Table of Contents

iii Introduction to the Intensive GED Program

1 Language Arts, Reading Skills

13 Language Arts, Writing

27 Language Arts, Writing: Essay Writing Skills

43 Social Studies and Science

59 Mathematics 1 and 2

83 Appendix

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Introduction to the IntensiveGED Program

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GUIDELINES FOR DESIGNINGAND IMPLEMENTINGAN INTENSIVE GED

PREPARATION PROGRAMPROGRAM DESCRIPTION

The Intensive GED Preparation Program isdesigned to reduce the amount of time necessary toprepare students for the GED by focusinginstruction on essential GED skills. The completeIntensive GED Program package is composed oflesson plans that are flexible enough to fit differingstudents’ schedules and a variety of structuraloptions that can be customized to meet the needsof each GED service provider. The curriculum canbe as intensive as the service provider chooses. Tobe successful in an Intensive GED Program,students must score above 2000 on the PracticeGED test and above 310 on each of the test’ssubjects. There are five categories of courses in theIntensive GED Program: Language Arts, Reading;Language Arts, Writing; Language Arts, Writing:Essay Writing; Social Studies and Science; and Math.Each course area corresponds to specific GEDtests and contains:

! A course description! A description of the changes to the 2002 GED! A list of expected competencies! Strategies for teaching each competency

The Language Arts, Reading course is designed toteach students to be critical readers of the text typesthat appear in the Language Arts, Reading portionof the GED: non-fiction, fiction, poetry, anddrama. This course requires students to compare

and contrast different text types; analyze thedifferent relationships between writers, readers, andform; and learn to identify and use the four criticalthinking skills on the GED test: comprehension,application, analysis, and synthesis. The courseintroduces students to examples of each text typeand asks students to apply the critical thinking skillsto derive meaning from each text type. As studentslearn different types of reading skills, they acquire agrowing repertoire of approaches to material thatenhances their ability to do well on the GED test. The Language Arts, Writing course serves tofocus and simplify what students often view asscattered grammar concepts and GED WritingMaterials. The course is composed of interactiveclassroom activities that teach basic grammarconcepts. It includes activities designed to givestudents hands-on practice with central conceptsthat can then be supplemented with GEDLanguage Arts, Writing or other materials. The Essay Writing Course is structured aroundthree primary principles. First, students need towrite extensively in order to improve their writing.Second, students need to understand and be able tocreate clear contexts for writing. And third, studentsneed to dramatize the essay form in order tounderstand why it has the requirements that it does.To incorporate these principles, this curriculumassigns students numerous assignments, emphasizesand analyzes the relationship between the writer andthe writer’s audience, and creates debate teams todramatize the importance of thesis statements,supporting ideas, and conclusions. The guidelines and syllabi for the GED SocialStudies and Science course contain hands-onprojects and integrated reading and GED testmaterials to ensure that students cover the extensivenumber of required topics in both subjects. The combined math courses correspond to themath portion of the GED test, but are broken intotwo levels to be sure that students have masteredthe entire list of formulas that accompanies each

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GED math test. This course includes completelesson plans that address the objectives within thesyllabus and a supplement of “ClassroomActivities”. Teachers can pick and choose from thismaterial. The courses within the curriculum are written forclassroom instruction. However, the material canalso be supplemented with targeted GED software.The advantage of this option is that students havethe opportunity to become familiar withcomputers, while the number of face-to-faceteaching hours is reduced. However, we stronglyrecommend that all computer labs be monitored toaddress students’ varying computer skills.

GUIDELINES FOR USING THEINTENSIVE GED PREPARATIONCURRICULUM

Teaching PrinciplesThe teaching principles that have helped structurethe lesson plans in this curriculum stem from thebasic understanding that students learn best whenthey are active participants in each phase of thelearning process. Lesson plans that emphasizeparticipatory learning involve students in definingwhat it is that needs to be learned so that it hasrelevance. These types of lesson plans alsoencourage group activities to develop studentcompetency and confidence and require students tocreate products that express their mastery of newknowledge. This interactive teaching approach to learningcontrasts with a more traditional approach whereteachers are the experts and students are the passiverecipients of knowledge. The more traditionalapproach assumes that all students learn by listeningand that all have the skills necessary to absorbmaterial independently. These assumptions ignorethe realities that students have different learningstyles and that the learning process needs to bemodeled in class for the maximum number ofstudents to learn new material successfully. There is a wide array of student learning stylesand needs that should be addressed regularly inparticipatory classrooms. Because individualstudents may be more visual, auditory, or kinestheticlearners, teachers need to direct concepts andmaterials to all three learning “channels.” Thus,lesson plans need to ensure that students see newmaterial, hear it, speak it, and do something with it

so that they can learn it. Some lesson plan elementsthat fall in these three categories are as follows:

VISUAL AUDIO KINESTHETIC Reading material Discussions Writing Notes on the Read aloud Role plays board Small group Card games Drawings work Debates

Presentations

Incorporating some of these techniques into thematerial will lead to strong lesson plans thatreinforce learning at many levels. For example, adiscussion (auditory) can follow a reading (visual)with important points from the discussion writtenon the board (visual). Small groups can take parts toread a passage aloud (auditory), discuss and takenotes on their responses (auditory, visual), and role-play their views for the class (auditory, visual,kinesthetic). Notice that visual and auditory lessonplan elements usually are precursors for kinestheticactivities that can easily draw on elements from allthree categories. It is the kinesthetic aspects oflesson plans that demand the most creativity andhave the greatest pay-off. Paralleling the building-toward-greater-complexity aspect of the visual, auditory, thenkinesthetic lesson plan elements, are the criticalthinking skills emphasized on the GED:comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis andevaluation. Taken in succession, these critical thinkingskills lay out a very powerful lesson plan template.

" Comprehension requires that studentsdemonstrate understanding of something beingexamined.

" Analysis requires that students understand howthe parts support larger ideas.

" Application requires that students relate theseideas to other parallel situations.

" Synthesis requires that students understand thewhole meaning of what is being examinedwhen you put its parts together.

" Evaluation requires that students makejudgments or take positions about what is beingexamined.

Each of these critical thinking skills acts as a stepfrom the examined subject to informed expressionsof students’ ideas about that subject. Lesson plans

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or series of lesson plans that teach this set of criticalthinking skills with mixed visual, auditory, andkinesthetic elements will help students both learnnew material and become good independentthinkers. In participatory classrooms, teachers need torelinquish their roles as experts and becomefacilitators. This means that teachers must transitionfrom being question answerers to skilled questionerswho can not only lead students to new ways ofthinking but also help students to understand theirthought processes. Thus, teachers need to ask thosequestions that cause the students to reflect on howand/or why they got the answer they did as well ashelp the students discover the right answer. In otherwords, student mistakes are as important as correctanswers because those mistakes tell the teacher andthe student where they are in their thought processesand in what areas they need to improve. Becausemistakes are so important to the process oflearning, teachers need to create safe and openenvironments where students can freely experimentwith new skills.

Setting the right tone for participationTeachers in participatory classrooms need todevelop a teaching persona that sets the right tonefor learning. They must be open, welcoming, eagerto meet students where they are in their learning,and full of encouragement. Teachers must also beable to put their thoughts and opinions on the backburner in favor of the students’ thoughts andopinions. In other words, the tone of the classroomshould be student-oriented, and convey moreinterest in the way students think than the way theteacher thinks, more interest in actual studentprogress than in rigorously following a specificcurriculum, and more interest in building a sense ofcommunity than in creating competition. Tosuccessfully establish these values in a classroom,teachers need to develop the following set ofpractices:

! Welcome each student into the classroom everyday

! Use students’ names frequently! Ask other students to answer students’

questions! Continually ask students to explain the reasons

for the answers they give

! Celebrate each time students show signs ofgrasping material

! Be more excited about learning than about rightanswers

! Continue to use those teaching techniques thatare the most successful with a particular class

! Slow down when students need more time tolearn material, speed up when they are pickingup on material rapidly

! Deal with students who are frustrating you orare particularly behind in one-on-one goal-setting sessions (never deal with students’personal issues in front of a class; never scold astudent in a classroom situation)

! Train students to be supporters and teachers ofone another

Characteristics of good learning environmentsTeachers who utilize participatory lesson plans thattarget different learning styles and critical thinkingskills and successfully create a teaching tone thatstrongly encourages learning in all students will beable to create good learning environments. Theselearning environments will have students:

√ Speaking more than teachers√ Engaged in a variety of interaction types:

teacher to student, student to student, smallgroup to small group, student to class

√ Being fairly noisy and laughing frequently (signsof engagement and participation)

√ Listening attentively to one another√ Staying focused and on-task throughout the

class periods

Teachers and coordinators who are observingclassrooms should keep an eye out for thesecharacteristics and give specific suggestions aboutwhich aspects of the teaching tone or lessonplanning need to be strengthened to result in anenvironment that is more conducive to learning.

Little ponds and big pondsDifferent teaching techniques need to be employedwhen “little pond” or “big pond” ideas are beingtaught. “Little ponds” refer to material that haveright or wrong, yes or no answers associated withthem. Math and grammar are two “little pond”subjects because there are sets of rules that must belearned and applied consistently for answers to becorrect. “Big ponds” refer to material that don’t

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require students to come up with right or wronganswers, but rather with more subjective answersthat result from drawing conclusions, makinginferences, or presenting their point of view basedon given material. Students are in “big ponds”when they analyze, apply, or evaluate the examinedmaterial. Any time teachers ask students to use criticalthinking skills in succession – comprehension,analysis, application, synthesis, and evaluation– theyare asking them to move from a “little pond” to a“big pond.” It is important to be aware of thistransition because students may have very differentresponses to the two kinds of learning and willneed different kinds of support for each. Studentswith less confidence and less success in schoolsituations usually are more comfortable with thestructure and repetition implicit in “little ponds.” In“little ponds” students are in the process ofinternalizing new material and learning how to teachthemselves. “Big ponds” can be intimidating tothese students, as there is less concrete feedback thattells them how they are doing. These students willneed repeated quick exposures to “big pond”thinking to become acclimated. However, teachersshould expect that some students will feeldiscomfort when the class moves from “little” to“big ponds.” This discomfort should be noted andapplauded as part of the learning process, and initialforays into “big pond” learning situations should behighly structured to simulate “little pond” situations.(See the next section for a more detailedexplanation.) Eventually students will gainconfidence as they master “little pond” learningsituations and as “big pond” learning situationsbecome familiar. More confident students may not be intimidatedby “big pond” learning situations, and the teachershould push these students to experiment withmaterials as jumping off points for expressing theirpoints of view more often. Since “big ponds”teach higher-level critical thinking skills, the longerstudents can productively stay in these moredemanding learning situations the better.

How to Best Use the Curriculum to FitStudents’ Needs

Paying attention to student reactionsWhen using the lesson plans in the Intensive GEDPreparation Curriculum, teachers should pay close

attention to the responses of their students and askthemselves the following set of questions:

! How do students respond to “littlepond”/ “big pond” situations?

! Which students are assertive and which areshy?

! Which students are competitive and whichstudents have good teaching skills?

! What activities make students feel open andrelaxed?

! Which activities feel dry and aimless?! To which subject matter do students really

respond?

Questions like these will help teachers determinewhat kinds of activities and materials will work bestwith which students and how to encourage eachstudent in the most effective manner. Sometimespre-written curriculum doesn’t work because itpushes classrooms into situations they are not readyfor and sometimes it doesn’t push fast enough. Nopre-written curriculum can predict the particularlearning needs of a particular class and so it must betested and adjusted as teachers get more goodinformation about what makes their studentsrespond well and what their needs are.

Using the curriculum as a resource for theclassroomTeachers should use the curriculum as a startingpoint, a set of guidelines, and an outline. Thecurriculum also provides suggestions on ways todeal with specific classroom needs. Lesson plansshould be tried out as written so that the teacher cantest out the methods or approaches and see howthey and the class respond. Lesson plans can thenact as a starting point for shaping a customizedlesson plan that the teacher feels will work best forthe students. All teachers have their own bag oftricks that they have developed and know workwell in different classroom situations. The set oftechniques offered here should supplement eachteacher’s bag of tricks and be modified based onthe creativity and insight each teacher brings to hisor her work. No lesson plan should be viewed as“the way the class must go” and no teacher shouldteach to satisfy a lesson plan. Even lesson plans withthe best intentions will fall flat if they become strictscripts that teachers and students must follow.

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Using the classroom as a resource for thecurriculumTeachers should record successful additions,substitutions, and extensions to the curriculum sothat other teachers using the curriculum can benefitfrom them. This curriculum comes with anevaluation sheet that can also serve to recordchanges that teachers have made. Teachers shouldfill these sheets out and include new materials theyused in a notebook that chronicles use of thecurriculum in order to maximize the effectivenessand success of the program. Eventually, afterseveral uses, the curriculum will have accumulated agreater depth of material and suggestions so that itcan become a rich grab bag of teaching possibilities.Programs need to encourage creative use of thismaterial and to have teachers present what theyhave learned and changed so they can continuallyteach each other and improve their own methods.

GUIDELINES FOR DESIGNING ANINTENSIVE GED PREPARATIONPROGRAM

Readiness EvaluationBefore a program decides to adopt the IntensiveGED Preparation Program, it is important that theprogram consider the ability of its staff tocommunicate and plan productively together. For ateaching staff to deliver a quality service, it must bewell connected with, and supported by, thedecision-makers involved in the project. Programsmost likely to succeed are those that offer bothample opportunity for information and ideas toflow from classrooms to program directors andcoordinators and for reliable, supportive feedbackto return. Should the mechanisms detailed belowand the relationships they build not already be inplace, we recommend that the program addressthese issues before they start GED Program-specific planning activities.

Clear performance objectivesClear performance objectives for staff are animportant part of an effective communicationsystem. Staff and managers need to meet toestablish mutually agreed upon goals for the timeperiod. These goals can then form the basis formid-term and post- class session meetings toevaluate the program and air staff

recommendations. In turn, these recommendationscan be established as the next set of performancegoals that are charted through the next programsession.

Staff familiarity with the GED and itsrequirementsWe highly recommend that all service personnelinvolved with the administration and delivery of theIntensive GED Preparation Program take a PracticeGED before planning the Intensive GEDPreparation Program. By taking the Practice GED,all staff will get a better idea of the difficulty andcomplexity of what the students have to face. Theexposure will also allow all involved to betterunderstand the rationale and structure of the GEDProgram and Curriculum. To get the most out ofthis exercise, we recommend that all program stafftake the test together, talk about the parts that weredifficult or easy and why, and discuss the kinds ofthings that will be necessary to teach students sothey can do well on the test.

Creating a Customized Program Designand Schedule

Creating a program scheduleCreating a program schedule that fits therequirements of the Intensive GED PreparationProgram and the specific needs of the site can bethe most challenging part of the planning process.Not every student will need to take every course.This curriculum is designed to be flexible enough toallow service providers to determine in whichorder courses will be taught and which students willtake what courses. Courses can be set up to bedelivered in various sequences, so that differentstudents with different needs have access to theappropriate courses without any time lags. Below isan example of how a program could be designedfor four possible student groupings, each requiringa different schedule:

Group A√ Scores 410 or above on all Practice GED tests√ Must take Essay Writing, Math 2, Language

Arts, Reading, and Social Studies and Science

Group B

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√ Scores 410 or above on the Math portion ofthe Practice GED test, but not the LanguageArts, Writing portion

√ Must take all other courses except Math 1

Group C√ Scores 410 or above on the Language Arts,

Writing portion of the Practice GED test, butnot on the Math portion

√ Must take all other courses except LanguageArts, Writing

Group D√ Scores 310 or below on all tests√ Must take all courses

Evaluating existing programs and resourcesBefore the Intensive GED Program is introducedto service delivery staff, it is important to evaluateadult education programs already in operation sothat the GED Program can be positioned as asolution to existing difficulties. Service delivery staffcan discuss their teaching styles, curriculum content,materials, computer software, classroom successesand failures, tracking strategies, placement rates, andsupport and communication needs. From thesediscussions, a list of strengths and weaknesses maybe compiled and reviewed alongside a presentationof the Intensive GED Preparation Program.

Deciding on different program elements anddrawing a customized program designTo design a customized Intensive GED PreparationProgram, staff must select a number of programoptions and identify the variables that will impactthe shape of the final program. The primaryquestions are as follows:

! What are the roles of computers in the design?! How many instructors/ tutors will be involved?! Which courses will be taught?! How many hours a week will the program run?! What elements of the GED program already in

operation are to be preserved?! What are the particular scheduling issues that

must be considered?! What other present program problems need to

be solved by the new program design?

Curriculum review

We recommend that teachers familiarize themselveswith all of the curriculum material before teachingthe program. Once the teachers have read all thematerial, we recommend a program staff meetingto discuss answers to the following questions tohelp develop an implementation plan:

! How does your teaching style and methodscompare with those described in theGuidelines?

! Do you see these ideas about teaching reflectedin the curriculum you have read? Can you givesome examples?

! Do you think these lesson plans would work asthey are written? Why or why not? Giveexamples.

! What kinds of preparation do you need to dofor a lesson plan that is already written?

! What will you do if a lesson plan does notmeet student needs? How will you adaptthem?

! How will we record changes to the curriculumused? Where will you put the new materials?When should we plan to share these with eachother?

If these kinds of curriculum evaluation meetingscontinue throughout the program, a detailed set ofbest practices can be compiled. Teachers can bothtry out the material as written and improvise with it,using those features of the curriculum that haveworked and creating new ways to deliver thosefeatures that don’t work. Teachers can discuss andpresent materials they have developed and collectedso that the knowledge that is building in each of theclassrooms can be passed along.

Policies and Program Administration Issues toConsiderDuring the meeting(s) in which the ImplementationPlan is being put together, a number of issuesrelated to program design and schedule need to bediscussed. The following list of questions canstimulate discussion and lead to a list of steps toinclude in your timeline:

! How will you recruit students into theprogram? What strategies have worked best inthe past? What kind of student will most likelyneed this kind of intensive course? Does thetype of student you are targeting suggest certain

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kinds of recruitment strategies over others?Who should be involved in the recruitmentprocess?

! Will you give an orientation to new students toexplain the program? What materials will needto be developed? Who should be responsiblefor giving orientations? When should theyhappen?

! When should the Practice GED Test beadministered? Who will administer and grade it?

! Will you have individual conferences withstudents to go over their test scores and assignthem their schedules? Who will do this? Howwill you deal with students that don’t make aminimum score on the practice test? Where willyou refer them?

! What are the program’s attendance andtardiness policies? When and how will these becommunicated to students? How will they beenforced?

! How will the program handle students who failclasses? Will they need to take them over?When? Will they receive tutoring?

! When should students be referred to take theformal GED test? How will the programhandle students who fail the test?

Monitoring the Program

To make sure that the curriculum is being deliveredin ways that benefit students, it is necessary forcoordinators to observe teachers. Observations canbe a marvelous tool for giving teachers the support,training, and encouragement they need to staycreative. By making regular and constructiveobservations and feedback sessions, observationscan quickly become opportunities teachers lookforward to as opposed to intrusions they dread. One type of coordinator-teacher observationrequires that a coordinator sit in on an entire classunobtrusively and take notes on a variety of aspectsof classroom interaction. The coordinator shouldtake notes on the different types of teacher-studentinteraction, the clarity and structure of the givenlesson, the amount of teacher talk and activity inrelation to the amount of student talk and activity,and the atmosphere set in the classroom. Some ofthe questions that need to be answered by anobservation are:

Does the teacher:√ Greet the students as they come in?√ Make latecomers feel welcome?√ Introduce each activity clearly?√ Ask questions for students to answer

instead of answering them him/herself ?√ Call on all students?√ Allow students to make mistakes and

accept less than perfect responses?√ Compliment student efforts frequently?√ Listen well?√ Require on-task behavior?√ Create an open, relaxed atmosphere that is

easy for all to interact in?√ Invite higher level thinking by asking “why”

in response to students’ initial answers?√ Present level-appropriate materials?√ Present concepts clearly and follow them

up with student-centered activities thatdemonstrate understanding?

√ Pace activities well so that they are notgoing too fast or too slow?

√ Use a variety of activity types to keep theclass interesting – individual work, groupwork, student presentations, games, etc.?

√ Use innovative teaching techniques andstructure original/inventive activities?

√ Accommodate the students with the leastskills and the students with most skillsequally?

Coordinators in an observation should take notesabout these questions. If the note details a positiveaspect of the class, put a mark by it that designatesit as positive. If the note details a concern, put amark by it that designates it as a concern. Thesemarkings will help organize the subsequent writtenobservation. The written observation recommended here hastwo sections: a “Why the class worked” section and“Some Suggestions” section. Under the “Why theclass worked” section, write “The teacher” and thenlist those notes that describe what the teacher didwell. These notes should reinforce a consistent setof teaching approaches and techniques (implicit inthe questions above). Under the “SomeSuggestions” section, list those areas where youthink the teacher needs further development. Foreach point, offer examples and clear detailedsuggestions on how to handle the situations orlesson plans in the future. Make sure the tone of this

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section stays helpful. The more materials, ideas, andexamples the observer presents, the more theteacher will feel supported instead of crticized. Once the coordinator writes a formalobservation, the teacher and coordinator need tomeet to go over and discuss it. Reinforce the strongpoints and provide clear explanations for the“Some Suggestions” section. Ask questions aboutwhether or not the teacher thinks the observation isfair and if anything has been missed ormisunderstood. It is very important that theseobservations result in clearer communicationbetween teacher and coordinator and that they arenot used as ammunition even when this processdiscovers real concerns. Should the coordinatorsuccessfully communicate his/her concernsrespectfully and in the context of positiveobservations, the trust level will increase, as willadditional opportunities for teacher learning. When coordinators and teachers get comfortablewith the coordinator-teacher observation, it isappropriate and useful to use other observationformats as well. Two others available are 1) theteacher observes the coordinator teaching, and 2)the teacher observes another teacher. For theteacher-coordinator observation, the teacher shouldreceive the list of questions above, an explanationof how to take notes, and the expectation that theyare to write their observations up as describedabove. The teacher-coordinator observation is anexcellent tool for demonstrating teaching techniquesthe teacher is having difficulty with, so that theobservation can be a two-way learning experience.Be sure that this type of observation is followed-upin the same way the coordinator-teacherobservation is, so that what the teacher has to sayabout the experience has the same weight as whatthe coordinator has to say in the first type ofobservation. The last kind of observation is the instructor-instructor type. Teachers should undertake this typeof observation only after they are comfortable withthe other two and are clear on how to giveconstructive feedback. This type of observation hasthe strength of allowing teachers to see otherteaching styles and to support each other in effortstowards improvement. Teachers that arecomfortable with the instructor-instructorobservation type develop learning relationships witha variety of people and, in so doing, grow to begood team players.

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Language Arts, Reading Skills○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

COMPETENCIESBy the end of this course students will be able to:

♦♦♦♦♦ Distinguish different text types: non-fiction, fiction, poetry, drama

♦♦♦♦♦ Identify the audiences and purposes ofdifferent text types

♦♦♦♦♦ Define the four critical thinking skills andapply the definitions to reading activities

♦♦♦♦♦ Classify GED reading questions accordingto the four critical thinking skills

♦♦♦♦♦ Use the four critical thinking skills tounderstand examples of non-fiction

♦♦♦♦♦ Use the four critical thinking skills tounderstand examples of fiction

♦♦♦♦♦ Use the four critical thinking skills tounderstand examples of poetry

♦♦♦♦♦ Use the four critical thinking skills tounderstand examples of drama

♦♦♦♦♦ Apply critical thinking skills to samples ofthe Language Arts, Reading GED tests

STRATEGIES FOR TEACHINGTHE LANGUAGE ARTS,READING SKILLS COURSECourse Description

This course is designed to teach students to becritical readers of the text types that appear in theLanguage Arts, Reading portion of the GED: non-fiction, fiction, poetry, and drama. The course hasstudents compare and contrast the different texttypes, analyze the different relationships betweenwriters, readers, and form, and learn to identify anduse the four critical thinking skills on the GED test:comprehension, application, analysis, and synthesis.Students are then introduced to several examples ofeach text type and asked to apply the four criticalthinking skills they have learned to derive meaningfrom each. As students learn different types of

reading skills, they acquire a growing repertoire ofapproaches to material they may have had littleexposure to in the past. Students also repeatedlyapply their new skills to the GED test so that theycan see the direct relationship between classroomactivities and their ability to do well on the test.

Changes to the Language Arts, ReadingCourse due to 2002 GED Changes

There are a few changes to the 2002 GEDLanguage Arts, Reading test. They are as follows:

! There is no emphasis on studying commentary.In the new GED, commentary is subsumed bythe non-fiction section

! Non-fiction also includes the ability to read andinterpret work and community documents

! The four critical thinking skills required for theReading Test now include synthesis instead ofevaluation. Thus, the four are: comprehension,application, analysis, and synthesis.

Course Preparation

This course requires that teachers collect variousreading materials in advance. These materials maycome from newspapers, anthologies, GED books,etc. The specific materials that should be collectedbefore the course begins are as follows:

General:! One packet that includes a variety of (short)

selections that represent each text type: samplesof work documents, newspaper/magazinearticles, fiction, poetry, and drama

! A second packet of text types: a (veryromantic) poem, a (very opinionated)piece of non-fiction, and a (very jargon-loaded)work document

! Two magazine advertisements on the sametopic with different audiences

! Two political cartoons on the same subject butfrom different points-of-view

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Non-Fiction:! A newspaper article that reports on a specific

story! Two pieces of commentary on the subject of

the article that offer different points of view! Three (related, GED-type) work documents

Fiction:! Two short whole pieces of fiction that have

good examples of figurative language thatshould also be interesting to compare andcontrast

Poetry:! Several poems with clear use of different kinds

of figurative language (at least two of thesepoems should deal with common themes invery different ways)

Drama:! Several drama selections

Homework Ideas

Be sure to give students a large amount ofhomework so they can practice the skills they learnin class. Below is a list of the kinds of homeworkassignments that would be appropriate:

! Assignments from the GED supplementarymaterials

! Additional text-types to read and analyze ontheir own

! Test materials that they take and analyze forclass discussion

! Classroom assignments that need to be takenhome to fit time constraints

STRATEGIES FOR TEACHINGEACH COMPETENCYDistinguish different text types: non-fiction,fiction, poetry, and drama

1. Introduction

Tell students that:

• The objectives of the course are to usethe four critical thinking skills used on the GEDtest to become good readers of the differenttext types found in the Literature Arts, ReadingGED test

• By achieving this objective studentsshould be able to:

√ Be better and more independentreaders of all kinds of texts

√ Know how to apply theirimproved reading skills for moreeffective use on the GED.

2. Identify different text types

• Put the following questions on the board:What kinds of things do you like to read?Why?What is your favorite/the most important thingyou’ve read this year?

• Divide students into pairs; have them ask eachother these questions for introductions.

• Have each student introduce their partner usingthese questions; list the text types students readon the board as they are mentioned.

• Review the list of text-types; ask pairs to comeup with 10 more text types to add to the list.

• Go from pair to pair to offer the names ofdifferent text types; expand the list on theboard as much as possible.

• Ask: What kinds of text types are included onthe GED test?

• Circle those types from the list on the boardand add others if necessary.

3. Sort and define text type categories

Materials:Blank index cards

• Put students into pairs; give each a set of blankindex cards; assign each pair to write downdifferent text types from the board so that eachis on a card.

• Gather all the cards together and shuffle; erasethe board and deal the cards out among thepairs.

• Write the following words on the board: non-fiction, fiction, poetry, drama.

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• Have pairs put these headings on a sheet ofpaper; have pairs write the different text typesunder the different headings; have them passtheir cards to the left when they are finisheduntil all the pairs have categorized all the cards.

• Go from pair to pair to have them give adifferent text type for each of the categories;for each answer given, ask: How do youknow? Be sure the class agrees on eachclassification; put the text type in the decidedcategory on the board.

• Give each pair the name of a category; have thepair define the word and present theirdefinitions to the class; have the class come to aconsensus on the definitions. Establishcategories and sub-categories as needed.

4. Read an assortment of texts and categorizeas non-fiction, fiction, poetry, or drama

Materials:Hand out packet #1 that includes a varietyof (short) texts(Include samples of work documents,newspaper/magazine articles, fiction,poetry, and drama)

• Hand out a packet of all kinds of texts.• Put students into pairs and assign each pair a

different text.• Have each pair read their text, put it into a

particular category and sub-category, and makea list of distinguishing characteristics of thiskind of text.

• Have students pass their text to the next pairand repeat the procedures as above. Repeatagain so that each pair has read at least fivetexts.

• Have students report the characteristics ofdifferent text types; record these on the board.

Identify the audiences and purposes ofdifferent text types

1. Identify the writer and audience situation

Materials:The “Writer/Audience Situation” Sheet,included with Essay Writing SkillsCurriculum

• Hand out “The Writer/Audience Situation”sheet.

• Ask: What is going on here?What is the basic situation of all writing?What is the writer trying to do?What is the audience trying to do?What happens if you change the audience type;how does it change the way the writer willwrite?What happens if you change the writer’spurpose; how does that change the writing?

2. Demonstrate the writer/audience situation

Materials:Deck of text types from previous exercisePacket of text types: a (very romantic)poem, a (very opinionated) piece of non-fiction, a (very jargon-loaded) workdocument

• Write the non-fiction, fiction, poetry, and dramacategories on the board. Include any sub-categories.

• Ask: What might a writer want tocommunicate for each of these categories?

• Record student answers.• Have students pick a card from the deck of

text types.• Ask: What text type is on your card?

In which category does this text type belong?(Write it on the board in the right category)Why would a writer choose to use this texttype?

• Divide students into pairs; give each a packet;have students read the poem and answer thefollowing questions:

What is the writer trying to do? How doyou know?What is the writer like?What is the audience like? (Ask forspecifics) What does the writer do to get his/herpoint across to his/her audience?What does the audience have to be able todo to understand the writer?

• Have a student read the poem aloud to theclass.

• Have different pairs answer different questions.Invite participation from other pairs.

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• Repeat these procedures for the other tworeadings.

• Have the class summarize its findings byanswering this question: What aspects ofwriting change to accommodate/reachdifferent kinds of audiences?

Practice using the four critical thinkingskills to understand examples of differenttext types

1. Understand the four critical thinking skills

Materials:The “GED Language Arts, ReadingCritical Thinking Skills” Sheet (included)The “Writer/Audience Situation” Sheet

• Hand out the GED Critical Thinking SkillsSheet.

• Explain that this sheet is central to the LanguageArts, Reading section of this course.

• Put students in four groups and assign eachgroup a different set of questions from below.

• Go over their answers together.

Question Set #1: Comprehension

What is the main question you need to answer whenyou are trying to comprehend a text?(From the sheet)What do you have to do to comprehend a text?(From the sheet)What are direct meanings?What are indirect meanings?Can you give some examples?What do you need to know how to do to answercomprehension questions?

Question Set #2: Application

What is the main question you need to answer toapply the meaning of a text?(From the sheet)Why is applying information from a text to anothersituation important?Can you give examples?What do you need to know how to do to answerapplication questions?

Question Set #3: Analysis

What is the main question you need to answer whenyou are trying to analyze a text?What do you have to do to analyze a text?What are parts of texts you could think aboutseparately to find out what a text means?What do you need to know how to do to answeranalysis questions?

Question Set #4: Synthesis

What is the first type of synthesis question?What is the second type of synthesis question?What do you need to know how to do to answersynthesis questions?Why is synthesis considered a “higher” thinking skill?

2. Understand the relationship between thetext, the thinker, and the critical thinkingskill

Materials:GED Practice Test

• Sit down at a table and put a GED Test infront of you; open the book to page ofquestions.

• Ask the following questions and perform thefollowing actions:

1. What do you do when you comprehend a text?!!!!! Correct answer: Understand what the text

says.! Put your palms together to form a “book” on

top of the test, put your head down very closeto your palms.

2. What do you do when you apply informationfrom a text?

!!!!! Correct answer: Apply information to othersituations.

! When students say this, raise your head a littlebit, separate your palms, and look from one tothe other.

3. What do you do when you analyze a text?!!!!! Correct answer: You understand the parts.! When students say this, raise your head all the

way above the test and point to different partsof one of your palms.

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4. What do you do when you synthesize a text ortexts?

!!!!! Correct answer: 1. You understand the whole.2. You get new ideas when thinking about themeanings of two (or more) texts.

! When students give the first answer, draw acircle with your finger in the air over the GEDtest to indicate “the whole meaning”. Whenstudents give the second answer, look up fromthe test and draw two circles in the air withyour finger.

• Ask the following set of questions very quickly,and move yourself in relation to the test in theways described above as students name thecorrect critical thinking skill:

What is the first critical thinking skill?What is the second critical thinking skill?What is the third critical thinking skill?What is the fourth critical thinking skill?

• Ask these questions rapidly again and havestudents answer, but this time, have studentspantomime the actions for each of the skills.Keep repeating until the whole class can do themotions together.

• Ask:What is the simplest critical thinking skill?Which one is the most complicated? Why?Which critical thinking skill is mostdependent on the text?Which critical thinking skill demands thatthe reader think independently?Why are learning critical thinking skillsimportant?What happens if you only have the basiccritical thinking skills?Why is it important to be an independentthinker?

Classify GED reading questions accordingto the four critical thinking skills

1. Use critical thinking skills in interpretingpictures

Materials:Two magazine advertisements on the sametopic with different audiences

Two political cartoons on the same topicfrom different points of viewThe GED Language Arts, ReadingCritical Thinking Skill Sheet (included)

• Explain that the purpose of this set of exercisesis to relate the four critical thinking skills used inthe GED test to visual examples.

• Have students get out their critical thinking skillssheet.

• Hand out a political cartoon.• Work as a class through the following set of

questions:

• What are the direct meanings in the picture?• What are the indirect meanings?• How would characters/situations in the

picture most likely act/play out in othersituations?

• What do the different parts of the textmean?

• What conclusions can you draw?• What is the meaning of the whole picture?

• Hand out the compatible political cartoon.• Ask: What is the meaning of this political

cartoon?How do you know?What ideas come to mind when you considerthe meaning of both cartoons together?

• Repeat this exercise with a pair ofadvertisements.

2. Match test questions and critical thinkingskills

Materials:Three Practice GED readings forLanguage Arts, Reading

• Explain to students that they are to try to applythe critical thinking skills they just learned toGED test materials. This is the first of manytimes they will do this. The rest of the coursewill help them get better at doing this, as it willgive them the skills to help them recognize thethinking skills more easily. Students shouldexpect to get much better at this matching asthe course goes on.

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• Divide students into pairs. Write the followinglist of questions on the board:" Is the answer in the text?" Are you applying information to another

situation?" Are you thinking about specific parts of the

text?" Are you thinking about the meaning of the

whole?

Give each pair the same Practice GED reading andquestions.

• Have students read the reading and the GEDquestions only. Have students label the questionsas Comprehension, Application, Analysis, orSynthesis.

• Go around the room to ask student pairswhich skill is being tested in each question: havepairs do the “action” that demonstrates whatthe thinker is doing BEFORE they say thename of the skill they chose.

• Always ask why students gave the answer theydid. Did anyone else give that or anotheranswer? What are their reasons for a differentanswer? Which one is right? Come to aconsensus, THEN give the answer.

• Repeat this exercise with other GED readingsand questions.

Practice using the four critical thinkingskills to understand examples of non-fiction

Materials:Multiple copies of: A newspaper articlethat reports on a specific storyTwo pieces of commentary on the subjectof the article that offer different points ofviewThree work documentsGED Language Arts, Reading readingsand questionsCompare and Contrast Sheet included inthe Essay Writing Skills section of thiscurriculumBlank Index cards

1. Comprehension Exercises

Restating Information• Hand out a copy of the newspaper article.

• Have students read the article and underlinethose sentences that are dense or difficult.

• Have students come to the board and writedifferent sentences on the board.

• Put students in groups to restate the sentences ina simpler way.

• Have groups read aloud their restatements.Have students make judgements on whichrestatements are clearest.

Find the Main Idea and SupportingDetails

• Hand out a fresh copy of the newspaperarticle.

• Define main idea.• Have students read the article and identify the

main idea in the article: either underline it orwrite it down.

• Divide students into pairs to discuss theiranswers.

• Have pairs present their findings; steer the classtoward a consensus.

• Repeat these procedures for supporting details.

Summarize Main Ideas• Ask students to put the article away and write

down what the article was about. Ask thatstudents state the main ideas in the article andback that main idea up with the most importantideas and/or details.

• Have students share their writing by readingaloud to the whole class or in small groups.

• Ask students to further summarize thesummaries by asking:

• What are the major ideas?• What are the most important ideas and/or

details that support the major ideas?

2. Application Exercises

Applying Ideas• Have students brainstorm situations in which

the information presented in the article couldbe useful.

• Write their ideas on the board.• Assign each situation to a different student and

have them finish the following sentence:_________________ (information) could beused in _________________ (situation) to_________________(make what happen ormake what be true).

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• Have students read their statements to the class.

3. Analysis Exercises

Making Inferences and DrawingConclusions

• Have students read the two editorial articles. Letthem identify difficult sentences, write them onthe board, and restate them for clarification.

• Have students underline the main ideas andsupporting details.

• Ask the class for each part of the outline: Whatis the main idea? What are the supportingdetails? Etc. Create an outline on the boardwith their answers.

• Put students in pairs and ask them to write atleast three inferences or conclusions they coulddraw by reading just one of the articles and beprepared to give the reasons for these.Emphasize that inferences and conclusionscannot be found in the text.

• Have pairs read their conclusions about eacharticle aloud or write them on the board.

• Have pairs give their reasons for coming totheir conclusions.

• Ask which of the activities in this section requireComprehension or Analysis skills and why.

4. Synthesis Exercises

Compare and Contrast Ideas• Hand out the Compare and Contrast Sheet.• Work as a class or in pairs to fill in the sheet to

determine how the articles read are the sameand how they are different. Copy the patternon the sheet onto the board and fill it inthrough a guided discussion.

Identify the Author’s Viewpoint• Ask pairs of students to write a summary

statement that encapsulates each author’sviewpoint to share with the class and discuss.

• Ask students to compare and contrast the twoviewpoints and draw their own conclusionsabout the viewpoint of both authors.

• Have students identify the critical thinking skillsthey have been using in this section.

Three Work Documents• Write the different critical thinking skills on the

board.

• Hand out cards with one of the followingwritten on each: find the main idea, findsupporting details, restate information, applyideas, draw conclusions, compare and contrastideas, or recognize author’s viewpoints.

• Divide students into pairs and give each pair acard.

• Have each pair categorize the skill and explainwhy.

• Hand out a work document.• Give each group a card and have them do or

give examples of what is on the card. Do notuse the compare and contrast category for thisexercise.

• Have the groups arrange themselves by criticalthinking skill.

• Have pairs give answers in order while youmake an outline of what students are telling youon the board.

• Repeat these procedures for the otherdocuments.

5. GED Practice- Non-fiction

Give students a series of GED readings andquestions and have them:

• Label questions with the name of the criticalthinking skill being tested. Go over these insmall groups and as a class.

• Take the tests and review the answers by:" Asking students which answers they know

are not the right answers and why" Asking which answers are better answers

and why" Asking which is the best answer and why.

Practice using the four critical thinkingskills to understand examples of fiction

Materials:Multiple copies of two short whole piecesof fiction that have good examples offigurative language and are alsointeresting to compare and contrast

1. Analysis Skills

Plot Elements

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• Define plot, exposition, complications, conflict,climax, and resolution.

• Write these words on the board to formcategories.

• Have students recall a movie/story most ofthem know well.

• Create four groups and give each a differentcategory (put conflict and climax in the samegroup).

• Have each group tell their part of the story insuccession.

• Have students read the two stories andunderline and label the plot elements in thestories. Put students in four groups to comparetheir plot analyses and tell each story as above.

Figurative Language

• Write the following on the board:

_________ is a __________________

_________ is like a_________________

• Write the word “love” on the board and read“love is a _______; love is like a ________”.

• Have students be imaginative and fill in theblanks; have them each read his or herstatement.

• Continue with other words like: freedom,poverty, night, spring, etc., using the sameprocedures.

• When students have had enough, explain whichconstruction is a simile and which is ametaphor.

• Ask: Why do authors use these two techniquesin their writing?

• Define symbol. Have students come up withlists of symbols for some of the words alreadyused in the in-class exercise.

• Have students underline those words/areas inthe stories in which the meaning of thelanguage is not literal.

• Have groups decide on meanings for thesewords/areas and share them with the class.

Analyzing Character• Ask students to describe characters and their

relationships to each other.

• Have pairs come up with lists of descriptivewords.

• Ask: What roles do these characters play in thestory?Who is the main character?What characters are similar/opposite, etc.?In what other situations can you imagine thesecharacters?How would they react?Do these characters remind you of othercharacters or people?

• Assign groups of students different charactersfrom the readings and have them respond tovarious situations as the characters would.

Analyzing Cause and Effect• Ask students to come up with reasons for why

things are the way they are in the story. Havestudents clearly identify which story elementsare causes and which are effects.

Analyzing Tone• Define tone.• Ask students to name the tone of the story and

back up their answers with aspects of the storythat give them that feeling.

2. Synthesis Skills

Compare and Contrast• Use the Compare and Contrast sheet to

synthesize the two stories read.• Go over the analysis groups as a class.

Interpreting Theme• Define themes and identify them in the two

stories.• Have students decide overall meanings for these

stories.

3. GED Practice- Fiction

• Give students a series of GED readings andhave them:" Label questions with the name of the

critical thinking skill being tested; go overthese in small groups and as a class

" Take the tests and review the answers asbefore.

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Practice using the four critical thinkingskills to understand examples of poetry

Materials:Multiple copies of several poems withclear use of different kinds of figurativelanguage and make sure at least two ofthese poems deal with common themes invery different waysGED Language Arts, Reading Tests thatcover poetry

Have students do close readings of several poemsemphasizing the following:

!!!!! The effects of rhythm and rhyme on theexperience of a poemHave students read aloud and tap their feet tothe beat of the poems. Ask how the beatinteracts with the words and meanings and howit affects the way the poem “feels”. Stagereadings and foot tappings of different poemsto compare and contrast differences in rhythmand rhyme and how these give very differenteffects. Make sure to compare and contrastrhythms of poems with and without rhyme.

!!!!! The meanings of figurative languageHave students identify figurative language inpoems by underlining words or phrases thatcontain them. Have students categorize eachexample of figurative language they find as asimile, metaphor, personification, symbol, orimage. Then, do close line by line readings. Askstudents to interpret the possible meanings ineach line as you go so they can see more deeplyinto each poem. Have students draw inferencesand conclusions about the whole poem’smeaning.

!!!!! The themes in the poemHave students identify the general themes ofthe poems they read. What general topics arethe poems about? Have students explain whythey concluded that these general topics are thepoem’s themes.

!!!!! Compare and contrast different poemsTake two poems on the similar themes andcompare them in terms of: language, tone,point-of-view, and meaning.

Use past approaches to teaching these topics. Theseinclude:" Underlining specific aspects of poems,

checking their answers in groups and discussingstudent answers in class

" Identifying the critical thinking skills they areusing as they use them

" Using the Compare and Contrast worksheet asappropriate.

Follow up this unit with GED poetry reading andquestions. Make sure that:" Students label the critical thinking skill tested in

each question" The class comes to consensus on these answers

by giving clear reason" Tests are taken and answers analyzed as before.

Practice using the four critical thinkingskills to understand examples of drama

Materials:Multiple copies of: examples of prose,several drama selections, GED LanguageArts, Reading Tests that cover drama

Have students do close readings of several dramaselections emphasizing the following:

!!!!! Compare drama and proseHave students compare and contrast examplesof prose and drama. They should be able topoint out differences in the devices andlanguage used, the kinds of audiencesaddressed, and the ways character, plot, andmeaning are conveyed. How does materialwritten for actors before a live audience differfrom material that is written for a magazine,newspaper, or book? Use group techniques tohave students perform such an analysis that theycan report to the class.

!!!!! Plot elementsHave students get into four groups, analyze theplot element they are assigned, and tell their partof the drama as before.

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!!!!! How to understand character fromdialogue onlyAsk about the differences between readingexposition in prose and reading dialogue. Howdo readers learn about characters fromdialogue? What are the cues that tell studentswho the characters are and what motivatesthem? Why are actors so important in theexpression of character? Have studentsdescribe the characters and cite specific parts ofthe text to back up their descriptions.

Put students in groups to practice dramaticreadings of the different portions of theselections. Ask them to read in character asmuch as possible and use their bodies as theyspeak to convey characters’ emotions.

!!!!! Deciding character motivations and themesAsk students to determine the motivations ofthe characters and how these interact with theplot. How do the characters’ conflicts set thewhole drama selection in action? Have studentsdetermine the themes of the drama pieces, andagain, have them back up their answers withspecifics from the texts.

Again, use past approaches to teaching these topics.These include:" Underlining specific aspects of drama

selections, checking their answers in groups, anddiscussing student answers in class

" Identifying the critical thinking skills they areusing as they use them

" Using the Compare and Contrast worksheet asappropriate

Follow up this unit with GED drama readings andquestions. Make sure that:• Students label the critical thinking skill tested in

each question• The class comes to a consensus on these

answers by giving clear reasons• Tests are taken and answers analyzed

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Apply critical thinking skills to samples ofthe Language Arts, Reading GED Tests

Take full size Language Arts, Reading GED tests.Continue to analyze the questions and student’sanswers.

GED LANGUAGE ARTS, READING CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS

Comprehension Application

Analysis Synthesis

What does the text say?

Understand the direct and indirectmeanings in a text

What do the parts of thetext mean?

Figure out how the text is puttogether

Draw conclusions

Can you apply informationfrom a text to different

situations?

What does the whole text meanwhen you put the parts together?

orDo you get new ideas when you

compare and contrast themeanings of two texts?

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Language Arts, Writing○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

COMPETENCIESBy the end of this course students will be able to:

Understand what a sentence is:1. Categorize nouns, verbs, and adjectives2. Recognize and capitalize proper nouns3. Identify subjects and predicates4. Differentiate between whole sentences and sentence fragments

Punctuate sentences:5. Use the six comma rules correctly6. Use the two semicolon rules and the one colon rule correctly

Keep sentences internally consistent:7. Identify verb tenses8. Correlate nouns and verbs for agreement9. Use possessive nouns and all forms of pro nouns correctly10. Recognize and create parallel structure

Correct other sentence problems:11. Identify and correct misplaced and dangling modifiers12. Recognize and change the passive voice13. Correct run-on sentences14. Simplify wordy and repetitive sentences15. Identify and use contractions and homonyms

Organize sentences in paragraphs andpassages:16. Define topic sentence and supporting details17. Insert topic sentences18. Divide paragraphs19. Rearrange sentences20. Delete sentences21. Adjust tone and diction

Take GED Writing Skills Practice Tests

STRATEGIES FOR TEACHINGTHE LANGUAGE ARTS,WRITING COURSECourse Description

This course is built around the notion that grammarrules can be learned and applied without an excessof intervening jargon. Too often grammar coursesget bogged down in teaching students a largenumber of terms that they don’t need to be goodeditors and test-takers. The central questions thatserve to focus the course are:

! What is a sentence?! How is punctuation used to separate sentences

from other sentences and non-sentence phrases?! When is a sentence internally consistent?! What are the tools for correcting sentences?! How are different kinds of sentences organized

in paragraphs?! What are the best strategies for answering

Language Arts, Writing GED Test questions?

By organizing required GED topics around thesecentral questions, this course aims to focus andsimplify what students often feel are scatteredgrammar concepts in GED materials. This course is composed of detailed classroomactivities that teach basic grammar concepts. Theseactivities ensure that this course is not limited todoing what is in a book and going over answers inclass. Instead, these activities are meant to givestudents hands-on practice with central conceptsthat can then be supplimented with GED LanguageArts, Writing and/or other materials.

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Changes to the Language Arts, WritingCourse due to 2002 GED Changes

The major change to the 2002 GED is thatparagraph organization has been added as a newcategory for study. This change requires theincorporation of new materials and test-takingstrategies into the former course. The course nowteaches students the basics of essay organization andrecommends that students read through the GEDWriting passage before they answer the questions(an unnecessary practice in the past). In addition, thiscourse has been substantially expanded andreorganized to ensure that all major grammar topicsare covered in as streamlined a fashion as possible.

Homework

Assign plenty of homeworkWhile teachers should be cautious to not complicatethe basic concepts of the GED curriculum, theyshould also be sure that students get lots of practicewith the skills they are learning. Homework canconsist of assignments out of the GED-specificbooks or other grammar books that are availableand comfortable to use. Also, the writing or editingaspects of classroom activities can be issued ashomework assignments. This strategy can helpspeed up classroom activities and address timerestraints of specific programs.

STRATEGIES FOR TEACHINGEACH COMPETENCY

Understand What a Sentence Is:

1. Categorize nouns, verbs, and adjectives

Define noun, verb, and adjective

Materials:List of sentences with multiplenouns, verbs, and adjectives of varyingcomplexityTwo short readings

To get students limbered up, use the followingsurprise exercise. Present the following questionsand commands to your students:

• “What is a noun? Name 5,000 nouns. Go!”• Have students call them out to you all at once

or go around and have each student say oneat a time – but fast.

• “What is a verb? Name 5,000 verbs. Go!”• Repeat procedures as above.• “What is an adjective? Name 5,000 adjectives.

Go!”• Repeat procedures as above.

• Hand out a short reading.• Tell the students to underline all the nouns; “on

your mark get set go!”• Give them only a few minutes and make them

stop when the time is up.• Go around the room and instruct each student

to give you the number of nouns in thereading; mark them on the board.

• Repeat the procedure for verbs and adjectives;mark down their numbers.

• Go through the reading and identify first thenouns, then the verbs, and then the adjectives toverify the counts.

• Write one of the multiple noun/verb/adjectivesentences that you have prepared on the board.

• Write each student’s name on the board in aplace where you can keep score.

• Ask: How many nouns are in this sentence?

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• Go around the room for each student’snumber; write number next to student name.

• Ask: How many verbs are in this sentence?• Mark students’ numbers down again.• Repeat for adjectives.• Go back to nouns; say “the correct number is

___”• Go around the room to have the students pick

out one noun at a time; underline them as theysay them.

• Repeat the same procedure for verbs andadjectives, except circle verbs and put a squarearound adjectives.

• Repeat these procedures for all sentences.• Give a short reading for homework; have

students underline nouns, circle verbs, and putquotes around adjectives. Students should alsocount the numbers in each category.

2. Recognize and capitalize proper nouns

Materials:A Reading without capitalized propernouns

• Have students line up at the board; ask eachstudent to write a proper noun and pass thechalk.

• Ask: What is the rule for proper nouns?Were all of these proper nouns writtencorrectly?

• Give out a reading with no capitalized propernouns; have students correct the reading quickly.

• Ask: How many errors are in the first sentence?Ask one or more students to answer, then askothers: Is that correct? What are the errors?

• Put students into pairs to write a shortparagraph with at least ten un-capitalizedproper nouns; have them give their paragraphto a different pair to correct; have the originalpair correct the corrected paragraph.

3. Identify subject and predicates and4. Differentiate between whole sentences and

sentence fragments

Materials:A list of mixed sentences and sentencefragmentsBlank index cards

• Hand out the list of mixed sentences andsentence fragments; have students mark whichsentences are full sentences.

• Ask: What is a sentence?What is a subject?(The noun the sentence is about)What is a predicate?(The rest of the sentence)What is always in the predicate?(A verb)What are the two things a sentence has to haveto be a sentence?(A noun and a verb)

• Go over these questions again and havestudents repeat the answers loudly together.

• Ask a student for a full sentence from the list;write the sentence on the board; have studentsidentify the subject, the predicate, and the verbwithin the predicate; write the skeleton sentence.

• Continue with these procedures to identify allthe full sentences in the list.

• Give each pair a set of six blank index cards;have them write three full sentences and threefragments on the cards.

• Have a representative from a pair choose acard from the pair to their left’s deck and writeit on the board.

• Ask the student: Is this a sentence? How do youknow?

• Give a point for each correct answer.• Ask the class to reply in unison:

What are the two things a sentence has to haveto be a sentence?Does it have a noun for a subject?Does it have a verb in the predicate?

• Repeat these procedures until it is clear that allstudents can diagram a sentence.

Punctuate Sentences:

5. Use the six comma rules correctly

Introduce the comma rules• Explain that commas separate phrases that add

information to the main part of the sentence.If students can distinguish the main part of the

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sentence from the additional information, theywill be able to use commas correctly.

• Write the sentence “she fell asleep” on theboard.

• Ask for phrases that add information to thefront of the sentence; list them on the board;show where the comma belongs for each one.

• Write another simple sentence on the board.• Ask for phrases that add information to the

end of the sentence; list them on the board;show where the comma belongs for each one.

• Repeat this procedure and have students placephrases that add information in the middle ofthe sentence to give more information aboutnouns; show where the comma goes for eachone.

• Write a different sentence on the board; groupstudents into pairs.

• Have pairs come up with phrases that could goin the front, middle, or end of the sentence toadd information.

• Have a representative from each group cometo the board and add a phrase; give a point toeach group that punctuates the sentencecorrectly with a new phrase.

• Continue until it is clear that all studentsunderstand how to use commas in this context.

Introduce the first three comma rules:#1 Commas follow a prepositional phrase or

verb phrase that is at the beginning of asentence.

#2 Commas precede and follow aprepositional or verb phrase that is in themiddle of the sentence.

#3 Commas precede a prepositional phrasethat is at the end of a sentence.

Comma rule #1

Materials:List of sentences with introductoryphrases, but no commas

• Hand out the list of sentences; work throughone sentence as a class to model the exercise;have students insert the commas after theintroductory phrase.

• Go around the room and ask each student thefollowing list of questions:

" What is the sentence?" What is the introductory phrase?" Where do you place the comma?

Comma rules #2 and #3

Materials:List of sentences with phrases in themiddle, but no commasList of sentences with phrases at the end,but no commas

• Hand out the list of sentences; work throughone sentence as a class to model the exercise;have students punctuate the sentence.

• For each student, ask: “What part of thesentence is added? Where do the commas go?”

• Divide students into two teams.• Have one student from the first team come to

the board and write a sentence.• Have a student from the second team add a

prepositional phrase in the middle of thesentence.

• Reverse team tasks until everyone has been tothe board to either put up a sentence or add aprepositional phrase.

• Review what is on the board and ask studentsfor corrections; note any additional corrections.

• Repeat these procedures for Comma rule #3.

Introduce the last three comma rules:#1 Place commas between all items of like

objects or actions, containing the word“and” or “or”.

#2 Place a comma before the words “and”,“but”, “yet”, “or”, “nor”, “for”, or “so”when combining two full sentences into asingle compound sentence.

#3 (also Semicolon rule #1) Place a semicolonbefore and a comma after the followingwords when used to connect two sentencestogether: moreover, furthermore, inaddition, however, nevertheless, therefore,consequently, otherwise, for instance, forexample, then.

Comma rule #4

Index cards with questions that willprompt answers in the form of lists

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(e.g., “what are five colors that you like?”)List of sentences containing lists, but nocommas

• Present Comma rule #4: Place commasbetween all items in a list of three or more.

• Lists must be of like objects or actions.• The last item in a list has the word “and” or

“or” before it.! Example: She liked apples, bananas, and

cherries.

• Ask students to make a clicking noise with theirtongues.

• Ask students to make “ppppputtttt” soundwith their lips.

• Explain that the clicking noise is a comma and a“pppputtt” sound is a period.

• Deal out cards with questions that will bringforth a list as an answer; give each student acard.

• Have each student read his or her card and givean answer, putting the appropriate sound in theappropriate place.

• Hand out the list of sentences; have studentscorrect the sentences and then read them aloud,one at a time, using their punctuation sounds.

• For each question, ask: How many items in thelist? Do you need to use a comma? Havethe student read the sentence with the correctpunctuation.

Comma rule #5

Materials:List of paired sentences that could bejoined with a comma and one of the wordshighlighted in Comma rule #5;Mix in this list other pairs composed of afragment and a sentenceBlank index cards

• Present Comma rule #5: Place a commabefore the words “and,” “but,” “yet,” “or,”“nor,” “for,” or “so” when combining two fullsentences into a single compound sentence.

• Hand out the list of sentences; have studentscheck the pairs of sentences and put an X nextto the fragment and sentence pair.

• Identify these differences as a class.

• Pass out the blank index cards to pairs ofstudents; assign sets of paired sentences; havethe students write each individual sentence on aseparate card.

• Write the linking words on separate cards aswell.

• Take all the sentences, mix them up, and laythem face up on the table; lay out the linkingwords at the top.

• Divide students into two teams.• Ask first one student from one team then

another student from another team to choosetwo sentences and a linking word to make asingle coherent sentence; also have blank cardsavailable if students want to write their ownsentences to link up with one that is on thecards.

• Ask each student: Where should you place thecomma? Why?

• Ask the class: Is that correct?• Give a point to the team the student is on for

each correct answer.

Comma rule #6 (Semicolon Rule #1)

Materials:Index cards with the linking words forComma rule #6 on them, one per cardBlank index cards

• Present Comma Rule #6: Place a semicolonbefore and a comma after the following wordswhen used to connect two sentences together:moreover, furthermore, in addition, however,nevertheless, therefore, consequently, otherwise,for instance, for example, then.

• Group students into pairs; deal out the cards;have pairs write three compound sentencesusing that word.

• Have each group come to the board to put acompound sentence on the board using theirword and the correct punctuation.

• Ask the class what the word means and checkwith them to see if the punctuation is indeedcorrect.

• Give each team two blank index cards; haveeach team write pairs of sentences on each cardWITHOUT their linking word.

• Make sure the linking words are on the board.• Put the cards in the deck; have pairs pick a card;

have them come to the board and write the

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sentences joined with the appropriate linkingwords and then punctuate them correctly.

• Ask: Is the first part a sentence? Is the secondpart a sentence? Is this the correct linking wordfor these two sentences? Is it punctuatedcorrectly?

• Hand out a copy of some text from a book(your choice) with numerous commas in it.

• Ask students to circle all the commas in the text.• Have them write the number of the

exemplified comma rule next to each.• Divide students into pairs to correct each

other’s work.• Read aloud each sentence and go around the

room to have different students tell you thecomma rules applied in each.

• For each comma, ask: What comma rule doesthis sentence use? Is that correct?

• Does anyone have a different answer? Which isthe correct answer? Why?

• Repeat this exercise as necessary.

6. Use the two semicolon rules and the onecolon rule correctly

Semicolon rule #2

• Ask: What is a semicolon? When do you usesemicolons?

• Tell students that semicolons mean: I know aperiod goes here (point to the “period” in thesemicolon), but these two sentences are sorelated that I want the reader to read it as if itwere only a comma (point to the “comma” inthe semicolon).

• Repeat this definition while pointing to the twoparts of the semicolon several times.

• Write some examples on the board ofsemicolons joining two related sentences.

• Show how this logic was already used inSemicolon rule #1.

• Have students make a clicking noise together.• Divide students into pairs; have each pair write

five pairs of closely related sentences.• Have them exchange their sentences with

another pair and correctly punctuate the new setof sentences.

• Have them read their sentences aloud using theclicking noise for semicolons.

Colon rule #1

• Present the colon rule: Use colons after acomplete sentence that presents a list.

• Tell students that colons mean: I know a periodgoes here (point to one of the “periods”), but alist follows.

• Put a variety of examples on the board.• Divide students into pairs to create sentences

that prompt a list.• Have one representative from a pair put their

sentence on the board and anotherrepresentative QUICKLY come to the boardto write a list with the correct punctuation.

• Ask for each example: Is the first part asentence? Is the colon in the right place?

• Are the commas in the right place?

Editing Practice

Materials:Paragraph with no capitals and nopunctuation

• Divide students into pairs.• Hand out the paragraph and have pairs

underline the areas where there is a grammaticalproblem.

• Write the exercise on the board with all theerrors in it.

• Give the chalk to representatives from differentpairs to underline a word or phrase that has aproblem WITHOUT making corrections.

• Go quickly from pair to pair until all the errorsare underlined; after each underlining ask:Is this a problem?Is this where the underline goes?

• At the end of the exercise ask: Are there anyerrors that are NOT underlined?

• Have students correct the paragraph.• Have one student from each pair come up to

the board and make one editing change at atime.

• Continue this procedure through all the pairs(on their second turn, make sure the secondstudent in the pair comes to the board) until theparagraph is completely corrected.

• Give a point to each pair when they have madean appropriate correction; give no points forincorrect corrections.

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Keep Sentences Internally Consistent:

7. Identify verb tenses and8. Correlate nouns and verbs for agreement

Materials:Index cards with verbs from the followingtenses: present (play, plays), presentcontinuous (are/is playing), past continuous(was/ were playing), present perfect (have/has played), past perfect (had played),future (will play), future perfect (will haveplayed). Follow a set of single verbsthrough all these transformationsList of time-specific sentences

• Divide students into pairs; deal out cards.• List the different verb tenses on the board to

form categories.• Ask students to give examples of sentences in

each of the tenses.• Have each pair “play” a card by: putting the

verb on the card in a sentence,choosing the right tense of the verb, andidentifying other words in the sentence thatindicate the tense, if there are any.

• Give a point for each “right” answer afterasking:" What is the sentence?" In which tense is the sentence? How do you

know?" What words in your sentence tell you that

tense is correct?• Record words that identify each tense on the

board as they are mentioned.• Write a sentence on the board; divide students

into pairs; assign each pair a tense; go aroundthe room and have the different pairs say thesentence in their tense.

• Rotate tenses among the pairs; write anothersentence on the board.

• Rotate until all groups have worked with all thetenses.

• Write a time specific sentence on the board;have the pair assigned the correct tense say thecorrect sentence.

• Work through a series of sentences in this way.• Divide students into two teams to create ten

time-specific sentences; have a representativefrom a team put the sentence on the board

leaving out the verb; have a representative fromthe other team fill in the sentence; give pointsfor correct answers.

9. Use possessive nouns and all forms ofpronouns correctly

Possessive Nouns

Materials:Many index cards with different nouns onthem (enough for each individual studentand student pairs)

• Deal out one index card to each student. Tellstudents they will have to speak in full sentences.

• Ask: Student Name, what is written on yourcard? Write the noun on the board.

• Ask: Other Student Name, whose Noun is this?Write the possessive noun on the board withoutthe apostrophe.Ask: Where does the apostrophe go? Why?

• Repeat a few of these examples.• Divide students into pairs and give each pair an

index card. Repeat the line of questioning forplural nouns.

• Ask: What is the rule for possessive nouns?• Put a list of tricky nouns on the board: group,

children, the Browns, the James, etc. Makecolumns for Singular and Plural possessives.

• Have pairs come up with two sentences foreach of these nouns: one that uses the singularpossessive, and one that uses the pluralpossessive.

• Go around the room and have pairrepresentatives come to the board to read asentence and write the possessive in the correctcolumn with an apostrophe.

• Ask: Is the apostrophe in the right place? Howdo you know? What’s the rule?

Pronouns:

• Make four columns on the board: Subject,Object, Possessive with a noun, Possessivewithout a noun.

• List I, you, he, she, it, we, they, who in the firstcolumn.

• In the Object column write: This X belongs to______.

• Give each student a noun card.

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• Ask a student what they have.Ask: What is on your card?Ask other students: This X belongs to _____?Fill in the Object column with the differentpronouns students use in his or her answers byasking all the necessary questions. (At somepoint have students share the objects written onthe cards so they have to use plural pronouns.)Repeat these procedures a few times.(Answers: me, you, him, her, it , us, them,whom)

• Write: “Whose X is this?” in the Possessive witha noun category. Ask all the questions necessaryto make students answer this question usingdifferent possessive pronouns and fill in thechart as you go.(Answers: my, your, his, her, its, our, their,whose)

• In the Possessive without a Noun categorywrite: Whose X is this? It’s ____.Again ask students what they have on theircards in such a way that they use all the forms.Write the answers in the grid.(Answers: mine, yours, his, hers, ours, theirs,whose)

• Ask pairs to come up with interview questionabout what belongs to them and their family.These questions should make students have touse all kinds of pronouns in their answers.

• Have a student volunteer come to the board toanswer the questions and write the answers onthe board. Ask one partner in a pair to ask thevolunteer a question and the other to come tothe board and point to the pronoun(s) used inthe interviewee’s answer. Go from pair to pairusing the same procedure. Continue usingdifferent volunteers.

Materials:Paragraph with many punctuation, verbtense, and possessive pronoun errors in itBlank index cardsA list of mixed sentences using its/it’s,whose/who’s, your/you’re, theirs/there’s

Contractions and Possessives

• Write: its/it’s, whose/who’s, your/you’re,theirs/there’s on the board.

• Write these words on index cards and lay themout on the table.

• Read a sentence from the list aloud; havedifferent students pick the right card and givean explanation for why that is the right card.

Editing Practice

• Divide students into pairs.• Hand out the paragraph and have pairs

underline the areas where there is an error.• Write the exercise on the board with all the

errors in it.• Give the chalk to a representative from a

different pair to underline a word or phrasethat has an error WITHOUT makingcorrections.

• Go quickly from pair to pair until all the errorsare underlined; after each underlining, ask: Isthis a problem? Is this where the underlinegoes?

• At the end of the exercise, ask: Are there anyerrors that are NOT underlined?

• Have students correct the paragraph.• Continue this procedure through all the pairs

(on their second turn, make sure the secondstudent in the pair comes to the board) until theparagraph is completely corrected.

• Give a point to each pair when they have madean appropriate correction; give no points forincorrect corrections.

10. Recognize and create parallel structure

Materials:Groups of sentences that do NOTexemplify good parallel structure

!!!!! Example: Sentences with lists of phrasesin them that lead with both nouns andverbs

• Hand out the sentences. Go around the roomand have students read the sentence aloud aswritten. Have them underline those areas of thesentences that sound incorrect to them.

• Ask students to correct those words or phrasesthey have underlined.

• Divide students into pairs to go over eachother’s work and come to a consensus aboutthe corrections.

• Write the words “Parallel Structure” on theboard and ask pairs to come up with a ruleabout parallel structure based on the pattern of

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their corrections. Have pairs write their ruledown.

• Have each pair read aloud/write their rule onthe board and give three examples from thesentences they have corrected. Have pairsexplain why they made the corrections they did.

• When all the sentences have been corrected,read aloud the different rules the pairs havecreated and have them vote on the one theythink is the best. Confirm their selection.Student rules should reflect the need for phrasesto have similar noun, verb, and direct objectstructures.

Other sentence inconsistencies

Materials:A list of sentences that have “unclearpronouns” and mistakes in “agreement innumber” and “agreement in person”(Please consult GED and/or othergrammar books for examples in theseareas)

• Write “Unclear Pronouns”, “Agreement inNumber”, and “Agreement in Person” on theboard.

• Hand out the sentences; have students underlinethe problem, correct it, and label the sentencewith one of the three problems listed on theboard.

• Have students correct each other’s work in pairsand go over the answers in class.

• Ask after each student answer. What is theproblem word in this sentence? What kind ofproblem is it? What is the necessary correction?

Correct Other Sentence Problems:

11. Identify and correct misplaced anddangling modifiers

Materials:Groups of sentences that need to bepunctuated with commas(The sentences should help students reviewthe first three comma rules)Groups of sentences that need to becorrected because of misplaced anddangling modifiers

(Please consult GED and/or othergrammar books for examples in theseareas.)

• Hand out the sentences that require commas.• Write one of the sentences on the board.• Ask: What is the simple/ basic sentence? What

is the part that has been added?What word in the sentence does the addedphrase describe?Where do the commas go? Why?

• Work through a few more sentences on theboard together asking the same set of questionsevery time.

• Have students correct the remaining sentencesindividually and go through the same set ofquestions when students report their answers.

• Write a sentence on the board that contains amisplaced modifier.

• Ask: What about that sentence soundsfunny? Why does it sound funny?

• Then repeat the same set of questions:What is the simple/basic sentence?What is the part that has been added?What word in the sentence does the addedphrase describe?How would you fix the sentence?Why did you make this correction?

• Repeat this procedure for a few more examplesentences.

• Hand out the “misplaced modifier” sentences.• Have students correct them individually or in

pairs and go over them using the same set ofquestions each time.

• Repeat these same procedures for danglingmodifiers, only ask the following adjusted setof sentences:What about this sentence sounds funny? Why?What is the simple/basic sentence?What has been added?What word in the sentence does the addedphrase describe?Is there something missing? What is missing?What must be added to correct the sentence?

• List several examples on the board; correctthem as a class; have the class do additionalsentences; go over them as a class using thequestions above.

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12. Recognize and correct the passive voice

Materials:List of sentences in the passive voiceA hat and scissorsA paragraph with a variety of tenseproblems

• Write a sentence in the passive voice on theboard.

• Ask: Which noun is the doer in this sentence?Which noun is just letting things happen to it?How would you re-write this sentence to makesure the noun that is the doer takesresponsibility for its actions?

• Write an active-voice sentence on the board; askstudents to re-write the sentence in the passivevoice.

• Divide students into teams and have the teamswrite five active-voice sentences and fivepassive-voice sentences; encourage the sentencesto be wild.

• Have students cut the sentences into separatestrips and put them in a hat.

• Have each student choose a sentence from thehat.

• Have each student read sentence and then“translate” it into the opposite voice.

• Give a point to each team that does the exercisecorrectly.

13. Correct run-on sentences

• Write a very long run-on sentence on the board.• Have a student read the sentence aloud.• Divide students into pairs to rewrite the

sentence.• Ask: How many sentences did you make out

of this corrected sentence?• Collect student pairs’ numbers and record them

on the board.• Have students use a clicking sound for their

periods and a “pffft” for their commas as theyread their corrected sentences. Rewrite thesentence on the board as they read. Read itagain with their corrections.

• Have students with different versions read theirsentences. Repeat the procedure.

• Ask: Which of these sentence correctionssounds best? Why?

• Repeat these procedures with another sentence.• Have each pair write a long run-on sentence.• Repeat these same procedures for dangling

modifiers, only ask the following adjusted setof sentences:What about this sentence soundsfunny? Why?What is the simple/ basic sentence?

• Have one pair come to the board to write theirrun-on sentence; have the teams correct thesentence together.

• Give the chalk to a different pair to come tothe board and make one correction; ask: is thiscorrection needed? Why? Give each pair a“point” for each correct correction until thewhole sentence has been rewritten.

• Go through each pair’s run-on sentence usingthis procedure.

14. Simplify wordy and repetitive sentences

Put very long, wordy, and repetitive sentences onthe board and have students from different teamscome to the board to cross out the words and/orphrases that don’t add anything to the sentences.

15. Identify and use contractions andhomonyms

Materials:Lots of blank index cards

Index cards with each of the followingwords (and any others you think of) writtenon them: affect, effect, all ready, already,brake, break, hear, here, knew, new, know,no, passed, past, principal, principle, right,write, through, threw, to, two, too,weather, whether, week, weak, whole, hole,would, wood, there, their, they’re, your,you’re, board, bored, break, brake, coarse,course, feat, feet, grate, great, way, weigh,wear, where, accept, except, than, then

Index cards with two words that can becontracted into one

!!!!! Examples include: you have, she had, it is,we are, he would, they will, is not, are not,do not, does not, have not, cannot, couldnot, was not, were not, did not, will not,has not, should not, would not

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• Put the word “homonym” on the board; askstudents to define it. Break the word down intosyllables to help the students define the word ifnecessary.

• Write the homonyms on the board and putstudents into pairs to copy them down.

• Have pairs meet to discuss the differences inmeanings and to study for the homonymcontest. Give each pair a stack of blank indexcards.

• Have pairs put their written homonyms away;ask one student from each pair to come to theboard; let one student choose a card from yourhomonym “deck”; read the word aloud.

• Students at the board should race to write asentence with the selected homonym; partnersshould write a sentence using the selectedhomonym at their desks.

• Collect the partners’ cards and redistribute themamong the teams.

• Read each sentence on the board aloud; ask if itis correct; ask seated partners to read thesentences on their index cards; ask if these arecorrect.

• Give out points for the student who finishes atthe board first with a correct answer and allcorrect answers.

• Repeat this procedure making sure pairs taketurns at the board and sitting down.

• Repeat the above procedure with the followingadjustments for contractions.• Read the two words on the card.• Have students at the board write the

contraction; give points as before.• Have seated students use the contraction in

a sentence.

Organize Sentences in Paragraphs andPassages:

16. Define topic sentences and supportingdetails

Materials:A well-written and clear five-paragraphessay

• Hand out the five-paragraph essay.

• Have students read the first paragraph andunderline the sentence that summarizes thetheme of the essay.

• Divide students into pairs to check theiranswers and agree on a sentence.

• Ask a pair for the sentence they underlined.Ask: Why did you underline that one?

• Ask: Did anyone decide on a differentsentence?Which ones?Which one is correct?How do you know?

• Write the sentence that is the best choice on theboard.

• Define topic sentence.• Have students find the topic sentence in the

next paragraphs individually; check their choicein pairs and explain their choices as before.When the class has come to a consensus, writethe statement or a paraphrase of the statementto begin an outline of the essay.

• Define supporting details.• Have students identify the supporting details in

the second paragraph. Add notes to the outlineon the board.

• Continue this procedure until there is a fulloutline of the essay.

17. Insert topic sentences

Materials:Fifteen blank pages with one sentencewritten at the top of each: these sentencesshould begin in the middle of a paragraph

!!!!! Example: She went to the store at 12:00 inthe evening to complete her groceryshopping.Overhead projectorScissors and tape

• Give each student a sheet of paper with thesentence on the top. Tell them to each write asentence to continue the paragraph. They mustwrite their sentences on a separate line.

• Pass the sentence-pages around to the rightuntil a student thinks a particular paragraph iscomplete.

• When all paragraphs are “complete”, take onethat the students say is particularly funny orinteresting and cut the sentences up.

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• Put the first sentence on the overhead projector.Then put another sentence under it.

• Ask: Does this sentence come next? Allowstudents to recommend that you switchsentences around.

• Continue adding sentences one at a time andasking for students to recommend the bestorder for the sentences. Encourage students toedit the sentences as well.

• When all the sentences are displayed, ask: Arethese sentences in the right order?Are there any sentences missing?What is the topic sentence?What are the supporting details?

• Have student pairs supply missing sentencesand/or rewrite the paragraph to create acohesive paragraph.

• Have the students vote on the paragraph orparagraph arrangement they think would workbest.

• Put students in pairs with one of the fifteenparagraphs. Have them cut up the paragraphsand go through the same evaluation and editingprocess as done on the overhead projector.Have them re-write the paragraph and add atopic sentence. This paragraph should be turnedin with a circled topic sentence and thesupporting details underlined.

• Put two pairs together to go over another pair’sparagraph and make recommendations on theirrewritten work.

18. Divide paragraphs

Materials:Pages with merged paragraphs; e.g., noindentations between paragraphs

• Give students a sheet of merged paragraphs.• Have them indicate where new paragraphs

should start; have them check their answerswith a partner and identify the topic sentenceand supporting details.

• Put two pairs of students together to come toa consensus.

• Have four pairs of students come to aconsensus etc., until the whole class has agreedupon the same choices.

• Repeat these procedures with other sets ofmerged paragraphs.

19. Rearrange sentences and20. Delete sentences

Materials:Two paragraphs containing oneunnecessary sentence that have been cut-up into separate sentences(Make one cut-up copy of both paragraphsfor each pair of students)

• Have pairs arrange a paragraph into the bestorder and designate one sentence asunnecessary.

• Have students go around to each pair’sconstruction to see if there are any differences.

• Discuss the differences as a class and come to aconsensus.

• Repeat this procedure for the secondparagraph.

21. Adjust tone and diction

Materials:Written pieces with inappropriate lines thathave markedly different tone and diction

!!!!! Example: a sonnet with some hip hop linesor vice versa

• Have students read these pieces aloud andindicate the line or lines that don’t fit.

• Ask: Why don’t these lines fit? What is it abouttheir language or tone?

• Have students rewrite appropriate lines andpresent them to the class.

• Discuss what made the pieces sound better.• Repeat these procedures with other pieces.• Have pairs write their own inappropriate lines

into pieces they know and have other studentsrewrite them.

Take GED Writing Skills Practice Test

Materials:A series of single readings with questionsfrom GED Writing Skills Practice Tests

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• Hand out a reading and questions from a GEDWriting Skills Practice Test.

• Write “Sentence correction, sentence revision,and paragraph organization” on the board.

• Use the following procedure to “take” thisportion of the test:

• Have students" Read the passage carefully and underline

those words or phrases where they thinksomething is wrong.

" Read the question and make thecorrection if they can BEFORE they readthe answers.

" If they know they are right, circle theanswer.

" If they aren’t sure, cross out answers theyknow are wrong and circle their answer.

" Have them write “Punctuation, SentenceRevision, Spelling, OR ParagraphOrganization” next to each question todesignate the type of problem being tested.

" Ensure that students understand thatpunctuation and spelling are two aspects ofsentence correction.

Go over the tests using the following procedure:

" Ask: How many underlines did you make in thereading?

" Go around the room and have each studentgive his or her number.

" Ask: Who could correct the problem beforethey read the answers?Who needed to do a process of elimination?What is the answer?Is that the correct answer?How do you know?What kind of problem was it: sentencecorrection, sentence revision, or paragraphorganization?

" After all the questions have been gone over ask:How many of the sections you underlined inthe reading turned out to be questions asked inthe test?In what area are you strongest?In what area are you weakest?

• Give individual homework assignments basedon individual weaknesses.

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• Repeat these procedures for subsequentreadings and questions from GED WritingSkills Practice tests.

Language Arts, Writing:Essay Writing Skills

○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

COMPETENCIESBy the end of this course students will be able to:

♦♦♦♦♦ Identify and define particular audiencesfor each piece of writing

♦♦♦♦♦ Use a variety of strategies for gettingthe audience’s attention

♦♦♦♦♦ Identify and write thesis statements♦♦♦♦♦ Create outlines that back up thesis

statements♦♦♦♦♦ Write introductory paragraphs♦♦♦♦♦ Identify main ideas in supporting

paragraphs♦♦♦♦♦ Write supporting paragraphs♦♦♦♦♦ Write concluding paragraphs♦♦♦♦♦ Learn compare and contrast/cause and

effect essay formats♦♦♦♦♦ Respond to essay topics in 45 minutes

STRATEGIES FOR TEACHINGTHE ESSAY WRITING SKILLSCOURSEApproach

The Essay Writing Skills course is structured aroundthree primary principles. The first is that studentsneed to do an abundance of writing in order toimprove their writing. The second is that studentsneed to understand writing contexts and be able tocreate clear contexts for writing and the third is thatstudents need to dramatize the essay form in orderto understand why it has the requirements that itdoes. To answer these principles, this curriculumassigns students numerous writing assignments,emphasizes and analyzes the relationship betweenthe writer and the writer’s audience, and createsdebate teams to dramatize and personalize the

importance of thesis statements, supporting ideas,and conclusions.

Changes to the Essay Writing Skills coursedue to 2002 GED Changes

There are a few changes to the 2002 GED EssayTest. They are as follows:

! Students must pass the essay exam; essay scoreswill no longer be averaged in with their writingscores

! The 2002 GED Essay exam has a 4 pointgrading scale, where the former exam had a 6point grading scale

! Students must get a 2, 3, or 4 to pass! Essay questions will be more contextualized

and rely more on relating personal experiencesto a topic than formally presenting persuasivearguments.

This course emphasizes the audience-centered/debate team format, as it is the most dynamic wayto teach basic essay elements. Once students haveworked with these basic concepts in an interactivemanner, the essay form gains meaning and has clearand distinct uses. However, this basic essaycurriculum has been strengthened by the additionof compare and contrast and cause and effect essayformats. These additions should help studentsbecome more flexible structuring different kinds ofessays quickly.

Some Suggestions for Teaching ThisCourse

! Have students maintain a portfolio of theirclass writings. Students will need to draw fromthis portfolio for editing and re-writingpractice. They will also be able to see how theirwriting improves as the course progresses.

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! Type up student essays as-is for editing andevaluation in class. This will allow writers toremain anonymous and students to edit andevaluate each other’s work (very engagingactivities). It will also help teachers build up astorehouse of essays to edit and evaluate withfuture classes.

! Collect interesting essays from newspapers,magazines, and essay compilations. Manylessons call for examples of outside essays, soteachers should build their collections of filmreviews, political commentary (especially thoseaccompanied by political cartoons), andpersonal essays to use in the classroom.

! Experiment with the Steck-Vaughn andContemporary texts in relation to the courseoutlined here. Which materials extend andclarify which course elements? To whichmaterials do students respond well? Whichconfuse or cloud the building of simpleconcepts with too much explanation, definition,etc?

STRATEGIES FOR TEACHINGEACH COMPETENCYIdentify and define particular audiences foreach piece of writing

1. Describe different audience types in detail

Materials: Comic stripLegal documentBlank index cards

• Hand out a comic strip; have students read it.• Ask: What is funny about the comic strip?

Why did it make you laugh?• List the reasons the comic strip is funny on the

board; include language, drawing, story line, etc.• Ask: Who is the audience for this comic strip?

What is the audience’s age range?Is the audience male or female?What is the audience’s profession?What time of day is this being read?What is the audience wearing while they readthis?

Where does the audience live?What did the audience have for breakfast? Etc.

• Write down full description of the audience onthe board.

• Hand out a legal document; have studentsdescribe the audience in detail and contrast itwith the comic strip audience.

• Give each student an index card.• Tell students you want them to write down

specific kinds of reading they do and the kindsof magazines/newspapers/books/etc. theyread. For each kind of reading they do, theyshould write down specific examples.

• Before you have students do this assignment,do the assignment yourself on the board sothey can see what it should look like:

EXAMPLE:Sports Magazines: Sports Illustrated, WindyCity SportsNewspapers: The Sun Times: Business, Sports,ComicsScience Fiction Novels: The Dispossessed

The more specific, the better!

• Collect the index cards and shuffle them; fanthem out face down and have each studentchoose a card; make sure the student doesn’tget his or her own card.

• Ask students to think about who is the audiencefor this reading material; have them write notesfor a full description of this audience; the morespecific, the better! Prep students by listingmany specific questions about the audience onthe board.

• Have students read their cards and descriptions,then have the author of the card disclose himor herself and comment on how close thedescription fits.

2. Write Essay #1

Have students write an essay using the followingdescription:

Describe the kind of reading/movie viewing/TV watching you like to do and the kind ofaudience you are. Then, in three differentparagraphs, present a different example ofyour favorites. In each paragraph, describe the

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book/newspaper/movie/TV show andexplain why you like it.Have students hand in their essays for yourcomments. Underline and comment on thoseaspects of the essays that are good. List thingsthe student will need to work on.

3. Describe the writer’s situation

Materials:“The Writer/Audience Situation” Sheet(included)

• Ask: How does knowing who your audience isaffect the way the writer writes?Why does the writer go to the trouble ofmaking adjustments to his or her writingdepending on the audience?Why does the writer care who the audience is?

• Ask: Why do writers write?• List the responses on the board.• Hand out “The Writer/Audience Situation”

sheet; explain different aspects of the picture.• Ask students to name the different kinds of

writing they do: list them on the board; includelists, resumes, instructions, etc.

• List other writing types.• Add “The GED Essay Test”.• Analyze a few of the examples by describing

the writer in detail, the writer’s purpose, andthe audience in each situation; write descriptionsof each in a matrix on the board; point outhow the same person can be describeddifferently in different writing situations.

• Divide students into pairs and assign them awriting type from the list on the board; havethem describe the writer, the writer’s purpose,and audience.

• Have students present their analysis to the class;fill in the matrix with the new information theyhave offered.

4. Describe the GED test-taker’s situation

Discuss “The GED Essay Test” situation andanalyze it as above; write out the analysis on theboard.

5. Read some essays to identify the writer/audience situation; describe how differentaudiences affect language

Materials: A children’s storyA GED science readingA movie review

• Group students into three groups. Give eachgroup one of the following reading types:

A children’s storyA GED science readingA movie review

• Have each group, again, describe the writer, thewriter’s purpose, and the audience; this timethey should also carefully describe how thelanguage of the reading is affected by thewriter /audience situation and what strategiesthe writer uses to get his or her ideas across.

• Go back to other examples on the matrix andask: How is the language affected by thiswriter/audience situation? What are some ofthe strategies the writer needs to use to get his/her point across?

6. Write Essay #2

Have students write an essay using the followinginstructions:

Write a letter to an old boyfriend/girlfriend/husband/wife to explain you are breaking upwith him or her. Explain that you are breakingup with him or her in the first paragraph, then,give three reasons why you are breaking up.Explain each reason in a separate paragraph.

Choose one of the following activities as follow-up:

" Have students read their essays aloud. Ask otherstudents to comment. What is interesting aboutthe essay? What do they want to hear moreabout? What is confusing?

" Divide students into pairs to read their essays toeach other. Have them answer the samequestions as above in writing and discuss theiranswers with their partner.

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" Collect the essays, read them, and comment onthem. Type up a selection of essays to be readin later classes for comment.

Use a variety of strategies for getting theaudience’s attention

1. Brainstorm ways of getting someone’sattention in general

Materials:An advertisement

• Ask: In your everyday life, how do you getpeople’s attention so they will listen to you?Why is getting someone’s attention important inan essay?

• List student responses on the board.• Ask: What are ways this society tries to get

your attention and get you to do differentthings?

• List student responses on the board.• Hand out an advertisement; ask: How does

this ad get the audience’s attention?• Add to the list on the board.

2. Apply these to the writing situation

• Get out “The Writer/Audience Situation” sheetand review.

• Emphasize how all audiences have better thingsto do than read something they are notinterested in or something that does not grabtheir attention.

• Ask: What are some ways to get the audience’sattention when you are writing? What aredifferent strategies for different audiences?

• List student responses on the board.• Use your list of attention-getting devices the

students had generated and ask: How couldyou use this attention-getting device in writing?

• List specifics on the board.

3. Read some essays to identify particularattention-getting devices

Materials:Essay introductions that demonstrate goodattention getting devices(Typed up student essays can be used)

• Hand out a packet of essay openings and ask:how does each try to get the readers’ attention?

• List methods on the board.

4. Apply attention-getting devices to differentaudience/writer situations

Materials:Index cards with differentaudience/writer situations written onthem

!!!!! Example: daughter/mother/letter; journalist/newspaperreader/movie review; preacher/churchgoers/sermon, etc.

A reading from the newspaper on acontroversial topic that would engagestudent interest

• Hand out index cards with different audience/ writer situations written on them.• Have students list strategies for getting any

audience’s attention; have students apply thesemethods to specific writing situations.

• Write a controversial essay topic on the board(choose one that is current and will grab theirattention; they should also be able to use theirpersonal experiences to support their positions).

• Have students write out a way to get theaudience’s attention for a discussion of thistopic; have them read their attention-gettingmaterial to the class.

• Hand out the reading on the controversialtopic. Have students read the article and discussit in class to determine the author’s point ofview and his/her reasons for that point ofview.

Identify and write thesis statements

1. Brainstorm a set of possible opinionsaround a particular topic

• Continue with the topic introduced in theprevious exercise.

• Write pro and con on the board: have studentssuggest possible opinions on the topic thatwould fall under each category.

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• Ask students which of the opinions listed onthe board is the one they would argue.

2. Set up a debate situation using particularopinions

• Place students into groups according to theiropinions, pro or con.

• Have students express the reasons for theiropinions to their group.

• Have one student act as secretary by writingdown the different reasons for the expressedopinions.

• Have students assign a different reason for thegroup’s overall opinion to each group memberto present in the debate. Have them think of apersonal experience that explains why theirreason makes sense.

• Have each student prepare what he or she isgoing to say (limit students to two minutes) inthe debate; encourage them to take notes, etc.

3. Conduct the debate with each studentoffering a different reason for their group’sopinion

Facilitate the debate by:• Giving each student two minutes to

present his or her reason for theirgroup’s opinion

• Having each student give a personalexperience or example of why this is agood reason

• Alternating from one group to theother for these two-minutepresentations

• Not allowing students to interrupteach other while they have the floorbut asking them to take notes for theirrebuttals later; encouraging students toprepare to be specific and direct intheir rebuttals

• Allowing one side then the other tohave their turns at rebuttals

4. Identify the differences between opinionsand reasons

• Have the debate teams meet again to:Write down the opinion(s) of theother team

Write down the reasons for thoseopinions.

• Have each team come to the board to writedown their lists of their opponent’s opinionsand reasons.

• Have the opposing team add and subtractfrom the list as needed.

• Ask students to define the differences betweenopinions and reasons.

• Generate guidelines for identifying each.

5. Introduce a formal definition of a thesisstatement

Equate thesis statements with opinions by saying athesis statement is:" A formal statement of an opinion" The reason for writing an essay" The statement the rest of the essay will support.

6. Write Essay #3

• Put students in pairs.• Have them explain their point of view and

three reasons for their point of view on thetopic the class debated in the previous exercise.Have them relate their personal experiences forgiving each reason.

Have students write an essay using the followingdescription:

Write an essay that uses an effective attention-getting device in the introductory paragraph. Inthat paragraph, also present your point of view.Then, in three separate paragraphs, give adifferent reason for your point of view andexplain your personal reasons for believing eachone.

Choose one of the following activities asfollow-up:

" Have students read their essays aloud" Divide students into pairs to read their essays to" each other" Type up the essays to be read in later classes for

comment

7. Select thesis statements from a mixed listof statements

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Materials:A list of mixed thesis statements andother statements

• Hand out the list of mixed statements.• Have students underline the thesis statements.• When students are finished, have each statement

read aloud; ask if it is a thesis statement or not;have students explain why it is or it isn’t.

8. Present different current events topics andhave students write a thesis statement oneach

Materials:A list of current events topics

• Prepare a list of current events topics; put oneon the board at a time and have students writea thesis statement on each.

• Go around the room to have students readtheir thesis statements on each topic; askstudents if each statement is a thesis statementand why.

Create outlines that back up thesisstatements

1. Set up another debate situation

Materials:Another reading on a controversial topic

• Hand out and read the article. Determine theauthor’s thesis and reasons.

• Write the thesis on the board.• Brainstorm all the possible opinions: pro and

con.• Have students state their opinions and divide

them into debate teams.

2. Debate teams write their own thesisstatements and reasons and anticipate theiropponent’s

• Have debate teams write their thesis statementand list their reasons.

• Next have them write what they think theiropponent’s thesis statement is and the reasonthey have for their position; make sure this iswritten on a separate sheet of paper.

3. Debate teams swap lists to compareexpectations

• Have debate teams swap the pages that listwhat they anticipate their opponent’s thesisstatement and reasons will be.

• Have each team analyze the similarities anddifferences and report them to the class.

4. Debate teams create stronger reasons fortheir own thesis statement and discusstheir changes

• Have debate teams discuss the changes theywould make to their argument to make themstronger.

• Ask: how does thinking about your opponent’sreasons for their argument make your argumentstronger?

5. Look at essay outlines to understandoutline structure

• On the board, write a Roman Numeral I andhave one of the debate teams give you theirthesis; write it on the board.

• Write II, III, and IV on the board and have theteam give you their three strongest reasons;write them on the board.

• Then have them give explanations of eachreason; take notes and put them in the rightcategory, indenting and using a), b), and c), etc.

• Have each group do an outline for the othergroup.

6. Write Essay #4

Have students write an essay using the followinginstructions:

Use your outline to write an essay with a thesisstatement and three supporting paragraphs. Useexplanations, examples, or descriptions to makeyour points.

Choose one of the following activities as follow-up:" Have students read their essays aloud." Divide students into pairs to read their essays to

each other.

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" Type up the essays to be read in later classes forcomment.

Write introductory paragraphs

1. Present the idea that good introductionsmust have four parts

• Ask students to get out “The Writer/AudienceSituation” sheet

• Ask: Why do essays have to have anintroduction? What do introductions have todo to satisfy the audience’s needs?

• List student responses on the board.• Emphasize that the audience doesn’t know who

you are, what you want to talk about, or why.

Define an introduction by listing the following fourelements:

1. A way of getting the audience interestedin their topic2. An explanation of why the topic isimportant3. A presentation of a thesis4. A roadmap for the entire essay

2. Explain how the introduction is the “roadmap” for the entire essay

• Ask: What do you think “road map for theentire essay” means? Why should it be included?How would it help the audience? How are“road maps” and outlines related? Whatlanguage can you use to help with telling youraudience your road map? (First, Second, Third)How do you punctuate a list of items? Howwould you use a list as a road map?

• Ask: Do introductions have to be long? Dothey have to be short? Who would be the judgeof a good introduction? (Your audience) Howwould this help you to judge the effectivenessof your own work? (Read it from theaudience’s point of view)

3. Read a set of introductions and identifythe three parts in each

Materials: Introductions typed up fromstudent essays to hand out to students

• Have students identify the three parts ofintroductions, if those parts are present.

• Divide students into pairs to check each other’swork.

• Have pairs share their “answers” with the classand make recommendations to the writer onhow to re-write their essay.

4. Write an introduction

• Present a current event debate topic.• Have students generate thesis statements and

take “sides”.• Have teams generate “pro and con” lists.• Have students write an introductory paragraph

using their thesis statement.

5. Present these introductions to the class forevaluation

Have each student read their paragraph to theopposite “team”; have the teams give eachparagraph a number using the following pointsystem:• One to two points for each of the 4

introduction items• One to three points for audience interest

level• After each student reads, have team

members on the opposite team raisenumbers in the air “Olympics Style”.

• Ask students to justify their scores; recordscores on the board.

• Tally final scores for each team.

6. Repeat writing/evaluation cycle asnecessary

• Write a new topic on the board.• Have students create pro and con thesis lists on

their own, choose a thesis, and write anintroductory paragraph.

• Have people read their thesis statements anddivide students into debate teams.

• Score the paragraphs read aloud “OlympicsStyle” as before.

7. Write Essay #5

Have students write an essay using the followinginstructions:

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Write an essay using your team’s outline. Makesure the essay has a three-part introduction,three supporting paragraphs.

Identify main ideas in supportingparagraphs

Read essays and highlight thesis statements inintroductions and main ideas in supportingparagraphs

Materials:Student essays, typed up for evaluation

• Get out “The Writer/Audience Situation” sheet.• Ask: What is a main idea in a paragraph?

What is the purpose of stating the main ideaclearly? (To engage and aid the audience)What is the relationship between an outline andthe main idea?

• Hand out sample essay; have students underlinethe thesis and the main ideas in each of thesupporting paragraphs.

• Divide students into pairs to check each other’sanswers.

• Have students evaluate the introductions andthe clarity of the main ideas in each paragraph.

Write supporting paragraphs

1. Present the varieties of paragraphstructures

• Have students get out “The Writer/AudienceSituation” sheet.

• Review the three elements necessary in anintroduction and how these elements satisfy theaudience’s needs.

• Review how clear main ideas in paragraphssatisfy the audience’s needs.

• Ask: What does the audience need after themain ideas are clear? What should supportingparagraphs do? Why? What are the differentways supporting paragraphs can get theparagraph’s main ideas across to the audience?

• Brainstorm a list of strategies for making mainideas clear including: examples, descriptions,stories, facts, explanations.

2. Read essays and identify the different kindsof paragraph structures

Materials:An essay that employs many strategies toget its point across

• Hand out the essay; have students underline thethesis and the main ideas in the supportingparagraph.

• Put students into pairs and assign each pair adifferent paragraph.

• Have pairs identify the strategy used to makethe main idea clear.

• Have each pair read a paragraph aloud insuccession giving their analysis of the paragraphafter each reading.

3. Write Essay #6

Have students rewrite an essay they have alreadywritten in prior lessons to improve the introductionand supporting paragraphs. Have them hand in theoriginal as well as the typed re-written essay with anexplanation of what they changed and why.

4. Swap essays to highlight thesis statementsand main ideas and to identify paragraphstructure types

Materials:Students’ re-written essays

• Give each student an essay that isn’t their own.• Have students read the essays, underline the

thesis statements and main ideas, and write thestrategy for making the main ideas clear in themargins beside each paragraph.

• Then have students give the essays a scoreaccording to the following rules:" One to two points for each clear

main idea" One to two points for each interesting

paragraph (from the audience’s point ofview)

" One to three points for how well theparagraphs make sense together

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5. Read and evaluate student essays one at atime

• Have each student read the essay aloud thathe or she has evaluated.

• Have each of the students give the essay a score“Olympics Style”; write the scores on theboard.

• Have the students who evaluated the essay givetheir score and a full explanation of why.

• Discuss each essay and determine a class score.

Write concluding paragraphs

1. Present requirements for concludingparagraphs

• Ask: What does the audience need in aconclusion?What should the audience be leftwith to make it walk away with a sense ofhaving read something worthwhile?

• Record responses on the board.• Present the following outline for a conclusion:

1. Re-address the audience2. Assess the impact of the argument3. Send the audience away with somethingto think about

• Ask: Why does the writer need to re-addressthe audience?Where else does the writer address theaudience?Why?Why should the writer address the audience atthe beginning and at the end?What are some ways to re-address theaudience?Why should you bring up the importance ofyour argument again?Why should you bring up new ideas at the end?What does that do for your audience?

• Ask: How is an essay like a sales pitch?When have you ever sold something?To whom did you sell? To your mother, yourmate, your children? Give some examples.What did you say?What elements of these sales pitches areelements of an essay?

• Divide students into pairs to:Tell each other a sales pitch they made inthe pastMake an outline of their sales pitch usingessay formPractice presenting their sales pitchesfrom their outlinesHave students give their sales pitches tothe classAsk the class to point out how each pitchuses the essay form.

2. Read other concluding paragraphs andidentify parts

Materials: The essay analyzed in theprevious exercise

• Have students get out the essay withintroductions and supporting paragraphsalready analyzed.

• Have them label the parts of the concludingparagraph.

• Put students into pairs to check their work.• Check the analysis as a class.

3. Write concluding paragraphs to in-processessay

• Ask students to get out their essays and write aconcluding paragraph to one of them.

• Go around the room and read theseparagraphs aloud and have students score theconclusions using the following rules:" One to two points for re-addressing the

audience" One to two points for assessing the

impact of the argument" One to two points for sending the

audience off with an interestingnew idea

" One to two points for overall effect

4. Present GED essay grading scale

Materials:GED essay grading scaleEssays that accompany the official essaygrading scale

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• Hand out GED grading scale and essays.• Have students read and grade the essays.• Go around the room to have students give

their scores and justify their answers.

5. Read student essays and evaluate by givinga GED score

Materials:Packet of typed student essays

• Distribute packets of students’ finished essays.• Have students read the first essay.• Have students underline thesis statements and

main ideas, label each paragraph with thestrategy the author used for getting the mainidea across, and identify the three parts in theconclusion.

• Have each student assign a GED score.• Go around the room to have students give and

defend different scores.• Repeat these procedures for each essay.

Learn compare and contrast/ cause andeffect essay formats

1. Write compare and contrast format

Materials:“Compare and Contrast” Sheet (included)

• Review the five-paragraph theme that studentshave been learning.

• Ask students to tell you how to “draw” thetheme on the board. Use boxes and/ortriangles to “draw” the structure of the essay.

• Explain that there are different formats foressays depending on the type of essay beingwritten. The two that this course will addressare compare and contrast and cause and effect.

• For the compare and contrast form, tellstudents they will be interviewing two peopleabout their career interests and plans.

• Ask: If you wanted to know about someone’scareer plans, what topics would you need tocover.

• List students’ suggestions on the board. Havethe class choose the most important three.

• Put students into three groups, give each achosen topic, and have them come up with a

list of ten questions that help them find outmore information on their topic.

• Put two chairs in front of the class and ask twostudents to be interviewed. (If you want tochoose students randomly, have students countoff so they each have a different number andwrite their numbers on small slips of paper. Putthe numbers into a “hat”, and draw twonumbers from the hat.)

• Hand out the “Compare and Contrast” Sheet.• Ask: Where on this sheet do you think you

should put the names of the students?How do you know?Where do you put the topics?Where do you summarize the answers to thedifferent groups’ questions?When will you fill in the “How Alike” square?

• Have student groups conduct per topicinterviews of the students. Each member ofthe group that composed questions around aspecific topic can ask the questions they plannedor ask different, more interesting questions thatcome to mind as result of hearing interviewees’answers.

• At the end of each per topic group interview,ask the class to summarize the types of answersinterviewees gave. Have them write the basicdifferences in the appropriate circles on eitherside of the “Qualities” (or topic) box.

• At the end of the interviews ask: How are thetwo students alike?

• Put students into four groups. Have eachgroup assign a secretary. Assign each group aset of boxes from the chart: “How Alike”,Quality #1 box set, Quality #2 box set, Quality#3 box set. Have each group write aparagraph that summarizes the similarities anddifferences between the two interviewees andtheir career plans.

• Explain that the first paragraph is theintroduction, and the other three are thesupporting paragraphs.

• Have groups read their paragraphs. Write thelanguage students use in their paragraphs thatare specific to compare and contrast essays onthe board. For example, while one is like XXX,the other is like XXX.

• Assign a full write-up of this compare andcontrast essay as homework.

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2. Write cause and effect format

Materials:“Fish Bone Organizer” (included)“Multiple Causes” Sheets (included)

• Ask students to list all the major problems inthe world. List their answers on the board.

• Choose the one the class wants to quicklyorganize.

• Hand out the “Fish Bone Organizer” sheet.• Have students write the problem in the Effect/

Cause box.• Brainstorm causes; fill in the fishbone with the

causes.• Have the class choose the most important

causes.• Divide students into groups to quickly outline

an essay.• Ask students to pick four other major

problems in the world.• Hand out the “Multiple Causes” Sheet.• Have students fill in the “causal condition”

boxes and discuss the overall effect.• Have students choose other lists of causes on

chosen topics and discuss the overall effect.• For students that have had the Reading class,

ask which of these diagrams is more likeanalysis and which is more like synthesis? Why?

Respond to essay topics in 45 minutes

1. Strategize for writing essay topics quickly

• Create class essay writing protocol that includes:" Think" Write a thesis" Write three reasons for the thesis.

• Ask: What is the first thing, second thing, thirdthing, etc. you need to do?How long should each part take? (Outlining =no more than 10 minutes)

• Come to a consensus.• Discuss process and timing presented in the

protocol.• List potential problems on the board.• Troubleshoot potentials problems by asking:

What would you do when X happens?• Discuss dealing with anxiety and how to

overcome it.

2. Write timed outlines

Materials:Index cards with possible essay topics onthem

• Prepare a “deck” of topics by putting eachtopic on a separate index card. (Consult GEDPractice Tests for these)

• Have students pick a topic from the “deck”.• Give students ten minutes to write an outline

for the topic using the protocol.• Divide students into pairs to discuss their work

and fill out outlines.• Have students pick another topic from the deck

and repeat procedure as necessary.

3. Write timed essays from outlines

• Have students choose an outline.• Give them 35 minutes to write an essay from

the outline.• Have students swap essays, read them, and give

them a GED score.• Have pairs meet to discuss scores and plan to

make improvements for next time.

4. Write timed essays from outline tocompletion

• Put a topic on the board.• Time a 45 minute essay writing period.• Have students swap essays to score and discuss

as above. Repeat as necessary.

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Compare and Contrast

How Alike

Quality

! "

#

#

#

$

$

$

Fish Bone Organizer

EFFECT/CAUSE

Multiple Causes

Causal Condition

Effect%

Writer Audience&Communication

The Writer/Audience Situation

Social Studies and Science○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

STRATEGIES FOR TEACHINGTHE SOCIAL STUDIES ANDSCIENCE COURSE SYLLABICompetencies

By the end of this course students will be able to:

♦♦♦♦♦ Use the four critical thinking skills♦♦♦♦♦ Understand how critical thinking skills

relate to GED test questions♦♦♦♦♦ Understand the different types of GED

questions♦♦♦♦♦ Analyze GED answers♦♦♦♦♦ Take GED tests

Course Descriptions

The guidelines and syllabi for the GED SocialStudies and Science portion of this curriculumcontain hands-on projects and integrated readingand GED test materials to ensure that studentsinteract with the extensive number of requiredtopics in both subjects. These courses assume thatclasses will meet 4 days a week, 2 hours a day, for12 weeks. Similar types of materials have been selected forboth courses as well as similar approaches tohandling these materials in the classroom. Therefore,the guidelines that follow are meant to aid teachersin the implementation of both the Social Studiesand Science syllabi.

Changes to the Social Studies and Sciencecourses due to 2002 GED Changes

The changes to the Social Studies and Scienceportions of the 2002 GED test are extensive. Inpast GED tests, Social Studies and Science werelargely reading tests in the areas of Social Studiesand Science. Students who were good readers andhad good test-taking skills could do well on these

tests without studying specific content areas. Now,with the changes in the 2002 GED test, studentsmust come to the test versed in a wide range ofspecific content areas in both subjects. Because ofthese changes, these two new courses have beenadded to the former curriculum. The specific changes to each of these subjectareas are listed below.

Social Studies:

! Before the topic areas were History,Geography, Economics, Political Science, andBehavioral Science. Now the topic areas are:US History, Geography, Economics, Civics andGovernment, and World History.

! There is an increase in questions on Civics andGovernment.

! Behavioral Science is now integrated into theother topic areas.

! There is a decrease in application questions andan increase in analysis questions.

! There are now fewer reading passages andmore graphic material to analyze. More ofthese questions will assume student knowledgein the tested areas.

! All tests now include questions about keydocuments: the Constitution, the Declarationof Independence, etc.

Science:

! The new test has integrated concepts presentedin the National Science Education ContentStandards into the 2002 GED test. Thesestandards not only emphasize the importanceof basic knowledge in the Physical, Life, andEarth and Space Sciences, but require thatstudents are able to understand their applicationin the modern world.

! There are an increased number ofenvironmental and health questions.

! Now, 25% of the questions will be related togiven passages and 75% of the questions willbe unrelated to a passage.

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Required Resources

The GED Social Studies and Science coursespresented here rely on Steck-Vaughn’s Pre-GEDand GED Social Studies and Science materials.While other reading and exercise materials may beused as supplements, these materials have beenchosen because there is a tight relationship betweencontent areas in the Pre-GED books and testmaterials in the GED books.

Guidelines for each Day Type

The GED Social Studies and Science coursespresented here follow a similar pattern. Each courseis made up of a four-day schedule, and each dayfollows a similar set of activities in both courses.These activity sets are detailed below, as are theimportant distinctions between the two courses.These instructions can be best understood if readwhile looking at the syllabi they describe.

Day 1: The first day of the course

In both the Social Studies and Science courses, thefirst day consists of a review of the “GED CriticalThinking Skills” sheet. As mentioned earlier, thecritical thinking skills for these two subjects areComprehension, Application, Analysis, andEvaluation. This sheet and the exercises thatintroduce them are included in the supplementarymaterials that accompany these curricula. Teacherscan review these materials so they can introduce anduse the concepts on the “GED Critical ThinkingSkills” sheet throughout the course. In lateractivities, students will be asked to identify thecritical thinking skills used in GED test questions.

The first day of every week

Introduce a concept of the weekThe Day 1 concepts are designated on each syllabusand constitute one of two concepts that are to behighlighted during the week in homework and onGED test materials. The idea for this day type is tofind out what the students know about a specificconcept, what they don’t know, and to have themwork in groups to do research. Day 1 activities areas follows:

" Write the concept to discuss on the board." Divide students into pairs to jot down things

they already know about the topic." Go from pair to pair and have them give one

piece of information they know about thetopic. List their answers on the board.

" Have students identify the significant facts onthe list. Underline them on the board.

" Ask students to work in pairs to list those thingsthey don’t know about the concept.

" Ask pairs to report their list and write theirideas as before.

" Assign pairs different questions to answer fromthe list. Supply these students with large or smallindex cards for their answers.

" If possible, give students time to do research inthe classroom using collected materials or assignthe research as homework. (If the research is tobe homework, ask each student how/where/when will they search for the answers)

" When students have found the answer, they areto write the significant facts on index cards andattach it to the per-class classroom projectboards.

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Social Studies Classroom Project Boards

Topic Corresponding Project Board

Geography A large map of the world

World History A large timeline with BC and AD centuries clearly marked

US History A separate (parallel) timeline with relevant centuries markedA large map of the US

Economics Another separate (parallel) timeline to chart significant economic events

Civics and A (very) large sheet of paper divided into the following columns: State Government Constitutions, The Federal Constitution, The Declaration of Independence, The

Bill of Rights

Timelines will require that the classroom be fitted with (colored) string that can be used to connect a specificpoint on the timeline to the discovered fact.

Science Classroom Project Boards

Topic Corresponding Project Board

Life Science A large sheet of paper with the word “cell” written at the topAn outline of the human body on a large sheet of paperA large sheet of paper with the word “genetics” written on it

Earth and Space A large sheet of paper with a large circle drawn on it and the word “earth” Science written above it

A large sheet of paper with the word “solar system” written on it

Chemical A large sheet of paper with the word “matter” written on it Science

Physics A large sheet of paper with the word “forces” written on itA large sheet of paper with the word “energy” written on it

Encourage the students to draw on these blank sheets of paper. Time should be set aside for pairs to designthe sheets, add labels, and add facts (again with index cards and string) as they are found. Have studentsdesignate what needs to be done to design each sheet and make assignments to different groups. Expectthat these finished projects may look very different with different groups of students.

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Materials required

The more in-class materials used with thecurriculum, the better. These could/should include:current newspapers, magazines, encyclopedias,computers connected to the internet, a variety ofsocial studies and science text books, historicalatlases, world atlases, etc. Teachers and studentsshould get books out of the library if need be and/or track down and use computers in thecommunity together.

Day 1: Homework

Day One homework always consists of a readingand set of exercises that go further into the topicdiscussed in Day One. If pairs find answers to theirassigned questions in these readings, they can alwaysadd them to the classroom project boards usingindex cards and string.

Day 2: The course project: research, groupwork, and writing a GED test

Day Two is devoted to a group research projectthat will result in student-written GED tests onrelevant Social Studies and Science current eventstopics. Below is the list of general activities thatshow up in the syllabi under Day Two alongside thespecifics that explain how the research projectshould be organized.

PLEASE SEE TABLE ON NEXT PAGE

If possible, programs should subscribe to asmany newspapers as they can afford as this processis planned for both the Social Studies and Scienceclasses. Additionally, staff and students should bringin old copies of magazines they subscribe to sothere are ample amounts of material to lookthrough.

Day 2: Homework

The reading for Day Two is on the topic that willbe discussed in class on Day Three.

Day 3: Concepts and GED materials

The Day Three concept should be approached inthe same way as Day One, only this time studentswill have read about the topic already. Therefore,when they are asked about what they know aboutthe topic, they should be able to pull informationfrom the reading to put on the list of what they doknow. This information should be listed on theboard and important information should beselected, written on index cards, and added to theClassroom Project Boards. Students shouldcontinue to identify what they don’t know, however,in this class they will not need to do specificresearch on these questions (unless the teacher thinksthis is important). The Steck-Vaughn GED chapters are organizedto cover a specific GED skill and content area, andthen offer GED questions under the headings“GED Content Focus” and “GED Practice”.Teachers can work with these materials howeverthey wish and assign the remainder as homework.They can use these materials to reinforce skills, bringin other materials or exercises, or skip themaltogether if they have been covered in othercontexts. (See the instructions in Day Four whenworking with practice GED questions.) Whateverthe approach, teachers should emphasize thatstudents are not to take the mini-test that is includedin each chapter. They will need to leave these blankso that they can build up their test-taking skills undertimed conditions using these mini-tests thefollowing day.

Day 4: Taking GED tests

Here is a set of suggested procedures for takingGED mini-tests:

" Have students take the timed test.(They are each ten minutes long. Students are tomark where they are at the ten-minute markand complete the test.)

" While they are taking the test they should:1) mark the answer they are sure of,2) cross out answers they know are not rightfor questions of which they are not so sure.

" When students are done they should go overand read the question to determine the criticalthinking skill being tested and write it next tothe question.

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Day Activity From More Detailed Instructions the Syllabus

Correlate Course and List all the major topics of the course on the board. Newspaper/Magazine/ Ask students to tell you about what subjects the GED will test and how Internet Topics it will test those subjects (Charts, graphs, political cartoons, passages, etc.).

Put students into pairs and give them each a whole newspaper (preferablyfrom different days).Ask them to look through the newspapers to find those parts of thenewspaper that are relevant to the course.Have students report what they have found.Match their findings with the subjects on the boardAsk students to look at a minimum of three newspapers during the weekand cut out what they find that fits into the categories they have established.Encourage students to look at magazines as well.

Organize Groups Have students present what they find during the week.Sort them according to course topics.Put students into study groups by assigning them to the different topics.Give the course assignment: each group is to come up with X number ofarticles, X number of charts and graphs. Each group member should bringin two pieces of research a week. Groups should divide up tasks andmonitor different newspapers and/or magazines. Explain that they will bemaking a GED test out of the materials they find.

Group Research: Groups should meet to present their findings, share what seemed Sorting to be good resources, and make adjustments to their research plan.

Groups should report their progress to the class and the class shouldtroubleshoot any researching problems.

Group Research: Groups should meet to go over their findings as before Reading/Summarizing Groups should also divide up the articles they found among themselves,

make photocopies, and do the following assignment: read the articles,circle or state the main ideas, underline the topic sentences, write a separatesummary. These summaries should be written without the article in frontof them. They should make an outline of the article IN THEIR OWNWORDS and use the outline to write a summary IN THEIR OWNWORDS. Discuss the dangers and consequences of plagerism.Go through this reading, outlining, and summarizing process as a class witha sample article.

Select/Order Materials Groups should meet to: read each other’s summaries, choose the bestmaterials to include in a GED test, and begin to put the materials they havecollected in order.

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Day Activity From More Detailed Instructions the Syllabus

Lay Out the Test/ Groups should meet to: make a final decision on what is going to be Write Questions included in the test and in what order and make assignments about who is

to write questions for which article/chart/graph/political cartoon/etc. Todo these tasks, groups should look at other GED tests and decide howmany questions should be attached to each piece and what kinds ofthinking skill each should test. Groups should also make a timeline forwhen certain parts of the test should be completed.

Write Questions Groups should meet to go over questions and answers students havewritten and do any necessary re-writes.

Type and Assemble The class needs to come up with a plan to assemble the GED test. Whowill do the typing? When? Who will do the assembling? When? Etc.

Take Student Tests Have students take each other’s tests.Meet as a class to discuss how the tests they took compared to the otherGED tests they have been taking.

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" Divide students into pairs to come to aconsensus on the critical thinking skills.

Come back together as a class and ask thefollowing set of questions for each test question:

" What critical thinking skill does this questiontest? How do you know?

" How many are sure of their answer to thisquestion? How many are not?

" Which answer(s) do you know are wrong?Why?

" Which answer(s) make some sense? Why?" What is the best answer? Why?" What, if anything, made this question difficult/

tricky?

Homework

Homework on Day Four consists of completingwork for students’ group research project that willresult in a written GED test. For the Social Studiesand Science classes this means doing a sustainedproject on a single topic that is assigned to groupsat the beginning of the course. Newspaper,magazines, and the internet will be key to theseprojects’ success. To reinforce use of the internet,teachers can put students into pairs and have themplan to look for information together outside ofclass.

Vocabulary

Students in both courses should be required to keepa vocabulary notebook. In this notebook, studentsshould write down those new words they learn inthe course of their reading alongside the definitionsof those words. Students can be put into pairs toquiz each other on the words in their notebooks(learning to spell them is optional but possible) andformal word quizzes are highly recommended.While these activities are not included in the syllabus,these practices can be integrated at the teacher’sdiscretion.

PLEASE SEE THE APPENDIX FOR THESOCIAL STUDIES AND SCIENCESYLLABI.

Supplementary Exercises:Critical Thinking SkillsThese supplementary exercises help studentspractice critical thinking skills. Teachers should readthrough these exercises to get ideas about how touse the “GED Critical Thinking Skills” sheet(included).

Use the Four Critical Thinking Skills

1. Use pictures to generate questions todevelop critical thinking skills

Materials: A magazine advertisementTwo political cartoons

• Explain that the purpose of this set of exercisesis to relate the four critical thinking skills usedon the GED test to visual examples.

• Write the following on the board:Group #1What are the facts about the picture?! What are the direct facts about the picture?! What are the indirect facts about the picture?

Group #2What is the meaning of the picture?! What is the picture trying to get you to think/

do?! How do you know?

Group #3What other situations are like the situation in thepicture?! How is the situation/meaning of the picture

like other situations or meanings?

Group #4What is your opinion of the situation in the picture?! What do you think of the situation/meaning of

the picture?

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Group #1 Questions

• Hand out an advertisement.• Ask for three direct facts about the ad.• Put students into four groups to create a list of

direct facts about the picture.• After the groups have met, go around the

room to ask a different representative fromeach group for a direct fact about the pictureuntil all the major direct facts have beenidentified.

• Repeat this procedure to identify the indirectfacts; cue students with the following:summarize the action, state the main idea, statethe purpose, and identify feelings, symbols, andrelationships that describe the action in thepicture.

Group #2 Questions

• Ask each group to meet to answer thequestions under “Group 2”.

• After the groups have met, ask the first questionand have a representative from each group givetheir answer.

• Write their answers on the board.• Ask the second question and have a different

representative from each group give the reasonsbehind their first answer.

• Ask the third question and go to a differentrepresentative of each group for their answers.

Group #3 Questions

• Have each group answer the question in Group3; they should meet to brainstorm a list ofparallel situations to the one(s) in thepicture. Have the groups share their answerswith the class, ask how the meanings/situationsare parallel; list their answers on the board.

Group #4 Questions and Repeat

• Ask individual students the questions in Group4.

• Hand out a political cartoon.• Assign each group a different set of questions.• Have the groups meet to answer the questions.• Have the groups report their answers.

• Repeat this procedure with a different cartoonif necessary.

2. Assign the names of the critical thinkingskills to the sets of questions

• Write the words “Comprehension, Analysis,Application, Evaluation” on the board in mixedorder.

• Ask: What does each word mean?Which word goes with which group ofquestions?How do you know?

• Come to a consensus on matches.• Reiterate that they have been using the critical

thinking skills listed on the board and these skillsare the ones used on the GED test.

Understand How Critical Thinking SkillsRelate to GED Test Questions

1. Understand the meaning of the “GEDCritical Thinking Skills” Sheet

Materials:“GED Critical Thinking Skills” Sheet(included)

• Explain that this lesson will try to make it clearwhat the thinker is doing when he/she uses thefour critical thinking skills. Once studentsunderstand this concept, they can understandwhat they need to do with different types ofGED test questions.

• Hand out the “GED Critical Thinking Skills”Sheet.

• Ask/read the following sets of questions:

Question Set #1• What is the main question you need to answer

when you are trying to comprehend a text?(From the sheet)

• What do you have to do to comprehend a text?(From the sheet)

• Where do you have to look to find the answersto comprehension questions on a GED test?

!!!!! Correct answer: the text.

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Let students struggleif they have to; when astudent gives the correct answer, ask whythat is the correct answer.

Question Set #2• What is the main question you need to answer

when you are trying to analyze a text? (Fromthe sheet)

• What do you have to do to analyze a text?(From the sheet)

• Are the answers to analysis questions in the text?!!!!! Correct answer: No• What kind of thinking do you have to use to

answer analysis questions:(write these on the board)

a) Imaginative thinking?b) Logical thinking?c) Formulating an opinion?

!!!!! Correct answer: logical thinking. Be emphaticabout the importance of this answer. Analysisquestions on the GED test are always lookingfor the logical conclusion to a situation.

Question Set #3• What is the main question you have to answer

to apply the meaning of a text? (From thesheet)

! EXAMPLES:If you are a scientist who has found a drug thatstops runny noses in rats, how could you applythis knowledge to humans? (An example ofapplied science)

How are these things related to one another?(Write these on the board)

Swimming is to water like flying is to________.

!!!!! Correct answer: air

The relationship between Europeans andIndians is basically the same in the United Statesas it is in _____________. (Why?)

My love for you is like a ______________.

Question Set #4• What is the main question you need to answer

when you are trying to evaluate a text? (Fromthe sheet)

• What is more important in the evaluation, thetext or you?

!!!!! Correct answer: you• Why?• What kinds of thinking processes should you

go through before you form an opinion?!!!!! Correct answer: Comprehend the

information to which you are responding,understand what it means, understand how it isrelated to other things.Let students stew over this one if they need toand then point emphatically to the sheet if theyneed a clue. Give students who want to answerenough room to answer the questioncompletely. Ask other students for help ifnecessary.

2. Understand the relationship between thetext, the thinker, and the critical thinkingskill

Materials:GED Practice Test

• Sit down at a table and put a GED Test infront of you; open the book to a page ofquestions.

• Ask the questions and perform the actionsdescribed below:

1. Where do you look for the answers tocomprehension questions?!!!!! Correct answer: in the text! When students say the answer, put your

head down close to the GED test.

2. What question do you have to answer toanalyze a text?!!!!! Correct answer: What does the text

mean?! When students say this, raise your head

higher above the test while still looking at it.

3. What question do you have to answer toapply the meaning of the text?

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!!!!! Correct answer: How can the meaningor situation in a text be applied to othersituations?

! When students say this, raise your head allthe way above the test, put your palms facedown in front of you and look from oneto the other.

4. What question do you have to answer toevaluate a text?!!!!! Correct answer: What is your

judgement of the text?! When students say this, look up to the

ceiling, put your hand to your chin, andhold your elbow with your other hand.

• Ask the following set of questions very quickly,and move yourself in relation to the test in theways described above as students name thecorrect critical thinking skill:

What is the first critical thinking skill?What is the second critical thinking skill?What is the third critical thinking skill?What is the fourth critical thinking skill?

• Ask:

1. How does the thinker’s relationship tothe text change as the skills move fromcomprehension to evaluation?(Make students think this through. Theanswer is: the thinker moves further away/becomes more independent from the text.)

2. What skills do people need to have to beindependent thinkers?!!!!! Correct answer: This sequence of

critical thinking skillsWhy?

3. What series of questions do many essaysoften answer to make their points?

4. Usually, what is the order of criticalthinking skills tested after each reading?!!!!! Correct answer: This sequence of

critical thinking skills

5. How will knowing this help you to be abetter test taker?

3. Sort series of statements according tocritical thinking skill

Materials:Blank index cards

• Divide students into pairs; give each pair a setof 12 blank index cards.

• Write the following set of four sentences on theboard in a different order than below:

1. Einstein discovers the theory ofrelativity.2. Research is done to see if the theory istrue.3. The U.S. makes nuclear weapons.4. Citizens march against the productionof more nuclear weapons.

NOTE: This series is in the order of the criticalthinking skills: Comprehension, Analysis,Application, and Evaluation. Make sure they arelisted in a different order on the board as studentswill need to understand what critical thinking skill isbeing illustrated and then put them in the correctorder as above.

• Also write: Comprehension, Analysis,Application, Evaluation.

• Have student pairs write the four statements onthe cards and have them put them in orderaccording to the critical thinking skill series andpractice explanations of how each statementdemonstrates a critical thinking skill.

• When students are ready, explain that studentsare to make the “action” of the critical thinkingskill (from the previous lesson) before theypresent their answers. Then, ask one pair: Whatstatement demonstrates comprehension? Why?

• Have students make the “action” ofcomprehension, read their statement, andexplain why they made that match.

• Ask if any other pair made the same choice;why? Ask if a pair had a different choice; why?Have the class come to a consensus beforegiving any answers. Keep making studentsperform the “action” of comprehensionbefore they present their choices andexplanations.

• Continue through the critical thinking seriesusing this procedure.

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• Repeat the process above twice using the twosets of sentences listed below:

1. The filmmaker makes a film about hischildhood.2. The film reviewer sees the film and triesto figure out what it means.3. The film reviewer compares this film toother films she has seen.4. The film reviewer says she likes the filmvery much.

_________________________________________________________

1. The senator has her staff do research onthe amount of gun violence in America.2. The senator looks at the facts anddecides she is for gun control.3. The senator thinks that gun controlpolicies should be linked to drug treatmentpolicies to have a lasting impact on violentcrime.4. The senator votes for gun controllegislation when it comes up and tries towrite legislation that supports stronger drugtreatment options for first time offenders.

NOTE: To extend this exercise if students enjoy orneed it: have pairs write their own series ofstatements. If this exercise is very difficult forstudents, make up series of statements that aremuch more obvious for students to put in order.

4. Match test questions and critical thinkingskills

Materials:Two Practice GED readings with questions

NOTE: Students don’t have to get all these answersright. They will be studying all the test question typesand will become good at recognizing them soon.The purpose of this exercise is to begin to make theconnection between critical thinking skills andquestion types.

• Divide students into pairs.• Give each pair the same Practice GED reading

and questions.• Have students read the reading and label

questions as Comprehension, Analysis,Application, or Evaluation.

• Go around the room to ask which skill is beingtested in each question: have the pair thatanswers do the “action” that demonstrateswhat the thinker is doing BEFORE they say thename of the skill they chose.

• Always ask: why did you give the answer youdid, did anyone else give that or anotheranswer, what were your reasons?

• Come to a consensus, THEN give the answer.• Repeat this exercise with another GED reading

and the same questions.

• Write the words “Comprehension, Analysis,Application, Evaluation” on the board in mixedorder.

• Ask: What does each word mean? Whichword goes with which group of questions?How do you know?

• Come to a consensus on matches.• Reiterate that they have been using the critical

thinking skills listed on the board and these skillsare the ones used on the GED test.

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GED CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS

COMPREHENSION ANALYSIS

APPLICATION EVALUATION

What does the text say?

Figure out the direct andindirect facts in the text.

What does the text mean?

Figure out what the text is trying to do. Draw conclusions.

How can the meaning orsituation in the text beapplied to other situations?

$

$%

%

What is your judgement ofthe text?

&

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GED CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS QUESTION TEMPLATE

1. Comprehension

! What are the (important) facts in the text?! What are the indirect meanings in the text?! (Main idea, summary, restatement of information, suggestion, inference)

2. Analysis

! What parts of the text are fact and which are opinion? (Hypothesis, thesis)! What are the causes and effects demonstrated in the text?! What logical conclusions can you draw from this text?

3. Application! What other situations are like the situation described in the text?

4. Evaluation! Does the text present enough good logical information to make the author’s point?! What are the author’s values?! How good is the information?! What would/should happen as a result of the presented information?

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Comprehension

Direct" what was" which of the following is" according to the passage/graph/cartoonist

Indirect" which (word) best describes" the main purpose is" the main idea in the passage is" a summary of the passage is" which of the following is a restatement of" from the information given in the

passage, you can infer" was a direct result of" details of this event suggest that" which of the following is true" determine which of the following

Application" is most similar to that of" which is most like" which is based on the same idea as" which of the following is an example of" which of the following is not" which of the following would have the

least" which of the following would be" knowing this, you would" is best classified as" is an example of" the characteristics resemble those of

Key Words for Critical Thinking Skills in GED QuestionsAnalysis

" which of the following explains why" assumes" expresses the author’s opinion" leads you to conclude" is supported by the data" from the information given in the passage" would probably cause" this was done because" which facts are needed for a cause and

effect relationship" which of the following would be most

likely" which of the following is most apt to

Literature and Arts" what is the tone of the passage" what is the point of view of the passage" the author’s purpose" the details in the passage are arranged to

Evaluation(Science and Social Studies Only)" which of the following could be a value of" it would be true if" if this is true, what should be done" what information would support the

hypothesis/conclusion/assumption that" the logic is faulty because" it is a likely result of" which of the following would you expect

to find" from the possible situations listed below" when something might occur

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PROTOCOLS FOR ANSWERS ON THE GED TEST:DECIDING HOW MUCH YOU KNOW

After reading the question, decide on one of the following categories:

1. I understand the question and the answerProtocol:

! Skim the answer! Find the answer, mark it down, move on

2. I understand the question and I think I know the answerProtocol:

! Read each answer quickly! Cross off those answers you know are wrong! If you find the answer while reading, mark it down, and move on

OR! Re-read the answers not crossed off! Choose the best answer

3. I understand the question and I don’t know the answerProtocol:

! Read each answer carefully! Cross off those answers you know are wrong! Check the passage for basic understanding! Choose an answer, mark it down, and move on

4. I don’t understand the question and I don’t know the answerProtocol:

! Look again at the reading to clarify! Read each answer carefully! Cross off those answers you know are wrong! Choose an answer, mark it down, move on

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GED ANSWER TEMPLATE

√ Offer one ridiculous answer that completely misunderstands the reading and/oris the opposite of what the question is looking for.

√ Offer one answer that uses relevant aspects of the reading incorrectly.

√ Offer one answer that is on the right track but hasleft something important out.

√ Offer the correct answer.

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Mathematics 1 and 2○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

GUIDELINESChanges to the 2002 GED Math Test andtheir impact

There have been many significant changes to theGED Math Test. The changes to the GED MathTest include:

! The Casio fx-260 Solar Calculator must beused in Part One of the test

! Twenty percent of the questions use a StandardGrid and Coordinate Plane Grid in lieu of amultiple-choice format

! The following new formulas have been addedto the formula page: area of a trapezoid,volume of a square pyramid, and volume of acone

! Data analysis and statistics and probabilitysubject material has been added to the test

! Fifty percent of questions require students toanalyze graphic material

Due to these changes, the instruction ofoperational skills must now integrate calculator skillsand students must become accustomed to using theStandard Grid when learning decimals and fractionsand the Coordinate Plane Grid when learningcoordinate geometry formulas. In addition, theinstruction of charts, graphs and probability mustbe included so that students can handle theincreased amount of graphic material included onthe test. The new GED Test also emphasizes conceptualunderstanding (thirty percent of the test) andproblem solving (fifty percent of the test) oversimple procedural knowledge, which formerlymade up over fifty percent of the test. Thus, thereare many more multi-step problems for more typesof technical material making the overall test muchmore rigorous.

Descriptions of each course

The two Mathematics courses presented here divideup required math topics as follows:

Mathematics 1Whole NumbersDecimalsFractionsRatio and ProportionPercentMeasurement

Mathematics 2Data Analysis, Statistics, and ProbabilityAlgebraGeometry

The Mathematics 1 course further divides into“activity types” that can help give structure toclassroom interaction. Activity types include:

! Operations: learning skills! Using a Calculator: practicing learned skills on

the calculator! Using Formulas! Using a Standard Grid! Solving and Writing Word Problems:

incorporating student-written word problemsinto the lesson for the class to solve

! Taking GED Tests: take and review GED testmaterials that test the learned skills

The curriculum presents information on theseactivity types in two ways. First, there is a chart thatnames the activity types relevant for each math topicand lists the specific skills that need to be covered.Second, the names of the activity types arepresented again along with ideas and suggestionsfor teaching the specific skills. This material is meantto augment the general ideas and suggestions foreach activity type that are presented below. The Mathematics 2 course is comprised of asyllabus that lays out all of the required math topics

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and activities in a twelve-week grid. A supplementof “Some Classroom Activities” follows thissyllabus. These are full lesson plans that addresssome of the objectives within the syllabus. Teacherscan pick and choose from this material toimplement into the course.

A Recommended Resource

The Steck-Vaughn GED Skill Book- MathematicsCalculator is a good source for teaching calculatorskills. It is recommended that teachers use exercisesin this book to teach and practice calculator skills,both in the classroom and as homework.

General approaches to teaching theMathematics 1

As mentioned earlier, the Mathematics 1 topic isfollowed by a set of relevant activity types. Thereare some general approaches to these activity typesthat will ensure that classrooms stay participatory.These are all listed as suggestions from whichteachers can pick and choose and adapt as needed.Other math-topic specific activities are offeredwithin the curriculum as well.

Activity-Type 1: Operations: Learning Skills

Students can be teachersAssign students different explanatory materialsfor required operations out of the chosen mathtext. Have students read the text and prepare anintroductory lesson for the class. This introductorylesson should include an explanation of the concept,a demonstration or examples of the concept, and ashort activity where students can practice using theconcept. However, before giving such assignmentsdiscuss the many creative and interesting waysstudents can present materials. Ask them what kindof teachers they like and which ones they don’t like.Have them think about the techniques teachers haveused that have been the most effective. Brainstormpresentation possibilities that encourage them tohave fun. Make sure presentations stay short andeasy. This activity is especially recommended fortopics that are not complex and that can be coveredquickly.

Problem solving in pairsPut a multi-step problem of any type on the board.Have different student pairs come to the board tosolve one step of the problem. Ask other pairs tosolve one step and continue this process until theproblem is solved. Have students explain their workand check with the class to see if that step was donecorrectly. Give pairs points for correct answers.

Activity-Type 2: Using a Calculator

Calculator racesHave student pairs put their calculators down. Writea problem on the board. This can be a problemfrom a book or a problem written by the students.Allow students to look at the problem for a minuteor so. Then say: “On your mark, get set go!” Have students pick up their calculators, calculate theproblem, compare their answers with their partners,decide the right answer, have one of the partnersrun to the board to write down the pair’s answer,and sit down. Go over the answers as a class. Givepoints to the pair that got the answer right andfinished first.

Activity-Type 3: Using Formulas

Choosing and using formulasPrepare a set of numbered index cards each with aproblem that tests a different formula. Seat studentsin a circle and give them each a formulas page. Leteach choose a different card from your “deck”. Ona sheet of paper have students write down thenumber of the card and the formula they woulduse to solve the problem. They should then pass thecard to the right. Continue this process until thestudents have seen all the cards. Collect the cards.Have a student pick a card from the collected cardsand write the problem on the board. Come to aconsensus about what formula should be used tosolve the problem. Have students solve theproblem independently and write their answers onthe board. Then solve the problem as a class. Askstudents: What’s the first step? Why? Second step?Why? Ask these questions until the problem issolved. Continue until all the problems have beensolved using this process.

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Activity-Type 4: Using a Standard Grid

PracticeReview steps for filling in the grid. Give students afew pages with only numbered standard gridscopied. Write a fraction or decimal on the board,read it aloud, give students a specified number ofseconds to write in the number, and go to the nextone. Start slow, get faster. Give simple numbers towrite in, and then complex answers. Mix thenumbers they have to write into the grid asmuch as possible. Use the same procedures for aCoordinate Plane Grid as well.

Activity-Type 5: Solving and Writing WordProblems

Solving word problemsEstablish a protocol for doing one-step and multi-step word problems. (Contemporary’s text hasmany of these.) Write the protocol on the board.Assign some word problems to pairs of students.Read a step of the protocol out loud. Have arepresentative from a student pair come to theboard to do the step. Read the next step in theprotocol and have another representative come tothe board to do the next step.

Writing word problems" Have students write problems and solve as

above" Compile student problems into a test that

the whole class takes" Have pairs trade their problems with other

pairs, write GED type answers for eachproblem, and then compile the whole test

Activity-Type 6: Taking GED Tests

The protocols for test-taking in Mathemathics 1 aresimilar to the protocols used in other test-takingportions of other courses in the Intensive GEDProgram. Emphasis should be given to the processthe student went through to find their answers, notwhether or not they got the correct answer. Ifstudents understand their own processes and learnhow to adjust them to find better answers, they willbecome better test-takers.

While students take tests they should:

" Simply answer those questions they are sure of" Cross out those answers they know are wrong

for questions they are unsure of" Write down the formula the problems test, if

any

Review of tests taken should include this setof questions:

" How many are sure of their answers?" How many are not?" What kind of problem is this? Do you need a

formula to solve this problem? Which one?How do you know? What are the key wordsthat tell you?

Read the problem and the answers aloud

" Which answers do you know are wrong? Why?" To get the answer: what is the first step?

Second step? Etc." Have students come to the board to show

each step. Come to a class consensus.

Variations on this protocol include:" Having students work in pairs to come to a

consensus on their answers and articulate thereasons one answer is better than another

" Having students establish protocols for timedtests, take timed tests, go over the answers asabove, and adjust the protocol as they learnhow they respond to test material underpressure

This program is designed so that the Mathematics1 course is six weeks long and the Mathematics 2course is twelve weeks long and each class is twohours a day, four days a week. It is suggested thatone week should be allocated to each of the mathtopics in Mathematics 1 and six weeks should beallocated to Algebra and Geometry respectively inMathematics 2. Other GED resources should be reviewed andexercises and testing materials should be integratedinto the schedule of topics and activities offeredhere. These courses will also have to rely heavily onstudents doing large amounts of homework.Provisions should also be in place for students who

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fall behind. Programs should anticipate that somestudents will need extra help and should providefor them in one or more of the following ways:

" Provide tutors" Assign specific additional work on a math

computer program" Create a system where students are required to

help each other out. Establish a buddy systemwhere students that understand a math topicwork with students who don’t for a specifiedamount of time. Make sure that those studentswho are struggling do some teaching as well.Perhaps they could help with skill review nearthe end of the course and teach the skills theyhave acquired at that time.

Activity 1: Operations

Day 1:• Present reading numbers, rounding, and

estimating concepts. Have index cards with alarge number to read, a number to round, anda question that asks for an estimate on each.Divide students into pairs and give each pair acard. Have one pair partner put the problemon the board. Ask a partner in the next pair toanswer. Keep going around with new questionsfor the next pair partner. When all the cards areused, have students make up their ownproblems for the next pair.

• Assign Lesson 1 and Lesson 2 from theMathematics Calculator book as homework.

Activity 2: Use a Calculator

Day 2:• Present and practice comparing and ordering

and reading number lines materials.• Do a calculator race.• Assign simple word problem materials as

homework.

Activity 3: Apply Formulas and Solve WordProblems

Day 3:• Present the formulas page. Present the distance

and total cost formulas.• Have student write distance and total cost word

problems in pairs for the class and/or otherpairs to solve.

• Assign multi-step GED problems and havestudents write a few multi-step problems onindex cards. Also assign GED material that testsword problems. Make sure students mark offthose answers they know are incorrect.

Activity 4 & 5: Solve Multi-Step WordProblems and Take GED Tests

Day 4:• Work through a few multi-step problems as a

class. Do a number of student-writtenproblems.

• Go over the GED test using the generalprotocol in the guidelines.

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MATHEMATICS 1 TOPICSAND ACTIVITIES

Mathematics 1

COMPETENCIES

By the end of this course students will be able to:

♦♦♦♦♦ Perform basic math operations♦♦♦♦♦ Understand fractions, decimals and

percent concepts♦♦♦♦♦ Solve problems using the percent

formula♦♦♦♦♦ Solve problems using GED formulas

that include fractions, decimals andpercent

♦♦♦♦♦ Use a Calculator♦♦♦♦♦ Apply formulas and solve word

problems

I. Whole Numbers

Operations Use the Calculator Read numbers Add, subtract, multiply, Round and divide large numbers Estimate Compare and order Read number lines

Formulas Solve Word Problems Use formulas 5-step problem solving Distance Multi-step problems Total cost

Day 1 Day 2 Operations Operations/Calculator

Day 3 Day 4 Formulas/Word Multi-step word problems problems

• Assign reading decimals, comparing, androunding decimals homework.

II. Decimals

Operations Use the Calculator Read decimals Add, subtract, multiply, Compare decimals and divide large numbers Round decimals Add, subtract, divide, and multiply Read number lines

Use the Standard GridPractice

Day 1 Day 2 Operations Operations

Day 3 Day 4 Operations/ Standard Grid/ Calculator GED Test

Activity 1: Operations

Day 1:• Present and practice reading decimals,

comparing, and rounding concepts.• Assign students to teach adding and subtracting

decimals for Day 2 and multiplying anddividing for Day 3.

• Assign adding and subtracting decimalshomework.

• Assign Lesson 5 in the GED Calculator SkillBook.

Day 2:• Present adding and subtracting decimals rules.

Divide students into pairs. Write a problem onthe board. Have pairs give their answers. Writethe answers on the board. Have one of thepairs come to the board to do the problemand explain what they did. Repeat many timeshaving different pairs come to the board tosolve and explain problems.

• Assign Lesson 6 in the GED Calculator SkillBook.

Activity 2: Use a Calculator

Day 3:• Present and practice decimal multiplication and

division.• Do calculator races.• Assign decimal word problems for homework.

Activity 3: Solve Student Word Problems andTake GED Tests

Day 4:• Practice some word problems.• Have pairs write some word problems, put

them on index cards, pass them from group togroup, and share and solve answers as a class.

• Go over GED test materials in the GED SkillBook.

• Work through and go over a GED Test ondecimals.

• Assign fractions subjects for student pairs tostudy and teach the next class session: RaisingFractions to Higher Terms, Changing ImproperFraction to Whole or Mixed Numbers,and Changing Whole Numbers and MixedNumbers to Improper Fraction. Make it clearwhat they need to do in this teaching.

III. Fractions

Operations Concepts of fractions Reduce fractions Write fractions Raise fractions to higher terms Change improper fraction to whole or mixed number Change whole numbers and mixed numbers to improper fractions Simplify fractions Compare fractions Find a common denominator Add, subtract, multiply, and divide Estimate Read number lines

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Use the Calculator Use theStandard Grid

Add, subtract, multiply, Practice divide large numbers

Day 1 Day 2 Operations Operations

Day 3 Day 4 Operations/ Word Problems/ Calculator GED Test

Activity 1: Operations

Day 1:• Bring in a set of plates full of sand (enough for

each student pair to have their own). Define awhole. Define a part. Relate concepts todecimals. Demonstrate how to “draw”fractions and decimals in the sand. Writedifferent fractions and decimals on the boardfor students to draw. Compare student pairs’plates to increase understanding of theconcepts.

• Present how to simplify and how to comparefractions. Put two fractions on the board. Havestudents draw the two fractions. Ask which isbigger? Why? Continue putting pairs offractions on the board and ask student pairs

which is bigger and why? Integrate decimalsinto this exercise.

• Have student pairs teach assigned fractiontopics.

• Assign homework in these subject areas.

Day 2:• Present and practice addition and subtraction

of fractions. Introduce the Standard Grid. Passout a sheet with many blank standard grids.Write problems and a drawing of the grid onthe board, have pairs solve the problems, haveone student pair come to the board to solve theproblem, and another come to the board to fillin the grid.

• Assign Lesson 8 in the GED Skill Book ashomework.

• Assign additional addition and subtractionpractice materials and have students write someword problems.

Activity 2: Use a Calculator

Day 3:• Present and practice multiplication and division

of fractions.• Assign Lesson 9 in GED Skill Book.• Assign additional multiplication and division

practice materials and have students write someword problems.

Activity 5: Solve Student Word Problems andTake GED Tests

Day 4:• Have students put their word problems on

index cards. Divide students into pairs, deal outthe cards, and have pairs do the problems. Passtheir cards to another pair. Continue thisprocedure until all problems are done. Do aselection as a class.

• Have a calculator race.• Take and go over a GED Test on fractions.• Assign Lesson 10 in the GED Skill Book.

IV. Ratio and Proportion

Operations Use Formulas Create ratios Mean and median Proportions

Solve Word Problems Two-step ratio problems Proportion word problems

Day 1 Day 2 Operations Word problems

Day 3 Day 4 Calculator Word problems and

GED Test

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Activity 1: Operations

Day 1:• Present and practice word problems, protocols,

and ratio rules.• Assign ratio homework.

Day 2:• Present and practice word problems, protocols,

and proportion rules.• Review mean and median formulas.• Assign Lesson 14 in the GED Calculator Skill

Book.

Activity 2: Use a Calculator

Day 3:• Go over Skill Book materials.• Do calculator/word problem races.• Assign GED Calculator Skill Book Lesson 15.• Have students do word problems as

homework.

Activity 5: Solve Student Word Problems andTake GED Tests

Day 4:• Go over GED materials from the Skill Book.• Take and go over a GED Test on Ratio and

Proportion.• Assign pairs to teach changing a percent to

decimals and fractions and changing apercent to a fraction. Also have students findpercents in articles and/or advertisements frommagazines and newspapers.

V. Percent

Operations Use the Calculator Understand percent Find the part, total, and Change a percent to percent a fraction Find a percent of a number Find a part Find a total Proportion and percent

Use Formulas Solve Word Problems Simple interest Solve percent word

problems includingsimple interestSolve multi-step problems

Day 1 Day 2 Operations Operations

Day 3 Day 4 Operations/ Word problems/ Calculator GED Test

Activity 1: Operations

Day 1:• Present and practice the concept of percent

using common money problems wheneverpossible. Explain how percents are related todecimals and fractions. Ask: Why is it useful tohave a separate set of numbers to express 1 outof 100?

• Have pairs teach changing a percent to decimalsand fractions and changing a percent to afraction.

• Assign percent concept materials.

Day 2:• Present the percent circle.

Part

Total x Percent

• Work through different types of wordproblems that ask students to find the part, thetotal, and the percent. Show students how touse the percent circle for each type of problem(Put your hand over what you are looking forand do the operation that remains).

• Have student pairs review the articles andadvertisements and use them to create percentword problems.

• Assign percent word problems as homework.

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• Assign Lessons 11 and 12 in the GEDCalculator Skill Book.

Activity 2: Use a Calculator and ApplyFormulas

Day 3:• Work through student word problems.• Have a calculator race.• Go over GED materials in the GED

Calculator Skill Book.• Assign multi-step word problems.• Assign Lesson 13 in the Skill Book.

Activity 5: Solve More Word Problems andTake GED Tests

Day 4:• Go over Lesson 13.• Take and go over a GED Test on percent.

VI. Measurement

Operations Use the Calculator Use customary Convert Measures measures Metric measures Convert measures Read scales, meters, gages

Solve Word Problems GED Word Problems

Day 1 Day 2 Operations Operations

Day 3 Day 4 Operations Word problems/

GED Test

Activity 1: Operations

Day 1:• Present and practice customary measures and

conversions between them.

• Do hands-on measuring problems.• Assign word-problem homework.

Day 2:• Present the metric system and its logic. Present

and practice doing conversions.• Read scales meters and gauges from real

measuring instruments and/or printedmaterials.

Activity 2: Take GED Tests

Day 3-4:• Take and go over GED Tests that test the skills

taught in this course.

PLEASE SEE THE APPENDIX FORTHE GED MATH 2 SYLLABUS

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SOME CLASSROOMACTIVITIES

Mathematics 2

COMPETENCIES

By the end of this course students will be able to:

♦♦♦♦♦ Perform basic algebraic operationsneeded for the GED

♦♦♦♦♦ Solve algebraic word problems♦♦♦♦♦ Use GED formulas relating to algebra♦♦♦♦♦ Perform basic geometric operations:

angles and triangles♦♦♦♦♦ Perform basic geometric operations

(area, perimeter, volume) and use GEDformulas relating to geometry

♦♦♦♦♦ Take GED Math practice tests

Week 1: Data Analysis

As much as possible bring in charts and graphsfrom newspapers to use for examples. Ask studentsto bring in newspaper examples for Day 4. Havestudents write their own GED questions andanswers from their examples.

Week 2: Statistics and Probability

Use as many “real-life” problems as possible todemonstrate principles of probability. Bring incards for demonstrations if possible.

Week 3: Integers

Objectives:" Introduce negative numbers" Add and subtract negative numbers

Materials:" Index cards with positive and negative number

addition problems" Index cards with positive and negative number

subtraction problems

Hour 1:• Draw a number line on the board that

takes up the whole board.• Put a 0 in the middle and mark off 5

positive numbers.Ask: If you borrow $10 dollars fromme, how much do you owe me?If it’s really cold outside, what’s thetemperature?If my business loses money, why dopeople say I’m in the red?

• Explain that these are all examples of how weuse negative numbers. Explain that they willlearn how to use negative numbers both toexpress less than 0 and to show direction onnumber lines, in quadrants, and in formulas.

• Put five negative numbers on the numberline.

• Put a plus sign over the positive part of thenumber line and a minus sign over the negativepart.

• Write the following equation on the board:(+3) + -4

√ Explain that to read an equation for anumber line, read the negative sign as “goto the left” and the plus sign as “then”.

• Put in a positive sign in front of the 3:explain that a positive sign means “go tothe right”.

• Tell students that all equations ALWAYSstart at 0.

• Write “go to the right” and “go to the left”on the board next to the positive andnegative signs.

• Read the equation: “go to the right 3 thengo to the left 5”.

• Ask: What’s the answer?

• Do a few more examples.

• Put students into groups of three and have onemember choose an index card from the deckof addition problems WITHOUT showinghis/her teammates.

• Have two students go to the board: one towrite the equation spoken and one to start at 0and demonstrate the equation on the numberline.

• The student with the card must read theequation on the index card aloud while the

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other student writes it down and movesaccording to the directions on the number line.

• Do this three times until all have played eachrole.

Hour 2:• Write the following equation on the board:

(+3) – (+6)• Explain that a minus sign needs to be read as

“then do the opposite of ”.• Read the equation: “Go to the right 3, then do

the opposite of go to the right 6, which is goto the left 6.”

• Write the following on the board: (+3) + (-6).• Have a student read the equation: “Go to the

right 3 then go to the left 6.• Ask: What is the difference between these two

equations?! (Nothing)

• So what’s the rule?! (Adding a negative is the same as

subtracting a positive)

• Do another equation: (-5) – (-2).• Read the equation: “Go to the left 5, then do

the opposite of go to the left 2 which is go tothe right 2”.

• Do a few more examples.

• Put students in groups of three, hand out indexcards to one person only from each group, andhave students go to the board as before.

• Make sure each group goes three times andeach person plays all parts.

Week 4: Algebraic Expressions

Objectives:" Present basic principles of algebra

√ Algebra uses letters to stand for numbers√ In algebra, problems to be solved are

represented by equations√ An algebraic equation is solved by finding

the value of the unknown that makes theequation a true statement

√ Equations can be simplified by performingthe same operation to both sides

" Solve simple addition and subtraction equationsfor x

" Solve simple multiplication and divisionequations for x

Materials:" Play money" A table at the center of the classroom" Blank index cards

Hour 1:• Explain to students that they are going to study

the basics of algebra so they can answer algebraword problems on the GED test.

• Divide the board into two sections.• Bring three students to the table: one to be the

banker or “equals sign”, the other two to be thetwo sides of an equation.

• Put the names of the students who are the twosides of the equation in the two columns on theboard.

• Call on two other students to record whatchanged for both sides of the equation andhow much money they have after eachtransaction (see below).

• Have the banker give the two sides of theequation $100 dollars.

• Call out the following types of transactions:• Give half of what you have to the banker! (Recorders write: $100 x ½ = $50)• Add $3 to both sides! (Recorders write: $50 + $3 = $53)• Subtract $50 from both sides.! (Recorders write this and the next

transaction)• Double the amount on both sides, etc.

• Between transactions ask:• What does the banker have to do?• How do you express “Give half of what

you have to the banker…” as an equation?• How much do the two sides of the

equation have?• When you are finished, have the class look at

the board and ask:• What do you notice about the totals of all

of the transactions?! (No matter what you do to both sides they

are still equal)

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• Write the following on the board and havestudents say the rule several times togetherloudly:NO MATTER WHAT YOU DO TO BOTHSIDES OF AN EQUATION BOTH SIDESSTAY EQUAL.

• Write the following equation on the board:2x = 14

• Ask: What does x stand for?! (The Unknown Number)What does it mean when a number and a letterare next to each other?! (Multiply)What is the purpose of doing an algebraproblem?! (To find the Unknown Number! Ask this

question many times and have studentsrepeat the answer together loudly)

• Ask: If the purpose of an algebra problem isto find the Unknown Number, what should theend of EVERY algebra problem have?

• Have students say the following many timesloudly in response to this question:A LETTER ON ONE SIDE AND ANUMBER ON THE OTHER!

• Write x = ____ below the equation on theboard.

• Ask: What do we have to do to both sides toget X on one side and a number on the other?

• Give the student who knows the answer thechalk and have him/her come to the board andsolve the equation.

• Ask him/her:Why did you choose to divide both sides by 2?! (Because 2 over 2 equals 1)Why do you want to create 1 on the side withthe letter?! (To get a letter on one side and number on

the other!)• Write another equation on the board:

4x = 32• Ask: What should the end of every algebra

problem have?What do you have to do to both sides?What’s the answer?Does 4 x 8 = 32? Then the answer is correct.

• Put another equation on the board:X + 2 = 7

• Ask: What should the end of every algebraproblem have?

What do you have to do to both sides?• Have a student come to the board, do the

problem, and explain.• Repeat for a subtraction example.• Put a mixed series of simple equations on the

board one at a time; have students come upquickly to solve and explain.

Hour 2:• Divide students into pairs; give each pair four

index cards; assign them addition, subtraction,multiplication, or division. Require the groupto make up simple equations and be able tosolve and explain how to solve these equations.

• Shuffle all the cards together; have each pairchoose a card.

• Have one group put their equation on theboard; have a representative of the next groupsolve it quickly.

• Ask the same set of questions after eachproblem:" What should the end of every algebra

problem have?" What do you have to do to both sides?" Does the answer check out?

Week 5: Equations

Objectives:" Learn order of operations" Practice on more complex problems

Materials:" Index cards with different order of operation

sets on them

Hours 1 & 2:• Put the following problem on the board:

2x + 3 = 13• Ask: What should the end of every algebra

problem have?What are the two operations you have to do tothe side with the letter to have only a letterremaining?! (Subtract 3, divide by 2)Which one do you do first? Why?

• Try to divide first. Ask: Will this work? Whynot?

• Subtract 3 from both sides. Ask: Will this work?Why?

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• Put the following on the board:2(3 + x) = 16

• Ask:What does the 2(3 + x) mean?! (Two times whatever is in the bracket;

Multiply whatever is right next to thebracket)

How do you get rid of the bracket?• Demonstrate how to use the associative

property.• Ask: What’s the first thing you have to do to

both sides? (Have a student do it)• What’s the second thing you have to do to both

sides? (Have a student do it)

• Put a similar problem on the board; have onestudent do the first step, another the second,another the third.

• Put students into groups of three; give them anindex card to write a similar problem; havethem pass the card to the group on their right.

• Have each member of the group come up todo one of the three steps to solve eachproblem.

______________________________________________________________________

Objectives:" Solve mixed equations for x

Materials:" Blank index cards" Index card with mixed equation problems" Quiz

Hour 1:• Put students into groups of three; have them

come to the board; have one pick a card andwrite the problem on the board; have anotherdo the problem; have another write theoperations performed and explain.

• Make sure you do at least three rounds so thateach student plays all roles.

Hour 2:• Give a quiz of mixed equations.• Go over the answers in class.

_______________________________________________________________________

• Put the following problem on the board:(3 + 5) + (6 - 1) = x

• Ask: What do you do first? What do you dosecond? What’s the rule?! (Do all the work in the parentheses)

• Put the following problem on the board:(8 squared + 3 cubed) -(4 cubed – the square root of 64) = x

• Ask: What is the first thing you have to do?! (Simplify powers and square roots)

• Have a student come to the board and do thefirst step.

• Ask: What is the second thing you have to do?What’s the rule?

• Put the following problem on the board:10 – 44 - 2 = x

• Ask: What’s the first thing you have to do?Second? What’s the rule?

• Have a student come up and do the two stepsafter you talk about them.

• Put the following problem on the board:

6 + (9-3)square root of 4 = x

• Go through the same procedures as before.

• Divide students into pairs and give them a setof cards with the following written on them:" Add and Subtract (5)" Evaluate powers and square roots (3)" Multiply and Divide (4)" Do all the work inside the parentheses (1)" Do all the work above and below a

fraction bar (2)! (Numbers indicate correct order of

operations; don’t write the numbers of thecards)

• Ask the pairs to put the cards in order.

• Have the students go around to see others’ cardorder; discuss the similarities and differences;come to a consensus as a class (makecorrections when students can’t clear up theissues themselves).

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Objectives:" Present list of basic algebraic word problems" Present procedure for solving word problems

Materials:" Index cards with items from the “Translation

Chart” (included) written on them" Blank index cards

Hour 1:• Explain that to solve algebraic word problems,

you have to translate words to numbers.

• Have a student draw a card from the“Translation Chart” deck and read it to you.

• Write the expression on the board.• Ask: What words go with which numbers?• Write the words over the numbers.• Explain that in these translations “a number”

means x and “another number” means y• Work through as many examples as needed to

have students understand the procedure.

• Divide students into pairs; have them come tothe board; have one choose a card, read it, andwrite it on the board; have the other studentwrite the equation and draw arrows from thewords to the numbers.

• Do this until all the cards in the deck have beenused.

Hour 2:• Write the following sentences on the board and

have students come up and “translate” theminto numbers, drawing arrows from words tonumbers." The difference between two numbers,

divided by 3" The sum of a number squared and another

number squared" Four times the sum of ten and a number" Seven less than twice a number" A number cubed divided by 4" Five times a number divided by twice the

same number" One-fourth of a number equals 18" Nine increased by half a number gives a

result of 13" The difference between two numbers is 8

" Twice a number, reduced by 3, is equal to 5times the same number increased by 9

• Put students into pairs; give them three indexcards; have them write algebraic wordsentences; have pairs pick cards; have one go tothe board to write the sentence; have the otherwrite the numbers.

_____________________________________________________________________Objectives:" Have students solve one-step problems

Materials:" One-step word problems on index cards

Hours 1 & 2:• Put the following protocol on the board:

√ Assign a variable to the unknown quantity√ Write two expressions for the values√ Use an equals sign between the expressions

• Have a student pick a card from the wordproblem deck and write it on the board.

• Go through the steps to set up an equation.• Give another example or two.

• Divide students into pairs; have them choose acard; have them solve the word problem; havethem put the word problem on the board;have the other pairs write their equations on theboard; have the class collect the correct answer;have the lead pair solve the problem, alternatingbetween them to do the different steps.

Objectives:" Solve word problems of varying difficulty

Materials:" Index cards with two-step word problems

Hours 1 & 2:Repeat procedures as above.

Week 6: Factors and Inequalities

Objectives:" Learn powers and square roots

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Materials:" Blank index cards" Index cards with “off number” square root

problems on them

Hour 1:• Write the following on the board:

2 x 2 x 2 x 2 x 28 x 8 x 815 x 15 x 15 x 15a x a x a(a x a) + (b x b)

• Ask: Does anyone know a shorter way ofwriting these numbers?

• If someone knows, let him/her come to theboard and write the answer to the firstproblem and explain. If no one knows, simplywrite the answer to the first problem and ask ifany one has figured out the answer to thesecond problem. Try to have the studentsfigure out what is happening.

• When all the problems are completed: ask:what is the rule?

• Put the following on the board and havestudents write them as powers:1 x 1 x 1 x 1 x 161 (1 can be any number to the 0 power)

• Again, when students can’t figure it out, don’texplain, but put an answer on the board andcontinue to the next problem to see if they canfigure out the answer.

• Ask: What are the rules demonstrated by thesethree problem types?

• Students should come up with some version ofthe following set of rules:√ A power tells you the number of times a

number is multiplied by itself√ The power of 1 to any number is 1√ Any number to the first power is that

number√ Any number to the zero power is one

• Divide students into pairs; give them a set ofeight index cards; have them write twoproblems that demonstrate each rule; give afew examples to get people started.

• Shuffle the deck: bring one pair to the board;have one student pick a card and write theproblem on the board; have the other student

write the answer within five seconds; have theclass count 1-5 together loudly as the studentworks; give a point to correct answers in thetime allowed.

• Make sure each pair gets to the board at leasttwice.

Hour 2:• Line 10 students up on one side of the board.• Write, in mixed order, numbers between 0 and

10 multiplied by themselves.• Very quickly, have students write down an

answer and pass the chalk to the next studentuntil all are done.

• Put the square root symbol over one of theanswers and write the answer.

• Have students who think they understand theconcept line up by the board; put square rootsigns over all the answers.

• Have students answer and pass the chalk asbefore.

• Ask: What is a square root?• Write their (correct) definition on the board.

• Divide students into pairs; give them 13 indexcards; have them write out numbers multipliedagainst themselves from 0 – 12, one on eachcard with the answers on the back; have thepairs use these flash cards with each other untilthey have memorized the answers.

• When students are finished, put the followingon the board:Between _____ and ______

• Explain that the cards from which they will bechoosing will be square roots between thenumbers they just studied; give some examplessuch as, the square root of 75 is between 8 and9.

• Have a pair come to the board; have one pick acard with an “off-number” square rootproblem and writes the problem on the board;have the other does the problem in fiveseconds as before.

• Repeat until all students can do this exercisequickly.

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(2,-3) = “Go to the right 2 and then do down3”

• Put students in groups of three; let one studentin the group choose a card and keep it secret.

• Have two students go to the board and onestudent read the card; have one student find thepoint on the graph and the other student writethe coordinates.

• Have each group do this three times with eachindividual having the chance to play all parts.

Hour 2:• Write two coordinates on the board: for

example (2, -3), (-6, 2).• Read the coordinates and chart the points:

“For the first one: go to the right 2 and down3. For the second one: go to the left 6 and up2.”

• Draw a line through the two points.• Ask: What does it mean when you are going up

a slope?What is a steep slope?What is a not-so-steep slope?How can you use your arm to show me thedifference between a steep and not so steepslope?

• Explain that a line can be created to passthrough any two points on a grid. If the lineleans to the right, or passes through right(positive) side of the x axis, the slope of theline is positive. If the line leans to the left, orpasses through the left (negative) side of the xaxis, the slope of the line is negative. The morethe line leans to one side or the other, thegreater the slope.

• Plot two points on the grid; make a line.• Ask: Is the line positive or negative? Why?• Is the number that describes the slope larger or

smaller? Why?• Repeat these questions for a number of

different lines leaning in different directions atdifferent angles.

• Put students in groups of three; have onestudent choose a card and keep it secret; havetwo students go to the board: one to plot thepoints and draw a line, one to write the pointsas they are being described.

• Repeat these procedures three times, givingevery member of the group a chance to play allroles.

Week 7: The Coordinate Plane

Objectives:" Plot points on a graph with rectangular

coordinates" Define slope of a line

Materials:" Index cards with one set of coordinates on

them" Index cards with two sets of coordinates on

them

Hour 1:• Draw a horizontal axis (labeled x) and a vertical

axis (labeled y).• Draw a grid of lines and label the positive and

negative points on the axis.

• Define axis, grid, and coordinate.• Have different students come to the board to

plot the following points:x axis: -4, 3, 7, -2y axis: same

• Ask: O.K., how do you plot points between theaxis?! (You need an x and a y coordinate)

• Write (-2, 4) on the board.√ Explain that in a pair of coordinates, the first

number ALWAYS refers to the x axis and thesecond ALWAYS refers to the y.

• Read aloud the coordinates and find the point:“Go to the left 2 go UP (!) 4”.

• Ask: Why did I go UP for the y coordinate?! (Because that’s the positive side)So, what’s the rule?! (Negative means left and positive means

right on the x axis, while negative meansdown and positive means up on the y axis)

• Have students repeat this rule several timeswhile you indicate the directions on the graphwhile they are talking.

• Demonstrate a set of different coordinatesreading them like this:(-5,8) = “Go to the left 5 and then go up 8”

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Objectives:" Substitute appropriate coordinate points into

“slope of a line” formula and solve

Materials:" Index cards with double sets of coordinates" Index cards with double sets of coordinates

with one coordinate missing and a slope

Hour 1:• Draw a grid on the board and write two

coordinates on the board.• Have a student read the coordinates to you and

chart the points.• Have another student come to the board and

draw a line through the two points.• Write the formula for finding the slope on the

board:Y2 – Y1

= the slope of the lineX2 – X1

• This formula may seem difficult to students,but it’s easier than it looks and good practice insubstitution for formulas.

• Read the formula like this: “Take the ycoordinate from one set and subtract the ycoordinate of the other set. Now take the xcoordinate of the same set you started with forthe y, and subtract the other x coordinate.Then, divide the bottom into the top”.

• Ask: Does it matter which coordinate pair youput into the formula first?! (No)

• What DOES matter?! (That the coordinate pair you start with for

the y substitution is the same pair you startwith for the x)

• Another way to do this is to put the firstcoordinate pair in the top and bottom spotsand then the second coordinate pair. Usewhichever method that does not confuse thestudents.

• Write another coordinate pair on the board.• Have one student read the pair while another

student plots the points and draws a line.• Have another student come to the board and

substitute the coordinates into the formula.

• Have another student come to the board andsolve the formula and explain how he/shesolved it.

• Put students into groups of four; have onestudent secretly choose a card with a pair ofcoordinates; while the one student reads thecoordinates, have another at the board writingthe coordinates down. Then have the thirdstudent substitute the coordinates into theformula and the fourth student solve andexplain the problem.

• Do this four times so each student plays all fourparts.

Hour 2:• Write the following on the board: (3, y), (2,4),

slope = 5.• Write the formula on the board.• Have a student come to the board to put the

numbers into the formula; have them explainwhat they did.

• Ask: What should the end of every algebraproblem have?What is the first thing you have to do? Why?What is the second? Why?Etc.

• Write another problem on the board and gothrough the same procedures.

• Divide students into pairs; have them choose anindex card with a missing coordinate and theslope.

• Have one student come to the board, write the problem on the board, and substitute thenumbers into the formula.

• Have the other student do one operation andexplain.

• Have the first student do the next operationand explain. Have them switch off like this untilthe problem is done.

Objectives:" Substitute appropriate coordinate points into

“distance between two points in the plane”formulas and solve

Hours 1 & 2:• Draw a grid on the board; put two coordinates

on the board; have one student read the

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coordinates while another plots them anddraws a line.

• Ask: So what is the distance between these twopoints, the GED Test wants to know?

• Ta-da! Here’s their formula!(X2 – X1)2 + (Y2 – Y1)2 = distance

• “Let’s take it slow!”• Ask: What’s the first thing to do?

! (Substitute the coordinates into theformula)

What’s the second thing?! (Do what is in the parenthesis)Third thing?! (Square each number)Fourth?! (Add the two numbers)Fifth?! (Take the square root)

• Put students into groups of five; write aproblem on the board; have each student comeup to do one of the five operations.

• After each operation ask:Did he/she do the correct operation?Are the numbers correct?

• Repeat these procedures five times until eachstudent has played all parts.

Week 8: Area, Perimeter, and Volume

Objectives:" Introduce area concept and formulas and solve

basic area problems" Apply to all different shapes

Materials:" Index cards with area problems for different

shapes on them

Hour 1:• Explain that in the next four lessons, students

are going to learn 12 easy formulas that willhelp them understand many problems on theGED test.

• Ask: How many of you have area rugs?How many of you have wall to wall carpets?How about linoleum floors? Etc.What do you have to do to figure out howmuch area you have to cover to put incarpeting or new floors?

• Draw a square on the board.

• Then make notches of equal distances on twosides.

• Have one student come to the board to makedotted lines across from one side.

• Have another student come to the board tomake dotted lines across from the other side.

• Ask: What shape do you make when you drawlines that are equidistant in two directions?! (Square)

√ Explain: This is how ALL area problems areunderstood: it is finding out how many square“somethings” are in a particular area.

• Ask: If I mark off one inch on each side ofthis square and draw lines across, how big willthe squares inside be?How long will each one of the sides on thesesquares be?What is the name of such a square?! (A square inch)What if the lines drawn across were a footapart?! (A square foot)How long would each side be?What if the lines drawn across were a yardapart, an acre apart, a mile apart?

√ Explain: This is how you can use area tomeasure small rooms or large fields or wholestates, etc. But we are ALWAYS, ALWAYS,ALWAYS talking about squares.

• Ask: How many squares are in this square?! (Count them)What is the shortcut to counting the squares?

! (Multiplying the two sides)

√ Explain that these are the key four formulas:• Draw a square, rectangle, parallelogram, and

triangle.Ask: What makes a square different from theothers?! (All sides are equal)What would be the formula for solving thearea of a square?! (Put an Ss on two sides of the square – see

if the students can figure out it out: A=ssquared)

Ask: What makes a rectangle different than theothers?

! (Opposite sides equal and at right angles)• Label one side L for length and the other W

for width.Ask: What is the formula?

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Ask: What makes a parallelogram different thanthe others?! (Opposite sides are equal)

• Label one side B for base and H for height.Ask: What is the formula?Ask: What is the relationship between arectangle and a triangle?! (A triangle is ½ of a rectangle).

• Label one side B for base and H for height.Ask: What is the formula?

• Put students into groups of three; have thestudents choose a card; have one student drawthe problem on the board; have anotherstudent write the formula; have the thirdstudent put the numbers in the formula andsolve. Make sure there are some problems inwhich the areas are given and they have to findthe length of one side.

• Do this three times so all students play all roles.

Hour 2:Mix unused area word problem cards and continueas above.

Objectives:" Introduce perimeter concept and formulas and

solve basic perimeter problems" Apply to all different shapes

Materials:" Index cards with perimeter word problems on

them

Hour 1:• Ask: What is perimeter?

! (The total of the addition of all the sides)What would you use perimeter for?

• Put the three perimeter formulas on the board:P=4s, P=2L + 2W, P = a + b+ c

• Put the words triangle, square, and rectangle onthe board.

• Have a student come to the board to draw aline from the correct formula to the correctword and give an explanation.

• Have a different student do the same for theother two matches.

• Put students into groups of three; have eachstudent take a word problem card secretly; havethat student read the card while another drawsthe problem on the board; have the third

student put the correct formula on the board,substitute the numbers, and solve.

• Do this exercise at least three times so allstudents play all roles.

Hour 2:Mix unused area word problem cards with theremaining perimeter cards and continue as above.

Objectives:" Introduce volume concept and formulas and

solve basic volume problems

Materials:" A box" Index cards with volume word problems on

them

Hour 1:• Place a box in the middle of the classroom.• Draw a box on the board; make equal spaced

notches along the length, width, and height.• Ask: If I cut lines across each of these

directions in equal distances, with what shapewould I ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS endup?! (A cube)If these lines were cut 1 inch apart, with whatwould I end up?! (A cubic inch)If these lines were cut 1 foot, 1 yard, 1 mileapart with what would I end up?! (A cubic foot, yard, mile)So the question is, when I am looking for thevolume of a solid, three-dimensional object,what am I looking for?! (How many cubes will fit into that object)

• Ask: What do I need to do to figure out thevolume of this box on the board?! (Multiply the width times length times

height)• In other words, the width x height asks you

how many cubes can you fit along the bottom;x height asks how many layers do youneed.

• Write the formulas for cubes and rectangularcontainers on the board (V=3 cubed, V=LWH) and the words: cube and rectangularcontainers.

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• Have a student draw a line from the word tothe correct formula and explain why he/shedid that.

• Have a different student explain the otherconnection.

• Put students in groups of three; have onestudent secretly draw a card; the second studentdraw the problem the first student reads; thethird student write the correct formula on theboard; the first student solve the equation.

• Repeat at least three times.

Hour 2:Mix unused area and perimeter word problemcards with remaining volume cards and continue asabove.

Week 9: Lines and Angles

Objectives:" Introduce angles and how to measure them" Solve supplementary and complementary angle

problems

Materials:" Index cards with degrees of angles on them

Hour 1:• Explain that in the next four lessons, students

will learn all the geometry they will need toknow to solve all the angle and triangleproblems on the GED test.

• Draw a line on the board; then draw a (faint)circle around the line:

• Then draw a few small notches very closetogether on the circle and soft dotted linesfrom the center of the circle to the notches.

• Put a 0 on the left end of the line.√ Explain:

" When talking about angles we have tostart with a straight line.

" The top and bottom of the line are dividedinto degrees. All degrees radiate out fromthe center of the line both top and bottom.(Draw in some degrees on both top andbottom). There are 180 of these degreeson the top of the line and 180 degrees onthe bottom.

• Ask: If there are 180 degrees on the top andbottom of the line, how many degrees arethere in the full circle around the line?If there are 180 degrees on the top of the line,how many degrees are there at the halfwaypoint?

• Have a student come to the board and draw inthe 90-degree angle.

• Write 90° with the little bubble; explain that thismeans degrees.

• Ask: If this angle is a 90-degree angle, whatdoes a 45-degree angle look like?

• Have a student come up to the board anddraw and label it.

• Ask: What does a 135-degree angle look like?• Have a student come up to the board and

draw and label it.• Ask: What does a 225, 270, 315-degree angle

look like?• Have a student come up to the board and

draw and label each.• For each: stand in front of the room, stretch

your arms out together on the right side andopen them up by drawing your left arm up andover your head and stop it to represent theangle being drawn. Say as you open up yourarms: 45 degrees, 90 degrees, 180 degrees, 225degrees etc., so that it is clear how each anglelooks.

• When all 45-degree angles are labeled on theboard, have all students stand. Shout outdifferent angles on the board in mixed orderand have them simulate those angles with theirarms. Make sure every student has the angleright before you continue. Once they aregetting it easily:! Speed up! Throw in different angles and have them

approximate: 5 degrees, 350 degrees, 170degrees, 100 degrees, etc.

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• Label one of the angles and draw little halfcircles to designate the seven angles that needfilling in.

• Ask: Who can figure out the degrees for anyone of these angles? Remember what youlearned about complementary andsupplementary angles while thinking aboutthis question.

• Have students come to the board and put inone angle at a time as they figure out how towork with the problem.

• Draw a different set of parallel lines with atransversal and only one angle labeled.Have one student put only one angle into thedrawing at a time.

• Repeat these procedures until all studentsunderstand how to figure these problemsout.

Hour 2:• Put students into groups of three; have them

choose a card; have one student read theproblem aloud while the second student goesto the board to draw the problem; have thethird student come up and solve the problemgiven and explain.

• Repeat these procedures at least three timesso each student plays each role.

Week 10: Triangles and Quadrilaterals

Objectives:" Introduce triangle properties and types" Solve similar triangle problems

Materials:" Blank index cards" Cards with similar triangles/word problems

drawn/written on them

Hour 1:• Draw three triangles on the board: give two

of the internal angles in degrees for each.• Ask: If the sum of the angles in ALL

triangles is 180 degrees, what are the missingangles?

• Have a different student come up to fill in themissing angles.

• Repeat a few times.

Hour 2:Draw a line on the board; then make a 45-degreeangle.

• Ask: If this angle is 45 degrees, what is theangle on the other side?

• Have a student come to the board and label it.• Do a few more angles and have students figure

out the other angles. Be sure to use angles onboth sides of the line.

• Define complementary and supplementaryangles (complementary is the bigger of twoangles equaling 180 degrees and supplementaryis the smaller of the two).

• Divide students into pairs; have them chooseone of the cards with degrees of angles on it;have one student come up to the board to drawthe angle on the line; have the other student cometo the board and label the degrees of the otherangle and label it complementary orsupplementary.

• Repeat this procedure at least two times withstudents playing both roles.

Objectives:" Solve “parallel lines cut by a transversal”

problems

Materials:" Index cards with parallel line cut by a transversal

word problems written on them

Hour 1:• Draw some complementary and supplementary

angles on the board with letters labeling the endpoints. Explain how to write angles: ABCfor example, with B being the point at the center.

• Have students come to the board to write thecorrect names of different angles you have drawnon the board.

• Ask: What are parallel lines?• Have a student come to the board and draw

parallel lines.• Draw a transversal line across the two parallel

lines.

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• Draw an isosceles triangle (two sides equal,two base angles equal), a scalene triangle (allinternal angles are different), and a righttriangle (one angle is 90 degrees) on theboard and explain their properties.

• Put students into groups of three; give eachpair three index cards; have each group drawthree triangles with two angles labeled (theyshould either be isosceles, scalene, or right).

• Shuffle the cards together.• Have each pair choose a card; have one go to

the board and draw the triangle; have theother go to the board to label the third angle;have the third label the angle as isosceles,scalene, or right.

• Repeat at least three times to have all studentsplay all roles.

Hour 2:• Draw two similar triangles on the board: one

big, one little, with the same angles inside anddifferent (but proportional) side lengths.

• Explain that some triangles have differentsizes but are the same shape. If two triangleshave this relationship, then you can figure outthe length of the missing sides! This is algebra.

• But first, you’ve got to make sure you arealways comparing the same sides.

• Put the following formula on the board:Side of little Another side of little

Corresponding side of big =Corresponding side of big• Fill in the formula with the lengths of the sides

of the triangles on the board.• Put up new triangles and have students come to

the board and fill in the formula.• Now erase one of the sides and write X.• Have a student change the formula.Teach

students to cross-multiply and then divide.

• Group students into teams of three; have themchoose a card; have one student go to theboard and draw the triangles; have the secondstudent set up the formula; have the thirdstudent cross multiply; have the first studentdivide.

• Repeat this at least three times so each studentplays all roles.

Week 11: Irregular Figures

Objectives:" Introduce area, perimeter, and volume

formulas for circles" Solve word problems

Materials:" Index cards with circumference and volume for

cylinder word problems on them

Hour 1:• Draw two circles on the board; on one draw a

radius, on the other draw a diameter.• Ask: What are the names of these lines?• Label them.• Ask: What’s the difference between these two

lines? (The radius goes from the center to theedge of the circle, the diameter goes all the wayacross)

• Ask: What is a radius?• Have students say the definition loudly several

times.• Repeat for diameter.• Explain that if students can keep radius and

diameter straight while taking the GED test,they will get many more points.

• Write circumference on the board.• Ask: What does circumference mean: area or

perimeter?! (Perimeter)

• Introduce the mathematicians’ magic numberfor circumference: pi.

• Write the symbol for pi on the board andexplain that it ALWAYS = 3.14.

• Explain that all circles are similar, they just havedifferent sizes. Pi gives you the basic numberfor circumference.

• Write the formula on the board: pi x diameter= circumference.

• Write a circle on the board with a radius of 4inches.

• Have a student come up to the board tosubstitute numbers into the formula. (Makesure the number for the diameter is 8.Emphasize how many times the test will giveyou a radius when you need a diameter andvice-versa, so stress that students need to becareful.)

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• Have another student come solve the problem.• Do a few more examples.• Draw a cylinder on the board. Explain that this

is a volume problem which asks the samequestion as before: how many cubicsomethings will fit on one layer and then howmany layers do you need to fill up the cylinder.

• Write the formula on the board.• Insert numbers for a radius and for height.• Have a student substitute numbers for letters.• Have another student solve the problem.• Do a few more, replacing diameters with

radius to test if students can follow along.

Hour 2:• Write both formulas high on the board.• Put students in groups of three; have the

groups pick a card; have one student draw theproblem on the board; have the second studentsubstitute the numbers into the correct formula;have the third student solve the problem andexplain the process.

• Do this at least three times to make sure allstudents play all roles.

Objective:" Solve GED word problems for area,

perimeter, and volumeMaterials:" Index cards with problems for area, perimeter,

and volume

Hour 1:• Write formulas high on the board.• Put students in groups of three; have one

student secretly draw a card; have the secondstudent draw the problem the first studentreads; have the third student put the correctformula on the board; have the first studentsolve the equation.

• Repeat at least three times.

Hour 2: Take GED Math practice tests

Objective:" Take and review two GED Math practice tests

in sections

Materials:" Two practice GED Math tests

• Hand out a few pages from a GED Mathpractice test.

• Write: “Had to: solve problem, set upproblem, use formula” on the board.

• Use the following procedure to practice thisportion of the test:Have students√ Write down the formula referred to for

each question√ Decide whether they have to solve the

problem or set it up√ If they know the answer, circle it√ If they have to do a process of elimination,

cross out the answers they know are wrong

• Go over the tests using the followingprocedure:Ask:" To which formula does this question refer?" Did you have to solve the problem or set it

up?" What answers are impossible?" What is the right answer?" How do you know? (Or, please solve it on

the board)• Repeat these procedures for subsequent GED

Math practice test pages.

Week 12: Right Triangles

Objectives:" Use the Pythagorean Theorem" Solve GED word problems for angles and

triangles

Materials:" Two Practice GED Math Tests

Hour 1:• Explain that there is a formula called the

Pythagorean Theorem for right triangles.• Ask: What is a right triangle?• Have a student come to the board and draw

one.• Label the different sides a, b, and c. Write the

word “hypotenuse” on the board. (Have themrepeat it many times to get the pronunciation

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right.) Explain that c is ALWAYS the long side,which is ALWAYS the hypotenuse.

• Put the Pythagorean Theorem on the board.• Put in the lengths of two sides of the right

triangle.• Have a student come up to the board and put

the numbers in the formula.• Have another student square the two numbers.• Have another student add the numbers.• Have another take the square root of the

number.

• Group students into teams of four.• Read aloud a word problem from one of the

Practice Tests and have one student draw thetriangle on the board.

• Have a different member come up to put in adifferent step of the problem.

• Repeat several times.

• Draw a new right triangle on the board, onlythis time have a length for c and a only.

• Have each team member come up to theboard and do a different step.

• Read some word problems of this variety.Have one student draw the problem and theteam members do one step at a time.

Hour 2:Divide students into pairs to examine the secondpractice test and:

• Designate those problems that requiregeometry

• Match formulas or designate problemtypes

• Figure out the % of the test that is devotedto geometry

• Share findings with class• Do problems• Go over problems

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DAY 1SOCIAL STUDIES

DAY 2 DAY 3 DAY 4

WEEK 1:Geography

WEEK 2:Geography

WEEK 3:World History

WEEK 4:World History

WEEK 5:US History

Introduce critical thinking skillsConcept: Reading Maps forinformation

Correlate course and newspapertopicsNewspaper: sorting

Concept: Climactic RegionsGED Materials: Lesson 18

Take and review GEDmini-test: Lesson 18

Continents: Class mapWhat do you know?Research: Map MaterialsAdd to Classroom Project Board

Organize groups Concept: ResourcesGED Materials: Lessons 19 &20

Take and review GEDmini-test: Lessons 19 & 20

Section 1: The Arctic Section 2: Climactic Regions Complete Lesson 18 Newspaper/magazine search

Section 3: Rescuing anEnvironment

Section 4: A Matter ofResources Complete Lessons 19&20 Newspaper/magazine search

Section 5: The Age of EmpiresSection 6: A Time ofEnlightenment Complete Lessons 7&8 Newspaper/magazine search

Section 7: The Rise of NationsSection 8: Democracy andIndependence Complete Lessons 9&10

Group research:reading/summarizing

Concept: The Age of EmpiresWhat do you know?ResearchAdd to Classroom Project Board

Group research: sorting Concept: The Time ofEnlightenmentGED Materials: Lessons 7&8

Take and review GED mini-test:Lessons 7&8

Concept: The Rise of NationsWhat do you know?ResearchAdd to Classroom Project Board

Group research: reading/summarizing

Concept: Democracy andIndependenceGED Materials: Lessons 9&10

Take and review GED mini-test:Lesson 9

Concept: Establishing ColoniesWhat do you know?ResearchAdd to Classroom Project Board

Group research:reading/ summarizing

Concept: The AmericanRevolutionGED Materials:Lessons 1&2

Take and review GED mini-test:Lessons 1&2

WEEK 6:US History

Section 10: EstablishingColonies

Section 11: The AmericanRevolution Complete Lessons 1&2

Group research:reading/summarizing

Concept:: The US Civil WarWhat do you know?ResearchAdd to Classroom Project Board

Select/order materials Concept: the Reform MovementGED Materials: Lessons 4&5

Take and review GED mini-test:Lessons 4&5

Section 12: The US CivilWar

Section 13: The ReformMovement Complete Lessons 4&5 Newspaper/

magazine search

HOMEWORK

HOMEWORK

HOMEWORK

HOMEWORK

HOMEWORK

HOMEWORK

DAY 1SOCIAL STUDIES

DAY 2 DAY 3 DAY 4

Concept: World War II, the ColdWar, the Vietnam WarWhat do you know?ResearchAdd to Classroom Project Board

WEEK 7:US History

Section 14: World War II

Lay out the test/write questions Concept: IndustrializationGED materials: Lessons 5&6

Take and Review GED mini-test:Lessons 5&6

WEEK 8:Civics & Gov.

WEEK 9:Civics & Gov.

WEEK 10:Economics

WEEK 11:Economics

WEEK 12:Testing

Section 15: The Cold Warand the Vietnam War Complete Lessons 5&6

Lay out the test/write questions

Concept: State and LocalGovernmentsWhat do you know?ResearchAdd to Classroom Project Board

Write questions Concept: The ConstitutionGED materials: Lessons 11&12

Take and Review GED mini-test:Lessons 11&12

Section 17: State andLocal Governments

Section 18: The Constitutionof the United States Complete Lessons 11&12 Write questions

Concept: The Bill of RightsWhat do you know?ResearchAdd to Classroom Project Board

Write questions Concept: ElectionsGED materials: Lessons 13&14

Take and review GED mini-test:Lessons 13&14

Section 19: The Bill of Rights Section 20: Elections Complete Lessons 13&14 Write questionsConcept: Free EnterpriseWhat do you know?ResearchAdd to Classroom Project Board

Type and assemble Concept: Money ManagementGED materials: Lessons 15&16

Take and review GED mini-test:Lessons 15&16

Section 22: Free Enterprise Section 23: Money Management Complete Lessons 15&16 Type and AssembleConcept: Supply and DemandWhat do you know?ResearchAdd to Classroom Project Board

Type and assemble Concept: The Global EconomyGED materials: Lesson 17

Take and review GED mini-test:Lesson 17Take a cumulative test

Take student test Take student test Take GED cumulative tests Take GED cumulative tests

Section 24: Supply and Demand Section 26: The Global Economy Complete Lesson 17 Type and Assemble

HOMEWORK

HOMEWORK

HOMEWORK

HOMEWORK

HOMEWORK

HOMEWORK

Introduce critical thinking skillsConcept: Scientific Methods

WEEK 1:Life Science

Section 1: Scientific Methods

Correlate course and newspaper/magazine/internet topicsNewspaper: sorting

Concept: The CellGED Materials: Lessons 1&2

Take and Review GED mini-test:Lessons 1&2

WEEK 2:Life Science

WEEK 3:Life Science

WEEK 4:Life Science

WEEK 5:Earth and

Space

WEEK 6:Earth and

Space

Section 2: The Cell Complete Lessons 1&2Newspaper/magazineinternet search

Concept:: Body SystemsWhat do you know?ResearchAdd to Classroom Project Board

Organize groups Concept: Body SystemsGED Materials: Lessons 4&5

Take and Review GED mini-test:Lessons 4&5

Sections 2&3: BloodVessels, Bones, Muscles

Section 5: TheReproductive System Complete Lessons 4&5

Newspaper/magazine/internet search

Concept: GeneticsWhat do you know?ResearchAdd to Classroom Project Board

Group research:sorting

Concept: EvolutionGED Materials: Lessons 3&6

Take and review GED mini-test:Lessons 3&6

Section 6: Genetics Section 13: Evolution Complete Lessons 3&6 Newspaper/magazineinternet search

Concept: Life SystemsWhat do you know?ResearchAdd to Classroom Project Board

Group research: reading/summa-rizing

Concept: EcosystemsGED Materials: Lessons 7&8

Take and review GED mini-test:Lessons 7&8

Section 10: Life Systems Section 12: Ecosystems Complete Lessons 7&8

Group research: reading/summarizing.Research: Earth’s structure, thechanging Earth

Concept: Structure of EarthWhat do you know?ResearchAdd to Classroom Project Board

Group research: reading/summarizing

Concept: The Changing EarthGED Materials: Lessons 9&10 Take and review GED mini-test:

Lessons 9&10

Concept: WeatherWhat do you know?ResearchAdd to Classroom Project

Concept: The atmosphereGED materials: Lessons12&13

Take and review GED mini-test: Lessons 12&13

Lesson 9: The Structure ofEarth Lesson 10: The Changing Earth Complete Lessons 9&10

Group research: reading/summarizing

SCIENCEDAY 1 DAY 2 DAY 3 DAY 4

Select/order materials

Section 14: Weather Section 15: The Atmosphere Complete Lesson Newspaper/magazine search

HOMEWORK

HOMEWORK

HOMEWORK

HOMEWORK

HOMEWORK

HOMEWORK

Concept: The Solar SystemWhat do you know?ResearchAdd to Classroom Project Board

WEEK 7:Earth and

Space

Section 17: The Solar System

Layout test/write questions Concept: Earth’s ResourcesGED Materials: Lessons 12 & 13

Take and Review GED mini-test: Lessons 12&13

WEEK 8:Chemistry

WEEK 9:Chemistry

WEEK 10:Physics

WEEK 11:Physics

WEEK 12:Testing

Section 16: Resources Complete Lessons 12&13 Lay out the test/writequestion

Concept:: MatterWhat do you know?ResearchAdd to Classroom Project Board

Write questions Concept: Changes in matterGED Materials: Lessons 14&15

Take and Review GEDmini-test:: Lessons 14&15

Section 19: Matter Section 20: Changes inMatter Complete Lessons 14&15 Write question

Concept: Chemical ReactionsWhat do you know?ResearchAdd to Classroom Project Board

Write questions Concept: Chemical ReactionsGED Materials: Lesson 16

Take and review GEDmini-test:: Lesson 16

Section 21: Mixtures andSolutions Section 22: Combustion Complete Lesson 16 Write questions

Concept: Motions and ForcesWhat do you know?ResearchAdd to Classroom Project Board

Type and assemble Concept: Motions and ForcesGED Materials: Lesson 17

Take and review GEDmini-test: Lesson 17

Section 24: Machines Lesson 17: Motion and Forces

Concept: Electricity andMagnetismWhat do you know?ResearchAdd to Classroom Project Board

Concept: WavesGED materials: Lesson 20

Take and review GED mini-test:Lesson 20Take a cumulative test

Take student tests Take GED cumulative tests Take GED cumulative tests

Section 26: Electricity Section 27: Light and Lasers Complete Lesson 20 Type and assemble

SCIENCEDAY 1 DAY 2 DAY 3 DAY 4

Take student tests

HOMEWORK

HOMEWORK

HOMEWORK

HOMEWORK

HOMEWORK

Complete Lesson 17 Type and assemble

Type and assemble

1: DataAnalysis

2: Statisticsand

Probability

3: Integers

4: AlgebraicExpressions

Circle graphsBar Graphs

Charts and graphs inGED Tests

Day 1 Day 2 Day 3

PrinciplesWord problems

Principles of probabilityWord problems

Practice mean and median modeusing the formula page for theGED Test

Introduction to integersAdd and subtract

Multiply and dividePractice with integers

Practice with relevant GEDproblems

Introduction to algebraAlgebraic expressions

Write algebraic expressions forword phrasesSolve simple algebra problems

Practice with relevant GEDproblems

5: Equations

WEEK

MATHEMATICS 2: SYLLABUSThe following syllabus lays out the required Mathematics 2 topics and activities in a twelve-week grid. The “Some Classroom Activities” section cangive teachers ideas about how to approach some of the topics scheduled here.

Line graphsTables

Day 4

Charts and graphs fromnewspaper

GED Tests and review

GED Tests and review

GED Tests and review

Introduction to equationsSolve simple equations

Solve more complex equationsTranslate word problems intoequations

Practice with relevant GEDproblems

GED Tests and review

6: Factorsand

Inequalities

Introduction to exponents andsquare rootsMultiply factors with two terms

Solve quadratic equations Factors GED Tests and review

7: TheCoordinate

Plane

8: Area,Perimeter,

and Volume

Introduction to coordinate planePlot ordered pairs

Graph equationsUse GED grids

Formulas: find the slope of a lineFind the equation of a line

Practice GED test questions onthese topics

Introduction to areaApply to all of the different shapesUse GED Test formulas

Introduction toperimeterApply to all thedifferent shapesUse GED testformulas

Introduce volumeApply volume to all the differentshapesUse GED Test formulas

Practice GED Test questions onthese topics

WEEK Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4

9: Lines andAngles

Introduction to anglesMeasure various angles

Introduce and solve wordproblems for parallel lineswith a transversal

Practice GED Testquestions on these topics

10: Trianglesand

Quadrilaterals

Triangle types and anglesWord problems

QuadrilateralsWord problems

Congruent and vertical angles Practice GED Testquestions on these topics

11: IrregularFigures

Irregular figures: area andvolumeWord problems

Multi-step word problems forirregular figures

Practice GED Test questions onthese topics

Practice GED Test questionson these topics

12: WorkWith RightTriangles

Introduction to the right triangleand Pythagorean relationship

Practice with word problems Practice GED Test questions onthese topics

Practice GED Test questionson these topics

Congruent and vertical angles