An Introduction to SOAPSTone

SOAPSTone Speaker Occasion Audience Purpose Subject Tone

Do not simply name the speaker. Who is the Speaker? Do not simply name the speaker. Whose voice is telling the story? What assumptions can you make about the speaker (e.g., age, gender, class, occupation, emotional state)? the author and the speaker are not necessarily the same the author may tell the story from more than one point of view. What does the speaker believe? Do not assume that the author believes what the speaker believes. Non-fiction text, include important facts about the speaker that help you make judgments about their point of view. O A P S T o n e

Occasion is not identifying the time and place. What is the Occasion? Occasion is not identifying the time and place. Consider the larger occasion: the environment of ideas, attitudes, and emotions surrounding an issue. Then examine the immediate occasion that may have inspired this specific response. O A P S T o n e

It’s not enough to say: “Anyone who reads it.” Who is the Audience? It’s not enough to say: “Anyone who reads it.” To whom is this text directed? Is it one individual, a group, many groups? What assumptions can you make about the intended audience? How might the intended audience have been similar to or different from you? O A P S T o n e

S O A P S T o n e What is the Purpose? What is the speaker’s reason for writing the text? What is its intended effect? How is it supposed to make the audience feel? What change does the author want to see as a result? Is the author’s aim to entertain, to inform, to persuade, to critique, to complain, to explain, to describe, or to reflect? Consider that oftentimes writers have a dual purpose.  O A P S T o n e

S O A P S T o n e What is the Subject? The subject is the general topic, content, and ideas contained in the text. This can usually be stated in a few words or a phrase. The subjects of texts are frequently abstract: the right to die, racism, poverty, conformity, cloning, global warming, etc.  O A P S T o n e

S O A P S T o n e What is the Tone? Tone is the attitude of the speaker towards his subject. What emotional sense do you take from the piece? Does it stay consistent throughout, or do the speaker’s feelings shift? While the spoken word can easily convey attitude through inflection, tone is often difficult to discern in the written word. Consider how word choice, sentence structure, and imagery might point to tone. O A P S T o n e

Talking About Tone aggravated ambiguous amused angry apathetic apologetic appreciative apprehensive arrogant dramatic ecstatic effusive elated elegiac factual fanciful flippant foreboding moralistic mournful nostalgic objective outraged passionate patronizing pedantic perplexed

Applications Nonfiction: Fiction: Verse: Historical documents Speeches Newspaper articles Grant proposals or scientific reports Editorials Letters Memoir or diary Biography Fiction: Novels Short stories Verse: Poetry Song lyrics Planning and writing original texts

Benefits & Challenges Benefits for struggling readers Benefits for skilled readers Benefits for stressed out teachers The challenge of going deep

SOAPSTone Application: “I Have a Dream” Speaker King was one of many speakers that day. What distinguished him from the others – as a man, a prominent figure in the civil rights movement, or a public speaker? In addition, you might consider that King was both a preacher and the son of a preacher. How does this background manifest itself in the speech?

SOAPSTone Application: “I Have a Dream” Occasion What is important to understand about the historical context of this speech? Consider both the general background (the Civil Rights Movement), and this particular occasion (the March on Washington). How does King himself frame the occasion?

SOAPSTone Application: “I Have a Dream” Audience Who comprises King’s audience? Which audiences are explicit (directly named) and which might be implicit (implied but not named)? Where in the speech does he address specific audiences?

SOAPSTone Application: “I Have a Dream” Purpose What changes does King want to see as a result of this speech? What other purpose(s), beyond advocating change, do you see in King’s speech?

SOAPSTone Application: “I Have a Dream” Subject The event was billed as a march “for jobs and freedom.” What other topics or issues, beyond these, does King address in his speech?

SOAPSTone Application: “I Have a Dream” How would you characterize the tone of King’s speech? Where do you see significant shifts in tone?

SOAPStone carousel 1. At your first station read your piece and fill in the soaps sheet except the T part. Leave your work behind. Think about what you learned by working with your team.

Station 2 At station 2 read the piece and the previous group’s work. Describe what you believe is the TONE of the piece. Write it in a collaborative statement.

Station 3 You have reached your last station. Read the piece and the last groups’ work on the SOAPStone sheet. Get ready to share their work. Agree or disagree with their statements about the tone. Find supporting phrases or passages to support or refute their claim.

Questions & Ideas How did the pieces relate? What takeaways do you have? What might students learn from the pieces?-About writing, about perspective? What were the benefits of the Soaps strategy? A carousel? How might you use SOAPSTone in your classes ?