Page 17 - SpringBoard_CloseReading_Workshop_Grade8_Flipbook

Close Reading of informational/literary nonfiction Texts (continued)
ACTIvITy 4
Synthesis Questions
Your teacher may choose or ask you to choose one of the following assessments as a way of showing your understanding of the texts you have read.
Writing Prompt: Review the differing approaches to leadership by Winston Churchill and Franklin Delano Roosevelt that you have studied in this unit. Revisit the work you have done with both texts, and consider how the visual of the donkeys relates to the words of these two leaders. Which written text do you think makes stronger connections to the visual? Use evidence from both the speech and the visual to support your selection.
Debate/Discussion: While Churchill and Roosevelt share some qualities in speechwriting, they definitely present unique personas as leaders. Prepare
to debate or discuss their differing approaches to their positions. Which man strikes you as the more trustworthy or competent leader, based on the content of his speech? Take notes on your ideas. Use your notes to participate in a class discussion about the situations facing each leader, the merits of each leader’s plans, and each man’s individual leadership style.
Multimedia Presentation: You have been introduced to two written texts and one visual text about cooperation. What other texts or media could be added to this collection? Locate a song, poem, photo, artwork, or other written text that presents a unique perspective on cooperation. Prepare to share the original text (including a brief introduction providing context) with your class, as well as your thoughts on how this new piece could contribute to the overall collection.
Reflection
Think about what you have learned from your close reading and analysis of the text passages you have read in this workshop.
1. How did Winston Churchill and Franklin Delano Roosevelt each seek to persuade their country’s citizens to trust them and cooperate with one another? Why is teamwork especially important in times of crisis?
2. In this workshop, you have learned how to make meaning of three different texts. How can you use what you have learned to help you as you encounter challenging texts in the future? What strategies best helped you as a learner during this workshop? When and why would you use these strategies in
the future?
16 SpringBoard® English Language Arts Grade 8
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