SAT’s Verbiage: As you read the passage below, consider how Dana Gioia uses evidence, such as facts or examples, to support claims. reasoning to develop ideas and to connect claims and evidence. stylistic or persuasive elements, such as word choice or appeals to emotion, to add power to the ideas expressed. #1 YOUR Instructions: A. On your scratch paper, with about three lines in-between, write the following categories with about three lines in-between. B. As you read, write the starts and ends of quotes & their paragraph number that might support these categories. Ex: “In 2001…comprehension” P 6. TRY TO FIND TWO FOR EACH. 1.FACTS AND EXAMPLES 2.REASONING 3.DEVICE and RHETORIC

Directions for SAT. Write an essay in which you explain how Dana Gioia builds an argument to persuade his audience that the decline of reading in America will have a negative effect on society. In your essay, analyze how Gioia uses one or more of the features in the directions that precede the passage (or features of your own choice) to strengthen the logic and persuasiveness of his argument. Be sure that your analysis focuses on the most relevant features of the passage. Your essay should not explain whether you agree with Gioia’s claims, but rather explain how Gioia builds an argument to persuade his audience. #2 YOUR DIRECTIONS: Turn this prompt into a direct question and write it at the top of your scratch paper.

Precise Claim #3. Start five-six lines down the paper, answer your own question completely in a sentence. * Constructing this sentence could be hard. It should require you to go back through your notes Check: Does your answer have a …  A topic  An opinion * careful: remember directions  A “road-map”/”blue-print” – does this include your notes from the reading

#4 Outline or Mind-map. Your thesis/precise claim may already have organized you; if not, use this time to create a visual for yourself: outline or mindmap. Using your notes from reading, make direct connections between your thesis/precise claim and the evidence you will use. Plan to use a couple pieces of evidence per paragraph. Decide which ones to lump together.

#5 Body Paragraph Number One 1. Topic sentence: a) Begin with participle b) Connect “umbrella idea” from thesis (should be able to contain two pieces of evidence) with author’s argument. 2. Start “Three Step Quotation Integration” Process: a)Introduce/set-up quotation using a COMMA. b)Put in quotation using QUO-PAR-PUNC. c)Put quotation in your own words, or interpret what the author said/did. d)Explain HOW author uses this evidence to support their argument 3. (Same paragraph) Re-start “Three Step Quotation Integration” with second piece of evidence: a)When introducing the next quotation a)Link the last evidence with your new evidence using a TRANSITIONAL WORD or PHRASE, FOLLOWED BY A COMMA b)Plan to use NO PUNCTUATION (think “as” or “that”) b)Put in quotation using QUO-PAR-PUNC. c)Put quotation in your own words, or interpret what the author said/did. d)Connect this piece of evidence with the first piece of evidence to Explain HOW author uses both of these to support their argument.

#6 Body Paragraph Number Two 1. Topic sentence: a) Begin with PREPOSITION b) Connect “umbrella idea” from thesis (should be able to contain two pieces of evidence) with author’s argument. 2. Start “Three Step Quotation Integration” Process: a)Introduce/set-up quotation using a COLON. b)Put in quotation using QUO-PAR-PUNC. c)Put quotation in your own words, or interpret what the author said/did. d)Explain HOW author uses this evidence to support their argument. 3. (Same paragraph) Re-start “Three Step Quotation Integration” with second piece of evidence: a)When introducing the next quotation a)Link the last evidence with your new evidence using a TRANSITIONAL WORD or PHRASE, FOLLOWED BY A COMMA b)Plan to use A COMMA c)Put in quotation using QUO-PAR-PUNC. b)Put quotation in your own words, or interpret what the author said/did. c)Connect this piece of evidence with the first piece of evidence to Explain HOW author uses these to support their argument.

#7 Back to Introduction a. Leaving the top line free, you will be writing in the space above your thesis/precise claim. b. Introduce the passage using PARALLELISM with CORRELATIVE CONJUNCTIONS in this process. Think basic CONTEXT. You could mention WHERE the article is found (New York Times), WHAT is the question it deals with? WHAT EXISTING ISSUE does it explore or question -- not to be confused with the author’s point – what is the author addressing. You are setting the stage for them. c. The WHY AND HOW of specific article should be in your precise claim.

#8 CONCLUSION Referring to the introduction, rephrase what INITIAL ISSUE the article addresses. Summarize how they answered the question by associating evidence. If you have a “so what?”, put it here. Be careful against just rushing to a stand – the prompt doesn’t ask for this. You can question if further evidence or research would strengthen or broaden the argument, etc.

#9 But what about my hook? Now is the time. If you want a hook, go back to your first (blank) line and write one. Make sure it is relevant. You are discussing an author’s approach. Here were some of the ideas from our in-class work (examples on final slide, #11): an intriguing example a provocative quotation a puzzling scenario anecdote a thought-provoking question

#10 PROOF: Re-read “out loud” in your head. Are there sentences that are unclear? Often these are the signs of parallel construction issues and/or misplaced modifiers. Weird sentences might also be improved by re-structuring. Erase and/or replace overused words and/or words that express your opinion, including (but not limited to) very, really, extremely, great, good, brilliant, “I,” terrific, wonderful. Do you have dependent markers that start sentence, but lack a comma? Are your quotations properly introduced? Is there any wording that could be better?

Examples for starters (slide #9) an intriguing example After Huck and Jim have reacquainted, Huck learns that there is a reward out for Jim, but that there is no suspicion about his (Huck’s) whereabouts. Already a safe distance away, Huck could have pursued his own freedom more safely alone. Instead, Huck returns to find Jim and he binds their fates together: “Git up and hump yourself Jim…They’re after us.” a provocative quotation Mark Twain, author of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, once said, “A successful book is not made of what is in it, but of what is left out of it.” a puzzling scenario It’s the antebellum south on the Mississippi River, and there is a raft holding two middle-aged white men, a thirteen year old boy, and a man in chains who has seemingly been painted blue and is wearing a sign that says, “Angry Arab.” anecdote Last Sunday, I was at Starbucks frantically trying to prepare for my quiz the next day when a man at the table next to me asked me what I was reading. “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn – it’s required for my English class,” I responded. “Required!” he snorted. "It ought to be banned. That book is racist!” a thought-provoking question While teaching Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, my teacher decided not to say the controversial “N” word that is littered throughout the text. Why then, did this same teacher reject using Allan Gibben’s 2011 publication that does the exact same thing?

1)Read and annotate with direct purpose 2)Turn prompt into question 3)Answer question COMPLETELY 4)Outline plan/lump like-evidence with like-evidence. Plan to use two pieces of evidence per paragraph. 5)Body Paragraph one 1)Open with non-noun-starting topic sentence 2)Three step quotation integration (vary punctuation) 3)Three step quotation integration (vary punctuation)