1. B ELLRINGERS 9 th Grade – CCS Writing

2. CCS – W RITING - D AY 1 Instructions: Answer the following questions. 1) Of the choices below, which sentence is the best to use in an argumentative essay? a. An estimated 65% of drivers are texting and driving every single day. b. Texting while driving is dangerous and there should be laws enforced in every state against texting while driving. c. Texting while driving reduces your awareness by 50%, which is not good. d. Many people don’t text while they are driving because they know it is dangerous. 2) What is the best way to organize the following information? (1) Problem: Not eating a balanced diet (4) Negative effects of a unbalanced diet (2) Positive effects of a balanced diet (5) Introduction (3) Conclusion (6) Solution: How to eat a balanced diet Introduce precise claim(s), distinguish the claim(s) from alternate or opposing claims, and create an organization that establishes clear relationships among claim(s), counterclaims, reasons, and evidence. English I Problem: Could these statements be used in opinion pieces? a. Parents should allow their teenage children to have an after school job; it helps teach responsibility. b. Parents should not allow their teenage children to have an after school job; it causes their grades to fall. Answer: In two different opinion pieces, yes – the author can argue either way.

3. CCS – W RITING - D AY 2 Instructions: Answer the following questions. 3) Write a sentence you could use in a formal essay that supports the claim below. Claim: SMART goals are goals that are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and trackable. 4) Identify the strengths and limitations of the following claim. Claim: Field trips are a poor use of academic teaching time. a. It is a strong claim that could be backed by facts, but it is an opinion and there are facts and other claims that could dispute this claim. b. It is a weak claim that cannot be backed by facts, but it is a good opinion. c. It is a strong claim that can have many other opinions to back it, it is not a fact and no one agrees with it. Develop claim(s) and counterclaims fairly, supplying evidence for each while pointing out the strengths and limitations of both in a manner that anticipates the audience’s knowledge level and concerns. English I Problem: Which of the following is not a good claim? Why? a. Parents should allow their teenage children to have an after school job to teach responsibility. b. Parents should not ground their children when they get in trouble because it is not a good idea. Answer: b, it is an opinion that cannot be backed up by facts.

4. CCS – W RITING - D AY 3 Instructions: Choose the phrase, word, or clause that best links each set of statements. 5) Argumentative essays are easy to write. Most people have an opinion on many topics. a. Because b. Therefore c. Since 6) Some teachers believe that textbooks should not be used in the classroom. Textbooks have been around for many years. a. Since b. Therefore c. Although Use words, phrases, and clauses to link the major sections of the text, create cohesion, and clarify the relationships between claim(s) and reasons, between reasons and evidence, and between claim(s) and counterclaims. English I Problem: Which of the following is a phrase that could be used to link two or more claims in an argumentative essay? a. There are many reasons parents should allow their teenagers to work after school. b. Parents should not ground their children when they get in trouble because they will rebel and get in more trouble later. Answer: a

5. CCS – W RITING - D AY 4 Instructions: Answer the following questions. 7) When writing a formal essay, which of the following statements would you not include? a. I think that every student should get a computer from the school so they can do their homework on it. b. Many schools are starting to provide laptops or electronic readers to students. c. Providing laptops for students in school is a good way to increase learning. 8) When writing an argumentative essay, which of the following statements would you not include? a. Since many high school students now have after-school jobs, the homework load that students take home each night should be reduced. b. Teachers give out way too much homework, and they should not be allowed to assign so much because it takes away from social time with friends. c. High school students take home a heavy homework load each night, and sometimes it can be hard to balance things and get it all done. Establish and maintain a formal style and objective tone while attending to the norms and conventions of the discipline in which they are writing. English I Problem: When writing an argumentative essay, which of the following statements would you not include? a. I believe that using technology in the classroom is important for learning. b. Today, many teachers use technology in the classroom to enhance their lessons. Answer: a

6. CCS – W RITING - D AY 5 Instructions: Answer the following questions. 9) Put the following sentences into the correct order. They make up the conclusion to an argumentative essay about childcare facilities. a. If we fail to meet our obligations in this area, we will be sacrificing our present and future well-being in order to achieve short-term financial savings. b. In conclusion, it is essential that we support the nation's parents and children by funding more childcare facilities. c. Only in this way can we provide the valuable learning environments that young children need. 10) Write a concluding statement for the following paragraph. Students are the pillars of future society.They should practice discipline and devotion to studies so that they develop into well- educated individuals that make significant contributions to the society in the future. They should also try to protect their environment and society. Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the argument presented. English I Problem: Which of the following statements is not a good concluding statement? a. Nothing can compare to a dog’s many wonderful qualities such as friendship, loyalty, and intelligence. I now know why people say that “a dog is man’s best friend”. b. San Francisco is a great place to visit because of its many art galleries. Answer: b

7. CCS – W RITING - D AY 6 Instructions: Answer the following questions. 11) Which of the following organizes complex ideas to make connections in the segment? a. Civil disobedience is the refusal to follow an unjust law. Gandhi led India to independence by using civil disobedience and non- violent resistance. His motto was, “will not fight, will not comply.” One of Gandhi’s first acts of civil disobedience was refusing to move to third class on the train after buying a first class ticket. b. Ford Motor Company, also known as Ford, is an American automaker headquartered in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. It was founded by Henry Ford, and was incorporated on June 16, 1903. The company sells automobiles and commercial vehicles under the Ford brand and luxury cars under the Lincoln brand. Ford is the best. 12) Organize the following statements so that they make the most cohesive statement. (1)They spend about half of their lives on land and half in the oceans. (2)Highly adapted for life in the water, penguins have dark and white plumage, and their wings have evolved into flippers. (3)Penguins are a group of aquatic, flightless birds living in the southern hemisphere. (4)Most penguins feed on krill, fish, squid, and other forms of sealife caught while swimming underwater. Introduce a topic; organize complex ideas, concepts, and information to make important connections and distinctions; include formatting, graphics, and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension. English I Problem: Which of the following statements includes unnecessary information? a. Virginia Woolf was an English writer who is regarded as one of the foremost modernist literary figures of the twentieth century. She is my favorite writer. b. San Francisco is located in California. The California Gold Rush of 1849 propelled the city into a period of rapid growth. Answer: a

8. CCS – W RITING - D AY 7 Instructions: Choose the statement from each pair that would add the most information to a formal essay. #13 A. U.S. Route 21 (US 21) is a north–south United States Numbered Highway that runs 394 miles from Hunting Island State Park, South Carolina to Wytheville, Virginia. B. Cats are domesticated animals that are covered in fur and have four legs and a tail. #14 A. Lieutenant Hans Karl Müller was a pioneering German flying ace during World War I. He also taught many others to fly as an instructor in the German Air Service and later as a civilian instructor in Mexico. B. The Black-backed Woodpecker is a type of woodpecker that lives in North America. #15 A. The seismogenic layer is a layer within the crust, where earthquakes start. B. Pugwash is an Irish pop band fronted by musician Thomas Walsh. Pugwash has released four albums since its debut LP Almond Tea in 1999. Develop the topic with well-chosen, relevant, and sufficient facts, extended definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples appropriate to the audience’s knowledge of the topic. English I Problem: Which of the following statements would improve an informative essay the most? a. San Francisco is a large city located in the Bay Area of California. b. San Francisco is located on the coast of the United States. Answer: a

9. CCS – W RITING - D AY 8 Instructions: Read the quotation and determine the character’s attitude toward teaching. Then write a paragraph using transitions to enhance cohesion in sharing your ideas of the character’s attitude. #16 “Teach these boys and girls nothing but Facts. Facts alone are wanted in life. Plant nothing else, and root out everything else. You can only form the mind of reasoning animals upon Facts: nothing else will ever be of any service to them.” (Charles Dickens, “Hard Times”) Sentence Starter: The character’s attitude is ______________, because_______________________________________________. Use appropriate and varied transitions to link the major sections of the text, create cohesion, and clarify the relationships among complex ideas and concepts. English I Problem: Which of the following statements enhances the relationship among the ideas presented the best? William Shakespeare was an English playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language. He is often called England's national poet. a. His plays have been translated into every major living language and are performed more often than those of any other playwright. b. He is also the world's most pre- eminent dramatist. Answer: a

10. CCS – W RITING - D AY 9 Instructions: Answer the following questions. 17) Joel took the role of antagonist in his argumentative essay. Which of the following is the closest definition of antagonist as it is used in the last sentence? a. One that takes a position opposite another in a competition or conflict. b. One that is hostile toward another. c. One that follows the opinions or teachings of another 18) Choose the most appropriate word to use in a formal essay based on the definition: “A false or mistaken idea”. a. Fact b. Fallacy c. False accusation Use precise language and domain- specific vocabulary to manage the complexity of the topic. English I Problem: Kari needs to use an antonym to the word “happy” in her formal essay. Which word is the best choice? a. disgruntled b. blissful c. cursed Answer: a

11. CCS – W RITING - D AY 10 Instructions: Fill in the blanks with the words below to complete the definition of each style of writing, then write a few sentences describing when you would use objective tone and subjective tone. 19) Objective tone does not show any feelings for or against a topic; therefore, it is___________, impartial, or neutral. Often objective tone uses higher-level words and avoids pronouns such as ___________, creating a formal tone. A subjective tone uses words that describe feelings, judgments, or opinions. The details are likely to include __________, senses, feelings, and thoughts. Subjective tone is personal, biased, emotional, and often ______________. Informal Unbiased Formal I and you Experiences Me 20) Objective tone should be used when writing an informative essay. Subjective tone can be used when writing an informal essay or one that expresses a personal opinion. Establish and maintain a formal style and objective tone while attending to the norms and conventions of the discipline in which they are writing. English I Problem: When writing an informative essay, you should establish and maintain a __________ and ______________ while attending to the norms and conventions of the discipline. Answer: formal style, objective tone

12. CCS – W RITING - D AY 11 Instructions: Answer the following question. 21) Choose the best concluding statement from the choices below. Provide written support to explain your choice. a. A great deal of our understanding comes from the curiosity-driven undertaking of basic research. This leads to options for technological advance that were not planned or sometimes even imaginable. This point was made by Michael Faraday when, allegedly in response to the question "what is the use of basic research?" he responded "Sir, what is the use of a new-born child?". b. The uncoordinated use of the metric system by different scientific and engineering disciplines, particularly in the late 19th century, resulted in different choices of fundamental units, even though all were based on the same definitions of the meter and the kilogram. During the 20th century, efforts were made to rationalize these units and in 1960, the CGPM published the International System of Units, which, since then, has been the internationally recognized standard metric system. Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the information or explanation presented English I Problem: Is the following section of text a good conclusion? “While the scientific community was once divided between supporters of the Big Bang and those of alternative cosmological models, most scientists became convinced that some version of the Big Bang scenario best fit observations after the discovery of the cosmic microwave background radiation in 1964.” Answer: No.

13. CCS – W RITING - D AY 12 Instructions: Answer the following question. 22) Choose the best introduction from the choices below. Provide written support to explain your choice. a. It was a Sunday evening in October, and in common with many other young ladies of her class, Katharine Hilbery was pouring out tea. Perhaps a fifth part of her mind was thus occupied, and the remaining parts leapt over the little barrier of day which interposed between Monday morning and this rather subdued moment, and played with the things one does voluntarily and normally in the daylight. (Virginia Woolf, “Night and Day”) b. That punctual servant of all work, the sun, had just risen, and begun to strike a light on the morning of the thirteenth of May, one thousand eight hundred and twenty-seven, when Mr. Samuel Pickwick burst like another sun from his slumbers, threw open his chamber window, and looked out upon the world beneath. (Charles Dickens, “The Pickwick Papers”) Engage and orient the reader by setting out a problem, situation, or observation, establishing one or multiple point(s) of view, and introducing a narrator and/or characters; create a smooth progression of experiences or events. English I Problem: Is the following section of text a good introduction? “Frankenstein” is a novel written by Mary Shelley about a creature produced by an unconventional scientific experiment. Shelley started writing the story when she was eighteen and the novel was published when she was twenty- one. Answer: Yes.

14. CCS – W RITING - D AY 13 Instructions: Answer the following question. 23) Which of the following narrative techniques is used in the excerpt below? In Syria, once, at the head-waters of the Jordan, a camel took charge of my overcoat while the tents were being pitched, and examined it with a critical eye, all over, with as much interest as if he had an idea of getting one made like it; and then, after he was done figuring on it as an article of apparel, he began to contemplate it as an article of diet. He put his foot on it, and lifted one of the sleeves out with his teeth, and chewed and chewed at it. (Mark Twain, “Roughing It”) a. Flashback b. Dialogue c. Pacing 24) Which narrative technique is used in the excerpt below? He was a rich man: banker, merchant, manufacturer, and what not. A big, loud man, with a stare, and a metallic laugh. A man made out of a coarse material, which seemed to have been stretched to make so much of him. A man with a great puffed head and forehead, swelled veins in his temples, and such a strained skin to his face that it seemed to hold his eyes open, and lift his eyebrows up…A man who was always proclaiming, through that brassy speaking-trumpet of a voice of his, his old ignorance and his old poverty. A man who was the Bully of humility. (Charles Dickens, “Hard Times”) Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue, pacing, description, reflection, and multiple plot lines, to develop experiences, events, and/or characters. English I Problem: Which point of view is described below? The narrator does not participate in the action of the story as one of the characters, but lets us know exactly how the characters feel. Answer: Third person point of view

15. CCS – W RITING - D AY 14 Instructions: Answer the following questions. 25) Does the following description sound like a novel that would use parallel plot lines? The book The Hours by Michael Cunningham concerns three generations of women affected by a Virginia Woolf novel. The first is Woolf herself writing Mrs. Dalloway in 1923 and struggling with her own mental illness. The second is Mrs. Brown, wife of a World War II veteran, who is reading Mrs. Dalloway in 1949 as she plans her husband's birthday party. The third is Clarissa Vaughan, who plans a party in 2001 to celebrate a major literary award received by her good friend, the poet Richard, who is dying of an illness. 26) Does the following description sound like a novel that would use parallel plot lines? John Steinbeck's short story "Of Mice and Men" is a story that follows George and his mentally handicapped friend Lennie. George has agreed to take care of Lennie because he brings him joy and a sense of purpose. Although he means no harm, Lennie is unaware of his own strength and accidently kills animals and ultimately a woman. Since he is responsible for Lennie's warfare, George feels he is also responsible for putting an end to Lennie's crimes. Use a variety of techniques to sequence events so that they build on one another to create a coherent whole. English I Problem: Which narrative technique did Mark Twain use in the excerpt below? Then she cheered up, and faced around and said: "Danged if I didn't begin to think you fellers was deef and dumb. I did, b'gosh. Here I've sot, and sot, and sot, a- bust'n muskeeters and wonderin' what was ailin' ye. Fust I thot you was deef and dumb, then I thot you was sick or crazy, or suthin'. Wher'd ye come from?” Answer: Dialogue

16. CCS – W RITING - D AY 15 Instructions: Answer the following questions. 27) Which of the following is the best use of sensory language? a. Hannah dug her feet into the wet sand, burying her toes inside the beach as cold waves lapped at her ankles. b. From Maya Angelou’s I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings: I looked around the room that I had never in my wildest fantasies imagined I would see. Browned photographs leered or threatened from the walls and the white, freshly done curtains pushed against themselves and against the wind. c. Talia's eyes sparkled like a crystal ball. 28) Which of the following is the best use of precise words and phrases? a. There is an excessive number of animals at the local animal shelter. b. Many animals are waiting for a home at the animal shelter. c. There are probably a lot of animals at the shelter that would need a home. Use precise words and phrases, telling details, and sensory language to convey a vivid picture of the experiences, events, setting, and/or characters. English I Problem: Which of the senses are used in the following passage? Randal looked ahead toward the winding spiral staircase, fidgeted with a small hole in his baseball jersey, and bit his lip. His mouth filled with the sweet, coppery taste of blood. His grandmother, smelling of wet cigarettes and bacon, grabbed the sleeve of his jersey. As they slowly climbed the long, steep staircase, the only sound was his grandmothers' labored breathing and the mournful creak of the wooden stairs. Answer: taste, smell, sound.

17. CCS – W RITING - D AY 16 Instructions: Answer the following questions. 29) Write a sentence to conclude the following paragraph. All these voices sounded gratefully in St. John's ears as he lay half-asleep, and yet vividly conscious of everything around him. Across his eyes passed a procession of objects, black and indistinct, the figures of people picking up their books, their cards, their balls of wool, their work-baskets, and passing him one after another on their way to bed. (Virginia Woolf, “A Voyage Out”) 30) Write a sentence to conclude the following paragraph. A few light taps upon the pane made him turn to the window. It had begun to snow again. He watched sleepily the flakes, silver and dark, falling obliquely against the lamplight. The time had come for him to set out on his journey westward. Yes, the newspapers were right: snow was general all over Ireland. It was falling on every part of the dark central plain, on the treeless hills, falling softly upon the Bog of Allen and, farther westward, softly falling into the dark mutinous Shannon waves. It was falling, too, upon every part of the lonely churchyard on the hill where Michael Furey lay buried. (James Joyce, “Dubliners”) Provide a conclusion that follows from and reflects on what is experienced, observed, or resolved over the course of the narrative. English I Problem: Is the following paragraph a good conclusion? The Platte was "up," they said. They said it was a dangerous stream to cross, now, because its quicksands were liable to swallow up horses, coach and passengers if an attempt was made to ford it. But the mails had to go, and we made the attempt. Once or twice in midstream the wheels sunk into the yielding sands so threateningly that we half believed our lives to be shipwrecked in a "mud-wagon" in the middle of a desert at last. But we dragged through and sped away toward the setting sun. (Mark Twain, “Roughing It”) Answer: Yes.

18. CCS – W RITING - D AY 17 Instructions: Answer the following questions. 31) How could you strengthen the following sentence? A dog in the road was the cause of the small car hitting the school bus. a. Make the verb active (the car swerved to miss a dog and hit the school bus). b. Add details such as the type of car (A gray Honda Civic swerved to miss a dog…) c. The sentence is fine as it is written. d. Both a and b 32) How could you strengthen the following sentence? When the homeless man leaned over to ask me for money, I could tell he smelled bad. a. Move the descriptive words to the front (The homeless man, who smelled bad…). b. Add details instead of saying “smelled bad” (The homeless man smelled of stale liquor). c. The sentence is fine as it is written d. Both a and b Develop and strengthen writing by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach. English I Problem: Which of the following is the best revised sentence of the sentence below? Billy chose to wear a striped shirt and plaid pants to school for wacky dress up day. a. Billy chose to wear a striped shirt with red and gold plaid pants to school for wacky dress up day. b. Billy chose to wear a shirt and pants to school for wacky dress up day. Answer: a

19. CCS – W RITING - D AY 18 Instructions: Answer the following questions. 33) If you were asked to write a paper in your Social Studies class, which of the following are topics you might discuss? a. How people in different cultures view events from different perspectives. b. How advances in communication and transportation have impacted globalization. c. Interpreting data to make comparisons between and among countries of the world. d. Both a and b e. All of the above 34) Decide if the following sentence is a good introductory sentence for an English paper analyzing S.E. Hinton’s The Outsiders. Throughout history, men and woman have always seemed at odds; men tend to favor war and brutality, while women embrace nurturing femininity and peace. S. E. Hinton’s “The Outsiders” plays on this idea. a. Yes, it provides a glimpse of what the essay will be about. b. No, it doesn’t really introduce an argument. Develop and strengthen writing by focusing on addressing what is most significant for a specific purpose. English I Problem: When writing a lab report for science, which of the following would you not include? a. The purpose or problem of the experiment. b. Previous research you conducted prior to the lab. c. A narrative telling how you felt when you were completing the lab. Answer: c

20. CCS – W RITING - D AY 19 Instructions: Select all of the answers that apply for each of the following questions. 35) If you are preparing a speech to be given at a meeting, which of the following would you be sure to include? a. A persuasive argument on the topic to convince the audience to see things your way. b. Background information on the topic to educate your audience on something with which they may be unfamiliar. c. A personal story that happened to you last week. d. A joke to warm up the crowd. 36) If you are asked to write a technical document, what types of things might you be writing about? a. Specific instructions to teach someone how to do something. b. A document that provides information about a specific topic related to science or technology. c. Specific equipment that can be used by professionals in a given field. Develop and strengthen writing by focusing on addressing what is most significant for a specific audience. English I Problem: When writing a letter to an editor of a newspaper, which of the following would you not include? a. Concrete reasons why you agree or disagree with a topic of or statement made in an article. b. Citation of any research you have done to support or contradict what was stated in the article. c. A narrative telling how you felt when you were reading the article. Answer: c

21. CCS – W RITING - D AY 20 Instructions: Answer the following questions. 37) If you are preparing an informative speech, which of the following is the least credible source for information? a. A person you stop on the street to ask for information b. An internet search using websites ending in.gov and.org c. A search in encyclopedias and other books relating to your topic from a library d. A magazine article found online 38) If you are asked to write a technical document, where would you look to learn more about the subject you are writing? a. Manufacturer’s website or phone interview to find out more about the product b. An encyclopedia that has information about your topic c. An internet search to find previously written technical documents about the subject. d. Both a and b Assess the usefulness of each source in answering the research question. English I Problem: When writing a formal essay, which of the following sources are you least likely to use for research? a. An online encyclopedia b. A personal blog c. An online journal catalog Answer: b

22. CCS – W RITING - D AY 21 Instructions: Select all the answers that apply for the following question. 39) If you are writing an essay on pesticide use on crops in the US, which of the following quotes would you most likely not include in the essay? a. About 10,000 insects are classified as pests that will destroy crops and livestock and transmit diseases (Grodner). b. According to Wikipedia, Sweden has halved its use of pesticides with hardly any reduction in crops. c. Without these important crop protection and pest control technologies, U.S. food production would decline, many fruits and vegetables would be in short supply, and the price of food would rise (Crop Life America). d. Pesticides, whether delivered via chemical applications or plant expression, are good and useful tools because they preserve yield and thus increase the efficiency of all the other inputs to the crop (http://appliedmythology.blogspot.com). e. Crop protection products help fight diseases that jeopardize public health by killing parasites like malaria (Crop Life America). f. I’m not saying that pesticides, herbicides, and insect repellants aren’t toxic. I certainly wouldn’t recommend drinking cocktails laced with insect-repelling chemicals, for without a doubt, they can be bad for you (http://blogs.scientificamerican.com). Integrate information into the text selectively to maintain the flow of ideas. English I Problem: Does the following paragraph about Beowulf integrate information successfully? M. H. Abrams and Stephen Greenblatt assert, "The poet was reviving the heroic language, style, and world of ancient Germanic oral poetry, but it is now widely believed that Beowulf is the work of a single poet who was a Christian and that his poem reflects Christian tradition." D.K. Crowne proposed the idea that the poem was passed down under the theory of oral-formulaic composition, which hypothesizes that epic poems were improvised by whoever was reciting them. Answer: No, there is no explanation or original thought provided for the claims.

23. CCS – W RITING - D AY 22 Instructions: Answer the following questions. 40) Which of the following citations is incorrect? a. Ebert, Roger. "An Inconvenient Truth." Rev. of An Inconvenient Truth, dir. Davis Guggenheim. rogerebert.com. Sun-Times News Group, 2 June 2006. Web. 24 May 2009. b. Leroux, Marcel. Global Warming: Myth Or Reality?: The Erring Ways of Climatology. New York: Springer, 2005. Print. c. Pepin, Ronald E. Literature of Satire in the Twelfth Century, 1988. 41) What is missing from the following citation? ---. "Global Warming Economics." Science 9 Nov. 2001: 1283- 84. Science Online. 24 May 2009 a. The publisher information. b. The second author’s name. c. Whether the information was in print or online. Follow a standard format for citation. English I Problem: What is wrong with the following statement? M. H. Abrams and Stephen Greenblatt assert, "The poet was reviving the heroic language, style, and world of ancient Germanic oral poetry, but it is now widely believed that Beowulf is the work of a single poet who was a Christian and that his poem reflects Christian tradition." Answer: There is no in-text citation provided.