Destroy the Exam (03.03.20/Kevin Zou/P5)

Sophomore 2020

Kevin Zou

P5

Class Breakdown

• Ms Fusaro goes to talk about the English regents SIT juniors take in January. 

• Ms Fusaro speculates how there could be bias in the essay portion of exams
• Teachers could skip over portions of the essay
• Classmates argue about how the English regents can be taken in sophomore/freshman year 
• Ms Fusaro agrees but debunks the idea 
• Ms Fusaro introduces the mindset of how passing isn’t enough and urges the class that we “destroy the exam.”
• My take on this is that if you plan to do something, you should do it well. Simply passing something isn't good enough.

• Minimum 3 points of evidence → three different sources 
• Examples
•  “Ms Fusaro is an excellent teacher that puts the well being of her students in foremost consideration.” (text I, line 8-12) 
• “Do you ever feel like a plastic bag drifting through the wind?” (text II, line 1-2)
• Foolproof method → underline quotes to prevent teachers looking over them by accident

*Don’t do this when writing an actual paper* 

Example Prompt: Should Cities Ban Plastic Bags? 

• Answer either yes or no
• plastic bags should be banned/plastic bags shouldn’t be banned
• Read text first → usually two different perspectives 
• one sided text + opposing viewpoint 
• Thesis/point as last sentence of introduction 
• Elaborate on your claim (plastic bags should be banned because...)
• Essay structure → Intro, argue 1, argue 2, argue 3, counter, conclusion
• Counter (Rebuttal)→ acknowledge the opposing argument but use it to your advantage 

Rubric: Writing to Sources - Argument (What separates a 6 from a 5) 

• Content and Analysis → Insightful analysis (has voice, has depth)
• Example thesis (point): “The ban of plastic bags is not only important but absolutely necessary for the survival of humankind into the future.” 
• Command of Evidence → presenting ideas fully and thoughtfully, proper citation of sources
• Coherence, Organization, and Style → skillful organization, avoid hedge words (very, that, etc.), and never “in conclusion” (like you never use “in introduction”)
• Control of Conventions → essentially no errors with sophisticated language

Student Questions (FAQ)

How would you cite paraphrases? 

• Same way as quotes, but don’t include quotations

How long do you think this writing portion will take? 

• Approximately 45-60 mins

What is the average time of completing the test? 

• ~2 hrs 

What is the average English regents score among SIT students? 

• 86-90 

  

Student Reflection 

Today’s lesson was a deviation from the class’s usual topics. Rather than practicing and enhancing our literary techniques, Ms Fusaro went over the English Regents and strategies we can utilize on the exam to obtain the best score possible. Some of these techniques are exclusive to the exam only and shouldn’t be used on actual writing pieces. Since the difference between a 5 and 6 on an essay is thin, Ms Fusaro provides foolproof methods to ensure that we get that 6.