Test Analysis

Over the next day or two we will be conducting Test Analysis on The Catcher in the Rye.

In order to effectively take part in the discussion, students must come to class with their annotated

copies of Catcher and intelligent, substantiated discussion topics.

Test Analysis for Catcher will be due on Thursday, 10/27.

The Test Debate / Test Analysis process seeks to prepare students for the rigors of

state and national testing which is used to determine student’s educational progress.

Research has shown that the activity builds critical thinking skills by encouraging

students to think conceptually about (in our case) a work of literature. Such skills are

necessary to excel on the AP English exams, as well as the SAT and ACT exams,

which all require students to differentiate between good answers and best answers.

This is what makes these tests so challenging—students seek absolutes rather than

recognize the subtle differences in answers.  A simplistic way to illustrate the process

would be to say that the multiple-choice test turns into a short answer exam where

partial credit is given. A student will never be penalized for an answer that is "correct,"

but this process allows them to earn points back on questions that they originally

marked "wrong."

Test Debate Process:

The class debates the conceptual question using Socratic Technique:

Step 1: One of the participants initiates the discussion by phrasing one or more questions.

(Question on exam…)

Step 2: This is followed by the presentation of a response that sets forth hypotheses,

which are developed through demonstration.

Step 3:  Refutation and cross-examination, takes place.

Step 4: The final phase hopefully will consist of a modification of the original position held by

each participant. The desired end result is shared meaning and enlarged understanding.

(Golden, Berquist, & Coleman,1983)

At the conclusion of the discussion, the class votes on the BEST answer.  That vote does

not determine a student's grade on the test. The student, after hearing the discussion, draws

final conclusions about the question, which is done in the form of Test Analysis.

Some Basic Guiding Principles for Test Debate:

Identify the underlying point in the assertions of others.

Don't be afraid to use quotes.

Don’t totally ignore what others say while going on to something else.

Don’t strip away the context of a situation unless the question suggests you should do so.

Test Analysis Process

The final score on the test is determined by the student’s final stance on the question.

Each question/choices being examined must be provided.

Three points must be made:

A. Why did you choose the answer you chose?

B. How did the class justify the answer with the most votes? (What substantiation was

provided? What other choices were considered / eliminated?)

C. What do you think now and why?

Scoring: You may earn up to the full amount of points that question was worth on

the exam. For instance, a comprehensive response on 10-point question might

earn you the full 10 points back. Superficial or irrelevant evidence, illogical

arguments, or incomplete discussions will reduce your awarded points.

Alternative opinions might not be agreed with, but will certainly be respected--

and rewarded--as long as the textual evidence supports them.

Test Analysis Sample Response:

The following is an exemplary analysis of a conceptual test question on Joseph

Conrad's Heart of Darkness:

3. The main reason Kurtz turns his back on his former existence is:

(A) his need for power

(B) his desire to be free from society’s limitations

(C) his personality flaw: lack of restraint

(D) the attractiveness of the Id

(E) his fear of what he had become

I chose answer (E) his fear of what he had become. As Kurtz gives in to his

savage instinct he drifts away from the restraints of society and begins to live a life of

self-loathing in which he is unable to reconcile his former moral code with his present

actions. He understands he has been transformed into someone who could not reassimilate

into Western society and cannot fathom how he would act if he were to return.

The class chose answer (D) the attractiveness of the Id. In justification of this

answer choice, as Kurtz recognizes the flaws that plague society, his desire to break away

from society’s restraints grows until he is presented with the opportunity to escape. The

setting of the jungle intensifies Kurtz’ savage instinct, to which Kurtz is drawn.

According to the class, it is this luring of the Id that prevents Kurtz from returning to

society.

According to this answer, Kurtz must associate giving into his Id with freedom

from society’s confines. However, Kurtz does not find freedom in succumbing to his Id;

rather, he is more tightly bound to society’s codes by his own guilt. The longer Kurtz

stays in the jungle, the more savage he becomes, indulging in his personality flaw, which

as answer (C) suggests is his lack of restraint, which manifests itself in acts such as the

horrific display of decapitated heads on the stakes. The greater this flaw is magnified, the

farther away from society he goes and the harder it becomes to turn back, which is why

Kurtz turns his back on society. Thus, I think the correct answer is (C) his personality

flaw: lack of restraint.

Rationale & Research Support for Test Analysis:

The importance of this research stems from the foundational belief that learning

can only be meaningful if the learner has a conceptual latticework on which to hang the

new information learned. Most high achieving students do this instinctively. They have

developed an inherent ability to connect what they are learning to what they already

know. Thus, the importance for educators is that strategies and educational practices must

be employed that requires all students to think conceptually, activating existing

knowledge when learning new material.

The theoretical research connects test debate and test analysis to the constructs of

John Dewey, Jean Piaget, Lev Vygotsky, and David Ausubel. The theoretical foundation

of this study is supported by the constructivist view that learning is the process of

building knowledge from interpretation of experience. Dewey’s (1938) progressive

model suggests that information be connected to earlier experiences involving actual life

experience and articulation of facts and ideas (Dewey, 1938). Piaget (1969) and

Vygotsky (1962) expanded the scope of this constructivist connection by suggesting that

knowledge was formed through a process of continuous self-construction suggesting that

the formation of intellect is a process of development. Ausubel (1962) asserted that

learning should activate prior knowledge and make connections during what Ausubel

calls discovery learning. During this process students rearrange information while

integrating it with existing cognitive structures.

This study’s contention was that as students understand the metacognitive aspects

of test debate and test analysis, they greatly improve their understanding of the

conceptual aspects of academic courses, and also better master the content acquisition

required for any meaningful learning. Some teachers continue to assess students’

understanding using traditional methods while others have embraced the progressive

view that meaningful learning requires students to maintain an active role in their

learning. This exploratory study considered students’ perspectives on the cognitive

processes associated with test analysis and test debate as a means to determine the

effectiveness of this mode of assessment.

Recent research in the area of critical thinking ties the historical perspective to

current research by considering how critical thinking provides students with the skills

needed to connect course content with true conceptual understanding. Tsui’s (2002) case

study research contends that today’s students are provided with educational experiences

that increase content retention, but do not promote students’ ability to improve higher

order thinking skills. She observed that class discussion and reflective writing, two key

components of test debate and test analysis, promote critical thinking.

Lynd-Balta’s (2006) study investigated the impact of specific classroom activities

on critical thinking skills in an undergraduate neuroscience course. Lynd-Balta concluded

that requiring students to apply content knowledge through problem solving promotes

critical thinking skills without sacrificing content retention. Using course content to

reflect on existing belief systems is similar to the educational goals of test debate and test

analysis.

Schwarm and VanDeGrift (2002) studied the impact of classroom assessments on

critical thinking by focusing on how classroom assessments can be used to discover

students’ conceptual understanding as well as content retention. The researchers

concluded that as students better recognized their own misconceptions the students were

forced to critically think about the depth of their learning through consistent

metacognitive processes. Students realized the benefit of thinking critically about the

depth of their understanding (Schwarm & VanDeGrift, 2002).

MLA Formatting Help

Click on the links below to help with your Literary Analysis Formatting:

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/

http://library.williams.edu/citing/styles/mla.php

http://kosmicki.com/102/MLAformat.pdf

Upcoming deadlines

October 4th – Catcher completed

October 6^th - Thesis established & approved

October 11th - Catcher Test- (Bring your books to class)

October 12th - PSAT's (no morning classes for Juniors)

October 13^th  - Rough Draft-Peer editing (You will receive a zero if you are unprepared as you will be unable to take part in the peer editing) Dawn annotation check (X 2 HW grades)

October 17^th -  Edited Papers due for in-class writing activity

October 18^th – Final Papers due (electronically & in print)   (10 points off per day if late) Dawn annotation check (X 2 HW grades)

October 20th - Literary Term Test:  Allegory - Flashback (Review literary terms manual for definitions.)
October 27th  - "By the Waters of Babylon" Quiz and Catcher... test analysis due.
October 28th - A.P. Exam - Practice Section 1 homework due- (Conrad's Heart of Darkness) for students who went to Salem.

 

The actual task 1 prompt (for those who were absent)

A.P. Lit Baseline - Essay # 1 Analysis

We are moving forward with our analysis of your Baseline A.P. Literature and Composition Exam.  In class, I passed out the prompt for essay # 1 as well as nine sample essays identified as A, B, C,  D, E, F, G, H and I.  

Directions:  Critically read through the 9 sample essays.  I suggest you annotate so that you are making active observations about each essay's strengths and weaknesses.  In your blog, address 3 aspects of each essay: overall impression, writing skills (author's craft,  mechanical skills or lack there of) and support from the text (integration of evidence/quotes from the poem.)

You should have a minimum of 3 sentences for each of the nine essays.

Before beginning,  read the rubric (below) and the letter "An Exam Reader's Advice on Writing."


Due Monday, October 3rd.

#	Trait Description	%
9-8	These well-organized and well-written essays clearly demonstrate an understanding of how the poet expresses the complex attitude of the speaker. In their textual references they are apt and specific. Although the writers may provide a range of interpretations, these papers will offer a convincing interpretation of the poem as well as consistent control over the elements of effective composition, including the language unique to the criticism of verse. Though not without flaws, they demonstrate the writer's ability to read poetry perceptively and to write with clarity and sophistication.	100-92
7-6	These essays reflect a sound grasp of this poem; but they are less sensitive to the complexities than the best essays, and their interpretation of the poem may falter in some particulars. Though perhaps not as thorough or precise in their discussion of (how the speaker's tone) is revealed in the poem, their dependence on paraphrase, if any, should be in the service of analysis. These essays demonstrate the writers' ability to express ides clearly, but they do not exhibit the same level of master, maturity and/or control as the very best essays. These essays are likely to be briefer, less incisive, and less well-supported than the 9-8 papers.	91-81
5	These essays are, at best, superficial. They respond to the assigned task yet probably say little beyond the most easily-grasped observations. Their analysis of HOW the author creates meaning may be vague, formulaic, or inadequately supported. They may suffer from the cumulative force of many minor misreadings. They tend to rely on paraphrase but nonetheless paraphrase which contains some implicit analysis. Composition skills are at a level sufficient to convey the writer's thoughts, and egregious mechanical errors do not constitute a distraction. These essays are nonetheless not as well-conceived, organized, or developed as upper-half papers.	80-75
4-3	These lower-half essays reveal an incomplete understanding of the poem and perhaps an insufficient understanding of the prescribed task as well: they may emphasize literal description without discussing the deeper implications of the poem. The analysis may be partial, unconvincing, or irrelevant or it may rely essentially on paraphrase. Evidence from the text may be meager or misconstrued. The writing demonstrates uncertain control over the elements of composition, often exhibiting recurrent stylistic flaws and/or inadequate development of ideas. Essays scored 3 may contain significant misreadings and/or unusually inept writing.	74-60
2-1	These essays compound the weaknesses of the papers in the 4-3 range. They may seriously misread the poem. Frequently, they are unacceptably brief. They are poorly written on several counts and may contain many distracting errors in grammar and mechanics. Although some attempt may have been made to respond to the question, the writer's assertions are presented with little clarity, organization, or support from the text of the poem.	59-25
0	These essays respond with no more than a reference to the task, contain completely off-topic responses, or are blank.	24-0

AP English, is characterized by the following:

• Wide-ranging vocabulary used with denotative accuracy and connotative resourcefulness
• A variety of sentence structures, including appropriate use of subordinate and coordinate constructions
• A logical organization, enhanced by specific techniques of coherence such as repetition, transitions, and emphasis
• A balance of generalization with specific illustrative detail
• An effective use of rhetoric, including controlling tone, maintaining a consistent voice, and achieving emphasis through parallelism and antithesis

An Exam Reader's Advice on Writing:

Make a plan.

Students should not begin writing until they fully comprehend the prompt and/or the passage. Mere parroting of the prompt often leads to floundering around instead of developing a clear direction. I recommend that you advise your students to write directly on the passage and make quick notes and outlines in the margins. This planning step enables most writers to organize their ideas more efficiently.

Begin quickly and directly.

Although AP Readers are instructed to read the entire essay and not to be prejudiced by a weak introduction, a strong opening paragraph can be a real asset to a student's paper. When answering the free-response part of the AP English Exams, writers should answer the question quickly and avoid beginning with ideas that do not relate directly to the prompt. The following hypothetical introduction for Question One on the 2002 AP English Literature Exam provides an example of what not to do:

"All people at some point in time have encountered a great deal of trouble in their lives. I know of so many people who have been embarrassed by parents that will wave at you from across a room. I have a friend who told me that her parents did this very same thing."

Such generalities often signal a writer's inability to respond in a thoughtful manner, suggesting that the rest of the paper also may be incoherent or rambling. The Reader might begin to suspect that the student is just trying to bluff his or her way through the question.

One-sentence perfunctory introductions -- especially ones that repeat the wording of the prompt -- also work poorly, suggesting to the Reader that the student isn't particularly interested or doesn't care.

I recommend that teachers tell students to create an introduction strong enough to earn a grade of 3 all by itself. That means that students should learn ways to answer the entire prompt -- answer the prompt, not simply repeat it -- in the introduction. This indicates to the Reader that the paper could be heading into the upper-half zone. One way to help students improve their beginning is by providing them with several introductory paragraphs from papers that have earned a wide range of scores and asking them to identify stronger and weaker openings. (Sample papers are available in the "Exams" area of AP Central, and via the link for the "English Language and Composition Exam" in "See also," below.) Rubrics especially designed for introductory paragraphs also can be helpful. After having students collect examples of several strong openings, you may want to ask them to develop their own rubric for introductory paragraphs.

Use paragraphs and topic sentences.

Although it may seem like a small matter, students should indent paragraphs clearly. A paper without indentation or with unclear indentation often confuses a Reader. Paragraphs create the fundamental structure of the essay, and without them good ideas can get muddled. Most essays I've seen that do not use paragraphs tend to be full of confused and rambling thoughts.

Many writers find topic sentences a useful tool both for organizing paragraphs and also for helping Readers navigate through the essay.

Use quotations and explain them.

To score at least a 3, students would be wise to make use of pertinent references from the text. Encourage them to use specific quotations to back up their assertions. However, remind them that they must explain their quotes clearly and demonstrate how they are relevant to the question. It is important for young writers to realize that offering long quotes without explanation bogs down the essay and can give the undesirable impression that the student is trying to fill up space rather than answer the prompt!

Create variety.

Short, choppy sentences without variety indicate a student who has little background in grammar and style, perhaps someone who has read and written minimally. Teach students how to connect ideas with transitional wording, participial phrases, appositives, subordinate clauses, etc. I ask my students to imagine children making the same tower or castle each time they played with blocks. They soon would become bored. Likewise, both writers and readers get bored when everything is formulaic, lacking some individual pizzazz! I suggest asking them to experiment with different sorts of syntactical devices to help them develop a sense of style.

Find the right word.

An arsenal of appropriate vocabulary and analytical wording reveals a brilliant mind at work, but writers should make certain that the words fit. Some students stick in big words just to sound scholarly. Ironically, some of their papers score only a 2 because they lack clarity and sometimes say nothing of relevance to the prompt.  
I advise my students to use the active voice as much as possible as one remedy for repetition and other superfluous wording. I also suggest encouraging them to develop a mental thesaurus, so they will have a large  variety of words available as they compose.   

The Catcher in the Rye - Literary Analysis

Assignment: 

Select a character(s), conflict, or theme you would like to explore in The Catcher in the Rye.Provide a 4-5 page literary analysis.

Utilize the novel (1 source).

Utilize at least 3 sources of literary criticism (no more than 2 can be from the choices provided for you- at least one must be found independently).

Due dates:

October 5^th - Thesis established & approved

October 12^th  - Rough Draft-Peer editing (You will receive a zero if you are unprepared as you will be unable to take part in the peer editing)

October 14^th - Edited Papers due for in-class writing activity

October 19^th – Final Papers due (electronically & in print)   (10 points off per day if late)

Submission information:

All papers must be submitted to Turnitin.com (electronically) in addition to Ms. O’Donnell (printed copy).

Apply the principles of MLA documentation throughout your paper:

-Introduce your work in an engaging manner (with a significant passage, relevant or suggestive dialogue, an apropos statement by a literary critic, or some important information that provides context to the topic you are analyzing.)

-Establish a clear, comprehensive thesis.

-Defend your thesis using relevant specific evidence from the text as well as valid literary criticism (no readers’ guides-e.g., Sparknotes).

-Strike a balance between paraphrasing and well integrated direct quotations.

-Provide a meaningful conclusion

How you'll be graded:

Title Page: *interesting title/ proper information

Introduction: * interesting beginning/ length/ thesis 
Body: *diction/mechanics/ length 
Conclusion: *recap of entire paper/ powerful final comments 
Balance of Direct Quotes, Paraphrasing: *form and integration (in text of paper) 
Work Cited page/Source Quality: *variety/ form 

Sources:  You must integrate citations from 3 outside critics/sources in addition to your use of The Catcher in the Rye (a minimum of 4 sources in total.)  The following sources are approved:

http://www.newyorker.com/talk/2010/02/08/100208ta_talk_gopnik

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/28/AR2010012803177.html

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/29/books/29appraisal.html?_r=1&ref=books

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/21/weekinreview/21schuessler.html?ref=books

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2010/01/28/nyregion/20100128-salinger-map.html

Additional References for consideration:

"Love and Death in The Catcher in the Rye" Critic: Peter Shaw
Source: New Essays on The Catcher in the Rye, Cambridge University Press, 1991, pp. 97-114.

Kings in the Back Row: Meaning through Structure-A Reading of Salinger's `The Catcher in the Rye'
Critic: Carl F. StrauchWinter, 1961, pp. 5–30. Reproduced by permission
Source: Wisconsin Studies in Contemporary Literature


The dimwitted legacy of 'Catcher in the Rye'  Critic: George Will,  Chicago Sun-Times

Contemporary Literary Criticism- This multi-volume set contains excerpts from critical essays in books and journals. Use these volumes to 1) select a topic or theme, 2) find the full article or essay in the library, or locate other articles from the "Further Reading" section.

Novels for Students - Entries in this multi-volume set include information on the novel, major themes, characters, and criticism.

Dictionary of Literary Biography - DLB is a multi-volume work which provides detailed American Writers - This set of books provides information about the lives, careers, and works of American writers.

Major Characters in American Fiction - Entries on the most important characters.

Characters in 20th-Century Literature - Brief information on the characters in this book under the entry on Salinger. 

Holden Caufield - from the series on Major Literary Characters. 

Censored Books: Critical Viewpoints - Contains an essay on The Catcher in the Rye.

   

The Catcher in the Rye - Critical essays. Edited by Harold Bloom.

Judging your Source:

The Internet can be a wonderful source of original documents. But, remember to look at:

Accuracy - The information should be researched and show proof that it has been.

  

Source - Who wrote the information? Look at the domain: .edu .gov. org .net are valid research sources.

Authority - What are the author's credentials?  (Do not quote from another student's paper.)

Coverage - Does the page have the information you need for your research?

Objectivity - If a work is biased, you may use it - just make sure your teacher knows YOU know. And offer both sides of issues, where applicable.

Strategies for Writing about Literature:

1. Don’t tell your reader what you’re going to tell her--just tell her! In other words, do not say: “In my essay, I am going to tell you about…”

2. Write formal papers in third person. Use he, she, it, they, one--but not I, we, or you.

3. Write literary papers in the present tense. Thus, Holden leaves Pencey, not Holden left Pency.

4. Make pertinent references to the work itself. Be specific. Saying that Holden disappoints his teammates is too vague. Saying that Holden is ostracized by the fencing team because he lost all the foils and equipment on the subway is specific.

5. Quote appropriately by integrating phrases within your own sentences. Include the page number in parentheses as shown. The best way to avoid a QUOTE LUMP is to quote phrases. The following examples illustrate the differences.

* Sentence exactly as it appears in the novel: “What I was really hanging around for, I was trying to feel some kind of a good-by, I mean I’ve left schools and places I didn’t even know I was leaving them”(4).

* Sentence with a QUOTE LUMP: Holden says, “I was trying to feel some kind of a good-by” (4).

* Sentence explaining quote’s importance but LUMPY with unneeded words: Even though he has been expelled from Pencey, Holden can’t leave immediately because he says, “I was trying to feel some kind of a good-by” (4).

* Sentence integrating & explaining quote with no unneeded words: Expelled from Pencey, Holden can’t leave immediately because he is “trying to feel some kind of a good-by” (4).

6. If a passage is truly important enough to warrant quoting an entire sentence or more, you will need to explain its importance. You may use the ellipsis (…) if you leave words out of the middle of the sentence. If you quote more than two lines, you must also set the quote off as in the example below. Holden introduces himself and the novel’s major themes to us by saying:  If you really want to hear about it, the first thing you’ll probably want to know is where I was born, and what my lousy childhood was like…and all that David Copperfield kind of crap, but I don’t feel like going into it, if you want to know the truth (1).  This initial reluctance to tell us about himself ties in directly with the reference to David Copperfield who was also trying to find out if he was to be “the hero of [his] own life” (1).

7. Use transitional words to relate ideas and events to each other and to introduce some of your examples. For instance, to illustrate, consequently, in addition, on the other hand and other such “glue words” help your paper “fit together.”

8. Pay very careful attention to the correct punctuation of the literary work’s title. Know whether to enclose it in quotation marks or to underline.

9. Pay very careful attention to the spelling of any words in quoted passages, the names of characters and places, and common homonyms. To misspell Holdin’ Coalfield or to confuse its and it’s are careless error’s which show a lack of respect for you’re own work.

10. Create an appropriate and interesting title for your papers. You cannot call your paper “The Catcher in the Rye.” Salinger has already used that one, so you must do more. Perhaps: Style in The Catcher in the Rye Holden Caulfield’s Quest of Central Park and Museums Holden’s Hieroglyphics OR whatever that indicates the direction your paper will follow.

                

                                                        “Good Luck!”  

                          (That should make you laugh…if you were listening in class.)

Holden Caufield and You...

Some call him the original sullen teenager...

Since his debut in 1951, Holden Caulfield — the funny, complex, wry protagonist of J.D. Salinger's classic The Catcher in the Rye — has given voice to generations of teenagers caught between childhood and the adult world.

One of the most censored books in recent U.S. history, The Catcher in the Rye is now a staple of many high school and college curricula. It's the coming-of-age story of 16-year-old Caulfield, who has flunked out of his prep school and is disillusioned with the world.

Your Assignment:

1.  Select a song that captures one of the many complex aspects of Holden's personality.  In your post, provide the lyrics to your selected song.  As discussed in class, if there is a profanity in the song, please indicate and remove the word so that this maintains the academic tone of an extended classroom conversation.   

2.  Provide a one paragraph (approximately 100 words) explanation for your choice.

3.  Do not use the same song as any of your classmates.

4. You do not need to comment on your classmates' postings.