In-Class Activity, April 7th: Readability (Fry Graph)

IQ question: Who can guess at what readability level newspapers in the U.S. are written???

Today, we are going to assess our READABILITY, which means the personal grade level we are writing at. We are going to do this by means of a formula developed by Edward Fry: the so-called "Fry graph."

What we need:

3 text samples written by you with EXACTLY 100 words each.

STEP 1: Go to your class blog, and find three of your comments (or your own reading summary, if you have written one already). Copy and paste the three texts into a blank Word document.

TASK 1:

Now, cut down each of these three 100-words samples down to EXACTLY 100 words. You can use the word count of Microsoft Word by pasting your blog comment into a Word document, or you can copy and paste it into the word count tool. Simply delete all the words over 100, even if you have to stop in the middle of a sentence.

TASK 2:

1) Count the number of sentences in your 100 words sample. (If you had less than 100 words, add more by either inventing them, or pasting another one of your blog comments right behind it. The content does not matter, only the number of words (100). If you had more, just stop after having counted up to 100, and delete the rest.) Estimate the length of your last sentence, even if incomplete, to the nearest 1/10. Example: 5.4 sentences for your first sample of 100 words, 3.7 for your second, and 6 for your third.

2) Count the number of syllables in your 100 words sample. You can use the syllable count tool again to count your syllables.

3) Make a table as seen in these INSTRUCTIONS. Draw this table on the handout I give you, because you will receive points for it, and I will collect it at the end of today's lesson!

4) Do the same for your second and third 100-words sample.

5) Total your numbers, and average them. (A little bit of math ;-)). You can use the Microsoft calculator ;-)

7) Make ONE SINGLE dot on the FRY GRAPH I distributed in class where your personal readability lies. Write your name on the handout with your graph and your table, and submit it to your teacher for grading (I'm not grading the height of your readability, only the fact that you participated and understood the procedure!) There are no make-ups for this assignment.

HOMEWORK for Friday, April 9th (although we won't have class, since I'm at an NCATE meeting!!!):

Post a comment to this blog (100-250 words) about what you think about your personal readability level. Do you believe the Fry graph correctly displays the grade level you're writing at? Why, or why not? What could be missing? What could the readability level be used for? Will knowing your personal readability level change anything about your future writing? Do you think you have a different readability level when you blog than when you write a research article like you did for this class?

Some example WebQuests from last year ;-)

Here's a link to WebQuests created by grammar300-1 students in spring 2009.
Here's a link to WebQuests created by grammar300-2 students in spring 2009.

Our Own WebQuest-URLs

1) Freddie Dickerson: 1960s Slang

2) Brittany Richmond: London Cockney Rhyming Slang

3) Broc Pachesa: Computer Slang

4) Nick Sellers: Aussie Slang

5) James Jones: Aussie Slang

6) Sydney Shelton: Aussie Slang

7) Michelle Donegan: Prison Slang

8) John Bastian: Prison Slang

9) Katia Salomon: Ebonics

10) Latia Hayes: Police Slang

11) Alexandria Snelius: 1960's Slang

12) Blake Reeves: Political Slang

13) Morgan Williams: Surfer Slang

14). Sarah Kessler: 1960s Slang

15). Kristyn Looper: prison slang

16.) Kiara Poole : Drug Slang

Intro to WebQuests

This is our second (and last) big project, next to the research essay:

We are going to create a Lesson Plan again; this time focusing on the 6th big E, the E-Search. We will also have a big chunk of Engage and Explore in our Learning Cycle.

Today, we are going to learn a new software tool: WebQuests.

These are meant to be online lesson plans that teachers can use in class, providing their students with links to do research about certain topics. (This is point 6 from our Learning Cycle, the "e-search.") The kids go on a "quest" on www and expand their previous knowledge.

The WebQuests have several different steps the kids have to follow, and they also offer a rubric at the end, so the kids know what they will be graded for. Also, they have a welcome page that explains the topic and what they are going to do.

Our task: WE ARE CREATING A WEBQUEST LESSON PLAN ABOUT THE TOPIC "SLANG."

PROMPT 1:

Read the following 1-page excerpt from the diary of a medical intern, written by Perri Klass. In it, she explains how she had to learn a "totally new language" in order to understand the slang of nurses and doctors. It is like a "secret language," so that the patients won't know what is wrong with them when the medical staff talks about them. Beware - some expressions are quite offensive!

PROMPT 2:

Choose a topic from the following list (or google your own topic) - it needs to be the special language/dictionary of ONE group of society.

soldiers' slang (Slang from Operation Iraqui Freedom)
prison slang
rhyming slang (England; Cockney)
police slang
computer slang
railroad slang
1920's slang
1960's slang
Mountain Bike Slang
Australian Slang
Death Slang
Antarctic slang
drug slang

You can also come up with a topic of your own for which you can find an online dictionary. Past semesters' studens have written WebQuests about skateboarder slang, fashion slang, Clockwork Orange slang, etc.....

When you have chosen your topic (and your dictionary of a certain slang), you have the FIRST COMPONENT of your WebQuest lesson plan. Here's an overview of all the components you need:

COMPONENTS of WEBQUEST lesson plan:

1. a link to your slang dictionary, and a definition of "SLANG"
2.1 a welcome page (Intro) that tells the kids (address them; let me know their grade level) what the topic of your lesson is (which group you're talking about)
2.2 a TASK page that tells the kids what the purpose of your lesson is (why they need to learn about it), and what they will do
2.2b your purpose: why it is important nowadays to know about this slang
3. an assignment page (Process) with e-search assignments (links) for the kids. Here, you need to tell them how to present their findings (such as, to write down what they researched on a piece of paper, fill in a study guide that you prepare, do a ppt presentation, etc.).
4. a grading rubric



For task 3, the PROCESS, you should have the following components:

3.1 I expect you to define the word SLANG for your students. Give them an example for a metaphor (taken from your dictionary). You can also make them write down their own definitions, and then let them click on a link to an online dictionary that defines those terms correctly.

3.2 Create a brief text using the slang you're talking about (either, write it yourself, or use the translation engine on your website). Let the kids translate it into Standard Written English without looking at the dictionary for help. Then, give them the solutions in a later section of your webquest, to check their responses.

3.3 Give them the link to your dictionary, and their first assignment (e.g., create a 10-item dictionary with words chosen from it on their own, etc.)

3.4 Give them some kind of writing assignment about YOUR insider group's slang that you will grade with your grading rubric (prompt examples: "Write a short story using this slang." or "Write an essay about why it is important to learn a certain slang if one wants to "belong" to a group of insiders." or "Is it better to remain true to one's origins and speak one's own language, or does one have to adapt when joining a different group?" or "Why can the use of metaphors be good/bad sometimes?" or "If you were a patient, would you prefer that the doctors speak clear text with you, or wouldn't you mind them talk in secret language?" or "Is a secret language ment to INCLUDE or EXCLUDE people?" or "Develop your own secret society. Write a short essay about what kind of language you would use." BE CREATIVE!!!)

3.5 Create your Grading Rubric with the online functions that WebQuest offers.


SOFTWARE: modeling how to create WebQuests

Go to the homepage of WebQuest. You need to sign up and register for a "30 day free trial." Then, we'll model together how to create the background template and colors, etc. The online builder is pretty easy and self-explanatory, and will guide you through all steps. Remember to ALWAYS SAVE what you typed before you click on another field; otherwise, you'll lose everything!!! You can also insert pictures (which you should do, depending on the grade level you instruct.)


To give you an idea of layout possibilities:

Here's an example WebQuest about Clockwork Orange "NADSAT SLANG" created by one of my former students: http://questgarden.com/69/77/4/080914190240/

TIMELINE for this project: We will work on it for two to three class periods; the rest will be homework. DUE DATE: to be agreed upon.

Grammar Instruction: What Teachers Say

This article focuses on the studies of Brenda Arnett Petruzella and the debate of teaching grammar in a school setting. Many people are torn on this idea and believe that teaching grammar to students is a waste of time. Brenda has supported research that teaching grammar to students has no positive effect of their writings. She claims that many teachers agree that ridding grammar from classroom criteria is a good idea. She states that many college students who received English degrees and became student teachers were ridiculed by the professors they taught for because they were told grammar was not important. these professors stated that their senior students in high school had a better understanding of grammar then their student teachers. With all this said and done, the article began to focus on what researchers believe about this topic and what actual teachers believe about this topic. The article stated that when researchers see this debate and find grammar useless they are talking about the memorization of vocabulary and in-depth material. Teachers believe that grammar is important but they focus more on the fundamentals. Teaches believe that grammar is a necessity in the form of sentence structure, punctuation, and spelling. Teachers say that without this core, fundamental training students would be lost in the grammar world. Teaching grammar in a school setting has been a debate for some time now. Many are torn on this idea and this article shows both sides of the argument. Now it's your time to decide.

Slang

Slang can be described as informal, nonstandard words or phrases (lexical innovations) which tend to originate in subcultures within a society. Slang often suggests that the person utilizing the words or phrases is familiar with the hearer's group or subgroup--it can be considered a distinguishing factor of in-group identity. Microsoft Encarta states: "slang expressions often embody attitudes and values of group members." In order for an expression to become slang, it must be widely accepted and adopted by members of the subculture or group. Slang has no societal boundaries or limitations as it can exist in all cultures and classes of society as well as in all languages. Slang expressions are created in basically the same way as standard speech. As stated in Microsoft Encarta, "expressions may take form as metaphors, similes, and other figures of speech." In addition, it is noted that the words used as slang may be new coinages, existing words may acquire new meanings, narrow meanings of words may become generalized, words may be abbreviated, etc. However, in order for the expression to survive, it must be widely adopted by the group who uses it. Slang is a way in which languages change and are renewed.

"Folk Linguistic Perceptions and the Mapping of Dialect Boundaries" by Broc Pachesa

When people are given a map and asked to map out different areas of dialect for a certain region, there is no doubt that there are many factors that can influence their responses. Erica Benson took twelve participants from different parts of Ohio (2 -Southern Ohio, 2 - North Eastern Ohio, 4 - South-Eastern Ohio, and 4 - Central Ohio) and used two survey instruments on each participant, exploring their beliefs about the dialect areas of Ohio. First, she gave each participant a map of Ohio and surrounding States (Michigan, Indiana, Pennsylvania, New York, Kentucky, and West Virginia) and asked them to circle and label areas where people speak differently or similarly. The second task, called “the-degree-of-difference task,” gave each participant an alphabetic list of 23 cities in and around Ohio (as well as a map with the cities labeled on it). Benson then asked the participants to rank each city one through four indicating the degree of difference in speech, one representing “exactly like you” and four representing “different.”

The results of the study showed that the participants from the South and Southern-central Ohio had similar responses and that the participants from the Northwest and Central Ohio had similar answers as well. The two participants from the South said that Ohio is divided in half approximately in the middle running east to west. The four participants from Southern-central Ohio answered that dialect is relatively the same and extends into bordering states. The four participants from Central Ohio answered that there appears to be several regions with varying degrees of differentiation while the two participants from Northeastern Ohio mapped out at least four different regions in Ohio that extend beyond Ohio into bordering states.

In conclusion, Erica Benson found that perceptions can be collected in a relatively small geographical region using a hand-drawn-map and/or the degree-of-difference tasks. Secondly, she found that perceptual dialectology and traditional dialectology can yield similar results.