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Lesson 4

We will learn about the importance of paying attention to authors’ use of language and will begin compiling powerful and interesting sentences in our Mentor Sentence Journals.

Lesson Goals

  • Can I find powerful and interesting sentences or passages in the text?

  • Can I explain why the sentences I chose are powerful, and can I explain how I might emulate them in my own writing?

Texts

Core

  • Unit Reader
    • “Eager to Limit Exemptions to Vaccination, States Face Staunch Resistance,” Roni Caryn Rabin, The New York Times Company, 2019
    • “The Ethics of Opting Out of Vaccination,” Janet Stemwedel, Nature America, Inc., 2013

Materials

Tools

Question Sets

Editable Google Docs

Activity 1: Read – Write

We will use a Mentor Sentence Journal to identify and write down sentences we find interesting or ones that are strong examples of language concepts.

Reading like a writer involves studying how an author writes and determining why the author makes specific writing choices at the paragraph and sentence level. Understanding what those writing choices mean and deconstructing how the author made those choices can help you emulate those choices in your own writing practice and diversify your range of writing strategies. As you read the texts in this unit, use your Mentor Sentence Journal to compile sentences that stand out to you. These sentences might be interesting, or they might represent a strong example of a particular language use concept you have learned. You can use these sentences, as well as those from other units, to build a writer’s toolbox, wherein you have a number of techniques at your disposal to use when writing.

Follow your teacher’s directions on how to write down your first entry.

Activity 2: Read – Discuss – Write

We will reread a selected excerpt from one of the texts we have read to analyze the author’s use of language.

Step 1

Follow your teacher’s direction regarding grouping, materials, and which mentor sentences you will analyze. Use the Working with Mentor Sentences Tool to work through the following steps for each mentor sentence:

Step 2

Read the sentence aloud. Unpack any unfamiliar vocabulary using your vocabulary strategies. Then, determine what the sentence is saying, and paraphrase the sentence to convey its meaning based on your initial understanding.

Step 3

Deconstruct the whole into parts. Split the sentence up into parts as directed by your teacher; sometimes your teacher will give you the parts, and sometimes you will have to split the sentence on your own. Complete the following for each part:

  • Determine the parts of speech and function.

  • Note other observations about the part, such as examples of effective diction or changes in verb tense or point of view.

Step 4

Follow along as your teacher reviews the relevant grammatical terms and concepts of specific phrases and clauses, punctuation, syntax, mood, and tone.

Step 5

Analyze the concepts. Review, discuss, and revise your deconstruction notes. Then, respond to the following questions:

  1. Which parts make up the main clause? The main clause is the main subject and predicate that expresses the central idea of the sentence. Write down the sentence, underlining the main clause.

  2. How do the other parts of the sentence (e.g., phrases, clauses, modifiers) enhance the main clause?

  3. How could you restructure this sentence so that it relays the same message to the reader? What is the impact of the different structures on your understanding?

  4. What revisions need to be made to your initial paraphrasing now that you have increased your understanding of the sentence?

Step 6

Analyze mood, tone, and meaning. Discuss the following questions:

  1. What mood does the author create in this sentence? How is this mood created?

  2. What tone is conveyed by the author in this sentence? How is that tone conveyed?

  3. What does this sentence contribute to the author’s ideas in the text? How does it expand your understanding of the text or author?

Step 7

Follow your teacher’s directions about choosing one or two mentor sentences to mimic. Use your deconstruction analysis of your chosen sentences to write your own, mimicking what the author does in terms of structure, style, grammar, and punctuation. The specific content of your sentences is your choice. Be prepared to share your sentences with your peers.

Activity 3: Read – Write

For homework, we will read and annotate an argument from Scientific American, “The Ethics of Opting Out of Vaccination.”

For homework, access the Scientific American article "The Ethics of Opting Out of Vaccination" in the Unit Reader. Read and annotate the article, answering the following question in your Learning Log:

  1. How does the author use a costs and benefits analysis to argue in favor of the common good regarding the ethics of vaccinations? Cite evidence from the text to support your answer.

Write new or interesting words you encounter in your Vocabulary Journal.