Page 8 - SpringBoard_CloseReading_Workshop_Grade8_Flipbook

Synthesizing your Understanding
Now that you have read the passage three times and studied its vocabulary and sentences, synthesize your understanding by thinking about the speaker, the audience, the occasion, the purpose, subject, and tone. Respond to the following questions as a way of bringing all your knowledge together.
Introducing the Strategy: SOAPSTone
SOAPSTone is a strategy for analyzing text by discussing and identifying Speaker, Occasion, Audience, Purpose, Subject, and Tone. You have been introduced to the individual elements of SOAPSTone in previous Reading Workshops. In this activity you will bring them all together as you synthesize your understandings.
1. Who is the speaker? Be more detailed than just identifying the individual by name. What is his or her position? What information about the speaker helps you understand his or her perspective? What characteristics of the speaker help you understand the meaning of the text?
2. What is the occasion? What is the issue, problem, or situation that has caused someone to write or speak? What prompted this text? Where and when was this speech delivered?
3. Who is the audience? Again, be more specific than just identifying the listeners. What are their positions? What information about their concerns and backgrounds helps you understand their perspectives? What attributes of the audience help you understand the meaning of the text?
4. What is the purpose and subject? Now that you have identified the speaker, the audience, and the occasion, explain the topic and the purpose of this speech. Why does he share this information and these ideas with his audience?
Close Reading Workshop 1 • Close Reading of Informational/Literary Nonfiction Texts 7
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