Unit 3

UNIT
American Forums:
The Marketplace ofIdeas
Visual Prompt: TV news, news magazines, newspapers, radio, and the Internet give us sometimes
vital, and sometimes trivial, facts and opinions, creating a swirling array of often conflicting
information. How do you obtain news and other information?
Unit Overview
2018 College Board. All rights reserved.
The chaos of information overload particular where opinions can be

can create an overwhelming presence shared, heard, and responded to is the
in our lives, yet this information is newspaper op-ed page. In this context,
also crucial to our ability to make and in many others, satire is often
informed decisions about everything used by social critics to challenge or
from personal beliefs to public policy. comment upon prevailing attitudes.
Indeed, the ways in which these ideas In this unit, you will learn to discern a
and voices interact with each other news story from an opinion piece and
create a marketplace of ideasa a satirical text, and you will be better
forum through which we can shape, prepared to know where to go when
test, and revise our own perspectives you want to find out what America is
on our society and the issues that thinkingand to create texts that may
dominate the day. One place in influence that thinking.
UNIT American Forums:
3 The Marketplace of Ideas
GOALS: Contents
To analyze and create
Activities
editorial and opinion pieces
To identify and analyze 3.1 Previewing the Unit ................................................................ 202
fallacious reasoning in a text
3.2 Rights and Responsibility........................................................ 203
To analyze how writers use
Historical Document: First Amendment to the United States
logic, evidence, and rhetoric
to advance opinions Constitution
To define and apply the Informational Text: The Role of the Media in a Democracy, by
appeals and devices of George A. Krimsky
rhetoric
To analyze and apply
3.3 Introducing the Media ............................................................. 212
satirical techniques 3.4 The Newspaper Debate ............................................................216
To examine and apply Editorial: How the Rise of the Daily Me Threatens Democracy,
syntactic structures in the
written and spoken word by Cass Sunstein
Editorial: The Newspaper Is DyingHooray for Democracy, by
Andrew Potter
LC Language Checkpoint: Recognizing Frequently
ACADEMIC VOCABULARY
reasoning Confused Words ...................................................................... 224
evidence
bias 3.5 News or Views: A Closer Look ..................................................227
editorial Article: Facebook Photos Sting Minnesota High School Students,
fallacies from the Associated Press
parody
caricature 3.6 The Bias of Rhetoric ................................................................ 234
3.7 Fair and Balanced .................................................................... 236
Editorial: Abolish high school football! by Raymond A. Schroth
Literary Terms

target audience 3.8 How to Read an Editorial ......................................................... 240
secondary audience Editorial: Facing Consequences at Eden Prairie High, from the
concession Minneapolis/St. Paul Star Tribune
refutation
slanters 3.9 How to Write an Editorial ......................................................... 244
satire
Editorial: Time to raise the bar in high schools,
Horatian satire
Juvenalian satire by Jack OConnell
persona Editorial: New Michigan Graduation Requirements Shortchange
objective tone Many Students, by Nick Thomas
subjective tone
3.10 Wheres Your Proof? ................................................................ 251
3.11 Reading and Writing a Letter to the Editor .............................. 253
Editorial: Why I Hate Cell Phones, by Sara Reihani
3.12 Fallacies 101 ........................................................................... 257
200 SpringBoard English Language Arts Grade 11

Language and Writers
3.13 How to Read and Write an Editorial Cartoon ........................... 260 Craft
Informational Text: An Inside Look at Editorial Cartoons, Diction and Tone (3.2)
by Bill Brennen Cumulative or Loose
Sentence Patterns (3.19)
*Sample Editorial Cartoons
Embedded Assessment 1: Creating an Op-Ed News Project ............ 265
3.14 Previewing Embedded Assessment 2 and
MY INDEPENDENT
Introducing Satire ................................................................... 267
READING LIST
3.15 Identifying the Elements of Satire ........................................... 269
Satire: Lets Hear It for the Cheerleaders, by David Bouchier
3.16 The Satirical Spectrum ............................................................ 274
*Sample Editorial Cartoons
3.17 The Tone of Satire ....................................................................276
Satire: Girl Moved to Tears by Of Mice and Men Cliffs Notes,
from The Onion
3.18 Writing a Parody ...................................................................... 279
Parody: In Depth, but Shallowly, by Dave Barry
3.19 Need Some Advice? ................................................................ 284
Satire: Advice to Youth, by Mark Twain
3.20 Twain in Twain ......................................................................... 290
Satire: The War Prayer, by Mark Twain
3.21 The Satirical Critique ............................................................... 294
Satire: Gambling in Schools, by Howard Mohr

Satire: How to Poison the Earth, by Linnea Saukko
Embedded Assessment 2: Writing a Satirical Piece ........................ 301
*Texts not included in these materials.
Unit 3 American Forums: The Marketplace of Ideas 201

ACTIVITY Previewing the Unit
3.1
Learning Targets
LEARNING STRATEGIES: Examine the key ideas and vocabulary for the unit.
Close Reading, Graphic
Organizer, Marking the Text, Identify and analyze the skills and knowledge necessary for success in
Summarizing, Paraphrasing, completing the Embedded Assessment.
Think-Pair-Share
Making Connections
If you have ever listened to talk radio, watched cable news shows, or browsed
the Web and social media sites, you may have seen many different versions of
My Notes the same information. Some news is presented with a biased point of view, and
when it comes to the expression of editorial opinions, sources often rely heavily on
language and evidence that attempt to persuade through manipulation. So when
you come into contact with the news, you should ask what information you are
receiving and not receiving, where that information came from, and whether the
purveyor of the news might have an agenda. In this unit, you will learn more about
how to identify bias and how language is sometimes used as a substitute for logic.
Good writers use evidence and reasoning to support their claims; the failure to do
so can result in fallacies.
Essential Questions
Based on your current knowledge, respond to the Essential Questions.
1. How do news outlets impact public opinion or public perception?
2. How does a writer use tone to advance an opinion?
INDEPENDENT
READING LINK
Read and Research Unpacking Embedded Assessment 1

During this unit, you will Read the assignment for Embedded Assessment 1: Creating an Op-Ed News Project.
read a local, national, or Working in groups, your assignment is to plan, develop, write, revise, and
online newspaper every present an informational article on a timely and debatable issue of significance
day. Create a log to keep to your school community, local community, or national audience. After your
track of what and when you group completes its article, you will individually develop a variety of editorial
read, and write down the products that reflect your point of view (agreement, alternative, or opposing)
titles of significant articles on the topic. Be creative with your editorial products and include at least two
that you encountered in
different pieces, such as cartoons, editorials, letters, posters, photos, and so on.
each section. Dont just read
the first page or landing
page (if you are reading an With your class, read closely and mark the text for the knowledge and skills you
online publication); navigate must have to successfully complete this project.
through all the sections.
Each day, cut out, scan, copy,
or photograph one article
that you enjoyed reading.
Choose a publication that
interests you, since you will
be spending considerable
time with it.

Rights and Responsibility ACTIVITY
3.2
Learning Targets
Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text. LEARNING STRATEGIES:
Quickwrite, Diffusing,
Summarize the opinion of a writer using textual details as support. Metacognitive Markers,
Socratic Seminar
Rights and the American Dream
While the American Dream is central to Americans shared sense of identity,
another defining belief of the American people is in the importance of free speech.
As Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes famously observed in 1919, My Notes
the best test of truth is the power of the thought to get itself accepted in the
competition of the market. Viewed in this way, the expression of contrasting and
even conflicting ideas and opinions provides information that is crucial to our ability
to make informed decisions about everything from personal beliefs to public policy.
Indeed, the ways in which these ideas and voices interact with each other help us to
shape, test, and revise our own perspectives on the issues that dominate our lives.
This unit, with its focus on the media, begins with an in-depth examination of the
constitutional amendment guaranteeing U.S. citizens their freedom of speech.
In Unit 1, you read the First Amendment to the United States Constitution as part
of your study of the Bill of Rights. Refresh your memory of the First Amendment by
rereading the text.
Historical Document
First Amendment to the
United States Constitution
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the
free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the
people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
Working from the Text

1. Each of the following terms is taken verbatim from the First Amendment. Read
through the list and then underline each word or term where it appears in the
text of the First Amendment. Next, define each term. Feel free to use a dictionary
or other resource as allowed or provided by your teacher.
respecting
establishment
prohibiting
free exercise
thereof
abridge
the press
peaceably
assemble
petition
redress
grievances

ACTIVITY 3.2
Rights and Responsibility
continued
2. Now transform the text by rewriting the First Amendment in the space below,
My Notes replacing the vocabulary words with their definitions. In some cases, your
definition may fit exactly; in others, you may need to rework the phrasing.
3. The First Amendment includes four basic rights or freedoms. What are they?
Which of these will be the focus of this unit?
Preview
During the rest of this activity, you will read an informational text and participate
in a Socratic Seminar to discuss the ideas of a free press, individual responsibility,
and democracy.
Setting a Purpose for Reading

Use metacognitive markers to note anything that raises a question for you (?),
anything you find surprising (!), and anything that connects to the First
Amendment (*).
Circle unknown words and phrases. Try to determine the meaning of the words
by using context clues, word parts, or a dictionary.
Underline any rhetorical devices you can identify, and note the device.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
For 45 years, George Krimsky worked as a journalist, author, lecturer, and
media critic. He served with the Associated Press for 16 years, both in the
United States and abroad, and was eventually appointed the head of the
APs World Services News Department. In 1984 he left to found the Center
for Foreign Journalists, now known as the ICFJ.

ACTIVITY 3.2
continued
Informational Text
My Notes
The Role of the Media
in a Democracy
by George A. Krimsky
Chunk 1
In a free-market democracy, the people ultimately make the decision as to how their press
should act, says George Krimsky, the former head of news for the Associated Press World
Services and author of Hold the Press (The Inside Story on Newspapers).
1 Volumes have been written about the role of the mass media in a democracy.
The danger in all this examination is to submerge the subject under a sludge of
platitudes. The issue of whether a free press is the best communications solution in a platitudes: clichd statements
democracy is much too important at the close of this century and needs to be examined
dispassionately.
2 Before addressing the subject, it helps to define the terminology. In the broadest
sense, the media embraces the television and film entertainment industries, a vast array
of regularly published printed material, and even public relations and advertising. The
press is supposed to be a serious member of that family, focusing on real life instead
of fantasy and serving the widest possible audience. A good generic term for the press
in the electronic age is news media. The emphasis in this definition is on content, not
technology or delivery system, because the pressat least in developed countriescan
be found these days on the Internet, the fax lines, or the airwaves.
3 A self-governing society, by definition, needs to make its own decisions. It cannot
do that without hard information, leavened with an open exchange of views. Abraham
Lincoln articulated this concept most succinctly when he said: Let the people know succinctly: briefly and accurately
the facts, and the country will be safe.
4 Some might regard Lincolns as a somewhat naive viewpoint, given the complexities
and technologies of the 20th century; but the need for public news has been a
cornerstone of Americas system almost from the start.
5 Thomas Jefferson felt so strongly about the principle of free expression he said
something that non-democrats must regard as an absurdity: If it were left to me to
decide whether we should have a government without newspapers or newspapers
without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter. The
implication of those words is that self-governance is more essential than governance
itself. Not so absurd, perhaps, if you had just fought a war against an oppressive
government.
Chunk 2
6 In the wake of Americas successful revolution, it was decided there should indeed
be government, but only if it were accountable to the people. The people, in turn,
could only hold the government accountable if they knew what it was doing and could
intercede as necessary, using their ballot, for example. This role of public watchdog
was thus assumed by a citizen press, and as a consequence, the government in the
United States has been kept out of the news business. The only government-owned
or-controlled media in the United States are those that broadcast overseas, such as the
Voice of America. By law, this service is not allowed to broadcast within the country.

ACTIVITY 3.2
continued
subsidy: financial support There is partial government subsidy to public television and radio in the United States,
but safeguards protect it against political interference.
7 Because the Constitution is the highest law in the land, any attempts by courts,
GRAMMAR USAGE
legislators and law enforcement officers to weaken protected liberties, such as free
Rhetorical Devices
expression, are generally preventable.
A rhetorical question is
a figure of speech in the 8 Fairly simple in theory, but how has all this worked out?
form of a question that an
9 Generally speaking, pretty well, although the concept of a free press is challenged
authorasks to emphasize
and defended every day in one community or another across the land. The American
a point rather than elicit an
press has always been influential, often powerful and sometimes feared, but it has
answer. Rhetorical questions
often occur immediately after
seldom been loved. As a matter of fact, journalists today rank in the lower echelons of
a comment and suggest the public popularity. They are seen as too powerful on the one hand, and not trustworthy
opposite of itthe idea is to on the other.
make a point more prominent. 10 In its early days, the American press was little more than a pamphleteering
Authors often use rhetorical industry, owned by or affiliated with competing political interests and engaged in a
questioning as a persuasive constant war of propaganda. Trust was not an issue. What caused the press to become
device to influence the kind of an instrument for democratic decision-making was the variety of voices. Somehow, the
response they want from an common truth managed to emerge from under that chaotic pile of information and
audience.
misinformation. A quest for objectivity was the result.
Notice the question in
Chunk 3
paragraph8. The reader
is not expected to answer 11 Many critics have questioned whether there is such a thing as objectivity. Indeed,
this question, but rather no human being can be truly objective; we can only seek objectivity and impartiality in
to understand that the the pursuit of truth. Journalists can try to keep their personal views out of the news, and
application of constitutional they employ a number of techniques to do so, such as obtaining and quoting multiple
theory has not proven simple sources and opposing views.
at all. 12 The question is whether the truth always serves the public. At times, the truth can
Find another rhetorical do harm. If the truthful report of a small communal conflict in, say, Africa, leads to
question that the author more civil unrest, is the public really being served? The journalistic puristsoften those
uses and discuss its effect sitting in comfortable chairs far from conflictsay it is not their job toplay God in
with apartner. such matters, and that one should not shoot the messenger for the message.

13 If, however, one takes the rigid view that the truth always needs to be controlled
or Lenins dictum that truth is partisanthe door is wide open for enormous abuse, as
impartiality: lack of support for
history has demonstrated time and again. It is this realization (and fear) that prompted
one side or the other Jefferson to utter that absurdity about the supreme importance of an uncensored press.
partisan: supports one party over 14 What Jefferson and the constitutional framers could not have foreseen, however,
another was how modern market forces would expand and exploit the simple concept of free
expression. While media with meager resources in most developing countries are
suppressing: holding down or still struggling to keep governments from suppressing news that Westerners take for
back granted, the mass media in America, Britain, Germany and elsewhere are preoccupied
with their role as profitable businesses and the task of securing a spot on tomorrows
electronic superhighway. In such an environment, truth in the service of the public
seems almost a quaint anachronism.
inherent: built-in 15 Is the capitalist drive an inherent obstacle to good journalism? In one sense, the
marketplace can be the ally, rather than the enemy of a strong, free media. For the
public to believe what it reads, listens to and sees in the mass media, the product must
be credible. Otherwise, the public will not buy the product, and the company will lose
money. So, profitability and public service can go hand in hand. What a media company
does with its money is the key. If it uses a significant portion of its profits to improve its
newsgathering and marketing capabilities and eliminate dependence upon others for

ACTIVITY 3.2
continued
its survival (e.g. state subsidies, newsprint purchases, or access to printing facilities),
the product improves, and the public is served. If it uses its profits primarily to make its My Notes
owners rich, it might as well be selling toothpaste.
16 The assumption in this argument is that the public overwhelmingly wants to
believe its news media, and that it will use this credible information to actively and
reasonably conduct its public affairs. Unfortunately, that assumption is not as valid as
it was in simpler times. In affluent societies today, media consumers are seeking more
and more entertainment, and the news medias veracity (even its plausibility) is less veracity: truthfulness
important than its capacity to attract an audience. plausibility: believability
17 But, you say, look at the new technology that can penetrate any censorship system
in the world. Look at the choices people have today. Look at how accessible information
is today. Yes, the choices may be larger, but a case can be made they are not deeper
that big money is replacing quality products and services with those of only the most
massive appeal. The banquet table may be larger, but if it only contains junk food,
is there really more choice? Declining literacy, for example, is a real problem in the
so-called developed world. Thats one reason why newspapers are so worried about
theirfuture.
Chunk 4
18 Where is the relevance of all this to the emerging democracies around the world?
Certainly the American experience, for all its messiness, provides a useful precedent, if precedent: prior example
not always a model.
19 For example, when one talks about an independent media, it is necessary to
include financial independence as a prerequisite, in addition to political independence.
The American revenue-earning model of heavy reliance on advertising is highly
suspect in many former communist countries, but one has to weigh the alternatives.
Are government and party subsidies less imprisoning? If journalists are so fearful of
contamination by advertiser pressure, they can build internal walls between news
and business functions, similar to those American newspapers erected earlier in this
century.
20 If they are fearful of political contamination of the information-gathering process,
they can build another wall separating the newsroom from the editorial department
another important concept in modern American journalism.
21 The problem in many new democracies is that journalists who once had to toe
the single-party line equate independence with opposition. Because they speak out
against the government, they say they are independent. But havent they just tradedone
affiliation for another? There is little room for unvarnished truth in a partisan press. affiliation: close association
22 Is objectivity a luxury in societies that have only recently begun to enjoy the
freedom to voice their opinions? Listen to a Lithuanian newspaper editor shortly after
his country gained its independence: I want my readers to know what their heads
are for. His readers were used to being told not only what to think about, but what to
think. Democracy requires the public to make choices and decisions. This editor wanted
to prepare citizens for that responsibility with articles that inform but do not pass
judgment. His circulation increased.
23 Though nearly 60 percent of the worlds nations today are declared democracies
a monumental change from a mere decade agomost of them have nevertheless
instituted press laws that prohibit reporting on a whole array of subjects ranging from
the internal activity and operations of government to the private lives of leaders. Some
of these are well-intentioned efforts to preserve public stability. But all of them, ALL of
them, undermine self-governance.

ACTIVITY 3.2
continued
24 The watchdog role of the free press can often appear as mean-spirited. How do the
My Notes government and public protect themselves from its excesses? In the United States, it is
done in a variety of ways. One, for example, is the use of ombudsmen. In this case,
news organizations employ an in-house critic to hear public complaints and either
publish or broadcast their judgments. Another is the creation of citizens councils which
sit to hear public complaints about the press and then issue verdicts, which, although
not carrying the force of law, are aired widely.
libel: publishing a false statement 25 Last, and most effective, is libel law. In the United States, a citizen can win a
that hurts someones reputation substantial monetary award from a news organization if libel is proven in a court of law.
It is much harder for a public official or celebrity than an ordinary citizen to win a libel
case against the press, because the courts have ruled that notoriety comes with being in
notable: well-known person the limelight. In most cases, the complaining notable must prove malice aforethought.
26 There is nothing in the American constitution that says the press must be
responsible and accountable. Those requirements were reserved for government.
In a free-market democracy, the peoplethat is the voters and the buying public
semblance: outward appearance ultimately decide as to how their press should act. If at least a semblance of truth-in-
the-public-service does not remain a motivating force for the mass media of the future,
neither free journalism nor true democracy has much hope, in my opinion.
27 The nature and use of new technology is not the essential problem. If true
journalists are worried about their future in an age when everyone with a computer
can call themselves journalists, then the profession has to demonstrate that it is special,
that it offers something of real value and can prove it to the public. There is still a need
todayperhaps more than everfor identifying sense amidst the nonsense, for sifting
the important from the trivial, and, yes, for telling the truth. Those goals still constitute
mandate: authorization the best mandate for a free press in a democracy.
28 George Washingtons admonition, uttered at the Constitutional Convention, still
repair: go back stands: Let us raise a standard to which the wise and honest can repair.
Second Read
Reread the informational text to answer these text-dependent questions.

Write any additional questions you have about the text in your Reader/Writer
Notebook.
4. Craft and Structure: The prefix dis- generally reverses the meaning of a
word. Using this information, and your knowledge of suffixes, what does
dispassionately mean in paragraph 1?
5. Knowledge and Ideas: Which details in paragraphs 37 show the authors

reasoning for arguing in favor of the importance of the free press clause of the
First Amendment?

ACTIVITY 3.2
continued
6. Craft and Structure: How do words and phrases such as dispassionately

(paragraph 1), it was decided (paragraph 6), accountable (paragraph 6), My Notes
and generally speaking (paragraph 9) set a tone that contributes to Krimskys
persuasiveness?
7. Craft and Structure: In paragraph 11, how does Krimsky say journalists try to
be objective? How does he use this technique in paragraph 12?
8. Key Ideas and Details: In Chunk 4, in what two ways does Krimsky say
the media must be independent? How does he suggest that these goals
beachieved?
9. Key Ideas and Details: What does Krimsky mean in paragraph 21 when he
suggests that newly free journalists who oppose the government have traded
one affiliation for another?
10. Key Ideas and Details: How does the anecdote about the Lithuanian
newspaper editor in paragraph 22 illustrate Krimskys central idea regarding
objectivity? How do the editors readers respond?
11. Craft and Structure: Based on Krimskys conclusion, what is his point of view
about the importance of a free press within a democracy?

ACTIVITY 3.2
continued
12. Craft and Structure: Based on the context of the last sentence, what is an
My Notes admonition?

13. You will next participate in a Socratic Seminar. To prepare for the Socratic
Seminar, review the texts in this activity and respond to the pre-seminar
questions. Use details from each text to support your thinking.
Pre-seminar questions:
How important is a free press to a democratic society? What is the balance
between the freedoms guaranteed by the First Amendment and the
responsibility of the individual in our society?
Why is it important that the government is not involved with the media?
Write one of your own open-ended questions based on the text.
Language and Writers Craft: Diction and Tone

When writers make an argument, they choose between a subjective or an
objective tone to convey information. Writers may use a subjective tone if they
want to provide an opinion that contains a biased viewpoint, or they might
use an objective tone if they want to convey unbiased facts that pertain to the
argument. Each choice has its merits and drawbackswhen readers know
an argument is subjective, it may feel more personal and contain emotions
and judgment. When an argument is objective, it may feel as though the

writers opinions have been removed from the equation to produce a purely
fact-based argument. Pay close attention to a writers diction, or word choice,
in order to ascertain whether the tone is subjective or objective. Subjective
arguments tend to contain more emotional or opinionated language: The
American press has seldom been loved. Objective arguments tend to
contain more neutral or factual language: the media embraces the television
and film entertainment industries, a vast array of regularly published printed
material, and even public relations and advertising.
How do you know which tone to take in crafting an argument? First, consider
your audience. A meeting with your teacher about raising a grade might
not benefit from subjective emotional language. However, if you provide
objective, measurable facts about your performance, the teacher may be
more likely to consider your point ofview.
PRACTICE Choose one paragraph from The Role of the Media in a

Democracy and analyze whether the tone is objective or subjective. Which
clues from the writers diction indicate objectivity or subjectivity? Then,
rewrite the paragraph in the opposing tone, paying close attention to diction.

ACTIVITY 3.2
continued
Explain How an Author Builds an Argument

My Notes
Krimsky begins his essay by defining terminology and revisiting some historical
and key ideas about the founding of the U.S. government. Write an essay that
explains how Krimsky continues to structure his essay to persuade readers of
the vital role of free media within a democracy. How effective is this structure in
conveying Krimskys ideas in a convincing way? Be sure to:
Use diction and precise language that maintain an objective tone as you
describe Krimskys structure.
Employ logical organization as you build an explanation of how Krimskys
ideasprogress.
Develop your explanation by citing significant and relevant quotations, making
sure not to introduce errors of fact or understanding.

ACTIVITY Introducing the Media
3.3
Learning Targets
LEARNING STRATEGIES: Examine a news source and identify its focus.
Think-Pair-Share, Questioning
the Text Explain how a medium is tailored for a specific audience.
News Media Survey

1. Rank the following media outlets in the order you would turn to them for
My Notes information on a major news story. (Use 1 to indicate the outlet you would turn
to most often. Write N/A to indicate you would not use that outlet.)
Newspaper Radio News
Local TV News News Magazines
Cable News Station News Podcast
Word of Mouth Social Media
Websites/Internet
2. Rank the following media outlets for accuracy and trustworthiness in how they
present information. (Rank the most trustworthy outlet 1.)
Websites/Internet
3. Think back on the past month. About how much time (in hours) did you spend
receiving news (not entertainment) from the following media outlets?

Websites/Internet
4. Rank each of the following reasons that you might give for not reading
newspapers. (Write 1 next to the reason most appropriate for you. Write N/A if
you disagree with the statement.)
_______ They are boring.
_______ They take too long to read.
_______ They dont have information that applies to me and my life.
_______ They usually focus on scandals, politics, and gossip.
_______ They are often filled with mistakes and lies.
_______ Other:
5. Do you feel that it is important to be knowledgeable about news? Explain.

ACTIVITY 3.3
continued
Exploring Newspapers
6. Look over the following quotations about newspapers. In the space after each My Notes
quote, summarize what the author is saying and then state whether you agree
and why.
Were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without
newspapers, or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a
moment to prefer the latter.Thomas Jefferson, 1787
Here is the living disproof of the old adage that nothing is as dead as
yesterdays newspaper ... This is what really happened, reported by a free
press to a free people. It is the raw material of history; it is the story of our
owntimes.Henry Steel Commager, preface to a history of The New York
Times, 1951
The newspapers, especially those in the East, are amazingly supercial

and ... a large number of news gatherers are either cynics at heart or are
following the orders and the policies of the owners of their papers.
Franklin D. Roosevelt, May 7, 1934
For my part I entertain a high idea of the utility of periodical publications;

insomuch as I could heartily desire, copies of ... magazines, as well as

common Gazettes, might be spread through every city, town, and village
in the United States. I consider such vehicles of knowledge more happily
calculated than any other to preserve the liberty, stimulate the industry,
and ameliorate the morals of a free and enlightened people.George
Washington, 1788
I read the newspapers avidly. It is my one form of continuous ction.

Aneurin Bevan (18971960), British Labour politician

ACTIVITY 3.3
Introducing the Media
continued
What appears in newspapers is often new but seldom true.

My Notes Patrick Kavanagh (19051967), Irish poet
As people get their opinions so largely from the newspapers they read, the
corruption of the schools would not matter so much if the Press were free.
But the Press is not free. As it costs at least a quarter of a million of money
to establish a daily newspaper in London, the newspapers are owned by rich
men. And they depend on the advertisements of other rich men. Editors and
journalists who express opinions in print that are opposed to the interests of
the rich are dismissed and replaced by subservient ones.George B. Shaw,
Irish playwright, 1949
Most of us probably feel we couldnt be free without newspapers, and that

is the real reason we want the newspapers to be free.Edward R. Murrow,
journalist, 1958
The decline of competing local daily newspaper voices diminishes not only the
availability of local and regional news to consumers but also the availability of
competing opinions and ideas, not just at local levels but at all levels. Social
thinkers, historians, and political analysts have identied such diversity of

thoughta marketplace of ideasas essential to a functioning democracy.
Steven M. Hallock, journalism professor, 2007

ACTIVITY 3.3
continued
Independent Reading: News Source Viewing Log

7. In small discussion groups, look at the articles in your local news sources,
Literary Terms
whether in print or online. What does the target audience seem to be? How do A target audience is the
you know this? Keep notes about your news source in the log below. intendedgroup for which a
work is designed to appeal
or reach. A secondary
Source Story Focus Target Perspective on audience is the group
who may also receive the
or Headline Audience Issue Covered message or may influence
the target audience.
My Notes
8. As you compare your sources coverage of news with that of other

students, what key differences do you notice? What might explain
thosedifferences?
Check Your Understanding

After discussing differences, write a few sentences explaining how a sources
coverage of news is tailored to what you think is its target audience. Identify a
specific audience for the sources you looked at.

ACTIVITY The Newspaper Debate
3.4
Learning Targets
LEARNING STRATEGIES: Analyze how concessions and refutations can be used to refute an
Skimming/Scanning, Marking
opposingargument.
the Text, Discussion Groups,
Paraphrasing Apply strategies of refutation to a set of persuasive elements.
Preview
In this activity you will read and analyze two editorials, one that makes a claim
ACADEMIC VOCABULARY about modern media consumption and another that refutes the claim.
Reasoning is the thinking or
logic used to make a claim in Setting a Purpose for Reading
an argument. Evidence is the
specific facts, examples, and Highlight details that are Sunsteins reasoning and evidence.
other details used to support Circle unknown words and phrases. Try to determine the meaning of the words
the reasoning. by using context clues, word parts, or a dictionary.
Underline any words with British spellings. (The Financial Times is a British
newspaper.)
My Notes
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Cass Sunstein is a noted American legal scholar who has written dozens
of books, essays, and newspaper and magazine articles on public policy,
economics, law, and psychology. He has taught at the law schools of the
University of Chicago, Harvard University, and Columbia University.
Editorial
H o w t h e R i s e of t h e Daily Me
Th re at e n s D e mo c ra cy

Financial Times, January 10, 2008
by Cass Sunstein
1 More than a decade ago the technology specialist, Nicholas Negroponte,

emergence: rise in popularity prophesied the emergence of the Daily Mea fully personalised newspaper.
It would allow you to include topics that interest you and screen out those that bore
or annoy you. If you wanted to focus on Iraq and tennis, or exclude Iran and golf, you
could do that.
2 Many people now use the internet to create something like a Daily Me. This
behaviour is reinforced by the rise of social networking forums, collaborative
filtering and viral marketing. For politics, the phenomenon is especially important in
campaigns. Candidates in the US presidential race can construct information cocoons
in which readers are deluged with material that is, in their eyes, politically correct.
Supporters of Hillary Clinton construct a Daily Me that includes her campaigns
perspective but offers nothing from Barack Obama, let alone Mitt Romney.

ACTIVITY 3.4
continued
3 What is wrong with the emerging situation? We can find a clue in a small
experiment in democracy conducted in Colorado in 2005. About 60 US citizens were
put into 10 groups. They deliberated on controversial issues, such as whether the deliberated: thought about or
US should sign an international treaty to combat global warming and whether states discussed carefully
should allow same-sex couples to enter into civil unions. The groups consisted of
predominantly either leftwing or rightwing members, with the former drawn from
left-of-centre Boulder and the latter from Colorado Springs, which tends to be right
of centre. The groups, not mixed, were screened to ensure members conformed to conformed: held to
stereotypes. (If people in Boulder liked Vice-President Dick Cheney, they were cordially
excused.) People were asked to state their opinions anonymously before and after the
group discussion. My Notes
4 In almost every group, people ended up with more extreme positions. The Boulder
groups favoured an international treaty to control global warming before discussion;
they favoured it far more strongly afterwards. In Colorado Springs, people were neutral
on that treaty before discussion; discussion led them to oppose it strongly. Same-sex
unions became much more popular in Boulder and less so in Colorado Springs.
5 Aside from increasing extremism, discussion had another effect: it squelched
diversity. Before members talked, many groups displayed internal disagreement. These
were greatly reduced: discussion widened the rift between Boulder and Colorado
Springs.
6 Countless versions of this experiment are carried out online every day. The result is
group polarisation, which occurs when like-minded people speak together and end up
in a more extreme position in line with their original inclinations.
7 There are three reasons for this. First is the exchange of information. In Colorado
Springs, the members offered many justifications for not signing a climate treaty and a
lot fewer for doing so. Since people listened to one another, they became more sceptical.
The second reason is that when people find their views corroborated, they become corroborated: strengthened by
more confident and so are more willing to be extreme. The third reason involves social evidence
comparison. People who favour a position think of themselves in a certain way and if
they are with people who agree with them, they shift a bit to hold on to their preferred
self-conception.
8 Group polarisation clearly occurs on the internet. For example, 80 per cent of
readers of the leftwing blog Daily Kos are Democrats and fewer than 1 per cent are
Republicans. Many popular bloggers link frequently to those who agree with them
and to contrary views, if at all, only to ridicule them. To a significant extent, people are
learning about supposed facts from narrow niches and like-minded others.
9 This matters for the electoral process. A high degree of self-sorting leads to more
confidence, extremism and increased contempt for those with contrary views. Wecan
already see this in the presidential campaign. It will only intensify when thetwo parties
square off. To the extent that Democratic and Republican candidates seem to live in
different political universes, group polarisation is playing a large role.
10 Polarisation, of course, long preceded the internet. Yet given peoples new power
to create echo chambers, the result will be serious obstacles not merely to civility but
also to mutual understanding and constructive problem solving. The Daily Me leads
inexorably also to the Daily Them. That is a real problem for democracy. inexorably: unstoppably

ACTIVITY 3.4
The Newspaper Debate
continued
Second Read
My Notes Reread the editorial to answer these text-dependent questions.
Notebook.
1. Craft and Structure: Given your knowledge of the base word prophecy, what is
the meaning of the verb prophesied in paragraph 1?
2. Key Ideas and Details: Based on paragraphs 3 through 5, describe the

sequence of events of the experiment conducted in Colorado. What is the effect
on the subjects of hearing only their own viewpoints?
3. Key Ideas and Details: How does the image of echo chambers in
paragraph10 contribute to Sunsteins central idea?
4. Craft and Structure: What reasoning and evidence does Sunstein present for his

claim that personalized news is a problem for American democracy? Are these
reasons and evidence convincing?

ACTIVITY 3.4
continued

5. In the left-hand column, identify support (reasoning and evidence) Sunstein My Notes
uses to justify his claim that the diminished role of the newspaper is a
problem for American democracy. You will revisit this chart after you read the
nexteditorial.
Sunstein Potter

ACTIVITY 3.4
continued

Literary Terms Highlight Potters concessions and refutations.
A concession is an admission in
an argument that the opposing Circle unknown words and phrases. Try to determine the meaning of the words
side has valid points. A refutation by using context clues, word parts, or a dictionary.
is the reasoning used to disprove Underline words and phrases that indicate Potters tone.
anopposing point.
Editorial
My Notes The Newspaper Is Dying
Hooray for Democracy
Macleans, April 7, 2008
by Andrew Potter
1 The Newspaper Audience Databank (NADbank) released its readership numbers

for 2007 a couple of weeks ago, and for those of us in the industry it was grim reading:
almost everywhere you look, circulation, ad revenues and page counts are down, which
is why you can now fire a cannon through any given newsroom at midday and not have
to worry about committing reportercide.
2 But unless you work in the business, is there any reason to be especially concerned?
Each year may put another loop in the newspapers death spiral, but the overall
myriad: huge number of consumption of news is on the rise, almost entirely thanks to the myriad online
sources. The Internet is eating the newspapers lunch, but theres plenty of food on the
buffettable.
3 In certain quarters, though, there is growing concern that the demise of the
newspaper is a threat to democracy itself. The argument goes something like this: the
economic logic of mass circulation meant a newspaper had to try to appeal to as many

potential readers as possible. To do so, it brought together in one package a diverse set
of voices, presenting each reader with ideas and perspectives that he or she might not
otherwise have seen or sought out. This fostered the democratic values of curiosity,
enlightenment and toleration, and the worry is that if the newspaper declines, so might
democracy.
4 The sharpest version of this argument comes from Cass Sunstein, a law professor
at the University of Chicago. In a recent column in the Financial Times, Sunstein fusses
about the rise of what he calls the Daily Me, the highly personalized and customized
information feeds that will allow you to include topics that interest you and screen out
those that bore or anger you. As Sunstein sees it, the Daily Me is the potential Achilles
heel of democracy because of a phenomenon called group polarization: when like-
minded people find themselves speaking only with one another, they get into a cycle
ideological: belief of ideological reinforcement where they end up endorsing positions far more extreme
than the ones they started with.

ACTIVITY 3.4
continued
5 Group polarization is everywhere. It helps explain why, for example, humanities

departments are so left-wing, why fraternities are so sexist, why journalists drink
so much. But, for the most part, it isnt a problem (for democracy anyway), since
we routinely come into contact with so many people from so many different groups
that the tendency toward polarization in one is at least somewhat tempered by our tempered: lessened
encounters with others.
6 Yet Sunstein is worried that group polarization on the Internet will prove far
more pernicious. Why? Because of the image of the blogosphere as a series of echo pernicious: quietly deadly
chambers, where every viewpoint is repeated and amplified to a hysterical pitch. As our
politics moves online, he thinks well end up with a public sphere that is partisan and
extreme, and as an example, he points out that 80 per cent of readers of the left-wing
blog Daily Kos are Democrats, while fewer than one per cent are Republicans. The
result, he claims, will be serious obstacles not merely to civility but also to mutual mutual: shared
understanding.
7 As upside-down arguments go, this one is ingenious. For decades, progressive progressive: politically liberal or
critics have complained about the anti-democratic influence of the mass media, and left-wing
that newspapers present a selective and highly biased picture of the world, promoting
pseudo-arguments that give the illusion of debate while preserving the status quo.
(Remember that the villain in Manufacturing Consent, the film about Noam Chomsky, My Notes
waswait for itthe New York Times.) And now that the Internet is poised to cast
these lumbering dinosaurs of black ink and dead trees into the pit of extinction, were
supposed to say hang on, what about democracy?
8 Theres a basic error here, paired with an equally basic misunderstanding of how
the marketplace of ideas works. There is no reason at all to be concerned that 80 per
cent of Daily Kos readers are Democrats, any more than to worry that 80 per cent of
the visitors to McDonalds like hamburgers. Given what each of these outlets is selling,
it would be bizarre if it were otherwise. What would be worrisome was if four-fifths of
Democrats read only the Daily Kos, but there is absolutely no evidence that is the case.
9 Earlier this month, the Project for Excellence in Journalism, a think tank sponsored
by the Pew foundation, released its fifth annual report (at journalism.org) on the state of
the news media. For the most part, its analysis of the newspaper business confirmed the
trends of declining circulation, revenues and staff. But with respect to public attitudes,
the PEJ found that most readers see their newspaper as increasingly biased, and 68 per
cent say they prefer to get their news from sources that dont have a point of view. The
PEJ also found a substantial disconnect between the issues and events that dominate the
news hole (e.g., the Iraq surge, the massacre at Virginia Tech) and what the public wants
to see coveredissues such as education, transportation, religion and health. What this
suggests, is, aside from some failings of newspapers, that readers go online in search of
less bias, not the self-absorption of the Daily Me.
10 Nothing about how people consume media online suggests they are looking for
confirmation of preexisting biases. In fact, we have every reason to believe that as
people migrate online, it will be to seek out sources of information that they perceive perceive: interpret
to be unbiased, and which give them news they cant get anywhere else. The newspaper
may be dying, but our democracy will be healthier for it.

ACTIVITY 3.4
continued
Second Read
Notebook.
6. Key Ideas and Details: In paragraph 5, what reason does Potter give that group
polarization is not a threat to democracy? Is there evidence provided to support
this central idea?
7. Craft and Structure: The tone Potter employs in paragraphs 47 suggests

that Sunsteins position is ridiculous. Which words and images most strongly
contribute to this tone?
8. Craft and Structure: Potter presents Sunsteins point of view in paragraphs 47.
Does he do so objectively and accurately? Explain.

9. Key Ideas and Details: In paragraphs 8 and 9, why is Sunstein concerned that
80 percent of Daily Kos readers are Democrats? In paragraph 8, why does this
fact not concern Potter? What evidence does Potter cite in paragraph 9?

10. Revisit the graphic organizer on page 219. List any concessions and refutations
you found. Be sure to identify if each one is a concession or refutation.

ACTIVITY 3.4
continued
11. In a deductive argument, the author presents a thesis and then attempts to
support it. In an inductive argument, the model is reversed. The evidence INDEPENDENT
is examined, and then a conclusion is reached. Identify each writers use of READING LINK
inductive and deductive reasoning to support his positions. Why does each Read and Connect
author structure his argument this way? Cite textual evidence in your answer.
As you read daily from your
self-selected news source,
Refuting an Argument do you find yourself creating
To refute an existing argument, authors rely on a variety of strategies of refutation. a kind of Daily Me by fully
These strategies often attack different elements of an opponents position. Some reading only those stories
of the most common attacks include: that support your personal
interests or beliefs, or do you
attack on a claim: a big-picture attack focusing on the writers overall position find yourself reading stories
attack on reasoning: Does the evidence the writer uses logically support his or on a variety of topics and with
her conclusions? varying viewpoints? Why are
attack on evidence: Is the evidence timely, accurate, and unbiased? Is there you employing this approach?
counter-evidence? Discuss your ideas with a
partner.
Attack on assumption: What does the writer assume to be true, and is that
assumption accurate? (A writers assumptions are often unstated.)
Check Your Understanding My Notes

In the following graphic organizer, practice refuting elements adapted from George
A. Krimskys article The Role of the Media in a Democracy fromActivity3.2.
Element Your Refutation or Attack
Claim: In the age of technology, the

media is still an essential part of a
self-governing society.
Reasoning: Peoples fascination with

Britney Spears shows that celebrity
news is more important than
traditional news.
Evidence: People who use Facebook

are producers of news.
Assumption: Everyone has access to

a source of news.

Language Checkpoint: Recognizing
LC 3.4 Frequently Confused Words
Learning Targets
Understand the difference between the frequently confused words effect/affect, allusion/illusion,
and loose/lose.
Build an awareness of other words that are frequently confused, and use reference materials when
necessary.
Use frequently confused words correctly when writing and editing.
Recognizing Frequently Confused Words

Many words in the English language are frequently confused with one another, especially in writing.
Even though readers might be able to figure out what is meant, writers credibility suffers when they
use incorrect words. Some commonly confused words include effect and affect, allusion and illusion,
and loose and lose.
1. Quickwrite: Why might these words be easily confused in writing?
Effect/Affect
The key to keeping effect and affect straight is to look at how they are being used in the sentence. The
word effect is usually a noun, and the word affect is usually a verb. Look at these examples related to
the readings in Activity 3.4.
Aside from increasing extremism, discussion had another effect: it squelched diversity.
Here, effect is a noun representing a thing; it is not doing any action in the sentence. Effect is the correct
choice.
Sunstein believes that group polarization will negatively affect democracy.

In this case, will affect is the verb in the sentence. It is a verb meaning will influence or will change.
2. Add the correct word (affect or effect) to each sentence.
a. Reading a newspaper or other news source could definitely your view of politics.
b. Many teenagers want to have an on the world around them.
c. Hearing other peoples perspectives can your understanding of your own culture.
d. Blogs are spaces where writers can express their views and have a positive
on others.

LC 3.4
continued
3. Write two sentences, one using affect and one using effect. Then briefly explain how you knew which
word to use.
Allusion/Illusion
An allusion is an indirect reference to a person, event, or thing. Authors use allusions to help readers
make connections to things they already know or to evoke certain feelings. For example, in The
Newspaper Is DyingHooray for Democracy, Potter makes the following allusion:
As Sunstein sees it, the Daily Me is the potential Achilles heel of democracy because of a phenomenon
called group polarization
4. Briefly describe what Potter is alluding to. (Use one or more reference sources if necessary.) Why do
you think he is making this allusion?
5. Now read the following sentence.

Sunsteins overreaction to expression gives readers the illusion of living in a country where people are
forced to accept the same belief system as those around them.
Use context clues to determine the meaning of the word illusion. Write a definition below.
6. Use the word illusion or allusion to complete the following sentences.
a. Some would say that the idea that democracy is under threat is merely an .
b. Potter makes an to classical myth.
c. Both authors are going to say the others perception is an ; that reaction is
common between opponents.

LC 3.4
continued
Language Checkpoint: Recognizing
Frequently Confused Words
7. Choose one of the sentences, and explain to your partner why you chose your answer and how you
knew it was correct.
Loose/Lose
8. Use a dictionary to review the definition of the word loose, and then write a sentence that uses the
word.
9. Use a dictionary to review the definition of the word lose, and then write a sentence using the word.
Revising
Read the paragraph, and choose the correct word in each sentence.
Voting is a right Im looking forward to exercising this fall. As a senior in high school, I believe my
vote has an [effect/affect] on my future. My grandfather, who was my idol, spent hours talking to me
about politics when I was a kid. I didnt care much about what he had to say then. I just wanted to be
with him, and hear his deep voice, and watch his bottom teeth pop forward when he got excited, and
then see him suck them back in again as he grinned at me. I watched in anticipation as if it were a great
[illusion/allusion] and not a side [effect/affect] of [loose/lose] dentures and a crazy sense of humor. He
instilled in me a patience to hear out both sides of an issue before jumping to a conclusion, and an
interest in gathering information before choosing a side. He taught me that even though my candidate
may [loose/lose], my choosing to use my voice is a victory. So here I am todayfinally ready to vote.
I am going to [effect/affect] my country for the better! I know that my grandfather cannot be with me
when I go into the voting booth; however, he would be proud of my choice to stand up for what

I believe in.

What words do you commonly confuse? What question can you ask yourself aboutfrequently confused
words to make sure youve used the correct one? Identify at least three sets of words, and write
one question for each set. Add the questions to your Editors Checklist. Add to your checklist as you
discover more words that you frequently confuse.
Practice
Return to the essay that you wrote in Activity 3.4, and check your use of frequently confused words. The
prompt asked you to decide if Potters strategies were effective or ineffective, so double-check any use
of effect, effective, or affect.

News or Views: A Closer Look ACTIVITY
3.5
Learning Targets
Access prior knowledge about objectivity and subjectivity. LEARNING STRATEGIES:
Paraphrasing, Quickwrite,
Analyze a news story for evidence of bias. Marking the Text, Think
Aloud, Think-Pair-Share
Examining Bias
We tend to think that news articles are objective, which means they are based on
factual information. However, all news reports are to some extent subjectiveor
based on feelings or opinionsbecause they represent the reporters analysis of ACADEMIC VOCABULARY
the information surrounding the storys topic. Close analysis of the texts content, Bias is a slanted attitude
structure, and publication context can reveal subtle indications of bias in terms of of either preferring or
how the writer frames the issue. dislikingsomething.
You will be assigned one of the following six types of bias. In your small group,
paraphrase the explanation for your assigned type of bias. Next, generate several
guiding questions you can use to discern whether your assigned type of bias is
present in a given text.
My Notes
Types of Bias
A. BIAS THROUGH SELECTION AND OMISSION
An editor can express a bias by choosing to use or not to use a specific news
item. For example, the editor might believe that advertisers want younger
readersthey spend more money. Therefore, news of specific interest to old
people will be ignored.
Within a given story, details can be ignored or included to give readers or
viewers a different opinion about the events reported. If, during a speech, a
few people boo, the reaction can be described as remarks greeted by jeers.
Or the people jeering can be dismissed as a handful of dissidents ... or
perhaps not even be mentioned.
Bias through the omission of stories or details is very difficult to detect. Only
by comparing news reports from a wide variety of outlets can this form of bias
be observed.
Bias in local news coverage can be found by comparing reports of the same
event as treated in different papers.
B. BIAS THROUGH PLACEMENT

Readers of papers judge first-page stories to be more significant than those
buried in the back. Television and radio newscasts run the most important
stories first and leave the less significant to later. Where a story is placed,
therefore, influences what a reader or viewer thinks about its importance and
suggests the editors evaluation of its importance.
For example, a local editor might campaign against handgun ownership by
giving prominent space to every shooting with a handgun and gun-related
accident in his or her paper.
Some murders and robberies receive front-page attention, while others
receive only a mention on page 20.

ACTIVITY 3.5
News or Views: A Closer Look
continued
Similarly, where information appears within an article may also reveal evidence
My Notes of bias. Because most readers only read the first few paragraphs of any given
article, burying information at the end may work to suppress a particular point
of view or piece of information, while placing it at the beginning emphasizes it.
The opposite might be true, though; the end could reveal the writers closing
thought (and thus his or her personal bias) on the issue.
C. BIAS BY HEADLINE
Many people read only the headline of a news item. In addition, most
people scan nearly all the headlines in a newspaper. As a result, headlines
are the most-read part of a paper. They can summarize as well as present
carefully hidden biases and prejudices. They can convey excitement where
little exists, they can express approval or condemnation, and they can steer
publicopinion.
D. BIAS BY PHOTOS, CAPTIONS, AND CAMERA ANGLES

Some pictures flatter a person; others make the person look unpleasant. A
paper can choose photos to influence opinion about, for example, a candidate
for election. Television can show film or videotape that praises or condemns.
The choice of which visual images to display is extremely important.
Newspapers run captions that are also potential sources of bias and opinion.
E. BIAS THROUGH STATISTICS AND CROWD COUNTS

To make a disaster seem more spectacular (and therefore worthy of reading),
numbers can be inflated. One hundred injured in train wreck is more
powerful than Passengers injured in train wreck.
Crowd counts are notoriously inaccurate and often reflect the opinion of
the person doing the counting. A reporter, event sponsor, or police officer
might estimate a crowd at several thousand if he or she agrees with the
purpose of the assemblyor a much smaller number if he or she is critical
of the crowds purposes or beliefs. News magazines use specific numbers to

enhancebelievability.
F. BIAS BY SOURCE CONTROL

To detect bias, always consider where a news item comes from. Is the
information supplied by a reporter, by an eyewitness, by police or fire
officials, by executives, by elected or appointed government officials? Each
might have a particular bias that is presented in the story.
Puff pieces are supplied to media outlets by companies or public relations
directorsand even sometimes by the government (directly or through press
conferences). The term puff piece comes from the word puffery, which means
overly flattering words about a topic. For example, the Avocado Growers
Association might send a press release in the form of a news story telling of
a doctor who claims that avocados are healthy and should be eaten by all.
A food company might supply recipes for a newspapers food section that
recommends use of its products in the recipes. A countrys tourist bureau
will supply a glowing story, complete with pictures of a pleasant vacation.
Recently, even government agencies have sometimes issued such releases.
A pseudo-event is some event (demonstration, sit-in, ribbon cutting,
speech, ceremony, ground breaking, etc.) that takes place primarily to gain
newscoverage.

ACTIVITY 3.5
continued
Similarly, the question of who is quoted in an article can point to bias. Be

sure to consider who is quoted, what the quote seems to reveal or imply My Notes
(negatively or positively) about the position, who is merely paraphrased, and
what perspectives are unrepresented or remain silent in the article.
Identifying Bias
1. Use the following graphic organizer to keep track of examples of the guiding
questions each group developed for identifying bias. Then apply those
questions to a sample newspaper article or online news source.
Bias Type Guiding Questions Examples
Bias Through
Selection and
Omission
Bias Through
Placement
Bias by Headline
Bias by Photos,
Captions, and
Camera Angles
Bias Through
Statistics and
Crowd Counts
Bias by Source
Control

ACTIVITY 3.5
continued
Preview
My Notes While editorials openly present opinions, newspaper articles may appear objective
until carefully examined for evidence that reveals a more subjective agenda. Now
you will read a news story and try to identify bias.

Underline any text that answers one of the guiding questions your class
generated.
Article
Facebook Photos Sting

Minnesota High School Students
The Associated Press
1 EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. For 16-year-old Nick Laurent, walking out of Eden
Prairie High School yesterday to protest the schools punishment of students seen
partying on Facebook pages was about asking administrators to be fair.
2 More than a dozen students joined Laurent after learning of the walkout from
fliers the junior handed out the day before. The students said school administrators
perception: impression overreacted to the perception that students in the photos were drinking.
3 Its the loudest thing we could do, said Laurent, who organized the walkout but
said he wasnt one of the students in the photos.
4 Laurent tried to make his point by passing out red plastic cups that were similar to
those seen in some of the photos. He noted that it was impossible to see what was inside

the cups, so administrators couldnt prove that students were drinking.
5 Laurent agreed that athletes and other students who sign a code of conduct to be
involved in activities should face consequences if they break the rule against drinking
alcohol. But he said the punishments were too harsh.
arbitrary: unfair or unreasonable 6 They dont have (the) support of the students to hand out arbitrary punishments
and punishments that dont fit the crime, he said.
7 Once the photos on the social-networking Web site came to the attention of
administrators, 42 students were interviewed and 13 face some discipline over the
pictures, school officials said.
8 School officials havent said how the students were disciplined, but Minnesota State
High School League penalties start with a two-game suspension for the first violation.
Laurent and other students said they knew of classmates who were banned from their
sports teams for five weeks.
9 Principal Conn McCartan did not return a call seeking comment on the walkout,
but students said they expected theyd be punished.
10 In earlier statements, the schools principal said school officials did not seek out the
pictures. But he didnt say who gave the school the photos.

ACTIVITY 3.5
continued
11 We do not go out looking at student social networking sites. We do however take

action when we are given legitimate information about school or Minnesota State High legitimate: real or true
School League violations, McCartan said in an e-mail to families of his students.
12 McCartan said interviews with students suggested, however, that the pictures might
have been posted on such sites, and warned of the dangers. My Notes
13 These sites are not private places, he wrote. Their content forms a permanent
and public record of conversations and pictures.
14 In an e-mail to parents and guardians, Superintendent Melissa Krull said, We are
not legally at liberty to discuss further details of this investigation.
15 Fourteen-year-old Ali Saley said cutting class for the cause was worth it. She held
signs such as, They walk or we do, in solidarity with the students who were punished. solidarity: togetherness
A few cars honked in support of the students as they gathered on a footbridge over the
road in front of the school.
16 The Eden Prairie High School students who got into trouble ran afoul of a new
reality: digital cameras and social networking sites make the entire world a public space.
17 Its becoming increasingly common for schools and potential employers to check
social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace, and to penalize kids or other
people for what they find, said William McGeveran, a professor at the University of
Minnesota Law School and an expert on data privacy.
18 Facebook is largely a public space. Users dont always perceive it that way, but
thats what it is, McGeveran said.
19 Even when young people are cautious about what they put on the pages, he said,
friends or acquaintances can post pictures of them in questionable situations without
their knowing about it.
20 McGeveran cited research by the Pew Internet & American Life Project that
suggested most teens were aware of the risks of posting personal information on the
Internet. A report issued last month found that most teens restrict access to their
posted photos and videos at least some of the time, and that few consistently share them
without any restrictions.

21 But some students are still foolish about what they put on their pages, he said.
22 Eden Prairie High School has about 3,300 students, and Facebook lists about 2,800
members in its network for the school, including more than 500 from the current senior
class. A spot check on Jan. 9 showed that some had posted dozens and even hundreds of
pictures of themselves and their friends. However, most members used a privacy setting
to limit access to their profiles to friends and other authorized people.
23 Schools in Minnesota have limited ability to regulate the conduct of students after
hours. When students participate in sports or certain fine-arts activities, however, they
must agree in writing to abide by the long-standing rules of the Minnesota State High
School League, which prohibit the use of alcohol, tobacco and controlled substances,
even over the summer.
24 League spokesman Howard Voigt noted that parents must sign the forms, too, certifying
that they understand the rules and penalties. Still, he said, complaints arecommon.
25 We run into that all the time hereparents call and accuse us of being too hard on
their kid, he said.

ACTIVITY 3.5
continued
26 Voigt said there had been several cases of students running afoul of league rules
My Notes because of potential violations posted on social-networking sites.
27 Its not safe for kids to assume what they do in small groups wont be broadcast to
the entire world, McGeveran said.
28 I dont think most of us would have liked to have lived our teen years in an era
ubiquitous: ever-present of ubiquitous camera phones and social networking, he said. It really changes the
perception of what places are private and which ones arent.
Second Read
Reread the article to answer these text-dependent questions.
Notebook.
2. Craft and Structure: In the opening paragraphs, what is the effect of focusing
on Nick Laurent rather than focusing on the punished students, their parents, or
the administration?
3. Craft and Structure: How does the reporter structure the article to present
through Laurent the central idea that students are being punished unfairly?
4. Craft and Structure: In paragraph 15, how do students use two meanings of
walk in their sign, They walk or we do? What is the effect of this parallel
structure?

5. Key Ideas and Details: How does the information provided by expert William
McGeveran in paragraphs 17 through 21 and paragraphs 27 and 28 develop the
central idea that social media sites are not private places?

Evaluate this article as a source of credible information. Did you find bias in this
article, or is it objective? Explain.

ACTIVITY 3.5
continued
Writing to Sources: Explanatory Text INDEPENDENT

With a partner, identify a timely and debatable issue of significance to your school, READING LINK
local, or national community. Write a short informational article about the issue. Read and Discuss
Choose two to three informational articles to use as sources. Be sure to: Review several stories in your
Introduce a topic statement that states the issue and your view on its self-selected news source.
significance. Findexamples of at least two
types of bias. Share these
Develop the topic by selecting direct quotations, specific examples, and examples with your peers.
concrete details from source texts. Explain how each example
Use varied transitions and sentence construction to show the relationships exemplifies the bias.
among ideas.
My Notes

ACTIVITY The Bias of Rhetoric
3.6
Learning Targets
LEARNING STRATEGIES: Analyze how language can be used to manipulate readers or viewers.
Paraphrasing, Discussion
Groups, Note-taking Distinguish between biased and objective rhetoric.
Slanting Reader Perception

1. Quickwrite: While the previous activity focused on how writers can construct the
Literary Terms truth of their subject via their choices regarding content and structure, this
Slanters are rhetorical devices activity focuses on how language itself can be used to influence the readers
used to present the subject in perception of the subject. View the advertisement selected by your instructor.
a biased way, either positively Then in a Quickwrite, identify what elements from the advertisement contribute
or negatively. to its power.
My Notes 2. Sometimes a writer compensates for a lack of evidence and logical

argumentation by using slanted language and emotional appeals that present
a prejudiced depiction of a subject. This happens so often that there are names
for these various slanters. As you read through the techniques described below,
try to think of examples from the media that fit the descriptions. (Adapted from
Brooke Noel Moore and Richard Parkers Critical Thinking, 8th ed., 2007)
Types of Slanters
A. LABELING (EUPHEMISMS AND DYSPHEMISMS)
Labeling is the use of a highly connotative word or phrase to name or describe a
subject or action, a technique also called using loaded language or a question-
begging epithet. When the connotations are positive (or less negative), the
writer is using euphemism. For example, car dealers try to sell pre-owned
vehicles rather than used cars. In the opposite case, when the connotations
are negative, the writer is using dysphemism. Consider, for example, the
differences between these terms: freedom fighter, guerrilla, rebel, and terrorist.

Freedom fighter is a euphemism, while terrorist is a dysphemism.
B. RHETORICAL ANALOGY
Rhetorical analogy is the use of a figurative comparison (sometimes a simile
or a metaphor) to convey a positive or negative feeling toward the subject. For
example, in the 2008 presidential race, Sarah Palin suggested (via a joke) that
she was like a pit bull with lipstick.
C. RHETORICAL DEFINITION
Rhetorical definition is the use of emotionally charged language to express
or elicit an attitude about something. A classic example is defining capital
punishment as government-sanctioned murder. A rhetorical definition stacks
the deck either for or against the position it implies.
D. RHETORICAL EXPLANATION
When an opinion is expressed as if it were fact and is expressed in biased
language, it is a rhetorical explanation. For example, you might say someone
didnt have the guts to fight back when taunted by another person. This
paints the person as motivated by cowardice. Or you might say the person took
the high road, instead of taking a swing.

ACTIVITY 3.6
continued
E. INNUENDO
Innuendo is the use of language to imply that a particular inference is justified, My Notes
as if saying go ahead and read between the lines! In this way, the speaker
doesnt have to actually make a claim that cant be supported; instead, the
audience is led to make the leap on their own. For example, a presidential
candidate might say, Think carefully about whom you choose; you want a
president who will be ready to do the job on day one. The implication is that
the opposing candidate is not ready.
F. DOWNPLAYERS
Downplayers are qualifier words or phrases that make someone or something
look less important or significant. Words like mere and only work this way, as
does the use of quotation marks, to suggest a term is ironic or misleading. For
example: She got her degree from a correspondence school. Often these
are linked to concessions with connectors such as nevertheless, however, still,
orbut.
G. HYPERBOLE
Hyperbole is the use of extravagant overstatement that can work to move the
audience to accept the basic claim even if they reject the extremes of the word
choice. Many of the other slanters can be hyperbolic in how they are worded;
the key element is that the statement or claim is extreme. For example, in
response to a dress code, a student might say, This school administration
isfascist!
H. TRUTH SURROGATES
Using a truth surrogate is hinting that proof exists to support a claim without
actually citing that proof. For example, ads often say studies show, and
tabloids often say things like according to an insider or theres every reason
to believe that. ... If the evidence does exist, the author is doing a poor job of
citing it; meanwhile, the author has not actually identified any sourceor made
any claimthat can be easily disproven or challenged.
I. RIDICULE/SARCASM
Ridicule and sarcasm are the use of language that suggests the subject is
worthy of scorn. The language seeks to evoke a laugh or sarcastically mock
thesubject.

Given one of the previous slanters, complete the following tasks in your small
group and be prepared to share your findings with the class: INDEPENDENT
READING LINK
Create your own paraphrased definition of the term.
Read and Discuss
List the examples provided in the explanation and brainstorm
Review several stories in your
additionalexamples.
self-selected news source and
Create a brief skit for the rest of the class to illustrate the term. find examples of at least two
Take notes on the other groups presentations of their slanters. types of slanting. Share these
examples with your peers.
Explain how each example
exemplifies bias. Tell the
group whether or not you
think the writers techniques
are effective, and explain
yourreasons.

ACTIVITY Fair and Balanced
3.7
Learning Targets
LEARNING STRATEGIES: Identify examples of slanters in an editorial.
Marking the Text, SMELL,
Discussion Groups, Quickwrite, Revise selected passages to eliminate loaded language.
Socratic Seminar
Preview
In this activity, you will read an editorial and investigate slanters in action.
ACADEMIC VOCABULARY
An editorial is an article in Setting a Purpose for Reading
a newspaper or magazine Highlight any slanters you recognize in the editorial, and note what kind of
expressing the opinion of its slanter each one is.
editor or publisher.
Put a question mark next to anything that raises a question for you.
My Notes Put an exclamation point next to anything that you have a strong response to.
Editorial
Abolish
NJ.com, September 20, 2007
high school
football!
by Raymond A. Schroth
1 Are you sure playing high school football is good for your son?
2 I had doubts long before I read the report in the New York Times (Sept 15) that of
the 1.2 million teenagers who play high school football, an estimated 50 percent have
suffered at least one concussion, 35 percent two or more. Since 1997, throughout 20

states, 50 boys have died.
3 A concussion is a blow to the head that smashes the brain against the skull. Because
vulnerable: easily hurt their brain tissues are less developed, adolescents are most vulnerable. The victim
feels weird, has splotchy vision, falls to the ground, vomits, goes into a coma, dies.
If he survives he suffers depression, he cant concentrate, drops out, and/or develops
symptoms later in life.
4 Worst of all, the young men overwhelmingly told the reporter that if they thought
their heads had been damaged they would never tell the coach, because he might take
them out of the game.
5 Ive felt high school football did more harm than good since I taught high school
in the 1960s, since I began getting an inkling of the damage done young bodies in both
high school and college, where linemen are encouraged to bulk up to a grotesque 300
pounds in order to do more damage to the enemyto say nothing of the damage done
to their own late adolescent bodies by getting so fat.
6 Football, especially in high school, distorts the goals of the so-called educational
institution that sponsors it, turns ordinary boys into bedazzled heroes, tells them theyre
the kings of the corridors, coddled by teachers afraid to flunk them, as their parents
try to live out their glamorous dreams over the broken bodies of their children bashing
their helmeted heads into one another as thousands cheer.

ACTIVITY 3.7
continued
7 Buzz Bissingers 1990 bestselling Friday Night Lights, a popular book, film, and TV
series, was, in the long run, an indictment of the small Texas town with nothing going for indictment: strong criticism
it but its high school football team. If the town had a library, churches, a theater, a parkif
the school had any classeswe never saw them. They were irrelevant. irrelevant: not important
8 The boys went to high school to play, feeding delusions that they would be noticed delusions: false beliefs
by a scout who would get them college scholarships and contracts on pro teams.
9 But, you say, if high schools drop football, that will deprive colleges and the pros
of their feeder system. Right. It will also deprive colleges of many who have come for My Notes
only one reasonto playwhile their paid tutors ease them through the motions of
aneducation.
10 But, you say, some football players are very bright. Absolutely right. I have taught
three in recent years who were the best in the class, straight As, a delight to have in the
room. But they are exceptions to the rule, and few and far between.
11 Without football, how can ambitious athletes thrive? They can play soccer,
basketball, baseball, tennis, lacrosse, and squash. They can run, swim, row, sail, wrestle,
and bike. They can also read, write for the paper, act, sing, dance, walk, and pray. And
when they graduate their brains will be enriched, not bruised.
12 The Times article quotes Kelby Jasmon, a high school student in Springfield, Ill.,
walking around today with two concussions, who says there is no chance he would
tell the coach if he gets hit hard and symptoms return. Its not dangerous to play with a
concussion, he says. Youve got to sacrifice for the team. The only way I come out is on
a stretcher.
13 If the school officials and his parents read that and leave him on the field,
something is very, very wrong.
Second Read
Reread the editorial to answer these text-dependent questions.
Notebook.
1. Key Ideas and Details: What objective evidence does Schroth provide in the
beginning of his editorial and for what purpose?
2. Craft and Structure: Which slanters does Schroth use in paragraph 3? Do they
make his case more or less convincing? Explain.

ACTIVITY 3.7
Fair and Balanced
continued
3. Craft and Structure: What are the effects of ridicule and sarcasm in
My Notes paragraphs7 and 8?

4. In pairs, use the SMELL strategy to analyze this editorial. You have already done
some work in the Language section of the strategy.
Sender Who is the writer explicitly

Receiver addressing his argument
Relationship tohere?
How does he seem to feel

about that target audience?
What values does the

sender assume the reader
shares or argue that they
should share?
Message What is a literal summary of

the content?
What is the articles

ultimate thesis regarding
the subject?

Emotional What emotional appeals
Strategies does the writer include?
What seems to be his

desired effect?
Logical What logical arguments

Strategies or appeals does the
writerinclude?
What is their effect?
Language What specific language/

slanters are used in the
article to support the
message or characterize
the opposition?

ACTIVITY 3.7
continued
5. Copy five of the more slanted passages from Schroths editorial to the spaces
below and revise them to be less rhetorically manipulative. My Notes
Original Passage Revised Passage


Quickwrite: Respond to the Essential Question: How does a writer use tone to
advance an opinion?

ACTIVITY How to Read an Editorial
3.8
Learning Targets
LEARNING STRATEGIES: Use specific strategies to analyze an editorial.
Graphic Organizer, SOAPSTone,
Substituting/Replacing Examine the impact of audience and context on a writers decisions.
How to Read an Editorial

As you read through the following guidelines for reading editorials, paraphrase
My Notes each of the points by writing a word or two in the margins that will help you to
remember the point.
i. Examine the headline, sub-headline, and related cartoon (if it exists).
What will this editorial be about? What guesses or assumptions can you
make about the authors perspective at this point?
ii. Look at the authors name and affiliation, if given. What do you know about
the authors background and/or potential bias at this point?
iii. Read the first two to three paragraphs very carefully. What issue is the author
discussing, and what is his or her stance on this issue?
iv. Once you have determined the authors stance on the issue, stop reading
for a moment or two. What is the other side to the issue? Who might think
differently? What are one or two reasons that you know that might support
the other side of the authors stance?
v. Continue reading the editorial. What are two of the strongest pieces of
evidence that the author uses to support his or her side of the issue?
Why are they effective?
vi. Did the author persuade you? Did the author address or refute the main
objections of the opposition? Give an example. What did he or she not
address? Why might the author have chosen not to address this element?
Do you think the author was fair to the other side? Why or why not?
vii. Go back through the editorial and circle words and phrases that are slanted.
How do these words affect your feelings about the issue? About the author?
viii. If the author were standing right next to you now, what would you say to him

or her?
Preview
In this activity, you will read and analyze an unsigned editorial from the
Minneapolis/St. Paul Tribune. Your analysis will help build the skills you
need to read and understand editorials and other written opinions.

Highlight any phrases or sentences that indicate speaker, occasion, audience,
purpose, subject, or tone.
Put an exclamation point next to anything that you have a strong response to.

ACTIVITY 3.8
continued
Editorial
My Notes
Facing consequences
at Eden Prairie High
from the Minneapolis/St. Paul Star Tribune
1 This just in: Some high school students drink alcohol and, in the Internet age,
some underage drinkers are foolish enough to post party photos on popular websites.
In the case of Eden Prairie High School vs. the partying Facebook students, we give
administrators credit for their judgment and flunk the students on common sense.
2 Similarly, any parents considering taking legal action because they think the school
went too far in disciplining students need a reality check. Teen drinking remains a
serious problem in this state and Eden Prairie administrators deserve praisenot legal
threats or complaints from parentsfor taking decisive action that they knew would decisive: quick and definite
be controversial. Face it, parents, the Facebook kids screwed up, and heres a chance to
talk about personal responsibility in the context of an underage drinking escapade that,
thankfully, did not involve death or injury.
3 And heres the reality for students: We know high school students drink, and some
experiment with drugs. Most of your baby boomer parents certainly did one or both,
and some lost drivers licenses, had serious auto accidents and were suspended from the
football team. Thats how it goes with risks and consequences.
4 Your parents can probably tell you a few stories about binge drinking, too,
either from their high school or college days or both. If not, go to the search field at
startribune.com and type in these names: Jenna Foellmi, Rissa Amen-Reif, Amanda
Jax and Brian W. Threet. In the past four months, these four young people all died in
drinking-related incidents in Minnesota. Brians funeral was Thursday afternoon in
Farmington.
5 With that backdrop, protests over invasion of privacy are ridiculous. School
administrators werent surfing social networking sites without cause. They received a
complaint and had a responsibility to investigate and act according to school policies.
Students who think the Web has been used against them unfairly should fast-forward
a few years and consider how theyll feel when a potential employer uses Facebook or
MySpace in a background check, with a job offer on the line.
6 Some are viewing the athletes among the students who were caught red-cupped
in Eden Prairie through a surprisingly sympathetic lens. Thats wrongheaded. The
Minnesota High School League requires student-athletes and their parents to pledge
that the students will abstain from alcohol and illegal drugs. Break the pledge, lose the abstain: choose to stay away
privilege.
7 We were encouraged by the reaction of Eden Prairie High School parent Larry
Burke, whose daughter was not involved in the drinking incident. The posting is very
foolish, Burke told the Star Tribune. But from a perspective of a parent, Im glad it
happened. There are a lot of discussions going on in a lot of households about alcohol
and consequences.
8 Lets hope other parents bring as much common sense to those conversations
asBurke.

ACTIVITY 3.8
How to Read an Editorial
continued
Second Read
Notebook.
1. Key Ideas and Details: Which words and phrases in the first few paragraphs
show which side of the argument the writer supports?
2. Craft and Structure: Which phrases most clearly show the writers tone? Does
this tone make the argument more or less persuasive?

3. Use the questions in the How to Read an Editorial section of this activity to
guide your responses to the editorial.
Title: Author:
Issue:

Question Response
ii
iii

ACTIVITY 3.8
continued
iv My Notes
vi
vii
viii
4. Using the notes you have generated, be prepared to participate in a class

discussion addressing the following questions (as well as any others inspired
by the text):
What does the author seem to assume the audience is feeling about
the issue?
How does the author tailor language and argument to his or her audience?
Does the author use slanters? If so, what is their effect?

Quickwrite: How is an editorial different from a news story?
Writing to Sources: Explanatory Text

Now independently analyze a second editorial of your choice. Then write a text
explaining how the writer tailors the language and argument to a target audience.
Be sure to: INDEPENDENT
Include a clear summary of the argument. READING LINK
Cite specific examples from the text. Read and Connect
Read an editorial from your
Comment on the effect the authors language has on the intended audience.
self-selected news source.
Use the Working from the
Text questions in this activity
to write an analysis of the
editorial.

ACTIVITY How to Write an Editorial
3.9
Learning Targets
LEARNING STRATEGIES: Compare and contrast the persuasive elements of two editorials.
RAFT, Drafting, Sharing and
Responding, SOAPStone Craft an editorial of your own, carefully considering audience and context.
How to Write an Editorial

You have now had the opportunity to read and analyze a couple of editorials. Now
you will walk through the steps of writing your own editorial.
My Notes
Before You Write
Brainstorm for topics: Choose topics in which you have a genuine interest and
some prior knowledge. Be sure the topics are issues that are debatable. Do
not, for example, argue for school violence because it would be difficult to find
anyone in favor of such a thing. Many editorials are written as responses to
news articles or other editorials, so be alert for interesting ideas while reading
your news source each day.
Research your topic: Ask opinions, conduct interviews, and locate facts.
While editorials are opinion pieces, those opinions must still be supported
withevidence.
Get both sides: In addition to having support for your position, be certain that
you have information about the other side of the issue. You will need this soon.
Consider your audience: Use SOAPSTone as a prewriting strategy to consider
details of your audience. What does your audience currently believe about this
issue? Why? How will they respond to you? Why? What can you do to persuade
them to change their minds? How will using slanted language affect your
credibility and persuasiveness with them?
Write a thesis: Before writing your draft, you must have a clearly stated position
on this issue with a strongly worded reason for your position.
Write out your topic sentences and/or main ideas: This preparation will help
you organize your thoughts as you draft your editorial.

Writing a Draft
Get to the point: Your first paragraph should immediately bring the readers
attention to the seriousness of the issue. Create a hook that will sell the piece
to the reader: a current event or imminent danger, for example. You should then
provide a concise summary of what youre going to tell the reader and include
your thesis statement.
Provide context: Give your readers important background information about
the issue. This background should not be common knowledge (e.g., drugs are
dangerous) but should frame the issue and define any key terms that your
reader will need in order to understand your argument.

ACTIVITY 3.9
continued
Make your point: Give your strongest two or three reasons why the reader
should agree with you. Use relevant and appropriate evidence to support your My Notes
reasons. State the source of your information, and be sure that your argument is
clear and organized.
Address your opposition: Reasonable people may think differently than you
do on the subject. State at least one or two of the most credible reasons why
someone might object to your point of view. Then refute their positions by
explaining why their assumptions, claims, logic, and/or evidence are wrong.
Wrap it up: Briefly summarize the main points of your argument and think of a
powerful way to end your piece. Often this means giving your reader one last
thought to consider.
Revising Your Draft

Check your evidence: As you look back through your draft, consider whether
you have included enough evidence to convince someone who thinks differently
than you. Also, is that evidence relevant to your position?
Check your rhetoric: Where is your language slanted? What words or phrases
could you modify to tone down your voice and appeal to more people?
Check your grammar: Nothing will make dismissing yourideas easier
than misspelled or misused words or phrases. Triple-check your editorial
formistakes.
Argument Writing Prompt

With a partner, co-write a brief editorial on the subject of the Eden Prairie
suspensions or another contemporary issue of your choice. Use the steps outlined
in How to Write an Editorial to guide your writing. Be sure to:
Introduce and establish the significance of your claim.
Use language and varied sentence structures to establish relationships among
reasons and evidence.
Make use of rhetorical devices, such as appeals to emotion, logic, or ethics, to

support your argument.
Establish and maintain a formal style and objective tone. Technology Tip
Dont rely too heavily on
your computer; sometimes
even your computer mistakes
frequently confused words.
The spell-check feature may
correct your spelling, but make
sure its correcting your word
to the one you want. The same
is true of the grammar check
feature. For example, you
may have spelled every day
correctly, but if you intend
to use the adjective meaning
occurring daily, you need
everyday.

ACTIVITY 3.9
continued
Preview
Now you will read two editorials about high school graduation requirements. As
you read, use the following graphic organizer to keep track of your observations.
Complete the chart after you have read and analyzed both editorials.
Author Reasons For Reasons Against Strongest Statement

of Position
Jack OConnell
Nick Thomas
You

A person you know

ACTIVITY 3.9
continued

Underline each writers position and key reasons for his position. GRAMMAR USAGE
Diction
Diction, or the words a writer
chooses, plays an important
Highlight any words or phrases that illustrate the writers tone. role in establishing tone
and credibility. A writer
may choose to use formal
Editorial or informal words, abstract
Pro and Con: Raising Graduation or concrete words, and
Requirements for High School Students emotional or clinical words,
all to create an overall effect.
Time to raise the bar in high schools Notice how OConnell uses
formal diction in his editorial
by Jack OConnell to reflect his position as
the state superintendent
of schools. He chooses
1 The most important challenge we face in public education today is to improve high words such as remediation,
schools so that all California students graduate prepared to succeed in either college or rigorous, and perform to
the workplace. Today, far too many of our 1.7 million high school students are prepared establish his credibility on the
for neither the demands of skilled employment nor the rigors of higher education. subject of education.
Employers consistently complain of graduates who lack critical problem-solving and
Find two more examples
communications skills. More than half of students entering California State University of the authors diction that
need remediation in reading or math. It is clearly time for us to reexamine high school reinforce the overall tone of
in California, to raise the level of rigor we expect of all of our students and begin the argument, and explain
preparing every high school student to reach higher expectations. their impact to a partner.
2 How we meet the challenge of improving high school student achievement will
determine the futures of our children and their ability to compete and succeed in the
decades to come. Moreover, how we respond to this challenge will significantly affect rigors: strict requirements
the economic and social future of our state. remediation: help
3 Research shows that students who take challenging, college-preparatory courses

do better in school, even if they started out with poor test scores and low expectations.
Students who take rigorous courses are also less likely to drop out, and they perform
better in vocational and technical courses. vocational: job-related
4 Our high schools today struggle with an achievement gap that leaves African-
American, Latino and socioeconomically disadvantaged students lagging behind socioeconomically: related to
their peers. A failure to provide and expect all students to take demanding academic money and social status
coursework has also created a high school reality gap: While more than 80 percent of
high school students say they intend to go to college, only about 40 percent actually take
the rigorous coursework required for acceptance at a four-year university. The numbers My Notes
are even lower for African-American graduates (24 percent) and Latinos (22 percent).
5 Many students are not aware that the minimum requirement courses they
are taking arent providing the rigorous foundation that will prepare them to fulfill
their dreams after high school. In some cases, students are steered away from tough
courses or find them overenrolled. The result is thousands of students who must spend
significant, unnecessary time and money after high school if they are ever to fulfill their
dreams.
6 To reverse this trend, we must make rigorous courses available to all of our
students. We must redefine high schools as institutions that provide all students with a
strong academic foundation, whether they are bound for college or the workplace after bound: headed toward
graduation.

ACTIVITY 3.9
continued
7 I am proposing a High Performing High Schools Initiative that will raise

expectations for our high schools and high school students. It will provide better
training and support for high school principals. And it will establish a state seal of
approval process for high school instructional materials, giving districts guidance in
aligned: supported choosing materials that are standards-aligned, and therefore more rigorous than many
used in high schools today.
8 It is simply wrong to decide for students as young as age 15 whether or not they are
college material and capable of challenging courses in high school. Guiding students
to an easier academic pathway, even if they show little early motivation or curiosity
virtually: almost completely about possibilities beyond high school, virtually guarantees they wont be prepared
with important foundational skills. It limits their opportunities for years to come. Years
ago, this was called tracking. Students facing childhood challenges such as poverty
or the need to learn Englishthe description of fully well over a quarter of Californias
My Notes
students todaywould be tracked to less-challenging courses and denied opportunities
after high school as a result.
9 By advocating for tougher curriculum in high schools, I am not in any way
suggesting vocational education programs should be eliminated. In fact, legislation I
introduced to improve high school achievement would reward schools that collaborate
with businesses or labor unions to expand such successful programs as career
partnership academies. These academies have been successful where they have provided
rigorous academic instruction geared toward a career pathway.
10 The truth is that we can no longer afford to hold high expectations only for our
college-bound students. Today, all of our students need the skills and knowledge
contained in the curriculum that was once reserved only for the college-bound. Strong
communications skills, knowledge of foreign language and culture, higher-level math
and problem-solving skills are needed in technical trades as well as white-collar
professions. The job of K-12 education in California must be to ensure that all of our
students graduate with the ability to fulfill their potentialwhether that takes them to
higher education or directly to their career.
Second Read

Reread the editorial to answer this text-dependent question.
Notebook.
1. Craft and Structure: What counterargument might OConnell be writing to

address? What response might an opponent make?

ACTIVITY 3.9
continued
Editorial
My Notes
New Michigan Graduation Requirements
Shortchange Many Students
by Nick Thomas
1 Imagine waking up in the morning to find the electricity is out, or a pipe has burst
or your car wont start. As you look though the Yellow Pages for a technician, do you
really care if that person has a working knowledge of matrices, oxidation numbers, and
Keplers laws of planetary motion?
2 Apparently the state of Michigan does. Its new high school graduation
requirements will assure that every graduate, regardless of their career choice, will have
taken advanced math and science classes.
3 Among the new requirements are one credit each of algebra I, geometry and
algebra II and an additional math class in the senior year. Also required is one credit of
biology, one credit of physics or chemistry and one additional year of science.
4 This new curriculum may be helpful for a student who plans to go on to college,
but it seems excessive for vocational students.
5 Plumbers, mechanics, construction workers, hairdressers and many other positions
do not need an advanced math and science background. Math needed for vocational
jobs could be learned through an applied math class, or on-site learning.
6 Im concerned that when students are forced to take classes that are unnecessary
fortheir chosen careers, theyll feel discouraged and put little effort into their classes.
And if they cant take the classes they want, Im afraid that more of them will drop out.
Advanced classes becoming basic classes
7 One of my biggest concerns with all students taking advanced classes is that the
pace of the courses will slow down. Some students will undoubtedly not try to learn the
material, and some will be incapable of learning as fast as others, leaving the teacher
compelled to dumb down the class. In effect, advanced classes will become basic classes.
This will have no additional benefit for vocational students and will hamper college
prep students.
8 Theres yet another way college-bound students might suffer from the new
requirements. A very gifted English student who lacks ability in math could have their
grade point average lowered significantly when required to take advanced math classes.
And of course, when applying to college, high school grades are important.
9 A well-rounded education is ideal but can be achieved in many ways, not just
through academics. Our economy depends on a variety of jobs. We need carpenters
as well as engineers. We need hairdressers as well as doctors, and we need heavy
equipment operators as well as lawyers.
10 All jobs are important, and students deserve to pursue their choice of a career
without being forced to take unnecessary classes.

ACTIVITY 3.9
continued
Second Read
My Notes Reread the editorial to answer this text-dependent question.
Notebook.
2. Craft and Structure: How is Thomass diction different from OConnells?

What effect could this diction have on each writers ability to engage and
convincereaders?

Complete the graphic organizer on page 246 to compare the key ideas these two
writers present. In your opinion, which of the two writers made the stronger case?
Explain.
Argument Writing Prompt

You have co-written a brief editorial, and you have read two editorials with
opposing views. Now, compose an editorial that responds to your original editorial.
Write from an alternate perspective. Be sure to:
Introduce and establish the significance of your claim.

Develop the claim and respond to counterclaims with relevant evidence.
Establish and maintain a formal style and an objective tone.

Wheres Your Proof? ACTIVITY
3.10
Learning Targets
Evaluate the effectiveness of different types of evidence. LEARNING STRATEGIES:
Rereading, Think-Pair-Share,
Revise writing to incorporate appropriate evidence. Discussion Groups
The Art of Evidence

1. To support the claims they make, authors use a variety of types of evidence.
With a partner or small group, revisit one of the editorials you have read in
thisunit and fill in the chart below.
Type of Evidence: What is it used Example from an Evaluation: What kind of

for? What are its limitations? Editorial in this Unit appeal does it make: logos,
They X, but they Y. ethos, or pathos? Does the
evidence logically support the
authors claim in this case?
Why or why not?
Illustrative Examples (Personal

Experience/Anecdotal/Media
Example). They add reality to the
claim but may not be generalizable.
Hypothetical Cases. They challenge

the reader to consider possible
circumstances or outcomes,
but theres no reason they will
definitelyhappen.
Analogies/Comparison. They make

the unfamiliar or abstract more
accessible, but they need to be more
similar than different in order to be
persuasive.

ACTIVITY 3.10
Wheres Your Proof?
continued
Expert/Testimony. They provide

expert support for causal claims,
predictions of outcomes, or possible
solutions, but theyre still just
opinionsand the source needs to
be checked carefully!
Statistics/Surveys. They support

generalized claims and make strong
logical appeals, but they must be
reliable and unbiased.
Causal Relationships. They suggest

possible positive or negative
outcomes, but there needs to be a
clear link between the cause and
theeffect.
2. Once you have recorded your observations in the graphic organizer, be prepared
My Notes to discuss those observations. You will want to make sure to address both the
types and effectiveness of each technique the author has used. Make sure you

reference specific examples from the text. With a partner, discuss why using a
wide variety of evidence might be more persuasive or effective than using only
one kind of evidence.

Select one of the editorials you have written in this unit and revise one paragraph
in it by adding at least one of the types of evidence from this activity. Share your
revision with a partner and ask your partner to identify the type of evidence you
used in your writing.

Reading and Writing a ACTIVITY
Letter to the Editor 3.11
Learning Targets
Evaluate the effectiveness of multiple editorial letters based on criteria. LEARNING STRATEGIES:
Marking the Text, Sharing
Write an editorial letter according to specific criteria. and Responding
How to Write a Letter to the Editor

Letters that are intended for publication should be drafted carefully. Here are some
tips to keep in mind: My Notes
Make one point (or at most two) in your letter. Be sure to identify the topic of
your letter. State the point clearly, ideally in the first sentence.
Make your letter timely. If you are not addressing a specific article, editorial, or
letter that recently appeared in the paper you are writing to, try to tie the issue
you want to write about to a recent event.
Familiarize yourself with the coverage and editorial position of the paper to
which you are writing. Refute or support specific statements, address relevant
facts that are ignored, offer a completely different perspective on the issue, but
avoid blanket attacks on the media in general or the newspaper in particular.
Consider your audience (the newspapers editors and readers):
What does your audience currently believe about the issue? Why?
How will they respond to you? Why?
What can you do to persuade them to change their minds?
How will using slanted language affect your credibility and persuasiveness?
Check the letter specifications of the newspaper to which you are writing.
Length and format requirements vary from paper to paper. (Generally, roughly
two short paragraphs are ideal.) You also must include your name, signature,
address, and phone number.
Look at the letters that appear in your paper. Is a certain type of letter
usuallyprinted?
Support your facts. If the topic you address is controversial, consider sending
documentation along with your letter. But dont overload the editors with
toomuch information.
Keep your letter brief. Type and spell-check it. Have a peer edit it.
When possible, find others in the community to write letters to show concern
about the issue. If your letter doesnt get published, perhaps someone elses
onthe same topic will.
If your letter has not appeared within a week or two, follow up with a call to
thenewspapers editorial department.

ACTIVITY 3.11
Reading and Writing a
continued Letter to the Editor
Exploring Letters to the Editor
1. Your teacher will provide an editorial and several letters written in response to
the editorial. Fill in the chart below for each of the letters to the editor. The last
box is for your opinion on the editorial.
Letter Agree or Disagree with Reasons

Number Original Editorial?

My Notes Quickwrite: Which of the letters to the editor makes the strongest argument? What
makes that argument compelling?

ACTIVITY 3.11
continued

WORD
Highlight any words or phrases that illustrate the writers tone. CONNECTIONS
by using context clues, word parts, or a dictionary. Roots and Affixes
The word spontaneity comes
from the Latin word sponte,
Editorial which means willing or
of ones own accord. The
Why I Hate Cell Phones

suffix -eity makes the term a
noun that means the quality
of doing things of ones own
accord. Today, the word means
by Sara Reihani the quality of doing things
withoutplanning.
1 In this wild, unpredictable world that modern society has thrust upon us, only one
gadget anchors us amid the whirl of Wiis, Wikis and Wi-fi: the cellular phone. From
its origins as the pineapple-sized car phone exclusive to power-suited 80s business
executives to its current incarnation as camera/computer/life coach, the cell phone has
gone from convenient utility to graven idol of instant gratification. Scores of modern gratification: satisfaction or
social phenomena are directly attributable to cell phones including textual flirtation, pleasure
Bluetooth use disguised as schizophrenia and the ringtone as a profound expression of attributable: able to be traced to
personal identity.
2 While being constantly reachable has undeniable advantages, cell phones deceive
us into thinking that this accessibility is an inalienable right rather than a flawed
privilege. By giving people my cell phone number, I give them permission to contact
me whenever they want, no matter where I am or what I am doing. I am thus shackled shackled: chained
to their whim, subjecting me to their contact when it may not be desired. I could, of
course, simply turn off my phone, but this is no longer an acceptable excuse. After all,
what is the use of owning a cell phone if you are going to leave it off all the time?
3 Those who live lives more unpredictable than mine may have good reason to
consider their cell phones crucial lifelines, but for most of us, they are more of a luxury
than a necessity. Cell phones are currently dirt cheap to manufacture, but their true insidious: gradually harmful
cost is insidious and pervasive. Besides the perils of hidden fees and the lubricious pervasive: spreading everywhere
allure of text-messaging, one must consider the emotional enslavement that comes
with allowingthe outside world to contact you almost anywhere. Owning a cell phone
guarantees that you can and will be interrupted in movie theaters, libraries or scenes of My Notes
pastoral tranquility, usually for trivial reasons. In a world full of landlines, pay phones,
email, instant messages and Facebook messages, few of us need the accessibility to go
that extra mile.
4 The most alluring thing about cell phones for the younger generation (i.e., us) is
their efficacy as instruments of spontaneity. They ensure that no matter where you efficacy: effectiveness
are or what you are doing, you can be notified of other entertainment opportunities;
namely, where the new party is at. In this way, we are freed from the responsibility
of making plans in advance. We can also cancel plans at the last minute without
condemning ourselves to evenings of lonelinessinstead, we can just use the
opportunity to insinuate ourselves upon everyone else in our electronic phone books. insinuate: sneakily become part
This protean convenience breeds selfishness by liberating us from any solid idea of of a group
obligation. The primal human fear of isolation also comes into play here; cell phones
feed on this anxiety like blood-hungry mosquitoes, promising a solution for the many
who live in vague terror of spending time alone with their thoughts.

ACTIVITY 3.11
Reading and Writing a
continued Letter to the Editor
5 In a way, cell phones actually decrease effective communication. They allow us to
make calls from almost anywhere, meaning that we do not have to interrupt our other
activities to sit down and call someone in particular. We can do anything while talking
on the phone: distractedly check Facebook, drive irresponsibly. If I can call someone
at any time to obtain or verify information, it lessens my incentive to actually listen
inadvertently: unintentionally to them the first time they tell me something, which is inadvertently disrespectful
and powerfully habit-forming. The worst side effect of modern conveniences like cell
phones is how easy it is to be dependent on them in the most casual situations.
My Notes They give you brain cancer, too.
Second Read
Reread the editorial to answer these text-dependent questions.
Notebook.
2. Craft and Structure: How does Reihani create meaning by juxtaposing the words
vague and terror in the phrase vague terror in paragraph 4?
3. Craft and Structure: From what point of view does Reihani write? What might
readers infer regarding the examples Reihani gives in paragraph 5?

What tone did the writer reveal through her diction?
Writing to Sources: Argument

Write a letter to the editor in response to Reihanis editorial. Use the steps outlined
in How to Write a Letter to the Editor to guide your writing. Be sure to:
Utilize an organizational structure that follows the specifications of your local
newspaper and logically sequences your claim, reasons, evidence, and response
to counterclaims.
Use a variety of rhetorical techniques, including anecdotes, case studies,
oranalogies.
Provide a concluding statement that follows logically from your argument.

Fallacies 101 ACTIVITY
3.12
Learning Targets
Identify fallacious logic, appeals, and rhetoric in sample texts. LEARNING STRATEGIES:
Discussion Groups,
Use logical fallacies and refute the fallacies of others in a debate. Quickwrite
Identifying Fallacies
1. You will be given a set of card manipulatives, some of which will contain
ACADEMIC VOCABULARY
the names of specific types of fallacies and others of which will contain the Fallacies are false or
definitions. Inyour small group, you will need to match the fallacies with their misleadingarguments.
definitions.
2. Next, read through the following informational text and check your answers.
My Notes
Types of Fallacies
Fallacies are commonplace in advertising, political discourse, and everyday
conversationsand they will continue to be as long as they work to persuade.
By learning to recognize them when you see them, you can strip away their power.
There are many different ways to categorize fallacies, and many different names for
the various types. The following eleven fallacies (adapted from Brooke Noel Moore
and Richard Parkers Critical Thinking, 8th ed., 2007) are divided into the different
types of offense they represent. Learn these, and youll be ready to see through
many of the rhetorical scams that come your way each day.
A. Logical Fallacies: Errors in Reasoning

Hasty generalization: The leap to a generalized conclusion based on only a
few instances. For example, on a trip to Paris you meet several rude Parisians,
leading you to conclude that French people are rude.
Post hoc: Literally meaning after this, its a causal fallacy in which a person
assumes one thing caused another simply because it happened prior to the
other. For instance, the high school soccer team loses an important game the
day after they start wearing new uniforms. The coach blames the loss on the
new uniforms.
B. Emotive Fallacies: Replacing Logic With Emotional Manipulation

Ad populum: Literally meaning appeal to the people; arguing that something
is true because other people think so; refers to a variety of appeals that play
on the association of a person or subject with values that are held by members
of a target group (think of images of the flag in ads playing on patriotism)
or the suggestion that everybody knows that something is true (as with
bandwagoning).
Argument from outrage: Aristotle said that if you understand what makes
a person angry, you can use that anger to persuade him or her to accept a
position without critically evaluating it. This fallacy is the backbone of talk radio
and of political rhetoric on both extremes of the political spectrum. It often
employs loaded language and labels. It also includes scapegoatingblaming a
certain group of people or even a single person.

ACTIVITY 3.12
Fallacies 101
continued
Ad misericordiam, or appeal to pity: If you have ever asked a teacher to give

My Notes you a better grade or a second chance because things have been tough recently
or because you worked SO hard, youre guilty of this one! It refers to an attempt
to use compassion or pity to replace a logical argument.
Ad baculum, or scare tactics: An appeal to fear in place of logic. If a candidate
for office says, Electing my opponent will open the door for new terrorist
attacks, it represents an attempt to scare people into rejecting the person,
despite providing no evidence to justify the claim.
C. Rhetorical Fallacies: Sidestepping Logic with Language

Straw man: Erecting a distorted or exaggerated representation of a position
that is easily refuted. For example, Schroth says, But, you say, if high schools
drop football it will deprive colleges and the pros of their feeder system, an
argument that is, of course, a ridiculous attempt to justify high school football
and one that is thus easy to refute.
Ad hominem/genetic fallacy: Literally meaning to the man, ad hominem
refers to attacks against a person him- or herself rather than the ideas the
person presents. This is a dominant feature in political campaigns, where
sound-bite 30-second advertisements attack a candidates character, often with
mere innuendo, instead of his or her policy positions. When this extends to
criticizing or rejecting a general type of something simply because it belongs to
or was generated by that type, it is a genetic fallacy. For example, to say an idea
comes from the media elite makes it sound like it should be rejectedbut
who are the media elite?
Red herring/smokescreen: Answering the question by changing the subject. For
example, when pulled over for speeding, a person might respond to the officers
question, Why were you speeding? by saying, The school no longer offers
drivers education classes.
Slippery slope: Half appeal to fear and half a causal fallacy, a person uses
a slippery slope when they suggest one action will lead to an inevitable and
undesirable outcome. To say legalizing voluntary euthanasia paves the way for

forced euthanasia is a slippery slope argument.
Either/or (or false dilemma): This is a conclusion that oversimplifies the
argument by suggesting that there are only two possible sides or choices. It is
very common in debates of policy, where issues are always complex but which
politicians reduce to simplistic binaries (either/or) for rhetorical purposes.

ACTIVITY 3.12
continued
Fallacy Face Off

3. Now that you have been introduced to the concept of fallacious appeals, take up My Notes
the challenge to use as many as possible in a Fallacy Face Off. As a class, select
a current, high-profile, controversial issue. Feel free to pull thistopic from some
of your recent newspaper readings. You will use this topic in a mock debate.
4. Next, split into teams. Each team member will select or be assigned a fallacious
appeal to use regarding the selected topic.
5. When the teams are ready, they will use these fallacious appeals in a mock
debate. Each team will take turns presenting their appeals to the class as
ifpresenting at a public rally, televised debate, or other venue of the classs
choosing.
6. As other groups present their arguments, you will be responsible for identifying
and challenging the nature of the fallacy being used by the speaker.
7. After exploring these fallacies in class, discuss the following questions in your
small group:
Why are fallacies so common in our political discourse? Which ones are
mostcommon and why?
Why are fallacies so powerfuland so dangerous?
Why might you choose to use a fallacyor rhetorical slantersin a letter
orspeech? What would be the pros and cons of doing so?
How does the use of fallacies affect the ethos of a writer or speaker?
What is the relationship between considering your audience and deciding
whether to use fallacious appeals or slanters?
Writing to Sources: Argument

Review the letter to the editor that you wrote in Activity 3.11 and revise it using
at least one of the types of fallacy from this activity. Share your revision with a
partner and ask him or her to identify the type of fallacy you used. Be sure to:
Revise your letter to clearly state your position, if needed.

Incorporate at least one fallacy into your letter.
Prepare your letter in final draft, checking that it is grammatically and
technically accurate. As needed, consult references to ensure that you are
spelling and using words correctly.

ACTIVITY How to Read and Write an
3.13 Editorial Cartoon
Learning Targets
LEARNING STRATEGIES: Analyze the format, style, and conventions of editorial cartoons.
Skimming/Scanning,
Visualizing, Brainstorming, Apply knowledge from this analysis to create an editorial cartoon.
Sketching
Preview
In this activity, you will delve into the world of editorial cartoons. Once you have
studied the genre and analyzed some examples, you will have an opportunity to
My Notes create your own cartoon.

Put an exclamation point next to anything that you have a strong response to or
surprises you.
Informational Text
An Inside Look at
Editorial Cartoons
by Bill Brennen
1 A few weeks ago, Joy Utecht, the journalism teacher at Grand Island Senior High,
asked if I could visit with some of her students about editorial cartoons.
2 The invitation was exciting because editorial cartoons are one of my favorite
subjects. Very few items are as unique to a newspaper as editorial cartoons.

3 A very brief history lesson: Editorial cartoons first appeared in the United States
on single-page broadsheets during the colonial times. The first popular cartoon is a
snake severed into 13 parts with the names of each colony by each piece. The caption is
simple, Divided we die.
WORD
CONNECTIONS 4 Such a theme helped the colonies, with their diverse locations and interests, unite
under a common cause.
Etymology
5 Flash forward to the years in New York City after the Civil War, when Tammany
Broadsheets, also called
Hall1 became such a powerful political machine that it nearly sucked the life out ofits
broadsides, were originally
residents. In addition, William Tweed stole millions from the taxpayers.
large pieces of paper printed
on one side, often used for 6 Eventually, the New York Times and eventually law enforcement officials began
announcements. They later investigations of the Tweed Ring, but it was the powerful cartoons of Nast that brought
evolved into the modern the politicians to their knees. At one point, Nast, who worked for HarpersWeekly,
newspaper. Newspapers turned down a bribe of $500,000 to discontinue his cartoons.
considered broadsheets
are larger and tend to
cover serious stories, as
opposed to tabloids, which
are smaller and cover more
sensationalstories. 1 Tammany Hall: Tammany Hall was the name given to the Democratic political machine that
dominated New York City politics from the 1790s until the 1960s.

ACTIVITY 3.13
continued
7 Instead, Nast made Tweed the most recognizable face in America. When Tweed
tried to flee conviction, he was arrested in Spain, because authorities recognized his face My Notes
from Nasts cartoons.
8 By the way, Nast deserves partial credit for another icon, one that has stood the test
of time. Along with an artist named Clement Moore, Nast drew the first SantaClaus.
9 Photography became a part of American newspapers and magazines as early as the
Civil War, but the process was difficult and illustrations remained a part of American
newspapers until early into the 20th Century.
10 But the sketches known as editorial cartoons are as popular today as they ever
havebeen. People love the humor, simplicity and caricatures of politicians of the day.
Caricatures, I told the students at Senior High, are exaggerations of ones physical
features.
11 In recent years, there have been the JFK haircut, the LBJ ears, the Nixon eyebrows,
the Carter teeth and the Clinton jaw. Of course, each cartoonist has his or her own style,
but it is amazing how they reach out to the same features to identify a politician.
12 A good editorial cartoon must have five basic features.
It must be simple. ...

People must understand it. The cartoon must make sense to those who read the
particular paper. A school newspaper might run a cartoon about cafeteria food
that includes an inside joke and isnt readily understood by the general public.
Thecartoon would only make sense in the school newspaper.
The cartoon must be timely. ...
It must evoke emotion. A good cartoon should make people laugh or make
themmad.
Always, the cartoon must give a point of view. The cartoon may be looking at the
truth, but it usually is coming from a specific viewpoint. When we look down at
an object, the viewpoint is very different when we look up at the object. Editorial
cartoons are the same way.
13 The Independent doesnt always agree with the viewpoint of each cartoon in the
paper. Most certainly the readers dont always agree with them. But we all should agree
that political cartoons are thought provoking. Just like a photograph, a well- illustrated
editorial cartoon can be worth a thousand words.
14 There probably are about 100 newspapers, give or take a few, that employ full-time
cartoonists. Unfortunately, it is a luxury that only metropolitan-sized newspapers can
afford. Smaller newspapers subscribe to syndicated features for the right to reprint some
of the better cartoons that have been published.
15 The next time you look at an editorial cartoon in the newspaper, try to look at it a
new way. Instead of thinking about just whether you agree or disagree with the message,
see if the cartoons have the five basic components to it [sic]. Then you can determine
whether the message is getting through.

ACTIVITY 3.13
How to Read and Write an
continued Editorial Cartoon
Second Read
My Notes Reread the informational text to answer these text-dependent questions.
Notebook.
1. Key Ideas and Details: What evidence in paragraphs 57 shows the power of
the editorial cartoon?
2. Key Ideas and Details: Which phrases in paragraphs 1012 hint at why
photographs have never replaced editorial cartoons?
3. Craft and Structure: Which words and phrases in the text show Brennens point
of view about the value of editorial cartoons?
Reading Editorial Cartoons

4. Because there is so little space for an editorial cartoonist to make his or her
point, the cartoonist often uses symbols and allusions as shorthand for the
meaning of the cartoon. Examine each of the cartoons your teacher supplies and
identify the symbols and allusions. Why might the cartoonist have chosen these
symbols or allusions?
5. Most editorial cartoons present a specific political perspective. Do the cartoons

you are examining have a specific point of view? How does the cartoonist
demonstrate these perspectives?
6. Editorial cartoons are designed to evoke emotionhumor, anger, or outrage,

for example. How do the cartoonists do this?
7. Based on your responses to the other questions here, what does the message
of your assigned cartoon seem to be, and what can you infer about its
intendedpurpose?

ACTIVITY 3.13
continued
Creating Your Own Editorial Cartoons

8. Now that you have had some experience reading and analyzing political My Notes
cartoons, try to create some of your own.
Brainstorm topic ideas by thinking about current events in your school, your
hometown, or the world. List a few ideas below.
Choose one of your ideas and describe a point that you might want to make
about that event. Perhaps you agree and want to show your support, or
perhaps you would like to ridicule those who might feel differently.
What symbols, sayings, pop culture allusions, or other easily recognizable

references might be appropriate for this topic?
Sketch a very rough draft of what your cartoon might look like.

ACTIVITY 3.13
How to Read and Write an
continued Editorial Cartoon
Independent Reading Checkpoint
My Notes Review your self-selected news source. Which articles have you read? Create
a portfolio of these articles by printing copies or writing brief summaries. Add
commentary after each article, including the writers claim or topic, a description
of rhetorical organization or strategies, and an analysis of effectiveness. Continue
reading your self-selected news source throughout the second part of the unit.
Continue to add articles and commentary to your portfolio.

Creating an Op-Ed News Project EMBEDDED
ASSESSMENT 1
ASSIGNMENT
Working in groups, your assignment is to plan, develop, write, revise, and present an informational article on a timely
and debatable issue of significance to your school community, local community, or national audience. After your
group completes its article, you will individually develop a variety of editorial products that reflect your point of view
(agreement, alternative, or opposing) on the topic. Be creative with your editorial products and include at least two
different pieces, such as cartoons, editorials, letters, posters, photos, and so on.
Planning and n How can you build a list of potential issues that are both interesting to your
Prewriting: group as well as debatable and timely?
Take time to plan all n What format will your opinion pieces take (e.g., editorials by newspaper staff,
the texts that you will letters to the editor, editorial cartoon)?
include. n How will you split the various tasks and roles among your group members so
that everyone is doing a fair amount of work?
Drafting: n How will you gather evidence to support your positions?

Decide how you will n How can you use models of argumentative writing from this unit to help you
incorporate support add rhetorical elements that will appeal to your audience?
and organizetexts. n What sort of organizational patterns do the kinds of pieces you are writing
tend to follow? How can you emulate these so that your pieces read like a real
informational or editorial publication?
Evaluating and n What sort of strategies can you use to provide feedback to each other on the
Revising: quality of your pieces (e.g., SMELL, SOAPSTone)?
Create opportunities n What kinds of feedback from peers and the Scoring Guide can help guide
to review and revise. yourrevision?
n How will you assure that your product as a whole represents multiple
perspectives on your topic?
Checking and Editing n How can you use examples of either print or online newspapers to create a
for Publication: realistic layout for your articles?

Be sure your work is n How will you check your own or each others work for grammatical and technical
the best it canbe. accuracy? What references will you consult?
Technology Tip
Reflection
After completing this Embedded Assessment, think about how you went Consider using online
about accomplishing the assignment, and respond to the following: document sharing to develop
your group article. For your
n How do newspapers impact public opinion or public perception? individual work, you may also
n Which of the rhetorical techniques that your group used do you think want to use word processing
were the most effective in appealing to your audience? Why? or creative programs to create
editorial products. Visuals and
video could also be part of
your final product.

EMBEDDED
ASSESSMENT 1
Creating an Op-Ed News Project
continued
SCORING GUIDE
Scoring
Exemplary Proficient Emerging Incomplete
Criteria
Ideas The project The project The project The project

explicitly represents represents various represents a limited lacks a range of
multiple and varied perspectives that are range of perspectives perspectives
editorial perspectives implied throughout demonstrates an offers pieces that
is extremely the work as a whole intention to persuade may be descriptive or
persuasive demonstrates a clear in a few of the pieces; expository rather than
throughout every intention to persuade some of the pieces persuasive
piece, demonstrating in most pieces, may be descriptive or does not demonstrate
a thorough showing an adequate expository rather than adequate research;
understanding understanding persuasive the majority of the
of persuasive of persuasive demonstrates that pieces demonstrate
techniques techniques some research has insufficient evidence
provides evidence demonstrates that been conducted to adequately support
of thorough and research has been to support the the thesis and/
original research conducted to support positions with lapses or opinions remain
throughout; each the positions; the in completeness to unsupported.
piece demonstrates majority of pieces adequately support
appropriate and demonstrate the thesis.
ample evidence to sufficient evidence
support the thesis. supporting the thesis.
Structure The project The project The project The project

is organized is organized in a way is unevenly organized is difficult to follow
exceptionally, so that that is clear and easy with lapses in and may jump too
ideas move smoothly to follow coherence rapidly between ideas
and comfortably largely follows the attempts to follow the struggles to follow the
accurately follows the organizational pattern organizational pattern organizational pattern
organizational pattern of the article type, of the article type, of the article type,

of the article type, whether informational whether informational whether informational
whether informational or editorial. or editorial, with or editorial.
or editorial. some lapses.
Use of The project The project The project The project

Language demonstrates demonstrates attempts to use inconsistently
purposeful use of functional use of rhetoric with limited demonstrates rhetoric
rhetoric designed to rhetoric but may not appeal to the target includes many errors
appeal to the target directly appeal to the audience in grammar and
audience(s) target audience includes some conventions that
contains few or no may include minor errors in grammar seriously interfere
errors in grammar or errors in grammar and conventions with the meaning.
conventions. and conventions that that interfere with
do not interfere with themeaning.
understanding.

Previewing Embedded Assessment 2 ACTIVITY
andIntroducing Satire 3.14
Learning Targets
Reflect on concepts, essential questions, and vocabulary. LEARNING STRATEGIES:
Close Reading, Graphic
Identify and analyze the knowledge and skills needed to complete Embedded Organizer, Marking the Text
Assessment 2 successfully.
Generate examples of satirical writing.
Making Connections My Notes

The op-ed page is an important forum for the exchange of ideas in our society,
but the conversation does not stop there. Not everyone who contributes to the
conversation means exactly what they say. Satire may be the tool of choice for
some writers (and cartoonists) who prefer to use irony and a range of tones to
make statements about the issues of the day. If you have ever enjoyed watching
late-night comedy shows, you know how effectiveand how much funthis
approach can be when it comes to changing perception of the subjects being
lampooned. Immersing yourself in the art of satire, you will explore how writers
use a range of genres and techniques to present their messages in indirect ways.
In this way, satirists can make powerful contributions tothe marketplace of ideas.
Essential Questions
Based on your study of the first part of the unit, review and revise your answers to
the Essential Questions.
1. How do news outlets impact public opinion or public perception?
2. How does a writer use tone to advance an opinion?
Developing Vocabulary
Review the Academic Vocabulary of the unit and the Literary Terms to check your
knowledge and ability to use these terms fluently in writing and in speaking.
Also check that you can pronounce each word correctly. For any words you may
not know exactly how to pronounce, check a reference such as a dictionary for
pronunciation guides. What strategies will you use to gather knowledge of other
new terms independently? How will you develop the ability to use them accurately?
Unpacking Embedded Assessment 2

Closely read the assignment for Embedded Assessment 2: Writing a Satirical Piece.
You have been studying how opinions are expressed and perceived in a
democratic society through a variety of rhetorical formats including satire. Your
assignment is to develop a satirical piece critiquing some aspect of our society.
In your own words, summarize what you will need to know to complete this
assessment successfully. With your class, create a graphic organizer to represent
the skills and knowledge you will need to complete the tasks identified in the
Embedded Assessment.
1. As you read the following text, use your metacognitive markers to indicate
anything that provokes a question (?), anything about which you wish to
comment or make a connection (*), and anything you find surprising (!). Be
prepared to discuss your response.

ACTIVITY 3.14
Previewing Embedded Assessment 2
continued andIntroducing Satire
Introduction to Satire
Literary Terms Satire is a literary genre that uses irony, wit, and sometimes sarcasm to expose
Satire is a manner of writing humanitys vices and foibles, giving impetus to change or reform through ridicule.
that mixes a critical attitude Types of direct satire include Horatian satire and Juvenalian satire, named after
with wit and humor in an effort
the Roman writers Horace and Juvenal, who made the genre famous. As you read
to improve humankind and
satire, look for these characteristic techniques of satiric writing:
human institutions. Editorial
cartoons are often rather Irony: A mode of expression that uses words (verbal irony) or events (situational
satirical. You will learn more irony) to convey a reality different from and usually opposite to appearance or
about satire in the second half expectation. The surprise recognition by the audience often produces a comic
of this unit. effect. When a text intended to be ironic is not seen as such, the effect can be
Horatian satire pokes fun at disastrous. To be an effective piece of sustained irony, there must be some sort of
human foibles and folly with audience tip-off through style, tone, use of clear exaggeration, or other device.
awitty, gentle, and even
indulgenttone. Hyperbole: Deliberate exaggeration to achieve an effect; overstatement
Juvenalian satire denounces, Litotes: A form of understatement that involves making an affirmative point by
sometimes harshly, human denying its opposite. Example: The graves a fine and private place, / But none,
vice and error in dignified and I think, do there embrace. (Andrew Marvell, To His Coy Mistress)
solemn tones.
Caricature: An exaggeration or other distortion of an individuals prominent
features or characteristics to the point of making that individual appear ridiculous.
The term is applied more often to graphic representations than to literary ones.
WORD Wit: Most commonly understood as clever expressionwhether aggressive or
CONNECTIONS harmless, that is, with or without derogatory intent toward someone or something
Roots and Affixes in particular. We also tend to think of wit as being characterized by a mocking or
Denounce, derision, and paradoxical quality, evoking laughter through apt phrasing.
derogatory all begin with Sarcasm: Intentional derision, generally directed at another person and intended
the Latin prefix de-, which to hurt. The term comes from a Greek word meaning to tear flesh like dogs and
means remove from or do signifies a cutting remark. Sarcasm usually involves obvious verbal irony, achieving
the opposite of. The root of its effect by jeeringly stating the opposite of what is meant so as to heighten
denounce is from the Latin theinsult.
nuntiare, meaning to report.

Adding de- creates the meaning Ridicule: Words intended to belittle a person or idea and arouse contemptuous
of reporting in a negative way. laughter. The goal is to condemn or criticize by making the thing, idea, or person
seem laughable and ridiculous.
derogatory: belittling or Parody: An imitation of a work or of an author with the idea of ridiculing the author,
disrespectful ideas, or work. The parodist exploits the peculiarities of an authors expression
derision: mockery his or her propensity to use too many parentheses, certain favorite words, or other
elements of the authors style.
denounces: publicly names as Invective: Speech or writing that abuses, denounces, or attacks. It can be directed
wrong or evil against a person, cause, idea, or system. It employs a heavy use of negative
emotive language. Example: I cannot but conclude the bulk of your natives to be
the most pernicious race of little odious vermin that nature ever suffered to crawl
My Notes
upon the surface of the earth. (Swift, Gullivers Travels)

Identifying the Elements of Satire ACTIVITY
3.15
Learning Targets
Identify the elements of satire by marking a text. LEARNING STRATEGIES:
Marking the Text, Quick
Analyze how a satirist uses humor to develop a position. Write
Preview
Satire is a specific form of literature in which an author often adopts a persona to
convey a perspective different from her or his own in order to make a point. In this Literary Terms
activity, you will try to identify the characteristics of the persona of a satirical essay. A persona is a voice or
mask that an author,
Setting a Purpose for Reading speaker, or performer
Highlight words, phrases, or sentences you find funny. assumes for a particular
purpose.
Put a star next to instances of parody and caricature you find.
ACADEMIC VOCABULARY
Parody is an imitation of
ABOUT THE AUTHOR anothers work with the
David Bouchier is a British writer who has lived in the United States since idea of ridiculing the author,
1986. He has written ction, nonction, commentaries, and humor columns his or her ideas, or the
for newspapers, literary journals, and magazines. He is also an award-winning workitself.
essayist for National Public Radio. Caricature is an exaggeration
or other distortion of
characteristics to the point
of making a person or group
Satire appear ridiculous.
Lets Hear It for the

My Notes
by David Bouchier
1 Strange things happen on college campuses in summer. I was nearly trampled to

death the other day by a horde of very young women wearing very short red skirts and
chanting something that sounded like A fence! A fence!
2 A fence might be a very good idea, perhaps with some razor wire and a warning
sign saying Danger: Cheerleaders Ahead. Long Island is host to more than a dozen
cheerleader camps. For the educationally gifted, Hofstra and Adelphi Universities even
offer cheerleading scholarships (Give me an A! Give me an A!).
3 But I think there is some intellectual work to be done here. Cheerleading needs a
history, a philosophy and, above all, a more sophisticated theory of communications.
4 The cheerleading phenomenon is almost unknown in the rest of the world.
British soccer fans do their own cheerleading, with a medley of traditional songs,
bricks and bottles. In less civilized parts of the world, fans express their enthusiasm by
running onto the field and beating up the opposing team. Only in America do we have
professional partisans to do the jumping and yelling for us.

ACTIVITY 3.15
Identifying the Elements of Satire
continued
5 Strange as it may seem to foreigners, the cheerleading industry has many ardent
My Notes supporters. It is said to build self-confidence, positive attitudes and a mysterious quality
called spirit, which seems to involve smiling a lot. Cheerleading also teaches the value of
teamwork, something that women have often despised in the past as a male excuse for
mindless violence and idiotic loyalties. Be 100 percent behind your team 100percent
of the time is a slogan that would be heartily endorsed by Slobodan Milosevic, the
Orange Order and the Irish Republican Army.
6 Young cheerleaders also acquire valuable practical skills: impossible balancing
tricks, back flips and the brass lungs they will need for child raising or being heard at
the departmental meeting. Above all, they learn to compete in hundreds of local and
national events. Cheerleaders are clearly the corporate leaders and the political stars of
the future.
7 Cheerleader culture is much broader and shallower than I had imagined. There are
glossy magazines and webzines featuring the essential equipment: deodorants, contact
novices: new members of the group lenses, Cheer Gear, makeup, party dresses and miracle diets. Novices can learn how
to create a successful cheer routine with hot music, unique moves, fab formations, and
multiple levels. They can also learn to make their own pom poms (called just Poms).
There are international stars out there youve never heard of, and even a few anonymous
muscular cheerleading males, whose job it is to support the base of the feminine
pyramid.
8 Despite cheerleaders obsession with pyramids, my research suggests that
cheerleading began in ancient Greece, rather than in Egypt. The first cheerleaders were
called Maenads, female attendants of the god Bacchus. Their task was to encourage the
rites: ceremonial acts crowds to have a good time, with frenzied rites and extravagant gestures. The opposing
squad, the Furies, were merciless goddesses of vengeance who would swing into violent
action if their team was losing. The ancient Greeks must get the credit for being the first
to give young women these important career opportunities.
9 So many teams were decimated by the Furies or led astray by the Maenads that
cheerleading fell into disrepute for 2,000 years, until it was revived in a kinder, gentler
form in the United States. But its still a dangerous activity. In an average year, high

school footballers lose 5.6 playing days to injuries, according to the January 1998
compilation: collection Harpers Index, a compilation of statistics. Cheerleaders lose 28.8 days. These accidents
are blamed on excessive acrobatics and the passion for building taller and taller
pyramids.
10 But all enthusiasm is dangerous, especially when it takes a physical form. If
cheerleading is part of education, lets use it to educate by focusing on the message.
Surely we can do better than waving our poms, doing somersaults and chanting:
Champs take it away
Now Play by Play
Move that ball
Win win win.
11 Lets face it, this is not exactly a stellar example of the sophisticated use of the
English language. To reduce the risk of injury and make the sport more educational and
less distracting for the fans, I propose to substitute verbal skills for physical high jinks.
Routines should become more static, and chants should become more grammatical,
conducive: likely to bring about more literary and more conducive to the kinder, gentler society we all hope for in the
next century.

ACTIVITY 3.15
continued
Why dont you fellows

Pick up that ball GRAMMAR USAGE
Diction
And move it carefully Satire benefits greatly from
To the other end of the field? careful diction.
Bouchier creates a satirical
12 If we really want to teach good social values, lets chant this famous verse from
tone by infusing a lighthearted
Grantland Rice: topic with overly formal
For when the one great Scorer comes diction. For example, he
says ancient cheerleaders
To write against your name use frenzied rites and
He writes not that you won or lost extravagant gestures and
that injuries happen because
But how you played the game. of excessive acrobatics.
The tension created by this
13 Now theres a catchy message for the millennium!
mismatch in topic and word
14 And why not bring that youthful spirit and those brilliant visuals out of the choice makes the piece
stadium and into the workplace? Cheerleaders should be in every office, with a chant unexpected and funny.
for every corporate game. In a lawyers office, for example, a spirited cry of Rule of Find two more examples of
Law! Rule of Law! Sue! Sue! Sue! accompanied by some eyepopping dance steps, would how the author uses diction
give courage and purpose to desk-bound drones. On Wall Street, a simple chant of Go to create satire in the piece.
Greenspan! Low Interest! Never mind the Asians! would create a positive environment
for investment. And cheerleaders would share their boundless enthusiasm with the rest
of us who, in the game of life, so often find ourselves on the losing team.
Second Read My Notes

Reread the satire to answer these text-dependent questions.
Notebook.
1. Craft and Structure: In paragraph 1, what information does the reader

understand that Bouchiers persona does not? How does this disparity set the
tone for the satire?
2. Craft and Structure: What are two examples of Bouchiers use of diction to
create humor in paragraph 7?

ACTIVITY 3.15
Identifying the Elements of Satire
continued
3. Craft and Structure: What does Bouchier parody in paragraph 11? What is the
My Notes effect of the parody?

4. Create a graphic organizer like the following chart, and quote two or more
passages you found funny. Explain why you thought each was funny and identify
the satirical techniques being used. Interpret what each had to say about the
subject referenced in the quote. An example has been provided to get you started.
Humorous passage Identify humorous What is the implied

techniques and message?
humor of quote
perhaps with The writer uses The image seems

some razor wire and hyperbole, irony, and to suggest that
a warning sign saying vivid imagery to create cheerleaders are
Danger: Cheerleaders a ridiculous picture dangerous.
Ahead. of cheerleaders as a
threat that needs to be
contained.

Quickwrite: Explain how Dave Bouchiers article fits the definition of satire.

Support your answer with evidence from the text.

ACTIVITY 3.15
continued
Determining the Meaning of Unknown Words

When you are reading a text and find a word you do not know, there are several My Notes
ways to determine the words meaning.
First of all, look for context clues and use the reading strategy of diffusing.
Whatmeanings and connotations do surrounding words and sentences provide?
Example: What does the word ardent mean in the text below?
The cheerleading industry has many ardent supporters. It is said to build
self-confidence, positive attitudes, and a mysterious quality called spirit,
whichseems to involve smiling a lot.
Here, ardent is clearly modifying supporters. The second sentence tells you that
people believe many good things about cheerleading, so you can probably tell
thatardent means enthusiastic or passionate.
Also, you can use patterns of word changes that indicate different meanings or
parts of speech. If you know that ardor means passion; enthusiasm and you
recognize -ent as a suffix that transforms a noun to an adjective, you can figure
outthe meaning of ardent without looking it up.
Sometimes, however, you need to consult a dictionary to be sure you understand
a words denotation, or definition, and its connotations, or associations. You
canalso look up a words etymology, or history, to learn more about it. For
instance, if you look up the etymology of ardent, you will learn that it literally
means burning.

Read the text below. Use context clues to determine the meaning of decimated.
The opposing squad, the Furies, were merciless goddesses of vengeance who
would swing into violent action if their team was losing. ... So many teams were
decimatedby the Furies or led astray by the Maenads that cheerleading fell into
disrepute for 2,000 years.

First, jot notes based on context clues and your knowledge of word parts and
changes. Then look up the word in a good dictionary or dictionary of usage. What
was the words original, literal meaning? Is it still used that way?

ACTIVITY The Satirical Spectrum
3.16
Learning Targets
LEARNING STRATEGIES: Analyze cartoons for satirical content and techniques.
Think-Pair-Share, Discussion
Groups, Graphic Organizer Compare and contrast cartoons to determine purposes for satire.
Satire as a Rhetorical Tool

You will next look at how a writer uses satire as a rhetorical tool. Go back to
My Notes Bouchiers essay in Activity 3.15 and use the following questions to discuss the
tone of the piece.
1. Choose one tone word that characterizes the entire piece. What do you think of
the writers attitude toward the subject? In two to three sentences, justify your
choice.
2. Identify and explain one element of irony in the text.
3. Where is the tone of the piece most obvious? Give examples and justify
yourresponse.

ACTIVITY 3.16
continued
4. Based on your observations, place the text on the continuum below.

Be prepared to justify your answer. My Notes
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Horatian Juvenalian
5. Your teacher will share some examples of cartoons with you. You may want to
review the satirical techniques you already know as you examine the examples.
How does the visual content contribute to the cartoons overall tone? As you
examine the cartoon, consider the following questions:
What elements of satire are present in the cartoon?
What is the implied message of the artist?
Is the cartoon effective in presenting the implied message?
Where does the cartoon fit in the Horatian to Juvenalian continuum above?
Justify your placement.

Review the sample cartoons and consider the artists purpose for satire in each
cartoon. Then, in an essay, explain how each cartoon seeks to affect the readers
perception of the subject. Be sure to:
Introduce the artists purpose in a topic statement.

Include concrete details and examples from the cartoon to support your claim.
Use precise language, including metaphor, simile, or analogy, to explain
yourideas.

ACTIVITY The Tone of Satire
3.17
Learning Targets
LEARNING STRATEGIES: Analyze an authors use of genre and detail for satirical purposes.
Marking the Text, Graphic
Organizer, Quickwrite Explore the impact of ridicule on the perception of a writers subject.
Preview
In this activity, you will read and analyze an article from the satirical publication
The Onion. The publication calls itself Americas Finest News Source, and its
GRAMMAR USAGE
Dash
motto, Tu stultus es, is Latin for You are a fool/idiot.
Writers use dashes to force
readers to pay attention to a Setting a Purpose for Reading
particular part of a sentence. Highlight words, phrases, or sentences you find funny.
A dash interrupts the flow
of the sentence and signals
for the reader to slow down
and get ready for what he Put a star next to text that shows the author is parodying the form of a news article.
or she is going to read next.
Dashes also tend to create
more dramatic tension in a Satire
sentence than commas do.
Notice how the writer uses
dashes effectively in this Girl Moved To Tears by
Of Mice and Men Cliffs Notes
text to heighten the irony
and humor. In paragraph5,
the writer sets the line
George shoots Lennie in
the head between dashes from The Onion
to emphasize the clash
between what the student 1 CHARLOTTESVILLE, VAIn what she described as the most emotional
expects to read and what she moment of her academic life, University of Virginia sophomore communications
is surprised to read. major Grace Weaver sobbed openly upon concluding Steinbecks seminal work of
Find another example in the American fiction Of Mice And Mens Cliffs Notes early last week.

text of a dash, and practice
2 This book has changed me in a way that only great literature summaries can,
saying the sentence aloud
with a partner to note how saidWeaver, who was so shaken by the experience that she requested an extension
the punctuation changes on her English 229 essay. The humanity displayed in the Character Flowchart really
the pacing and emphasis of stirred something in me. And Lennies childlike innocence was beautifully captured
thesentence. through the simple, ranch-hand slang words like mentally handicapped and retarded.
3 Added Weaver: I never wanted the synopsis to end.
4 Weaver, who formed an instant connection with Lennies character-description

paragraph, said she began to suspect the novel might end tragically after reading the
seminal: important fourth sentence which suggested the gentle giants strength and fascination with soft
demise: death things would lead to his untimely demise.
5 I was amazed at how attached to him I had become just from the critical
commentary: discussion or commentary, said Weaver, still clutching the yellow-and-black-striped study guide.
explanation When I got to the last sentenceGeorge shoots Lennie in the headit seemed so abrupt.
ephemeral: short But I found out later that the ephemeral nature of life is a major theme of the novel.

ACTIVITY 3.17
continued
6 Weaver was assigned Of Mice And Mena novel scholars have called a
masterpiece of austere prose and the most skillful example of American naturalism austere: simple or plain
under 110 pagesas part of her early twentieth-century fiction course, and purchased
the Cliffs Notes from a cardboard rack at her local Barnes & Noble. John Whittier-
Ferguson, her professor for the class, told reporters this was not the first time one of his
students has expressed interest in the novels plot summary. My Notes
7 Its one of those universal American stories, said Ferguson after being informed
of Weavers choice to read the Cliffs Notes instead of the pocket-sized novel. I look
forward to skimming her essay on the importance of following your dreams and
randomly assigning it a grade.
8 Though she completed the two-page brief synopsis in one sitting, Weaver said
she felt strangely drawn into the plot overview and continued on, exploring the more
fleshed-out chapter summaries.
9 Theres something to be said for putting in that extra time with a good story,
Weaver said. You just get more out of it. Im also going to try to find that book about
rabbits that George was always reading to Lennie, so that I can really understand that
important allusion.
10 Within an hour of completing the Cliffs Notes, Weaver was already telling
friends and classmates that Steinbeck was her favorite author, as well as reciting select
quotations from the Important Quotations section for their benefit.
11 When I read those quotes, found out which characters they were attributed to, and
inferred their context from the chapter outlines to piece together their significance, I
was just blown away, said a teary-eyed Weaver. And the way Steinbeck wove the theme
of hands all the way through the section entitled Handshe definitely deserved to win
that Nobel Prize.
12 Weavers roommate, Giulia Crenshaw, has already borrowed the dog-eared,
highlighted summary of the classic Depression-era saga, and is expecting to enjoy
reading what Weaver described as a really sad story about two brothers who love
tofarm.
13 I loved this book so much, Im going to read all of Steinbecks Cliffs Notes, said
Weaver. But first Im going to go to the library to check out the original version OfMice
And Men starring John Malkovich and Gary Sinise.

ACTIVITY 3.17
The Tone of Satire
continued
Second Read
Literary Terms Reread the satire to answer these text-dependent questions.
Objective tone refers to a tone
that is more clinical and that Write any additional questions you have about the text in your Reader/Writer
is not influenced by emotion. Notebook.
Subjective tone refers to
a tone that is obviously 1. Craft and Structure: What is the writers point of view regarding Weavers choice
influenced by the authors to read the CliffsNotes rather than the actual novel? How do you know?
feelings or emotions.
My Notes
2. Craft and Structure: In paragraph 12, what is ironic about Weavers description
of the story?

Is the tone of the piece objective or subjective?

As a group, review the satire techniques on page 268. Then, write a group analysis
of the authors use of the techniques in Girl Moved To Tears by Of Mice and Men

Cliffs Notes. Be sure to:
State the purpose of the satire in a topic statement. What is the author
criticizing?
Select relevant examples of satire from the text. Explain the purpose of each.
Identify and explain the use of parody by connecting to the audiences
knowledge of the specific genre conventions of a news article.
INDEPENDENT
READING LINK
Read and Connect
Review the selections in your
news portfolio. Compose
a short mock news story
inspired by one of the texts.
Share your news story with
a group.

Writing a Parody ACTIVITY
3.18
Learning Targets
Examine how parody is used to critique a subject. LEARNING STRATEGIES:
Marking the Text, Oral
Craft an original parody of a mass-media program. Reading, Drafting
Introducing Parody
A parody is a specific technique that imitates an author or a work for the purpose
of humor. The parodist exploits the peculiarities of an authors expression or the My Notes
characteristics of a typical format.
1. Based on your discussion of this definition, brainstorm a list of parodies youre

familiar with. Think of popular music, television, movies, print sources, etc.
2. As you watch the news excerpt provided by your teacher, make a list of things
in the show that might be ripe for parody. Think about the people you see, the
shows style, the graphics used, the stories reported, etc., that are typical of this
show and of news broadcasts in general.
Preview
In this activity, you will read a parody by Dave Barry and create one of your own
about some aspect of television programming.

Highlight words, phrases, or sentences you find particularly funny.
In the margin, keep a running list of the different elements of television news
shows Barry is parodying.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dave Barry is a writer and journalist who wrote a weekly humor column for
more than 25 years. He won a Pulitzer Prize for commentary in 1988 and is the
only humor writer to win this prestigious award.

ACTIVITY 3.18
Writing a Parody
continued
Parody
My Notes
In Depth, but Shallowly

by Dave Barry
1 If you want to take your mind off the troubles of the real world, you should watch
local TV news shows. I know of no better way to escape reality, except perhaps heavy
drinking.
2 Local TV news programs have given a whole new definition to the word news. To
most people, news means information about events that affect a lot of people. On local
TV news shows, news means anything that you can take a picture of, especially if a local
TV News Personality can stand in front of it. This is why they are so fond of accidents,
burning buildings, and crowds: these are good for standing in front of.
3 On the other hand, local TV news shows tend to avoid stories about things that
local TV News Personalities cannot stand in front of, such as budgets and taxes and the
economy. If you want to get a local TV news show to do a story on the budget, your best
bet is to involve it in a car crash.
4 I travel around the country a lot, and as far as I can tell, virtually all local TV news
shows follow the same format. First you hear some exciting music, the kind you hear in
space movies, while the screen shows local TV News Personalities standing in front of
various News Events. Then you hear the announcer:
ANNOUNCER: From the On-the-Spot Action Eyewitness News Studios, this is the
On-The-Spot Action Eyewitness News, featuring Anchorman Wilson Westbrook, Co-
Anchor-person Stella Snape, Minority-Group Member James Edwards, Genial Sports
Personality Jim Johnson, Humorous Weatherperson Dr. Reed Stevens, and Norm
Perkins on drums. And now, heres Wilson Westbrook.
WESTBROOK: Good evening. Tonight from the On-the-Spot Action Eyewitness News

Studios we have actual color film of a burning building, actual color film of two cars
after they ran into each other, actual color film of the front of a building in which one
person shot another person, actual color film of another burning building, and special
reports on roller-skating and child abuse. But for the big story tonight, we go to City
Hall, where On-the-Spot Reporter Reese Kernel is standing live.
KERNEL: I am standing here live in front of City Hall being televised by the On-the-
Spot Action Eyewitness News minicam with Mayor Bryce Hallbread.
MAYOR: Thats Hallwood.
KERNEL: What?
MAYOR: My name is Hallwood. You said Hallbread.
KERNEL: Look, Hallbread, do you want to be on the news or dont you?
MAYOR: Yes, of course, its just that my name is
KERNEL Listen, this is the top-rated news show in the three-county area, and if you
think I have time to memorize every stupid detail, youd better think again.
MAYOR: Im sorry. Hallbread is just fine, really.

ACTIVITY 3.18
continued
KERNEL: Thank you, Mayor Hallbread. And now back to Wilson Westbrook in the
On-the-Spot Action Eyewitness News Studios. My Notes
WESTBROOK: Thank you, Reese; keep us posted if anything further develops on that
important story. And now, as I promised earlier, we have actual color film of various objects
that either burned or crashed, which we will project on the screen behind me while I talk
about them. Here is a building on fire. Here is another building on fire. Here is a car crash.
This film was shot years ago, but you can safely assume that objects just like these crashed
or burned in the three-county area today. And now we go to my Co-Anchorperson, Stella
Snape, for a Special Report on her exhaustive three-week investigation into the problem of
child abuse in the three-county area. Well, Stella, what did you find?
SNAPE: Wilson, I found that child abuse is very sad. What happens is that people
abuse children. Its just awful. Here you see some actual color film of me standing in
front of a house. Most of your child abuse occurs in houses. Note that I am wearing
subdued colors.
WESTBROOK (reading from a script): Are any efforts under way here in the
three-county area to combat child abuse?
SNAPE: Yes.
WESTBROOK: Thank you, Stella, for that informative report. On the lighter side, On-
the-Spot Action Eyewitness Reporter Terri Tompkins has prepared a three-part series
on roller-skating in the three-county area.
TOMPKINS: Roller-skating has become a major craze in California and the three-
county area, as you can see by this actual color film of me on roller skates outside the
On-the-Spot Action Eyewitness News Studio. This certainly is a fun craze. Tomorrow,
in Part Two of this series, well see actual color film of me falling down. On Wednesday
well see me getting up.
WESTBROOK: Well look forward to those reports. Our next story is from Minority-
Group Reporter James Edwards, who, as he has for the last 324 consecutive broadcasts,
spent the day in the minority-group sector of the three-county area finding out what
minorities think.
EDWARDS: Wilson, Im standing in front of a crowd of minority-group members, and

as you can see, their mood is troubled. (The crowd smiles and waves at the camera.)
WESTBROOK: Good report, James. Well, we certainly had a sunny day here in the
three-county area, didnt we, Humorous Weatherperson Dr. Reed Stevens?
STEVENS: Ha ha. We sure did, though Im certainly troubled by that very troubling
report Stella did on child abuse. But we should see continued warm weather through
Wednesday. Here are a bunch of charts showing the relative humidity and stuff like that.
Ha ha.
WESTBROOK: Ha ha. Well, things werent nearly as bright on the sports scene, were
they Genial Sports Personality Jim Johnson?
JOHNSON: No, Wilson, they certainly werent. The Three-County Community College
Cutlasses lost their fourth consecutive game today. Here you see actual color footage of
me watching the game from the sidelines. The disgust is evident on my face. I intended
to have actual color film of me interviewing the coach after the game, but the team bus
crashed and everyone was killed.

ACTIVITY 3.18
Writing a Parody
continued
WESTBROOK: Thank you, Jim. And now, here is Basil Holp, the General Manager of
My Notes KUSP-TV, to present an Editorial Viewpoint:
HOLP: The management of KUSP-TV firmly believes that something ought to be done
about earthquakes. From time to time we read in the papers that an earthquake has hit
some wretched little country and knocked houses down and killed people. This should
not be allowed to continue. Maybe we should have a tax or something. What the heck,
we can afford it. The management of KUSP-TV is rolling in money.
ANNOUNCER: The preceding was the opinion of the management of KUSP-TV.
People with opposing points of view are probably in the vast majority.
WESTBROOK: Well, that wraps up tonights version of the On-the-Spot Action
Eyewitness News. Tune in tonight to see essentially the same stories.
Second Read
Reread the parody to answer these text-dependent questions.
Notebook.
1. Key Ideas and Details: In paragraph 3, Barry writes, all local TV news shows
follow the same format. How does he continue this central idea with the titles
and names of the imagined news team?
2. Craft and Structure: What is Barry parodying with Stella Snapes report on child
abuse on page 281? What is his point of view about how local TV news handles
this type of report?
3. Craft and Structure: What evidence in Edwardss minority-group report on 2018 College Board. All rights reserved.
page281 reveals Barrys point of view regarding this type of report?

ACTIVITY 3.18
continued
4. Craft and Structure: How does Barry use hyperbole in Holps editorial viewpoint
to critique the practices of local TV news shows? My Notes

Rank Barrys satirical intent on the scale below. Justify your ranking.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Just plain silly Biting sarcasm/criticism
(Horatian) (Juvenalian)
Narrative Writing Prompt

Write a parody of some aspect of TV programming. Choose a partner and a subject
(a genre like soap operas, sports broadcasts, reality shows, childrens television
programs; or a specific show like Oprah or CSI or 60 Minutes, etc.). Next, write
your parody, using the format of a script. Use the following questions as a basis for
planning your parody.
Details: What images should you include? What images should you avoid? Put
your subject in the middle of a circle, and then brainstorm a list of conventions and
features that might be good parody material. Think about what things in the show
are just a little annoying.
Tone/purpose: How critical should you be? Is it time for brutal sarcasm or playful
wit? Is the show an offense to good taste or just a silly waste of time? Are you out
to destroy or merely to tease?
Audience: How familiar is your audience with the show? What is their attitude
toward the show? How will these answers affect what you should and should
not do in your script? How will the use of irony, overt sarcasm, or ridicule affect
your audiences response to your parody? You will present your script to your
classmates in a readers theater, so keep that audience in mind.
Organization: Focusing on the formulas of your subject, how should you start,
develop, and end your script?
Diction: What patterns of speech can you identify that would be easy to parody?
How stupid or clich do you want to make your characters/personalities appear?
Syntax: What about the pacing of the script? Where should it read the
most quickly? Where should the reader hang on every word? How can you
accomplishthis?

ACTIVITY Need Some Advice?
3.19
Learning Targets
LEARNING STRATEGIES: Analyze satirical techniques used for comic effect.
Marking the Text, Graphic
Organizer, RAFT Examine how syntax is used for effect.
Preview
In this activity, you will read a satirical essay by Mark Twain called Advice to
My Notes Youth. Before you begin reading, consider the following questions. Be prepared to
discuss your responses.
What advice do adults typically give teenagers?
Why do adults feel it is necessary to pass on this information?
Is this advice typically helpful? Do you typically heed that advice? If not,
why not?

Put a star next to any places where the text takes a surprising departure from
where it seems to be going.
Put a question mark next to any parts that you can tell are supposed to be
funny, but you dont quite get the joke.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Samuel Clemens, whose pen name was Mark Twain, was born in 1835 in
Missouri. His most famous novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, caused
a revolution in American literature. During his life, he was also famous for his
humorous lectures, essays, and sayings.

Satire
Advice to Youth
(1882)
by Mark Twain
1 Being told I would be expected to talk here, I inquired what sort of talk I ought
didactic: that teaches moral values to make. They said it should be something suitable to youthsomething didactic,
instructive, or something in the nature of good advice. Very well. I have a few things in
my mind which I have often longed to say for the instruction of the young; for it is in
ones tender early years that such things will best take root and be most enduring and
most valuable. First, then. I will say to you my young friendsand I say it beseechingly,
urgingly

ACTIVITY 3.19
continued
2 Always obey your parents, when they are present. This is the best policy in the long
run, because if you dont, they will make you. Most parents think they know better than My Notes
you do, and you can generally make more by humoring that superstition than you can
by acting on your own better judgment.
3 Be respectful to your superiors, if you have any, also to strangers, and sometimes
to others. If a person offends you, and you are in doubt as to whether it was intentional
or not, do not resort to extreme measures; simply watch your chance and hit him with a
brick. That will be sufficient. If you shall find that he had not intended any offense, come
out frankly and confess yourself in the wrong when you struck him; acknowledge it
like a man and say you didnt mean to. Yes, always avoid violence; in this age of charity
and kindliness, the time has gone by for such things. Leave dynamite to the low and
unrefined.
4 Go to bed early, get up earlythis is wise. Some authorities say get up with the sun;
some say get up with one thing, others with another. But a lark is really the best thing to
get up with. It gives you a splendid reputation with everybody to know that you get up
with the lark; and if you get the right kind of lark, and work at him right, you can easily
train him to get up at half past nine, every timeits no trick at all.
5 Now as to the matter of lying. You want to be very careful about lying; otherwise
you are nearly sure to get caught. Once caught, you can never again be in the eyes of
the good and the pure, what you were before. Many a young person has injured himself
permanently through a single clumsy and ill finished lie, the result of carelessness born
of incomplete training. Some authorities hold that the young ought not to lie at all. That
of course, is putting it rather stronger than necessary; still while I cannot go quite so far
as that, I do maintain, and I believe I am right, that the young ought to be temperate in maintain: declare strongly
the use of this great art until practice and experience shall give them that confidence,
elegance, and precision which alone can make the accomplishment graceful and
profitable. Patience, diligence, painstaking attention to detailthese are requirements;
these in time, will make the student perfect; upon these, and upon these only, may he
rely as the sure foundation for future eminence. Think what tedious years of study, eminence: success
thought, practice, experience, went to the equipment of that peerless old master who peerless: without equal
was able to impose upon the whole world the lofty and sounding maxim that Truth
is mighty and will prevailthe most majestic compound fracture of fact which any
of woman born has yet achieved. For the history of our race, and each individuals
experience, are sewn thick with evidences that a truth is not hard to kill, and that a
lie well told is immortal. There is in Boston a monument of the man who discovered
anesthesia; many people are aware, in these latter days, that that man didnt discover it
at all, but stole the discovery from another man. Is this truth mighty, and will it prevail?
Ah no, my hearers, the monument is made of hardy material, but the lie it tells will
outlast it a million years. An awkward, feeble, leaky lie is a thing which you ought to
make it your unceasing study to avoid; such a lie as that has no more real permanence
than an average truth. Why, you might as well tell the truth at once and be done with it.
A feeble, stupid, preposterous lie will not live two yearsexcept it be a slander upon preposterous: silly
somebody. It is indestructible, then, of course, but that is no merit of yours. A final slander: harmful statement about
word: begin your practice of this gracious and beautiful art earlybegin now. If I had someone
begun earlier, I could have learned how.
6 Never handle firearms carelessly. The sorrow and suffering that have been caused
through the innocent but heedless handling of firearms by the young! Only four
days ago, right in the next farm house to the one where I am spending the summer, a
grandmother, old and gray and sweet, one of the loveliest spirits in the land, was sitting
at her work, when her young grandson crept in and got down an old, battered, rusty

ACTIVITY 3.19
Need Some Advice?
continued
gun which had not been touched for many years and was supposed not to be loaded,
WORD and pointed it at her, laughing and threatening to shoot. In her fright she ran screaming
CONNECTIONS and pleading toward the door on the other side of the room; but as she passed him he
Roots and Affixes placed the gun almost against her very breast and pulled the trigger! He had supposed
it was not loaded. And he was rightit wasnt. So there wasnt any harm done. It is
The word inestimable is formed
the only case of that kind I ever heard of. Therefore, just the same, dont you meddle
from the prefix in-, meaning
with old unloaded firearms; they are the most deadly and unerring things that have
not, the root estim, meaning
ever been created by man. You dont have to take any pains at all with them; you dont
to value, and the suffix -able,
meaning able to be. Thus, have to have a rest, you dont have to have any sights on the gun, you dont have to take
something inestimable is aim, even. No, you just pick out a relative and bang away, and you are sure to get him.
impossible to put a value on. A youth who cant hit a cathedral at thirty yards with a Gatling gun in three quarters
The words estimate and esteem of an hour, can take up an old empty musket and bag his grandmother every time, at
also derive from the same a hundred. Think what Waterloo would have been if one of the armies had been boys
Latinroot. armed with old muskets supposed not to be loaded, and the other army had been
composed of their female relations. The very thought of it makes one shudder.
7 There are many sorts of books; but good ones are the sort for the young to
My Notes read. Remember that. They are a great, an inestimable and unspeakable means of
improvement. Therefore be careful in your selection, my young friends; be very careful;
confine yourselves exclusively to Robertsons Sermons, Baxters Saints Rest, The
Innocents Abroad, and works of that kind.
8 But I have said enough. I hope you will treasure up the instructions which I have
given you, and make them a guide to your feet and a light to your understanding. Build
precepts: rules your character thoughtfully and painstakingly upon these precepts, and by and by,
when you have got it built, you will be surprised and gratified to see how nicely and
sharply it resembles everybody elses.
Second Read
Notebook.

1. Craft and Structure: How does Twain satirize typical advice about obeying ones
parents in paragraph 2?

ACTIVITY 3.19
continued
2. Craft and Structure: How does Twain change the meaning of get up with the
lark in paragraph 4 to create humor? My Notes
3. Key Ideas and Details: Which words and phrases in paragraph 5 express
the likelihood of learning to tell the perfect immortal lie? What is Twains
realmessage?
4. Craft and Structure: How does the last sentence suggest Twains purpose for
the satire?

ACTIVITY 3.19
Need Some Advice?
continued

My Notes 5. Didactic (Greek, didaktikos: apt at teaching) is a term often used to describe a
speakers or writers tone when that speaker or writer is attempting to educate
or inform an audience. Provide an example of textual evidence for why Twains
piece could be described as didactic.

Quickwrite: Where does Advice to Youth fall on the Horatian to Juvenalian
continuum? Identify textual support to justify your answer.
Language and Writers Craft: Cumulative or Loose

Sentence Patterns
Cumulative (or loose) sentences are sentences in which the main idea is
followed by a series of phrases that supply further details about a person,
place, event, or idea. Writers tend to use them to make their writing informal
or conversational. Consider this example in which the main idea or clause is
in italics, followed by a series of phrases.
We reached New York that morning after a turbulent flight and some
exciting experiences, tired but exhilarated, full of stories to tell our friends
and neighbors.
In Advice to Youth, Mark Twain uses cumulative sentences for comedic
effect. Notice how this works in the second sentence of his speech:
They said it should be something suitable to youthsomething didactic,
instructive, or something in the nature of good advice.
By listing out the suitable qualities that they suggest, Twain seems to
wink knowingly at the audience in a conversational way.
PRACTICE In the graphic below, identify at least three pieces of advice

Twain renders to hisaudience. Write the main clause in column one, write

the main or modifying phrase or clause in column two, and explain the effect
of this loose sentence pattern in column three. In some cases, Twain may add
multiple modifying clauses, so beware!
Main Clause 1 Main Clause 2 or Effect on Meaning

Modifying Phrase/
Clause

ACTIVITY 3.19
continued

My Notes
Write your own lecture of advice to a particular audience. Use a RAFT to select a
role for you to play and an audience to whom to impart your great wisdom (your
topic). Be sure to:
Select a topic that is specific to your audience.
Use an appropriate format in which to deliver your message to your audience
(e.g., an editorial, a letter, etc.) and follow the formats conventions.
Use loose sentence patterns to create a humorous effect.

ACTIVITY Twain in Twain
3.20
Learning Targets
LEARNING STRATEGIES: Compare and contrast two satirical texts to analyze their purpose and the
Marking the Text, SOAPSTone
techniques used.
Evaluate the authors choice of tone to appeal to an audience.
My Notes
Preview
In this activity, you will read another satirical piece by Mark Twain to analyze how
the master of American humor used tone to appeal to an audience.

Identify and keep notes about the satirical techniques Twain uses.
Satire
The War Prayer

by Mark Twain
1 It was a time of great and exalting excitement. The country was up in arms, the
war was on, in every breast burned the holy fire of patriotism; the drums were beating,
the bands playing, the toy pistols popping, the bunched firecrackers hissing and
spluttering; on every hand and far down the receding and fading spread of roofs and
balconies a fluttering wilderness of flags flashed in the sun; daily the young volunteers
marched down the wide avenue gay and fine in their new uniforms, the proud fathers
WORD
and mothers and sisters and sweethearts cheering them with voices choked with

CONNECTIONS
happy emotion as they swung by; nightly the packed mass meetings listened, panting,
Word Relationships to patriot oratory which stirred the deepest deeps of their hearts, and which they
The verb invoke, meaning to interrupted at briefest intervals with cyclones of applause, the tears running down their
ask for help, usually from cheeks the while; in the churches the pastors preached devotion to flag and country,
a god, is derived from the and invoked the God of Battles beseeching His aid in our good cause in outpourings of
Latin word invocare, meaning fervid eloquence which moved every listener. It was indeed a glad and gracious time,
to call. Other words based and the half dozen rash spirits that ventured to disapprove of the war and cast a doubt
on invocare are invoker, upon its righteousness straightway got such a stern and angry warning that for their
invocation, and invocatory. personal safetys sake they quickly shrank out of sight and offended no more in that way.
2 Sunday morning camenext day the battalions would leave for the front; the
martial: military church was filled; the volunteers were there, their young faces alight with martial
dreamsvisions of the stern advance, the gathering momentum, the rushing charge,
sabers: heavy cavalry swords with the flashing sabers, the flight of the foe, the tumult, the enveloping smoke, the fierce
curved blades pursuit, the surrender! Then home from the war, bronzed heroes, welcomed, adored,
tumult: noise and confusion submerged in golden seas of glory! With the volunteers sat their dear ones, proud,
happy, and envied by the neighbors and friends who had no sons and brothers to send
forth to the field of honor, there to win for the flag, or, failing, die the noblest of noble

ACTIVITY 3.20
continued
deaths. The service proceeded; a war chapter from the Old Testament was read; the
first prayer was said; it was followed by an organ burst that shook the building, and My Notes
with one impulse the house rose, with glowing eyes and beating hearts, and poured out
that tremendous invocationGod the all-terrible! Thou who ordainest! Thunder thy
clarion and lightning thy sword!
3 Then came the long prayer. None could remember the like of it for passionate
pleading and moving and beautiful language. The burden of its supplication was, that supplication: plea
an ever-merciful and benignant Father of us all would watch over our noble young
soldiers, and aid, comfort, and encourage them in their patriotic work; bless them,
shield them in the day of battle and the hour of peril, bear them in His mighty hand,
make them strong and confident, invincible in the bloody onset; help them to crush the
foe, grant to them and to their flag and country imperishable honor and glory
4 An aged stranger entered and moved with slow and noiseless step up the main
aisle, his eyes fixed upon the minister, his long body clothed in a robe that reached to
his feet, his head bare, his white hair descending in a frothy cataract to his shoulders, cataract: waterfall
his seamy face unnaturally pale, pale even to ghastliness. With all eyes following him
and wondering, he made his silent way; without pausing, he ascended to the preachers
side and stood there waiting. With shut lids the preacher, unconscious of his presence,
continued with his moving prayer, and at last finished it with the words, uttered in
fervent appeal, Bless our arms, grant us the victory, O Lord our God, Father and
Protector of our land and flag!
5 The stranger touched his arm, motioned him to step asidewhich the startled
minister didand took his place. During some moments he surveyed the spellbound
audience with solemn eyes, in which burned an uncanny light; then in a deep voice
he said:
6 I come from the Thronebearing a message from Almighty God! The words
smote the house with a shock; if the stranger perceived it he gave no attention. He has smote: struck hard
heard the prayer of His servant your shepherd, and will grant it if such shall be your
desire after I, His messenger, shall have explained to you its importthat is to say, its
full import. For it is like unto many of the prayers of men, in that it asks for more than
he who utters it is aware ofexcept he pause and think.

7 Gods servant and yours has prayed his prayer. Has he paused and taken thought?
Is it one prayer? No, it is twoone uttered, the other not. Both have reached the ear of
Him Who heareth all supplications, the spoken and the unspoken. Ponder thiskeep
it in mind. If you would beseech a blessing upon yourself, beware! lest without intent
you invoke a curse upon a neighbor at the same time. If you pray for the blessing of rain
upon your crop which needs it, by that act you are possibly praying for a curse upon
some neighbors crop which may not need rain and can be injured by it.
8 You have heard your servants prayerthe uttered part of it. I am commissioned commissioned: assigned the task
of God to put into words the other part of itthat part which the pastorand also
you in your heartsfervently prayed silently. And ignorantly and unthinkingly? God
grant that it was so! You heard these words: Grant us the victory, O Lord our God!
That is sufficient. The whole of the uttered prayer is compact into those pregnant words.
Elaborations were not necessary. When you have prayed for victory you have prayed
for many unmentioned results which follow victorymust follow it, cannot help but
follow it. Upon the listening spirit of God fell also the unspoken part of the prayer. He
commandeth me to put it into words. Listen!

ACTIVITY 3.20
Twain in Twain
continued
9 O Lord our Father, our young patriots, idols of our hearts, go forth to battlebe
My Notes Thou near them! With themin spiritwe also go forth from the sweet peace of our
beloved firesides to smite the foe. O Lord our God, help us to tear their soldiers to
bloody shreds with our shells; help us to cover their smiling fields with the pale forms
of their patriot dead; help us to drown the thunder of the guns with the shrieks of their
wounded, writhing in pain; help us to lay waste their humble homes with a hurricane
unavailing: useless of fire; help us to wring the hearts of their unoffending widows with unavailing grief;
help us to turn them out roofless with little children to wander unfriended the wastes of
their desolated land in rags and hunger and thirst, sports of the sun flames of summer
and the icy winds of winter, broken in spirit, worn with travail, imploring Thee for
the refuge of the grave and denied itfor our sakes who adore Thee, Lord, blast their
protract: prolong hopes, blight their lives, protract their bitter pilgrimage, make heavy their steps, water
their way with their tears, stain the white snow with the blood of their wounded feet!
We ask it, in the spirit of love, of Him Who is the Source of Love, and Who is the ever-
beset: troubled faithful refuge and friend of all that are sore beset and seek His aid with humble and
contrite: remorseful or apologetic contrite hearts. Amen.
(After a pause.)
10 Ye have prayed it; if ye still desire it, speak! The messenger of the Most High
waits!
11 It was believed afterward that the man was a lunatic, because there was no sense in
what he said.
Second Read
Notebook.
1. Craft and Structure: How do Twains descriptions create a caricature in

paragraph 1? What point of view does this description suggest?

2. Key Ideas and Details: In paragraph 2, what evidence shows the townspeoples
expectations for the war?

ACTIVITY 3.20
continued
3. Key Ideas and Details: Who or what is the messenger who enters the story
beginning with paragraph 4? Support your response with text evidence. My Notes
4. Key Ideas and Details: Summarize the mans message to the townspeople as
stated in his prayer in paragraph 9. What theme does his message suggest?
5. Key Ideas and Details: What can you infer about human nature from the towns
reaction to the messenger in paragraph 12?


6. Once you have finished reading the piece, conduct a comparative SOAPSTone,
looking at the different ways in which Twain treats these drastically different
topics. To help you organize your thoughts, you might fold your paper
lengthwise, use the first column to complete a SOAPSTone on Advice to
Youth and the second column for The War Prayer. Be prepared to discuss
yourresponses.
7. As a follow-up to the comparative SOAPSTone activity, discuss the following

questions:
How is the type of satire being used appropriate for the subject and purpose?
How do the terms Horatian satire and Juvenalian satire apply to the two
satires byTwain?

Transfer your answers to a poster and include a visual element that symbolizes the
differences between the texts. Present your poster to the class. INDEPENDENT
READING LINK
Read and Respond
Select a text from your news
portfolio. Explain in writing
how the writer uses tone to
advance his or her opinion.

ACTIVITY The Satirical Critique
3.21
Learning Targets
LEARNING STRATEGIES: Examine how tone is connected to a writers purpose.
Marking the Text, Brainstorming
Evaluate the effectiveness of a satirical text.
Preview
My Notes In this activity, you will read two satirical pieces and use them as guides to begin
work on your own.

Underline words and phrases that contribute to the satiric tone and purpose of
each essay.
TEXT 1
Satire
Gambling in Schools
by Howard Mohr
1 [When Minnesota jumped into legalized gambling, it was off the deep end without
a lifeguard. First it was Canterbury Downs, a clean, well-lighted horse track that seemed
more like a Lutheran church with betting windows. Then came Powerball, Daily Three,
Gopher Five (named after the official state rodent), and Scratch-Offs. At the same time
Native American casinos were springing up in the land of sky blue waters, raking it in
with blackjack and slot machines and high-stakes bingo. What could possibly be next?]

2 Parents and teachers who have been worried sick about finding enough money
minimal: basic just to maintain public schools at a minimal level, worry no more. The Minnesota
Legislature last week approved the Education Gambling Bill. The bill allows Video
Gaming Devices (VGDS) in K-12 classrooms. Only two machines per classroom will
be permitted, unless the class size exceeds thirty, in which case one additional VGD
machine will be permitted for each additional ten students. Class size, however, will not
be a problem once the gambling revenue begins pouring in.
3 Students in math classes will be instructed in probability, statistics, and hot streaks.
The VGDs in kindergarten classrooms will operate with nickels only. All students will
be expected to do their assignments and homework before gambling, unless theyre on
a roll.
4 Powerball and Gopher Five tickets will be sold only in the lunchroom during the
noon hour. But the attractive neon Minnesota lottery signs will be permitted at the
main entrance of the school and near the scoreboard at games.
5 Pulltabs and Scratch-Offs are specifically outlawed in the bill because they make a
lobby: group that works to big mess, according to the powerful Janitors Lobby.
influence lawmakers

ACTIVITY 3.21
continued
6 Off-track horse betting will be handled in the Principals office, with a $2 and $5
window initially, but with the option of a $100 window after the first year. Race results
will be available in convenient locations. The first half hour of the school day will be a
handicapping homeroom, but students will be encouraged to arrive early if they are handicapping: picking which
psyched up and have the feeling that this is the day. horse will win a race
7 Each school system may publish and sell its own Tip Sheet or it can hire a
professional tipster, such as Gimp Gordon or Fast-Forward Freddy, to be a
My Notes
counselor and role model.
8 Betting on high school sports will be forbidden, but the morning line for collegiate
and professional sports will be broadcast on Channel One and posted in the principals
office near the sports betting window. As a safeguard, students will not be allowed to bet
on sporting contests unless they have successfully passed Math II, Point Spreads and
Injuries.
9 Poker games will be operated as an extracurricular activity from the final bell until
four a.m. The School will be the house and provide the dealers. There will be a 10
percent rakeoff for each pot up to a maximum of $10 per hand. Only Five-Card Draw,
Stud, and Hold-Em will be permitted. Midnight Baseball, Spit in the Ocean, or Mission
Impossible will not be permitted because they are silly games of chance and would send
the wrong message to students.
10 Gambling will obviously bring new life and big money to the schools, but there are
other advantages:
1: Students will be prepared for jobs in the gambling industry after graduating.
2: Part-time jobs will be created in the schools for change walkers, dealers, security
officers, and so on.
3: A wider variety of people will be attracted to the teaching profession.
4: Discipline will be better because the hope of getting something for nothing is
one of the oldest drives for excellence.
11 A bigger gambling issue faces the Legislature soon: Should gaming be permitted
in hospitals and medical centers? And if so, how much and what kind? Would patients
be able to bet the ponies from their beds? Could nurses deal blackjack in the sunroom?
Could you go double or nothing with your physician?
Second Read
Notebook.
1. Key Ideas and Details: What evidence in paragraph 2 indicates why schools
might get involved with gambling?

ACTIVITY 3.21
The Satirical Critique
continued
2. Craft and Structure: How is the last sentence in paragraph 9 ironic? What
My Notes critique of gambling does it suggest?
3. Craft and Structure: How does the shift to hospitals and medical centers in
paragraph 11 show Mohrs point of view on gambling as a means of financial
support for public services?
TEXT 2
Satire
GRAMMAR USAGE
Verbal Phrases
A gerund is a verb ending
How to Poison the Earth
with -ing and functioning
by Linnea Saukko
as a noun. For example, the
gerund of the verb poison is 1 Poisoning the earth can be difficult because the earth is always trying to cleanse
poisoning. A gerund phrase and renew itself. Keeping this in mind, we should generate as much waste as possible
consists of a gerund, its from substances such as uranium-238, which has a half-life (the time it takes for half
object, and its modifiers. of the substance to decay) of one million years, or plutonium, which has a half-life of
Notice the gerund phrase
only 0.5 million years but is so toxic that if distributed evenly, ten pounds of it could kill

functioning as the subject in
every person on the earth. Because the United States generates about eighteen tons of
the first sentence of this text:
plutonium per year, it is about the best substance for long-term poisoning of the earth.
Poisoning the earth can be
It would help if we would build more nuclear power plants because each one generates
difficult
only 500 pounds of plutonium each year. Of course, we must include persistent toxic
A participle is a word formed chemicals such as polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) and dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane
from a verb that can also (DDT) to make sure we have enough toxins to poison the earth from the core to the
be used as an adjective. outer atmosphere. First, we must develop many different ways of putting the waste from
For example, the verb rise these nuclear and chemical substances in, on, and around the earth.
may be used as a past
adjective (the risen sun) or a 2 Putting these substances in the earth is a most important step in the poisoning
present adjective (the rising process. With deep-well injection we can ensure that the earth is poisoned all the way
sun). A participial phrase to the core. Deep-well injection involves drilling a hole that is a few thousand feet
consists of a participle and deep and injecting toxic substances at extremely high pressures so they will penetrate
any modifiers. Notice this deep into the earth. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), there
participial phrase from the are about 360 such deep injection wells in the United States. We cannot forget the
text: Keeping this in mind, groundwater aquifers that are closer to the surface. These must also be contaminated.
we should generate This is easily done by shallow-well injection, which operates on the same principle as
Find two more examples deep-well injection, only closer to the surface. The groundwater that has been injected
of gerund phrases and with toxins will spread contamination beneath the earth. The EPA estimates that there
participial phrases in the text. are approximately 500,000 shallow injection wells in the United States.

ACTIVITY 3.21
continued
3 Burying the toxins in the earth is the next best method. The toxins from landfills,
dumps, and lagoons slowly seep into the earth, guaranteeing that contamination My Notes
will last a long time. Because the EPA estimates there are only about 50,000 of these
dumps in the United States, they should be located in areas where they will leak to the
surrounding ground and surface water.
4 Applying pesticides and other poisons on the earth is another part of the poisoning
process. This is good for coating the earths surface so that the poisons will be absorbed
by plants, will seep into the ground, and will run off into surface water.
5 Surface water is very important to contaminate because it will transport the
poisons to places that cannot be contaminated directly. Lakes are good for long-term
storage of pollutants while they release some of their contamination to rivers. The only
trouble with rivers is that they act as a natural cleansing system for the earth. No matter
how much poison is dumped into them, they will try to transport it away to reach the
ocean eventually.
6 The ocean is very hard to contaminate because it has such a large volume and a
natural buffering capacity that tends to neutralize some of the contamination. So in
addition to the pollution from rivers, we must use the ocean as a dumping place for as
many toxins as possible. The ocean currents will help transport the pollution to places
that cannot otherwise be reached.
7 Now make sure that the air around the earth is very polluted. Combustion and
evaporation are major mechanisms for doing this. We must continuously pollute
because the wind will disperse the toxins while rain washes them from the air. But this
is good because a few lakes are stripped of all living animals each year from acid rain.
Because the lower atmosphere can cleanse itself fairly easily, we must explode nuclear
tests bombs that shoot radioactive particles high into the upper atmosphere where they
will circle the earth for years. Gravity must pull some of the particles to earth, so we
must continue exploding these bombs.
8 So it is that easy. Just be sure to generate as many poisonous substances as possible
and be sure they are distributed in, on, and around the entire earth at a greater rate than
it can cleanse itself. By following these easy steps we can guarantee the poisoning of
theearth.
Second Read
Notebook.
4. Craft and Structure: How does Saukkos choice to structure her satire as a
how-to list create an unemotional tone?

ACTIVITY 3.21
continued
5. Craft and Structure: What phrase near the end of paragraph 1 describes
My Notes Saukkos organization of the text? How effective is this organization?
6. Craft and Structure: How is the phrase poisoned all the way to the core in
paragraph 2 an example of hyperbole? What effect does it have on the reader?
7. Craft and Structure: How does Saukko use irony throughout the text to show
her point of view?

8. Which satire is more effective in making its point? Why?

9. Meet with others who chose the same essay. Be prepared to debate with a
member of the group who chose the other essay, using effective reasoning
and evidence from the text to prove your claim. Be able to point to satirical
techniques and purpose.

ACTIVITY 3.21
continued
Writing a Satire
The first task of writing a satire is to choose a topic you are informed and My Notes
passionate about. Think of some of the topics written about in this unit:
shallowness, football, war, gambling, and pollution.
Imagine that your school has a persistent problem with students being late
to class. Evaluate how the steps below can get you started on a satirical piece
ofwriting.
Step 1: Identify the topic.
Students being late to class (tardiness)
Step 2: State the problem in hyperbolic terms.
The staggering lack of students at the beginning of class leaves teachers paralyzed.
(The diction overstates the severity of the problem: paralyzed and staggering.)
Step 3: Propose an ironic solution.
If students are late, they must stand outside the door for 20 minutes.
(This action does not solve the problem of students not being in class to learn.)
1st offense: Students will carry around a 40-lb clock for the remainder of the day.
2nd offense: Students will receive jail time.
(The punishment does not fit the crime.)
Step 4: Use wit (wordplay, clever language, or rhetorical analogy).
Punishment will be doled out in a timely manner. (Word play)
This problem is a ticking time bomb! (Rhetorical analogy)
Step 5: Downplay the severity of the punishment using litotes.
Missing class and being ridiculed is a small price to pay to promote punctuality.
Sample paragraph using the above process:
It has come to my attention that students have been late to class at an alarming
level. The staggering lack of students at the beginning of class leaves teachers
paralyzed. To address this problem, we are adopting a new tardy policy. Following
the first offense, students will carry around a 40-lb clock for the remainder of the
day. Following the second offense, students will receive a night in jail, during
which time they will be able to think about what they have done wrong. We
promise to dole out this punishment in a timely manner because we have identified
this issue as a ticking time bomb!

Brainstorm a list of controversial public issues you could satirize.

ACTIVITY 3.21
continued

My Notes
Choose one controversial topic from your brainstorm to develop. Draft a satirical
narrative paragraph based on it. Be sure to:
Establish the setting, characters, problem, and narrative point of view.
State the problem in hyperbolic terms.
Propose an ironic solution.
Use fun, precise words, telling details, and sensory language to create
vividimages.
Independent Reading Checkpoint

Review the completed portfolio based on your self-selected news source. Which
articles discuss controversial issues or make debatable claims? Review the
guidelines for submitting a letter to the editor to the source. Write a letter to the
editor in response to the article. Be sure to succinctly state your claim, reasons,
evidence, and response to counterclaims. If possible, submit your letter to the
news source.

Writing a Satirical Piece EMBEDDED
ASSESSMENT 2
ASSIGNMENT
You have been studying how opinions are expressed and perceived in a democratic society through a variety
ofrhetorical formats including satire. Your assignment is to develop a satirical piece critiquing some aspect
ofoursociety.
Planning and n What has guided your choice of topics? Do you have the information to sustain
Prewriting: a satiric treatment?
Take time to create a n Will your piece be more Horatian or Juvenalian? What techniques of satire apply
plan for choosing a well to that form (hyperbole, parody, irony, ridicule, etc.)?
topic and audience. n If you use parody, what typical conventions of the format do you plan to use as
part of the satire?
n To whom will you address your satire and why? What is your satirical purpose
what effect do you hope to have on this audience?
Drafting: n How will you demonstrate the flaws or foibles of your satires subject?
Decide how you will n As you draft your essay, how will you stick to the conventions that you
incorporate elements identified for your satire in your prewriting?
of satire. n What sort of tone is appropriate for the audience and purpose you identified?
Evaluating and n How can you revise to add additional satirical language elements (loose and
Revising: cumulative sentences, irony, hyperbole, and litotes)?
Create opportunities n What sort of strategies could you and a peer use to provide each other with
to review and revise. feedback (e.g., evaluate with the Scoring Guide, use the SOAPSTone strategy)?
Checking and Editing n How will you check for grammatical and technical accuracy?
for Publication: n What sort of outside resources can help you to check your draft (e.g., a format
Be sure your work is guide, a dictionary, etc.)?
the best it can be.
Reflection
After completing this Embedded Assessment, think about how you went about accomplishing this
assignment, and respond to the following:
Satire requires a sort of balancing act, mixing humor that draws in your audience with criticism that
points out a particular flaw. How did you approach the challenge of balancing these two different
elements?

EMBEDDED Writing a Satirical Piece
ASSESSMENT 2
continued
SCORING GUIDE
Scoring
Exemplary Proficient Emerging Incomplete
Criteria
Ideas The satire The satire The satire The satire

offers insight into presents a topic presents a topic that presents a topic that
a topic that is that is generally is not fully relevant, is irrelevant
relevant, current, and relevant, current, and current, or debatable includes a vague or
debatable debatable argues a position unclear position
argues a convincingly argues a clear demonstrates fails to demonstrate
persuasive position position techniques of satire techniques of satire
skillfully demonstrates demonstrates that are somewhat that are somewhat
techniques of satire techniques of satire suitable for the topic. suitable for the topic.
that are ideal for that are suitable for
thetopic. the topic.
Structure The satire The satire The satire The satire

presents ideas in an logically arranges arranges ideas to arranges ideas in a
arrangement that is ideas to support the somewhat support way that detracts
most conducive to the writers position the writers position from the writers
writers position is organized is mostly organized position or
is aptly organized appropriately using using typical may be irrelevant
using typical typical conventions of conventions of is organized in a way
conventions of the format. theformat. that does not match
theformat. the typical conventions
of the format.
Use of The satire The satire The satire The satire

Language uses language uses language uses language does not use
elements (e.g., elements (e.g., elements less language elements
skillfully incorporating incorporating loose effectively does not match tone

loose and cumulative and cumulative struggles to match and satirical effect to
sentences, irony, sentences and tone and satirical the intended audience
hyperbole, and satirical techniques) effect to the intended and purpose
litotes, etc.) appropriately audience and purpose includes errors in
extremelyeffectively applies appropriate includes some errors writing conventions
insightfully matches tone and satirical in conventions that seriously
tone and satirical effect for the intended that interfere with interfere with
effect to the intended audience and purpose themeaning. itsmeaning.
audience and purpose may contain minor
contains almost no errors in writing
errors in standard conventions that do
writing conventions. not interfere with
understanding.

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UNIT

The chaos of information overload particular where opinions can be

2018 College Board. All rights reserved.

200 SpringBoard English Language Arts Grade 11

Satire: Gambling in Schools, by Howard Mohr

*Texts not included in these materials.

Unit 3 American Forums: The Marketplace of Ideas 201

2. How does a writer use tone to advance an opinion?

2018 College Board. All rights reserved.

202 SpringBoard English Language Arts Grade 11

Working from the Text

Unit 3 American Forums: The Marketplace of Ideas 203

Setting a Purpose for Reading

2018 College Board. All rights reserved.

204 SpringBoard English Language Arts Grade 11

Unit 3 American Forums: The Marketplace of Ideas 205

2018 College Board. All rights reserved.

206 SpringBoard English Language Arts Grade 11

Unit 3 American Forums: The Marketplace of Ideas 207

2018 College Board. All rights reserved.

5. Knowledge and Ideas: Which details in paragraphs 37 show the authors

208 SpringBoard English Language Arts Grade 11

6. Craft and Structure: How do words and phrases such as dispassionately

Unit 3 American Forums: The Marketplace of Ideas 209

Working from the Text

Language and Writers Craft: Diction and Tone

2018 College Board. All rights reserved.

PRACTICE Choose one paragraph from The Role of the Media in a

210 SpringBoard English Language Arts Grade 11

Explain How an Author Builds an Argument

Unit 3 American Forums: The Marketplace of Ideas 211

News Media Survey

2018 College Board. All rights reserved.

5. Do you feel that it is important to be knowledgeable about news? Explain.

212 SpringBoard English Language Arts Grade 11

The newspapers, especially those in the East, are amazingly supercial

For my part I entertain a high idea of the utility of periodical publications;

insomuch as I could heartily desire, copies of ... magazines, as well as

I read the newspapers avidly. It is my one form of continuous ction.

Unit 3 American Forums: The Marketplace of Ideas 213

What appears in newspapers is often new but seldom true.

Most of us probably feel we couldnt be free without newspapers, and that

2018 College Board. All rights reserved.

214 SpringBoard English Language Arts Grade 11

Independent Reading: News Source Viewing Log

8. As you compare your sources coverage of news with that of other

Check Your Understanding

Unit 3 American Forums: The Marketplace of Ideas 215

2018 College Board. All rights reserved.

1 More than a decade ago the technology specialist, Nicholas Negroponte,

216 SpringBoard English Language Arts Grade 11

Unit 3 American Forums: The Marketplace of Ideas 217

2. Key Ideas and Details: Based on paragraphs 3 through 5, describe the

2018 College Board. All rights reserved.

218 SpringBoard English Language Arts Grade 11

Working from the Text

Unit 3 American Forums: The Marketplace of Ideas 219

Setting a Purpose for Reading

1 The Newspaper Audience Databank (NADbank) released its readership numbers