NATIONAL INSTITUTES FOR SCHOOL LEARNING

Teaching for Effective Learning Series-Inquiry Process Project Write Up

INQUIRY QUESTION:
If students “cold read” an expository text on their own and write an initial essay explaining how the author of that text builds an effective argument; how
will their approach to that same essay prompt change with the introduction of close reading and descriptive outlining strategies for that same text?

PARTICIPANT:
Shannon Simmons-English Language Arts and Social Studies

BACKGROUND:
I developed an interest in this inquiry topic as an English teacher regularly observing students struggle when presented with expository text comprehension
and essay writing. The development of expository reading and writing ability is critical for 21st century students. It is no secret that many students struggle
when making the transition between “learning-to-read” in primary grades and “reading to learn” in secondary grades; as explained by Chall, Jacobs, and
Baldwin (1990) (…as cited in Martin, 2007). In primary grades, students are exposed to narrative stories. Later, when exposed to the demands of
secondary level readings, which are most often expository, students are unprepared and find these texts to be cumbersome and overwhelming. As a
response to this concern, our school has implemented the Expository Reading and Writing Curriculum (ERWC) across grades 9-12. The characteristics of
expository text that are challenging for students include: technical vocabulary, dense facts and information, unfamiliar content, cognitively demanding
concepts, and complex text structure (Roehling, et al., 2017). If teachers are not equipped with the right types of strategies to facilitate students’ abilities
with expository text, then students will fail to improve their comprehension. The ERWC content provides close reading and descriptive outlining activities
that help students develop their ability to read and write about complex texts and I sought to ascertain the effectiveness of some of these strategies. Can
ERWC close reading and descriptive outlining strategies produce deeper comprehension of expository text and improve students’ ability to explain how
the author constructs an argument?

According How People Learn, if a student’s initial understanding is not engaged then they may fail to grasp new or more complex concepts. In order for
students to develop competency they must develop deep foundational knowledge, broaden their conceptual framework, and organize new knowledge in a
way that helps them retrieve it for future application. By encouraging students to approach learning with metacognitive strategies, we empower students to
take control of their learning (Bransford, 2004). ERWC strategies definitely reinforce metacognition and help students take control of their learning
process, and monitor their understanding and progress toward goals. The question that remains is whether or not this will allow students to retreive
knowledge and apply it to new expository content moving forward. That is the subject of this inquiry.
DATA ANALYSIS:
The students used for this inquiry study are tenth grade English students. I chose to focus on the results of 7 students for both the initial on-demand essay
and the essay rewrite. This will allow for proper comparison of writing samples and to observe how or if their writing changes over time. The students
chosen represent a broad range of ability and skill. The time frame between essays is approximately 6-7 weeks (due to Christmas break falling in the middle
of the module sequence). Students on-demand responses were scored using the CSU Expository Writing 6-point rubric. This rubric was developed to be
used in conjunction with ERWC materials to ensure rigor and normalized grading across teachers, grade levels, and sites.

INQUIRY PLAN:
To begin with, students will be given the article, "The Sociology of Leopard Man", by Logan Feys to read. Students will “cold read” the article without help
or guidance from the instructor. Students will annotate as they see fit using whatever annotation strategy they want to. Students will be told that they have to
annotate in some capacity as part of their score.

The following day, students will be given the following prompt...

● Write an essay in which you explain how Logan Feys builds an argument to persuade his audience about the importance of not surrendering our
individuality to the expectations set by society. In your essay, explain his argument, and analyze how the author uses evidence, examples, and
persuasive elements to develop his argument.
● This essay should NOT explain whether or not you agree with the author, but rather explain how he builds an argument to persuade his audience.

This on-demand essay attempt will be their initial and the results of this essay will be compared to the same essay they rewrite at the end of the unit, for the
same prompt and article. These initial and final essays will be scored using the ERWC expository-writing rubric. The ERWC module strategies and
activities will be implemented with fidelity over the next several weeks. This includes guided annotating, descriptive outlining, and the SOAPSTone close
reading activity.

After completing the ERWC module activities, students will complete their on-demand rewrite. Essays will be scored and data compared to see if the
ERWC strategies for descriptive outlining and close reading strategies help students develop their ability to explain how an author builds an argument.

Next steps include administering an on-demand in the next few weeks for a new article that is similar in complexity and style. Students will again cold-read
and annotate. Students will be asked to write another on-demand essay with a very similar prompt. The goal of this inquiry process is to see if students can
transfer the previously learned close reading and descriptive outlining skills to help them better understand the expository piece and explain how the author
develops their argument.

FINDINGS:
Attempt 1: Most students were not able to adequately address what the prompt was asking for. The prompt asks them to explain how the author builds (or
does not build) an effective argument. Students were falling into a similar practice where they believed it was their job to explain what the article was about
and what the author talks about, etc. Many students did not have a clear thesis that tied into the essay appropriately. Many students did have a coherent
understanding of the article and were able to accurately explain the implications of the author’s thinking but they missed the point of the essay which was to
explain whether the author had an ability to construct an adequate argument.
After students took the on-demand there was a range of feedback. Some students insisted that it was easy and others said that it was stressful because they
felt pressed for time. Others said they felt exhausted from thinking and responding within a one-hour time frame which isn’t something they are entirely
used to.

Attempt 2: Most students were able to write an essay which correctly responded to the prompt this time around. Students seemed, for the most part, to have
a more in-depth understanding of what makes a good argument and what an author must do to construct one appropriately. Even students who performed
lower on the first attempt had a much more clear understanding of the prompt and what it was asking them to know and be able to do. The range of
discussion points was also interesting. Many students even incorporated less obvious, more complex elements from class discussions, activities, and
SOAPSTone that I would not expect them to use. Six out of seven students demonstrated improvement between essays according to the CSU 6-pt rubric.
One student remained stagnant and his score was the same for both essays.

After the second on demand students said, overall, they felt very prepared to write the essay and knew what they needed to do. Students felt more confident
with the prompt, the subject matter, and the author’s argument. The time frame was not as big of a deal this time around because students explained that
they felt prepared and it was not a guessing game about what they were supposed to be doing, thinking, saying, etc.

REFLECTION:
I had several takeaways from studying the effects of the ERWC close reading and descriptive outlining strategies on students’ ability to write an essay
assessing how an author constructs an argument. This process solidified the concept that students do struggle with expository texts and expository writing.
The level of complexity is so advanced that students can completely misinterpret what they are supposed to do without guided, explicit instruction and
modeling. The strategies set forth in the ERWC content are useful and help students develop that understanding they lack on their own. Those strategies,
although detailed and consuming, provide students with a platform from which they can successfully analyze and critique the work of another (often
professional) writer. Sometimes the ERWC activities can overwhelm students and they can be difficult to learn but the strategies help students build their
framework and gain autonomy with expository texts.

The difference between the two student essays revealed notable improvement. My hope is that as these 10th graders continually have exposure (between
now and their 12th grade year) to these same strategies their ability to cold read and comprehend a complex text, and be able to write about it effectively
continues to grow, develop, and improve. If students can continue to make gains with these strategies and improve their ability to work with complex text,
they will not only perform better on the CAASPP but will ultimately be ready for college level reading and writing courses when the time comes.

As How People Learn intimates, in order for students to develop competency they must develop deep foundational knowledge and broaden their conceptual
framework. Students must also learn to take control of their learning and use metacognition to monitor their understanding and progress toward learning
goals/targets. The ERWC close-reading and descriptive outlining strategies, for the most part, encourage students to do just that. Students enlist
metacognition and develop deeper learning by reaching beyond what is comfortable, learning new concepts and methods for examining complex texts and
perspectives, and then transferring their skills to new texts, perspectives, and scenarios. I will be curious to see if my students can now successfully transfer
those skills that helped them improve their comprehension of the Feys text and use them on a unfamiliar text in the near future.

REFERENCES:
Bransford, J. D. (2004). How people learn: brain, mind, experience, and school. Washington, DC: National Acad. Press.

Martin, D. J. (2007). Teaching Reading Using Informational Texts in Third Grade Classrooms: A Case Study in an Unrban School District (Doctoral
dissertation, University of Alabama at Birmingham).

Roehling, J. V., Hebert, M., Nelson, J. R., & Bohaty, J. J. (2017). Text Structure Strategies for Improving Expository Reading Comprehension. The Reading
Teacher, 71(1), 71-82.

ON DEMAND ESSAY DATA: ATTEMPT #1

RUBRIC Student 1 Student 2 Student 3 Student 4 Student 5 Student 6 Student 7
CATEGOR
Y
Focuses on 4 5 3 3 5 5 3
Prompt

Understands 4 4 2 4 5 4 3
Reading and
uses it

Shows clear 4 4 2 3 5 4 4
and deep
thinking

Organization, 3 3 2 2 5 4 2
development,
support
(thesis/evidenc
e)

Command of 4 5 3 2 5 4 3
Sentence
Structure and
Language Use

Conventions, 3 4 2 2 5 4 4
Grammar,
Mechanics

TOTAL AVG 3.6/6 4.2/6 2.3/6 2.7/6 5/6 4.2/6 3.2/6

SCORE

Comments, Overall, Student has Essay is overall Student writes in a Student answers Student is very Student does their
observations student writes clear ideas and weak and very informal and the prompt with an clear with the best to incorporate
a fairly clearly unsupported. inconsistent almost perfect thesis statement an attention
adequate on understands Student goes off manner. Students thesis. Student and writes his grabber and follow
demand essay. the article and on tangents that provides a massive mostly addresses paragraphs to the essay writing
Student tends what the author don’t have a lot summary of what the prompt coincide with the guidelines we have
to explain is revealing to to do with the the article is about throughout the thesis as he has practiced. Student
Fey’s the reader prompt. Student and draws on writing and avoids been taught to do. doesn’t provide a
argument through his never actually casual phrases and writing a detailed Student reveals a clear thesis and
rather than writing. No acknowledges the poor rhetorical summary of what rather shallow or never actually
explain how obvious thesis. author or his questions to they author has vague addresses the
Feys builds his Student argument. prompt the reader said. Student interpretation of author by name.
argument and summarizes Student focuses to consider his draws on things the text. Sentence Student seems to
develops it what Feys’ on weighing in points, which are like persuasive structure and believe she is
adequately. No article is on the decision of often muddy. techniques and diction choices are supposed to
real saying rather non-conformists evidence to show rather simplistic. summarize or
identifiable than showing and whether that how Feys builds explain the
thesis, either. how he builds is good or bad. the argument. author’s article
an argument. No thesis. No rather than show
valid support. how an argument
is constructed.

ON DEMAND ESSAY DATA: ATTEMPT #2

RUBRIC Student 1 Student 2 Student 3 Student 4 Student 5 Student 6 Student 7
CATEGOR
Y
Focuses on 6 4 4 3 6 5 5
Prompt

Understands 6 5 3 4 6 4 4
Reading and
uses it

Shows clear 6 4 4 4 6 4 4
and deep
thinking
Organization, 5 4 3 4 6 3 5
development,
support
(thesis/evidenc
e)

Command of 5 5 3 3 6 4 4
Sentence
Structure and
Language Use

Conventions, 5 5 3 3 6 5 4
Grammar,
Mechanics

TOTAL AVG 5.5/6 4.5/6 3.3/6 3.5/6 6/6 4.2/6 4.3/6

SCORE

Comments, Student does Student does Student attempts Student attempts to Student writes a Student responds Student does a nice
observations an adequate the same thing to draw on ways approach the very polished and to the prompt job of developing a
job of as in essay one that author builds prompt and has an well-executed correctly by thesis and sticking
responding to by writing an arguments by adequate thesis. essay. Student attempting to show to that thesis
the prompt, executive referring to more Student gets lots in develops a great how the author throughout the
showing a summary of specific rhetorical completely thesis statement builds the body paragraph
clear thesis and the article and strategies such as informal sentences and then carries argument in his development.
then explaining the pathos, strong and train-of- that statement article. However, Student seems to
disagreeing article (very language choices, thought. Student through each body the student seems lack clarity of the
with the thoroughly and etc. Student is too doesn’t really do in paragraph. Student somewhat limited different elements
author’s ability eloquently) to informal with his body provides ample on how the she discusses as
to provide an the reader. tone and paragraphs what support for the elements of she explains how
adequate Unfortunately approach to the the thesis suggests ways in which she rhetorical appeal, Feys builds an
argument. the student essay. Student he will do. Student claims Feys builds evidence, and argument. Student
Student never explains provides does provide a good argument. examples truly fit attempts nicely to
provides ample how the author something like a textual support and Writing is into the article and follow all
evidence for did or did not call to action for references that generally very help build the parameters for the
what he build an the readers, support with polished, formal argument. essay (attention
considers a argument. which is paragraph #s, etc. and with very little grabber, thesis,
poorly There were unnecessary for error. quotes/support,
constructed nuances there the purpose of etc).
argument. that suggested this essay.
he might, but
then he
ultimately
didn’t take
those ideas
anywhere.