NROC Developmental English—An Integrated Program Unit 3

Transcription

NROC Developmental English—An Integrated Program Unit 3
NROC Developmental English—An Integrated Program
Instructor Guide: Unit 3
Unit 3: Discovering Implied Meaning
INTRODUCTION ...............................................................................................................2
LEARNING OBJECTIVES .............................................................................................2
FOUNDATIONS ALIGNED WITH UNIT 3 .....................................................................2
NECESSARY BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE .............................................................3
ABOUT THE READING ASSIGNMENT ...........................................................................3
READING SELECTION .................................................................................................3
INSIGHT INTO THE READING SELECTION................................................................3
VOCABULARY IN CONTEXT FOR “THE FOURTH OF JULY”.....................................4
TIPS............................................................................................................................... 4
ENRICHMENT...............................................................................................................6
INTEGRATING GRAMMAR, PUNCTUATION, AND USAGE (GPU)...............................7
INSIGHT INTO THE UNIT GPU FOUNDATIONS .........................................................7
TIPS............................................................................................................................... 7
ENRICHMENT.............................................................................................................10
ABOUT THE WRITING ASSIGNMENT ..........................................................................11
WRITING ASSIGNMENT ............................................................................................11
INSIGHT INTO THE WRITING ASSIGNMENT ...........................................................11
UNIT 3 WRITING ACTIVITIES ....................................................................................13
TIPS............................................................................................................................. 13
ENRICHMENT.............................................................................................................14
COMMON CORE STATE STANDARDS ........................................................................15
EXTENSION ACTIVITIES ...........................................................................................15
ACCESSIBILITY .............................................................................................................16
CLOSED CAPTIONS...................................................................................................16
SCREEN READERS ...................................................................................................17
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES .......................................................................................17
UNIT ASSESSMENT SAMPLE ANSWERS AND SCORING GUIDES..........................18
UNIT 3, FORM A, CONSTRUCTED RESPONSE........................................................18
UNIT 3, FORM B, CONSTRUCTED RESPONSE........................................................20
SCORING GUIDES .....................................................................................................22
MEMBER SUGGESTED SUPPLEMENTS .....................................................................23
JOIN THE COMMUNITY .................................................................................................23
Developed by The NROC Project. Copyright ©2014 Monterey Institute for Technology and Education
Introduction
This unit focuses on identifying and creating implied meaning within a reading. As
students discover what an author wants to convey but does not directly state, they will
learn how the following elements shape a text, both in their own writing and in the works
of others: coherence, supporting details, point of view, and cultural context. Students
will then apply their understanding to the creation of a narrative response with an implied
thesis statement, effective topic sentences, and appropriate attention to verb usage
within a sentence.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
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Identify major supporting details in a reading.
Identify minor supporting details in a reading.
Identify the author’s point of view in a reading.
Identify the cultural context of a reading.
Identify the implied main idea in a reading.
Choose a topic in response to a narrative prompt.
Write an implied thesis statement in response to a narrative prompt.
Develop topic sentences supporting an implied thesis statement.
Use correct subject-verb agreement to create coherence in writing.
Identify past tense.
Identify present tense.
Identify future tense.
Use consistent verb tense to create coherence in writing.
Use referents to create coherence in writing.
Use transition words to create coherence in writing.
Use context clues to define unknown vocabulary in a reading.
Use word parts to define unknown vocabulary in a reading.
Essential College Skills: Reading Comprehension
FOUNDATIONS ALIGNED WITH UNIT 3
You can locate the Foundations for each unit by clicking on the “Resources” button in
the top right-hand corner of the screen. We have also provided this separate list of links
for the Unit 3 Foundations:
Major and Minor
http://content.nroc.org/DevelopmentalEnglish/unit03/Found
Supporting Details
ations/major-and-minor-supporting-details.html
Author’s Point of
View and Cultural
Context
Implied Main Ideas
Developing an
Implied Thesis
Statement and Topic
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http://content.nroc.org/DevelopmentalEnglish/unit03/Found
ations/author-s-point-of-view-and-cultural-context.html
http://content.nroc.org/DevelopmentalEnglish/unit03/Found
ations/implied-main-ideas.html
http://content.nroc.org/DevelopmentalEnglish/unit03/Found
ations/developing-an-implied-thesis-statement-and-topicsentences.html
page 2
Sentences
Subject-Verb
Agreement
Past, Present, and
Future Tense
Coherence
Using Context Clues
Identifying Word
Parts
Essential College
Skills: Reading
Comprehension
http://content.nroc.org/DevelopmentalEnglish/unit03/Found
ations/subject-verb-agreement.html
http://content.nroc.org/DevelopmentalEnglish/unit03/Found
ations/past-present-and-future-tense.html
http://content.nroc.org/DevelopmentalEnglish/unit03/Found
ations/coherence.html
http://content.nroc.org/DevelopmentalEnglish/unit01/Found
ations/using-context-clues.html
http://content.nroc.org/DevelopmentalEnglish/unit01/Found
ations/identifying-word-parts.html
http://content.nroc.org/DevelopmentalEnglish/unit03/Found
ations/essential-college-skills-reading-comprehension.html
NECESSARY BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE
Review these concepts with students prior to starting this unit:
 Gaining computer access and navigating in an online environment
 Identifying the author, topic, major details, intended audience and purpose of a
reading
 Annotating and summarizing a text
 Crafting and supporting a thesis statement
 Creating a two-paragraph summary and opinion response to a reading using
Standard English and functioning sentence structures
 Understanding and using the writing process
About the Reading Assignment
READING SELECTION
“The Fourth of July,” by Audre Lorde
INSIGHT INTO THE READING SELECTION
Why it was chosen: This piece was chosen for its ability to connect with students and
illustrate important points about narrative writing, namely the influence of voice, context,
and descriptive details that show a story rather than just tell it. Pacing is also important
within this text. Lorde could have simply stated her overall reaction to the injustice her
family received in the nation’s capital and its irony, but she reveals the story slowly with
great effect so that the reader experiences the range of emotions coupled with this event
along with her. The end result is more powerful, becoming a perfect example of how
implied meaning and the deliberate placement of important details can affect the text’s
message and the reader’s response to it.
Reading difficulty: Due to the implied nature of much of this text, students who have
trouble with inference will need some additional guidance as they read. However, by
asking important questions along the way, (i.e., “Why is it significant that this story takes
place in Washington D.C.?” or “Why is she as angry at her parents’ reaction as she is at
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the ignorance of the waitress?”), students can make the necessary connections on their
own, making this reading a potential confidence-building opportunity for success. The
details are also very realistic and approachable, making it possible for readers to realize
the point of the story as they feel the author’s shift from initial excitement over a family
vacation to the prejudice she experiences within a city meant to represent equality and
justice. Therefore, the piece is accessible given enough scaffolding and opportunity for
discussion.
VOCABULARY IN CONTEXT FOR “THE FOURTH OF JULY”
acknowledged
ensconced
agonizing
exposed
agony
fabled
anticipated
flair for the quietly
dramatic
back-street
Bataan
fleabag
caravan
Fourth of July
celebration
fury
Colored
glycerine
Connecticut
ill will
copybook diary
indignant
corded and crisp
injunction
injustice
and pinafored
corolla
kin
counter stools
Liberty Bell
D.A.R.
Lincoln Memorial
dainty
Marian Anderson
dazzling
measly
decreed
milk train
democracy
mobile
deposit
mottled
deprived
Negroes
dilated
nuns
edge
outraged
emphatic
pavement
Pennsylvania
Avenue
Philadelphia
preparations
pretense
problematic
progressive
racism
real estate
rock cakes
rosewater
scalloped
soda fountain
spice bun
squinting
step-standards
travesty
umpteenth
violently
vital
vulnerable
Washington, D.C.
woe
TIPS
If students have difficulty recognizing implied main ideas:
 Look at magazine ads to illustrate how certain details are purposefully presented
to gain a certain reaction from readers.
 Look at cartoons and discuss the element of humor as implied meaning, paying
special attention to the details that help readers get the joke.
 Examine photos (i.e., http://lightbox.time.com/2013/12/02/time-picks-the-top-10photos-of-2013/#1*) to determine the known details (observations) and what they
infer (implied meaning). What is the picture about? How do we know? How do
the strategies we use to determine meaning in visual literacy apply to textual
literacy?
 Find other readings with implied elements and practice identifying the key details
that point to the main message, and deduce the author’s meaning from them.
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If students have trouble with vocabulary:
 Lead a general discussion of terms, or divide the list into sections that small
groups can explore and then share with the class.
 Assign some of the terms to different groups (democracy, indignant, travesty,
etc.) and discuss the factors surrounding these terms (possible causes, effects,
situations in which they could or do appear, etc.). They can then report their
findings or create a visual representation of each term to present to the class
(What image best represents this term?).
 Provide access to computers for students to look up images and facts associated
with some of the more visual elements (scalloped, rosewater, spice bun, soda
fountain, etc.) or famous places.
If students struggle with the reading:
 Annotate the text together or in groups, identifying the contents and purpose of
each paragraph as well as the connection between paragraphs (coherencyfocus).
 Stop students periodically throughout the reading and have them discuss what
they think the reading means at each stage.
 Create an outline post-reading to help students visualize the connection between
the pieces and identify the implied message based on the details.
Helping students connect reading and writing:
 Place stations around the room listing word associations that influence the text
(culture, author’s point of view, time period, text creation, location, family
reaction, the trip’s significance, etc.). Ask students to move around the room
individually or in small groups. At each station, students should brainstorm and
record how that particular concept influenced the creation of the text. What would
be different in the text if something changed (author had experienced prejudice
before, she wasn’t excited to go, event occurred in a different time period or a
different place, etc.)? How does each of these concepts affect the particular
outcome the author experienced?
After working through each station, ask students to come together and discuss
which concepts seemed to have the biggest influence on the author and/or text
and to explore why.
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Ask students to make a list of the concepts that influence the story they will be
writing about in the assignment. What is important? How does that impact what
they will write?
This activity can be done online through discussion groups.
Tips for Teaching English Language Learners
Making connections: In the reading, Audre Lorde becomes angry with her parents.
Instructors can be aware that some newcomer students might feel it is disrespectful
to express anger at a parent, or in general. At the same time, newcomer students
may have experienced some difficulties, discomfort, and/or unfair treatment, which
could help them identify with Lorde’s experience. Sensitive group discussion about
these topics beforehand can make students receptive to the reading.
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Vocabulary: The tips outlined above for helping students with vocabulary should
work very well for English language learners, particularly the image search and fact
search. Used as a “dictionary,” Google images, although imperfect, can convey ideas
without language.
Academic Word List (AWL):
acknowledged
anticipated
emphatic
exposed
ENRICHMENT
Suggested Activities
 Pair the reading with a sample (or whole text) from the historical document, “The
Meaning of July Fourth for the Negro” by Frederick Douglas (1852). See
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part4/4h2927.html* for the full text.
What, to the American slave, is your 4th of July? I answer; a day that reveals
to him, more than all other days in the year, the gross injustice and cruelty to
which he is the constant victim. To him, your celebration is a sham; your
boasted liberty, an unholy license; your national greatness, swelling vanity;
your sounds of rejoicing are empty and heartless; your denunciation of
tyrants, brass fronted impudence; your shouts of liberty and equality, hollow
mockery; your prayers and hymns, your sermons and thanksgivings, with all
your religious parade and solemnity, are, to Him, mere bombast, fraud,
deception, impiety, and hypocrisy -- a thin veil to cover up crimes which
would disgrace a nation of savages. There is not a nation on the earth guilty
of practices more shocking and bloody than are the people of the United
States, at this very hour.
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Compare and contrast the two readings, making sure to address purpose,
message, medium (speech vs. text), use of narrative elements, time period,
events of the time period, language usage, style, strategy, impact, and overall
effectiveness. Here are some points to include:
o Authors equate two concepts that should NOT go together but do (Douglas:
Independence Day and slavery; Lorde: Washington D.C. and racism), making
people question the ideas of equality and freedom for all.
o By negatively equating two concepts that should be symbiotic or
complimentary (i.e., freedom and Washington D.C.) but don’t seem to be in
this reading’s context, the author grabs the reader’s attention and calls into
question the incongruent nature of the ideas, drawing attention to why
seemingly equal things appear problematic. This also asks the reader to
examine his or her place in the incongruence. How might one’s personal
actions/choices be a part of the problem?
o Both texts create highly visual images. Think what would be lost if the authors
stated their meanings rather than visually constructing and implying them.
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Add a figurative language activity and compare how both authors employ this
literary technique. Examples:
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o
o
o
metaphor: sound of rejoicing –equating sounds of a would be “celebration” to
a “sham”; equating “prayers…solemnity” to “mere…hypocrisy”
imagery: gross injustice; cruelty; constant victim; boasted liberty; swelling
vanity; brass fronted impudence; nation of savages; bloody
personification: a thin veil to cover up crimes.
Integrating Grammar, Punctuation, and Usage (GPU)
INSIGHT INTO THE UNIT GPU FOUNDATIONS
The three GPU Foundations in this unit focus on grammatical issues associated with
personal narratives: subject-verb agreement; past, present, and future tense; and
coherence. Even though these topics need to be addressed in any written modality,
working on them in narrative writing contextualizes the lessons to the students’ ability to
clearly relate their own story. To create their own narrative, students must show who is
doing the action, when those actions took place, and how all of those things fit together
to support their main idea.
GPU Foundations
 Subject-Verb Agreement
 Past, Present, and Future Tense
 Coherence
You can locate the GPU Foundations for each unit by clicking on the “Resources” button
in the top right-hand corner of the screen.
TIPS
Subject-Verb Agreement:
Problems with subject-verb agreement for adult learners are often associated with two
particular issues. The first is difficulty identifying the subject of a sentence, such as when
it appears after the verb or is not the noun closest to the verb. This problem is addressed
in the Foundation lesson and some specific examples are shown in the Grammar in
Context lens in the Active Reader.
The other issue is the tendency for spoken word conventions to get transposed into
students’ writing. This lesson, as with many others in this course, approaches these
spoken word conventions as dialects so that students’ appropriate use of those
conventions is recognized and validated. That is why the Foundation lesson on this topic
presents subject-verb agreement as a rule for Standard English. It is useful to point out
that Standard Written English is no better or worse than any other dialect in the English
language; it just happens to be the dialect used in colleges and universities, as well as in
the business world. This allows students to discover on their own the value of Standard
Written English.
Tips for Teaching English Language Learners
Subject-Verb Agreement: Just like native speakers, ELLs may make subject-verb
agreement errors because of a widely separated subject and verb and because of
their pronunciation: If they say verbs without inflectional endings, they might transfer
this to their writing, creating an error. It can be useful to take a few moments to
remind students how to do sentence analysis. Tell students to first look carefully for
prepositional phrases (review Unit 1 if needed) and to highlight or draw brackets
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around them and exclude them from any analysis. The “find the verb and go left”
technique described in Unit 2 can be useful again here, with special emphasis on
noticing widely separated subjects and verbs.
Past, Present, and Future Tense:
Use of consistent verb tense is one of the most common problems for emerging writers.
And even though there are actually twenty-four tenses in the English language, the
lesson in this unit is aimed at helping students recognize the importance of the timeline
that readers need to create in order to understand the sequence of events related in a
personal story or essay. Since spoken word conventions allow for a more relaxed and
free-flowing use of verb tense, students are often unaware of the confusion this causes
in writing. Once pointed out, though, it is typically a problem that is not only easy for
them to fix, but is easy for them to identify during peer review.
The Grammar, Punctuation, Usage lens in the Active Reader explores how appropriate
use of verb tense creates the timeline in Audre Lorde’s essay. It can be used to help the
students not only understand appropriate use of verb tense, but the cultural context of
the reading itself.
Tips for Teaching English Language Learners
Verb Tenses: Depending upon their native language, verb tenses may present small
or large challenges for English language learners. The greatest challenge will be for
students whose native language uses adverbials to mark time frame, instead of
inflectional endings. (“Today I go. Tomorrow I go. Yesterday I go.”) Other students
can manage the past, present, and future but stumble on the progressive or perfect
aspects, which may not have equivalents in their native language. If ELLs have verb
tense errors in their writing, it is best to draw their attention to the error and have
them try to fix it on their own. They can review the lesson in this unit or consult
references such as http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/verbtenseintro.html*. If the
error persists, however, instructors can provide the correct tense with an explanation.
The timeline activity suggested in the Enrichment activities is also useful for ELLs
struggling with tenses; the timeline could be used with the reference charts linked
above, to help students understand the choice of verb tenses in the reading
selection. Using the unit reading for grammar instruction this way is time well spent
because it is also likely to increase students’ overall comprehension.
Coherence:
The lesson on coherence in this unit covers the use of referents and transitions as a way
to concentrate on the main idea. Since one of the main problems students have when
writing longer essays is staying on topic and keeping all of their supporting paragraphs
focused on the original thesis, presenting coherence at this early stage of the course is a
way to help students discern which details to prioritize in their writing. It also reinforces
the Foundation lessons in this unit that apply to major and minor supporting details –
students can look for the referents and transitions as a way to identify these details in
the reading, which leads to understanding the overall meaning.
The coherence of Lorde’s piece is explored in the Grammar, Punctuation, Usage lens in
the Active Reader, which also points out areas where repetition – as opposed to the use
of referents – has a much stronger impact on the reader and on the reader’s
understanding of the implied main idea.
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Tips for Teaching English Language Learners
This and These: Deliberate repetition of key words improves coherence, and the
Grammar, Punctuation, Usage lens illustrates this very well for students. ELLs can
sometimes have a problem, though, of repeating words too often because they lack
vocabulary. A manageable way for ELLs to both achieve coherence and avoid too
much repetition is to encourage them to use “this” and “these” in their writing, as
illustrated in the following exercises.

Washington, D.C. and New York are located on the East Coast of the United
States. (This/These) cities are governmental and financial centers for the
country.

To Kill a Mockingbird was written by Harper Lee. (This/These) important novel
is still popular more than 50 years after its publication.

When I went to visit my relatives in another state last summer, I was homesick.
My aunt told me that (this/these) emotion was perfectly normal, and I felt better
after a while.
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In order, Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars are closest to the Sun. (This/These)
planets are much smaller than Jupiter, which comes next.
Seemingly a simple distinction for singular and plural, choosing between “this” and
“these” can be difficult for ELLs if they pronounce them similarly. To do this activity,
instructors can project these sentences or write them on the board; in an alternative
exercise, the second noun (“category word”) can be left off, and students have to
think of an appropriate word or phrase to restate the idea another way. The class can
generate other examples together.
Track The Noun: If students need more examples of repeated key words,
instructors can obtain a short passage that displays good use of repeated ideas in
various forms. In pairs or teams, students can “track the noun” (or “track the
concept”) and circle every instance of the idea or noun (e. g. sleep, slumber, shuteye, rest in a passage about sleep deprivation). This helps students see how writers
vary their language when referring to one idea.
Word Cloud: After students finish their writing, they may enjoy making a word cloud
by copying and pasting it into the Wordle website. http://www.wordle.net/* Words
that students used most frequently will appear in larger text, giving a visual
representation of important (and repeated) ideas in the text.
Finally, students should be instructed to view the Grammar in Context video presentation
located in Resources for the unit before editing and proofreading their essay. The video
presentation addresses all three GPU lessons to help students during the editing and
proofreading stages of essay development. A good strategy would be to have students
watch the video and immediately begin editing and proofreading their final response
paragraph.
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ENRICHMENT
Suggested Activities
 Create a full timeline for “The Fourth of July” that includes the sequence of
events detailed in the essay. Ask students to include when it was written, when it
was published, and when the students actually read it. Then, add to the timeline
by including important events before and after the timeline of the story that
impact the implied main idea. This suggested activity contextualizes the past,
present, and future tense grammar lesson into the pre-reading and post-reading
presentations.
 Take a segment of the essay and have students re-write it in the future tense.
Make sure to include a discussion about what that change does to the
believability of the scene.
 Have students write a paragraph describing their most memorable Fourth of July
(or most memorable celebration in their country of origin), making sure that they
write it in the first person. Have students exchange papers and re-write the
paragraph in the third person. Share these stories aloud, identifying problems
with subject-verb agreement.
 Take a section of “The Fourth of July” and replace all of the verbs with their
infinitive forms and have students conjugate and match the verb to the subject in
the sentence. This can also be done by simply taking out all of the verbs and
having students come up with their own but still linking them back to their
subjects.
 Have students come up with five to seven examples of injustice by finishing the
following sentence five to seven times: “Injustice is ….“ Then, have them
exchange papers and create paragraphs with those examples, but using the
word “injustice” only once.
 Take a new piece of writing, such as one of the alternative readings suggested in
previous section (“The Meaning of July Fourth for the Negro” by Frederick
Douglass) and cut it into separate paragraphs. Have students work in small
groups putting the paragraphs into a coherent order and have them present their
“fixed” essay to the class, describing why they put it together the way they did
and identifying elements of coherence that helped them do it.
 Cut the draft of student’s writing assignments into separate paragraphs as above,
and trade them with a partner to reorder.
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About the Writing Assignment
WRITING ASSIGNMENT
Write a multi-paragraph narrative essay about “The Moment that Changed Everything.”
INSIGHT INTO THE WRITING ASSIGNMENT
Why it was chosen: The narrative prompt is a common prompt in the post-secondary
environment, so its mastery is often assumed at the college level. Some college tasks
will directly employ narrative-like elements while others evoke them. In either case,
narrative writing illustrates an important base for college writers. It offers a familiar topic
(oneself and one’s experiences), so writers can focus on gaining adeptness at key
writing concepts, such as coherency between elements and portraying influential
messages with effective support. It also presents a nice opportunity for students to
practice creating and supporting implied meanings, which can be a challenging but
crucial task.
Task difficulty: As mentioned, the idea of implied rather than stated meanings can be
tricky for students but are ultimately worthwhile to their overall writing growth. To help
students sidestep difficulties, instructors should rely heavily on the writing stages. By
asking students to state their intentions for this piece and then list events or experiences
supporting those goals, they can use the stated facts to help determine what they could
imply rather than state directly. (“How can I suggest that without saying it?”)
This tip also helps students avoid a second potential problem, which is telling rather than
showing their stories. The goal of narrative writing is to make the reader feel what the
author experienced, which is accomplished through descriptive, vivid details. Once
students have identified their overall goals and the details that support them, they can go
back into their text and rewrite the support so that it comes alive to show what happened
to the author and how the readers should feel as a result. Instructors can remind
students that readers won’t care unless they can connect with the events in some way.
Making them feel and see what the author experienced will accomplish the key
objective, helping readers reach the desired conclusion.
Again, as with any writing task, making coherent connections between and within ideas
can be challenging for students, especially when they are writing about a topic that is so
familiar to them. It’s their story, so everything seems both relatable and important, when
some of it actually could be tangential or bog down the story. To avoid this, instructors
should employ peer and self-review opportunities throughout the writing process.
Students need a chance to recognize if and when they drift away from their original
message, which is practiced by going back into the text until the process and the inner
writing voice (i.e., “That doesn’t fit there!”) become ingrained.
Rubric: The following rubric can be used to score a student’s response using five
separate categories (Narrative Element, Implied Thesis Statement, Supporting Ideas,
Paragraph Development, and overall use of Grammar and Punctuation). Each of these
five items will be rated based on three categories: Proficient, Developing, and Needs
Improvement.
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Proficient means that students have met the standards of an effective response.
Developing means students have partially met the standards of a response, but the work
needs some revision. Needs Improvement means students did not meet the standards
of a response.
NARRATIVE ESSAY
Proficient
Developing
Narrative Element
Implied Thesis
Statement
Clearly includes a
personal significant
event with
interesting conflict,
vivid details, and
resolution.
Includes an implied
main idea about an
important moment
and your response
to it; works to bind
all paragraphs
together.
Supporting Ideas
(Use of Major and
Minor Details)
Uses vivid examples
to support the main
idea and illustrate
important details.
Paragraph
Development
(strength of
introduction,
conclusion, and
coherency)
Smoothly connects
ideas
between/within
paragraphs in a
purposeful manner;
introduction and
conclusion make
interesting, effective
statements about
the topic.
Grammar &
Punctuation
Response contains
sentences with
correct subject-verb
agreement and verb
tense usage.
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Needs
Improvement
Includes some key
components but is
missing some
aspects of narration.
Does not include
aspects of
narration.
Introduces a general
idea about an
important moment
but the overall
message is unclear;
the paragraphs are
not consistently
united by this idea.
Partially uses
examples as
support; details
require more vivid
description.
Ideas
between/within
paragraphs are
partially connected
or moderately
purposeful;
introduction and
conclusion are
present but not
effective.
Does not include an
implied main idea
and the paragraphs
are disconnected
without a clear
focus.
Paragraph needs
further editing
and/or contains
some subject-verb
agreement and verb
tense usage
problems.
Does not develop or
provide examples to
support or illustrate
a main idea.
Missing connection
between ideas;
purpose of content
is unclear;
incomplete
introduction and
conclusion.
Displays little
attention to editing
or correct usage of
subject-verb
agreement and verb
tenses.
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UNIT 3 WRITING ACTIVITIES
Pre-Reading
 Reading Overview: July 4th Facts
o List three facts about the 4th of July, or ways in which you personally
associate with this American celebration.
 Preview: Historical Context of Essays
o What can an essay’s publication date tell you about the essay’s message
and purpose?
 Connect to the Reading: Connecting to the Issue
o List personal connections or associations you have with Washington,
D.C.
o List personal observations or experiences you’ve had with racism.
 Make Predictions and Ask Questions: Predictions and Questions
o List two predictions you have about “The Fourth of July.”
o List two questions you have about the reading selection at this point.
Post-Reading
 Review: Annotation—Major and Minor Details
o Take a moment to annotate “The Fourth of July.” Make annotations that
specifically identify three major details and three minor details.
 Discuss: My Story (Freewrite-4 minutes)
o Now it’s your turn to think about your own story, particularly a moment or
event that had a big impact on your life.
 Reflect: Author’s Implied Message
o As you think about reading on the lines (text meaning) and between the
lines (implied meaning) what do you think “The Fourth of July” is about?
Pre-Writing
 Understand the Assignment: Personal Narrative
o List two of the key features needed to write a successful narrative essay.
 Generate Ideas: My Moment
o Name and describe the ”moment” that you want to write about.
 Develop a Thesis: My Implied Thesis
o Put your main idea for your essay into words and type it in the response
box.
 Organize Ideas: My Paragraphs
o Give the focus of your first paragraph.
o Give the focus of your second paragraph.
o Give the focus of your third paragraph.
TIPS
Helping students connect reading and writing:
Collect and provide narrative samples with implied meanings (previous or current
student work, instructor models, or published examples) to students and ask them to
identify the implied main idea within the reading. Once found, ask students to create
original details demonstrating how they would develop and support the same idea within
their own writing. This can be accomplished individually, in pairs, in groups, or online.
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If students have difficulty:
 Break the task into smaller chunks and monitor student progress through each
stage.
 Monitor students’ progress throughout each stage of the writing process and
determine the areas that seem most challenging. Then ask probing questions
meant to trigger important realizations: “What’s another way to say that?” or
“What does this detail prove in your mind?” or “How are these points connected?”
 Utilize the narrative Student Writing Sample that students can model. You can
view the Student Writing Sample by clicking on the “Resources” button in the top
right-hand corner of the screen. The sample is listed under “Unit Resources.”
 Pair students with a partner until the task seems less daunting.
 Have students repeat the task with a different narrative prompt (i.e.,
http://achievethecore.org/page/505/common-core-narrative-writing-list-pg*) until
mastery seems likely.
Tips for Teaching English Language Learners
The tips above will work well with ELLs. In addition, consider the following:
Implied main ideas – writing practice: If students are struggling to understand the
concept of writing with implied ideas, each student can be assigned to create a small
implied main ideas practice “test” to give to their classmates, which requires
choosing the best implied main idea. Instructors can model one (perhaps writing
about an emotional situation between parent and child); then, for homework,
students can write a short passage that “shows rather than tells” an idea, also
creating multiple-choice answers as implied main idea options. At the next class
meeting, or online, they can take one another’s practice tests and discuss them.
Implication has a cultural element—what is a logical conclusion in one culture may
not be in another. This is an opportunity to work through this issue and for students
to get a better understanding for how readers will draw conclusions from what they
write.
ENRICHMENT
Optional activities:
 Create implied meaning practice by providing students with a current topic or
separate reading. Have them list what might be observations or obvious details
pertaining to the topic/reading. Then ask them to write some inferences based on
those observations. “If this is true, what does it suggest?” Have students
exchange their work with a partner to determine if an opinion is present and if so
if it is indirectly yet effectively stated.
 Use a model narrative prompt (see above) to brainstorm possible details that
could support that prompt. Students should then identify at least three statements
to develop. (Instructors could also have students/groups write down their
possible details and exchange them for this next step.) With the chosen
statements in front of them, students should practice rewriting these statements
in as much detail as possible. The goal is to make the sentences come alive so
that the readers visualize the support. Students could then exchange their results
to get feedback on how vivid their new sentences seem. This can be done
individually, in groups, or online.
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
Practice coherency by distributing several different narrative prompts around the
room (about one every third student). Each student should take the prompt,
produce the next point, initial it, and then pass it on. (If you start the prompt, then
you introduce the topic. If you are getting one midstream, you have to keep the
conversation going or introduce a new point in a related way.) Each student
should have the chance to begin and contribute to the discussion as it moves
around the room. The goal is to add something interesting in a coherent way.
The idea must relate to the one that came before it. Once complete, the group
can discuss: was it easier to begin or contribute to a point? What truly makes
something coherent? What did you notice about your peers’ point of view? Could
you tell who was making each contribution based on style or writing choices?
Which tips did you employ to keep your own voice but make it fit with what came
before? How does this relate to the overall writing process and the idea of
coherency? This activity can also be conducted online.
Common Core State Standards
EXTENSION ACTIVITIES
Once your students have completed Unit 3: Discovering Implied Meaning, you can
continue teaching with these extension activities. These activities build upon the skills
learned in the unit and correlate with the reading selections. The material is designed to
assist in addressing Common Core State Standards. The content is organized by grade
level to mirror the organization of the standards.
Grades 9-10 students:
1. Have students read Langston Hughes’ poem “Let America Be America Again”*
and use the skills learned in this unit to find the implied meaning of the poem
2. Give students time to research Langston Hughes’ background. Discuss “Let
America Be America Again.” Have students discuss or write how understanding
Hughes’ background helps readers to understand the poem. How does this poem
relate to “Fourth of July?” Discuss the structure of the text. Why does Hughes
repeatedly use parentheses? What effect does it have on the poem?
Grades 11-12 students:
1. Have the students read “Incident” by Countee Cullen and “I, Too” by Langston
Hughes. After studying the poems, have the students discuss or write a short
explanation of how both of these poems address the topic of racism. How did
each author develop his ideas in the poem? What impact does the author’s word
choice have on the literature? Has there ever been a time when you felt you were
judged?
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2. Have the students read Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass by Frederick
Douglass. After completing the novel, have the students write a personal
narrative about a moment of significant importance in their own life. The narrative
needs to address each of the following Common Core standards:
● CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.11-12.3.A: Engage and orient the reader by
setting out a problem, situation, or observation and its significance,
establishing one or multiple point(s) of view, and introducing a narrator
and/or characters; create a smooth progression of experiences or events.
● CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.11-12.3.B: Use narrative techniques, such as
dialogue, pacing, description, reflection, and multiple plot lines, to develop
experiences, events, and/or characters.
● CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.11-12.3.C Use a variety of techniques to
sequence events so that they build on one another to create a coherent
whole and build toward a particular tone and outcome (e.g., a sense of
mystery, suspense, growth, or resolution).
● CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.11-12.3.D: Use precise words and phrases,
telling details, and sensory language to convey a vivid picture of the
experiences, events, setting, and/or characters.
● CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.11-12.3.E: Provide a conclusion that follows
from and reflects on what is experienced, observed, or resolved over the
course of the narrative.
● CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.11-12.2.B: Spell correctly.
Accessibility
CLOSED CAPTIONS
All of the videos in NROC English include Closed Captions (CC)—text versions of what
is being spoken. To access the Closed Captions, click on the CC button in the controller
bar for each video.
Once you click the CC button, the captions will open to the right of the video and will
automatically advance as the video progresses.
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To close the captions window, click the CC button again.
SCREEN READERS
The NROC English Unit Player has been designed for use with screen readers. We have
provided an Accessibility Guide, which you can share with anyone who will be
using NROC English with a screen reader. You can also put the link to this accessibility
guide directly into your course:
http://gradeservice.montereyinstitute.org/courses/DevelopmentalEnglish/files/Accessibilit
y.html
We have also provided a video that demonstrates how to use the NROC English Unit
Player with a screen reader. The demonstration video can be accessed from the
Accessibility Guide or directly at this URL: https://player.vimeo.com/video/132236450
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
We have also provided an alternate form of two Active Reader lenses since they are not
implemented for a screen reader:

Grammar, Punctuation, Usage lens:

Vocabulary lens:
http://gradeservice.montereyinstitute.org/courses/DevelopmentalEnglish/files/U03GPU.html
http://gradeservice.montereyinstitute.org/courses/DevelopmentalEnglish/files/U03Vocab.html
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Unit Assessment Sample Answers and Scoring Guides
For each of the constructed response questions (short answer) in the Unit Assessment,
we provide you with a suggested point value, sample answer, and scoring guide (below).
UNIT 3, FORM A, CONSTRUCTED RESPONSE
Question 19
Learning Objective
text
Point Value
Prompt
Use referents to create coherence in writing.
Use transition words to create coherence in writing.
2
Read the following sentences.
It is difficult to fully prepare for an extended trip to a foreign
country, but there are a few things you can do.
Learning to speak the language is a great idea if you have time.
Learn at least a few words of the language so that you are able
to communicate about important matters.
Buy a few good maps to help you get around.
Read travel books to become familiar with the customs of the
country, including customary dress for males and females,
customs at meals, and accepted behavior in public places.
Read about the area’s weather and topography so that you can
pack the correct clothing and footwear.
Expect surprises and expect to learn many new ways of doing
things.
Enjoy the rich cultural experience that can only come from this
kind of travel!
Use referents and transitions to connect these sentences
together into a coherent paragraph.
Sample Answer
v2.1
It is difficult to fully prepare for an extended trip to a foreign
country, but there are a few things you can do. First, learning
to speak the language is a great idea if you have time. If time is
short, try to learn at least a few words of the language so that
you are able to communicate about important matters.
Additionally, it is advisable to buy a few good maps to help you
get around. Next, read travel books to become familiar with the
customs of the country, including customary dress for males
and females, customs at meals, and accepted behavior in public
places. Also, make sure to read about the area's weather and
topography so that you can pack the correct clothing and
footwear. Even with all of your preparations, expect surprises
and expect to learn many new ways of doing things. Above all,
make sure to enjoy the rich cultural experience that can only
come from this kind of travel!
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Question 20
Learning Objective
text
Point Value
Prompt
Use referents to create coherence in writing.
Use transition words to create coherence in writing.
2
Read the following sentences.
Eating fruits and vegetables produced by local farmers is good
for the health of the environment, the health of our bodies, and
the health of the economy.
Eating fruits and vegetables produced by local farmers benefits
the environment because the fruits and vegetables do not have
to be transported very far.
Less transit means less fossil fuels to pollute the environment.
Our bodies benefit from eating fruits and vegetables produced
by local farmers because the produce retains more vitamins
than produce that was picked days or weeks earlier.
We derive health benefits from fruits and vegetables produced
by local farmers because preservatives and waxes are often not
used by small farmers.
Local economies will benefit if we buy from small farmers who
have trouble competing with big corporations.
Use referents and transitions to connect these sentences
together into a coherent paragraph.
Sample Answer
v2.1
Eating fruits and vegetables produced by local farmers is good
for the health of the environment, the health of our bodies, and
the health of the economy. First, eating local produce benefits
the environment because the produce does not have to be
transported very far. Less transit means less fossil fuels to
pollute the environment. Next, our bodies benefit from fresh
produce because it retains more vitamins than produce that
was picked days or weeks earlier. We derive additional health
benefits from local produce because preservatives and waxes
are often not used by small farmers. Finally, local economies
will benefit if we buy from small farmers who have trouble
competing with big corporations.
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UNIT 3, FORM B, CONSTRUCTED RESPONSE
Question 19
Learning Objective
text
Point Value
Prompt
Use referents to create coherence in writing.
Use transition words to create coherence in writing.
2
Read the following sentences.
Eating fruits and vegetables produced by local farmers is good
for the health of the environment, the health of our bodies, and
the health of the economy.
Eating fruits and vegetables produced by local farmers benefits
the environment because the fruits and vegetables do not have
to be transported very far.
Less transit means less fossil fuels to pollute the environment.
Our bodies benefit from eating fruits and vegetables produced
by local farmers because the produce retains more vitamins
than produce that was picked days or weeks earlier.
We derive health benefits from fruits and vegetables produced
by local farmers because preservatives and waxes are often not
used by small farmers.
Local economies will benefit if we buy from small farmers who
have trouble competing with big corporations.
Use referents and transitions to connect these sentences
together into a coherent paragraph.
Sample Answer
v2.1
Eating fruits and vegetables produced by local farmers is good
for the health of the environment, the health of our bodies, and
the health of the economy. First, eating local produce benefits
the environment because the produce does not have to be
transported very far. Less transit means less fossil fuels to
pollute the environment. Next, our bodies benefit from fresh
produce because it retains more vitamins than produce that
was picked days or weeks earlier. We derive additional health
benefits from local produce because preservatives and waxes
are often not used by small farmers. Finally, local economies
will benefit if we buy from small farmers who have trouble
competing with big corporations.
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Question 20
Learning Objective
text
Point Value
Prompt
Use referents to create coherence in writing.
Use transition words to create coherence in writing.
2
Read the following sentences.
Doing homework is not the best use of time for high school
students.
High school students are tired of schoolwork when they get
home from a full day of school and would benefit from
different experiences.
High school students could learn a lot from working at a part
time job after school.
High school students could use their time after school to
exercise.
Some high school students may want to use their time to
explore creativity such as art, writing, or filmmaking.
There are many productive ways high school students could
use their time if they weren't always busy with homework.
Use referents and transitions to connect these sentences
together into a coherent paragraph.
Sample Answer
v2.1
Doing homework is not the best use of time for high school
students. Most high school students are tired of schoolwork
when they get home from a full day of school and would
benefit from different experiences. For example, they could
learn a lot from working at a part time job after school.
Additionally, students could use their time after school to
exercise. Having time in the afternoons would also be great for
students who may want to explore creativity such as art,
writing, or filmmaking. There are many productive ways high
school students could use their time if they weren't always
busy with homework.
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SCORING GUIDES
The following scoring guide is provided as a guide for scoring answers to the Unit 3 Constructed
Response questions.
COHERENCE SCORING GUIDE
Learning Objectives:
Use referents to create coherence in writing.
Use transition words to create coherence in writing.
2
1
0
Organization:
TRANSITIONS
CATEGORY
Transitions clearly show
how ideas are connected.
Transitions follow a logical
order.
Some transitions work well;
but connections between
other ideas are fuzzy.
Transitions are placed in a
logical order, but the way
some are presented may
seem redundant or misused.
The transitions
between ideas are
unclear or
nonexistent.
Organization &
Coherence:
REFERENTS
Referents are placed in a
logical order and are used
to restate the main idea.
Synonyms or antonyms
may be used, and
pronouns may restate
some nouns.
Referents are placed in a
logical order, but the way in
which they are presented may
be redundant or misused.
Few synonyms, antonyms, or
pronouns used.
Referents are not
in a logical order,
or not used
properly.
CONVENTIONS
Writer makes no errors in
convention that distract
the reader from the
content: sentence
formation; standard
usage including
agreement, tense, and
case; and mechanics
including use of
capitalization,
punctuation, and spelling.
Writer makes 1 or 2 minor
errors in convention
appropriate to the task that
distract the reader from the
content: sentence formation;
standard usage including
agreement, tense, and case;
and mechanics including use
of capitalization,
punctuation, and spelling.
Writer makes
multiple errors in
convention
appropriate to the
task that distract
the reader from
the content:
sentence
formation;
standard usage
including
agreement, tense,
and case; and
mechanics
including use of
capitalization,
punctuation, and
spelling.
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Member Suggested Supplements
We encourage our members to share teaching ideas, as well as any additional
resources they create to pair with NROC English. To find materials other members have
donated, go to The NROC Network and select “Professional Development”.
http://www.nrocnetwork.org/professional-development
Additional member-suggested resources to use with Unit 3 include:
 Incident by Countee Cullen (Poem)
 What to the Slave is the Fourth of July? by Frederick Douglass* (Speech)
Note from a teacher: When using this unit, a student responded to the writing
assignment (about “the moment that changed everything”) by writing about a self-harm
and suicide attempt. It is important as an instructor to be aware that this writing
assignment could bring up painful and difficult topics.
Please email editorial@thenrocproject.org if you would like to contribute resources or
suggestions for this Instructor Guide.
Join the Community
We recommend that all instructors join the NROC English group at the NROC
Community so they have access to all updates and notices about the English course.
The NROC Community is a user community of teachers and administrators who want to
learn, share ideas, help each other, and work together to improve educational
opportunities for everyone. We encourage all members to actively participate and
support each other through posts in the Community.
*Any links to non-NROC, third-party resources listed in this Instructor Guide may change
over time. We update the Instructor Guides annually and correct any broken links.
Developed by The NROC Project. Copyright ©2014 Monterey Institute for Technology and Education
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