WebLessons Reading/Writing/DBQs. What reading skills help students understand content?

WebLessons

Reading/Writing/DBQs

What reading skills help students understand content?

The Indian logicians discussed various rules of inference, the violation of which would involve mistakes in reasoning. Perhaps the most important of these is the rule of the saadhya-pervaded hetu. This requires that the hetu must fall completely within the saadhya. The pervasion relation meant here is the relation of class-inclusion. Thus class A can pervade class B only if all members of B are members of A, though not necessarily vice versa. Similarly, class A is pervaded by class B only if all members of A are members of B, though not necessarily vice versa. Hence our example above is a valid inference only if the class of fire-possessing things really does pervade the class of smoke-possessing things. This relation of pervasion or universal concomitance (vyaapti) can be reformulated as the major premise of a Western syllogism: for example, !All smoke-possessing things are fire-possessing things.

Roy W. Perrett, The Problem of Induction in Indian Philosophy, (HI: University of Hawaii Press, 1984) 162.

What Others Have Said

• Ask questions prior to reading• Summarizing as they go – notate• Thinking about the author’s purpose• Getting the overall main idea• Using context clues for vocabulary• Making inferences on what is being said

How are reading and writing related?

What writing skills, at minimum, do you want your students to

demonstrate/improve?

What Others Have Said

• Predicting and Asking Questions = Developing a thesis

• Main idea = Thesis Statement/Topic Sentence• Summarizing = Organizing main points and

details• Author’s purpose = Developing a Point of View• Making inferences = making assertions• Context clues = expanding word choice

Reading to Writing Method

• Is a Backwards Design Approach– Start with the end in mind– Identify outcome – Describe quality– Think through what you need to teach for mastery– Gradual Release Method – teaching the steps

through large group modeling, small group practice, and then individual practice

Backwards Design

Write an essay

What questions would you have?

End in Mind/Outcomes

• An outline• 5 well developed paragraphs• Basic thesis and introductory paragraph (extra

credit for own/more complex thesis)• Summary paragraph• At least three categories that support thesis –

a paragraph for each

Reding to Writing Method

1. Use reading strategies to comprehend information– Need lots of practice – until it becomes second

nature– Key is to identify questions leading to possible

thesis– What are some typical readings you would have

your students read – if you wanted them to write about it – what questions would you have them identify prior to reading?

Reading to Writing Method

2. Developing a ThesisAligned PredictionSummarizing/Checking vs. PredictionIdentifying Key DetailsMaking Inferences (What is meant by…)Drawing Conclusions

Reading to Writing Method

1. Develop a thesis2. Use a graphic organizer or outline to organize

thoughts into categories that support thesis3. Use writing process to move towards

publishing

Reading to Writing Method

3. OrganizationCategorizing by types of detailed support,

themes discussed, inferences madeIdentifying details that support categoriesPlace in outline or graphic organizer

Reading to Writing Method

4. Writing ProcessDraftingRevising/Feedback

Word ChoiceVoiceMechanics/Grammar

Publishing

World War I Causes

• What are some typical reasons for war?• Predict what the article is going to be out• Steer towards “causes of WW I”, that there are different

types of causes, and which type is most important• Read/summarize/notate - check vs. prediction that there

were types of causes – make inferences about causes, draw conclusions about what are most important and look for supporting details

• Use context clues to figure out the meaning of words• Determine main idea• Determine author’s purpose

World War I Causes

• Do the activity• From the foldable - create an outline or

graphic oranizer to show how you would organize a 5 paragraph essay on what you think are the most important causes of WWI

DBQs

• Similar to Reading to Writing Method – comprehension, developing/supporting a thesis, checking vs. prediction, organizing thoughts

• But must read/analyze several documents• Check prediction to test vs. all documents• Topic is provided but students still needs to

develop a thesis with a point of view or draw a conclusion

• Time limit/use of outside information

Brodie

http://www.pinzler.com/ushistory/dbq2supp.html

• What approach did he take?

Begin with the End in Mind (DBQ Rubric)

8 – 9a.______ Well-developed thesis that addresses the questionb.______ Considerable specific and relevant outside

information to support the thesisc.______ Effective analysis of a substantial number

of documentsd.______ Organized and well-writtene.______ May contain minor errors that do not

detract from the overall quality of the essay

5 – 7a.______ Acceptable thesisb.______ Some specific and relevant outside

information to support the thesisc.______ Effective analysis of some of the

documentsd.______ Acceptable organization and writinge.______ May contain some errors that do not

seriously detract from the quality of the essay

2 – 4a.______ Thesis is nonexistent, confused, or

unfocusedb.______ Little specific or relevant outside

informationc.______ Little or no analysis of the documentsd.______ Problems in organization and writing that

detract from the quality of the essaye.______ Contains major errors that detract from

the quality of the essay

0 – 1______ Incompetent or inappropriate response

to the question______ Little or no factual information;

substantial factual errorsU______ Completely off topic; the paper is blank

or not turned in

What is a Document-Based question?

• A Document-Based Question (DBQ) requires students to write an essay in which the defense of the thesis comes from an analysis of original source documents as well as outside knowledge of a specific time period and topic• Analyze some…break it down to its parts:

• The period from 1000 C.E. to 1450 C.E. experienced a number of cultural and social changes. Explain how the following documents reflect the events and ideas that caused change during this period.

Come up with a similar one…

• One of the most common forms of cultural interchanges is the transfer of religious beliefs. As new faiths and spiritual ideas appear in a nation or among a community, reactions to them vary. Based on the documents that follow, what can you conclude about how various religions, missions, and proselytizing efforts have been received in different places at different times?

• Analyze the similarities and differences in the aims and the methods advocated by twentieth century freedom and independence movements. What evaluation can you make of the short-term and the long-term effectiveness of each?

The Constitution: A Democratic Document?The Constitution was an undemocratic document designed to protect a minority of wealthy men from the potential tyranny of the masses. You may defend this statement, refute this statement, or defend it in part and refute it in part.

Writing the DBQ: A Five-Step Process

Step 1: Read the question and make sure you understand all parts of the question

Step 2: Read and analyze each document. Remember to list outside information as you

analyze the documents

Step 3: Make an assertion. Remember to answer the question.

Step 4: Test your assertion and prepare your essay using the Yes/But

strategy.

Step 5: Write the Essay.• On the AP exam students will have 60 minutes

to answer the DBQ. Students should spend 15-20 minutes on the first four steps. Writing

the essay should take 40-45 minutes

Information to Help You Write Better DBQ’s

1. DBQ essays with no outside information or no analysis of the documents will receive a score no higher than four on a nine-point assessment. A thorough analysis of the documents with an adequate thesis and no outside information will generally receive a four. Students who add some outside information will generally receive a five or higher

2. Students who make “Yes/But” statements will probably drive their scores into a higher range.

3. Students should make sure they stay in the time period required by the question

4. Students should avoid quoting long passages from the documents; this leaves little time for analysis of the documents.

5. Simply restating what a document is about is not enough. Students should make sure they analyze the documents and make inferences from the documents

6. Making an inference from a document can count as outside information.

7. Students should avoid writing a “laundry-list” analysis of each document.

8. Although student scores will not be hurt by referring to documents in parentheses with the letter of the document (e.g., Document A), we should hold students to a higher standard and ask that they refer to documents within the text

(e.g., “According to the Census Report of 1890 . . .” or “As evident in John Kennedy’s Address to Congress in 1961 . . .”).

9. Students should use specific names, terms, and events (i.e., proper nouns) as outside information.

10. Students should make sure they keep returning to the main topic of the essay

11. Students should use the introductory paragraph to define terms, provide historical background, define the time period, and state points of validation. In most cases, students should not write an introduction that is too long; introductory information should be kept to a minimum.

12. Errors in grammar and style are not a serious problem unless they detract from the comprehension of the essay