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Teacher’s Manual to the CAPI Student Reader
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Unit III: Education
Theme: Education Organizational Focus: Comparison and Contrast, with an Introduction to Opinion
Sentence Level: Sentence combining; use of subordinators
Essay Assignment
Choose one of the following essay assignments.
- Compare the similarities and differences of the American and Japanese education systems.
- Compare the similarities and differences of two systems (for example, public and private).
Conclude with your ideas about what elements from the systems are better or what combination of factors from both systems would make the best system.
Please complete the Essay Self-Check questions and submit them with your essay.
Essay Rubric
The Essay Rubric provides a framework for evaluating students’ success with the assignment.
Activating Schema
- Students freewrite on their best/worst experience in school.
- Values clarification about education in the U.S. and Japan. Teacher hands out or puts on board a list of controversial statements about education. Students decide if they feel those statements are true or false and the class discusses them.
- Japanese students are smarter than American students.
- Japanese students are better at math than American students.
- Most people believe that the American educational system is the best in the world.
- American schools produce some of the most intelligent and creative people in our society.
- Education is a more important part of Japanese culture than it is in American culture.
- Brainstorm important aspects of education.
- Students design the Perfect School in order to get ideas about education and what is important to them. Teacher should select and add to items from the class brainstorm for students to address including, name of school, mission statement, class size, subjects offered, electives, graduation requirements, hiring process for teachers, approach to diversity, attendance policy, disciplinary policy, school sports, etc. Students make posters to share their ideas with the class.
Readings
“Japanese School System”
Pre-Reading
- Teacher leads KWL discussion about Japan or students work in groups of 4 on know and afterward individually on want to know.
- Teacher asks students to preview article by reading the 1st paragraph, 1st sentence of each body paragraph and the conclusion. After previewing teacher asks students what ideas they think will be in the article. Teacher writes ideas on the board.
Post-Reading
- Teacher leads discussion of learned on KWL chart—students fill in their own charts or groups work on learned—each group comes to the board or overhead to add their ideas.
- Journal: What do you like/dislike about Japan’s system and why?
Sentence Work
- Teacher gives lesson on compare/contrast words, but uses sentences from the readings or about education.
- Students in Japan go to school five and a half days a week while American students attend school only 5 days a week.
- While American students do not do well in math compared to Japanese students, they are likely to use their creativity more effectively.
- Create sentence level activities using ideas from the theme. Ask students to combine sentences using compare/contrast words:
In the United States, the school year extends to 180 days of teaching. In Japan, the school year runs to 220 days. (p.3)
- Quotations: Teacher introduces the use of quotations as forms of supporting details or evidence. Teacher guides students through reading the 1st two paragraphs of “Japan’s School System” asking them to identify the main idea, what supporting details are provided by the quote, what information do we as reader’s get from the quote (whose perspective is it from?).
- Teacher gives a mini lesson on the use of quotations in expository writing. Handing out a reference sheet for students to refer to while writing.
“Strengths, Weaknesses, and Lessons of Japanese System”
Pre-Reading
- Students create pro/cons sheet of Japanese system as a whole class, in pairs or groups or students first share the journals and then do pro/cons sheet.
- Teacher leads whole class discussion putting ideas on board or overhead as students take notes.
During-Reading
- Teacher reads aloud first paragraph and writes the four problems on the board, and leads a brief discussion about what each means.
- Teacher divides class into four groups, one for each problem or more than one group can work on the same problem.
- Groups read their section, clarifying ideas and discussing as they go.
- Groups report to the class or write ideas on the board so that at the end of the discussion there is an outline of main points with some representative quotes that everyone can take notes on.
Post-Reading
- Students add to their pro/cons sheet.
- Students reread the article at home and highlight main ideas in one color and important supporting details in another color. In class teacher leads discussion of how details support main ideas and give different types of evidence.
- Dialectical journal: Students pick three quotes that are interesting to them or important to the main idea. They then discuss what they find interesting, what questions they have about it, if they disagree or agree with the point and why.
Quotes Thoughts
•
•
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Sentence Work
- Ask students to highlight or mark comparative sentences or sentences that use subordinators. Teacher can assign groups of students different paragraphs in the article. Teacher can start task by identifying, “Japan’s achievements are comparable to ours, but its culture is so different it makes a useful, revealing mirror.” (p.1)
- Students put one highlighted sentence on the board. Teacher leads a discussion of what is being compared, how and what transition word is used.
Paragraph Work
- Ask students to use their dialectical journals to create a paragraph. They should choose one quote and their thoughts about it, decide what main idea the quote is addressing and make a topic sentence based on the main idea. They should include the quote in the paragraph and use their own ideas to connect the quote to the main idea. Teacher should analyze at least one paragraph with the class looking specifically at the use of the quote as supporting evidence and the connection between main idea, quote and interpretation.
"We Should Cherish our Children’s Freedom to Think"
Pre-Reading
- Teacher writes the following statements on strips of paper, making 6–7 copies of each and distributing them among the class so that when class is divided into groups of four, each group is composed of one student with each statement.
- American students learn how to be creative and apply critical thinking skills.
- American students are free to express any idea they want in school.
- Students in American schools learn how to form their own opinions and support them.
- Japanese students are better in math and science than American students.
- Students read each statement in their groups, deciding if they agree or disagree, and coming up with examples that support their opinions. Groups share their discussion about each statement with the class.
During-Reading
- Teacher reads essay aloud, employing think-aloud protocol.
Post-Reading
- How are your experiences similar to or different from Kie Ho’s ideas? Choose 3 main examples of her ideas and give example from your life that either support or contradict her ideas.
Kie Ho’s main ideas My experiences
Sentence Work
- Students write their own sentences using their own ideas about the Japanese and American systems. The following coordinators, subordinators, and transition words should be used: although, though, even though, however, similarly, while)
Paragraph Work
- Class chooses one idea brought up by Kie Ho to write a paragraph about. Teacher elicits ideas for topic sentence and supporting points and writes the paragraph on blackboard or overhead.
- Students choose one of their ideas, write a topic sentence and supporting points in a paragraph in class while teacher circulates, checking in and helping where necessary.
Writing
Pre-Writing
- Students read sample essay “School Here in the United States and There in Vietnam”
- Teacher leads discussion about how the essay is organized.
- Teacher focuses on paragraph level. Employs a think-aloud about one of the paragraphs, and elicits from students how the paragraph is structured.
- Students analyze another paragraph from the essay on their own, focusing on main ideas and supporting details.
- Teacher leads debriefing discussion.
- Teacher gets class to develop a possible topic sentence together that would represent a main idea for the essay. Together the class generates ideas for the paragraph and the teacher records their sentences on the board or overhead.
- Students write their own paragraphs supporting the topic sentence. At least two of these should be on the board or overhead so that the teacher can lead a whole class analysis.
Drafting
- Teacher reintroduces essay assignment and lead discussion making sure everyone understands the assignment.
- Students review notes, pro/con sheets, journals, readings, making note of ideas they might like to include in their essays.
- Using the following organizational sheets, students fill out a plan for their essay, noting where information comes from (name of article, personal experience, class discussion).
Important characteristics of American System
Characteristics Source of ideas
Important characteristics of Japanese System
Characteristics Source of ideas
- Discuss organization of comparative essay. Teacher puts up two forms of organizing essay.
- An outline which separates paragraphs based on topic. For example in a paragraph about attendance the student would compare both systems.
- A graphic organizer based on system, looking first at one system then at the other and in the conclusion making choices about the items to be selected or emphasized from the systems.
- Students share charts/outlines in pairs or as a class.
- Students use note sheets and sample paragraphs to write a rough draft.
Editing
- Peer-edit students exchange drafts, using the following guide:
- Find the writer’s main ideas. Has the writer included both advantages and disadvantages of both systems? If not, write a note explaining what the writer has left out.
- Mark the places where the writer has done a good job using supporting details.
- Mark places where the writer needs more information.
- Return the draft to the writer and have a discussion about your review of the draft.
- Teacher collects drafts and comments on main ideas and supporting details.
- Teacher copies student example for classroom analysis which is handed out with guided questions:
- Comment on the main ideas–are they clear?
- Mark places where the main ideas are supported well
- Mark places that need detail
- Mark sentences that show comparison/contrast
- Students revise drafts paying attention to main ideas and details as well as comparison/contrast sentences. Peer edit #2:
- Content and organization: Students review drafts, commenting on organization of main ideas, use of supporting details.
- Sentences: Partners select comparison/contrast sentences from both of their essays to put on the board. Teacher leads discussion of all examples, commenting on and asking questions about their structure and appropriateness.
- Students develop a plan for final revision or complete a final revision created by the teacher. A graphic organizer to help with this process might look like this:
Under each category state how you plan to review your essay.
Content and Ideas:
Organization:
Sentences:
Post-Writing
- Teacher hands-out the grade sheet with a rubric. Teacher asks students to grade themselves and identify questions they have about their essay.
Supplementary Materials and Activities
“Poor Math Performance of U.S. Students Prompts Call for Reform”
- Students predict why students are poor in math through a freewrite or group brainstorm or partners discussing and sharing.
- Teacher employs think aloud as he/she reads through text.
”Why are U.S. Kids Poor in Math?“
- Ask students to underline key ideas or mark main ideas in the margin.
- Teacher leads discussion by documenting those main ideas on the board.
- Journal:
- Think about the math classes you have taken. In what ways are your experiences similar to or different from the examples in the article? Or
- Choose 2 or 3 of the reasons mentioned in the article and explains how your experiences in math classes confirm or disconfirm the ideas of the author.
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