3.18 Talking and Writing Analytically Across Sources

CONNECTION From “top of the World” by Tenzing Norgay (Ask Magazine, April 2014) (In 1953, Edmund Hillary, a beekeeper from New Zealand, and Tenzing Norgay, a Sherpa of the Himalayas, became the first people to reach the top of Mount Everest. This is how Tenzing remembers it.) Many times I think of that morning at Camp Nine. We have spent the night there, Hillary and I, in our little tent at almost 28,000 feet, which is the highest that men have ever slept. It has been a cold night. Hillary’s boots are frozen, and we are almost frozen, too. But now in the gray light, when we creep from the tent, there is almost no wind. The sky is clear and still. And that is good. We look up. For weeks, for months, that is all we have done. Look up. And there it is—the top of Everest. Only it is different now: so near, so close, only a little more than 1,000 feet above us. It is no longer just a dream, a high dream in the sky, but a real and solid thing, a thing of rock and snow, that men can climb. What craft moves do you notice?

CONNECTION From “top of the World” by Tenzing Norgay (Ask Magazine, April 2014) (In 1953, Edmund Hillary, a beekeeper from New Zealand, and Tenzing Norgay, a Sherpa of the Himalayas, became the first people to reach the top of Mount Everest. This is how Tenzing remembers it.) Many times I think of that morning at Camp Nine. We have spent the night there, Hillary and I, in our little tent at almost 28,000 feet, which is the highest that men have ever slept. It has been a cold night. Hillary’s boots are frozen, and we are almost frozen, too. But now in the gray light, when we creep from the tent, there is almost no wind. The sky is clear and still. And that is good. We look up. For weeks, for months, that is all we have done. Look up. And there it is—the top of Everest. Only it is different now: so near, so close, only a little more than 1,000 feet above us. It is no longer just a dream, a high dream in the sky, but a real and solid thing, a thing of rock and snow, that men can climb. What craft moves do you notice? First person account Gave statistics Powerful language choices

TEACHING POINT Today I want to teach you that readers analyze multiple texts on the same topic by asking “How are these authors’ choices similar to the first author’s? Different?”

TEACHING From The Top of the World: climbing Mount Everest by Steve Jenkins Mount Everest Its summit is the highest point on earth, 5 ½ miles above sea level. For thousands of years, the mountain has been a sacred spot for those who live in its shadow. The rest of the world, however, wasn’t really aware of the mountain until about 180 years ago. Ever since that time, climbers, scientists, and adventurers have been fascinated by this peak. Many have tried to climb it. Some have succeeded but many more have failed. Some have died trying. Mount Everest is a place of great beauty, adventure, and danger. If you ever want to climb it, here are a few things to think about.

TEACHING From The Top of the World: climbing Mount Everest by Steve Jenkins Mount Everest Its summit is the highest point on earth, 5 ½ miles above sea level. For thousands of years, the mountain has been a sacred spot for those who live in its shadow. The rest of the world, however, wasn’t really aware of the mountain until about 180 years ago. Ever since that time, climbers, scientists, and adventurers have been fascinated by this peak. Many have tried to climb it. Some have succeeded but many more have failed. Some have died trying. Mount Everest is a place of great beauty, adventure, and danger. If you ever want to climb it, here are a few things to think about. What craft moves are you noticing? Which ones seem similar? Different? Turn and talk.

TEACHING From The Top of the World: climbing Mount Everest by Steve Jenkins Mount Everest Its summit is the highest point on earth, 5 ½ miles above sea level. For thousands of years, the mountain has been a sacred spot for those who live in its shadow. The rest of the world, however, wasn’t really aware of the mountain until about 180 years ago. Ever since that time, climbers, scientists, and adventurers have been fascinated by this peak. Many have tried to climb it. Some have succeeded but many more have failed. Some have died trying. Mount Everest is a place of great beauty, adventure, and danger. If you ever want to climb it, here are a few things to think about. This text is not first person. Still has powerful language Statistics here too.

TEACHING So how can we compare these two sources? The two sources are similar in the way they each describe Mount Everest using such powerful language. Tenzing Norgay calls it “a high dream in the sky,” and Steve Jenkins calls it “a place of great beauty, adventure, and danger.” Both sources also offer statistics that let the reader know how giant the mountain truly is. We learn that it is 5 ½ miles above sea level and that people who climb have to camp almost 28,000 feet up. However, the sources differ in that…NOW YOU FINISH!

LINK Prepare some comparisons of sources so you can talk to your group at the end of workshop today! Write down what you plan to say so you don’t forget.

MIDWORKSHOP Don’t spend so much time writing that you aren’t reading! Read and reread sources, boosting your volume. Look at what you have done today and make a plan for the rest of the reading time. What text will you read? What text will you reread?

SHARE Share your comparison of sources with your group.