R Preparing Students for the English Regents Exam, 2017

R Preparing Students for the English Regents Exam, 2017
Part II: Focus on Writing: Part II and III Presenter: Amy Benjamin for Western Suffolk BOCES

At-A-Glance: 32 Common Core Anchor Standards for Literacy (grades 3-12)
Amy Benjamin Educational Services, Inc. Reading: Writing: Speaking/Listening Language Key Ideas & Details: Types & Purposes: Comprehension & Collaboration: Knowledge of Language: Read closely. Track themes & summarize main ideas. 3. Understand and follow progressions. Write arguments. Write informative/ explanatory texts 3. Write narratives. Know the rules of formal standard written and spoken English and apply them when your audience expects you to do so. Accurately perceive the circumstances when your audience expects you to use a formal language tone. 2. The above includes the visuals of writing: spelling, capitalization, punctuation. 3. Understand that language is a changing social contract. Make effective choices. Expand your understanding of the language choices of others. 1.Develop socially appropriate conversational skills. 2. Verbally summarize information that you’ve heard, read, or seen. 3. Assess the credibility of what you read and hear, based on the language used. Production & Distribution: Craft and Structure: 4.Match your style to the expectations of your audience. 5. Use the writing process 6. Use technology as a collaborative tool. 4. Know what words & phrases mean in context. Analyze the structure of the text (how the author decided to arrange the story or information) 6. Assess how point of view or purpose affects meaning. : Research: Presentation of Ideas and Knowledge: 7. Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects. 8. Gather information from multiple sources. Judge the credibility of the sources. 9. Use both literary and informational texts to support, inform, and enrich your claims 4. Present meaningful ideas and information coherently and courteously. 5. Enhance formal presentations with visuals, including digital media. 6. Know the rules of formal spoken English and apply them when appropriate to the audience. Integration of Knowledge & Ideas : Vocabulary Acquisition and Use: 7. Understand charts, graphs, and other numerical representations. 8. Judge the validity of an argument, based on the language used. 9. Compare texts on the same subject. 4. Figure out what new words & phrases mean using context, word parts, dictionaries, a 5. Understand that words can be nuanced and can have multiple meanings. 6. Understand and use an academic/businesslike level of language. 10. Write routinely; both formally and informally; write polished pieces and on-demand; write to express knowledge and to formulate it. Revise, proofread, edit. 10 Comprehend complex text independently.

Text Complexity Measures for 11th Grade
Pearson Rdg Maturity Metric Degrees of Reading Power Source Rater Flesch- Kincaid Lexile ATOS 11.20- 14.10 67-74 1034- 14.20 12.30- 14.50

Test Part Suggested Time Standards Addressed Text Description Student
Test Blueprint Test Part Suggested Time Standards Addressed Text Description Student Task Part 1: Rdg Comp 60 minutes RL 1-6 RI 1-6; 8-10 L 3-5 3 texts: 1 literature, 1 poem, 1information up to 2,600 words, total 24 multiple choice Part II: Argumentation: Writing from Sources 90 minutes RL 1-10 W 1,4,9 L 1-6 4 information- based texts, probably inc. graphics Write an argumentative essay, referring to the sources given Part III: Text Analysis 30 minutes RL 1-6,10 RI 1-6,10 W. 2,4,9 1 text, up to 1,000 words literary or information Write essay: Identify central idea and analyze how the author uses one writing strategy (lit. element or technique; rhetorical strategy)

A Detailed Look at the Three Parts
of the English Regents Exam

“The ear is the only true writer and the only true reader. I’ve known
people who could read without hearing the sentence sounds and they were the fastest readers. Eye readers we call them. They get the meaning by glances. But they are bad readers because they miss the best part of what a good writer puts into his work.” -Robert Frost

Test Blueprint Test Part Suggested Time Standards Addressed Text Description Student Task Part 1: Rdg Comp 60 minutes Reading Standards 1- 6 3 texts: 1 literature, 1 poem, 1 information up to 2,600 words, total 24 multiple choice

Passage A: Look over the questions, note the lines in the text: 2 minutes
Reading Time: approx 6 minutes (approx. 1,000 words) Write a quick main idea sentence: 1 minute Multiple Choice time: 13 minutes (10 questions) 22 Passage B: Look over the questions, note the lines in the text: 2 minutes Reading Time: approx 2 minutes (approx 100 words) Multiple Choice time: 5 minutes (4 questions) 10 Passage C: Look over the questions, note the lines in the text: 2 minutes Reading time: approx. 6 minutes (approx. 1,000 words) Multiple Choice time: 13 minutes (6 questions) Est. 54 minutes for Part 1, 24 questions (6 minutes to spare)

Passage A: Fiction 3 4 1 2

2017 Passage B: Poem 11. 4 12. 4 13. 1 14. 1

2017 Passage A: Literary Non-Fiction 15. 2 16. 1 17. 4 18. 3 19. 2
20. 2 21. 2 22. 3 23. 4 24. 4

Review of Passage Selections from Past CC Regents Exams:
June 2014; August 2014; January 2015; June 2015; August 2015; January 2016; June 2016; January 2017; June 2017; August 2017 Pre- or Early 20C-style: Reading Comp: Text Analysis: James Joyce Arthur Conan Doyle Bram Stoker Chief of the Seneca Nation Henry David Thoreau Anton Chekhov Mark Twain Edith Wharton Anna Howard Shaw Patrick Henry Ernest Shackleton Jonathan Swift Willa Cather

Ollie McGee HAVE you seen walking through the village A man with downcast eyes and haggard face? That is my husband who, by secret cruelty Never to be told, robbed me of my youth and my beauty; Till at last, wrinkled and with yellow teeth, And with broken pride and shameful humility, I sank into the grave. But what think you gnaws at my husband’s heart? The face of what I was, the face of what he made me! These are driving him to the place where I lie. 10 In death, therefore, I am avenged.

SHE took my strength by minutes,
4. Fletcher McGee Fletcher McGee SHE took my strength by minutes, She took my life by hours, She drained me like a fevered moon That saps the spinning world. The days went by like shadows, The minutes wheeled like stars. She took the pity from my heart, And made it into smiles. She was a hunk of sculptor’s clay, My secret thoughts were fingers: 10 They flew behind her pensive brow And lined it deep with pain. They set the lips, and sagged the cheeks, And drooped the eyes with sorrow. My soul had entered in the clay, 15 Fighting like seven devils. It was not mine, it was not hers; She held it, but its struggles Modeled a face she hated, And a face I feared to see. 20 I beat the windows, shook the bolts. I hid me in a corner— And then she died and haunted me, And hunted me for life. 1. 1. Euclid: An ancient Greek (300 B.C.) scientist and mathematician who is credited with inventing the study of geometry.

R Preparing Students for the English Regents Exam, 2018
Presenter: Amy Benjamin for Western Suffolk BOCES:

Test Breakdown: 40%: Multiple Choice Reading Comprehension: Fiction Poem Literary non-fiction 40%: Argumentation essay, based on a social issue; 4 articles (pro/con/information) 20%: Rhetorical analysis of a literary excerpt

Topic Archive August, 2017: Should self-driving cars replace human drivers? June, 2017: Should school recess be structured play? January, 2017: Should the United States eliminate Daylight Savings Time? August, 2016: Should the United States government create strict sugar regulations? June, 2016: Should celebrities become the voice of humanitarian causes? January, 2016: Should food be genetically modified? August: 2015: Should American citizens be required to vote in national elections? June, 2015: Should college athletes be paid? January, 2015: Should extinct species be brought back into existence? August, 2014: Should the United States bid to host a future Olympic Games? June, 2014: Should companies be allowed to track consumers’ shopping or other preferences without permission?

Evaluate: Do these topics meet the criteria for Part II (Argumentation):
Who, if anyone other than themselves, bears responsibility for the deaths of Romeo and Juliet? 1a. Should there be a legal age for marriage? If so, what should it be? 2. Is Atticus Finch justified in his parenting decision when Jem destroys Mrs. Dubose’s camellias? 2a. Does race play a role in America’s criminal justice system? 3. Is George in any way responsible for Lennie’s death? 3a. Public Law (“Rosa’s Law”) replaced the term “mental retardation” with “intellectual disability.” Do you agree that this change serves a purpose? 4. Select a main character in A Raisin in the Sun. Could that character achieve his or her dreams today? 4a. Should the government intervene in real estate sales practices?

Test Blueprint Test Part Suggested Time Standards Addressed Text Description Student Task Part II: Argumentation Writing from Sources 80 minutes RL 1-10 W 1,4,9 L 1-6 4 information- based texts, probably inc. graphics up to 2,600 words, total Write an argumentative essay, referring to the sources given Reading time: Text 1: 3 minutes Text 2: 3 minutes Text 3: 4 ½ minutes Text 4: 2 minutes Text 5: 5 minutes Total: 18 minutes Writing Time: 3 minutes: Read the Directions 5 minutes: Written plan 50 minutes: Write the essay Total: Approx. 80 minutes (Combined with the 6 minutes left over from Part 1, I now have 16 extra minutes.)

Foundational Values Note: These are overlapping:
Democratic Principles: Personal freedom, privacy, expression of individuality, promotion of democracy, the right to be left alone, civil liberties, honoring the past Sense of Community: Helping others, sharing resources, considering future generations; establishing sense of belonging; caring for loved ones Desire for safety and security: Protection against enemies, protection of resources, having sufficient food and shelter, avoiding and responding to natural disaster, maintaining health Economics: Maintaining sufficient resources for now and the future, protecting personal fortunes while offering opportunities to everyone Beauty, Pleasure, Convenience; Fairness

Ingredients of Informational Text
Background to the Issue (Introduction) Acknowledgement of the opposing side (Counterclaim) Examples Anecdotes (little stories) Comparison/Contrast Cause & Effect (If…then statements) Working definitions Quotations (references to authorities) Rhetorical questions Statistics Summaries Emotional language Technical language Variety of perspectives (I, we, you, he, she, they)

Writing Rubric: Common Core Standards, Grades 6-12: English Language Arts and Literacy for
History, Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects Type: Argumentation Pre-Novice Novice Semi-Pro Pro Effectively does NONE of the following: States importance of issue Makes a claim Acknowledges opposing claim Effectively does ONE of the following: States importance of issue Makes a claim Acknowledges opposing claim(s) Effectively does TWO of the following: States importance of issue Makes a claim Acknowledges opposing claim(s) Effectively does ALL of the following: States importance of issue Makes a claim Acknowledges opposing claim(s) Writing an introduction Mentions, but does not develop, sufficient evidence; Does not attend to opposing claim(s) Develops claims and opposing claims thoroughly and fairly with evidence: facts, stats, reasons, examples, anecdotes Developing an argument No relevant facts, statistics, reasons, or evidence. Good start toward developing claims and opposing claims; Includes some substantial evidence All or mostly simple sentences with no or very few transition words and conjunctions used No paragraphing Establishes clear and effective organization through: paragraphing, sectioning, complex sentences, transitions and other linking devices Expressing relationships between ideas A few organizational structures and transitional words Transitions from paragraph to paragraph, but needs more internal transition and linkage within paragraphs Using Tier II and II Vocabulary No Tier II or III vocabulary used A few Tier II and II vocabulary used Tier II and III vocabulary are evident, but there are several instances where Tier II vocabulary should be used instead of Tier I Sufficient, appropriate use of Tier II and III language throughout Using formal writing tone Overall tone is too informal, including some or all of: “texting” abbreviations, slang, messiness, errors in spelling, punctuation, grammar Attempt at formal writing style, but needs more proofreading and/or care in presentation Good attempt at formal writing style and proofreading, but a few glaring errors indicate that more careful proofreading is needed Formal writing tone used throughout; Few or no glaring errors in spelling, grammar, punctuation, capitalization; obvious care in presentation Writing a conclusion no conclusion Good start toward a strong conclusion that follows from the evidence and makes an impact on the reader Sketchy conclusion that just restates the claim and/or the issue; does not make an impact on the reader Strong conclusion that follows from the evidence presented and makes an impact on the reader Developed by Amy Benjamin in accordance with the Common Core State Standards for Literacy in English Language Arts and Social Studies, Science, Technical Subjects,

Scaffolding the Writing Task for
Sentence Frames: Scaffolding the Writing Task for Special Education Students, English Language Learners, and Everyone Else

To write, you need three things:
Something to Say Sentences to Hold the Words The Words to Say It

A good argument is a response to opposition:

Use this frames at the outset of your argument to introduce an ongoing
debate: In discussions of _____________, one controversial issue has been ___________________________. People who believe____________ claim that________________________________. On the other hand, those who believe _____________________________ assert that ______________________________________________________. My own view is __________________________________________.

Use this frame to establish common ground on a controversial issue:
When it comes to the topic of ______________________, most of us would agree that ____________________________. Where this agreement ends, however, is on the question of _____________________. Whereas some are convinced that _______________________________. others maintain that___________________________________________. My own view is that____________________________________________.

Use these frames as you acknowledge that the opposing side has a certain
degree to validity: While at one time it may have been true that__________________, we can now state that____________________________________. ___________________ makes sense when he/she/they say________ ________________, but _____________________________________. Despite the validity of ______________________’s claim about ____________, he/she/they miss the mark when it comes to________________________ because___________________________________________________.

Use these frames to establish working definitions of key terms:
For the purpose of this discussion, I will define _______________________ as __________________________________________________________. Although you might think of ______________________as being just another_________________________, I define it as_______________________ _________________________________________________________________.

Use these frames to establish or deny a comparison:
_______________________ is like ___________________________. They both _______________________________________________. __________________________(s) may say that ___________________ is like _______________________________, but the comparison is false because while _________________________________________ is______________________________, it is not as ________________ as they claim.

Use these frames to establish the importance of this topic:
______________ is important because__________________. We should care about______________because if_____________, then_________________________. Ultimately, what is at stake here is____________________________. My discussion of _________________ addresses the larger matter of _____________________.

Sentence Frames for Argumentation
Use these noun phrases to negatively characterize your opponents: those who disregard those who take a narrow view pessimists people who live in the past naysayers people who are unaware those who would have us believe those on the sidelines those who live only for the moment hardliners Use these noun phrases to positively characterize your supporters: progressive thinkers prudent thinkers those who think about proactive people those who care about civic-minded people those who know about serious people those who understand people with regard for optimists realists

Use your sentence frames.
5 Minute Plan What is the question? What is my viewpoint? (claim) Why is this issue important? What is the counterclaim? What valid points does the counterclaim have? But why am I still right? What are my parting words of warning? (If…then…) Connectives: but, however although, even though, nevertheless therefore, so Use your sentence frames. Use your academic word list.

account for 70% of words used in English.
Tier 3: glossary word: Multisyllabic Specific to a subject area Latin or Greek-based topography, photosynthesis, cartography extrude, metamorphose, striate sedimentary, organic, leeward Tier 2: Words of education, business, government, religion: Components: Prefix, root, suffix Latin-based elevation, formation, protrusion, expanse… elevate, formulate, isolate, develop… remote, irregular, precipitous Tier 1: Basic conversational words: Friends & family 1 or 2 syllables Learned naturally, through exposure hills, grass, rocks, land, sky, clouds, …grow, fly, climb, …green, high, rocky, grassy FYI: Most common 1,000 words account for 70% of words used in English. Different kinds of vocabulary.

The Academic Word List (AWL):
Background: The Academic Word List consists of 570 word families that are not in the most frequent 2,000 words of English but which occur frequently over a very wide range of academic texts. These 570 word families are grouped into ten subsets that reflect word frequency. A word like analyze falls into Subset 1, which contains the most frequent words, while the word adjacent falls into Subset 10 which includes the least frequent (among this list of high incidence words). The AWL is not restricted to a specific field of study. That means that the words are useful for learners studying in disciplines as varied as literature, science, health, business, and law. This high-utility academic word list does not contain technical words likely to appear in one, specific field of study such as amortization, petroglyph, onomatopoeia, or cartilage. Two-thirds of all academic English derive from Latin or Greek. Understandably, knowledge of the most high-incidence academic words in English can significantly boost a student’s comprehension level of school-based reading material. Students who are taught these high-utility academic words and routinely placed in contexts requiring their usage are likely to be able to master academic material with more confidence and efficiency, wasting less time and energy in guessing words or consulting dictionaries than those who are only equipped with the most basic words that characterize ordinary conversation. The following link gives you a two-page version of the list: Source: Coxhead, Averil. (2000). A new academic word list. TESOL Quarterly, 34,

go to AWL Regents Exam PPT

(Taking a little break from the list)
10% of the nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs in academic textbooks and tests are on this list. 4.5% of the nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs in newspapers are on this list. 1.4% of the nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs in fiction and poetry are on this list. 80% of the words derive from Latin and Greek word components.

Vocabulary-Content-Sentence (VCS) Daily Practice:
(from Subset 3): proportion imply layer link justify ensure outcome Write a sentence about something we are learning this week, employing one of these words. You may change the form of the words to fit your sentence. Your sentence must be at least 8 words long. Integrating the AWL

Test Blueprint: Revisited Test Part Suggested Time Standards Addressed Text Description Student Task Part III: Text Analysis 40 minutes (46 minutes) RL 1-6,10 RI 1-6,10 W. 2,4,9 L 1-6 1 text, up to 1,000 words literary or information Write essay: Identify central idea and analyze how the author uses one writing strategy (lit. element or technique; rhetorical strategy) Reading Time: 5 minutes Writing Time: 1 minute: Read Directions 4 minutes: Written Plan 30 minutes: Write 3 paragraphs

Level 4 Response from the Anchor Papers:
Elizabeth: The central idea of this text is that misunderstandings and the lack of knowledge may cause one to lose hope in life. One literary technique that helps develop this central idea is characterization.

How to authors convey character traits? (characterization techniques)
Is there anything revealing or ironic about the character’s name? What does the author make you picture about the character’s appearance? How does the character behave toward others? What does the character care about? What does the character say? How does she react to what others say? What adjectives does the author use to describe the character? What is our first impression of the character? How does the author direct your emotional response to the character?

Level 4 Response from the Anchor Papers:
Kellan: Ignorance, particularly in youth, has a tendency to lead to further misconceptions that are completely removed from the reality of the situation. The author of this text utilizes the literary technique of irony in order to prove that a simple misunderstanding can ignite a series of falsely-made decisions or actions. Three kinds of irony: Dramatic irony (Reader or audience sees or knows something of which the characters are unaware) Verbal irony (wordplay, sarcasm) Situational irony (“Uh-oh. This didn’t turn out quite like I thought.”)

In________________________, ______________________________
Thesis Statement Frame: Part III Regents Exam: “…identify a central idea in the text and analyze how the author’s the use of one writing strategy develops the central idea…” In________________________, ______________________________ employs_______________________ to_____________________________________________________. (title of piece) (author’s name) (method: irony, sensory detail, dialogue, vivid descriptions of the setting, contrast, metaphor, first person point-of-view, a satirical tone, techniques of characterization, repetition, et. al. ) (effect:)

Thematic Statements About Literature
In literature, as in life, people may be troubled by… People may be troubled by… In literature, as in life, _______ is a common problem. ______is a common problem. In literature, as in life, ________often causes conflict. _______often causes conflict…

Thematic Statements About Literature
In literature, as in life, People may be troubled by a lack of … In literature, as in life, Excessive_______ is a common problem. In literature, as in life, A misunderstanding about________often causes conflict.

R Preparing Students for the English Regents Exam, 2017

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