12th Grade Reading, Unit One

Launch: Independent Reading of Fiction and Nonfiction

Enduring Understandings

That independent readers built a repertoire of reading habits and strategies to engage with the ideas and meanings in both fiction and nonfiction.

They develop an understanding of the similarities and differences between nonfiction and fiction and how each genre works to express the central ideas developed.

In personal reading choices and peer conversations, they build their understanding of how fiction and nonfiction works are crafted.

Essential Questions:

What is your reading identity and how have you changed and grown as a reader throughout high school?

What does each genre offer a reader and what are the limitations of each genre? How do fiction and nonfiction intersect? How can I participate and contribute to discussions about books with my peers?

Standards: RL.12.1, RL12.2, RL12.9, RL12.10, RI12.7, RI.12.10, SL12.6 Resources Used: Allington, Richard What Really Matters for Struggling Reader Atwell, Nancie The Reading Zone: How to Help Kids Become Skilled, Passionate, Habitual, Critical Readers Kittle, Penny Book Love Oakland Schools Literacy Units Lesesne, Teri Reading Ladders: Leading Students From Where They Are to Where We’d Like Them to Be/ http://lesesneseminar.pbworks.com/w/page/16450439/FrontPage Serravallo, Jennifer The Reading Strategies Book Teachers College Units of Study Pre­Assessment: See attached at end of unit

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Possible Summative Assessments:

Reading Notebook with Rubric Reading bookmarks. Minimum of 250 pages completed every two weeks. Post­Unit Reflection (see attached at end of unit) Reading Ladder, Quarter 1 (see attached) If they’ve done a book talk this unit­­ extra credit for more than one

Mentor Text: The Great Gatsby or other text of teacher’s choice

Lesson 1 Readers use strategies to find the books that are right for them, also helping others find books by sharing books they love. See Book Talk Essentials at end of unit Teacher models at least 2­3 fiction book talks for a range of genres and styles of books they feel some students would enjoy. Make sure they are books you’ve read and loved! That passion will be contagious. Ideally, piles of books are placed at student tables for them to sift through and choose from, perhaps checked out already from the school library, or pre­selected from the classroom library. Students continue by selecting fiction books from the classroom library, checking out book lists on goodreads, going to the school library, and getting immersed in reading. HW: Find a fiction book that you can commit to reading, and in addition, for a book you’ve read and loved previously, prepare a book talk to share this marking period.

Lesson 2 Readers recognize the impact fiction can have on them and the world. Teacher shares research and data about the power of fiction to stir empathy, to grow as citizens, and to grow our minds. Peter Johnston and Gay Ivey, educators and authors, discovered in their research that by simply introducing students to a range of young adult fiction and telling students to read what they liked, the students read on average forty­two books each in the first year. In addition to amassing this tremendous 1

1 blog.stenhouse.com/archives/2012/07/23blogstitute­week­5­reducing­instruction­increasing­engagement/

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volume, there were a myriad of social benefits. There was a reduction of behavior problems; an increase in students talking about books; improved maturity; compassion and empathy toward one another; a strengthening of peer and student­teacher relationships; and quite simply, an increase in happiness. And to prove this wasn’t just a feel­good exercise but one that administrators can invest in without hesitation, Johnston and Ivey also noted that test scores shot up. blog.stenhouse.com/archives/2012/07/23blogstitute­week­5­reducing­instruction­increasing­engagement/

Narrative plots have a power to grip us; their characters stir up our empathy, affection, and disdain; and the evolution of those plots and characters provide powerful ways to teach us about ourselves and the world. Fiction doesn’t just help us read, it helps us be better human beings.

Belluck, Pam. “For Better Social Skills, Scientists Recommend a Little Chekov.” New York Times [New York] October 3, 2014. Print. Teacher then shares the following TED talk: Ted Talk about the power of fiction: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/jessica­wise­how­fiction­can­change­reality Teacher shares a personal example of how a novel, a work of fiction changed the way that you saw the world. Talk about the experience of being engrossed in a novel and how you emotionally or intellectually reacted. Discuss how this novel got you more interested in a topic that was real, and how you might have followed up on the topic and learned more about it. Allow students to turn and talk in partnerships to discuss who they are as readers, what role reading plays in their lives, and what goals they might set as readers, before writing. Time to read. HW: Brainstorm ideas for pre­assessment.

Lesson 3 Readers share their current identities as readers to set a baseline, to share with the teacher, and to begin reflecting on where they’re at and where they want to go in their growth as readers. Pre­Unit Assessment Task

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Choose one of the following quotes by a famous writer. Write a one page reaction to the quote. Do you agree or disagree? Do you take exception to a part of it? Why do you feel the way you do? Using personal examples, explain your reaction to the quote and why you chose it. “Reading is everything. Reading makes me feel like I’ve accomplished something, learned something, become a better person. Reading makes me smarter. Reading gives me something to talk about later on...Reading is escape, and the opposite of escape; it’s a way to make contact with reality after a day of making things up, and it’s a way of making contact with someone else’s imagination after a day that’s all too real. Reading is grist. Reading is bliss.” ­­Nora Ephron, I Feel Bad About My Neck: And Other Thoughts on Being a Woman “We read books to find out who we are. What other people, real or imaginary, do and think and feel… is an essential guide to our understanding of what we ourselves are and may become.” ­­Ursula K. Le Guin “Do not read as children to, to amuse yourself, or like the ambitious, for the purpose of instruction. No, read in order to live.” ­­Gustave Flaubert “For some of us, books are as important as almost anything else on earth. What a miracle it is that out of these small, flat, rigid squares of paper unfolds world after world after world, worlds that sing to you, comfort and quiet or excite you. Books help us understand who we are and how we are to behave. They show us what community and friendship mean; they show us how to live and die.” ­­Annie Lamott, Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life Teacher walks them through how they might answer one of these, and what they would write. They emphasize honesty, use of examples from one’s life to support answers, and self­reflection. They also give students a chance to turn and talk, sharing what they might discuss in their reflections. Time in class to read, and also to begin writing the pre­assessment.

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HW: Read and finish pre­assessment

Lesson 4 Readers acknowledge who they are as readers and as part of a reading community. They set goals for their reading. The expectation in this class is that all readers will develop stamina to read longer and with greater fluency with daily practice. One way we track that increased stamina is by regularly calculating a reading rate, establishing a weekly goal based on the challenge of the current selected text. See: http://walkthewalkblog.blogspot.com/2013/02/reading­rate.html Formula for calculating reading rate (teacher models)

1. Read a text for ten minutes.

2. Record the number of pages read in those ten minutes,

3. Multiply that number by six (there are six blocks of ten minutes in an

hour).

4. Double that number. (how far students should get after two hours of

reading.

Student use this to set reading goals for volume for this book, knowing that the expectation is to read at least two hours outside of school every week. *An alternative to this lesson is using the bookmark for accountability, but the reading rate is more personalized and provides a different strategy than grades 9­11. Students continue reading in class. Also, consider using the independent reading log attached at end as way students can monitor their reading inside and outside of class. HW: Read according to your reading rate goals

Lesson 5 OPEN Every fifth day is at your discretion to repeat one of the previous teaching points or to teach something new that you realize they need. Often this lesson will be about general reading habits versus a specific genre­based lesson. For instance, a strategy for staying focused when you read, or how to find time outside of class to read, versus text features in nonfiction. Regardless, there should still be time for them to independently read!

Lesson 6 Readers write long in their notebooks at times, and one way they can do so

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with fiction is to write from inside the story instead of about the story. Teacher models how they would do this for their book, The Great Gatsby , or other book of teacher’s choice, empathizing with characters and coming to new thoughts about the story. This is helpful for all students, especially those who have need to reconnect with reading after the summer, or for whom reading is seen as a chore only, or as a way to “get the grade.” They might use some of the following prompts to write off of to explore what goins on, what the characters are thinking and feeling, instead of only doing objective analysis. (That will come often, but later!) Imagine yourself there. What do you see? Feel? Hear? If you were in the character’s shoes, what would you be experiencing? What is something that happened in this scene/ chapter, even though the author didn’t write it explicitly? Try this all again, from a different perspective. What else do you picture. Describe what’s happening, from his/ her perspective. After the teacher models doing this with their book, they turn students to their own books to try the same. HW: Read and continue with writing “inside” the story

Lesson 7 Readers can question and consider why the author structured chapters as they did, and what craft moves they use to move the action: flashback, zoom in, zoom past, narrator aside, etc. They can also question the setting­­ how important is time and place in their books? Would anything be lost if the novel were set in a different period or time or in a very different location? Teacher models by examining the structure of a chapter in their novel, looking at how the author moves the plot forward in that chapter and taking note of it in their notebook. Then, they also question the significance of setting in their novel, considering whether anything would be lost if it were set in a different period or time or in a very different location? Readers go on to read their novels, taking note of the same questions and thoughts regarding structure of chapter, how the action is moved forward, and the significance of setting.

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Overall, readers are engaging with texts, questioning the choices that authors make in order to always keep in mind the conscious craft moves that writers make. HW: Continue reading and note­taking.

Lesson 8

Readers practice positive discussion behaviors in partnerships and small groups Teacher models how they would respond to a section of text excerpted from their book, then answering the questions on the conversation card. The teacher models clarifying questions, trying to identify themes and ideas, and more. Students practice with the conversation cards, first taking some time to get ready to talk. They look at the questions and think about things they can share from their books in a group. (10­15 minutes) Novel Conversation Preparation Card

1. What has happened in the novel so far? 2. Who are the characters in the novel, and what do you know about

them? 3. What ideas about the world do you think are being expressed in the

novel? What makes you think this? 4. Which part(s) do you find confusing? 5. Which lines seem to be important to the novel so far in your reading?

(Remember to look at your Collecting Text Bookmarks for these.) Use the following sentence stems to help you in your conversation: I like… I dislike… I’m surprised that… I wonder… I think the author is trying to say… I’m starting to think… (Predict) Later in the novel I think... Students work in partnerships or small groups, then return to reading. HW: Read according to the reading rate you established for this book (or do a new reading rate if you have finished that book and are onto the next). *Make sure students are keeping up with volume and meeting with those who are not

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to establish why and help them with strategies for getting on track.

Lesson 9 Readers who work in partnerships or small groups to talk about books also reflect on those discussions, considering what went well and how they can improve next time. Then, they share ideas and thoughts about their books (15 minutes) and write a quick reflection at the end, stating how they thought the conversation went.

What was effective? What surprised you? What was challenging? How might you do a better job talking about your book next time?

*consider also using the “Positive Discussion Behaviors in a Community of Readers” self assessment at the end of this unit to help guide students in their talk and set goals for next time. This could also serve in lieu of the reflection questions. After writing a reflection, readers return to their books to read and confer with the teacher if scheduled for a conference. HW: Read/ notetake

Lesson 10

OPEN Every fifth day is at your discretion to repeat one of the previous teaching points or to teach something new that you realize they need. Often this lesson will be about general reading habits versus a specific genre­based lesson. For instance, a strategy for staying focused when you read, or how to find time outside of class to read, versus text features in nonfiction. Regardless, there should still be time for them to independently read!

Lesson 11

Readers use conferences to push themselves in their reading and grow. Teacher models a strong reading conference with a student, which they have gone over beforehand to make sure the following qualities are present:

1. REader is ready to talk. They have their notebooks ready with parts circled or noted with questions, noticings, things they’re proud of, places they’re confused, etc.

2. Student does the bulk of the talking after the teacher asks an open­ended question.

3. Teacher offer praise for something the reader is doing well, and a

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suggestion for a way to improve 4. BOTH the teacher and the reader record this advice so they can follow

up on it in the next conference. 5. Other possible things: eye contact, friendly body language, no one

word answers, honest answers, etc. Teacher can provide copies of the “Questions for Conferring During Reading Workshop” to help readers prepare. Students read while teacher continues on conferring schedule as usual. HW: Read according to reading goals, taking notes, and making sure you’re prepared to do the talking in a reading conference.

Lesson 12

Readers connect with important lines and identify central ideas as they read TEacher can model and use the strategy of Collecting Text Bookmarks or other way for students to start thinking about what topics and ideas rest in their novels, so they can extend that to a work of nonfiction as well. Teacher models how they read a passage and choose lines based on the same topic, or connecting to other lines, that spur their thinking and questions. Teacher might model the sentence starter, “So far my book seems to be about…” finishing the sentence with both concrete summaries of topics, as well as themes, social issues, or bigger ideas that are emerging. Teacher Model: Collecting Text Bookmarks – (Teacher Model) Name: Teacher Model Book title: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime

Pg. # 8 Quote This will not be a funny book. I cannot tell jokes because I do not understand them.

Pg. # 59 Quote So because it was a Super Good Day I decided to walk into the park with Mrs. Alexander, even though it scared me.

Pg. # 61 Quote Mr. Jeavons said that I liked maths because it was safe. He said I liked maths because it

Pg. # 76 Quote My memory is like a film. That is why I am really good at remembering things, like the conversations I have written

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meant solving problems, and these problems were difficult and interesting but there was always a straightforward answer at the end.

down in this book, and what people were wearing, and what they smelled like, because my memory has a small track which is like a soundtrack.

Pg. # Quote

Pg. # Quote

Students can use the “Collecting Text Bookmark” (attached at the end of this unit) if they wish, but students should regardless start jotting down and noting lines that stand out, and then extending those collected lines to consider bigger issues, ideas, and topics that are emerging in their novels. HW: Continue reading and collecting lines.

Lesson 13

Readers discover topics of interest in fictional works and formulate questions from their reading in order to learn more about those topics, ideas, and issues. Teacher models, making decisions about what lines are about the same topic, idea, social issue, or theme, and what categories they notice emerging. Teacher models how a fictional text can cause a reader to wonder about bigger ideas, issues, and topics. They explain how the novel prompted their thinking, using specific examples from the text, and explaining how it raised questions or interest in nonfiction topics. They could model it with a similar chart in their notebook: Organizing Collecting Text Bookmarks ­ Independent Reading (Teacher Model) Reading Fiction As you sort your important lines from your novel, decide upon 4 different topics that are in the novel and could lead to deeper research in nonfiction. Label the top of each column with those topics. Record important lines that relate to that topic in the column. I read the novel __The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime ______________________.

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Topic#1: Autism

Topic #2: Honesty

Topic #3: Teaching

Topic #4:

Quote and page #: This will not be a funny book. I cannot tell jokes because I do not understand them. Pg. 8 So because it was a Super Good Day I decided to walk into the park with Mrs. Alexander, even though it scared me. Pg., 59 Mr. Jeavons said that I liked math because it was safe. He said I liked math because it meant solving problems, and these problems were difficult and interesting but there was always a straightforward answer at the end. Pg. 61 My memory is like a film. That is why I am really good at remembering things, like the conversations I have written down in this book, and what people were wearing, and what they smelled like, because my memory has a smell track which is like a soundtrack. Pg. 76

Quote and page #:

Quote and page #:

Quote and page #:

See similar template attached at the end of unit, although students can easily replicate this by creating four columns in their notebooks as well. Readers continue seeing what topics are emerging in their novels that peak their interest. HW: Read according to reading goals

Lesson 14

Readers continue formulating questions from their reading in order to learn more.

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Teacher models by writing questions that are stemming from the topics, themes, ideas and social issues in their novel: Research Questions in Nonfiction – To be recorded in the Reader’s/Writer’s Notebook The book I read was . After reading this book, I’ve decided that I want to do more research on_________________________. I would really like to know answers to these questions: For example: Research Questions in Nonfiction – Teacher Model To be recorded in the Reader’s Writer’s Notebook The book I read was The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime. After reading this book, I’ve decided that I want to do more research on______autism____________. I would really like to know answers to these questions:

Do people with autism always have special abilities even though they have difficulties in some areas?

How many people really have autism? Why does it seem like so many people have it now? Are there different kinds of autism? Are autistics sometimes much smarter than others? Is it usually in

math? Why do people with autism have trouble communicating? What is different about the brain of someone with autism? What can be done to help those with autism? Can autism be cured? Is autism genetic? Are there different kinds of autism? Have any really famous people been autistic?

Teacher also models circling the questions that they want to research further, knowing they can always revise it later on depending on what they discover in the research itself. Teacher also reminds them that research starts with questions! Students create their own questions and circle the ones that most interest them. HW: Find 3­4 sources for your research.

Lesson 15 OPEN Every fifth day is at your discretion to repeat one of the previous teaching

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points or to teach something new that you realize they need. Often this lesson will be about general reading habits versus a specific genre­based lesson. For instance, a strategy for staying focused when you read, or how to find time outside of class to read, versus text features in nonfiction. Regardless, there should still be time for them to independently read!

Lesson 16 Readers collect important evidence that relates to their topics and questions. Teacher models by using a similar template and filling it out with their research findings. Collecting Text Bookmarks – Reading Nonfiction As you read your nonfiction texts, collect important evidence that relates to your chosen topic and research question(s). I am reading more about the topic:_________________________________. My main research question is: __________________________________________________________?

Nonfiction text title and bibliography information:

Nonfiction text title and bibliography information:

Nonfiction text title and bibliography information:

Quote and page #:

Quote and page #: Quote and page #:

The source(s) that gave me the most insight about my topic was (were) __________________________ because ___________________________________________________________________________. For example: Collecting Text Bookmarks – Reading Nonfiction ­Teacher Model As you read your nonfiction texts, collect important evidence that relates to your chosen topic and research questions(s). I am reading more about the

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topic:_________Autism ________________________. My main research question(s): _________________________________________________________?

Nonfiction text title and bibliography information: http://www.autismspeaks.org/what­autism/facts­about­autism September 15 , 2012

Nonfiction text title and bibliography information: http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/autism/detail_autism.htm September 15, 2012

Nonfiction text title and bibliography information:

Quote and page #: “Autism affects 1 in 88 children and 1 in 54 boys.” “Autism prevalence figures are growing.” “More children will be diagnosed with autism this year than with AIDS, diabetes & cancer combined.” “Autism is the fastest­growing serious developmental disability in the U.S.” “Autism costs the nation $137 billion per year.” “Autism receives less than 5% of the research funding of many less prevalent childhood diseases.” “Boys are four times more likely than girls to have autism.” “There is no medical detection or cure for autism.”

Quote and page #: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a range of complex neurodevelopment disorders, characterized by social impairments, communication difficulties, and restricted, repetitive, and stereotyped patterns of behavior. Autistic disorder, sometimes called autism or classical ASD, is the most severe form of ASD, while other conditions along the spectrum include a milder form known as Asperger syndrome, and childhood disintegrative disorder and pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (usually referred to as PDD­NOS). Although ASD varies significantly in character and severity, it occurs in all ethnic and

Quote and page #:

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socioeconomic groups and affects every age group. Experts estimate that 1 out of 88 children age 8 will have an ASD (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, March 30, 2012).

Readers conduct research in their nonfiction texts, filling out the answers to their questions and considering what this new information tells them about their noves. HW: Continue reading in fiction and/ or nonfiction texts

Lesson 17 When readers read more than one text on a subject, they compare the ideas that authors forward­­noticing the similarities and differences in point of view and presentation of information. Teacher models how the information from both a fiction and nonfiction source contribute to their understanding of a topic, social issue, or idea. They might organize their thinking and notes in a multi­columned example such as the following, then ask readers to do the same:

Genre Novel Title (Fiction): The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime.

Genre and title of text (nonfiction): Website http://www.autismspeaks.org/what­autism/facts­about­autism

What insights about your topic did you gain through this genre?

I learned how it must really feel to be an autistic person, to not understand things the way a non­autistic person does, to not be able to handle stressful situations easily, but also how an autistic person might have

I learned that autism affects a lot more boys than girls, and that the word autism actually refers to a large “Spectrum” of disorders that can vary widely. Asperger’s is a kind of autism. 1 in 88 kids at age 8 will have

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other abilities, like the character Christopher is actually really good at math and sees lots of things in his life like a math problem.

autism. There isn’t a cure for it, but there are treatments. More and more kids are being diagnosed each year.

What is missing from your understanding of your topic if you only read this genre?

I wouldn’t know how widespread this problem really is, how common it is, and how there are lots of things that can be done to help people with autism to function better in society.

I wouldn’t really have a firm grasp on what it’s like to be a person with autism. I would have a lot of facts and figures, but the real emotional struggle of a person with autism is hard to relay without telling a story of a person who has it.

Readers continue documenting their thinking about a topic, social issue, theme or idea, taking notes from both their fiction and nonfiction text. HW: Continue reading and notetaking in your fiction and nonfiction texts.

Lesson 18 Readers keep up their goals of reading at high volumes in order to prepare themselves for the volume of reading in college. College expectations are about 200­600 pages a week, so it is essential that readers monitor reading lists, analyzing choices and increasing challenge, as well as setting goals based on progress toward volume requirements. Quick example from a Rutgers course syllabi:

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Teacher shares several college syllabi as evidence of volume expectations in college. Then, teacher asks students to recalculate reading rates for their new book, setting goals, and revisiting their prior goals. They will use a short written reflection on this data to share at their next reading conference with the teacher. HW: Complete reflection on reading goals, reading rate, and college volume expectations so you are ready to discuss this at your next reading conference with the teacher.

Lesson 19 Readers keep up the volume of reading while also stopping to respond and track their thinking Teacher models that while students may continue reading in either fiction or nonfiction works, that they will focus on note­taking and documenting their thinking in post­its, notebooks, margins, etc. They are no longer required to keep up with the fiction and nonfiction research, but students need to be encouraged to keep up volume of reading, along with documenting their thinking. Some helpful sentence stems to spur their thinking: (teacher might use these to model) (See attached at end of unit for questions/ sentence starters for responding to reading) HW: Continue reading and documenting thinking as you read, using sentence starters as you do so.

Lesson 20 OPEN Every fifth day is at your discretion to repeat one of the previous teaching

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points or to teach something new that you realize they need. Often this lesson will be about general reading habits versus a specific genre­based lesson. For instance, a strategy for staying focused when you read, or how to find time outside of class to read, versus text features in nonfiction. Regardless, there should still be time for them to independently read!

Lesson 21 Readers look for repeating images, motifs, or repetitions and consider their implications on the larger text. Teacher models by pointing out repeating images or motifs in their novel, and taking notes of them as they appear. Then, questioning, what does this repetition signify in a larger sense? Readers continue to read their novels (they should be well into their second novel by now) and taking notes on what repetition they notice, and what they think it signifies in terms of the larger work. HW: Continue reading and note­taking

Lesson 22 Readers pay attention to language in their books, knowing how central it is to any written work and that it is chosen with care. Teacher models by excerpting several passages from their book, and thinking aloud about how the author uses language purposefully in their novel. Questions to ask as teacher models/ they read: How does this writer use language? Is it formal? Informal? Technical? Slang? Does the language change throughout the text? How? Why? HW: Continue reading and note­taking from your novels.

Lesson 23 Readers don’t skip over references to other texts­­ whether they’re quotes or titles of books or movies or songs­­instead, they stop to think, ‘What does this other text have to say that will help me understand this thing I’m reading?’ Teacher models by putting up an example of a reference in a novel. For example, in the YA novel Thirteen Reasons Why, a novel about a girl who commits suicide then leaves tapes for everyone she considers a factor in her death, there is a reference to Catcher in the Rye. Teacher explains how this reference is like a hyperlink, but to “click” it, they have to do some research, by googling Catcher in teh Rye, getting a description, and demonstrating how

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knowing just a bit about the book and the main character, who is suspicious of everyone, helps to cast a little doubt on the suicide’s mental state. Was everyone horrible to her or did she have a serious case of paranoia and make too much out of what people said and did? Or, share an essay by Michael Chabon, “The Wilderness of Childhood”, in which he references the map in The Hobbit. Why is he talking about the map? How does it help us understand the kind of childhood adventures he is longing for? By finding the map, the teacher models how researching a reference and finding out more, helps us understand why the author mentioned it.

Lesson 24 Readers consider how to plan a trajectory of reading, looking at the books they’ve read and planning for the books to read next, thinking about what research, series, authors, genres, and literary traditions they want to explore, and considering how they can challenge themselves to read increasingly complex texts that are still fascinating to them. Penny Kittle: Reading Ladders See assignment at end of unit, as well as: http://www.ericaleebeaton.com/tips­for­holding­students­accountable­to­choice­reading­reading­ladders/ for explanations on reading ladders and how to use them to fuel readers and track accountability. HW: Complete your reading ladder and have it ready to hand in

Lesson 25 Readers reflect upon how books change the way they see the world and how their identities as readers develop based on new reading experiences. Post­Assessment (see attached below) Teacher models how they might reflect on and answer the questions from the post assessment, and poses the same questions to the readers. Readers take time in class to begin crafting their post­assessment reflection. HW: Complete the post­assessment

Possible Rubric for Reading Notebook

1 2 3 4

Notebook Notebook Notebook entries reflect a Notebook entries indicate an

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entries are brief (often less than three sentences). Ideas and opinions are not supported with evidence.

entries include opinions and summaries with little evidence from the book.

solid understanding of the book, as well as theories and ideas regarding character and theme that are supported with ample evidence from the book. Questions may be raised and or answered by the reader. It may also show evidence of interest in reading, and or growth by the reader. All entries are completed and organized according to the table of contents.

excellent understanding of the books. All ideas and writings about character and theme are supported with evidence from the text, as well as follow up thinking and explanations. Entries reflect a strong interest in reading as well as evidenced growth across the marking period. All entries are completed and organized according to the table of contents, and additional entries are evident as well.

Pre­Unit Assessment Task Choose one of the following quotes by a famous writer. Write a one page reaction to the quote. Do you agree or disagree? Do you take exception to a part of it? Why do you feel the way you do? Using personal examples, explain your reaction to the quote and why you chose it. “Reading is everything. Reading makes me feel like I’ve accomplished something, learned something, become a better person. Reading makes me smarter. Reading gives me something to talk about later on...Reading is escape, and the opposite of escape; it’s a way to make contact with reality after a day of making things up, and it’s a way of making contact with someone else’s imagination after a day that’s all too real. Reading is grist. Reading is bliss.” ­­Nora Ephron, I Feel Bad About My Neck: And Other Thoughts on Being a Woman “We read books to find out who we are. What other people, real or imaginary, do and think and feel… is an essential guide to our understanding of what we ourselves are and may become.” ­­Ursula K. Le Guin “Do not read as children to, to amuse yourself, or like the ambitious, for the purpose of instruction. No, read in order to live.” ­­Gustave Flaubert “For some of us, books are as important as almost anything else on earth. What a miracle it is that out of these small, flat, rigid squares of paper unfolds world after world after world, worlds that sing to you, comfort and quiet or excite you. Books help us understand who we are and how

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we are to behave. They show us what community and friendship mean; they show us how to live and die.” ­­Annie Lamott, Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life

Book Talk Essentials, adapted from Book Love by Penny Kittle How to model a booktalk as a teacher, and therefore have them do the same. Hold the book. Check it out from the library or pull it off the shelf in the classroom. Show students the number of pages and the cover. Know the book. Make sure you’ve read it first, or say why you chose to booktalk it if you haven’t yet read it. Summarize the theme, central conflict, or other details in a summary of a minute or so. It’s like a taste test. Connect the book to others in the library, “If you like Death and Dying books, this one if for you,” or “all action, fast plot, the kind that makes your heart race,” or “If you like Sherman Alexie, then you’ll love Jimmy Santiago Baca.” Read a short passage. Preface this by saying, “I think it helps to hear a little bit of the text. See if the narrator’s voice appeals to you. Listen if this sounds like a book you can see yourself reading.” Always select the passage ahead of time and find a place where the action is heated, or the prose is breathtaking or the voice comes through with intensity. (Like the list of 10 Things They Don’t Teach You About High School in Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson.) And it’s critical that you read it slowly, with emphasis and clarity. When you skip this, fewer students choose the book. Keep records. Have a poster labeled “Book Talks” and write down the title and author on the list and return the book to the shelf, or at a designated spot (chalkboard tray). It’s helpful to keep a list with passages from books recorded on notecards for the next round of booktalks for the following year. Accept help. You can and should accept help from students, parents, fellow teachers, administrators, librarians and more to do book talks, too. You can also use book trailers on youtube. Still, however, you are the central person leading these books, modeling that you know books and talk about them. If you’re not reading from your reading life, not many will follow.

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Independent Reading – Reading Log Text title and bibliographic information:

Date Time reading in workshop

Pages read in workshop

Time reading out of workshop

Pages read out of workshop

Reflecting on your reading (Comment on your reading speed, how well you stayed focused and managed distractions, etc.)

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Positive Discussion Behaviors in a Community of Readers As you participate in your discussions about books, there are certain behaviors that facilitate good conversations. As you work with your partner(s) today, please put a checkmark next to the behaviors that you exhibit. At the end of the discussion, spend a few minutes reflecting on your positive behaviors. Set a goal about how you will improve your discussion skills the next time you meet. A good reading community member: _____ makes eye contact with partners. _____ listens without interrupting. _____ stays focused on the conversation. _____ asks relevant and interesting questions. _____ points to specific words or lines in the text for support. _____ invites partners) to participate equally. _____ politely offers an alternative when s/he disagrees. _____connects what they have read to the historical context

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_____connects to a cultural or personal example _____states their opinion _____ compares or contrasts 1) this text with other texts 2) other parts of the same text. _____states an alternative opinion in a respectful way _____acknowledges agreement with others _____evaluates the group’s thinking and draws a conclusion My Positive Discussion Behavior goal for the next discussion is:

Collecting Text Bookmarks Name: Book title:

Pg. # Quote

Pg. # Quote

Pg. # Quote

Pg. # Quote

Pg. # Quote

Pg. # Quote

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Pg. # Quote

Pg. # Quote

Pg. # Quote

Pg. # Quote

Pg. # Quote

Pg. # Quote

So far my book seems to be about…

QUESTIONS FOR CONFERRING DURING READING WORKSHOP Conference serves several purposes:

1. a check point for volume, fluency and comprehension 2. a teachable moment based on the student’s strengths or instructional needs 3. an opportunity to engage students in conversations about their reading with another reader

These questions open conversations with students so they can explain 1. the ways they are monitoring their reading 2. how they are applying the mini­lessons

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3. the decisions and/or evaluation of the readings to develop an identity as a reader and personal taste

4. the ways the reading is engaging them

Identity as a Reader Self­Monitoring Engagement with narrator/characters, plot, or

ideas

Why did you decide to read this book?

What strategies are you using to be an interactive reader? ∙ Why are you using this/these strategies? ∙ Which strategy is most effective? Why?

Who’s the narrator? Is this story told in first person? ∙ Do you like/dislike the narrator/the way the story is told? ∙ What do you have in common with the narrator?

What do you like/dislike about the genre/author’s style?

Are you rereading? ∙ when you are reading words but can’t remember what you’ve read ∙ when you need to clarify a question ∙ when you stop to summarize ∙ when you want to develop a fluent, expressive voice ∙ when you find yourself distracted

What’s happening now? ∙ How does this affect your view of the story?

∙ Are you still interested? Why? Why not?

How does this book compare with other books you’ve read/other books by this author/other books in this genre?

What encourages you to keep reading? Is this book drawing you in? Are you able to read without a lot of effort?

Any surprises so far?

Is this a page­turner or a literary novel? Why? What do you notice?

Are you staying on target with your reading goals? ∙ How much did you read yesterday? ∙ Where are you finding time to read? ∙ What challenges keep you from meeting your goals? ∙ How will you address

Any theories about the novel? ∙ What evidence prompts you to believe this theory? ∙ So how’s your theory about _________ going? Any evidence emerging to support your thinking? ∙ Have you developed any new theories? What evidence is

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these challenges?

encouraging you to add this theory?

Are you considering ∙ abandoning this book? ∙ Reading another by the same author? ∙ Reading another in the same genre?

Are you making a connection with this book? What do you like? ∙ book/narrator ∙ plot or action ∙ ideas ∙ genre

Do you approve or disapprove of the character’s ∙ views or actions? ∙ reactions and treatment of other characters/animals/etc.?

Now that you’ve finished this, what will you rate this book? ∙ author ∙ genre

Are you skipping or skimming sections? ∙ too much unnecessary description ∙ unimportant action

Which character is most like you? Most unlike? Why?

What’s another book you’ve been considering? I think you might like________.

How did today’s mini­lesson help you focus your reading?

Which character do you want as a friend? Why?

Additional conferencing questions available in Nancie Atwell’s The Reading Zone: How to Help Kids Become Skilled, Passionate, Habitual, Critical Readers. P.92 2007

Organizing Collecting­Text Bookmarks ­ Independent Reading Reading Fiction As you sort your important lines from your novel, decide upon 4 different topics that are in the novel and could lead to deeper research in nonfiction. Label the top of each column with those topics. Record important lines that relate to that topic in the column. I read the novel____________________________________________________________________.

Topic#1:

Topic #2: Topic #3: Topic #4:

Quote and page #:

Quote and page #: Quote and page #:

Quote and page #:

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Sentence Starters to Document Thinking While Reading Tapping Prior Knowledge I already know that... This reminds me of... This relates to... Asking Questions I wonder why…

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What if… How come… How is it possible that… Predicting I’ll bet that… I think… If…., then…. Visualizing I can picture… In my mind I see… If this were a movie… Making Connections This reminds me of… I experienced this once when… I can relate this to other readings because… The argument here is similar to… because… Another example of … is… Forming Interpretations What this means to me is.. I think this represents… THe idea I’m getting is.. One questions that this text answers is… One question that this text addresses is… Monitoring I lost track of everything except… I need to reread the part where.. I know I’m on the right track because.. A term or idea that was unclear to me was.. Revising Meaning At first I thought…, but now I think… My latest thought about this is… I’m getting a different picture here because…

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Analyzing the Author’s Craft A golden line for me is… This word/ phrase stands out for me because… I like how the author uses… to show… Reflecting and Relating So, the big idea is… A conclusion that I’m drawing in… This is relevant to my life because… This author is trying to make me (see, feel, know, understand, do).... It makes a difference that this text was written because... Evaluating I like/ don’t like… because… This could be more effective if… The most important message here is… One big difference between this and… is… Developed by Marcie Wolfe at the Institute for Literacy STudies with input from the WAC faculty Sources: New York City Writing PRoject, “monitoring Our Reading.” NY: Lehman College, 2000. C.B. Olson, The Reading/ Writing Connection. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Allyn and BAcon, 2002 WAC Faculty, Lehman College, Bronx, NY, 2005.

Post­Unit Assessment Task Has your identity as a reader changed at all, and how did the books you read in this unit change the way you see the world? After reading a self­selected novel and several nonfiction texts on a related topic, write a reflective essay that describes your growth as a reader and addresses the focus question. Refer back to your pre­unit assessment task and discuss how anything has changed in terms of your reaction to one of the quotes. You might choose to discuss a different quote this time. Has your identity as a reader change? Do you feel differently about fiction? Nonfiction? Do you see a different role that reading can play in your life? Support your claims using examples from your reading and from personal experience.

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Post­Unit Assessment Task

Has your identity as a reader changed at all, and how did the books you read in this unit change the way you see the world? After reading a self­selected novel and several nonfiction texts on a related topic, write a reflective essay that describes your growth as a reader and addresses the focus question. Refer back to your pre­unit assessment task and discuss how anything has changed in terms of your reaction to one of the quotes. You might choose to discuss a different quote this time. Has your identity as a reader changed? Do you feel differently about fiction? Nonfiction? Do you see a different role that reading can play in your life? Support your claims using examples from your reading and from personal examples.

Independent Reading Summative Assessment Rubric*

Highly Proficient Meets Expectations Attempting to Meet Expectations

Focus Addresses all aspects of prompt with a highly focused and detailed

response.

Addresses prompt with a focused response.

Attempts to address prompt but lacks focus

or is off­task.

Reading/ Research

Accurately presents and applies information relevant to the prompt with specific examples from the research.

Presents and applies information relevant to prompt with general

accuracy and sufficient detail.

Attempts to present information relevant to

task but may lack sufficient or relevant

details.

Development Presents detailed information in order to answer questions and solve problems.

Concisely explains key information with details. Identifies reading shifts and supplies evidence.

Presents information in order to answer

questions and solve problems. Explains key information with some details. Identifies a

reading shift.

Presents limited information. Ideas do not include details or

examples.

Organization Applies appropriate structure(s) to explain, examine, convey, define, analyze, synthesize, compare, or explain

Applies a generally effective structure to explain, examine,

convey, define, analyze, synthesize, compare, or

Applies an ineffective structure; text rambles or line of thought is

disconnected.

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cause/effect, problem/solution.

explain cause/effect, problem/solution.

Conventions Demonstrates a well­developed

command of standard English conventions and

cohesion; employs language and tone

appropriate to audience and purpose.

Demonstrates a command of standard

English conventions and cohesion; employs language and tone

appropriate to audience and purpose.

Demonstrates a weak command of standard English conventions;

lacks cohesion; language and tone are

inappropriate to audience and purpose.

*Designed by Literacy Design Collaborative. www.literacydesigncollaborative.org Teacher Comments:

Reading Ladder, from Penny Kittle’s Book Love Q1 Reading Ladder: Analyzing your reading progress Purpose: to step back and look at what you have accomplished as a reader in order to measure progress and set new goals for quarter two and the rest of the school year. Process: 1. Create a Reading Ladder to show your progress this quarter. A reading ladder, in this case, is a table with the books you’ve read listed in order of easiest to most difficult reading. There are lots of ways to define ‘most difficult’ but some you may consider: the size of the text and the number of pages, the subject matter (romance is easier to follow than a memoir from Iraq since the memoir will likely include references to places you don’t know and require different thinking than just pleasure reading), the speed with which you finished the book (it is harder to begin again each time you set down reading material and let time pass and pick it up again), or whether this was a new author or a well­known one to you. I want your gut feel for difficulty in measuring the books you’ve read so far. 2. Write a short (3­8 sentences) review of each book you finished this quarter. Note: if you read more than ten books, you only need to review your top 5. The others can just be listed. 3. Add up the total pages read, and divide by weeks in the quarter to determine your average pages read per week. Compare this to your reading rate. Discuss if you are challenging yourself to read more and increase your stamina in order to prepare yourself for college, or if you are just

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reading in class and in reading break and a little here and there at home, but not making a significant difference in your reading habit. 4. Set goals for quarter 2 and the rest of the school year. These should be specific: I will read 15 books by June. I will read at least one nonfiction book. I will read one Jane Austen novel. I will develop an at home reading habit. I will… Due: today, at the end of the period

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12th Grade

Writing, Unit One Launch: College Application Essay/ Creative Nonfiction

Enduring Understandings

Personal essay writers know how to generate multiple ideas, including seemingly mundane or insignificant moments, before drafting, knowing that a meaningful theme may emerge when writing.

Personal essay writers know how to use the writing process to craft moving, well­written pieces.

Personal essay writers use multiple revising and proofreading techniques and strategies to craft their best possible works.

Personal essay writers use craft strategies for incorporating voice, taking risks, showing not telling, creating a vivid picture in the reader’s mind, composing leads that set a tone and beguile the reader to continue, and get to an essential “so what” behind the story.

Essential Questions:

How do I tell a personal story that reveals something meaningful to my audience? How does creative nonfiction use elements of both fiction and nonfiction? How does the writing process force me to be disciplined in both uncensored freewriting,

as well as meticulous editing? Standards: W.11­12.3.A, W.11­12.3.B, W.11­12.3.C, W.11­12.3.D, W.11­12.3.E, W.11­12.2.E, W.11­12.4, W.11­12.5, SL.11­12.1 Resources Used: http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/04/11/getting­personal­writing­college­essays­for­the­common­application/?_r=0 Atwell, Nancie Lessons That Change Writers Wells, Jennifer “It Sounds Like Me”: Using Creative Nonfiction to Teach College Admissions Essays Resources to draw on for models: http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/04/11/getting­personal­writing­college­essays­for­the­common­application/?_r=0 https://apply.jhu.edu/apply/essays­that­worked/2020/

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Pre­Assessment: It is helpful to gain a sense of where your students are with college admissions essay writing, as well as their expertise in memoir and personal narrative. To that end, consider conducting a brief information gathering session by asking students to write off the following questions so you can adjust the unit accordingly:

What do you know is important to do when writing an essay for a college application? What do you consider essential strategies and craft moves when writing a personal essay,

either memoir, personal narrative, or college essay? What is easy for you when writing personal essays? Difficult? What do you consider to

be your greatest challenge when writing in general? Possible Summative Assessments:

Writers Notebook with Rubric Two College Essays completed, one submitted for rubric evaluation Use of class time writing Feedback on peer writing, both verbal and written Application of feedback provided during writing conferences with teacher

Lesson 1 Writers list multiple ideas for creative nonfiction essays Teacher models choosing several lists from the following prompts:

1. List your top five favorite places. They can be exotic or local­­Tahiti or your favorite coffee shop.

2. List your top three favorite high school memories. 3. List five things you have accomplished in your life that you are

really proud of. 4. Look in your backpack. List and briefly describe some of the

things that are in there. Imagine this wasn’t your backpack­­ what would you deduce about the owner based on what is in there?

5. When was the last time you laughed really, really hard? Tell the story of what happened.

6. Draw yourself talking to your admissions office representative. In a cartoon bubble above the “you” character, write all the things you want them to know about you. Above their heads, write either what you are afraid of them saying, or what you want them to say.

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Students then choose from the list, and do their own lists, generating as many ideas as possible. Then, they go back to their lists and circle words and phrases that stand out to them. HW: continue generating ideas from these lists or others

Lesson 2 College essay writers deconstruct prompts and brainstorm responses. Teacher models searching for the essay prompts at a few hypothetic college they are interested in, and then brainstorming possible ideas for their response. *Going over the prompt is critical because students don’t always do the close reading they need to to understand what the college is asking for. So, teacher should ideally choose some purposefully complex or easily misunderstood prompts. Students conduct research in class on their potential interest list for colleges, and their essay prompts. Then, they practice generating ideas in response to those prompts. Some possible questions for memoirists to answer for generating ideas (see attached at the end of the lesson) HW: Continue generating additional ideas in response to the prompts you found. *Draw on all the strategies you learned in 9th, 10th, 11th grade narrative units for generating ideas for personal narratives.

Lesson 3 College essay writers think about the possible responses to prompts ideas they have generated, and then consider what these responses will say about them to an unknown audience. Teacher models creating a T­Chart or double entry journal, so that in one column they write down specific examples (stories) they may use, and in the second column they write down what those examples (stories) reveal about themselves (the reflection). Teacher models troubleshooting cliche responses, eliminating expected or common responses, and going for a response that will stand out from the rest. Students continue generating ideas, using the T­Chart to see what these ideas will reveal about themselves. Ideally, they also trade with a partner to get a fresh perspective.

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What Stories Can You Tell? How It Shows Something About You

List anything that comes to mind and be specific, even if it seems inconsequential or insignificant

List phrases and things each story says about you. Be specific.

HW: Continue generating ideas as well as reflections on what this will reveal about you to an unknown audience.

Lesson 4 Willa Cather said, “Most of the basic material a writer works with is acquired before the age of fifteen.” We all have important things to say and share with others. Writers of personal essays don’t over think their ideas too much at the beginning, making sure they are generating a lot of writing without censoring what might be “wrong”. Teacher models writing without over­censoring their thinking, and instead filling up the notebook with many possible ideas. This is also the time to share out more prompts, lists, and other ideas for generating ideas and remembering significant (as well as significant) moments from one’s past. Here is a short list of all the “generating ideas” strategies we’ve learned in grades 9, 10, 11 for personal essay writing:

1. I Remembers 2. Heart Map 3. Person/ Moments/ Issues 4. Comment/ Response 5. First Times and Last Times 6. Important places and things that happened there

Writers use the period to continue generating as many ideas as possible, knowing that the more options they have, the better equipped they will feel when confronting the various prompts in their selected colleges’ assignments. HW: Continue generating ideas, and choose 2­3 to flesh out in an outline, bulleted ideas, or a few paragraph free­write.

Lesson 5 OPEN A re­do of one of the previous lessons, a time to build in a lesson on

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something they need (as evidence from pre­assessment or other) or a time to teach into some overall writing habit (bringing notebooks home and back again each day, using writing time to write, setting goals for ourselves as writers) This is also an opportunity to do ice breakers and additional community building exercises, even using poetry as a means of doing so if appropriate.

Lesson 6 Writers make a plan for a personal essay, then write long without censoring themselves. Teacher models how they plan out their essay in broad strokes, using an informal outlining strategy and suggesting others, too. For instance, bullets, jotting thesis statement or “what this essay will show” and then brief descriptions of sections of the essay, a formal outline with topic sentences, or a thinking through of the intro, body, and conclusion. Then, that they will begin drafting! Writers use the writing time to flash draft, writing long and making sure they are interspersing story and reflection as they go. HW: Continue writing until first draft is finished.

Lesson 7 Essay writers push themselves to be transparent about their thoughts and to include voice in their writing. Whether humorous, sarcastic, dry, sentimental, it is essential that writers put personality into their essays.

Lesson 8 Writers include thoughts and feelings to make their essays engaging. Writers need to be willing to figure out and convey what’s going on inside themselves, leading to an intensity of reflection to make their essays “pop”, more than the significance or drama of the event itself. Teacher shares some high­level college essays that are about seemingly mundane topics, building forts at recess, picking blueberries, getting separated from friends at a concert, and showing how the writer discovered and capture their responses to the unfolding events in the story. This is the “so what” that all writers need to get to.

Lesson 9 Writers pay attention to narrative leads, giving shape to the piece, and using one of the following types: action, dialogue, or reaction.

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Teacher shares multiple leads, helping writers see that the beginning is critical: it sets the tone, establishes the voice and verb tense, and beguiles­­or doesn’t­­the potential reader. They also make sure they don’t overload with background, but launch into the story itself. See attached sheet (below) for narrative leads and examples. Teacher shares how they revise their lead three ways, using an action, dialogue, or thinking. Writers go on to craft at least three different leads to their essay, choosing the one they like best. Often, too, their leads are buried within their essays, so they can be encourage to sift through and see if there are potential leds hiding within the essay itself. HW: Writers continue working on their essays.

Lesson 10 OPEN A re­do of one of the previous lessons, a time to build in a lesson on something they need (as evidence from pre­assessment or other) or a time to teach into some overall writing habit (bringing notebooks home and back again each day, using writing time to write, setting goals for ourselves as writers)

Lesson 11­14 Writers go through the process again for a new essay so that at the end of the unit they have at least two completed college admissions essays. (Teacher only needs to grade one, although they will check two for completion) Lessons 11­14 will repeat the idea generating, the analyzing the prompt, what their ideas will say about them, and the planning of the essay over the course of the four lessons, but this time with a new assignment.

Lesson 15 OPEN A re­do of one of the previous lessons, a time to build in a lesson on something they need (as evidence from pre­assessment or other) or a time to teach into some overall writing habit (bringing notebooks home and back again each day, using writing time to write, setting goals for ourselves as writers)

Lesson 16 Writer's draft big, writing as much as they can, with as much

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reflection, analysis, and specific detail as they can, until they have exhausted what they want to say. They write two to three times as many words as ultimately allowed in word counts, enabling themselves to take risks, to explore tangents that are sometimes more useful than the original thoughts, and discovering ideas they didn’t know they had, or hadn't known to articulate. They know they will go back and edit later on.

Lesson 17 Writers continue drafting, zeroing in on the most important parts, zooming in on showing moments, and adding emblematic details.

Lesson 18 Writers add reflection to their personal essays, interspersing stories and moments with internal thinking and reflection.

Lesson 19 Writers help each other edit their essays to the necessary word count by reading essays aloud to friends, and asking their friends to point out the most memorable parts and isolating the most essential details.

Lesson 20 OPEN

Lesson 21 Writers revise in large­scale ways, taking risks in cutting out or adding in big parts, knowing they can go back to an earlier version if needed.

Lesson 22 Writers also edit carefully, taking time to look at common mistakes essayists make: (Teacher choose as many of the following as they see necessary, judging from common errors in the essays during conferences, etc.) *All of these lessons are scanned in as an attachment on this folder

1. The Really Bad Words 2. Too­long and Too­short paragraphs 3. The Missing “I” 4. Passive sentences 5. Exclamation points 6. Hopefully 7. General issues with ineffective memoirs

(See “Proofreading and editing lessons” in the resources folder attached to this unit, and refer to Atwell’s Lessons that Change Writers for additional lessons on conventions)

Lesson 23

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Writers take these two days to edit for common errors in both their college essays, knowing they are handing in one for grading and self­assessment, but that both need to be in perfect shape for the college admissions readers! HW: Continue editing and feeling free to make larger­scale changes, too, as there is still one day left for punctuation/ grammar editing.

Lesson 24 Writers make final edits, using one or all of the following proofreading strategies: reading aloud to a partner, having a partner read their paper aloud back to them, and reading the paper in reverse, starting with the last sentence and working backward. They can also use apps such as Hemingway App to get instant feedback on hard to read sentences, passive voice, clunky adverbs, etc. Teacher models using one of the above strategies to edit their essay, and then asks students which options they will use that day to proofread and edit their work. Writers use as many of the listed strategies as possible to go over their essays, proofreading for sentence fluency, redundancies, overly long sentences, dense sentences, and more. HW: Have your writing ready to turn in, as well as share/ celebrate in whatever mode the teacher has decided. (see below)

Lesson 25 Writers share and celebrate their work. There are a myriad of ways for student writers to publish/ share their work with others, and it’s an essential part of the writing process that they know their writing is going to a larger audience than only their teacher. Some ways the teacher might structure the class for all to share:

1. Students read their essays, or a favorite part of their essays, in small groups. Each group member writes a compliment on a post­it when they are done to hand to the author.

2. Students share a favorite paragraph or small section of their work to the entire class in a read around, with similar post­it feedback although you only write it for the three people who read after you do. (hard to listen well when you’re nervous about reading soon!)

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3. Students leave a copy of their work on their desks, and walk around the class reading each other’s works, making sure to leave a compliment to at least three other writers. It is essential that the teacher structures this to make sure everyone gets an equal number of readers.

4. Students publish digitally and give feedback online. Again, they are only providing positive feedback as there is no more revision and therefore no point to providing suggestions.

5. Teacher invites another section of the class in and they read to each other in one of the ways mentioned above.

6. Students invite in family members for one of the above structures.

Lesson 26 Writers reflect on their growth as writers and make goals for the next writing unit. Teacher models how they might answer the questions on the unit post­assessment, emphasizing objectivity, honesty, and pushing oneself to grow in specific ways the next time. Writers work on the post­assessment in class after discussing it in small groups first, if needed, and then finish it for homework to be handed in the next day.

Questions for Memoirists:

1. What are my earliest memories? How far back can I remember? 2. What are the most important things that have happened to me in my life so far? 3. What have I seen that I can’t forget? 4. What’s an incident that shows what my family and I are like? 5. What’s an incident that shows what my friends and I are like? 6. What’s an incident that shows what my pets and I are like? 7. What's something that happened to me at school that I’ll always remember? 8. What’s something that happened to me at home that I’ll always remember? 9. What’s an incident that changed me or how I think or feel about something? 10. What’s an incident that changed my life? 11. What’s a time or place that I was perfectly happy? 12. What’s a time or place that I laughed a lot? 13. What’s a time or place when it felt like my heart was breaking?

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14. What’ sa time with a parent that I’ll never forget? 15. What's a time with a grandparent that I’ll never forget? 16. What’s a time with another relative that I’ll never forget? 17. Can I remember a time I learned to do something, or did something for the first time? 18. What memories emerge when I Make a timeline of my life so far and not the important

things that happened to me each year?

Narrative Leads *From Lessons that Change Writers , Nancie Atwell Typical It was a day at the end of June. My mom, dad, brother and I were at our camp on Rangeley Lake. We arrived the night before at 10:00, so it was dark when we got there and unpacked. We went straight to bed. The next morning, when I was eating breakfast, my dad started yelling me from down at the dock at the top of his lungs. He said there was a car in the lake. Action:

I gulped my milk, pushed away from the table, and bolted out of the kitchen, slamming the broken screen door behind me. I rand own to our dock as fast as my legs could carry me. My feet pounded on the old wood, hurrying me toward my dad’s voice. “Scott!” he bellowed again.

“Coming, Dad!” I gasped. I couldn’t see him yet­­just the sails of the boats that had already put out into the lake for the day. Dialogue: “Scott! Get down here on the double!” Dad bellowed. His voice sounded far away.

“Dad?” I hollered. “Where are you?” I squinted through the screen door but couldn't see him.

“I’m down on the dock. MOVE IT. You’re not going to believe this,” he replied. Thinking:

I couldn't imagine why my father was hollering for me at 7:00 in the morning. I thought fast about what I might have done to get him so riled. Had he found out about the way I had talked to my mother the night before, when we got to camp and she asked me to help unpack? Did he discover the fishing reel I broke last week? Before I could consider a third possibility, Dad’s voice shattered my thoughts.

“Scott! Move it! You're not going to believe this!”

Writer’s Notebook Rubric (adapt as needed)

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5 pts 4 pts 3 pts 2 pts

Quality Entries are detailed and show that you are regularly using strategies taught and modeled in the lessons. You pay attention to writer’s craft, take risks in your work, and go above and beyond in not just applying that day’s teaching, but all the day’s before.

Entries are detailed and show that you are trying to use the strategies taught each day, as well as keeping in mind the strategies from before, too. You pay attention to detail and also experiment at times, playing with language or creatively applying concepts.

Some entries are detailed and you often show an attempt to use the strategy taught and modeled that day, but there is not evidence of trying to incorporate previous lessons and strategies as well. There is some evidence of risk­taking or creativity in the entries.

Entries lack details and show little evidence of applying strategies taught and modeled in class. There is little to no evidence of incorporating learning from previous lessons, either. No risk­taking in entries.

Quantity You are writing more than in the previous marking period. You write more than a page each day. You write in class and outside of class on a daily basis.

You are writing more than before. You write at least a page each day. You work on notebook entries in class and outside of class on a regular basis.

You are writing as much as before. You write less than a page (but more than a half page) each day. You work on entries in class mostly, and sometimes add at home.

You are writing less than before. You write less than a half page most days. You work on entries only in class, and rarely if ever at home.

Post Unit Reflection Checklist/ Rubric­­ adapt as needed

Writers complete a post­unit assessment, reflecting on their growth as writers and setting goals for future writing.

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What was the most useful thing you learned about writing well in (genre taught), or as a

writer in general? In what way(s) did you grow the most as a writer? Be specific and/ or refer to examples

from your writer’s notebook or final writing pieces to back up this growth. What problems or challenges did you face? How did you deal with those? What will you

do in the next unit to prevent them, if possible? What was your best work? Why?

Post­Unit Reflection Writing Yes Starting to Not Yet

Depth and authenticity of self­reflection: In­depth analysis of writer’s strengths, weaknesses, and growth. Answers reflect honest and objective examination of writing throughout the entire unit.

Examples/ Evidence: Reflection of strengths, weaknesses, and growth are all backed up with appropriate and sufficient evidence from the writing.

Completion: All questions are answered thoroughly with complete sentences and sufficient explanation.

Neatness/ proofreading: Writing is edited for clarity, spelling, and punctuation.

College Application Essay Scoring Rubric

Criteria to be Assessed

4 3 2 1

1. Ideas Writing successfully presents the topic in a novel or unique way. Writing includes excellent and

Writing presents the topic in an interesting way. Writing includes good concrete detail and some

Writing presents the topic in an ordinary way. Writing includes concrete detail, but commentary is obvious,

Writing presents topic in an ordinary way. Concrete details and commentary are either weak or missing.

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specific concrete detail and insightful commentary.

insightful commentary.

simplistic, or generic.

2. Organization

Writing has a compelling and logical flow of ideas.

Writing has a logical flow of ideas.

Organization is rough but workable. It sometimes gets off topic.

Writing is aimless and disorganized.

3. Topic Sentences and Transitions

Paragraphs have focused and poignant topic sentences and smooth, almost seamless transitions.

Paragraphs have focused topic sentences and obvious transitions.

Paragraphs have topic sentences that need to be more focused and rough transitions.

Paragraphs lack topic sentences and transitions.

4. Description Writing consistently and effectively shows rather than tells through specific and vivid details.

Writing shows rather than tell, but details could be more specific and vivid.

Writing includes some showing but needs more.

Writing uses all telling and not showing.

5. Voice Writing reveals your unique personality and view of the world, leaving the reader with a solid sense of who you are. It is consistent throughout and conveys individual personality.

Writing reveals some of your thoughts and feelings, but needs more personality behind it.

Writing is bland. There is either no hint of a real person behind the writing.

Writing is too informal. It sounds like you don't care about the topic of the essay.

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6. Originality of fresh word choice, creativity in topic and theme, and risk­taking in structure and craft.

Writing uses words that are striking and fresh but natural, varied, and vivid; focuses on a topic that is unusual and distinctive, and takes risks in the structure or other craft moves.

Writing makes some quality but also some routine or ordinary word choices, focuses on an interesting but not original topic.

Writing uses words that are dull or uninspired. Writing sounds like you are trying too hard to impress. Topic may be unexpected, or relies at times on a formulaic structure.

Writing uses the same words over and over. Some words may be confusing or inappropriate. Topic is cliche, and the structure is overly formulaic.

7. Grammar Usage and Sentence Fluency

Writing uses proper grammar 100% of the time. Sentences flow well and vary in construction and length.

Writing has a few grammar problems. Sentences flow well but do not vary much.

Writing has enough grammar errors to distract a reader. Some sentences do not flow well and/or are not varied at all.

Writing has numerous grammar mistakes and poor sentence construction that make the paper hard to read.

8. Spelling and Punctuation

Writing uses correct punctuation and spelling 100% of the time.

Writing has a few errors to fix, but generally uses correct conventions.

Writing has enough errors in the essay to distract a reader.

Writing has numerous errors that make the paper hard to read.

Total Score X 3.13 = /100

From Johns Hopkins, College Essays That Worked, Including College Admissions Feedback on WHY They Worked

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Just Keep Folding—Jodie

Having explored the myths from ancient Greece, Rome, and Egypt, my curiosity was piqued in

eighth grade by a simple legend from Japanese lore. If you fold one thousand paper cranes, the

gods will grant you one wish. I took it as a challenge. My previous forays into origami had ended

poorly, but I was so excited to begin my quest that this detail seemed inconsequential. My art

teacher loaned me a piece of origami paper and, armed with an online tutorial, my quest began.

Like an early prototype of the airplane, I ascended towards my dreams for a glorious moment

before nose­diving into the ground. The first crane was a disastrous failure of wrinkly lines and

torn paper. Too embarrassed to ask for another, I turned to my stack of Post­it notes. By the third

attempt, I ended up with a sticky pink paper crane. Holding that delicate bird, I was flooded with

triumph and elation.

The first two hundred cranes were all crafted from Post­it notes. Armed with a pack of

highlighters, I decorated each piece of paper individually. I folded cranes at home, between

classes, and in the car. My fingers were permanently sticky from the glue I scraped off every

square. Slowly, my collection grew: first ten, then fifty, then one hundred. Before the task could

become monotonous, I started experimenting. How small was it possible for a crane to be?

Smaller than a golf ball? Smaller than a dime? Small enough to sit on the end of a pencil? Any

size was attainable. I could make a crane smaller than almost any arbitrary form of measurement.

Soon I could finish a crane in fifty seconds or with my eyes closed. Anything square and foldable

became my medium. Paper towels, candy wrappers, and aluminum foil joined my vibrant

menagerie of carefully folded paper. I was unstoppable; that wish was as good as mine.

By six hundred cranes, the increasing demands of high school academics caused my pace to

slow. I despaired. I wouldn’t let this be another ambitious project that I couldn’t finish.

My cranes mattered to me. As an outlet for expression, they served as a way to defuse frustration

and sadness, and a source of pride and joy. Their creation allows me to bring beauty to the world

and to find a sense of order in the bustle and chaos of life. There is a lot of beauty to be found in

tiny things. I’m reminded that little gestures have a lot of meaning. I have given away cranes to

my friends as a pick­me­up on bad days, and I have made cranes to commemorate people, such

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as the dark green crane I made the day my grandmother died. They are a symbol of hope to

remind me what I have accomplished.

So, I pushed myself to keep working and to keep folding one crane at a time. My determination

paid off, and in the summer after sophomore year, my passion was reinvigorated. One month

before the end of junior year, I folded my thousandth paper crane. As I leaned over the open

drawer brimming with origami pieces in a multitude of sizes and colors, I felt a rush of

satisfaction and triumph. Not only was 1,000 cranes an achievement in its own right, but I

proved to myself that I can finish what I start.

The world is filled with big numbers. College tuition, monthly rent, and car prices deal in the

many thousands. Those figures are incomprehensible to someone who has never interacted with

anything so large, and I wanted to understand them. A thousand will never simply be a number

to me: it is hundreds upon hundreds of hand­folded cranes combined with years of effort.

So what did I wish for? It turns out, I didn’t need the wish. I learned I have the power to make

things happen for myself.

“What was most impressive about Jodie’s essay was not the accomplishment of making 1,000 paper

cranes, but how much we were able to learn about her through this simple anecdote. We

determined she is someone who perseveres, as seen through the personal growth that arrived from

her initial failure and eventual completion of a goal on top of the demands of high school. We

learned she is kind and caring—traits exemplified through sharing cranes with friends having bad

days and those made to commemorate people she lost. Her essay also showed us she is curious and

willing to experiment, like testing out how small she could make cranes. These characteristics

stood out and gave us an idea of how Jodie will contribute to our community, which is important in

a holistic process where we try to learn about the whole student.”

—Johns Hopkins Undergraduate Admissions Committee

The Palate of My Mind—Meghna

A question that every high school senior is familiar with is: “What kind of college is the right fit

for you?” My criterion doesn’t appear in the deluge of admissions pamphlets; that’s because I

want my school to resemble my favorite dish: the hummus­tabouli wrap.

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…and Johns Hopkins University is the creamiest, tangiest, most flavorful hummus­tabouli wrap

in existence.

The secret to any savory wrap lies in how its flavor is contained. Regardless of what outside

influences are imposed upon it, the pita bread expertly holds all of its ingredients without

allowing them to spill. Hopkins opposes outside pressures, unapologetically supporting

individuals who are unafraid to break tradition. The OUTlist, an online database for Hopkins

affiliates who openly identify themselves as members of the LGBT community, revolutionized

the visibility of LGBT individuals in higher education and created a support network at the

university. For students who are struggling with their identity (due to the fear of coming out to

their families or friends), I want to help them express themselves and understand that they are

not alone. I want to serve as an advocate as well as a source of comfort, like a homemade pita

that is warm and soft, yet tenacious.

Next on our wrap is the core layer of hummus, lathered on the pita and heavy with expectation.

Being the most renowned staple of the Mediterranean diet comes with its pressures, but hummus

handles it well, always stepping up to the plate, ready for any intimidating food critic. Similarly,

Hopkins’s academic diversity lives up to its reputation and more. The Classics Department offers

83 different undergraduate courses, with varied paths that students can take in the pursuit of

cultural and literary knowledge. I hope to study the interrelationship of modern literature and

culture and its classical roots in Latin by examining international texts in courses such as Latin

Literature Beyond Hermeneutics taught by Professor Butler. I intend to further facilitate

international communication—a modern necessity—by researching how English is adapted by

different cultures. I can imagine narrowing my research from World Englishes to the

fundamentals of the English language that bring about its malleability under Professors Celenza

or Roller of the Classics Department.

After the hummus follows the influx of diced tomatoes, onions, and parsley, all varied in taste,

combining to form the tabouli sauce. Tabouli is accepting of its ingredients, which when

combined, bring to it a taste that is unparalleled by any other ingredient of wrap. I hope to spend

my next four years in the Hopkins community learning alongside students from backgrounds

starkly different from my own, who, like each component of tabouli sauce, bring their varied

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perspectives to discussions, an invaluable trait when studying how English has been adapted by

different cultures.

In this world of flavorful foods and people, the delectable allure of Johns Hopkins University

entices the palate of my mind. And I hope to eat my fill.

“Meghna effectively connected her academic and extracurricular interests with opportunities

available at Hopkins. It was clear she understands what the Hopkins experience could look like for

her. The most exciting thing about this essay was the way she elaborated on her academic interests

while also telling us something about her that we couldn’t learn through any other part of her

application—her favorite food.”

—Johns Hopkins Undergraduate Admissions Committee

Intercom Enthusiast—Isaac

The most exciting time to live in Vermont is mid­February. This is the time when one is given

the privilege of a 30­minute walk to school in sub­zero temperatures, with a 30­minute trudge

home in the dark after a long day. It’s been four months since winter began, and it’ll be two more

until it’s over. The firewood is being rationed to keep the house at a barely livable temperature, a

steamy 50 degrees, and colds are so rampant that people lose half their body weight in phlegm

each day. Yet, however dull Vermont may seem to students and teachers as they wrap

themselves in layer after layer of flannel, make no mistake, today is the beginning of an era.

Today is the day when Isaac (that’s me) starts his job of putting smiles on grim faces as the

reader of the morning announcements.

“But Isaac, that job is super boring! You just read what’s written on a piece of paper,” is what an

uninformed person might say, someone who obviously doesn’t know about my passion for

annoying the tired and melancholic with smiling positivity. While expression and humor has not

historically been a part of this process, and while ad­libbing has been strictly advised against, I

go for it anyway. And why not? The worst possible outcome involves only a stern lecture and an

expulsion from the job.

Fortunately, there is not much going on this week, which means I have some wiggle room with

what I can say. The loud buzz of the intercom whines throughout the school, and the silent

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apprehension of the day is met, somewhat unexpectedly, with a greeting of 20 “yo’s” and a long,

breathy pause. I artfully maneuver someone else’s writing into my own words, keeping the

original intent but supplementing the significant lack of humor with a few one­liners. I conclude

by reminding everyone that just because the weather is miserable today does not mean that we

have to be as well.

Luckily, the principal loves it. And despite the fact that I urge everyone to interrupt my history

teacher’s classes to wish him a happy birthday, I get to keep my job for another day. I have

people coming up to me left and right, telling me that I made them smile. When I hear that, I

smile back.

For the rest of the month, I work to make sure that people hear my message: even though we are

at the time when school and winter are beginning to seem endless, there are still reasons to grin. I

urge people to attend basketball games or sign up for spring sports. I announce birthdays and

other special events. Before every day, I make sure I have a message that will make people think,

“you know, today might not be so bad after all.” After my month ends, the announcements have

been changed. The next readers tell jokes or riddles, or sing songs and invite others to sing with

them. I watch the announcements evolve from an unfortunate but necessary part of the day to a

positive and inspiring event. It is now more than just a monotonous script; it becomes a time to

make sure that everyone has at least one thing to smile about.

Life shouldn’t have to be a dreary winter day; it should be the satisfaction of a good saxophone

solo or the joy of seeing one’s friends every day at school. It is the enthusiasm of a biology

teacher, the joy of a sports victory, and even the warm messages of a disembodied voice on the

intercom. I use that message to help freshman feel less nervous at their first race or to encourage

my friend to continue taking solos in jazz band. And in the most dismal time of year, I use that

message in the daily announcements.

“Many high school students become hyper­focused on attaining school leadership positions with

flashy titles, but Isaac’s essay showed how he made a positive impact in his community in a less

expected way. Isaac’s essay was light­hearted, comical, and fun to read. Most importantly, it gave

us insight into his personality and hinted at the type of presence he’s likely to have on our campus.

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It also told us about what day­to­day life is like in his hometown and school, which provided more

context for the rest of his application.”

—Johns Hopkins Undergraduate Admissions Committee

Growing Strawberries in a High School Locker—Seena

One day this year, as I was walking by my perpetually empty locker, I was struck by an idea. I

cannot identify what sparked its conception, but as my idea started to grow, thinking of possible

solutions and analyzing and assessing feasibility issues began to consume me. My father calls

this a “designer’s high,” and it was very familiar to me. I’ve experienced it often while

collaborating with my robotics team, and in the hours I’ve spent with my father on design

concepts for his prefabricated homes. Still, nothing I had worked on before was similar to the

feeling this “out of the box” idea had triggered.

Growing strawberries in a high school locker seemed fairly simple at first. Despite knowing that

this is not the typical habitat for strawberry plants, I knew from my green­thumbed mother that

strawberries are among the easiest fruits to grow. Many students and teachers became interested

in my project, yet were skeptical of my botanical prowess and quick to conclude that a plant

could not possibly receive its basic necessities in a locker, which didn’t have proper ventilation,

was hot and humid, and was shielded from both sunlight and any source of water. Still, I was

determined to make this work. The unfriendly habitat and logistical obstacles did not deter me.

My horticultural roots stem from my mother and elementary level biology. It wasn’t until this

year that my knowledge expanded beyond this casual level into a realm where biology,

chemistry, and physics found beautiful, synergistic intersections. I was determined to apply what

I had learned and got to work.

Due to the lack of electricity and direct sunlight, I decided to use a solar panel paired with a light

sensor on the outside of my locker to power a strong, blue LED light, which is best for

photosynthesis and plant growth. A friend taught me how to solder and helped me create the

solar panel setup, which turns on the blue light only when it is dark outside so the plants

experience the proper light cycles. I also set up a system to slowly water the plants automatically.

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This involved a series of drip bottles—which another friend had for his old, now deceased, pet

guinea pig—arranged to drip into each other and then onto the soil.

Having addressed the issues of light and water, I focused on the need to circulate air. Leaving the

door closed would provide essentially no circulation and would create a hot and moist

environment, making the plants more susceptible to mold. After experimenting with various

designs and a 3D printed prototype, I came up with an extension of the latching mechanism on

the inside of my locker, which I called the “strawberry jamb.” The jamb, which I cut using our

school’s CNC router, sufficiently boosts airflow by allowing the door to remain ajar about two

inches while still maintaining the integrity of the existing locking mechanism. I made a beautiful

wooden box, emblazoned with the laser­cut engraving “Strawberry Fields Forever” and provided

proper drainage onto a tray inside the locker to avoid water damage to school property. The

strawberry plants are now growing in my partially open locker providing a topic of conversation

and much commentary from students walking by.

What began as a seemingly improbable idea fed my passion for creative thinking and mechanical

engineering. This project not only allowed me to practically apply isolated academic principles I

had studied, but it also pushed me to traverse multiple disciplines to creatively solve problems.

Furthermore, it’s uniqueness beckoned for community input and collaboration, allowing me to

access resources to achieve fiscally responsible solutions and ultimate success. For me, it was

invigorating to propel a project that many deemed impossible into the realm of possible. I intend

to continue to explore and invent because only then are new realities possible.

“Seena’s essay not only provided us with background on his academic interest—mechanical

engineering—it also gave us a sense of the kind of student he would be on the Homewood campus.

His account of successfully growing strawberries in his locker showcased his ingenuity, sense of

humor, and, most crucially, enthusiasm for collaborative work. Seena lets the details of his story

illustrate that he’s team player, which is much more powerful than merely telling us directly. The

combination of personal and intellectual anecdotes made it easy to imagine how Seena will

contribute to life at Hopkins both in the lab and in the residence halls, which is exactly what the

committee looks to the personal statement to do.”

—Johns Hopkins Undergraduate Admissions Committee

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On and Off—Tan

“On and off,” I squealed as I fiddled with every remote control device in the house—from the

TV to my RC toys. For hours, I strove to unravel the connection between the wires, circuits, and

switches that “magically” activated these appliances. Although my ruminations did not provide

immediate explanations, they spurred my imagination and fueled my fascination for electronics.

Later on, I turned my attention toward circuit configurations, which I explored through AP

Physics and LC’s Robotics Team. My design, assembly, and programming capabilities

compelled me to identify new applications for my skills. With Cooper Union’s Summer STEM

Program, I explored other engineering branches through the development a hydraulic­powered

Rube Goldberg Marble Machine. These lessons sparked my curiosity for renewable energy and

led to the creation of a self­powered hydraulic ram prototype capable of delivering water to

isolated communities, like my hometown in Thai Binh, without using electricity. Although my

contraption is not perfect, these variegated episodes widened my perception of Electrical

Engineering, its mission, and my role in the field.

My experiences also helped me see that the essence of engineering lies in serving social needs.

As an Electrical Engineering major and History of Science & Technology (HOST) minor, I will

harness JHU’s multidimensional platform to fulfill my purpose as engineer and citizen.

My quest begins with an introduction to the fundamental building blocks of engineering. Courses

like “Digital Systems Fundamentals” unravel important concepts in logic and design that are

applicable to more advanced research initiatives. Meanwhile lectures in “Introduction to

Renewable Energy Engineering” unlock ways to improve Vietnam’s outdated energy sources,

opening new opportunities for other industries to grow with the new technology.

Because engineering does not exist in a vacuum, a HOST minor will complement my work by

helping me understand the sociopolitical, cultural, and ethical issues that drive scientific

developments. Equipped with this holistic vision, I will be able to adopt technically­sound yet

socially responsible methodologies toward the solution of different problems.

Beyond the classroom, JHU’s legacy as America’s first research university merges theory with

practice, transforming abstraction into reality. The Spur Scholar or Provost Awards facilitate

cooperation with faculty and in­depth exploration of various interests. Similarly, student­led

22

initiatives like Hopkins Baja promote teamwork and the active exchange of ideas with peers of

diverse intellectual and social backgrounds. Alongside my teammates, I will work toward the

perfection of nimble race cars. Furthermore, internships and the Vredenburg Scholarship will

expand my career choices and ease my transition into the workforce.

Having served as prefect, residential assistant, and student council advocate I will join the

Student Government Association. Given my experiences with poverty and inequality in Vietnam,

I will also my share leadership and mentorship skills to empower underprivileged children in the

Baltimore vicinity through involvement with Alternative Learning Coaches.

A JHU education integrates intellectual and personal lessons that will alleviate Vietnam’s and

the world’s needs. With the creation of effective, affordable, and sustainable engineering

solutions, I hope to make a difference in the 21st century.

“Tan’s essay effectively connected his interest in and experiences with robotics with specific

coursework and opportunities available to undergraduates here. It showed us why he wants to

pursue these things specifically at Hopkins. He was able to talk about the flexible curriculum, ways

to work beyond the classroom through research opportunities like SPUR, student government, and

the Alternative Learning Coaches program. As a whole, it was clear why Tan would be a strong

member of the Hopkins community both in and outside the classroom.”

—Johns Hopkins Undergraduate Admissions Committee

From Yonkers to Accra—Ansley

“Do you have body bags? The leak­proof kind...we need as many as you can spare!”

My shoulders slumped as the voice on the phone offered me camera bags instead. I was sixteen

and had just returned from an infectious diseases course at Emory University, where my final

presentation was on Ebola. Within weeks, the first infected American arrived at Emory for

treatment. Our country panicked, while thousands lay dying in Liberia, Guinea, and Sierra

Leone, their last visions strangers in spacesuits. I ached for the people, especially the children,

who were dying alone, and I needed to help. Drawing on my new knowledge of Ebola’s

pathology, I had an idea that I thought might work.

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Ebola Kits. Rubber gloves, masks, and bleach, shrink­wrapped together inside a sturdy bucket,

instructions in pictures to bridge the languages of Mende, French, Krio, Fula, and Susu. While

the kits contained only the bare necessities, they would allow people to care for family and

neighbors without inviting the spread of Ebola. Doing nothing was genocide, with generations of

families disappearing overnight. The images haunted me, lifeless bodies in dirt, oblivious to the

flies swarming around them, as everyone watched from a safe distance. I pitched my idea to The

Afya Foundation, a global health NGO I have worked with since the 2010 Haiti earthquake. I

was on a mission. Ebola kits in every village. Easy to assemble and ship. Potential to save

thousands. While I received an enthusiastic response to my idea, Afya’s team sent me on a

different mission: obtaining body bags, the unfortunate reality of people who were invisible in a

world that waited far too long to see them.

I spent two weeks calling body bag suppliers after school. Treatment centers were desperate,

wrapping bodies in garbage bags with duct tape and tossing them mindlessly into the ground. It

was disrespectful, even inhumane, because West African burials include washing, touching, and

kissing the bodies. Without these rituals, West Africans believe the spirit of the deceased can

never be at peace. Culture and medicine were colliding head­on, and there was no easy solution.

While Ebola made these rituals lethal, at least body bags allowed people to be safely buried and

not treated like garbage. After many failed attempts, I reached a funeral home director who

donated body bags from his own supply.

Public health is one of the most pressing and complex issues we face as a global society, and it is

my passion. I am disturbed that not all lives are valued equally. I cannot accept the fact that

children die from preventable diseases, simply because they are born in countries with less

wealth and stability. In America, we are curing cancer with a mutated poliovirus strain, but we

haven’t eradicated polio in Afghanistan and Pakistan. We come together in crises, highly

publicized earthquakes and tsunamis, but we haven’t come together to solve the problem of basic

human health, a right for every person on earth. Ensuring our health is complicated and daunting

and requires the mass coordination of agencies and governments to build sustainable

infrastructures with local citizens in charge. I want to be part of the solution and am engaging in

24

public health in every way I can: in the field, in the classroom, and through global health

charities.

From Yonkers to Accra, I have met the most amazing people from all walks of life, and I feel a

deep and stirring sense of purpose in my global health work. I am empowered and proud of my

contributions, but I also experience humility at a level that transforms me. I am blessed that I

have found my passion, one that combines my intellectual curiosity, determination, and my

moral compass. I am optimistic for the future and the journey that lies ahead, as I do everything

in my power to make basic health care a reality for the world.

“Ansley’s interest in global health jumped out at us from the first sentence, and she carried this

same theme through the entire essay. What her essay did particularly well, though, was show a

clear path from passion to action. Rather than just talk about her interest in the field, we got the

sense that she is motivated to take initiative and get engaged. Students at Johns Hopkins routinely

display an entrepreneurial spirit in their pursuits, and Ansley demonstrated a similar approach in

her fight to prevent additional outbreaks of Ebola in Africa.”

—Johns Hopkins Undergraduate Admissions Committee

In Pursuit of the Sublime—Kaylee

Goal: 40,000.

I wrote because it made me somebody else—somebody who mattered.

The power of writing, I believed, existed solely in one’s ability to pursue the sublime. So I wrote

to create different, better manifestations of my life.

I grew up dreaming and writing (and thinking they were the same) about being a Hermione

Granger with Harry as my sidekick battling twenty Voldemorts (twenty!); my stories were

dynamic.

I was cool.

Status: 5,000.

My mom once joked that I should audition for the role of Cho Chang. I threw a chopstick at her.

Cho Chang was weak, so terribly weak that Harry dumped her.

25

I knew why she said it though—I rarely existed in books and when I did, I was the Cho Chang,

the inconsequential, insignificant Asian girl who could never assert herself.

In a fit of spite, I killed my Hermione, realizing I could never be her.

Status: 1,000.

Somebody once told me to read The Joy Luck Club but I never bothered. A book about a bunch

of Cho Changs couldn’t possibly be sublime.

Instead, I buried myself in the books hidden under my bed, away from Mom, about girls in high

school who didn’t do anything besides fall in love. So, to improve my own story, I decided to fall

in love with the first boy to call me pretty.

I was satisfied.

Status: 8,000.

Living life vicariously was comfortable and easy.

Perhaps that’s why, at fifteen, I paid no mind to my grandpa’s deteriorating health or my dad’s

anxiety. Because these were not the kinds of pain I had ever read about, I didn’t find them good

enough to write about.

So, I went looking for better inspiration—for more mockeries of love, ways to validate my

insecurities, and priorities that shouldn’t have been labeled as such.

It was all so cool that I couldn’t stop writing about it.

Status: 11,000.

During this magnificent, glorious streak of writing, dreaming, and pretending, I learned that

40,000 words make a novel.

I had to do it. Once I get published, everybody would get a taste of my sublimity. Mom and Dad

would be so impressed. I’d probably even become famous! Hence, I became fervently obsessed

with word count and cared for little else.

Status: 15,000.

But then I turned seventeen and finally began to process what I had experienced years earlier. I

had been witness to my grandpa, reduced to flesh and bones (but hardly any flesh), barely

clinging to life in a maggot­infested hospital in Dengzhou—something I had forced myself to

forget.

26

Suddenly, I couldn’t keep pretending that crafting a fictitious version of my life on paper could

replace what is real.

I erased everything.

Status: 0.

I started over.

I wrote about my real thoughts, my family, the times I was happy, and the times I was not. I

wrote about my grandpa.

I showed Dad. I thought he’d be proud.

He was not.

What? You wrote this? Why? What are you trying to prove?

Nothing.

For the first time, nothing. I’m just writing about life.

But you should keep that private. It’s too revealing and distressing. It’s not…

Sublime.

I know.

It’s. Not. Sublime.

I crumbled.

Then came the summer before my senior year. I finally read The Joy Luck Club .

In the entire novel, I didn’t come across a single Cho Chang. What took the place of sublimity,

instead, were real people. Mothers and daughters who breathe and hurt and love.

I laughed and cried and began to write.

Status: Not counting anymore.

I don’t write to create the next Hermione, become the best cliché, or impress Mom and Dad. I

write to express the thoughts that are most real to me, ones I cannot confine any longer.

I am real and I care about being real—that is my power, not just as a writer but as a person.

“We were impressed by Kaylee’s ability to creatively relay important information about herself. The

unique format of her essay suited the content and also showcased her passion for writing. What the

essay did particularly well, though, was effectively explore experiences (both small and large) that

shaped her growth as a person and writer. Her conclusion to write for herself, rather than to impress

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others, demonstrates her maturity and confidence. Through these anecdotes, we got a better idea of

the kind of scholar she is outside the classroom—something not found anywhere else in the

application.”

—Johns Hopkins Undergraduate Admissions Committee

More Sample Essays/ Drafts for College Essay:

Sample Essay 1

“XXXX, what do you want to do when you grow up?” my dad asked me one afternoon.

At age ten, my response to this question could have been anything. Professional athlete, supreme ruler of the world, or firefighter all would have sufficed, but I came out of deep left.

“I’m going to start a business,” I told him matter­of­factly.

I moved to California from Connecticut in 1994, just before my fifth birthday. My dad took a position at a public relations firm, left IBM, and brought the family west. I grew up in the heart of Silicon Valley at the peak of the technology boom. To me, that was what smart people did. They started businesses.

Seventh grade, age 12. It was time for the annual holiday fair. Students could produce and sell any item of their choice, and were allowed to keep their profits. I teamed up with my friend Jon, and we wanted to go beyond selling chocolate chip cookies. We were playing with modeling clay one afternoon, and had an idea. I had the dexterity to make wonders out of clay, while Jon could work similar magic in Photoshop, and so our business began. I mass­produced holiday themed pins, while Jon designed our packaging. “Yee Olde Clay Shoppe” by “LJ Corporation” sold one pin for three dollars or two pins for five dollars. We were placing backorders two hours into the fair. In our first year of operation we raked in $150 apiece, huge money for seventh graders.

Ninth grade, age 14. The biology final was rapidly approaching, and we were allowed one page of notes. Using a computer, my friend Chris and I compressed all the information from the semester onto a single page of paper, and brought it to class on a review day. That page quickly

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made it around the room, and I soon had half the class coming to me requesting a copy. With the teacher’s permission, I began selling the sheets at five dollars apiece. Over the course of the year, “LC Production Co.” totaled over $300 in profits, and earned good grades in the process by making the notes.

I have always loved to create and sell my work. I still beam with pride upon seeing my Snowman pins on mothers’ sweaters at Christmas parties, and I feel a sense of accomplishment as my notes continue to help kids to pass biology. I may, however, need more creative brand names. It could have been youthful ignorance to think that all smart people start businesses, but it is a result of the area I have grown up in. I am not sure what my business will offer, or how it will be modeled, but this is the path I hope to follow. My youthful answer would be the same today, and hopefully a less ignorant one. I’m going to start a business. (480 words)

Sample Essay 2

Robert Browning wrote, “When the fight begins within himself, a man is worth something.” We all like to think that we are good people, and recognizing our flaws seems to jeopardize that. However, it’s not perfection that makes us “worth something,” it’s the effort to improve. When man begins to look inward and struggle with what he sees, he realizes his potential. Browning’s words have taught me that it’s not the end that justifies the means. I don’t always have to win the inner battles I fight, but I do have to fight them.

For far too long, I turned my head in the other direction rather than look inside myself. I spent two years inventing lies and excuses to cover up an eating disorder. It’s funny, everyone always talks about “struggling” with anorexia, but I didn’t struggle. I accepted it as an integral part of me, my anchor, without which I would be lost. October 18, 2003 was the day I lost my fight against the current. I woke up shivering and couldn’t get warm the whole morning. I skipped breakfast, afraid that I might be forced into eating two breakfasts, plus lunch, which I imagined would make me the size of a small elephant. I went to the doctor’s office with my size zero jeans and sunken cheekbones, guard up. But, I couldn’t hide the truth. My body temperature was 92; I weighed 109 pounds, and my resting heart rate was in the 40s. I wasn’t just dieting; I was killing myself, and the consequences were a long time coming.

That day was the first of the six I spent at El Camino Hospital. Afraid and desperate to go home, I did everything the doctors told me. I ate every last bite of food on my plate, did art therapy to release my craziness, and never peeked at the scale when I was weighed. I was released faster than anyone else, and I vowed that I would never go back. I filled out food pyramids everyday, didn’t exercise, and gained thirteen pounds. My face filled out and my butt came back, but as my

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body healed, my mind filled with fear. Every pound was disgusting and I longed for the old feeling of hunger. While my physical actions marked progress, my thoughts were no different.

My fight didn’t really begin until seven months after I was released, when I received an assignment to write a collection of pieces about myself. At first, I tried to think of a way around my illness. I wrote about my family, my friends, my accomplishments, but they were only a part of the story. So, I decided to be brave. I couldn’t lie anymore. I hated the person I had become, and I hated the thoughts inside my head. In my desperation I was honest. I had to struggle to resist the urges to revert to my old ways, and in the beginning, I hated sitting down at my computer. Yet, with every word I wrote I felt something in me stir. It was the me that I had stifled, the one I so desperately wanted to be. It was the first time in two years that she was fighting back.

Browning’s wisdom gave me the courage to write my pieces and initiate the battle, but in the process I also learned about the power my own words hold. When I was released from the hospital my doctors never demanded that I go to a therapist. They strongly recommended it, but they didn’t feel my situation was so dire as to require it. I was all too willing to bypass the therapy process, a signed admission of my disease, and my mother, still in denial, agreed. We both insisted that I was different, and being sick had just been some minor fluke that could be easily repaired. When I began to write about my eating disorder, it was the first time I analyzed the situation. As I wrote, thoughts inside me emerged on paper that I didn’t know existed. Writing unlocked the barriers I had put up, and I was astonished at how honest I was able to be. I had never been a good writer. My writing was simplistic, and I loved to tie up my pieces with pretty little bows. But these were different. They were powerful, and there were no fairy tale endings. I didn’t have them, and I didn’t need them. Writing became more than just an assignment; it was my new release.

The realization that words could heal gave me the courage I needed to keep fighting when I ran into obstacles. Days when I felt lonely or frustrated no longer became occasions to run 5 miles. Instead, I sat down at my computer and wrote, and it worked. It still does. Writing clears my mind, so that I never forget Browning’s words. I am not done fighting, but as long as I do, I am “worth something.” (831 words)

Sample Essay 3

I love it when my parents leave me home alone, but probably not for the reasons that you're thinking. Being left at home means one thing: cooking my own meals. In my house, mother is the chef. While I do help her on occasion, cooking is like reading a newspaper – it isn’t the same with someone looking over your shoulder.

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Ever since I could wok, I have had a profound fascination with the culinary arts. In middle school, I signed up for home economics during both seventh and eighth grade. We started with simple foods, such as omelets and cookies, but I was truly excited when we made spaghetti and meatballs simply from flour, tomatoes, and ground beef. However, the event that truly sparked my cooking career was a Boy Scout snow camping trip, during which I was responsible for providing and preparing food for the entire troop. Although I simply concocted a stew and heated bread over a stove, it tasted like the best grub in the world under the given circumstances. After hiking and setting up camp in twenty degree weather the hot food was our only source of warmth and comfort. It was incredibly satisfying to watch thirty scouts and adults gather around my stove, shoveling pieces of meat and crusty bread into their mouths.

Why does cooking intrigue me? At first, it was the art that drew me in: the creation of delicious and appealing foods from raw ingredients. Then, I realized that it wasn’t the end product that truly inspired me; it was the process . Cooking is a constant; given time and a decent recipe, I can create an appetizing dish. However, putting together a complete meal from the grocery store to the table is entirely variable. Even if the end result is the same, each time I plan, cook, and clean up, the process is different. The kitchen, as I now see it, is a challenge in organization and time management, skills that are transferable into other areas of my life. I don’t want to find myself spinning and tossing the salad and then realize that the sauce has to simmer for another hour before it can be served.

Perhaps it is the type of thought and coordination involved with cooking that makes me enjoy other activities. As “executive chef” of our high school yearbook, I find it an extraordinary challenge to take the individual ingredients – writers, photographers, and layout staff – and combine them into the best mixture possible. Although each May we serve our finished entrée, getting to that point requires a perfect blend of organization and attention to detail. Truthfully, the journalism part of yearbook does not excite me – it is the leadership of the yearbook process that I savor. As editor in chief for the past two years, I have managed to spice up not only the yearbook content and class management, but also my personal leadership skills.

Oh, and eating is good too. (493 words)

Sample Essay 4

Throughout my life, I have had to face few outward travails. On the surface, everything comes easy to me. I have never gone hungry or had any physical challenges. And yet, I have had to overcome many inner obstacles over the years. I have a strong sense of purpose and a morality which binds me rigidly. But, at the same time, I admit that I was born a coward. It has taken

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years of effort and endurance, goaded by my sense of right and wrong, for me to reach where I am today. And over the years, there have been times where my future character was decided in a conflict between fear and morality.

When I was ten, I was on a swim team which included an eighteen­year­old boy with Down's Syndrome. Because of his slurred speech and other physical handicaps, he was never really an accepted member of the team. At first, his size and physical traits made me afraid of him. But I spoke with my father, and he explained the other boy's problem. It was then I decided to befriend the boy. With time, we became good friends. Surprisingly enough, I found myself in the position of the older boy: putting up with his "childish" antics, tying his shoelaces, and teaching him games.

Half a year went by and we were eventually moved up to the next level, practice times were changed. Unfortunately, on the very first day, there was trouble. The older boys (aged twelve to fifteen) began to make fun of my friend. Although he was physically stronger than the others, my peaceful friend did not know how to deal with the verbal abuse. I was upset but I was also afraid of the older boys. But then, the mocking became physical and my anger overcame my fear. In a heat of rage belying my ten years and frail body, I jumped onto a bench, yelling back. Moments later, I found myself in a hopeless fight against an older boy.

The fight would seal any hopes I had of making myself accepted. Nevertheless, thinking back, the incident still brings tears to my eyes. For a split moment, when he rushed in to save me, I looked into my friend's eyes. And within, I saw something which cannot be fully described in words. It was neither outright gratitude nor a mocking "You shouldn't have done that." But for the first time, I truly understood exactly what he wanted to say. (414 words)

Sample Essay 5

Ever since I opened a National Geographic magazine to a five­page article on the Congo basin, I've cherished a secret desire to be a National Geographic photographer. I've always been fascinated by ecological biology, and I would love to learn about the symbiotic relationship between ants and acacia trees or the tool­making techniques of chimpanzees while taking amazing photographs. A great deal of the allure that National Geographic photography holds for me stems from the fact that it combines sheer beauty and exoticism with ecology, history, and traveling­­some of my favorite things. Traveling around the globe, taking stunning pictures, learning about social history and animal behavior and experiencing different cultures is my idea of the perfect pursuit.

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Unfortunately, to be a photographer one must actually be adept with a camera. Apart from taking the average stand­in­front­of­this­waterfall­and­smile picture, I have no experience in the field of photography. Given the time and resources to perfect my skills, however, I would love to have the opportunity to capture images of Scottish castles at dawn and rare Nepalese honey hunters, all the while learning about the subject I was photographing and experiencing the ambiance of a different country. The excitement of reveling in a new culture, a new language, a new food almost every day, whether it be in Venice or in Rwanda, is especially alluring to me because my driving goal in life is to have a career that will actually make me look forward to Monday mornings. After all, what could be more exciting than attending voodoo ceremonies in Togo or fending off alligators with a paddle while waiting for the light to change? (273 words)

What does the author do in the revisions below to strengthen the essay in terms of the characteristics listed in the rubric above? Draft 1

“Here’s a Chinese family enjoying a Saturday together,” my dad explained as the video camera panned onto the four year old eating Cheerios and watching Sesame Street on TV.

“Daddy,” the four year old interrupted in Chinese, “I’m not Chinese!”

“Oh, okay, you’re not Chinese,” my dad corrected. “She doesn’t speak any English, yet she doesn’t want to be Chinese,” my dad explained to the camera with a little sigh.

And so I first rejected my culture at the young age of four with one little statement. Ironically I’m now the president of Asian Cultural Club but it wasn’t for a long time that I started to accept that I’m Chinese. During my adolescence I ignored the straight black hair and slanted eyes. I refused to speak Chinese to my parents. I viewed the Chinese customs with indifference.

Every time I watch this videotape, I realize that culture isn’t inherited, it’s a choice. A person can be Chinese genetically but if he’s grown up in an environment that’s free of any Chinese influence, he’s not really Chinese, compared to a white man in China who’s been immersed in Chinese culture.

Because the world is vast, we must be humble and receptive to new ideas to truly understand its different facets. Joining a multicultural community in which a diversified number of opinions and ideas converge is ideal: being exposed to different perspectives affords us opportunities to emerge from our shells, to be engaged in an environment that serves to consolidate our characters. (250 words)

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Draft 2

“Here’s a Chinese family enjoying a Saturday together,” my dad explained as the video camera panned onto the four­year­old eating Cheerios and watching Sesame Street on TV.

“Daddy,” the four­year­old indignantly interrupted in Chinese, “I’m not Chinese!”

“Oh, okay, you’re not Chinese,” my dad conceded. “She doesn’t speak any English, yet she doesn’t want to be Chinese,” my dad explained to the camera with a little sigh as the four­year­old smiled with satisfaction and resumed watching TV.

And so, I first rejected my culture at the young age of four with one little statement. Ironically, I’m now the president of Asian Cultural Club–but it wasn’t for a long time that I started to accept that I was Chinese. During my adolescence, I ignored my straight black hair and almond eyes. I refused to speak Cantonese to my parents. I avoided hanging around large groups of Asians. I was tired of people thinking automatically that I was smart, nerdy or not athletic, so I withdrew from my Chinese culture. But after my trip to China, I wondered why I had to avoid the stereotypes.

The first day I visited China, I could sense the difference between the natives and me. Outside we had similar features, but their attitudes and their actions were completely unlike mine. I mainly endured the China trip with nods and smiles and grunts and wished that the trip would soon be over, until I visited the “Forbidden City” in Beijing.

It was a rainy, humid day when I stepped inside the tall, imperious walls of the “Forbidden City“. The steam rose ominously from the puddles on the pavement and I walked slowly toward the “Hall of Supreme Harmony”. Standing beside the hall were panels in English and Chinese of historical information next to exhibits, and tourists gathered around them. Most of them were reading the Chinese panels and as I was reading the English panels, I noticed that even though we couldn’t communicate with each other, we were all sharing and absorbing the same culture. Intrigued by the Chinese traditions that were described on the panels, it dawned on me that for 15 years I had missed out on such an interesting culture. Why was I running away from the Chinese ethnicity because of what other people thought of it? Couldn’t I simply help prevent the stereotypes by doing something beneficial? I realized that from this experience I had picked up an aspect of the Chinese culture, the Chinese history. I wasn’t purely Chinese or American, but a mixture of both. Wanting others to share my realization, I decided that the most effective way I could do that was to start an Asian Cultural Club at my school.

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Every time I think about this videotape, I realize that culture isn’t inherited. It’s a choice. A person can be Chinese genetically, but not be Chinese culturally if her environment is free—either through willful refusal of or imposed dissociation from Chinese influence. Not until I visited “The Forbidden City” did I understand the importance of culture. By living in a multicultural community, we can choose different aspects of our peers’ culture and, in a way, make our own culture. We can choose to like European art, Spanish folk music, and Italian food while still being Chinese genetically. We can understand the justifications for each other's beliefs and actions and we can break away stereotypes, to inform people that not all Chinese conform to the aforementioned typecasts. (579 words)

Draft 3

“Here’s a Chinese family enjoying a Saturday together,” my dad explained as the video camera panned onto the four­year­old eating Cheerios and watching Sesame Street on TV.

“Daddy,” the four­year­old indignantly interrupted in Chinese, “I’m not Chinese!”

“Oh, okay, you’re not Chinese,” my dad conceded. “She doesn’t speak any English, yet she doesn’t want to be Chinese,” my dad sighed.

At the young age of four I rejected my culture with one little statement. Ironically, I’m now the president of Asian Cultural Club–but it wasn’t for a long time that I started to accept that I was Chinese. During my adolescence, I ignored my straight black hair and almond eyes. I refused to speak Cantonese to my parents. I avoided hanging around large groups of Asians. I was tired of people assuming that I was smart, nerdy or unathletic.

The first day I visited China at fifteen, my attitude began to change. I could sense the difference between the natives and me. Outside we had similar features, but their attitudes and their actions were completely unlike mine. I endured the trip with nods and smiles and grunts and wished that the trip would soon be over, until I visited the “Forbidden City” in Beijing.

It was a rainy, humid day when I stepped inside the tall, imperious walls of the “Forbidden City”. The steam rose ominously from the puddles on the pavement and I walked slowly toward the “Hall of Supreme Harmony”. Panels in English and Chinese describing historical information next to exhibits, and tourists gathered around them. Most of them were reading the Chinese panels and as I was reading the English panels, I realized that even though we couldn’t communicate with each other, we were all sharing and absorbing the same culture. Why was I running away from the Chinese ethnicity because of other people‘s prejudices? Couldn’t I simply help prevent the stereotypes by doing something beneficial? I understood that I wasn’t purely

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Chinese or American, but a mixture of both. Wanting others to share my realization, I decided that the most effective way I could do that was to start an Asian Cultural Club at my school.

Every time I think about this videotape, I realize that culture isn’t inherited. It’s a choice. A person can be Chinese genetically, but not be Chinese culturally if her environment is free—either through willful refusal of or imposed dissociation from Chinese influence. Not until I visited “The Forbidden City” did I understand the importance of culture. By living in a multicultural community, we can choose different aspects of our peers’ culture and, in a way, make our own culture. We can choose to like European art, Spanish folk music, and Italian food while still being Chinese culturally. We can understand the justifications for each other's beliefs and actions and we can break down stereotypes. I can eat both Cheerios and chow mein and watch Sesame Street with my little cousin and Chinese soap operas with my dad. (499 words)

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