).

According to X, “____” ( ).

In his/her book, ___, X Maintains that “___” ( ).

X complicates matters further when she/he writes, “__”().

According to _____, “ ______”( ).

_____ claims that “____”( ).

As ___ explains, ____( ).

In fact, _____ asserts that “____”( ).

X illustrates it this way: “____”( ).

_____ cites ____ who argues “____”( ).

X contends “_____”( ).

X illustrates “____”( ). X argues “____”( ).

Introducing an Ongoing Debate

In discussion of X, one controversial issue has been ___. On the other hand, ___ argues ___. On the other hand, ___ contends __. Other even maintain ___. However, it’s evident ____.

When it comes to the topic of ___, many will readily agree that ____. Where this agreement usually ends, however, is on the question of ___. Whereas some are convinced that __, others maintain ___.

In conclusion, then, as suggested earlier, defenders of ___ can’t have it both ways. Their assertion that ___ is contradicted by their claim that ___.

Explaining Quotations

In other words, X is saying ___.

In making this comment, X argues that ____.

X’s point is that ___.

The essence of X’s argument is that ___.

Graff, Gerald, and Cathy Birkenstein. They Said/Isaid: The Moves That Matter In Academic Writing. New York; Norton, 2005


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Jane Schaffer Method

TS

CD

CMean

CMatter

CS

Prompt:

Topic (*FATt) Sentence:

CDs CMs

Commentary Sentence (mean):

Commentary Sentence (matter):

Concluding Sentence:


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Prompt:


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Four Qualities of a Well Written Paragraph (The 4Qs)

simple ideas that can greatly improve the clarity of your writing

1. Unity: everything in paragraph clearly relates to main idea(s) in topic sentence

2. Order: all ideas in paragraph are logically arranged (chronologically, spatially, from general to

specific, etc)

Spatially: items are arranged according to their physical position or relationships. In

describing a shelf or desk, I might describe items on the left first, and then move gradually

toward the right.

3. Completeness: all main ideas in topic sentence are discussed in the paragraph

4. Coherence: all the ideas in a paragraph flow smoothly from one sentence to the next, as well as from

one paragraph to the next.

Coherence Devices: (just remember “SPORT”)

S synonym: words with the same meaning

P pronoun: a word that replaces a noun (desk = it)

O old-new pattern: begin each sentence with a reference to what previous sentence was about

1. O …………………... N

2. O ………………….. N

3. O ……………………. N

R repetition (of key words and phrases)

T transition words and phrases: they tell readers about how what you’re going to write next is

related to what you’ve already written. For example: using such as before you give an example;

using to put it another way, … to clarify something you’ve just written

6B


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Coherence Devices Revealed

I have a friend named Bill. He drives trucks for a living. While hauling cargo from state to state, he often stops

to take pictures. Many of his photos are of lakes and forests. An especially good one Bill took was of Crater

Lake in Wasatch National Park. It showed …

What is it like to be in high school? Write a description. Use Coherence Devices

Sample Paragraph with Coherence Problems

1Self injury is the general term used to describe self-inflicted pain or injury on oneself.

2Most

commonly, this is the form of cutting or burning, but there are many other forms of self-injury. 3Self injury is

often linked to depression and is simply expressed. 4For many people, self injury or self mutilation is not a

widely recognized habit. 5This can make it extremely difficult to find the support and help that is so essential

for self injurers.


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Editing with 4Qs in Mind

1. Example of a lack of UNITY

With its seaside beaches, snowcapped mountains, and extensive forests, Oregon is an ideal place to live.

Its magnificent forests alone, covering more than 30 million acres, make it a natural paradise. The National

Park Service protects 17 million acres in national forests, but the rest is used for Oregon’s lumber industry.

Loggers “harvest” trees with chain saws and then send their “crop” to the mill on trucks. Many sawmills that

used to employ 100 or more people are now closed because of the decline in the lumber business. But loggers

are not like steelworkers. They don’t go on relief and wait for their factory to reopen. Self-reliant, eccentric,

and impatient, loggers simply move to other parts of the country to look for work.

Option 1: change topic sentence. With its seaside beaches, snowcapped mountains, and extensive

forests, Oregon is an ideal place to live, although residents employed in one of its outdoor industries are

increasing leaving the state.

Option 2: remove part of paragraph not clearly related to topic sentence. With its seaside beaches,

snowcapped mountains, and extensive forests, Oregon is an ideal place to live. Its magnificent forests alone,

covering more than 30 million acres, make it a natural paradise. The National Park Service protects 17 million

acres in national forests, but the rest is used for Oregon’s lumber industry. Add more positive information

about forests (beaches or mountains).

2. Example of a lack of COHERENCE

My favorite movie is Cinderella. It’s about a young girl who is mistreated by her stepmother. She

makes Cinderella do all the chores in the house. Her stepsisters take advantage of Cinderella as well.

Cinderella and her stepsisters all want to marry the Prince. In the end, he marries Cinderella and they live

happily ever after.

Problem: expectation after 4th

sentence is that an explanation of how Cinderella’s stepsisters take

advantage of her would come next

3. Example of excellent UNITY, ORDER, COMPLETENESS, and COHERENCE

My favorite band is The Ramones. What I like so much about them is their originality. Back in the

early 1970s, music was mostly soft or all the same, but The Ramones exploded with a new type of music called

Punk. This punk music was raw, ruthless, and brutally honest. Songs such as “Now I Wanna Sniff Some

Glue”, “Beat on the Brat”, “53rd

and 3rd

”, “Chainsaw”, and “Blitzkrieg Bop” surprised the world with lyrics

about drug abuse, beating on rich kids, prostitution on the streets, serial killers, and gang warfare.


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Summary and Analysis Sample: Practicing Coherence Devices

One proposal for reducing the level of gun-related violence in schools is to require that all

students pass through a metal detector upon entering school grounds. The reasoning behind this suggestion is

that the same tactic has proven successful in nearly eliminating gun violence in prisons and airports.

Unfortunately, the comparison of public schools to prisons and airports is a false analogy, inasmuch as it

ignores some crucial distinctions between their respective populations. First of all, although schools may

resemble prisons in certain respects, students are not convicted criminals and should not be treated as such.

Because they haven’t had to surrender their constitutional rights – as criminals do – they are entitled to a

presumption of innocence until or unless proven guilty. Requiring them to pass through a metal detector every

day turns this fundamental principle on its head since students are forced to prove their innocence every day

they come to school. It may further have detrimental psychological effect. Research has shown that people take

on the characteristics of social groups others tell them they possess. In other words, it’s possible that good

students may turn bad if they’re treated as criminals.

Another problem with this proposal is that it doesn’t consider the permeability of a school’s perimeter,

particularly its fences. Installing metal detectors at the front gate won’t prevent students from passing guns over,

under, and even through a fence. The proliferation of plastic guns, moreover, renders metal detectors somewhat

obsolete. The recent shooting death at a high school in South Central was accomplished with one such plastic

weapon that had been taken through a metal detector.

Finally, this proposal will result in the daily formation of large and slow-moving congregations of idle

students – a potentially dangerous situation in and of itself. Rather than reducing the potential for violent

activity, schools that implement this proposal may unintentionally create a new and potentially more deadly

environment. One need only consider how inviting a target such a horde of students would be to a drive-by

shooter or anyone bent on committing mass murder. This proposal is not only counterproductive; therefore, it

may actually exacerbate the problem of school shootings.


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Directions

1. Identify each of the following Coherence devices using different colors:

Coherence Devices: (“SPORT”)

S synonym (yellow)

P pronoun (green)

O old-new pattern (blue)

R repetition of key words (orange)

T transition words and phrases (pink)

2. Discuss within your groups and write why each is important in creating a fluid essay.

Gun Violence Paragraphs Glossary

Tactic: strategy

Analogy: comparison

Inasmuch as: since; because (in as much as I didn’t get much sleep, I can’t concentrate today)

Crucial: critical; very important

Distinctions: differences

Respective: in parallel order (Sara and George like volleyball and basketball, respectively)

Respects: ways; areas; aspects

Presumption of innocence: assuming someone is not guilty of a crime unless proven otherwise

Detrimental: harmful

Permeability: if something is permeable, objects can pass through it

Perimeter: boundary; border

Proliferation: the spread of something from one area to another

Moreover: in addition

Obsolete: useless

Congregation: group of people

Idle: not doing anything

Potentially: possibly

Implement: put into practice

Unintentionally: accidentally

Horde: group of people

Bent on: wanting to

Render: provide or give (a service, help, etc.); cause to be or become; make

Counterproductive: does the opposite of what you want it to do

Exacerbate: to make something worse


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Integrating Quotes: The “T.I.E.S.” method (stolen liberally from a variety of sources)

Warning: Don’t Drop That Quote!

A “dropped” or “floating” quote is one which is simply plopped into a paragraph with no integration with your

own words. To avoid this, use smooth “T.I.E.S.” between quotations and your own writing. You don’t need to

use the whole sentence or quote. Chop the quote down to the chunk that best fits your sentence or paragraph

structure.

T.I.E.S.: Tag, Introduce, Embed, Split (all quotes are cited using MLA guidelines, so use this to help you with in text citations)

Tag: “Quote first,” Context second

“Where is my God? Where is He?” Weisel asks while suffering in Auschwitz (Douglas 61).

“But the 1950s were not, in the end, as calm and contented as the politics and the popular culture

of the time suggested,” cautions historian Alan Brinkley, author of American History: A Survey

(817).

“The social-media-inspired movements may hold all the power, but with very little long-term

effect” according to many scholars around the world (Rode).

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times,” wrote Charles Dickens in A Tale of Two

Cities about the end of the eighteenth century (35).

Introduce: context first, “Quote second”

Weisel asks while suffering in Auschwitz, “Where is my God? Where is He?” (Douglas 61).

According to some scholars around the world “[t]he social-media-inspired movements may hold

all the power, but with very little long-term effect” (Rode).

For Charles Dickens wrote the end of the eighteenth century was both “the best of times” and

“the worst of times” (35).

Embed: Context, “Quote,” Context (sandwich the quote)

Weisel asks, “Where is my God? Where is He?” while suffering in Auschwitz (Douglas 61).

According to some scholars “[t]he social-media-inspired movements may hold all the power, but

with very little long-term effect” around the globe (Rode).

For Charles Dickens the end of the eighteenth century was “both the best of times” and “the

worst of times,” and many of his fellow Londoners shared this sentiment (35).

Split: “Quote,” context, “quote.” (note: be sure that the quote is long enough to split)

“Where is my God?” Weisel asks, “Where is He?” while suffering in Auschwitz (Douglas 61).

“The social-media-inspired movements may hold all the power” in some places around the globe

“but with very little long-term effect” (Rode).

“It was the best of times,” said Dickens, and “it was the worst of times” (35).

A Few MLA Tips:

The first time you use a source, it helps to introduce the author’s full name, the title, and any other pertinent

information. After this, you can use just the author’s last name.

o When author is not mentioned: (last name 32).

o When author is mentioned: (32). If you change any wording within the quote use brackets [ ]

Do not put a punctuation before and after parentheses:

o . (32).


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Punctuating Titles

1) In print, titles of longer works are italicized, or printed in italics. This sentence is printed in italics. In

handwritten papers, underlining is used to set off the words in some kinds of titles: books, plays, book length

poems, newspapers, magazines, pamphlets, movies, and television series, paintings, sculptures, CD titles,

ballets, operas, musicals ships, aircraft, and spacecraft.

2) Use quotation marks to enclose the titles of shorter works: short stories essays short poems songs, articles

chapters of books television episodes

3) Capitalize the letter of the first word, the last word, and all important words in a title.

Part I - Directions: Add underlining or quotation marks wherever needed in the following sentences.

1. The book American Folk Toys includes directions for making many simple toys.

2. Some students in ballet class will have roles in the Nutcracker Suite.

3. Our group is studying Walter de la Mare’s poem The Listeners.

4. One of my favorite episodes of Star Trek was called The Trouble with Tribbles.

5. The short story A Time of Beginnings was about the life of an artist.

6. In the history book Across the Centuries there’s a chapter called Colonial Americans-How They Lived.

7. Jasmine will sing The Star-Spangled Banner at the baseball game tomorrow night.

8. Walt Disney’s film Fantasia was the first color cartoon to feature classical music.

9. The song Tomorrow is from my favorite musical Annie.

10. I enjoyed Jack London’s story To Build a Fire and his novel The Call of the Wild.

11. North by Northwest is a classic Alfred Hitchcock film.

12. The famous opera Madame Butterfly has a tragic story line.

13. My aunt Lulu always sends me a subscription to National Geographic magazine at Christmas time.

14. Lord Byron’s poem Don Juan is so long that it fills an entire book.

15. The space shuttle Colombia landed perfectly after its flight.

16. I hope to see the exhibit about the Titanic at the Metreon in San Francisco.

17. The San Francisco Examiner had a great article called 49er’s and Raiders Clash.

18. I really liked the way Catherine McPhee sang Somewhere Over the Rainbow on American Idol.

19. Did you like Langston Hughes’ story Thank You Madam?

20. The song Listen on Beyonce’s new album B’Day is from the upcoming movie Dreamgirls.

PART II

21. Write a sentence that contains a song title.

22. Write a sentence that contains a book title.


20

Transition Words and Phrases

Illustration/ Example

Contrast Addition Time Similarity/ Comparison

Emphasis Consequent/ Result

Summary Suggestion

Thus

For example

For instance

Namely

To illustrate

In other words

In particular

Specifically

Such as

As an illustration

In particular

Especially

To explain

To list

To enumerate

In detail

As a result

In fact

In conclusion

On the whole

On the contrary

Contrarily

Notwithstanding

Nevertheless

In spite of

In contrast

Yet

On one hand

On the other hand

Rather

Nor

Conversely

At the same time

While

Otherwise

Whereas

Differing from

Less important

Even though

Still

Than

Unless

In place of

In addition to

Furthermore

Moreover

Besides

Than

Also

Another

Equally important

Again

Further

As well as

Next

Likewise

Similarly

In fact

As a result

Consequently

In the same way

Therefore

Too

After

Before

Then

Once

At first

At last

At length

Formerly

Most important

Later

Ordinarily

To begin with

Afterwards

Generally

In order to

Subsequently

Previously

In the meantime

Immediately

Eventually

Concurrently

Simultaneously

Similarly

Likewise

In like fashion

In a like manner

Analogous to

Equally

Another

In addition to

Moreover

Too

Further

Furthermore

In the same fashion

In general

As if

As

Also

Again

Besides

Equally important

For instance

As an example

As though

As much as

As well as

Inasmuch

Above all

Indeed

Truly

Of course

Certainly

Surely

In fact

In truth

Again

Besides

Also

Furthermore

In addition

Provided that

More important

Of less importance

Equally important

Consequently

Accordingly

Hence

Thus

Therefore

For this reason

With the result that

Since

Due to

As a result

In other words

Although

At any rate

At least

Granted that

While it may be true

In spite of

Of course

Provided that

Unfortunately

Consequently

Fortunately

In any case

Therefore

Finally

Consequently

Thus

In short

In conclusion

In brief

As a result

Accordingly

All in all

On the whole

In any event

In other words

To sum up

Specifically

In fact

For instance

For this purpose

To this end

With this in mind

Therefore


21

Sample Position Paper: Helping the Homeless

Helping the Homeless

(1) On a chilly February afternoon, an old man sits sleeping on the sidewalk outside a New York hotel

while the lunchtime crowd shuffles by. At the man’s foot is a sign which reads: “Won’t you help me?

I’m cold and homeless and lonely. God Bless You” (Chambers 11). Imagine, if you can, the life this man

leads. He probably spends his days alone on the street begging for handouts, and his nights searching for

shelter from the cold. He has no job, no friends, and nowhere to turn. Although most Americans would

like to believe that cases like this are rare, the National Coalition for the Homeless estimates that as many

as 3 million citizens of our country share this man’s lifestyle (Tucker 34). Who are these people we call

“the homeless,” and what are the reasons for their predicament?

(2) According to Pastor Walker, the director of the Gospel Missions Shelter in Sioux City, Iowa, most

of the homeless are unemployed males, and from 40 to 60 percent have alcohol or drug-related problems.

Walker also points out, however, that the image of the “typical” homeless person is changing. He says,

for instance, that the average age of the homeless has dropped from fifty-five to thirty in the last ten years

(Walker interview). National studies also show that America’s homeless population is changing. A

recent study by the U.S. Conference of Mayors, for example, found that one third of the homeless

population consists of families with small children, and 22 percent of the homeless have full- or part-time

jobs (Matthews 57). Statistics seem to show that more and more of the homeless are entire families who

have simply become the victims of economic hardship.

(3) Why are these people still on the streets, despite the billions of dollars that are spent on the

homeless each year? Some blame the national housing shortage, pointing out that there are not enough

homes to fill the country’s need for shelter (Marcuse 426). Further study of the problem, however,

suggests that government programs, which fall into several categories, are to blame. Some are handout

programs designed to provide food or clothing to all of the needy, not just the homeless. An example of


22

this type of program is the Temporary Emergency Food Assistance Program, created by the federal

government in 1991 to make surplus agricultural products available to those in need. Other programs,

such as the experimental voucher program and the rent-control system, are intended to provide housing

for low-income families that need shelter. Despite the good intentions behind these programs, however,

none of them have provided sufficient help for the homeless.

(4) Why have these programs been ineffective in cutting down on homelessness? In some cases, the

answer is that the programs are not designed to fit the special needs of the homeless. It was estimated in

October of 1996, for instance, that 99 percent of the food supplied by the Temporary Emergency

Assistance Program had gone to those who were not homeless. The reason? As Anna Kondratas of the

Department of Agriculture says, “When you’re homeless, you don’t carry around a five-pound block of

cheese”(qtd. in Whitman 34). Food programs like these are valuable only to those who already have a

place to store and prepare the food they are given. The homeless, therefore, are unable to take full

advantage of these programs.

(5) Not all programs set up to make housing available to those with low incomes have been effective,

either. An example is the voucher system, a federal program created in 2003, which allows low-income

families to live wherever they can find housing, regardless of cost. The only requirement is that families

must pay at least 30 percent of their incomes in rent. Although this system has been successful in finding

shelter for some needy families, it is not a long term solution to homelessness. One problem is that most

families who use the voucher system pay a lower percent of their income for rent than those who rent

apartments on their own. Therefore, a family could “raise” its income simply by becoming

“homeless”(Coulson 16). The second problem with the program is that it needs a much greater housing

supply to be effective. Says Democratic Congressman Thomas Downey of Long Island, “The voucher

system would make sense if there were housing, but there is just not enough. It doesn’t in any way

address the problem” (qtd. in Hull 23).


23

(6) The program that has had the worst results, however, is the rent-control system, which now covers

approximately 12 percent of America’s housing. Rent control is a program set up by local governments

to limit the amount of rent that a landlord can charge his tenants. It dates back to World War II, when

New York tenants became worried about rent increases following the war. In 1947, these tenants

persuaded politicians to extend the rent limits to permanent houseing. Since that time, nine states and

many major cities, such as Los Angeles and Washington, D.C., have adopted rent-control policies

(Fleetwood 19).

(7) At first glance, it would appear that rent control should benefit the homeless, making sure that

low-rent housing is available. The problem is that most of this housing is rented by those in the middle

and upper class. Most of these tenants like living in these cheaper apartments and do not plan to move.

This results in a condition known as “housing gridlock,” in which no one moves out of the low-rent

housing. Seymour Durst, a developer-philosopher from Manhattan, describes the situation this way:

“We’ve got plenty of low-income housing in New York. We’ve just got upper-income people living in

it” (qtd. in Tucker 43).

(8) This situation has had a drastic effect on the poor of New York City. Unless they can find a rent-

controlled apartment, they are forced into housing at middle-to-upper-income prices. Some estimate that

this means these people are paying 20 to 100 percent more for housing than they would have without the

rent-control program. (“Then There’s Rent”) Those who can’t afford these higher rent payments are often

left without a place to live. Such abuses of the rent-control program are contributing to the problem of

homelessness rather than fixing it.

(9) Throughout the nation, rent control has had effects similar to those in New York. According to

William Tucker, a writer who has done a great deal of research on the subject, rent control adds to the

number of homeless a city will have, regardless of location. For example, homelessness in Santa Monica,

California, is so common that the city is called “The Homeless Capital of the West Coast.” The only thing


24

that makes this city different from others in the same area is its extremely strict rent-control policy. Other

cities in Tucker’s study that have rent-control programs also have a much higher rate of homelessness

than the national average. In fact, Tucker reports that where rent control is practiced, homelessness is 250

percent greater than in cities without rent control (41).

(10) Since these government programs have not solved the problem of homelessness, what should be

done instead? There is no single answer to this question, but the most promising solution consists of three

steps. First of all, the federal government must accept responsibility for providing shelter for the

homeless. During the Bush administration, the federal government attempted to shift this burden to state

and local governments by slashing federal funds for housing. Between the years of 2001 and 2007, Bush

cut the housing budget from $30 billion to $7.3 billion, expecting local governments and private

contributions to make up the difference (Matthews 58). Unfortunately, Bush’s plan has not worked as

well as he expected. In New York City, for instance, only $500 million has been spent on the homeless

since the cutbacks, while the need has been estimated at $12.5 billion (Chambers 11).

(11) The decrease in funds is only half the problem; there has also been a major drop in housing

production. Only 60,000 new housing units have been created in New York during the past three years,

compared to 265,000 between the years 2000 and 2003. Many other cities have experienced similar

cutbacks. In addition, some of the federal housing units built in the 1990’s will soon be free from the rent

restrictions placed on them at that time. The result will probably be a substantial raise in rent, which will

put much of the current low income housing out of the reach of the poor (Matthews 57-58). In order to

avoid the drastic effects that these low rent housing shortages could cause, more housing must be created

immediately. According to community groups, renewed federal support will be necessary to accomplish

this task (Hull 22).

(12) A second step necessary for helping the homeless is making sure that the proper type of housing is

available. According to Peter Marcuse, a professor of urban planning at Columbia University, shelter for


25

the homeless falls into three categories. The first and simplest type is the soup kitchen, a temporary

emergency shelter that provides food and, sometimes, a place to sleep. Shelters of this type are especially

important in places where little food is available or weather conditions are unfavorable. The second type

of housing is the transitional shelter, which also provides housing only temporarily. Transitional housing

is unique, however, in that it provides job counseling and other social services, which are intended to help

the homeless rejoin society. The third type of shelter is permanent housing, the type of shelter most likely

to bring about an end to homelessness (426). Permanent shelter could be provided by constructing low

cost, prefabricated housing modules, or by renovating buildings that no one presently lives in (Coulson

16). Unfortunately, most current housing programs rely on temporary soup kitchens, as they are the least

expensive to build and maintain. Although soup kitchens have an important role to play, more

transitional and permanent housing will be necessary for the homeless to fully readjust to society.

(13) The final step to ending homeless is forming an organization that will check to see that shelter

residents are satisfied with their facilities and surroundings. This function should be coupled with

psychiatric care for those who are not yet ready to rejoin society. Studies have shown that neglecting the

personal care of the homeless often makes all other efforts to help them useless. These people often

return to living on the streets unless they are offered some type of support group (Whitman 27). This

check-up work could be done either by a government agency or by one of the existing social groups. This

third step must be included in any plan intended to end homelessness.

(14) When we talk about “ending” homelessness, however, we must remember that it is a problem that

will never be truly eliminated. There will always be those who refuse any help offered to them, the ones

who prize their “free” lifestyle above personal comfort. While we must respect the rights of such people,

we cannot use them as an excuse to do nothing about the homeless. Most people living on the streets are

there, not by choice, but because they have no alternative. It is these people that we must try to help


26

immediately, with the support of the federal government. If we begin now, we may be able to make

homelessness simply a matter of choice.

Works Cited

Chambers, Rick. “No Place to Lay Their Heads.” The Church Herald 16 Sept. 2008: 9-11.

Coulson, C. “The $137,000 Slum.” The New Republic 19 Jan. 2008: 15-16.

Fleetwood, Blake. “There’s Nothing Liberal about Rent Control.” The Washington Monthly

June 2006: 19-23.

Hull, Jennifer. “Building from the Bottom Up.” Time 9 Feb. 2007: 22-23.

Marcuse, Peter. “Why Are They Homeless?” The Nation 4 Apr. 2007: 426-29.

Matthews, Tom. “What Can Be Done?” Newsweek 21 Mar. 2008: 57-58.

“Then There’s Rent Control.” The New Republic 11 Apr. 2008: 22.

Tucker, William. “Where Do the Homeless Come From?” National Review 26 Sept. 2007: 32-

43.

Walker, Harry. Personal Interview. 20 Dec. 2008.

Whitman, David. “Hope for the Homeless.” U.S. News and World Report 29 Feb. 2008: 26-36.


27

Identifying Rhetorical Methods of Development in “Helping the Homeless”

I. In the space below, identify the rhetorical method(s) of development used in each of the 14 paragraphs in this

essay, as well as the main point they seem to be supporting. (Your choices are limited to definition, exposition,

summary (of ideas the author disagrees with), analysis (reasons for her disagreement with these ideas), and

proposals.) For paragraph 14, you may simply write “conclusion” but you should also specify any rhetorical

objectives or strategies you can.

1. _____________________________________________________________________________________

2. ____________________________________________________________________________________

3. ____________________________________________________________________________________

4. ____________________________________________________________________________________

5. ____________________________________________________________________________________

6. ____________________________________________________________________________________

7. ____________________________________________________________________________________

8. ____________________________________________________________________________________

9. ____________________________________________________________________________________

10. ____________________________________________________________________________________

11. ____________________________________________________________________________________

12. ____________________________________________________________________________________

13. ____________________________________________________________________________________

14. ____________________________________________________________________________________

II. What would you say is the writer’s overall rhetorical purpose?

III. How many proposals for dealing with the problem of homelessness does the author criticize?

IV. How many proposals does she make herself?

V. Why do you think she spends so little time describing the problem?

8D


28

Basic Principles of Outlining (adapted from Sealy Library, John Jay College of Criminal Justice)

An outline presents a picture of the main ideas and the subsidiary (supporting) ideas of any subject. Some

typical uses of outlining are: a class reading assignment, an essay, a term paper, a book review or a speech. For

any of these, an outline will show a basic overview and important details.

Below is the basic outline form. The main ideas take upper-case Roman numerals (I, V, X, etc.). Sub-points

under each main idea take capital letters and are indented. Sub-points under the capital letters, if any, take

Arabic numbers (1, 2, 3, etc.) and are further indented. Sub-points under the Arabic numbers, if any, take

lower-case letters. Sub-points under lower-case letters, if any, take lower-case Roman numerals (i, ii, iii, etc.).

I. MAIN IDEA

A. Subsidiary idea or supporting idea to I

B. Subsidiary idea or supporting idea to I

1. Subsidiary idea to B

2. Subsidiary idea to B

a) Subsidiary idea to 2

b) Subsidiary idea to 2

i. Subsidiary idea to b)

ii. Subsidiary idea to b)

II. MAIN IDEA

A. Subsidiary or supporting idea to II

B. Subsidiary idea to II

C. Subsidiary idea to II

III. MAIN IDEA

It is up to the person creating the outline to decide on how many main ideas and supporting ideas adequately

describe the subject. However, if there is a I in the outline, there has to be a II; if there is an A, there has to be a

B; if there is a 1, there has to be a 2, and so forth.

9A

Process of Creating Outline

1. Generate research questions

2. Find raw data

3. Create categories for raw data (categorize)

4. Decide on an order

general to specific

chronological

spatial


29

Outlining Example

Suppose you are outlining a speech on AIDS, and these are some of the ideas you feel should be included: AZT,

Transmittal, AIDS babies, Teenagers, Safe sex, Epidemic numbers, Research.

To put these ideas into outline form, decide first on the main encompassing ideas. These might be: I.

Transmittal, II. Societal Consequences, III. Research.

Next, decide where the rest of the important ideas fit in. Are they part of AIDS transmittal or AIDS societal

consequences or AIDS research solutions? The complete outline might look like this:

Major Aspects of Aids

I. Transmittal of AIDS

A. Transfusions

B. Body fluids

1. Sexual

2. Non-sexual

II. Societal Consequences of AIDS

A. Epidemic disease pattern

1. Teenagers

2. Women

3. Homosexuals

B. AIDS babies

C. Increased homophobia

D. Overburdened health care

III. Research Solutions to AIDS

A. AZT

B. HIV virus

C. Other viruses

It is only possible to make an outline if you have familiarity with the subject. Not only in the initial outline, but

during the course of the research, the writer may find it necessary to add, subtract or change the position of

various ideas. This is acceptable as long as the logical relationship among ideas is preserved.


30

Outlining Exercise

Create an outline which lists each of the items below in a way that reflects the relationship between them. This

means that you’ll be rearranging the items and putting them into categories you create according to what they

have in common. These categories should be given a name and should be parallel in their levels of

specificity. You also need to come up with a title that reflects the overall relationship of everything on the list.

MAPS

SHOES

BUNK BED

FREEZER

DVD PLAYER

SILVERWARE DRAWER

LUG WRENCH

SOFA

BLANKET

ICE CUBES

RECLINER

SPARE TIRE

FORKS

TELEVISION

CLOSET

MILK

CAR REGISTRATION PAPERS

PILLOW

REFRIGERATOR

SHIRTS

BUTTER

ICE CREAM

SPOONS

.

An important part of outlining is creating parallel levels of specificity, which are indicated by indentations and

numeral/letter types and sizes

Living Room


31

English 9A: Paying Kids to Go to School

by Sara B. Miller, The Christian Science Monitor / July 29, 2005

1When students return to Chelsea High School next month, they'll get more than an impeccable attendance record if they

make it to class each day: They'll get cash.

2Under a new plan, a student who misses not a single day per quarter will receive $25 in an account - redeemable upon

graduation. In doing so, the school joins a number of districts throughout the country turning to incentives to boost test

scores, GPAs, and student turnout.

3Some schools, like Chelsea High, are focused solely on attendance. Officials there maintain that they can't carry out their

mission if a student is not in class absorbing the material. Others are doling out gift certificates, coupons, and checks if

students earn straight A's or land on the honor roll.

4Supporters say such reward systems make good sense. Humans, they say, respond to enticements. A student is no

different from a football player working to clinch a championship or a budding broker putting in extra hours for a year-

end bonus.

5But critics call it bribery and say a capitalist mind-set is invading an institution built around the notion that knowledge

itself is the quest. What's more, not all kids can control their attendance, or their achievement, and rewarding only a select

few could further undermine the efforts of the rest, they say.

6The move is driven in large part by the new emphasis on accountability: Under the No Child Left Behind Act and various

state laws also focused on results, increased scrutiny has put pressure on schools to perform.

7"American education [today] is far more interested in specific outcomes," says Justin Torres, research director at the

Fordham Foundation in Washington. "There are all kinds of outside pressures on schools, and one way they have

responded is offering cash bonuses."

8The job of enticing students to learn - and thus helping schools perform - was not always so challenging, says Morrie

Seigal, the Chelsea School Committee member who masterminded the plan.

9Mr. Seigal grew up in Chelsea, a diverse community outside Boston. As a student, he went to school for the education

itself. "There is something about paying kids to come to school that is not appealing to me," he says. "It's sad. Kids should

want to come to school and succeed on their own. This is their whole life, what they learn in school. That should be

incentive enough."

10Yet as a Chelsea teacher and administrator for 37 years, he says things have changed. Part of that may be the stresses on

modern families, he contends. Others cite the decreasing value of a high school education: Thirty years ago, a high school

diploma would land a good manufacturing job. That's not necessarily the case now.

11So anything helps, even if that means pushing aside one's philosophy, says Seigal: "I feel we have an obligation to do

everything possible to get our kids to come and stay in school."

12Experts are unable to point to a definitive body of work proving that such incentives actually rouse a significant amount

of students out of bed. One study from the University of Southern California in the mid-1990s reportedly found that

eighth-graders performed 13 percent higher on a national math exam when they were offered $1 for every correct answer.

13For Michael Grady, a professor of educational studies at St. Louis University, anecdotal evidence is enough to convince

him that financial incentives can work. Money will not solve all truancy, of course, but he says a $50 check per week for

students with perfect attendance has made a difference at an Illinois charter school. He is a consultant to the school, which

10B


32

is made up of students kicked out of other places. [Editor's note: The original version misidentified the location of the

charter school.

14In some cases, though, it has backfired. Dr. Grady says that students have used the money to buy drugs, and some have

been beaten by parents - dependent on the cash - for skipping school. But "hard-core kids showed up at school to do some

work," he says. "Fifty dollars is a heck of a lot of money for a lot of these kids. It does make a difference in their lives."

15Many experts do not see the issue in black or white. Mr. Torres says he would find fault with wealthier communities

handing out cash to students for merely showing up. But at the KIPP schools, a charter program in low-income

communities across the country, he says a variety of incentives have given students the chance to take field trips to

Washington or join after-school clubs.

16"I think that is the key," he says, "incentives that can also be tied back to the educational mission."

17Garrett Duncan, an associate professor of education at Washington University in St. Louis, says many incentive

programs are launched in poor rural and urban communities, and could have unintended consequences. They reinforce

"the stereotypes that certain communities do not value education like others; that the value is in the dollar sign," he says.

18At Chelsea High School, where attendance levels hover around 90 percent, officials say that making graduation a

requirement to collect the money makes it an academic endeavor - even if the money can be used however students wish.

19Gerald McCue, executive director for administration and finance for Chelsea Public Schools, says the school needed to

overhaul its attendance system, which he says was in some cases punitive and counterproductive: Students failed courses for five or more unexcused absences, and those students with five absences often had no motivation to attend the rest of

the course.

20But financial incentives can be counterproductive, too, says Richard Ryan, a professor of psychology at the University

of Rochester in New York. Aside from unwanted public-health consequences - sick children showing up at school - once

a day is missed and a record tainted, the incentive is no longer relevant.

21"Kids have been going to school for centuries without needing to be paid for it," Professor Ryan notes.

22While some my balk at the idea of paying cash to teenagers - especially when skipping school is technically a punishable

offense - Seigal maintains that it is really no different from offering a scholarship to the most diligent students. And unlike

the permanence of an attendance record, the program is not inflexible, says Mr. McCue. "If it works and improves

attendance, terrific," he says. "If not, we terminate it and come up with something else."

*FATt Sentence

*Rhetorical Objective:

*Focus: report on an idea for motivating kids to take their education more seriously that involves

financial incentives, together with opinions for and against

Author:

Title:

Type:


33

Make an Outline of “Paying Kids to Go to School”

Supporters- arguments in favor of this approach Who, Title, & “what they support”

Opponents- arguments against this approach Who, Title, & “what they are arguing”

II. Supporters

III. Opponents


34

Summarizing Do’s and Don’ts

Start with a *FATt sentence

Use SPORT to show how the ideas you include are related

Use verbs that reflect the writer’s rhetorical purpose (for example, “claim”, “assert”, “contend” in

addition to “argue” if it’s an argument that you’re summarizing)

Verbs that refer to what the author says should be in the present tense

Don’t include your opinion on the topic of the piece you’re summarizing

o The only personal opinion you should include is a comment on how good the writer’s argument

is (if you’re also writing a summary)

Make sure to make it clear that each and every point of the author’s essay that you include in your

summary is clearly attributed (identified as belonging to) to the author so that your reader doesn’t

wonder whether you’ve included your opinion

o Use phrases like, “Smith argues that”, “according to the author”, etc (note how carefully this is

done in the sample summaries)

Use the author’s first and last name the first time you mention her; thereafter, use only her last name

Avoid using “I” (unnecessary, especially since you’re not including your personal opinion)

10C


35

Student IDs That Track the Students

By Maurice Chammah and Nick Swartsell for The Texas Tribune,

Published: October 6, 2012

Giving students radio frequency tags means more state money, but some critics are raising privacy issues.

SAN ANTONIO — For Tira Starr, an eighth grader at Anson Jones Middle School, the plastic nametag hanging around her neck that she has decorated with a smiley face and a purple bat sticker offers a way to reflect her personal flair. For

administrators, it is something else entirely: a device that lets them use radio frequency technology — with scanners tucked

behind walls and ceilings — to track her whereabouts.

Anson Jones is the first school in San Antonio’s Northside Independent School District to roll out the new nametags, which

are part of a pilot program intended to ensure that the district receives all of the state dollars to which it is entitled.

In Texas, school finance is a numbers game: schools receive money based on the number of students counted in their

homeroom classes each morning. At Anson Jones, as at other schools, many students were in school but not in homeroom, so

they were not counted and the district lost money, said Pascual Gonzalez, a spokesman for the district.

“We were leaving money on the table,” he said, adding that the district expects a $2 million return on an initial investment of

$261,000 in the technology at two pilot schools.

But the radio frequency identification nametags have prompted concerns from civil liberties groups and electronic privacy watchdogs, which fear a Big Brother atmosphere in Texas public schools.

Matthew Simpson, a policy strategist for the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas, said the technology was easy to acquire, meaning people outside a school might be able to monitor a student if they obtained the student’s unique tracking

number.

Mr. Simpson said the technology was originally designed for shipping goods and for cattle. “It was never intended for people,” he said.

But students and educators at Anson Jones say they are excited about the practical advantages — getting to eat lunch faster

by scanning their bar codes in the lunch line, or being able to locate a child quickly in an emergency.

Northside is not the first district to use the tracking devices. Two Houston-area districts began the program several years ago.

The Spring district, for example, started using the technology in 2004 as a way to track elementary students getting on and off buses. It expanded the program to high school students three years ago and has so far recovered $400,000, said Karen

Garrison, a spokeswoman for the district.

“Our system still focuses on safety but has the added benefit of recovering average daily attendance funding,” Ms. Garrison said.

Wendy Reyes, the principal of Anson Jones, said only one parent had complained about the program at her school. On the

first day of classes at Jay High School, home to the other pilot program school in Northside, several parents staged a protest across the street from the school, though most did not have students in the district.

Many students, teachers and parents at the middle school feel the technology’s benefits outweigh privacy concerns, Ms. Reyes said.

Madelene Garra was among those praising the program. “It gives the kids a little bit more responsibility, knowing that we as

a faculty are keeping up with them,” she said “Once they get out there in the real world, they’re going to have to be on the job on time, and they’re going to have to be accountable.”

12B

C

http://www.nisd.net/jones/

http://www.aclutx.org/

http://www.nisd.net/jay/


36

Make an Outline of “Student IDs that Track the Students”

I. *FATt Sentence

*Rhetorical Objective:

*Focus: Students wear plastic nametags fit with radio frequency devices that allow schools to

keep track of their whereabouts

Author:

Title:

Type:

Supporters- arguments in favor of this approach Who, Title, & “what they support”

Opponents-arguments against this approach Who, Title, & “what they support”

II. Arguments in favor of this approach

III. Arguments against this approach


37

Startling Finds on Teenage Brains

By Paul Thompson The Sacramento Bee, Friday, May 25, 2001

(1) Emotions ran high at the trial of Nathaniel Brazill in West Palm Beach, Fla., two weeks ago. Friends of slain teacher

Barry Grunow called the death penalty, while a growing crowd of demonstrators outside the courthouse wielded hastily written placards reading, "A child is not a man." Jurors returned with their verdict May 16: Fourteen-year-old Brazill,

charged in last May's shooting of middle-school teacher Grunow, was found guilty of second-degree murder.

(2) A Florida grand jury had previously ruled that Brazill, who frequently looked dazed during the trial, would be tried as

an adult, and if he had been convicted of first-degree murder he would have faced life in prison without parole. But

Brazill's immaturity was evident throughout this incident—from the act itself of Brazill's shooting a teacher he considered

one of his favorites, to his subsequent inability to give a reason for doing so, to the various quizzical looks that came across his face as the verdicts were read.

(3) In terms of cognitive development, as research on the human brain has shown Brazill— and any other young teen—is far from adulthood.

(4) Over the last several years, as school shootings have seemed to occur with disturbing frequency, startling discoveries

have emerged about the teenage brain. The White House held a televised conference on adolescent development in May of last year, and a flurry of papers on the teen brain has appeared in top science journals. Reporters and teen advocates

ask: Do the studies help explain the impulsive, erratic behavior of teens? The biggest surprise in recent teen-brain research

is the finding that a massive loss of brain tissue occurs in the teen years.

(5) Specifically, my own research group at the University of California, Los Angeles, and our colleagues at the National

Institutes of Health has developed technology to map the patterns of brain growth in individual children and teenagers. With repeated brain scans of kids from 3 to 20, we pieced together "movies" showing how brains grow and change.

(6) Some changes make perfect sense: Language systems grow furiously until age 12 and then stop, coinciding with the

time when children learn foreign languages fastest. Mathematical brain systems grow little until puberty, corresponding with the observation that kids have difficulty with abstract concepts before then. Basically, the brain is like a puzzle, and

growth is fastest in the exact parts the kids need to learn skills at different times. So far, all well and good.

(7) But what really caught our eye was a massive loss of brain tissue that occurs in the teenage years. The loss was like a

wildfire, and you could see it in every teenager. Gray matter, which brain researchers believe supports all our thinking and

emotions, is purged at a rate of 1 percent to 2 percent a year during this period. Stranger still, brain cells and connections

are only being lost in the areas controlling impulses, risk-taking and self-control. These front al lobes, which inhibit our violent passions, rash actions, and regulate our emotions, are vastly immature throughout the teenage years.

(8) The implications are tantalizing. Brazill was only 13 when he committed his crime. He said he made a "stupid mistake," but prosecutors argued that by bringing a gun to school he planned the crime.

(9) Does "planning" mean the same thing for a 13-year -old, with his diminished capacity for controlling erratic behavior, as it means for an adult? The verdict, in this case, seems to line up with the research. The jurors, by returning a verdict of

second-degree murder instead of first, indicated that they believe Brazil’s actions, while not accidental, were not fully

thought-out, either.

(10) Linking this maelstrom of normal brain change with legal or moral accountability is tough: Even though normal teens

are experiencing a wildfire of tissue loss in their brains that does not remove their accountability. What is clear from the

research is that the parts of the frontal lobes that inhibit reckless actions restructure themselves with startling speed in the teen years. Given this delicate—and drastic—reshaping of the brain, teens need all the help they can get to steer their

development onto the right path.

15A

C


38

(11) While research on brain-tissue loss can help us to understand teens better, it cannot be used to excuse their violent or

homicidal behavior. But it can be used as evidence that teenagers are not yet adults, and the legal system shouldn't treat

them as such.

Paul Thompson is an assistant professor of neurology at the University of California, Los Angeles, School of Medicine.

Make an Outline of “Startling Finds on Teenage Brains”

I. *FATt Sentence

Rhetorical Objective*:

Focus:

Author:

Title:

Type:


39

Research Questions for Exposition Section on Dropout Problem

1. Use colors (crayons, markers) or abbreviations to organize these questions by grouping them together in

terms of what they have in common.

Blue: D/G = demographics - gender

Pink: D/P = demographics – parental background

Red: D/R = demographics – race

Yellow: D/S = socioeconomic status

Orange: #L = number of dropouts in a given location

Green: E = issues related to economics

Brown: I = issues related to illiteracy

Purple: P = issues related to our political system

Black: #T = drop-out rate over time

2. As you read these questions over, begin the process of re-ordering them to create a working outline by

putting related questions together in categories which you create and name.

Primary and Secondary Sources (adapted from Princeton University Library)

What is a Primary Source?

A primary source is a document or physical object which was written or created during the time under study.

These sources were present during an experience or time period and offer an inside view of a particular event.

Some types of primary sources include:

ORIGINAL DOCUMENTS (excerpts or translations acceptable): Diaries, speeches, manuscripts, letters,

interviews, news film footage, autobiographies, and official records

CREATIVE WORKS: Poetry, drama, novels, music, art

RELICS OR ARTIFACTS: Pottery, furniture, clothing, buildings

Examples of primary sources include:

o Diary of Anne Frank - Experiences of a Jewish family during WWII

o The Constitution of Canada - Canadian History

o A journal article reporting NEW research or findings

o Weavings and pottery - Native American history

o Plato's Republic - Women in Ancient Greece

What is a Secondary Source?

A secondary source interprets and analyzes primary sources. These sources are one or more steps removed

from the event. Secondary sources may have pictures, quotes or graphics of primary sources in them.

Some types of secondary sources include:

PUBLICATIONS: Textbooks, magazine articles, histories, criticisms, commentaries, encyclopedias

Examples of secondary sources include:

o A journal/magazine article which interprets or reviews previous findings

o A history textbook

o A book about the effects of WWI


40

In-Text Citation

In-text citations, also known as parenthetical citations, give the reader citation information immediately, at the point at which it is most meaningful. Rather than having to turn to a footnote or an end-note, the reader sees the citation as part of

the writer’s text.

Most in-text citations consist of only the author’s last name and a page reference. Usually the author’s name is given in an

introductory or signal phrase at the beginning of the borrowed material (don’t drop that quote!), and the page reference is

given in parentheses at the end.

Example: According to Sonia Sotomayor, “Whether born from experience or inherent physiological or cultural differences, our gender and national origins may and will make a difference in our judging” (Sotomayor 3).

*Just remember, any information that you provide in your in-text must citation must correspond to the

source information on your Works Cited page:

If the author’s name is not given at the beginning, use the Web site title (in quotation marks) as you would the author “The Center of Contemporary Cultural Studies” or describe the author in other words. However, put author in parentheses

along with the page reference at the end of the sentence.

Example: As one popular writer and university professor reminds us, “Failure isn’t fatal. Countless people have had a

bout with it and come out stronger as a result” (Zinsser 451).

*Your reader should be able to turn to the Works Cited page and easily find the bibliographic information for your source.

SEE BELOW FOR EXAMPLE!

Works Cited Page

General Guidelines:

Begin the list on a new page following the last page of the text. It should have one-inch margins, be typed in Times

New Roman size 12 font.

Label the page Works Cited (do not italicize the words Works Cited or put them in quotation marks) and center the

words Works Cited at the top of the page.

Organize the list alphabetically by author’s last name. if the entry does not have author’s name, alphabetize the first

major word of the title.

Double-Space all citations, but do not skip spaces between entries.

Begin each entry at the left margin. If the entry is longer than one line, INDENT the second and subsequent lines five

spaces (Ctrl Tab/Command Tab)

Do not number entries

Type the following information for each of your sources:

Last name of author, first name of author. “Title.” Title or Website Title in italics. Website Publisher, Date

Month Year Published. Medium of publication. Date month Year Accessed.

Works Cited

Sotomayor, Sonia. "Lecture: ‘A Latina Judge’s Voice’." The New York Times. The New York Times, 15 May 2009. Web. 10 Aug.

2016.

Zinsser, William. “The Right to Fail.” Models for Writers. Ed. Alfred Rosa and Paul Escholtz. 7th Ed. Boston: Bedford, 2001. 450-53.

Your Last Name 14

Works Cited

American Library Association. American Library Association. ALA, 2008. Web. 14 Jan. 2009.

Brouwer, Joel. “The Spots.” Legitimate Dangers: American Poets of the New Century. Ed. Michael

Dumanis and Cate Marvin. Louisville: Sarabande, 2006. 51-52. Print.

Harris, Shan, Allen Harper, and Chris Eagle. “Gray Hat Hacking.” 2nd ed. New York: McGraw,

2007. 378-83. Print.

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